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Babylon Herald 05_21_2026

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BaBylon _______________

HERALD BEaCon

Also serving Babylon, Bay Shore, Copiague, Deer Park, Farmingdale, Lindenhurst, North Babylon, West Babylon, West Islip and Wyandanch

New PSEG prez named

Obituary: Michael Collins

Three sets of twins celebrate Sweet 16

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VOL. 60 NO. 17

MAY 21 - 27, 2026

$1.00

Voters okay BSD budget By CAROLYN JAMES Herald reportereee

Carolyn James/Herald Things were getting back to normal at Babylon Rail Road station Tuesday afternoon May 19 after the 3-day strike came to an end.

LIRR and MTA strike a deal Service ramped up again Tuesday By BRIAN KACHARABA and CAROLYN JAMES Herald reporters The three-day Long Island Rail Road strike ended late Monday after five unions and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority reached a tentative agreement following several days of negotiations, officials announced at an evening news conference. Union and MTA representatives announced the deal after negotiations resumed in the afternoon and continued into the night, ending the work stoppage that had halted service and caused widespread travel disruptions across Long Island and in New York City. “We have good news tonight,” Kevin Sexton, vice president of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen and spokesman for the Long Island Railroad Bargaining Coalition, said. “We’re pleased to announce that the parties have

reached an agreement.” Sexton said that details of the agreement would not be released immediately, citing the need for member review ahead of ratification votes. However, public radio station WYNC reported that the four-year deal includes retroactive pay and expires in July 2027. “Due to the nature of the negotiations, we cannot discuss the specifics,” he said. “What I can say is we are looking forward to our members getting back to work and doing what they do best, which is serving the region.” He added that any premature disclosure of details could complicate ratification. “We don’t want to fail ratification,” Sexton said. “If they get part of this story through the media, it may impact their decision.” The agreement is subject to a 30-day period in which union members will CONTINUED ON PAGE 9

Babylon School District voters reelected school trustees Robert Verdi and Catherine Wieland and voted firsttime candidate Marissa Sciremammano on to the school board. The three defeated Thomas Bruckner who was running for the first time. Weiland received 609 votes; Sciremammano, 507 votes and Verdi 505 votes. “I am very happy and excited to work with the current board of education and administration to help make our schools exactly what our children deserve,” said Sciremammano. In addition, voters approved two propositions for capital improvement projects. “The voting public was very positive and upbeat,” said Karen Parrish Doesing, a poll worker and Babylon school district resident. She described the turnout as “midsized.” There was a steady flow of voters throughout the day, according to Babylon’s District Clerk Linda McGarvey. The district budget was for $66.15 million, a 2.79 percent increase, or $1.79 million, over

the current $64.35 million budget. The plan is within the state tax cap. Residents in every other school district in the Town of Babylon, including Babylon, Amityville, Copiague, Deer Park, Farmingdale, Lindenhurst, North Babylon, West Babylon, Wyandanch also approved their district budgets, as well as West Islip school district voters. In North Babylon, which also had a contested school board race, results showed that Jeffrey Myers, Karen Schmitt and Keisha Rivers were elected to the board. Myers was sworn in immediately following the announcement of the results; Schmitt and Rivers will be sworn in at the district’s organizational meeting July 7. Myers received 591 votes; Rivers 569 and Schmitt 496. They defeated Dan Caroleo who had 350 votes. The results in every school district are expected to shape not only next year’s budget, but also the direction of the districts as they face mounting financial pressures and evolving expectations from parents and taxpayers alike.


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