Elections are like a dose of castor oil; they may be hard to take, but they are generally good for the sense of well being of the whole body.

Village elections this year in Babylon are a case in point. And, for that matter, so are the elections being held in Amityville Village. In both instances, longtime incumbents face opposition from individuals who are out there fighting a hard campaign and who raised issues that they believe are important to the public and to the day-to-day operation of local government. Theyhave perked the interest of the residents and the level of public debate, which is always a positive way of building up the life's blood of the Democratic process.

In Babylon, incumbent Trustees Alice Vanderveldt and Kevin Muldowney face opposition from a strong opponent, Darrell Conway, a current member of the School Board and a local attorney. Thetwo sides have a distinct and different view of the Village.

Conway said Village facilities are in a neglected state, the Village's finances are in shambles and the current administration, of which his opponents are an integral part, needs to be more open and more inclusive. And while he maintains that Babylon is still a nice place to live, he hopes to be a Trustee on the board who offers an independent voice and new ideas.

Theincumbents see it differently. Theypoint to their records, asking voters to look at the condition of the Village and make an informed choice. They note the Village's aggressive landscaping and flower program, its busy calendar of events, its roads and services as well as their consistent work dealing with residents and business owners to make Babylon as Newsday recently rated it, one of the top ten communities in which to live and work on Long Island. They have adopted an innovative, highly lauded and environmentally friendly drainage program and have been recognized for it statewide. While all are members of the same local party, they represent a variety of views and political persuasions that keeps Babylon vital and growing.

In this election, the Beacon gives its endorsement to incumbent Trustees Alice Vandervelt and Kevin Muldowny who have shown an ever present concern and commitment to the Village. They do not, as their opponent has stated, always agree on issues, and while their final votes at Village Board meetings may be unanimous, we know from experience that they are carefully thought out, argued about and modified before they make their way to the official Village agenda.

In addition, they are committed to caring for Babylon and its residents as evidenced by their ongoing efforts to address almost every issue facing the community in a timely and consistent way. They deserve reelection and we give them our warm endorsement.

That's not to say that we don't congratulate Darrell Conway for standing up and speaking out on issues he believes are important to the community. He has run a good campaign and without that kind of community spirit, the democratic process would fail. To his credit, his campaign has refocused the Village on some things that could use improvement. We agree the Village Board should make it clearer to the public that they have the benefit of speaking on issues before the board votes on its agenda, and that the board should consider asking its elected officials to pay something toward health-care benefits. This will not only place the Village Board more in line with the public it serves, but also set a tone of fiscal responsibility in its dealing with Village employees.

The most important votes, however, are the ones cast at the polls and we urge residents to remember to get out and vote Weds., March 18. The candidates have worked hard to define the agenda this year and you should support that process.

Alfred James, publisher