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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
Senator Monica Martinez honored
Faith brings peace to author
LIAG brings books to veterans
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VOL. 75 NO. 7
FEBRUARY 13-19, 2025
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Babylon schools see small tax hike, plan to stay under tax cap orities, which include maintaining current programming, The Babylon School District restoring services where fiis projecting for the 2025-2026 nancially feasible, ensuring school year a 2.19 percent tax long-term sustainability, and increase, which falls below the preparing an educationally sound and fiscally New York State tax responsible budget. cap. To improve fisDuring the discal health, Lunetta trict’s first budget said the district workshop of the has implemented season, Assistant several cost-saving Superintendent for measures, such Business Deirdre as monitoring the Lunetta thanked budget, switching the community student accident infor supporting the surance providers, district when it exchanging vendors ceeded the tax cap for postage meters, in 2023-2024. Howand shifting sevever, due to intereral processes from est earnings from paper-based to elecsmart investments tronic methods. and cost-saving Additionally, measures, Lunetta the district reduced said preliminary its Tax Anticipafigures show there tion Note (TAN) will be no need to borrowing by $1 exceed the cap this DEIRDRE LUNETTA million, from $8 year. million to $7 milLunetta described the budget process lion, saving $40,000 in interas “dynamic” and called the est payments. TAN borrowing proposal a “work in progress” helps school districts bridge with several unknowns still in the gap between the beginning of the fiscal year in July and play. “We’re working collectively when taxes are levied in Octoto ensure that the needs of the ber. The tax levy is the tostudents are at the forefront, and that discernment is used tal amount of money raised when developing our budget,” through local property taxes, both residential and commerLunetta said. She outlined the budget priCONTINUED ON PAGE 2
By ALENA BERENBLATT
Correspondent
W
Photo Credit/Town of Babylon
Village of Babylon Trustee and Deputy Mayor Frank Seibert, Babylon Belle, Mayor Mary Adams, Trustee Sean Goodwin and Trustee Dominic Bencivenga
Babylon Belle predicts early spring on chilly Groundhog Day morning By CHRISTIE LEIGH BABIRAD cbabirad@liherald.com
Babylon Village’s groundhog, Babylon Belle, made her appearance at Southards Pond Park on Feb. 2, despite the chilly 18-degree morning, to deliver her forecast: an early spring. Families braved the cold to hear the prediction, while Mayor Mary Adams had to coax Belle out of the woods, where she was hiding behind a tree in her pajamas. The mayor explained to Belle the importance of her task, prompting Belle to quickly rush into her house to change. She emerged wearing her signature pink tutu and bows on each ear. Unlike many communities, Babylon does not use a live groundhog for the event, instead relying on a generous volunteer to dress up and entertain the crowd. “We don’t need to put the animals through that. There are other options,” said Adams, who organized the first animal-friendly event last year. Babylon was later recognized by
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, PETA, with the Compassionate Government Award for not using a live groundhog. In recent years, protests have been held to raise awareness of the issue and encourage towns to adopt Babylon’s approach in protecting wildlife, according to PETA. After searching for her shadow and finding none, Babylon Belle declared that spring would come early. Her prediction was in stark contrast to Punxsutawney Phil, who saw his shadow and saw six more weeks of winter. As the crowd waited for Belle’s prediction, Village Trustee Dominic Bencivenga offered his own forecast: “One way or another, spring will be coming,” he said. Following the announcement, hot cocoa and groundhog-shaped cookies, provided by Torta Fina Bakery and served by the Babylon Beautification Society, were offered to all, “I’m hoping for an early spring and want to thank Babylon Village for holding this event,” said Robert Brady, who was there with his daughter, Maeve, and son, Rowan. CONTINUED ON PAGE 2
e’re working collectively to ensure that the needs of the students are at the forefront, and that discernment is used when developing our budget.