Editing Wyandanch, New York (section)

==Parks and recreation==

In July 1945, land located between Long Island Avenue and Grand Boulevard on the border between Wyandanch and Deer Park was donated by William Geiger to the Town of Babylon to be developed as a recreational site for residents of the Town of Babylon. The Babylon Town Board voted $3,500 to improve the "small lake." In 1946, Babylon cut the brush around the lake, dredged and cleared it, and rehabilitated "a sturdy log cabin" into concession and comfort stations. The Geiger Lake Town Beach and picnic grove was opened to the public on July 21, 1946. Geiger Memorial Lake was so popular that by 1948 "many houses" had been built on Elk Street on land with lake views.<ref>"Seek Lake For Kids' Beach," ''Newsday'', May 15, 1945; "Kids to Get New Swimmin' Hole," ''Newsday'', June 12, 1945; "Swimmin' Hole in Wyandanch May Get Aid From Township," ''Lindenhurst Star'', July 6, 1945; "O.K. Swimmin' Hole," ''Lindenhurst Star'', July 13, 1945; Dyson, ''Deer Park-Wyandanch History'', 1957; "Babylon Dedicates Geiger Park Area," ''The Long Islander'' (Huntington) July 4, 1957: 11; "William Geiger" obituary, ''New York Times'', June 14, 1934.</ref> The town spent $156,000 refurbishing the Geiger Lake Pool in Wyandanch in the summer of 1989.<ref>Dele Olojede, "Geiger Lake Pool Renovation OKd: Town Allots $156,000 for Wyandanch Work," ''Newsday'', March 3, 1989: 33.</ref> The Town of Babylon demolished the Wyandanch pool in 2011. A new children's spray park has been built and opened in July 2013.  All other recreational facilities have been removed from the park including basketball courts (built less than 5 years prior), the children's playground, ball field and tennis courts.  The William Geiger memorial monument regarding his donation and desires for land use has been removed.

One of the major complaints voiced by young adults in Wyandanch after the August 1967 unrest was the lack of positive recreational activities. A youth center opened in January 1974,<ref>Kay Cordtz, "Nickels and Dime Add Up to a Center," ''New York Times'', January 27, 1974.</ref> and in 1984 the Wyandanch Youth Services, Inc. (WYS) was formed. Since 1998 WYS has operated a full service from a new purpose-built youth center.<ref>{{cite news |last=Olojede |first=Dele |date=April 12, 1987 |title=A Site for Growing Youth Agency: Donation of Building to Center Considered |newspaper=Newsday |page=27}}</ref>