Editorial: Center can keep Wyandanch Rising

In Wyandanch's long process of rising above its daunting economic challenges, any step forward has to be reckoned a landmark, especially in the face of rude reminders that it remains a difficult journey.

Last week was a perfect example. On Nov. 2, the Town of Babylon held a ceremony - well attended by public officials and residents - to mark the opening of a new community resource center on a site formerly occupied by a McDonald's. Only a few days earlier, the nearby new post office, another key to revitalization, was the site of an armed robbery.

The new resource center, in a temporary building on Straight Path, will provide job training and other support services in the heart of Wyandanch. A town workforce development official will move there and help keep all the collaborators working smoothly together, including the Economic Opportunity Council of Suffolk, small business advisers from Farmingdale State College, and not-for-profit agencies.

Along with such signs as a visit to Wyandanch yesterday by new State Education Commissioner David Steiner, the center is a source of hope. Officials such as Babylon Supervisor Steve Bellone and Assemb. Robert Sweeney (D-Lindenhurst) have worked for years to help this community. But it is a long journey. They'll have to continue working to make sure this center delivers real help to the people, and to keep the Wyandanch Rising initiative rising, one step at a time. hN