Also serving Babylon, Bay Shore, Copiague, Deer Park, Farmingdale, Lindenhurst, North Babylon, West Babylon, West Islip and Wyandanch
Two candidates running for Babylon Village Board Wednesday, March 18 Page 3
Bay officer from Copiague writes a debut thriller Page 10
By CAROLYN JAMES & CHRISTIE LEIGH BABIRAD of the Herald
A powerful blizzard swept across Babylon Town and surrounding villages on Feb. 22–23, leaving behind heavy snow, ice, strong winds and widespread disruptions. The storm, which forecasters had warned could bring “historic” snowfall, dumped 20-23 inches in many communities, followed by another 2 to 3 inches on Feb. 25, with isolated areas reporting even higher totals.
Snow began falling late Sunday morning and intensified overnight, combined with gusts up to 40 mph that reduced visibility and created treacherous driving conditions. Local authorities urged residents to stay home and avoid travel, and school districts announced closures for Monday and Tuesday.
The blizzard caused widespread power outages, primarily out East, leaving homes and businesses without electricity. Utility crews worked through the
night to restore service.
Emergency services reported numerous accidents on snow- and ice-covered roads. The Long Island Rail Road and major bus lines operated on limited schedules, and flights at Long Island MacArthur Airport and JFK experienced significant delays or cancellations.
Locally, employees from the Town of Babylon and the villages of Babylon and Lindenhurst worked to create access to roads, particularly for emergency vehicles, and then to clear them for regular traffic as schools reopened and people headed back to work.
West Babylon resident Clare Hayduscko commended the Town of Babylon for its efforts during the snowstorm.
“When I looked out, I was surprised, the streets were actually clean,” she said.
“I’m pleased with how the village handled this storm,” said Babylon Village resident Kevin Mullahy. “Babylon got hit very hard and compared to neighboring towns, our roads seemed to be in much
By CAROLYN JAMES cjames@liherald.com
As flames tore through the Fairfield Suburbia Gardens complex in West Babylon Tuesday night, Our Lady of Grace Roman Catholic Church opened its doors to displaced residents seeking warmth and shelter and to firefighters who set up command centers there.
Within minutes of the evacuation, parish staff and volunteers transformed church space into an emergency refuge, offering residents a place to sit and regroup amid bitter cold temperatures and uncertainty.
“I knew immediately that it was the right thing to do,” said Brian Miller, a dea-
con at Our Lady of Grace who also serves as chaplain and a member of the West Babylon Fire Department. “I knew immediately it was the Christian thing to do.” West Babylon firefighters were joined by those from Babylon, Lindenhurst, North Lindenhurst, North Amityville, Deer Park, and West Islip Fire Departments, and the East Farmingdale, and North Babylon Fire Companies. Wyandanch-Wheatley Heights Ambulance Corps responded with their rehab equipment and Babylon Central Fire Alarm responded with their Mobile Command unit.
The blaze broke out at the complex on Great East Neck Road shortly before
ON PAGE 7
Legislator Steven J. Flotteron joined students and staff at West Islip High School on Feb. 13 to mark the 16th anniversary of P.S. I Love You Day, a movement that began in the very auditorium where the assembly was held.
It was there that Brooke DiPalma, then 14, first shared her story of losing her father. Supported by school administrators and staff, she turned her grief into a message of hope — a message that would grow into a nationally recognized day promoting mental health awareness and compassion.
The organization’s mission is to instill hope in those affected by mental illness and to foster a community where everyone feels welcomed, loved and supported.
P.S. I Love You Day is observed annually on the second Friday in February. This year’s theme, “Be the Light,” guided the assembly.
“You can find the light and be the light,” DiPalma told students as she introduced a West Islip junior who spoke about the loss of his father to suicide. After sharing his experience and encouraging others to seek support, the student received a standing ovation.
“We encourage all to spread love to the world, others and most importantly, yourself,” DiPalma said.
Continuing a tradition that has become part of the community’s annual observance, 75 purple flags were displayed along Udall Road and Higbie Lane north of the high school, and more than 500
tendent Dr. Paul Romanelli.
purple shirts were sold to help spread the organization’s message.
Now a financial journalist, DiPalma
took time off from work this year to visit more than 20 schools to speak about mental health and resilience. Sixteen years
after her father’s death, she continues to carry the message of P.S. I Love You Day into every chapter of her life.
Jeff Szabo has been the CEO of the Suffolk County Water Authority for 16 years, and was a Deputy County Executive in Suffolk County.
As a Village Trustee, Jeff is fighting for us by:
Making sure government is responsive to the people it serves
Investing in our downtown and preserving its character
Holding the line on taxes and fighting to make make our streets safe
By CHRISTIE LEIGH BABIRAD cbabirad@liherld.com
Jordan Hoffman is running for Babylon Village trustee, focusing on transparency, efficiency, and “getting a handle on the budget” if elected March 18.
He faces Jeff Szabo, who was appointed by Mayor Mary Adams to fill the unexpired term of the late Sean Goodwin.
Hoffman, a Babylon resident for five years, has an extensive volunteer record. He served 16 years on the Bay Community Volunteer Ambulance Corps board and volunteers with the Five Quad Volunteer Ambulance Corps. Since 2021, he has been a lieutenant in the Babylon Fire Department’s rescue squad and part of its high-water rescue unit and recruitment committee.
He works as a lawyer at Cruser, Mitchell, Novitz, Sanchez, Gaston and Zimet LLP in Farmingdale. Hoffman has supported youth programs including the West Islip Swim Club and Babylon Little League and was recently recognized as one of Babylon’s first Unsung Heroes.
Recently, he and his family worked with P.S. I Love You and Town Councilman Terence McSweeney to assemble over 200 gift bags for first responders. “I started as an EMT 23 years ago and believe it’s important to not just support the people with mental illness but the people who respond to those emergencies,” Hoffman said.
Volunteerism inspired his campaign. “The village is full of people who are willing to help each other in times of need,” he said. He cited a lack of transparency in village government as a key motivation.
“People feel that they are left in the dark by the current administration,” he said. “They feel that they don’t get full transparency— Even in the minutes, the minutes just say that John Smith spoke, but the minutes don’t say what he spoke about and what the board’s response was.” Hoffman proposes streamed or recorded meetings and said he would donate his salary to fund the technology.
Efficiency is another priority. “If we make the village more efficient, we save money,” he said, noting the time it takes to register his daughter for swim lessons. Hoffman plans to move registrations from paper to electronic systems.
He also aims to develop a five-year
By CHRISTIE LEIGH BABIRAD cbabirad@liherld.com
As the March 18 Babylon Village election approaches, Trustee Jeff Szabo is seeking to retain the seat to which he was appointed last fall, saying he wants to help the village maintain its charm while planning for its future.
Szabo, running on the Better Babylon Party line, was appointed by Mayor Mary Adams on Nov. 12, 2025, to fill the unexpired term of the late Sean Goodwin, who died last year. He is serving through April 6, 2026, and is facing resident Jordan Hoffman in the upcoming election.
A Babylon Village resident for nearly 20 years, Szabo is chief executive of the Suffolk County Water Authority, a role he has held for 16 years. He previously served as deputy county executive and chief of staff under former Suffolk County Executive Steve Levy.
He said his government experience prepares him for the position.
“I understand how government works,” said Szabo. “I’ve worked at it at some of the highest levels. I’ve run organizations, multi-million-dollar budgets— personnel, strategic planning, and what I bring to the table is good fit for Babylon Village and I think I can really help Babylon Village move forward.”
Since his appointment, Szabo said he has worked to expand community engagement, including spearheading a new event, “Babylon Connects,” which brought together local organizations and residents to highlight volunteer opportunities.
budget plan, maximize grant opportunities and explore other funding streams. “It will not only stabilize the village but provide residents with the confidence in the government that they don’t have now,” he said.
Hoffman said residents want progress while preserving Babylon’s smalltown charm. “Everybody wants to upgrade things but they also want to keep the small-town charm intact, and as trustee I’d be able to help make their voices be heard more,” he said.
Hoffman lives in Babylon with his wife Jaime and children Savannah and Mason.
“I think it’s something that we can do every year as new people come in,” said Szabo. “I think it’s a great opportunity to get people involved, and that’s what Babylon Village is all about.”
include his liaison roles with the Conklin House and the Historical and Preservation Society, work on the Heroes Fountain and a continued focus on the village budget. He said he will work to keep taxes down while maintaining services and supporting a vibrant downtown.
“We need to provide essential services but we want to keep taxes as low as possible,” said Szabo. “I also want to work with the chamber and other organizations to make sure our downtown area is vibrant, that it’s successful.”
Szabo had reached out to voters at Meet the Trustee events at Babylon Bean and The Delica Sea, attended community meetings and spoken at chamber and civic gatherings. He added that he has knocked on nearly 1,000 doors to listen to residents’ concerns.
If elected, Szabo said his priorities
Szabo also cited traffic safety as a concern.
“I hear people concerned about quality-of-life items—particularly speeding,” said Szabo. “We need people to stop at stop signs, so I’m part of the safety committee where I’m going to be working with code enforcement, the police department, the school district and others in doing our part to make sure people follow simple traffic rules.”
He said enforcement and education both play a role in addressing the issue.
“The resounding theme is people love living here and part of my job as a trustee is to ensure that people continue to love living here and that the village is successful.”
Suffolk County Police Homicide Squad detectives are investigating the death of a man found outside a housing complex in Deer Park on Monday.
Workers shoveling snow discovered the body buried near a walkway at a housing complex at 7 Parkcenter Drive at about 3:45 p.m., police said. Officers responded and the man was pronounced dead at the scene. The
cause of death will be determined during an autopsy by the Suffolk County Medical Examiner’s Office. Detectives believe the cause of death to be non-criminal.
The man’s name is being withheld pending notification of next of kin. Detectives are asking anyone with information about the incident to contact the Homicide Squad at 631-852- 6392.
Suffolk County Police arrested a man for selling a stolen pickup truck in North Lindenhurst in November. Police gave this account:
Yuriy Koghuch utilized social media to sell a 2023 Ford F150 for $30,000 to a North Lindenhurst resident on November 12, 20925. When the woman went to register the vehicle, she was told it was stolen. The vehicle was reported stolen in Alabama on October 5, 2025.
Following an investigation by Property Auto Crime Unit detectives, Koghuch was arrested in Brooklyn on February 19.
Koghuch, 37, of Mount Pocono, Pennsylvania, was charged with Grand Larceny 3rd Degree and was arraigned at First District Court in Central Islip.
Detectives are asking anyone who believes they are a victim of Koghuch to call Property Auto Crime Unit detectives at 631852-6429.
Suffolk County Police arrested a Lindenhurst man for attacking another man with a knife at a Lindenhurst apartment complex. Police said Tesfa Tucker used a knife to attack a man, who was known to him, in the entryway at the Putnam Gardens apartment complex, located at 930 Putnam Ave., at 5:30 p.m.
The victim, 27, of Central Islip, was transported to a local hospital for treatment of
serious injuries. Police reported he lost two fingers in the attack. Tucker, 42, who lives at the complex, was charged with two counts of Assault 1st Degree, Criminal Possession of a Weapon 3rd Degree and two counts of Criminal Possession of a Weapon 4th Degree. He was held overnight at the Third Precinct and was arraigned in First District Court in Central Islip.
Daniel B. McGovern, 36, of Marshall St., Massapequa; Richard Carey, 62, of Bayview Rd., Amityville; David Carillo Ayala, 59, of 62 Prospect Dr., Brentwood; Ricardo Hernandez, 56, of 1689 E. 3 Ave., North Bay Shore; William Martinez, 49, of 94 30 St., Copiague; Yusuf Guray, 23, of 214 Tremont Rd., Lindenhurst.
GRAND LARCENY
Selmy Zelayaduarte, 36, of 45 Cabota Ave., Copiague; Yuriy Koghuch, 38, of 123 Cobblewood Dr., Mount Pocono, Pa.,
Oral Durloo, 32, of 1515 Pennsylvania Ave., Brooklyn; Brandon Nairne, 32, of 16322 Claude Ave., Jamaica.
Petit Larceny: John Rea, 34, of 3 Conde La., Massapequa; Elizabeth Moposita, 35, of 45 Chester St., Breezy Point. OPERATORS LEAVE SCENE OF ACCIDENT
Reynalso Meade, 23, of 172 Weir St., Hempstead; Milton Argueta Parada, 38, of 50 Hilliard Ave., Central Islip. PETIT LARCENY
George White, 56, of Broadway, Amityville.
People named in Crime Watch items as having been arrested and charged with violations or crimes are only suspected of committing those acts of which they are accused. They are all presumed to be innocent of those charges until and unless found guilty in a court of law.
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North Babylon High School seniors Jairo Cortes and Daniel Carhuallanqui recently participated in the Puerto Rican/Hispanic Youth Leadership Institute. They are shown at the event with New York State Assemblyman Phil Ramos (D-6th District).
Two North Babylon High School seniors, Jairo Cortes and Daniel Carhuallanqui, recently took part in the Puerto Rican/ Hispanic Youth Leadership Institute, a statewide program aimed at developing informed and civic-minded student leaders. During the most recent training session, Cortes and Carhuallanqui participated in a press conference workshop led by New York State Assembly Deputy Speaker Phil Ramos. Students learned strategies for addressing the media, advocating for issues important to them and speaking effectively in public settings.
The institute offers hands-on experience in leadership, public policy and civic engagement, preparing students to play active roles in their communities. Participants attend a series of trainings throughout the year, culminating in a mock legislative session at the New York State Capitol. The final training session will be held this week, when student delegates will be selected to represent their schools at the statewide assembly in Albany.
District officials said the students’ involvement reflects their commitment to leadership, service and civic responsibility.
The Village of Lindenhurst will be holding their 2nd Annual Eggstravaganza on March 14 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., with a rain date of March 15.
The event will include a Petting Zoo at the Village Square, an egg hunt through downtown Lindenhurst and photos with the Easter Bunny at the Village Gazebo or the Lindenhurst Fire Department Main House.
Please bring a non-perishable item for their local food pantries.
If you are a business and would like to participate by giving out eggs, please fill out the registration form at the following link: shorturl.at/qclSh.
Business participants can be storefronts on Wellwood and Hoffman Avenues or businesses from beyond the downtown. Businesses without a storefront in the downtown will be set up at tables along the route.
Lindenhurst Village Square is located at 116 N. Wellwood Ave., Lindenhurst.
The Village of Babylon is now accepting applications for summer employment. Applications can either be picked up in the mayor’s office at the Village Hall or printed from the village website at villageofbabylonny.gov.
Opportunities will be open for the village’s summer recreation camps and for the parks, highway and greenhouse departments.
Applicants should be at least 16 years of age. Applications will be accepted for residents 15 years old only if workers are needed.
Interviews will be held in May for all positions.
For any questions, please contact the mayor’s office at (631) 669-1212.
The Village Hall is located at 153 W. Main St., Babylon.
If you are a student in grades 6 through 12 and need community services hours, come down to the Lindenhurst Memorial Library on February 17 from noon to 3 p.m. to help prepare eggs for the Village of Lindenhurst’s Annual Eggstravaganza.
Students interested in participating should register online at lindenhurstlibrary.org or call (631) 957-7755.
Community service letters will be available upon request.
Lindenhurst Memorial Library is located at 1 Lee Ave., Lindenhurst.
By HAILEY FULMER hfulmer@liherald.com
Emilian Emeagwali has built a life rooted in service, driven by a deep, generational commitment to uplifting and supporting the community around her.
Born and raised in Onitsha, Nigeria, Emeagwali, 60, emigrated to the United States in 1992, where she faced a dramatic change of lifestyle. In Nigeria, she had been surrounded by support, with help raising a baby girl and managing her daily responsibilities. “Everybody was helping with the baby,” she said. “I was like a queen.”
In America there was no such support system, leaving her to adjust to life with just her husband and their daughter, and to take on a variety of responsibilities herself, from child care to cooking and cleaning.
Determined to adapt, Emeagwali immersed herself in American culture. She spent time watching movies, listening to the news and reading books to better understand her new environment. Even everyday things like food and weather required adjustment.
After moving from Nigeria, Emeagwali received her bachelor’s degree in psychology from Brooklyn College. In 2003 she enrolled at Stony Brook University, where she earned a doctorate degree in physical therapy. Balancing school and family life proved difficult, because she was commuting 50 miles from Elmont and now caring for two children.
Despite these challenges, Emeagwali remained focused on her goal of helping others. After finishing her degree, she was motivated to continue her education by a desire to make an impact.
Her psychology classes helped her understand how to approach and connect with people, but she ultimately felt she could make a greater difference through physical therapy. While working as a therapist’s assistant in hospital settings, she became dissatisfied with the fastpaced environment, in which she often treated multiple patients in a short period of time.
Wanting to provide more personalized care, Emeagwali decided to open her own practice. In 2007 she founded State of the Art PT OT, a clinic in Valley Stream that has now been serving patients for nearly two decades. Her approach centers on treating people with the same care and attention she would give her own family.
That philosophy, she said, stems from her upbringing. As a child, she watched her parents give money to people in need, ensuring that they had food to eat. That instilled in her a lasting commitment to helping others and giving back.
“That is how I was raised,” she said. “I think that was embedded in me when growing up.”
In 2009, Emeagwali expanded that mission by founding the nonprofit Giving Back to Community Corp., headquartered in Valley Stream. The organization, which is funded by fundraisers and donations, focuses on providing food, educational resources and other support to underserved people in surrounding communities as well as in Nigeria.
Whether through her clinic or her nonprofit work, Emeagwali’s impact extends far beyond individual patients, strengthening entire communities and carrying forward the values that first inspired her to give back.
By ABIGAIL GRIECO agrieco@liherald.com
As director of noninvasive cardiology at Mount Sinai South Nassau, Dr. Pilar Stevens-Haynes has built a career centered on precision, compassion and the belief that medicine can be both life-saving and lifechanging.
That sense of connection is what ultimately steered her toward cardiology. Born and raised in the Elmont/ Valley Stream area, Stevens-Haynes discovered her love of science in high school, drawn to biology and fascinated by a senior-year anatomy and physiology elective.
Though she once envisioned herself as a surgeon, clinical rotations changed her mind. “I thought I would just love surgery,” she said. “But I actually found I loved speaking to patients. In surgery, your patients are unconscious.”
Instead she chose a field that allows her to combine long-term patient relationships with moments of dramatic intervention. While many areas of internal medicine focus on managing chronic illness, StevensHaynes noted that cardiology allows physicians to intervene in acute, life-threatening situations — heart attacks, heart failure or dangerous arrhythmias — and dramatically improve outcomes.
“In cardiology, you can treat someone and sometimes give them back the life they had before,” she said. “I find true joy in taking care of people over time and watching them heal.”
A graduate of SUNY Geneseo, Stevens-Haynes completed her medical training in the Mount Sinai system before joining South Nassau over a decade ago. Her current role centers on cardiac imaging, from
electrocardiograms and echocardiograms to multiple forms of stress testing. Four days a week she oversees the lab, ensuring that the facility meets national accreditation standards.
“The lab has to do what it says it’s going to do,” Stevens-Haynes said. “We have to perform the studies accurately and meet the standards that are set.”
Patient care remains central to her. “I’ve got the best
of both worlds,” she said. “I get to practice medicine, but I also get to do a little bit of curative medicine.”
Throughout her career, she has also navigated the realities of being one of few women — and often the only woman of color — in the room. “You have to get very comfortable by being the one and only,” StevensHaynes said. Early on, she admitted, she was “very, very quiet and shy,” hesitant to draw attention to herself. Over time, however, she came to recognize the importance of representation.
“Patients will say how wonderful it is to see women physicians and to see people that look like them take care of them,” she said. “They trust me because I look like me.”
Mentorship has become one of the most meaningful aspects of Steven-Haynes’s work. She recalled sitting down with a tearful young physician who worried that starting a family would jeopardize her medical career. Stevens-Haynes encouraged her to do both. That physician is now a cardiology fellow.
“It’s important that women know they can have grand professional goals and personal goals — and achieve them,” she said.
Stevens-Haynes credits academic medicine with offering flexibility that has allowed her to balance professional growth with family life. She and her husband, Hector Luna, are raising four children in Baldwin. She remains driven by the passion that first led her into medicine, and by her belief that physicians can build meaningful careers without sacrificing the aspects of life that matter most.
“Even if it feels overwhelming or like an all-boys club, you can find your niche anywhere,” she said. “Chase your dreams. You don’t have to sacrifice.”
better shape. I saw the trucks pass my street throughout the entire day.”
Babylon Village Mayor Mary Adams praised the work of the village’s highway and sanitation departments.
“Our sanitation, highway, fire, and code enforcement crews did an incredible job during the storm, working tirelessly—even sleeping in their cars—to keep the village safe and streets clear,” said Adams. “Superintendent Scott Glenn and labor crew leaders led strong teams who knocked on doors to ensure cars were moved, while the fire department remained on standby for emergency calls.”
She added: “It takes a village,” and thanked all for their dedication to protecting and serving the community.
Babylon Town Supervisor Richard Schaffer said that, for the most part, the Department of Public Works and the independent plow operators it hired did a good job.
“We have to take into account that we have not had this much snow in more than a decade and that many of the plow operators we hired are younger and never worked under these conditions before,” he said.
At a recent Town Board meeting, one resident said he and his neighbors were aware of the limited experience of some plow operators.
“I didn’t see a truck ‘til Tuesday,” said Michael J. Funfgeld of North Babylon. “They made a quick pass Sunday night but by Monday and Tuesday people could not go to work.”
Schaffer acknowledged his concerns, saying, “we have to do a little better.”
He added that one of the issues add-
ing to the difficulty of clearing the streets Sunday into Monday was that the town had to call plow operators in at about 3 a.m., as weather conditions made it too dangerous for them to remain out there driving through streets when visibility was almost zero.
Local fire departments faced challenges as well. Unsure whether volunteers would be able to make it to the firehouses from their homes to answer calls, they maintained standby crews who staffed stations from Sunday afternoon to Monday night.
“We had about 70 people on standby including five fire crews, three EMS crews and a paramedic,” said West Babylon Fire Chief William Allen.
Firefighters often had to clear paths to residents’ front doors when called to emergencies to allow ingress and egress, and in some cases cleared snow and ice from around fire hydrants.
“One of our priorities was to ensure that paramedics were able to get safely into a home and then be able to safely navigate out of the home and to an ambulance with a stretcher,” said Allen.
Despite the challenges, communities came together to assist those in need. Local fire departments, police and volunteer organizations conducted welfare checks on elderly and vulnerable residents. Many neighbors helped clear driveways, sidewalks and essential access routes.
The storm tapered off by Monday evening, with cold temperatures continuing through midweek. But on Wednesday, Long Islanders woke up to another three inches of snow, a clear message from Mother Nature that winter was still around..
7:30 p.m. Fire officials said the fire was in the rear portion of the complex, limiting access for first-arriving units, who confirmed a working fire and requested mutual aid.
As crews stretched hose lines to battle the flames, they were hampered in their efforts by having to dig out snow covered hydrants. Firefighters went door-to-door to evacuate residents safely. Arson investigators were requested to the scene before the investigation was turned over to the Town of Babylon Fire Marshal’s office, which confirmed it is investigating the cause of the blaze but declined further comment.
Fire officials said two second-story apartments were extensively damaged and 10 others sustained smoke and water damage.
The American Red Cross assisted 19 adults and two children in securing tem-
porary shelter, while other residents went to stay with family and friends.
A firefighter and two residents sustained minor injuries in the blaze, which displaced about 50 residents, according to officials.
Meanwhile fire officials are reminding residents to make an effort to ensure that fire hydrants in their communities are clear of snow and visible. “If we can’t see them, we can’t hook up the hoses and get the water we need to put out the fire,” said Deer Park Fire Chief Robert Macaluso.
Miller said the displaced residents were understandably upset, and volunteers did what they could to ease fears and anxiety. The Red Cross brought in water and snacks and the West Babylon Fire Chief ordered pizza for the residents.
“We are happy that we could be there for them and respond,” he said.
By CAROLYN JAMES cjames@liherald.com
The Lindenhurst community is mourning the loss of former Mayor Tom Brennan, a village leader and longtime resident remembered for his dedication to Lindenhurst and its people.
Brennan died Thursday, Feb. 26. He was 75.
“We are deeply saddened,” R. J. Renna, a former village trustee who now serves as a Suffolk County legislator representing Lindenhurst, said. “Tom was more than a colleague; he was a trusted mentor, a steady voice of insight and a cherished member of our community.”
A Republican, Brennan was first elected mayor in 2004 and was consistently re-elected through 2016, when he stepped down due to illness.
Deputy Mayor Mike Lavorata served as acting mayor during Brennan’s absence and was later appointed to complete a one-year term. A special election was held in March 2018, when Lavorata was elected mayor.
Mayor Brennan graduated from Lindenhurst High School in 1968 and served in the United States Navy from 1969 to 1972. He graduated cum laude from
American Academy McAllister in 1973.
He was the owner and director of the Lindenhurst Funeral Home. His life in Lindenhurst was also marked by involvement in numerous civic and service organizations. He was a member of Knights of Columbus Council 794, the Lindenhurst Rotary Club, the Lindenhurst Kiwanis Club, the Lindenhurst Chamber of Commerce, the Lindenhurst American Legion, the Loyal Order of the Moose Lodge 1421, the Ancient Order of the Hibernians and the Nassau/ Suffolk Funeral Directors Association. He served on the advisory board for the Christina Renna Foundation and was also secretary, director, manager and coach with the Lindenhurst National Little League.
“Tom was the kindest person I ever met,” Ann Messina wrote on the funeral home’s website. “The words “no” “can’t” were never part of his vocabulary. Our Parish benefited greatly from the many requests asked of him.”
“We have lost not only a former mayor but we lost a kind, soft spoken friend,” wrote Raymond Fais, a village resident and employee. “Tom’s commitment to the residents of Lindenhurst was incredible and his record of accomplishments speak for themselves. I am grateful for
Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine t announced the first video in a docuseries to help commemorate Suffolk 250. The series will highlight local historical figures and places with significance during Suffolk’s revolutionary period.
The first video is of Patriot’s Rock in Setauket. Operated by the Three Village Community Trust, the location was the site of the Battle of Setauket. Patriots came across the Long Island Sound and faced off against the British garrison at the then Presbyterian Meeting House on August 22, 1777. The resulting skirmish
ended in a retreat by the colonial forces. Members of the trust walk viewers through the battle, its importance to the war and the area’s history as a Native American meeting place.
Link to Patriot’s Rock Video: https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=hr9FH2PQJsc
More information on Patriot’s Rock can be found at https://www.threevillagecommunitytrust.org/patriots-rockhistoric-site/
For more on Suffolk 250, please visit https://www.suffolk250.org/
being able to say we were friends.”
“I have no words to describe my sadness and emptiness over this loss,”
Mayor Michael Lavorata said. “Tom was my other ‘big brother’ and mentor. He taught me what it means to be a public servant. He taught us how to respect those who disagreed with us while still being able to love them and work with them. I will be forever grateful to him for bringing me on his team back in 2004 and I only hope that I can continue to keep his example of class and decorum for the rest of my life.”
Babylon Town Supervisor Richard Schaffer described Brennan as “a classic example of a small town mayor.
“Mayor Tom Brennan laid the groundwork for the very successful downtown Lindenhurst Village we have today,” he said. “His style of leadership brought many people to the table, ensuring that everyone felt heard and their concerns addressed. He was also the guy who you couldn’t say no to and you wanted to be a part of the efforts he was putting forward to better the community.”
Brennan is survived by his wife, Diane; his children, Kristen and her husband, Howie; Joseph (Thomas); and Thomas and his wife, Antionette; and four grandchildren, Benjamin, Declan, Liam and Collin. He is also survived
by his brother, William; sister-in-law, Grace; and a niece and nephew. He reposed at the Lindenhurst Funeral Home, 424 South Wellwood Ave., Lindenhurst. A Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated at Our Lady of Perpetual Help R.C. Church, 210 S. Wellwood Ave., Lindenhurst. Burial followed at Breslau Cemetery, \North Monroe Avenue and Newark Street, Lindenhurst.
THE UNITED METHODIST CHURCH OF BABYLON
Corner of Deer Park Avenue and James Street in the Village of Babylon, 631-661-5151 Website: babylonumc.org
Pastor: The Rev. Melissa Boyer SUNDAY SERVICES
9:30am - Worship in the Church Online at Website - 9:30am
Home of the James Street Players and the UMC Nursery School Open Hearts, Open Minds, Open Doors
By CHRISTIE LEIGH BABIRAD
A retired NYPD detective with more than 20 years on the force, Ev Newman now serves as a Town of Babylon Bay constable and volunteers as a firefighter in Copiague. But, he says, at his core he has always been a storyteller and musician.
At 52, Newman has released his debut thriller, Fade, which follows Jacob Johansson, a man drawn into a missing foster child case after discovering a necklace bearing a cryptic inscription. As Jacob investigates, he uncovers his father’s hidden past as a vigilante legend known as “The Fade.” Joined by a hardened child protection agent and a determined NYPD detective, Jacob soon realizes he is chasing more than a missing girl.
Newman, who already has four additional manuscripts completed, recently spoke with the Herald about the inspiration behind the novel and what comes next. Many artists draw from personal experience. Did your 20-plus years with the NYPD shape Fade?
Newman: Absolutely — everything is influenced by my experiences. I wrote for a living as a detective—that’s what they do— they go to a scene and they write the story, and I got pretty good at it. Everybody would laugh because I was the one detective who loved paperwork. I also ended up teaching child abuse investigations toward the end of my career. When they had a special victim’s class, homicide class, I would come in and do the child abuse investigation part. Every case is unique and for all my stories I draw from something I’ve seen or heard. The other thing is, cops see a lot of bad stuff, the worst of the worst. There’s a lot of trauma, a lot of PTSD that I didn’t realize I had until I was retired, but one of the things that detectives do is we all have this dark humor and I’ll find that in my writing sometimes. I try to be raw, a little unapologetic. I want to be different. I want it to be me. I really love to laugh. I like making jokes. So, I like to put a lot of humor in my stories. Who do you think will connect most with the book?
Newman: I’m fantasy driven. I grew up loving Harry Potter, Jim
cbabirad@liherld.com
Butcher’s Dresden Files, and I’m a die-hard Star Wars fan. Readers who gravitate toward those worlds will probably enjoy this. Comic book fans and Marvel readers too. The story evolved while I was writing — it leans into urban thriller, mystery and fantasy — and that blend feels natural to me. What first sparked the idea for Fade?
Newman: A song. I’m a musician and I love rock music. My favorite band is My Chemical Romance, and their song “Welcome to the Black Parade” always stayed with me. I heard it as a father telling his child to make a difference — to be a hero. That interpretation clicked, and it became the emotional seed for the story. How long did it take to complete the novel?
Newman: About two to three years. The original manuscript was nearly twice as long as the final book. A content editor — someone who had worked with the Big Five publishers — helped me shape it. That led to another year of rewriting. While sending out queries, I wrote four more manuscripts. Those are ready now, and I’m already working on another.
What does your writing process look like?
Newman: It changes from book to book, but I often start with the last line. I want a strong ending and then work toward it. With my debut I didn’t outline much — I just went with it and let the story evolve. Some chapters I scrapped entirely and started over. Sometimes the story surprises me. I’ll think I’m heading one direction and suddenly the book pulls me somewhere else, and I’m as excited as any reader.
You published the book under Nubus Creative Ink, a company you founded. What’s the vision behind it?
Newman: I wanted to build something that could grow — maybe even help friends who write. The editors I worked with were fantastic. Nubus is designed as an independent idea lab. All my books carry the brand line “Stories cut from scars.”
What advice would you give to aspiring writers or artists?
Newman: Just do it. Write the first sentence. Make it a good one. If it takes three weeks to get that first sentence right, that’s fine — it’s your hook. Once you have it, the rest follows. You can always rewrite. Don’t let fear stop you from starting.
Newman lives in Copiague with his wife, Elizabeth, and their teenage children, Tiana, Thomas and Zachary. He is also the lead singer of HedboX, a local rock band that performs across Long Island. More information about Newman and his work, including how to purchase Fade, is available at evnewmanauthor. com.
Publication of historian and journalist Bill Bleyer’s upcoming eighth book will be supported by a grant from the Robert David Lion Gardiner Foundation.
The Riverhead-based foundation has awarded a $3,000 grant toward publication of “Shipwrecks of Long Island,” a forthcoming book expected to be released by the History Press in late fall or early 2027. The book will examine notable shipwrecks off Long Island’s shores from colonial times through the 1960s, including their historical, economic and cultural impact.
The grant was awarded to the Fire Island Lighthouse Preservation Society, Bleyer’s nonprofit partner on the application. The funding will allow the society and the author to purchase copies of the book for resale to support their work. The society operates the Fire Island Lighthouse, originally constructed in 1858, for the National Park Service.
The society and Bleyer previously partnered on a successful Gardiner Foundation grant that supported publication of his 2017 book, “Fire Island Lighthouse: Long Island’s Welcoming Beacon.”
“The Fire Island Lighthouse Preservation Society is excited to support another book written by author Bill Bleyer,” FILPS Execu -
tive Director Jonathon Gaare said. “With the completion of our lighthouses in 1826 and 1858, the number of ships that wrecked on our shores drastically reduced. We are excited to learn the stories Bill will share with us.”
Bleyer said the foundation’s support helps ensure that local history continues to be documented and shared.
“It’s great that the foundation is willing to underwrite publication of books on Long Island history because it’s not a venture that tends to be profitable, considering the time involved,” he said. “But these books are important for understanding the region’s past.”
Kathryn M. Curran, executive director of the Gardiner Foundation, said the project highlights how maritime history connects communities across the Island.
“Long Island’s maritime history touches each community in its own way,” Curran said. “Exploring these stories expands this heritage across our shores and offers insight into our local culture.”
Bleyer spent 33 years as a staff writer at Newsday, specializing in history and maritime issues. Since retiring in 2014, he has written books on topics including the Culper Spy Ring, Sagamore Hill, the Civil War on Long Island, and
the 1840 wreck of the steamboat Lexington.
The Robert David Lion Gardiner Foundation, established in 1987, supports the study of Long Island history and its role in the American experience. The Gardiner family has owned Gardiner’s Island since 1639 under a royal grant from King Charles I of England.
For more information on the Gardiner Foundation, go to gardinerfoundation.org
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Third installment in a series about water.
For generations, the waters surrounding Long Island have defined its identity — from the wide-open waterfronts of the South Shore to the shellfish beds of the North Shore. But beneath the surface, a quieter transformation is underway.
Ocean acidification is often called climate change’s “evil twin,” and refers to the lowering of the water’s pH, the scale used to measure the concentration of hydrogen ions in the water. While global warming refers to rising temperatures, acidification describes a shift in seawater chemistry.
The science begins with carbon dioxide. As levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere increase — predominantly from the burning of fossil fuels — the ocean absorbs roughly 25 to 30 percent of it. When carbon dioxide dissolves in seawater, it forms carbonic acid, making the water more acidic, and lowering its pH.
farmers — industries that have experienced both revival and setbacks in recent decades — these chemical changes aren’t just theoretical. They are measurable, seasonal and, increasingly, part of daily operations.
The ‘evil twin’ of climate change
Adrienne Esposito, executive director of Citizens Campaign for the Environment, a nonprofit advocacy organization in New York and Connecticut, describes ocean acidification as a hidden but mounting crisis for Long Island’s waters — one intensified by warming temperatures, nitrogen pollution and poor circulation in local bays.
“It’s commonly understood that roughly a third of all carbon dioxide emissions released into the atmosphere are absorbed by the marine environment,” Esposito said. That absorption increases acidity levels in bays, estuaries and the open ocean.
The pH scale is logarithmic, meaning that even a small numerical drop represents a significant shift in chemistry. The ocean is naturally slightly alkaline, but since the Industrial Revolution, average ocean surface pH has dropped by about 0.1 units — roughly a 30 percent increase in acidity. That shift reduces the availability of carbonate ions, the building blocks shellfish such as oysters and clams need to form their calcium carbonate shells.
Ryan Wallace, assistant professor of environmental science at Adelphi University, explained that these acidity levels are not evenly distributed. Some bays and harbors on the North Shore are measured at 450 parts per million, close to the ideal level of roughly 300 ppm, while others, particularly in the western portion of Long Island Sound, measured as high as 2,000 ppm.
Wallace emphasized that while these may not sound like huge differences, even minor changes in CO2 levels can have a drastic impact.
it to
On Long Island, acidification is not driven by global carbon emissions alone. Local factors intensify the problem. Nitrogen discharged from wastewater, septic systems and fertilizer runoff flows into bays and harbors, fueling harmful algal blooms. When those blooms die and decompose, the process consumes oxygen and releases additional carbon dioxide in the water, further lowering pH.
The result is a compounding effect: global atmospheric carbon dioxide combined with local nitrogen pollution accelerates acidification in shallow, enclosed estuaries.
Warming waters add another layer of stress. As temperatures rise, marine organisms’ metabolic demands increase, but warmer water holds less dissolved oxygen. Together, warming and acidification can weaken shellfish during their most vulnerable larval stages, making it harder for them to survive and build shells.
For Long Island’s oyster and clam
“To put it into perspective, over the last 800,000 years or so, the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere was only about 300” parts per million, Wallace explained. “Two thousand is a lot more than that, so when you get to concentrations that are that high, this can have implications for, you know, organisms that are living in these ecosystems.”
While the data reflect a global pattern, the consequences are being felt at the regional level as well. As Esposito noted, Long Island’s problems do not exist in isolation.
“It’s being exacerbated by an increase in temperature of the waterways and more nutrient runoff, such as nitrogen, going into waterways,” she said. “All of that causes unfortunate degradation to our water bodies.”
While algae is an important part of a healthy ecosystem, excess nitrogen can fuel algal blooms that, when they die off, consume oxygen and further stress marine life — compounding the chemical impacts of acidification with biological ones.
In the South Shore’s Western Bays, limited water circulation compounds the problem. Research by Stony Brook
University has shown that it can take up to 180 days for water to fully flush out through an inlet into the Atlantic Ocean. Instead, Esposito said, the water “sloshes back and forth” before eventually reaching the ocean, trapping heat and pollutants in the process.
Coastal areas such as the western portion of the Sound are especially vulnerable because of limited circulation. Wallace stressed that scientists differentiate between open-ocean acidification and coastal-ocean acidification because of the unique challenges those areas face.
In Hempstead Harbor, the issue of acidification has been a focus for local environmental organizations for decades. The Coalition to Save Hempstead Harbor was formed in 1986 to address a range of environmental issues facing the area, including acidification.
Michelle Lapinel McAllister, the coalition’s programs director, explained that pH monitoring is one of the core services that the nonprofit provides for the harbor. Measuring occurs yearround, with particular emphasis from May to October, when the harbor, in
common with other waterways, sees annual spikes in nitrogen levels.
“Each season we will see periods of low dissolved oxygen, and whenever dissolved oxygen gets low, then we’ll see pH drop as well,” Lapinel McAllister said. “That will typically happen around the hottest part of the year.”
Another complication is the fact that enclosed waters respond more quickly to environmental stressors than the open ocean, meaning local ecosystems can feel the impacts sooner and more intensely.
“The more stagnant the water body is, the more these acidity levels build up,” Esposito said. “The more the temperature builds up, the more damage the increase in acidity levels can do.”
She described three primary consequences of ocean acidification: “reduced water quality, the impact on shellfish and finfish and the degradation of the overall habitat due to low oxygen.”
Shellfish such as oysters and clams struggle to build and maintain their shells in more acidic conditions, while
Continued from PreViouS PAGe
finfish larvae have lower survival rates — threatening both the ecosystem and the region’s maritime economy.
“Acidification actually reduces the availability of carbonate ions that are needed for these organisms to build their shells, so that’s a major issue,” Wallace said. “Like shellfish aquaculture, it can impact fisheries, and then there’s this cascading effect that can influence things like recreational activities and tourism.”
This is especially relevant because shellfish play an important role in regulating nitrogen levels. An adult oyster can filter up to 50 gallons of water per day, depending on size and environmental conditions, while a clam can filter roughly half that.
Across Long Island, and across the country, local environmental organizations and governments are throwing their support behind shellfish hatcheries and protection programs, including the towns of Hempstead, Oyster Bay and Babylon. Lapinel McAllister explained that while these efforts serve an important role in safeguarding healthy ecosystems, they can’t singlehandedly save marine ecosystems.
“On their own, shellfish can’t improve the water quality to healthy levels,” she said, “but having a good, healthy, strong population is going to be part of that overall puzzle of maintaining the stability of pH over long term.”
While local efforts to restore wetlands, upgrade sewage-treatment plants and rebuild shellfish populations are making progress, Esposito said the root cause remains global. “The main culprit of ocean acidification is the burning of fossil fuels,” she said. “The only thing we can do is support more renewable energy so that we’re not pouring more carbon dioxide into the waterways.”
The wet work of marine scientists
Across Long Island, scientists are working together to find ways to improve the quality of local waters. A leading solution is all-organic: Restoring local populations of filter-feeders could, with careful management, bear the brunt of decontamination efforts.
The Flax Pond Marine Laboratory, in Old Field, is nestled in the marshes of the North Shore, overlooking the Long Island Sound. This laboratory is a research hatchery, working toward “improving local coastal water quality and replenishing natural shellfish populations,” according to its shellfish restoration manager, Peter Martin.
The facility’s current focus is the Ribbed Mussel Bioextraction Project, in which staff test what growth strategies lead to the healthiest shellfish that could be reintroduced to coastal waters to rejuvenate them.
“There’s a lot of coastal communities and little inlets and even out-of-use small pockets of water that are just polluted and are in need of cleaner water,” Martin said. “Fundamentally … shellfish are natural filters. All they do is filter feed, so they’re cleaning the water as they grow.”’
“One of the big pollutants that we’re focused on is nitrogen removal,” hatchery Research Specialist Ashley Lopez said. “Shellfish take in the bad form of nitrogen, process it in their body, and they still expel some nitrogen, but it’s a safe and more bioavailable kind of nitrogen.”
The ribbed mussel program is exploring new methods of shellfish cultivation; according to Lopez, there is no consensus in the field about growing large amounts of these shellfish. In their nascence, ribbed mussels have delicate health — a larva is as small as a grain of sand. The Citizens Campaign for the Environment staff regularly sterilize equipment and filter externally sourced seawater to minimize diseases and infections from plankton and bacteria.
The researchers grow eight different varieties of algae to feed adult ribbed mussels, which are kept in temperature-stabilized basins. This conditioning pro-
nonprofits like the Coalition to Save Hempstead Harbor play a vital role in the fight against acidification. Staff members such as michelle Lapinel mcAllister, right, programs director, and Carol diPaolo, water-monitoring coordinator, track pH levels and coordinate a shellfish restoration program to keep the harbor healthy.
■ 30 percent of carbon dioxide that is released into the atmosphere is absorbed by the ocean.
■ From 2008 to 2017, fossil fuel burning and land use changes were responsible for 40 billion tons of emissions per year.
■ Surface waters are 30 percent more acidic than their pre-industrial levels.
■ While the ocean on average has seen a 0.06 decrease in pH units, meaning increasing acidity, since 1985, the Long Island Sound has seen a decrease of 0.04 per decade, according to UConn Marine Sciences.
■ In the past 25 years, the $6 billion clamming industry has seen a 93 percent reduction in harvests, according to the New York state Department of Environmental Conservation.
■ More than 12,000 acres of Long Island waterways have been closed to shellfishing due to algal blooms, according to the Suffolk County Health Department.
■ 76 percent of the nitrogen in the waters off Long Island — home to 40 percent of the state’s population — comes from faulty septic systems.
cess is meant to “ripen the gonads” of the mussels and help them reproduce as effectively as possible, according to Martin.
“What we’re doing is trying to find out the best way
to grow a lot of them from birth on and have them actually survive,” Lopez said. “And the starting point, we think, is the feeding regimens that we’re giving them. So that’s why we’re doing different diets — to see what kind of spawn they produce and see how the larvae survive after that.”
“This two-year project is Phase Two of a larger project,” Martin added. “Phase One was from ’23 to ’25. Each phase is getting further and further, doing more to figure out the best way to grow these things.”
In addition to ribbed mussel cultivation, CCE staff are involved with other restoration efforts, including a Community Aquaculture Restoration and Education program, in which scientists partner with community volunteers to sow “spat-on-shell” oysters into local estuaries, from which larvae will grow and mature into underwater custodians.
The Flax Pond hatchery works with groups ranging from the Cornell Cooperative Extension of Suffolk County and Stony Brook University to the state Department of Environmental Conservation and the New England Interstate Water Pollution Control Commission. It is one ecological collective of many working toward improving the quality of local waters from the east end of Long Island to the shores of Nassau County.
Even as Long Island’s waterways face the threat of rising acidification, the experts emphasize that all is not lost. Thanks to the efforts of the Coalition to Save Hempstead Harbor and other environmental groups, the region’s waters have bounced back from near-toxic levels of acidity, not to mention numerous pollutionrelated threats of the 1980s.
According to Wallace, the efforts of scientists and local volunteers, from the South Shore to coastal Connecticut, to monitor and address these issues have already made an impact.
“There’s been a lot of positives,” he said, “but we can’t stop there. There’s more work to be done.”
Camp has become a staple of the summer season. Each year, millions of children, youth and adults head to the hills, lakes, valleys, and parks to participate in the time-honored tradition of camp. And, while most people easily conjure up images of campfires and canoes, there is a lot more to the camp experience. Here are some things you may not have known about the camp experience, courtesy of American Camp Association.
Camp is older than dirt, almost literally Started in 1861, the camp experience turned an impressive 150 years young in 2011. The secret behind the longevity? “Camps are adapting to meet the needs of today’s campers,” says Tom Rosenberg, formr president/CEO of the American Camp Association.“At the same time, the impact camp has on campers, the lifechanging experience, has remained after all these years.”
Camp is worth its weight in gold, and then some!
The camp experience is life-changing –developing friendships and memories that last well beyond the final campfire. And, there is a camp for literally every budget. Often camps offer special pricing or financial assistance, and some camp experiences qualify for tax credits or for payment with pre-
Green is “zen.”
Research shows that first-hand experience with nature, like those at camp, reduce stress in children and help them better handle stress in
the future. In addition to teaching children how to be good stewards of the environment, camps are teaching children how to enjoy the world around them and take a minute to breathe deep and feel the nature, which ultimately teaches them how to de-stress the natural way.
Mommies and Daddies do it too.
Camp is not just for children and youth. There are family camp experiences, and camps for single adults, senior adults, and any adult that wants to relax and enjoy all camp has to offer. Adults benefit from the same sense of community, authentic relationships, and selfdiscovery that children do. Camp is an excellent vacation option, allowing adults to try a variety of new activities in a safe and fun environment.
Try this on for size!
Camp is a great place to try new activities and hobbies. Afraid of rock walls? According to ACA research, 74 percent of campers reported that they tried new activities at camp that they were afraid to do at first. And, those activities often leave lasting impressions. In the same survey, 63 percent of parents reported that their child continued new activities from camp after returning home.
Manners matter, and often linger.
The camp experience teaches more than just archery or lanyard making. The entire experience is made of teachable moments, perhaps one of the biggest is how to live with a group of people. Campers learn to pick up after themselves, respect each other’s property, and to say
“Please” and “Thank You.”
Camp gets those neurons pumping Education reform debate and concern over summer learning loss have pushed academic achievement into the spotlight. Research shows that participation in intentional programs, like camp, during summer months helps stem summer learning loss. In addition, camp provides ample opportunity for developmental growth, which is a precursor to academic achievement. And, because of the “hands-on” nature of camp, often children who struggle in traditional edu-
cation settings do well at camp.
Camp builds leaders for the 21st century and beyond Independence, resiliency, teamwork, problem-solving skills, and the ability to relate to other people these are the skills that tomorrow’s leaders will need, and the skills camp has been adept at building for 150 years.
Photo: Long after the final campfire fades, the skills and friendships built at camp continue to shine.
In today’s schools, science, technology, engineering and mathematics often dominate the academic spotlight. Yet educators and researchers continue to point to another powerful driver of student success: music education.
According to the Arts Education Data Project, an estimated 2.1 million American students lacked access to arts education including music as of 2022. That gap is concerning, as mounting research shows that music instruction strengthens performance across multiple academic areas.
Music and mathematics share more than a passing resemblance. Reading rhythms involves fractions and division. Recognizing musical patterns mirrors algebraic reasoning.
A 2019 study published by the American Psychological Association found that students who learned to play an instrument and continued in band or orchestra performed nearly one academic year ahead of their peers in several subjects, including math. The structured logic of music timing, sequencing and symbolic interpretation reinforces the same analytical skills students rely on in advanced mathematics.
Music education also enhances reading and writing development. Learning to interpret
notes on a page parallels decoding words in a book. Both require attention to symbols, comprehension of meaning and the ability to selfcorrect.
Singing lyrics and studying musical storytelling introduce students to new vocabulary and poetic structure, strengthening comprehension. Research in neuroscience suggests that musical training activates brain regions associated with language processing, giving young learners an added advantage in literacy.
Mastering an instrument takes time, patience and consistent practice. Students quickly learn that improvement comes from repetition and focus lessons that translate directly to homework, long-term projects and exam preparation.
The resilience developed while tackling challenging passages or preparing for performances can foster greater academic persistence overall.
Enhance Cognitive And Emotional Well-Being
Music engages multiple areas of the brain simultaneously, supporting memory, concentration and problem-solving. At the same time, it offers a creative outlet that can reduce stress and build confidence. Students who feel emotionally supported and
creatively fulfilled are often better equipped to handle rigorous coursework and classroom demands.
Foster Collaboration And Communication
Participation in band, choir or orchestra teaches students to listen closely, follow direction and contribute to a shared goal. Ensemble performance requires cooperation and accountability skills that mirror group projects in science labs, history presentations and other academic settings.
Balanced Learning
As schools continue to prioritize STEM ini-
tiatives, many educators advocate for a broader STEAM approach that includes the arts. Music education does more than enrich school culture; it strengthens cognitive development, academic performance and social skills. By investing in music programs alongside core academic subjects, schools create wellrounded learning environments that prepare students not only for higher test scores, but for lifelong success.
By Abbey Salvemini
Get ready to cheer, dance and gasp — the legendary Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus is back, and it’s dazzling audiences in ways few could have imagined. The self-proclaimed “Greatest Show on Earth” has been boldly reimagined for a new generation, bringing a high-voltage spectacle to UBS Arena from March 6 through March 8.
This is not the circus of decades past. Gone are the traditional three rings and animal acts; in their place is a fast-paced, immersive experience that blends worldclass acrobatics, cutting-edge choreography, live music and vibrant storytelling. The arena transforms into a colorful celebration that feels as much like a concert and dance party as a circus performance.
The energy begins the moment everyone walks through the doors. An interactive pre-show sets the tone, introducing audiences to the dynamic Ringling Hype Crew — a lively cast of dancers and performers who invite everyone to move, clap and join in the fun. Before the first aerialist soars or the first stunt takes flight, the crowd is already part of the action.
At its heart are the performers.
• Friday March 6, 7 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday, March 7-8, 11 a.m., 3 p.m., 7 p.m.
• Tickets start at $39.35, $20 kids tickets for all performances; available at ticketmaster.com
• UBS Arena, 2400 Hempstead Tpke., Elmont
The 65-person cast, representing 17 countries, is a truly international ensemble that fuses time-honored circus traditions with bold, contemporary feats. Among the most buzzed-about moments is the crisscross trapeze act, in which elite aerialists launch themselves along intersecting flight paths, slicing through the air in breathtaking near-misses that leave audiences holding their collective breath.
The stars of this new incarnation of circus include 33-year-old trapeze artist Miles Postlethwait. He grew up in Florida, attending Ringling shows (and Disney on Ice). Caught up in the spectacle, he in love with trapeze at age 10. A trapeze performer for 10 years (six professionally), he landed at Ringling in November.
Recalling his early circus memories: “I remember going to see Ringling Bros when I was very young. Honestly, what I remember most was the toys (specifically the dragon sword) and the cotton candy. But my mom tells me I was enamored with the acrobats.”
That fascination stuck, leading him to his tour “home” and what’s now billed as “The Greatest Party On Earth,” according to the Ringling mantra.
“Who wouldn’t want to be a part of The Greatest Show On Earth? I saw the previous tour multiple times and loved the show. It’s nonstop fun because you’re part of the show the whole time, interacting with other performers and the audience,” Postlethwait says.
The vibe is fueled by today’s cultural influences — reimagined through the lens of pop culture, concerts and festivals.
Back to the aforementioned trapeze stunt, he points out that the crisscross rig is unique and requires intense precision, but years of training make the nearmisses almost instinctive.
“It keeps me on my toes, and the crowd’s reaction
courtesy Feld Entertainment
A 150-year tradition leaps into the future as the reimagined spectacle delivers fresh thrills, bold artistry and gravity-defying feats that redefine the
is incredible.”
The thrills keep on coming. Other highlights include the Double Wheel of Destiny, in which four daredevils leap and jump rope on spinning wheels.
A Chinese acrobatic bicycle act, created exclusively for Ringling, features gravity-defying human pyramids and fearless athleticism, with one acrobat running across the backs of nine moving bike riders. Salsa Colombia, a fiery dance and acrobatics troupe, brings the energy of Latin rhythms to the arena floor. And audiences are fascinated by Cam, a content creator and unicycle rider, who stacks up to 25 wheels towering nearly 35 feet high. Also watch out for Bailey the Robo Pup, a high-tech canine character and PT (Party Time), Ringling’s first-ever hype character, who keeps the crowd engaged and amplifies the celebratory atmosphere.
Giant LED screens and cameras capture acrobats from impossible angles, giving every seat the feel of front-row access.
Music powers the show. A DJ spins everything from hip-hop to Latin beats, driving the action from start to finish, with beat drops, live drumming and dance battles.
Those in the audience are not just spectators — they’re all in. Kids are drawn into onstage interactions, while the LED screens highlight stunts from content creator Cam, adding an extra layer of excitement. From split-second trapeze timing to jaw-dropping acrobatics, the spectacle keeps everyone on the edge of their seats while leaving lasting memories for all involved. The result is a full-on celebration with a festival-style energy that transforms classic circus elements.
Postlethwait sums it up simply: “It’s a super fun, energetic party. Families come and say everybody had a blast. It’s a show where kids aren’t just watching — they’re a part of the action.”
Perhaps most importantly, according to Postlethwait, the spectacle inspires young audiences to dream big.
“I hope they see that anything is possible. Circus acts show that humans’ limits go so much further than we think.”
Whether you’re in it for the stunts, the music or the interactive fun, this version of “The Greatest Show On Earth” promises something for everyone. Experience firsthand why Ringling Bros. has thrilled audiences for generations — now with a fresh, modern twist that makes the circus feel entirely new.
Drag out that neon once again and give your hair its best ‘80s ‘do. Those crazy days are back — as only Jessie’s Girl can pull off, on the Paramount stage. The band of NYC’s top rock/pop musicians and singers gets everyone into that “Back To The Eighties” vibe with the latest edition of their popular concert experience. With a lineup including four pop-rock vocalists dressing and performing as 80s icons, backed by a dynamic band, this is the definitive ‘80s experience. Jessie’s Girl’s primary line-up includes a team of NYC’s top rock and pop vocalists: Jenna O’Gara, Jerome Bell-Bastien, and Mark Rinzel. They are backed by one of the tightest bands in the city comprised of 20+ year veterans of the NYC music scene, each with dozens of credits performing with authentic ‘80s icons who made the music famous to begin with! Their motto: There’s no decade like the Eighties and no party like Back To The Eighties with Jessie’s Girl.
Friday, March 6, 8 p.m. The Paramount, 370 New York Ave., Huntington. Tickets available at ticketmaster.com or paramountny.com.
With a voice radiating warmth, refinement and emotional depth, jazz vocalist Jane Monheit brings her celebrated interpretations of Great American Songbook classics to the Madison Theatre in a special collaboration with the South Shore Symphony Orchestra. Renowned for breathing fresh life into beloved standards, she headlines an unforgettable afternoon, blending the intimacy of jazz with the grandeur of full orchestral sound. Under the baton of Music Director Adam Glaser, the South Shore Symphony accompanies her in a series of orchestral arrangements that highlight both her vocal artistry and the timeless beauty of these enduring songs. The program also offers audiences a more intimate jazz club feel, with Monheit backed by a trio, including Glaser on piano, for several selections.
Sunday, March 8, 3 p.m. Molloy University campus, 1000 Hempstead Ave., Rockville Centre. Tickets available at madisontheatreny.org or (516) 323-4444.
5,
‘Everybody Loves Raymond:
Visit the Long Island Music and Entertainment Hall of Fame for an immersive exhibit (designed by LIMEHOF Creative Director, renowned designer Kevin O’Callaghan). It features the 70-foot-wide set from the show’s recent 30th anniversary TV special on CBS, never before on display. Visitors can walk into the world of the Barone family and explore their home through original studio sets, which include the living room, the kitchen and other areas of the house. Also see a variety of iconic items, including original clothing, the famous fork and spoon, and the Christmas toaster, among other classic items from the series. Multimedia clips, including behind the scenes and rare out-takes and a range of related videos play in LIMEHOF’s surround sound theater.
• Where: 97 Main St., Stony Brook
• Time: 11 a.m.-6 p.m.
• Contact: limusichalloffame.org or (631) 689-5888
The power of voting: The activism of Alva Belmont and the Suffragists
Review the decades-long struggle for women’s voting rights in America, with the League of Woman Voters, at Vanderbilt Museum. New York was a leading state in this struggle, from the Seneca Falls Convention of 1848, which saw publication of the suffragists’ “Declaration of Sentiments,” to the landmark 1912 women’s suffrage parade up Fifth Avenue. This talk will feature one of the movement’s primary benefactors, Alva Vanderbilt Belmont, who emerged from the conspicuous consumption of the Gilded Age to become a champion of women’s suffrage and will delve into the influence of these forebears on our work today. $10. Registration required.
• Where: 180 Little Neck Road, Centerport
• Time: 7 p.m.
• Contact: vanderbiltmuseum.org or call (631) 854-5579
Night Sky Live
Visit Suffolk County Vanderbilt Museum’s Reichert Planetarium for a family-friendly program with an astronomy educator. Tour the night sky from right in Centerport. Topics vary depending on the time of year, but can include seasonal constellations, visible planets, galaxies, nebulae, and more. $22, $18 seniors and students, $16 child 12 and under.
The Grammy-nominated global sensation returns to the stage with their highly anticipated new tour, Celtic Woman — A New Era. Featuring the mesmerizing talents of Mairéad Carlin, Muirgen O’Mahony, Ciara Ní Mhurchú, and the dynamic new addition Caitríona Sherlock, this production fuses the ensemble’s signature ethereal harmonies with innovative orchestrations, captivating stagecraft, and a contemporary energy that honors Ireland’s rich musical and cultural legacy while embracing Celtic Woman’s ongoing evolution. Audiences will be transported on a spellbinding journey through Irish music, from timeless classics to stirring original compositions. The evening promises breathtaking vocal performances, intricate instrumental mastery, and the rhythmic grace of traditional Irish dance. Accompanied by a full ensemble, the performers bring to life Celtic staples — including the bagpipe, bodhrán, tin whistles, and Uilleann pipes — creating a lush and immersive soundscape that resonates with both tradition and modernity. From evocative Irish ballads and contemporary favorites to classical masterpieces and fresh original songs, their tour celebrates the vibrancy of modern Ireland while paying tribute to centuries of musical heritage. It is a concert experience that blends elegance, passion, and cultural storytelling, offering audiences an unforgettable evening of artistry, energy and enchantment.
• Where: The Paramount, 370 New York Ave., Huntington
• Time: 8 p.m.
• Contact: ticketmaster.com or paramountny.com
First Presbyterian Church of Babylon holds their weekly “Grab and Go.” No questions are asked. All are welcome.
• Where: 79 E. Main St., Babylon
• Time: 4-6 p.m.
• Contact: (631) 587-5838
The Village of Lindenhurst hosts their 2nd Annual Eggstravaganza. Activitiesinclude a petting zoo at the Village Square, an egg hunt through downtown Lindenhurst and photos with the Easter Bunny at the Village Gazebo or the Lindenhurst Fire Department Main House. Bring a non-perishable item for their local food pantries. Businesses who would like to participate by giving out eggs, need to complete the registration form. Business participants can be storefronts on Wellwood and Hoffman Avenues or businesses from beyond the downtown. Businesses without a storefront in the downtown will be set up at tables along the route.
• Where: 116 N. Wellwood Ave., Lindenhurst
• Time: 11 a.m.-2 p.m.
• Contact: shorturl.at/qclSh
• Where: 180 Little Neck Road, Centerport
• Time: 2 p.m. and 8 p.m.; also March 7, March 13-14
• Contact: vanderbiltmuseum.org or call (631) 854-5579
Grace United Methodist Church hosts a Chef Competition. Cook your favorite entrée or dessert, or come to simply taste and cast your vote. Admission is $10.
• Where: 515 S. Wellwood Ave, Lindenhurst
• Time: 6 p.m.
• Contact: RSVP to (631) 226-8690
Winter Concert ‘Salon’ Series
Warm up from the winter cold and enjoy the comfort of fine classical music at Bayard Cutting Arboretum State Park Listen this week to Cambiata Duo. Seating is limited with preregistration required through the Islip Arts Council.
• Where: 440 Montauk Hwy., Great River
• Time: 1 p.m.
• Contact: For registration,
call the Islip Arts Council at (631) 888-3525; day of concert information, call Bayard Cutting Arboretum at (631) 581-1002
‘Free For All’ documentary screening Lindenhurst Memorial Library in partnership with the Town of Babylon public libraries welcomes all to a screening of “Free for All: The Public Library.” The documentary chronicles the evolution of the nation’s public libraries, following the stories of library visitors and staff striving to implement innovative policies, and celebrates a civic institution whose offerings are free and whose doors are open to all. A discussion followd the movie.
• Where: 1 Lee Ave., Lindenhurst
• Time: 2-4 p.m.
• Contact: lindenhurstlibrary.org or (631) 957-7755
The Long Island Music and Entertainment Hall of Fame welcomes Mountain Maidens. These three dynamic voices, blended in splendid ancient and modern harmonies will lift your spirit, excite your senses and warm your heart. They sing ballads, folk songs, Medieval, Irish Traditional music, love songs, country and gospel songs including themes of social
justice to the accompaniment of guitars, banjo, dulcimer, bouzouki, dumbec, spoon, castanets and lots of percussion instruments including washboard.
• Where: 97 Main St., Stony Brook
• Time: 3 p.m.
• Contact: limusichalloffame.org or (631) 689-5888
Kid Zone
Children in grades
Pre-K-5 are invited to First Presbyterian Church’s Kid Zone, weekly. Included is dinner, a Bible story, as well as crafts and games.
• Where: 79 E. Main St., Babylon
• Time: 5:30-7 p.m.
• Contact: (631) 587-5838 mar
Classic Film Club
Stop by Babylon Public Library to watch and discuss the classic 1940 film “Waterloo Bridge,” starring Vivien Leigh and Robert Taylor. Myra and Roy meet and fall in love on Waterloo Bridge during an air raid. Their love will be one of the war’s unspoken casualties. Registration is not required.
• Where: 24 S. Carll Ave., Babylon
• Time: 5:30-7:30 p.m.
• Contact: babylonlibrary.org or (631) 669-1624
The annual Chocolate Expo returns for another delectable edition. Check out the tastings and sales of chocolates, baked goods, specialty foods, cheeses, dairy products, craft beverages (wines, spirits, cider, mead and more and readyto-eat foods from 60-120+ vendor booths. With demos, interactive presentations and celebrity appearances, plus fun for children in the “Kidz Zone.”
• Where: Nassau Coliseum, Uniondale
• Time: 10 a.m.-6 p.m.
• Contact: ticketmaster.com
Having an event?
Items on the Calendar page are listed free of charge. The Herald welcomes listings of upcoming events, community meetings and items of public interest. All submissions should include date, time and location of the event, cost, and a contact name and phone number. Submissions can be emailed to kbloom@ liherald.com.
Does the black spot on a dog’s tongue mean he’s a Chow mix because Chow Chows have a trademark blue-black tongue?
Nope.
Many mixed breeds and certain purebreds — including Golden Retrievers, Cocker Spaniels, Dobermans and at least 30 other breeds — can have black-spotted tongues.
Veterinarians say tongue pigmentation is usually nothing to worry about and is simply a matter of genetics.
JOANNE ANDERSON
Chows are an ancient breed, believed to have originated in China or Mongolia. Recent DNA mapping supports that belief. Chows have been around for more than 2,000 years and are easily recognizable in pottery and sculpture dating to the Han Dynasty (206 B.C. to 22 A.D.).
How the Chow Chow got his blue-black tongue is still a mystery. An old fable offers an explanation: When God was painting the sky blue, He spilled a few drops of paint as he worked. The Chow followed, licking up the paint, and from that day on, the Chow had a blue tongue.
The Chow is not the only breed with a blue-black tongue. The Chinese Shar-Pei shares this trait. A few other mammals have black tongues, including giraffes, polar bears and several breeds of cattle, including Jersey.
Spots on canine tongues are deposits of extra pigment — similar to birthmarks or freckles on people. Dogs often have dark pigment on their skin as well, hidden beneath their coats. These spots may be large or small, many or few.
If a Chow’s tongue has a pink spot on it, does that mean it’s not purebred?
No.
Chow puppies’ tongues are pink at birth. The blueblack color develops as their eyes open. Sometimes the pigment change is slower, but the blueblack tongue pigment is usually complete by the time the puppy is 8 to 10 weeks old. Some tongues may mature and retain small spots or splashes of pink. Elderly Chows, and Chows with the dilute coat colors, cinnamon and blue, sometimes lose tongue pigment as they age and develop pink spots.
Chows are members of the large Spitz family of Northern Hemisphere breeds, which includes the Samoyed, Siberian Husky, Malamute, Keeshond, Akita, Shiba Inu, Norwegian Elkhound and even tiny Pomeranians. Spitz breeds share basic characteristics — similar body structure, tails carried over the back, pointed triangular ears and thick coats. Dogs resembling Chows but with pink tongues are probably
not Chows, but mixes of other Spitz-type dogs.
The American Kennel Club standard is stricter about Chow (and Shar-Pei) tongues. Tongues must be black — the darker, the better. A dog is disqualified from the show ring if the top surface or edges of the tongue are red or pink, or if the dog has one or more spots of red or pink.
For adoption through Last Hope Animal Rescue, 3300 Beltagh Ave., Wantagh:
Molly is a lovely Beagle, about five years old, who would love to join you in a diet and exercise routine. Pumpkin Spice is a delightful and smart seven-month-old orange tabby. He is at Last Hope’s satellite store location, PetSmart Bellmore on Merrick Road.
For more information, call 631-671-2588. A Chow mix with a black tongue at Babylon Shelter several years ago.
NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT - COUNTY OF SUFFOLK DEUTSCHE BANK
NATIONAL TRUST COMPANY AS TRUSTEE FOR HARBORVIEW 2006-8
Plaintiff, Against
REBECCA BUCICCHIA, PHILIP BUCICCHIA, et al
Defendant(s) Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale, duly entered 12/29/2025, I, the undersigned Referee, will sell at public auction, at Babylon Town Hall, 200 East Sunrise Highway, Lindenhurst, NY 11757, on 3/25/2026 at 9:00AM, premises known as 128 Bond Street, West Babylon, NY 11704, and described as follows:
ALL that certain plot piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements thereon erected, situate, lying and being in the Town of Babylon, County of Suffolk and State of New York. District 0100 Section 107.00 Block 02.00 Lot 038.000
The approximate amount of the current Judgment lien is $462,740.93 plus interest and costs. The Premises will be sold subject to provisions of the aforesaid Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale; Index # 602805/2022
Sabita HajareeRamsaran, Esq., Referee. - Cash bids will not be accepted at this Auction.
MCCABE, WEISBERG & CONWAY, LLC, 10 Midland Avenue, Suite 205, Port Chester, NY 10573
Dated: 1/14/2026
File Number: 272100011 CA 26-88. 2/19, 26, 3/5, 12
NOTICE OF SALE
SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF SUF-
FOLK U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS TRUSTEE FOR STRUCTURED ASSET SECURITIES CORPORATION
MORTGAGE PASSTHROUGH CERTIFICATES, SERIES 2007-GEL2, Plaintiff AGAINST LUIS A. ESPINAL LOPEZ AKA LUIS ALONSO ESPINAL LOPEZ, PIERRE JUSTIN, ET AL., Defendant(s)
Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered July 18, 2022, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction at the Babylon Town Hall, 200 East Sunrise Highway, Lindenhurst, NY 11757 on March 23, 2026 at 2:30 PM, premises known as 128 North 17th Street, Wyandanch, NY 11798. All that certain plot piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements erected, situate, lying and being at Wyandanch, in the Town of Babylon, County of Suffolk and State of New York, District 0100, Section 013.00, Block 03.00, Lot 129.000. Approximate amount of judgment $719,102.74 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index #603217/2017. F or sale information, please contact XOME at www.Xome.com or call (844) 400-9633.
Joseph L. Fritz, Esq., Referee Gross Polowy, LLC 1775 Wehrle Drive Williamsville, NY 14221 16-005240 88886
26-89. 2/19, 26, 3/5, 12
Notice is hereby given that a license, number 034026-101296 for a Restaurant OnPremises Liquor has been applied for by the undersigned to sell beer, cider, liquor and/or wine at retail in a restaurant under the Alcoholic Beverage Control Law at 375 Oak Street, Copiague, NY 11726 for on premises consumption.
26-99. 2/26, 3/5
OF FORMATION
NAME: Jamie Vene Properties LLC Articles of Organization were filed with the Secretary of State of New York, (SSNY) on 11/24/2025 NY Office location: Suffolk SSNY has been designated as an agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail a copy of the process to: Jamie Swenton, 163 Baylawn Ave, Copiague, NY 11726 Purpose: To engage in any lawful act or activity. 26-113 2/26, 3/5, 12, 19, 26, 4/2
Notice of formation of Hampton Security & Fire Systems LLC. Articles of Organization filed with the Secretary of State of New York SSNY on 02/06/2026. Office located in Suffolk. SSNY has been designated for service of process. SSNY shall mail copy of any process served against the LLC 77 County Road 39A, South Hampton, NY 11968 Purpose: any lawful purpose 26-86. 2/19, 26, 3/5, 12, 19, 26
SUPREME COURT
COUNTY OF Suffolk, AJAX Mortgage Loan Trust 2023-B, Mortgage-Backed Securities, Series 2023-B, by U.S. Bank Trust Company, National Association, as Indenture Trustee, Plaintiff, vs. Kamona Ayres a/k/a Ramona Ayres, ET AL., Defendant(s). Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered on March 4, 2024, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction at the Babylon Town Hall, 200 East Sunrise Highway, North Lindenhurst, NY 11757 on March 19, 2026 at 11:00 a.m., premises known as 71 Ronald Drive North a/k/a North Ronald Drive, Amityville, NY 11701. All that certain plot, piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements thereon erected, situate, lying and being at Amityville, in the Town of Babylon, County of Suffolk and State of New York, District 0100, Section 165.00, Block 02.00 and Lot 003.000. Approximate amount of judgment is $762,116.69 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index #610279/2022.
William J. Garry, Esq, Referee Friedman Vartolo LLP, 85 Broad Street, Suite 501, New York, New York 10004, Attorneys for Plaintiff. Firm File No.: 212836-1 26-78. 2/12, 19, 26, 3/5
NOTICE OF SALE
SUPREME COURT
COUNTY OF Suffolk, Wilmington Savings FunD Society, FSB, As Owner Trustee of the Residential Credit Opportunitiees Trust VI-A, Plaintiff, vs. Ralph A. Santiago a/k/a Ralph Santiago,
ET AL., Defendant(s). Pursuant to an Order Confirming Referee Report and Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered on December 29, 2025, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction at the Babylon Town Hall, 200 East Sunrise Highway, North Lindenhurst, NY 11757 on March 18, 2026 at 1:00 p.m., premises known as 152 Gracie Drive, North Babylon, NY 11703. All that certain plot, piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements thereon erected, situate, lying and being in the Town of Babylon, County of Suffolk and State of New York, District 0100, Section 120.00, Block 02.00 and Lot 007.000. Approximate amount of judgment is $455,388.60 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index # 604149/2025.
Francesco P. Tini, Esq., Referee
Friedman Vartolo LLP, 85 Broad Street, Suite 501, New York, New York 10004, Attorneys for Plaintiff. Firm File No.: 201344-1 26-79. 2/12, 19, 26, 3/5
NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT SUFFOLK COUNTY FREEDOM MORTGAGE CORPORATION, Plaintiff against CHRISTOPHER CHODKOWSKI, et al Defendant(s) Attorney for Plaintiff(s) McCalla Raymer Leibert Pierce, LLC, 420 Lexington Avenue, Suite 840, New York, NY 10170. Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered November 13, 2025, I will sell at public auction to the highest bidder at Babylon Townhall, 200 East Sunrise Highway, Lindenhurst,
NY 11757 on March 18, 2026 at 1:00 PM. Premises known as 222 Lido Pkwy, Lindenhurst, NY 11757. District 0100 Sec 227.00 Block 03.00 Lot 034.000. All that certain plot piece or parcel of land, situate, lying and being in the Town of Babylon, County of Suffolk and State of New York. Approximate Amount of Judgment is $454,841.16 plus interest, fees, and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index No 628798/2023. The foreclosure sale will be conducted in accordance with 10th Judicial District's Covid-19 Policies and foreclosure auction rules. The Referee shall enforce any rules in place regarding facial coverings and social distancing. Deposit by certified funds only, made payable to the referee. For sale information, please contact XOME at www.Xome.com or call (844)400-9633. Jonathan A Baum, Esq., Referee File # 23-16241NY 26-80. 2/12, 19, 26, 3/5
NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT - COUNTY OF SUFFOLK CARRINGTON MORTGAGE SERVICES, LLC Plaintiff, Against JOHN DOE AND JANE DOE 1 THROUGH 50, INTENDING TO BE THE UNKNOWN HEIRS, DISTRIBUTEES, DEVISEES, GRANTEES, TRUSTEES, LIENORS, CREDITORS, AND ASSIGNEES OF THE ESTATE OF GERTRUDE CABARRUS, WHO WAS BORN IN 1946 AND DIED ON MARCH 18, 2021, A RESIDENT OF SUFFOLK
COUNTY WHOSE LAST KNOWN ADDRESS 109 N. 19TH STREET, WHEATLEY HEIGHTS, NEW YORK 11798, THEIR SUCCESSORS IN INTEREST IF ANY OF THE AFORESAID DEFENDANTS BE DECEASED, THEIR RESPECTIVE HEIRS AT LAW, NEXT OF KIN, AND SUCCESSORS IN INTEREST OF THE AFORESAID CLASSES OF PERSON, IF THEY OR ANY OF THEM BE DEAD, AND THEIR RESPECTIVE HUSBANDS, WIVES OR WIDOWS, IF ANY, ALL OF WHOM AND WHOSE NAMES AND PLACES, ARE UNKNOWN TO PLAINTIFF, et al. Defendant(s) Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale, duly entered 04/08/2025, I, the undersigned Referee, will sell at public auction, at Babylon Town Hall, 200 East Sunrise Highway, Lindenhurst, NY 11757, on 3/13/2026 at 1:30PM, premises known as 109 N. 19th Street, Wheatley Heights, NY 11798, and described as follows:
ALL that certain plot piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements thereon erected, situate, lying and being in the Town of Babylon, County of Suffolk and State of New York. District 0100 Section 039.00 Block 02.00 Lot 077.000
The approximate amount of the current Judgment lien is $373,895.78 plus interest and costs. The Premises will be sold subject to provisions of the aforesaid Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale; Index # 622857/2021
Arthur J. Burdette, Esq., Referee. MCCABE, WEIS -
BERG & CONWAY, LLC, 10 Midland Avenue, Suite 205, Port Chester, NY 10573 Dated: 1/8/2026 File Number: 21-300506 CA
26-81. 2/12, 19, 26, 3/5
Notice of formation of TSB PROPERTIES, LLC (“the LLC”). Articles of Organization filed with Secretary of State of New York (“SSNY”) on January 7, 2026. Office location: Suffolk County. Street address of LLC: 899 Deer Park Ave, North Babylon, NY 11703. SSNY has been designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail a copy of the process to the LLC: 899 Deer Park Avenue, North Babylon, NY 11703. Purpose: Any lawful purpose. 26-54. 1/29, 2/5, 12, 19, 26, 3/5
NOTICE OF FORMATION OF Rare Mix Group LLC. Articles of Organization filed with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 08/13/2025. Office located in Suffolk County. SSNY has been designated for service of process. SSNY shall mail copy of any process served against the LLC to 23 Briarwood Road, Wyandanch, NY 11798. Purpose: Any lawful purpose. 26-87. 2/19, 26, 3/5, 12, 19, 26
SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK COUNTY OF SUFFOLK
WELLS FARGO USA HOLDINGS, INC., -againstJUDITH VOGEL, ET AL.
NOTICE OF SALE NOTICE
IS HEREBY GIVEN pursuant to a Final Judgment of Foreclosure entered in the Office of the Clerk of the County of Suffolk on October 26, 2023, wherein WELLS FARGO USA HOLDINGS, INC. is the Plaintiff and JUDITH VOGEL, ET AL. are the Defendant(s). I, the undersigned Referee, will sell at public auction at the BABYLON TOWN HALL, 200 EAST SUNRISE HIGHWAY, NORTH LINDENHURST, NY 11757, on March 23, 2026 at 3:00PM, premises known as 222A OAK BEACH RD, OAK BEACH, NY 11702; and the following tax map identification: 0100242.00-01.00-021.000.
ALL THAT CERTAIN LOT, PIECE OR PARCEL OF LAND SITUATED LYING AND BEING IN THE TOWN OF BABYLON, COUNTY OF SUFFOLK AND STATE OF NEW YORK Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index No.: 600144/2017. Robert P. Valletti, Esq.Referee. Robertson, Anschutz, Schneid, Crane & Partners, PLLC, 900 Merchants Concourse, Suite 310, Westbury, New York 11590, Attorneys for Plaintiff. All foreclosure sales will be conducted in accordance with Covid-19 guidelines including, but not limited to, social distancing and mask wearing. *LOCA -
TION OF SALE SUBJECT TO CHANGE DAY OF IN ACCORDANCE WITH COURT/CLERK DIRECTIVES.
26-90 2/19, 26, 3/5, 12
SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK COUNTY OF SUFFOLK
BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., -againstMARIE C. LANES
A/K/A MARIE
LANES A/K/A MARIE C. WILLOUGHBY, ET AL. NOTICE OF SALE NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN pursuant to a Final Judgment of Foreclosure entered in the Office of the Clerk of the County of Suffolk on February 5, 2025, wherein BANK OF AMERICA, N.A. is the Plaintiff and MARIE C. LANES
A/K/A MARIE
LANES A/K/A MARIE C. WILLOUGHBY, ET AL. are the Defendant(s). I, the undersigned Referee, will sell at public auction at the BABYLON TOWN HALL, 200 EAST SUNRISE HIGHWAY, NORTH LINDENHURST, NY 11757, on March 25, 2026 at 2:00PM, premises known as 512 LEADER AVENUE, NORTH BABYLON, NY 11703; and the following tax map identification: 0100116.00-01.00-106.000. ALL THAT CERTAIN PLOT, PIECE OR PARCEL OF LAND, WITH THE BUILDINGS AND IMPROVEMENTS THEREON, SITUATE, LYING AND BEING IN NORTH BABYLON, TOWN OF BABYLON, COUNTY OF SUFFOLK AND STATE OF NEW YORK Premises will be sold subject to
provisions of filed Judgment Index No.: 601035/2019. James A. Pascarella, Esq. - Referee. Robertson, Anschutz, Schneid, Crane & Partners, PLLC, 900 Merchants Concourse, Suite 310, Westbury, New York 11590, Attorneys for Plaintiff. All foreclosure sales will be conducted in accordance with Covid-19 guidelines including, but not limited to, social distancing and mask wearing. *LOCATION OF SALE SUBJECT TO CHANGE DAY OF IN ACCORDANCE WITH COURT/ CLERK DIRECTIVES.
26-92. 2/19, 26, 3/5, 12
SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK COUNTY OF SUFFOLK BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A. AS TRUSTEE FOR MORTGAGE ASSETS MANAGEMENT SERIES I TR UST, -againstMARTHA WALLACE AS HEIR AND DISTRIBUTEE OF THE ESTATE OF ZETTA N. OWENS, ET AL.
NOTICE OF SALE NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN pursuant to a Final Judgment of Foreclosure entered in the Office of the Clerk of the County of Suffolk on December 19, 2025, wherein BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A. AS TRUSTEE FOR MORTGAGE ASSETS MANAGEMENT SERIES I TRUST is the Plaintiff and MARTHA WALLACE AS HEIR AND DISTRIBUTEE OF THE ESTATE OF ZETTA N. OWENS, ET AL. are the Defendant(s). I, the
undersigned Referee, will sell at public auction at the BABYLON TOWN HALL, 200 EAST SUNRISE HIGHWAY, NORTH LINDENHURST, NY 11757, on March 26, 2026 at 1:30PM, premises known as 43 SPRUCE ROAD, AMITYVILLE, NY 11701; and the following tax map identification: 0100-124.00-01.00006.000. ALL THAT CERTAIN PLOT, PIECE OR PARCEL OF LAND, WITH THE BUILDINGS AND IMPROVEMENTS THEREON ERECTED, SITUATE, LYING AND BEING IN THE TOWN OF BABYLON, COUNTY OF SUFFOLK AND STATE OF NEW YORK
Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index No.: 601334/2017. Arthur Burdette, Esq. - Referee. Robertson, Anschutz, Schneid, Crane & Partners, PLLC, 900 Merchants Concourse, Suite 310, Westbury, New York 11590, Attorneys for Plaintiff. All foreclosure sales will be conducted in accordance with Covid-19 guidelines including, but not limited to, social distancing and mask wearing. *LOCATION OF SALE SUBJECT TO CHANGE DAY OF IN ACCORDANCE WITH COURT/CLERK DIRECTIVES.
26-93. 2/19, 26, 3/5, 12
PUBLIC NOTICE BOARD OF APPEALS
VILLAGE OF BABYLON PURSUANT to the provisions of Article VII of the Building Zone Ordinance of the Village of Babylon, NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Board of Appeals of the Village of Babylon will hold a public hearing at 7:30 P.M. on Wednesday, March 18, 2026, in the Municipal Building, at 153 West Main Street, Babylon, New York to consider the following applications:
•Application of Andrew Laufer, 406 DPA LLC, 406 Deer Park Avenue, Babylon, NY, for permission to maintain professional accounting offices at the premises located at 406 Deer Park Avenue, Babylon, NY. Property located in Residence O District, Suffolk County Real Property Tax Map District 0102, Section 6, Block 3 Lot 32. Application made in accordance with Sections 365-17 and 365-35.
•Application of AR Home Construction, 15 Belinda Court, Smithtown, NY 11787 for permission to demolish the existing dwelling and construct a two story single family dwelling on the premises located at 1 Christopher Court, Babylon, NY requiring variances to reduce the front yard setback from 35 feet required to 20 feet 3 inches proposed (property has two front yards) and to increase the lot coverage from 25% permitted to 28.56% proposed. Property located in Residence A-11 District, Suffolk County Real Property Tax Map District 0102, Section 21, Block 1, Lot 38. Application made in accordance with Sections 365-7A,
365-13 and 365-35.
•Application of Victor Acebedo, Bozzetto AE LLC, 331 Willis Avenue, Mineola, NY 11501, agent for owner, John Vargas, 397 West Main Street, Babylon, NY for a special permit to convert a one family dwelling into a twofamily dwelling on the premises located at 397 West Main Street, Babylon, NY. Property located in Residence A-9 District, Suffolk County Real Property Tax Map District 0102, Section 12, Block 2, Lot 36. Application made in accordance with Sections 365-14 and 365-35.
•Application of Yael Seagal, 40 Orchard Drive, Woodbury, NY 11797, for a permission to construct two story single family dwelling on a vacant lot on the premises located at 446 Little East Neck Road, Babylon, NY requiring variances to reduce the front yard setback from 25 feet required to 21 feet proposed; to reduce the minimum side yard setback from 6 feet required to 5 feet 6 inches proposed, to reduce the total side yard setback from 20 feet to 15 feet 9 inches proposed; to reduce the rear yard setback from 25 feet to 16 feet 9 inches proposed; to increase the lot coverage from 25% permitted to 26% proposed and to reduce the lot width 70 feet required to 40 feet pre-existing. Property located in Residence A-7 District, Suffolk County Real Property Tax Map District 0102, Section 20, Block 1, Lot 81. Application made in accordance with Sections 365-15 and 365-35.
•Application of Susan Licciardi, 89 Woodsome Road, Babylon, NY for permission to construct a second-floor dor-
SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK COUNTY OF SUFFOLK U.S. BANK, N.A., SUCCESSOR TRUSTEE TO LASALLE BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, ON BEHALF OF THE HOLDERS OF BEAR STEARNS ASSET BACKED SECURITIES I TRUST 2007-HE2, ASSET-BACKED CERTIFICATES SERIES 2007-HE2, -againstKIM DASH, AS HEIR AND DISTRIBUTEE OF THE ESTATE OF SHIRLEY DASH, ET AL.
NOTICE OF SALE
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN pursuant to a Final Judgment of Foreclosure entered in the Office of the Clerk of the County of Suffolk on December 2, 2024, wherein U.S. BANK, N.A., SUCCESSOR TRUSTEE TO LASALLE BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, ON BEHALF OF THE HOLDERS OF BEAR STEARNS ASSET BACKED SECURITIES I TRUST 2007-HE2, ASSET-BACKED CERTIFICATES SERIES 2007-HE2 is the Plaintiff and KIM DASH, AS HEIR AND DISTRIBUTEE OF THE ESTATE OF SHIRLEY DASH, ET AL. are the Defendant(s). I, the undersigned Referee, will sell at public auction at the BABYLON TOWN HALL, 200 EAST SUNRISE HIGHWAY, NORTH LINDENHURST, NY 11757, on March 31, 2026 at 10:30AM, premises known as 47 MAPLE ROAD, AMITYVILLE, NY 11701; and the following tax map identification: 0100-124.00-01.00016.000.
ALL THAT CERTAIN PLOT, PIECE OR PARCEL OF LAND, SITUATE, LYING AND BEING NORTH AMITYVILLE, TOWN OF BABYLON, COUNTY OF SUFFOLK AND STATE OF NEW YORK Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index No.: 620150/2017. Annette Eaderesto, Esq.Referee. Robertson, Anschutz, Schneid, Crane & Partners, PLLC, 900 Merchants Concourse, Suite 310, Westbury, New York 11590, Attorneys for Plaintiff. All foreclosure sales will be conducted in accordance with Covid-19 guidelines including, but not limited to, social distancing and mask wearing. *LOCATION OF SALE SUBJECT TO CHANGE DAY OF IN ACCORDANCE WITH COURT/CLERK DIRECTIVES. 26-111 2/26, 3/5, 12, 19
mer addition on the premises located at 89 Woodsome Road, Babylon, NY requiring a variance to reduce the minimum side yard setback from 15 feet to 8.2 feet preexisting. Property located in Residence A-11 District, Suffolk County Real Property Tax Map District 0102, Section 13, Block 1, Lot 26. Application made in accordance with Sections 365-13 and 365-35. APPLICANTS OR THEIR DULY APPOINTED REPRESENTATIVES MUST APPEAR IN PERSON AT THE ABOVE HEARING.
BRUCE HUMENIK, CHAIRMAN JEFFREY C. WEBER, SECRETARY 26-116 3/5, 12
March 5, 2026
NOTICE OF SPECIAL DISTRICT
MEETING WYANDANCH PUBLIC LIBRARY
NOTICE IS HEREBY
GIVEN to the qualified voters of the Wyandanch School District, Town of Babylon, Suffolk County, New York, that a Special District Meeting of the Wyandanch Public Library will be held at the Wyandanch Public Library, 14 South 20th Street, Wyandanch, New York, on April 21, 2026 between the hours of 7:00 A.M. and 9:00 P.M. for the following purposes:
1. To elect one (1) person to the Board of Trustees of the Wyandanch Public Library to fill the following term:
One five (5) year term beginning July 1, 2026 and ending June 30, 2031. The current incumbent is Norman J. Sellers.
2. To vote upon the Library Budget Appropriation and Library tax levy for fiscal year 2026- 2027.
FURTHER NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that petitions for the Office of Trustee of the Library may be obtained at the Library Director’s Office and must be filed in that office no later than five o'clock p.m., prevailing time on March 13, 2026. Each Petition must be directed to the Election Clerk of the Library and, pursuant to law, must be signed by at least 25 qualified voters of the Wyandanch School District, and must state the name and residence of the candidate and the name and residence of each signatory and must describe the specific vacancy for which a candidate is nominated, including at least the length of the term of office. Each vacancy
is a separate specific office, and a separate petition is required to nominate a candidate to each separate office. In the event that any such nominee shall withdraw his/her candidacy prior to the election, a written notice of such withdrawal must be filed with the Clerk’s Office of the Wyandanch Public Library. Such person shall not be considered a candidate unless a new petition nominating such person in the same manner and within the same time limitations applicable to other candidates is filed with the Clerk’s Office of the Wyandanch Public Library. No person shall be nominated by petition for more than one separate office.
URTHER NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that two hearings to present the proposed Annual Library Budget and Tax Appropriation for the 2026-2027 fiscal year will be held on April 7 and April 14, 2026 at 6:00 PM at the Wyandanch Public Library. Copies of the proposed budget to be voted upon shall be available at the Wyandanch Public Library, 14 South 20th Street, Wyandanch, New York, during regular business hours commencing on March 24, 2026 and each weekday through April 21, 2026.
FURTHER NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the register to be prepared for the Special District Meeting and Election to be held on April 21, 2026 shall include all persons who have previously registered hereunder for any annual or special meeting or election and who shall have voted at any annual or special meeting or election held or conducted at any time within four (4) years
prior to the preparation of the register, or who are registered to vote at any general election pursuant to Section 5-210 of the Election Law of the State of New York.
FURTHER NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that prospective voters may be registered to vote in the School District Clerk’s Office, 1445 Straight Path, Wyandanch, NY 11798 on each day that the School District Clerk’s Office is open, prior to April 15, 2026, between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. Monday through Friday.
FURTHER NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the register prepared pursuant to Section 2014 of the Education Law for the Special District Meeting and Election to be held on April 21, 2026 will be filed in the Office of the Director of the Library District. Such register will be open for inspection by any qualified voter of the district between the hours of 9:00 A.M. and 4:00 P.M. on each of the five days prior to and the day set for the Special District Meeting, excepting Sunday at the Wyandanch Public Library.
FURTHER NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN, that in accordance with Education Law No. 2018-a, application for absentee ballots for the Special District Meeting and Election may be applied for at the Office of the Director of the Wyandanch Public Library. Such application must be received by the Board of Registration at least seven (7) days before the election if the ballot is to be mailed to the voter, or the day before the election, if the ballot is to be delivered personally to the voter. The Board of Registration
shall make a list of all persons to whom absentee voters' ballots have been issued and have it available during regular office hours until the day of election at the Wyandanch Public Library. Such list will be posted at the polling place during the election. No absentee voter ballot shall be canvassed unless it is received not later than 5:00 P.M. on the day of the election.
Dated: February 23, 2026
BY ORDER OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES WYANDANCH
PUBLIC LIBRARY
WYANDANCH, NEW YORK
TOMIKA MAYS, ELECTIONS CLERK 26-114. 3/5, 19, 4/2, 16
The Town of Babylon Rental Review Board will hold a Public Hearing at The Town of Babylon 200 East Sunrise Highway, Lindenhurst, New York (East Wing Board Room) on Wednesday, March 11, 2026 at 6:00pm NEW APPLICATION
1. Allen Brown 69 Washington Ave. Deer Park NY 11729
SCTM NO: 0100-1181-5.001
2. Andrew Smith 90 Salem St. West Babylon NY 11704
SCTM NO: 0100157-2-53
RENEWALS
1. Joseph Salemi 164 Arthur Ave. West Babylon NY 11704 SCTM NO: 0100-158-2-67
2. Jose Abrigo 802 Bayview Ave. Amityville NY 11701
SCTM NO: 0100-1693-2.006
3. Tim Golub 296 Old Farmingdale Rd. West Babylon NY 11704 SCTM NO: 0100-210-2-8 26-122 3/5
AVISO DE REUNIÓN ESPECIAL DEL DISTRITOBIBLIOTECA PÚBLICA DE WYANDANCH POR LA PRESENTE SE DA AVISO a los votantes calificados del Distrito Escolar de Wyandanch, Ciudad de Babylon, Condado de Suffolk, New York, que una Reunión Especial del Distrito de la Biblioteca Pública de Wyandanch se llevará a cabo en la Biblioteca Pública de Wyandanch, 14 South 20th Street, Wyandanch, New York, el 21 de abril 2026 entre las horas de 7:00 A.M. y 9:00 P.M. con los siguientes propósitos:
• Para elegir uno (1) miembro para la Junta Directiva de la Biblioteca Pública de Wyandanch para ocupar los siguientes término:
· Un término de cinco (5) años comenzando el 1ro de julio de 2026 finalizando el 30 de junio de 2031. La actual titular del cargo es Norman J. Sellers.
2. Para votar sobre la Asignación del Presupuesto de la Biblioteca y Recaudación de Impuestos para el año fiscal 2026-2031.
POR LA PRESENTE
SE DA AVISO ADICIONAL que peticiones para la Oficina del Fideicomisario de la Biblioteca puede ser obtenidas en la Oficina del Director de la Biblioteca y la petición debe ser archivada en esa oficina a más tardar de las cinco de la tarde p.m., tiempo predominante el 13 de marzo de 2026. Cada Petición debe ser dirigida al Secretario de Elecciones de la Biblioteca y, de conformidad con la ley, debe ser firmada por al menos 25 votantes calificados del Distrito Escolar de Wyandanch, y debe indicar el nombre y la residencia del can-
didato (a) y el nombre y residencia de cada firmante, y debe describir la vacante específica para la cual un candidato (a) está nominado (a), incluido al menos la duración del término en el cargo. Cada vacante es un cargo público específico, y se requiere una petición separada para nominar a un candidato para cada puesto electoral. En el evento que cualquier nominado retire su nominación antes de la elección, un aviso por escrito de dicho retiro debe ser archivado con el Secretario de la Biblioteca Pública de Wyandanch. Dicha persona no será considerada candidato (a) a menos que una nueva petición nominando a dicha persona de la misma manera y dentro de las mismas limitaciones aplicables a otros candidatos sea archivada con la Oficina del Secretario de la Biblioteca Pública de Wyandanch. Ninguna persona será nominada por petición para más de un puesto separado.
POR LA PRESENTE SE DA AVISO ADICIONAL que dos audiencias con respecto a la Propuesta de Asignación Fiscal Presupuestaria Anual para el año fiscal 20262027 se llevará a cabo el 7 y 14 de abril, 2026 a las 6:00 P.M en la Biblioteca Pública de Wyandanch. Copias de la propuesta del presupuesto para voto estará disponible en la Biblioteca Pública de Wyandanch, 14 South 20th Street, Wyandanch, New York, durante las horas laborables regulares comenzando el 24 de marzo, 2026 y cada día de semana hasta el 21 de abril, 2026.
POR LA PRESENTE
SE DA AVISO ADICIONAL que el registro a ser preparado
para la Reunión Especial del Distrito y Elección que se llevará a cabo el 21 de abril, 2026 incluirá todas las personas quienes se han registrado previamente para cualquier reunión anual o especial o elección y quien ha votado en cualquier reunión anual o reunión especial o elección llevada a cabo o conducida en cualquier tiempo cuatro (4) años antes de la preparación del registro, o quienes están registrados para votar en cualquier elección general de conformidad con la sección 5-210 de la Ley de Elección del Estado de New York.
SE DA AVISO ADICIONAL que futuros votantes pueden ser registrados para votar en la Oficina del Secretario del Distrito, 1445 Straight Path, Wyandanch, NY 11798 cada día que la Oficina del Secretario del Distrito esté abierta antes del 15 de abril, 2026 entre las horas de 9:00 a.m. y 4:00 p.m. de lunes a viernes.
SE DA AVISO ADICIONAL que el registro preparado de conformidad a la Sección 2014 de la Ley de Educación para la Reunión Especial del Distrito y Elección que se llevará a cabo el 21 de abril de 2026 será archivado en la Oficina del Director del Distrito de la Biblioteca. Dicho registro estará abierto para inspección por cualquier votante calificante del distrito entre las horas de 9:00 A.M. y 4:00 P.M en cada uno de las cinco días antes y durante el día pautado para la Reunión Especial del Distrito, excepto el domingo en la Biblioteca Pública de Wyandanch.
SE DA AVISO ADICIONAL, que de acuerdo con la Ley de Educación No. 2028-a, solicitudes para bole-
tas de voto en ausencia para la Reunión Especial del Distrito y Elección puede ser solicitadas en la Oficina del Director de la Biblioteca Pública de Wyandanch. Dicha solicitud debe ser recibida por La Junta de Registro al menos siete (7) días antes de la elección si la boleta será enviada por correo al votante, o el día antes de la elección, si la boleta se entrega personalmente al votante. La Junta de Registro hará una lista de todas las personas a los cuales se les entregó boletas de voto por ausencia y las tendrá disponible durante horas regulares hasta el día de la elección en la Biblioteca Pública de Wyandanch. Dicha lista será publicada en el colegio electoral durante la elección. Ninguna boleta de voto por ausencia será examinada a menos que sea recibida no más tardar de las 5:00 P.M. el día de la elección.
Fecha: 23 de febrero, 2026
POR ORDEN DE LA JUNTA DIRECTIVA FIDUCIARIO DE LA BIBLIOTECA PÚBLICA DE WYANDANCH WYANDANCH, NEW YORK
TOMIKA MAYS, SECRETARIO DE ELECCIONES 26-115. 3/5, 19, 4/2, 16
NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT
SUFFOLK COUNTY
US BANK TRUST
NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, NOT IN ITS INDIVIDUAL CAPACITY BUT SOLELY AS OWNER TRUSTEE FOR VRMTG ASSET TRUST, Plaintiff against UNKNOWN HEIRS AT LAW OF CARLA HONORAT, AND IF THEY BE DEAD, ANY AND ALL PERSONS UNKNOWN TO PLAINTIFF, CLAIMING, OR WHO MAY CLAIM TO HAVE INTEREST IN, OR GENERALLY OR SPECIFIC LIEN UPON THE REAL PROPERTY DESCRIBED IN THIS ACTION; SUCH UNKNOWN PERSONS BEING HEREIN GENERALLY DESCRIBED AND INTENDED TO BE INCLUDED IN THE FOLLOWING DESIGNATION, NAMELY: THE WIFE, WIDOW, HUSBAND, WIDOWER, HEIRS AT LAW, NEXT OF KIN, DESCENDANTS, EXECUTORS, ADMINISTRATORS, DEVISEES, LEGATEES, CREDITORS, TRUSTEES, COMMITTEES, LIENORS, AND ASSIGNEES OF SUCH DECEASED, ANY AND ALL PERSONS DERIVING INTEREST IN OR LIEN UPON, OR TITLE TO SAID REAL PROPERTY BY, THROUGH OR UNDER THEM, OR EITHER OF THEM, AND THEIR RESPECTIVE WIVES, WIDOWS, HUSBANDS, WIDOWERS, HEIRS AT LAW, NEXT OF KIN, DESCENDANTS, EXECUTORS; ADMINISTRATORS, DEVISEES, LEGATEES, CREDITORS, TRUSTEES, COM-
MITTEES, LIENORS AND ASSIGNS, ALL OF WHOM AND WHOSE NAMES, EXCEPT AS STATED, ARE UNKNOWN TO PLAINTIFF, et al
Defendant(s)Attorney for Plaintiff(s) Knuckles & Manfro, LLP, 120 White Plains Road, Suite 215, Tarrytown, NY 10591.
Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered May 13, 2025, I will sell at public auction to the highest bidder at Babylon Townhall, 200 East Sunrise Highway, Lindenhurst, NY 11757 on April 7, 2026 at 1:00 PM. Premises known as 36 Clearview Drive, Wheatley Heights, NY 11798. District 0100 Sec 009.00 Block 01.00 Lot 049.000. All that certain plot, piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements thereon erected, situate, lying and being in the Town of Babylon, County of Suffolk and State of New York. Approximate Amount of Judgment is $621,257.30 plus interest, fees, and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index No 619935/2016. Cash will not be accepted at the sale.
The foreclosure sale will be conducted in accordance with 10th Judicial District's Covid-19 Policies and foreclosure auction rules. The Referee shall enforce any rules in place regarding facial coverings and social distancing.
Francesco P Tini, Esq., Referee File # 3000002130
26-119 3/5, 12, 19, 26
NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT SUFFOLK COUNTY THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON, SUCCESSOR TO
THE BANK OF NEW YORK, NOT IN ITS INDIVIDUAL CAPACITY BUT SOLELY AS TRUSTEE ON BEHALF OF THE HOLDERS OF THE CIT MORTGAGE
LOAN TRUST, 20071 ASSET-BACKED CERTIFICATES, SERIES 2007-1, Plaintiff against STACEY L. KELLY
HENRY A/K/A STACEY L. KELLY-HENRY A/K/A STACEY L. KELLY
A/K/A STACY KELLY-HENRY, et al
Defendant(s)
Attorney for Plaintiff(s) Stern & Eisenberg, P.C., 20 Commerce Drive, Suite 230, Cranford, NJ 07016 and 1131 Route 55, Suite 1, Lagrangeville, NY 12540. Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered January 29, 2026, I will sell at public auction to the highest bidder at Babylon Townhall, 200 East Sunrise Highway, Lindenhurst, NY 11757 on April 7, 2026 at 3:00 PM. Premises known as 51 Madison Avenue, Amityville, NY 11701. District 0100 Sec 164.00 Block 03.00 Lot 047.000. All that certain plot, piece or parcel of land, situate, lying and being in the Town of Babylon, County of Suffolk and State of New York. Approximate Amount of Judgment is $416,571.24 plus interest, fees, and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index No 618751/2024. For sale information, please visit www.Auction.com or call (800) 280-2832.During the COVID-19 health emergency, Bidders are required to comply with all governmental health requirements in effect at the time of the sale including but not limited to wearing face coverings and
maintaining social distancing (at least 6-feet apart) during the auction, while tendering deposit and at any subsequent closing. Should a bidder fail to comply, the Referee may refuse to accept any bid, cancel the closing and hold the bidder in default. Bidders are also required to comply with the Foreclosure Auction Rules and COVID-19 Health Emergency Rules issued by the Supreme Court of this County in addition to the conditions set forth in the Terms of Sale.
Scott C. Lockwood, Esq., Referee File #
NY201800001467-2 26-120 3/5, 12, 19, 26
NOTICE OF SALE
SUPREME COURT
COUNTY OF Suffolk, U.S. Bank National Association, not in its individual capacity but solely as trustee for RMTP Trust, Series 2021 Cottage-TT-V, Plaintiff, vs. Claire M. Cotter A/K/A Clair Cotter as heir and distributee of the Estate of Richard H. Cotter, ET AL., Defendant(s). Pursuant to an Order Confirming Referee Report and Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered on January 13, 2026, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction at the Babylon Town Hall, 200 East Sunrise Highway, North Lindenhurst, NY 11757 on April 7, 2026 at 10:00 a.m., premises known as 24 Russel Street a/k/a 24 Russell Street, Amityville, NY 11701. All that certain plot, piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements thereon erected, situate, lying and being in the Incorporated Village of Amityville, Town of Babylon, County of Suffolk and State of
New York, District 0101, Section 008.00, Block 03.00 and Lot 023.000. Approximate amount of judgment is $326,069.09 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index # 616764/2023.
Joy E. Jorgensen, Esq., Referee
Friedman Vartolo LLP, 85 Broad Street, Suite 501, New York, New York 10004, Attorneys for Plaintiff. Firm File No.: 223156-1 26-117. 3/5, 12, 19, 26
NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT: SUFFOLK COUNTY. BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., Pltf. vs. BRUCE STENSLAND, et al, Defts. Index #30489/2009. Pursuant to judgment of foreclosure and sale entered Dec. 12, 2023, I will sell at public auction on the front steps of Babylon Town Hall, 200 East Sunrise Highway, No. Lindenhurst, NY on April 8, 2026 at 10:00 a.m. premises k/a 57 Stowe Avenue, Babylon, NY 11702 a/k/a Section 008.00, Block 02.00, Lot 039.000. Said property beginning at a point on the easterly side of Stowe Avenue distant 75 ft. southerly from the corner formed by the intersection of the easterly side of Stowe Avenue with the southerly side of Lowerre St., being a plot 100 ft. x 75 ft. Approximate amount of judgment is $683,196.95 plus costs and interest. Sold subject to terms and conditions of filed judgment and terms of sale and the right of the United States of America to redeem within 120 days from the date of sale as provide by law. CURTIS R. EXUM, Referee. HILL WALLACK, LLP, Attys. for Pltf., 261 Madison Ave., 9th Fl., Ste. 940, New
York, NY 10016. File No. 017511-05243#102741 26-118. 3/5, 12, 19, 26
SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK COUNTY OF SUFFOLK THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON FKA THE BANK OF NEW YORK, AS TRUSTEE FOR THE CERTIFICATEHOLDERS OF THE CWABS, INC., ASSET-BACKED CERTIFICATES, SERIES 2007-1, -againstCLARENCE VEREEN, ET AL. NOTICE OF SALE NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN pursuant to a Final Judgment of Foreclosure entered in the Office of the Clerk of the County of Suffolk on December 10, 2024, wherein THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON FKA THE BANK OF NEW YORK, AS TRUSTEE FOR THE CERTIFICATEHOLDERS OF THE CWABS, INC., ASSET-BACKED CERTIFICATES, SERIES 2007-1 is the Plaintiff and CLARENCE VEREEN, ET AL. are the Defendant(s). I, the undersigned Referee, will sell at public auction at the BABYLON TOWN HALL, 200 EAST SUNRISE HIGHWAY, NORTH LINDENHURST, NY 11757, on April 2, 2026 at 10:00AM, premises known as 49 WATERFORD DRIVE, WHEATLEY HEIGHTS, NY 11798; and the following tax map identification: 0100-012.00-01.00068.000. ALL THAT CERTAIN PLOT, PIECE OR PARCEL OF LAND WITH THE BUILDINGS AND IMPROVEMENTS THEREON ERECT-
ED, SITUATE, LYING AND BEING IN THE TOWN OF BABYLON, COUNTY OF SUFFOLK AND STATE OF NEW YORK Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index No.: 600530/2023. Maria Sideris, Esq. - Referee. Robertson, Anschutz, Schneid, Crane & Partners, PLLC, 900 Merchants Concourse, Suite 310, Westbury, New York 11590, Attorneys for Plaintiff. All foreclosure sales will be conducted in accordance with Covid-19 guidelines including, but not limited to, social distancing and mask wearing. *LOCATION OF SALE SUBJECT TO CHANGE DAY OF IN ACCORDANCE WITH COURT/ CLERK DIRECTIVES. 26-121 3/5, 12, 19, 26
NOTICE OF PUBLIC AND/OR INFORMATIONAL HEARINGS BY THE TOWN OF BABYLON PLANNING BOARD Pursuant to Chapter 186, Site Plan Review, and Chapter 213, Zoning, of the Babylon Town Code and Section 276 of the Town Law, notice is hereby given that the Town of Babylon Planning Board will hold public and/or informational hearings(s) at the Babylon Town Hall, Town Board Room, 200 East Sunrise Highway, Lindenhurst, New York, on the Monday, March 9, 2026 at 7:00 p.m. prevailing time or as soon thereafter as can be heard to consider the following application(s): PUBLIC HEARING/ SITE PLAN REVIEW JOB# HPLN-19 (2525A); Wyandanch Realty 7, Inc.: SCTM# 0100-078-02-058, 0100-078-02-059,
0100-078-02-060, 0100-078-02-061: Zone – E Business: SEQRA- Unlisted Action, Uncoordinated Review: Applicant proposes to demolish existing structure to construct a 1,852sf (footprint) freestanding Dunkin’ with drive-thru lane and 14 interior seats, along with associated site improvements.: Property is located on the west side of Straight Path, 180’ north of Little East Neck Road, Wyandanch, Suffolk County, Town of Babylon, New York PUBLIC HEARING/ SITE PLAN REVIEW/CHANGE OF ZONE
JOB# HPLN-52 (2514AE); 1301-1321 Montauk Highway Corp: SCTM# 0100194-03-065.001, 0100194-03-066, 0100-19403-067 and 0100-19403-068: Zone – E Business to MR-Multiple Residence: SEQRAUnlisted Action, Uncoordinated Review: Applicant proposes a change of zone from E-Business to MRMultiple Residence to construct a 2-story apartment building for eight (8) one-bedroom units and interior alterations to the existing mixed-use building to convert space into an additional one-broom apartment unit, along with associated site improvements.: Property is located on the northeast corner of Merrick Road and Saint Ann’s Avenue, Copiague, Suffolk County, Town of Babylon, New York All interested persons should appear at the above time and place by order of Patrick Halpin, Chairperson of the Planning Board, Town of Babylon, North Lindenhurst, Suffolk County, New York PRINTING INSTRUCTIONS Amityville Record: 03/04/26 26-123 3/5
NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING, BUDGET
VOTE AND ELECTION OF BABYLON PUBLIC LIBRARY, BABYLON UNION FREE SCHOOL DISTRICT, TOWN OF BABYLON, COUNTY OF SUFFOLK
BABYLON, NEW YORK
NOTICE IS HEREBY
GIVEN, that a public hearing will be held by the Board of Trustees of Babylon Public Library, Town of Babylon, County of Suffolk, State of New York will be held at the Babylon Public Library, 24 S. Carll Avenue, Babylon, New York in said District on, March 31, 2026, at 6:30 P.M., for the purpose of discussing expenditures contained in the proposed budget for the fiscal year 2026–2027. Copies of the budget document will be made available to District residents commencing March 24, 2026, upon request, between the hours of 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. prevailing time, in the office of the District Clerk located in the Superintendent’s Office of the Administration Building.
NOTICE IS HEREBY
GIVEN, that the vote and election will be held on TUESDAY, APRIL 14, 2026, between the hours of 12 Noon and 8:00 P.M., at the BABYLON PUBLIC LIBRARY for the following purposes of voting by the qualified voters on the following separate matters:
(a) To approve or disapprove the proposed library budget (supplemented or amended as the case may be) of estimated expenses for the ensuing year as submitted by the Library Board of Trustees.
(b) Any other questions or propositions
as to matters or expenditures or authority to levy taxes that may be presented for a vote under the Education Law.
PLEASE TAKE FURTHER NOTICE that at the said vote and election to be conducted on April 14, 2026, one (1) member is to be elected to the Board of Trustees as follows: ONE (1) member is to be elected to the Board of Trustees of the Babylon Public Library for a full term of five (5) years commencing July 1, 2026 and expiring June 30, 2031.
PLEASE TAKE FURTHER NOTICE, that all nominating petitions of candidates for the office of member of the Trustees of the Babylon Public Library must be filed with the Clerk of the Babylon School District, not later than March 16, 2026, between the hours of 9:00 A.M. and 5:00 P.M. prevailing time, whose office is located in the Office of the Superintendent of Schools at the District’s Administration Building at 50 Railroad Avenue, Babylon, New York. Nominating petitions must contain at least twenty-five (25) signatures of qualified voters. Said petition must also state the name and residence of each signer and must state the name and residence of the candidate. Nominating petitions shall not describe any specific vacancy upon the Board for which the candidate is nominated.
AND FURTHER NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that personal registration of voters is required. If a voter has heretofore registered and has voted in an annual or special district meeting within the last four (4) calendar
years, he/she is eligible to vote at this election. All other persons who wish to vote must register. Registration will be conducted up to and including April 9, 2026, from 9:00 A.M. to 1:30 P.M. on days when school is in session at the Office of the District Clerk, located at 50 Railroad Avenue, Babylon, New York. The register so prepared will be open for inspection by any qualified voter of the District between the hours of 9:30 A.M. and 1:30 P.M. on each of the five (5) days prior to the day set for the election, excluding Sunday, and between the hours of 9:30 A.M. and 1:30 P.M. on Saturday, April 11, 2026 and Monday, April 13, 2026 at the Babylon Public Library, 24 S. Carll Avenue, Babylon, New York, and at the polling place on election day.
AND FURTHER NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that during voting hours on April 14, 2026, the Board of Registration will meet at the Babylon Public Library, 24 S. Carll Avenue, Babylon, New York for the purpose of preparing a register for elections held subsequent thereto. The voting will be by paper ballot. The polls will be open at 12:00 noon and remain open until 8:00 P.M. and as long as may be necessary to enable the voters then present to cast their ballots.
AND FURTHER
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN, that a copy of such budget or statement may be obtained beginning, March 24, 2026 by any resident of the District upon request during the hours of 9:30 A.M. and 4 P.M., except Saturdays and Sundays, at the Babylon
Public Library, 24 S. Carll Avenue, Babylon, NY 11702, and the Principal’s office in each of the following school buildings during school business hours:
•Babylon Public Schools, Central Office, 50 Railroad Avenue, Babylon
•Babylon Elementary School, 171 Ralph Avenue, Babylon
•Babylon Memorial Grade School, 169 Park Avenue, Babylon
•Babylon JuniorSenior High School, 50 Railroad Avenue, Babylon
These documents will also be available on the Babylon Public Library website at: www. babylonlibrary.org
PLEASE TAKE FURTHER NOTICE, that absentee ballots and early mail ballots will be available for the election of Members of the Board of Trustees and the Budget vote. Applications for absentee ballots and early mail ballots may be received by the District Clerk no earlier than the thirtieth (30) day, before the election for which it is sought. Applications for absentee ballots will be available at the Babylon Public Library during library hours and on the Babylon Public Library website – www. babylonlibrary.org. Applications for early mail ballots will be available in the Office of the District Clerk, which is located in the Superintendent’s Office at the District’s Administration Building. To have an absentee ballot or early mail ballot mailed to your home, an applicable completed and signed application must be in the District Clerk’s Office no later than 5:00 P.M. on Tuesday, April 7, 2026. Application for an absentee ballot or an early mail
ballot may be made in person from 9:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on any school day and up until 5:00 p.m. on April 13, 2026. Absentee ballots and early mail ballots will be accepted in the Office of the District Clerk of the school district no later than 5:00 p.m. on April 14, 2026. No absentee or early mail ballot shall be canvassed unless it shall have been received in the Office of the District Clerk no later than 5 P.M. of the date of the Vote. Applications can also be downloaded from the Library’s website at: www.babylonlibrary. org
The right to vote by absentee ballot or early mail ballot will be subject to the approval of the Board of Registration, or the district clerk or designee, as applicable.
A list of all persons to whom absentee ballots and early mail ballots are issued will be available for inspection to qualified voters of the District in the Office of the District Clerk between the hours of 9:00 A.M. and 1:30 P.M. commencing with the issuance of such ballots and for each of the five (5) days prior to the day of the election, excluding Sunday; and between the hours of 9:30 A.M. and 1:30 P.M. on Saturday, April 11, 2026 and Monday, April 13, 2026 at the Babylon Public Library, 24 S. Carll Avenue, Babylon, New York, and at the polling place on election day.
FURTHER NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that Military voters who are not currently registered to vote must apply to register as a qualified voter by contacting the District Clerk at 50 Railroad Avenue, Babylon, New
York 11702 or by email to the District Clerk at lmcgarvey@babylonufsd.com or fax sent to 631-893-7935. The Military voter may indicate their preference for receiving the registration application by mail, facsimile or electronic mail (email). The application to register as a qualified voter must be received no later than 5:00 P.M. on the twenty-sixth (26th) day before the election which is March 19, 2026. The register of voters prepared and filed in the District Clerk’s office shall include the names of all military voters who submit a valid military voter registration. A military voter means a qualified voter of New York State who is in actual military service and will, therefore, be absent from the District in which he or she is qualified to vote on the day of registration or election or is discharged from military service within 30 days of an election, or a spouse, parent, child or dependent of the military voter, accompanying or being with such voter, if a qualified voter of New York State and a resident of the same school district as the military voter, or military personnel residing on a military base within a school district in New York State for a period of 30 days immediately preceding said Vote.
FURTHER NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that Military voters who are qualified voters of the school district may apply for a military ballot. A military ballot application may be requested from the District Clerk and must be returned, in person or by mail, to the Office of the District Clerk at 50
Railroad Avenue, Babylon, New York 11702, not later than 5:00 P.M. on the twenty-sixth (26th) day before the election. A military voter may indicate their preference for receiving the military ballot application by mail, facsimile transmission, or e-mail. Military ballots must be received by the District Clerk: 1) before the close of the polls on April 14, 2026 and showing a cancellation mark of the U.S. postal service, or a foreign country's postal service, or showing a dated endorsement of receipt of another agency of the U.S. government or 2) by 5:00 p.m. on the date set for the election and signed and dated by the military voter and one witness thereof, with a date which is ascertained not to be later than the day before the election. Irrespective of the preferred mode of transmission, the military ballot application and military ballot must be returned by mail or in person. A list of all persons to whom military ballots shall have been issued will be available for inspection to qualified voters of the District in the office of the District Clerk during regular office hours until the day of the vote.
PLEASE TAKE FURTHER NOTICE that the vote on all propositions and the election of candidates on Tuesday, April 14, 2026 will be conducted by paper ballot. It being expressly understood that the intent of the Library is to comply with any legislation stemming from the current coronavirus pandemic. Thus, all references to the timing, location, and manner of hearings, registration, and vot-
ing in the budget vote and election are subject to modification based on applicable legislation or direction by an entity with jurisdiction over the Library.
FOR VOTING AT ANY SCHOOL DISTRICT MEETING
A person must be:
•A citizen of the United States
•Eighteen or more years of age
•A resident of the District for a period of thirty days or more next preceding the Election at which he offers to vote
•Registered to vote in Suffolk County or the Babylon School District Elections
DATED: January 20, 2026
Babylon, New York By Order of the Board of Trustees of Babylon Public Library, Babylon Union Free School District, Town of Babylon, Suffolk County, New York 26-100. 2/26, 3/5, 12, 19
Aviso De Audiencia
Pública, Votación Del Presupuesto y Elecciones de la Biblioteca
Pública de Babylon, Distrito Escolar de Babylon, Pueblo de Babylon, Municipio de Babylon, Condado de Suffolk, Nueva York
POR LA PRESENTE
SE NOTIFICA que la Junta Directiva de la Biblioteca Pública de Babylon, pueblo de Babylon, Condado de Suffolk, Estado de Nueva York llevará a cabo una audiencia pública en la Biblioteca Pública de Babylon, 24 S. Carll Avenue, Babylon, Nueva York en dicho Distrito el 31 de marzo de 2026 a las 6:30 P.M. con el fin de discutir los gastos contenidos en el proyecto de presupuesto para el año fiscal 2026-2027. Copias del documento presupuestario estarán disponibles con previa solicitud a los residentes del Distrito a partir del 24 de marzo de 2026, entre las 9:00 A.M. y las 4:00 P.M., en la oficina de la Sra. Linda McGarvey, secretaria del Distrito Escolar de Babylon que está ubicada en la Oficina del Superintendente (Edificio de Administración.)
POR LA PRESENTE
SE NOTIFICA que la votación y la elección se llevarán a cabo el MARTES 14 DE ABRIL DE 2026, entre las 12 del mediodía y las 8:00 de la noche en la BIBLIOTECA PÚBLICA DE BABYLON para los siguientes propósitos de votación por parte de los votantes calificados sobre los siguientes asuntos separados:
(a) Aprobar o desaprobar el presupuesto propuesto por la biblioteca (complementado o enmendado, según sea el caso) de los gastos estimados para el año siguiente, según lo presentado por la Junta Directiva de la Biblioteca.
b) Cualquier otra cuestión o proposición relativa a asuntos, gastos o autoridad para
recaudar impuestos que se someta a votación en virtud de la Ley de Educación.
TENGA EN CUENTA que en dicha votación y elección del 14 de abril de 2026, se elegirá un (1) miembro para la Junta Directiva de la siguiente manera: UN (1) miembro será elegido para la Junta Directiva de la Biblioteca Pública de Babylon por un período completo de cinco (5) años a partir del primero de julio de 2026 y hasta el 30 de junio de 2031.
TENGA EN CUENTA que todas las peticiones de nominación de candidatos para el cargo de miembro de la Junta Directiva de la Biblioteca Pública de Babylon deben presentarse ante la secretaria del Distrito Escolar de Babylon, la Sra. Linda McGarvey, a más tardar el 16 de marzo de 2026, entre las 9:00 A.M. y las 5:00 P.M., cuya oficina está ubicada en la Oficina del Superintendente de Escuelas (el Edificio de Administración del Distrito escolar) en 50 Railroad Avenue, Babylon, Nueva York. Las peticiones de nominación deben contener al menos veinticinco (25) firmas de votantes calificados. Dicha petición también debe indicar el nombre y la residencia de cada firmante, y debe indicar el nombre y la residencia del candidato. Las peticiones de nominación no describirán ninguna vacante específica en la Junta para la cual el candidato es nominado.
Y POR LA PRESENTE SE DA AVISO ADICIONAL de que se requiere el registro personal de los votantes. Si un votante se ha registrado hasta ahora y ha votado en una reunión anual o especial del distrito dentro de los últimos cuatro (4) años calendario, él/ella es eleg-
ible para votar en esta elección. Todas las demás personas que deseen votar deben registrarse. La inscripción se llevará a cabo hasta e incluyendo el 9 de abril de 2026, de 9:00 A.M. a 1:30 P.M. los días en que la escuela esté en sesión en la Oficina de la secretaria del Distrito, ubicada en 50 Railroad Avenue, Babylon, Nueva York.
El registro preparado estará disponible para la inspección de cualquier votante calificado del Distrito entre las 9:30 A.M. y la 1:30 P.M. durante cualquiera de los cinco (5) días anteriores al día fijado para la elección, excluyendo el domingo, y entre las 9:30 A.M. y la 1:30 P.M. del sábado 11 de abril 2026 y el lunes 13 de abril de 2026 en la Biblioteca Pública de Babylon, 24 S. Carll Avenue, Babylon, Nueva York, y en el lugar de votación el día de las elecciones.
Y POR LA PRESENTE SE NOTIFICA
ADEMÁS que, durante el horario de votación del 14 de abril de 2026, la Junta de Registro se reunirá en la Biblioteca Pública de Babylon, 24 S. Carll Avenue, Babylon, Nueva York con el fin de preparar un registro para las elecciones que se celebren con posterioridad.
La votación será por papeleta. Las urnas estarán abiertas a las 12:00 del mediodía y permanecerán abiertas hasta las 8:00 P.M. y el tiempo que sea necesario para permitir que los votantes presentes emitan su voto.
Y POR LA PRESENTE SE DA AVISO
ADICIONAL, que cualquier residente del Distrito puede pedir y obtener una copia de dicho presupuesto o declaración a partir del 24 de marzo de 2026 entre las horas de 9:30 A.M. y 4:00 P.M., exceptuando sábados
y domingos, en la Biblioteca Pública de Babylon, 24 S. Carll Avenue, Babylon, NY 11702. También pueden obtener estos documentos en la oficina del Director Escolar de cada uno de los siguientes edificios escolares durante el horario escolar:
•Oficina Central del Distrito Escolar de Babylon, 50 Railroad Avenue, Babylon
•Escuela Primaria de Babylon, 171 Ralph Avenue, Babylon
•Escuela Primaria de Babylon Memorial, 168 Park Avenue, Babylon
•Bachillerato/Preparatoria de Babylon
Junior-Senior High School, 50 Railroad Avenue, Babylon Estos documentos también estarán disponibles en el sitio de Internet de la Biblioteca Pública de Babylon en: www.babylonlibrary.org
TENGA EN CUENTA que las boletas de ausencia y las boletas anticipadas por correo estarán disponibles para la elección de los miembros de la Junta Directiva y la votación del Presupuesto. Las solicitudes de boletas de votos de ausencia y boletas anticipadas por correo pueden ser recibidas por la secretaria del distrito escolar no antes del trigésimo (30) día de la elección para la cual se solicita. Las solicitudes para las papeletas de voto en ausencia estarán disponibles en la Biblioteca Pública de Babylon durante el horario de la biblioteca y en el sitio de Internet de la Biblioteca Pública de Babylon – www. babylonlibrary.org. Las solicitudes para boletas anticipadas por correo estarán disponibles en la oficina de la secretaria del distrito escolar, que se encuentra en la Oficina del Superintendente en el Edificio de Administración del Distrito. Para recibir una boleta de voto en ausencia o una boleta
de voto anticipado por correo a su hogar, deberá llenar una solicitud y firmarla. Deberá llegar a la oficina de la secretaria del distrito escolar a más tardar a las 5:00 P.M. del martes 7 de abril de 2026. La solicitud de una boleta de voto de ausencia o una boleta anticipada por correo se puede hacer en persona de 9:00 A.M. a 1:30 P.M. durante los días escolares y hasta las 5:00 P.M. del 13 de abril de 2026. Las boletas de voto de ausencia y las boletas anticipadas por correo se aceptarán en la oficina de la secretaria del distrito escolar, a más tardar a las 5:00 P.M. del 14 de abril de 2026. No se tomará en cuenta ningún voto de ausencia o voto por correo anticipado a menos de que haya sido recibido en la oficina de la secretaria del distrito escolar, a más tardar a las 5 P.M. de la fecha de votación.
Las solicitudes también se pueden descargar desde el sitio de Internet de la Biblioteca en: www.babylonlibrary. org
El derecho a votar por medio de una boleta de voto ausente o una boleta anticipada por correo estará sujeto a la aprobación de la Junta de Registro, o del secretario del distrito o su designado, según corresponda. Una lista de todas las personas que emitieron boletas de voto de ausencia y boletas anticipadas por correo estará disponible para inspección de los votantes calificados del Distrito en la oficina de la secretaria del distrito escolar, entre las 9:00 A.M. y la 1:30 P.M. a partir de la emisión de dichas boletas y los cinco (5) días anteriores al día de la elección, excluyendo el domingo; y entre las 9:30 A.M. y la 1:30 P.M. del sábado
11 de abril de 2026 y el lunes 13 de abril de 2026 en la Biblioteca Pública de Babylon, 24 S. Carll Avenue, Babylon, Nueva York. La lista también se encontrará en el lugar de votación durante el día de las elecciones. POR LA PRESENTE SE DA AVISO ADICIONAL de que los votantes militares que no estén actualmente regist rados para votar deberán solicitar registrarse como votantes cualificados comunicándose directamente con la secretaria del distrito escolar (Sra. Linda McGarvey), en 50 Railroad Avenue, Babylon, New York 11702 o por correo electrónico con ella: lmcgarvey@babylonufsd.com o por fax al 631-883-7835. El votante militar puede indicar su preferencia para recibir la solicitud de registro por correo, fax o correo electrónico. La solicitud de boletas militares debe entregarse a más tardar a las 5:00 P.M. del vigésimo sexto (26) día antes de la elección, que es el 14 de abril de 2026. El registro de votantes será preparado y archivado en la oficina de la secretaria del distrito escolar, e incluirá los nombres de todos los votantes militares que presenten un registro de votantes militares válido. Un votante militar es un votante del estado de Nueva York que está presentemente en servicio militar y, por lo tanto, estará ausente del Distrito en el que está calificado para votar el día de registro o elección o es dado de baja del servicio militar dentro de los 30 días posteriores a una elección. Un votante militar también es un cónyuge, padre, hijo o dependiente del votante militar, que está con dicho militar y es un votante calificado del estado de Nueva York y reside en el mis-
mo distrito escolar que el votante militar, o es un personal militar que reside en una base militar dentro de un distrito escolar en el estado de Nueva York por un período de 30 días inmediatamente antes de dicho voto. POR LA PRESENTE SE DA AVISO ADICIONAL de que los votantes militares que son votantes calificados del distrito escolar pueden solicitar una boleta militar. Pueden solicitar una solicitud de boleta militar a la oficina de la secretaria del distrito escolar, y deberán ser entregados ya sea en persona o por correo a la oficina de la secretaria del distrito escolar (Sra. Linda McGarvey) en 50 Railroad Avenue, Babylon, New York 11702, a más tardar a las 5:00 P.M. del vigésimo sexto (26) día antes de la elección. Un votante militar puede indicar su preferencia por recibir la solicitud de boleta militar por correo, por fax o correo electrónico. Las boletas militares deben ser recibidas por la secretaria del distrito escolar: 1) antes del cierre de las urnas el 14 de abril de 2026 y mostrando una marca de cancelación del servicio postal de los EE.UU., o del servicio postal de un país extranjero, o mostrando un endoso fechado de recibo de otra agencia de gobierno de los EE.UU. o 2) antes de las 5:00 P.M. en la fecha fijada para la elección y firmado y fechado por el votante militar y un testigo del mismo, con una fecha que no se compruebe que será posterior al día anterior a la elección. Independientemente del modo de transmisión preferido, la solicitud de la boleta militar y la boleta militar en sí, deben ser entregados por correo o en perso-
na. Una lista de todas las personas a las que se les hayan emitido boletas militares estará disponible para la inspección de todos los votantes cualificados del Distrito en la oficina de la secretaria del distrito escolar durante el horario regular de oficina hasta el día de la votación. TENGA EN CUENTA que la votación de todas las propuestas y la elección de candidatos el martes 14 de abril de 2026 se llevará a cabo mediante boleta de papel. Quedando expresamente entendido que la intención de la Biblioteca es cumplir con cualquier legislación derivada de la actual pandemia de coronavirus. Por lo tanto, todas las referencias al momento, el lugar y la forma de las audiencias, el registro y la votación y elección del presupuesto están sujetas a modificaciones en función a la legislación aplicable o la dirección de una entidad con jurisdicción gubernamental sobre la Biblioteca. REQUISITOS PARA VOTAR EN CUALQUIER REUNIÓN DEL DISTRITO ESCOLAR
Una persona debe:
•Ser ciudadano de los Estados Unidos
•Tener dieciocho o más años de edad
•Ser residente del Distrito por un período de treinta días o más inmediatamente anterior a la Elección en la que se ofrece a votar
•Estar registrado para votar en las elecciones del condado de Suffolk o del distrito escolar de Babylon FECHADO:20 de enero de 2026 Babylon, Nueva York
Por orden de la Junta Directiva de la Biblioteca Pública de Babylon, Distrito Escolar de Babylon, Pueblo de Babylon, Condado de Suffolk, Nueva York 26-101 2/26, 3/5, 12, 19
5, 2026
NOTICE OF SPECIAL DISTRICT MEETING OF THE DEER PARK PUBLIC LIBRARY
TOWN OF BABYLON, SUFFOLK COUNTY, NEW YORK
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN, that a Special District Meeting of the qualified voters of the Deer Park Union Free School District, Town of Babylon, Suffolk County, New York, will be held at the Deer Park Public Library, 44 Lake Avenue, Deer Park, New York on April 14, 2026 at 10:00 a.m., prevailing time, for the purpose of voting by paper ballot upon the following items:
•To adopt the Annual Budget of the Deer Park Library for the fiscal year 2026/2027 and to authorize that the requisite portion thereof be raised by taxation on the taxable property of the Deer Park Union Free School District.
• To elect one (1) member of the Board of Trustees, whereby one (1) member will serve a term commencing on July 1, 2026 and expiring on June 30, 2031.
FURTHER NOTICE
IS HEREBY GIVEN, that for the purpose of voting at such a meeting on April 14, 2026 the polls will be open between the hours of 10 a.m. and 8 p.m., prevailing time, and voting will be held in the Deer Park Public Library, 44 Lake Avenue, Deer Park, New York, and
FURTHER NOTICE
IS HEREBY GIVEN, that a public information meeting will be held in the Deer Park Public Library, 44 Lake Avenue, Deer Park, New York on April 1, 2026 at 7:00 PM prevailing time to discuss the amount of money which will be
required for the ensuing year for the Deer Park Public Library’s purposes; and
FURTHER NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN, that a copy of a statement of the amount of money which will be required for the ensuing year for the Deer Park Library’s purposes exclusive of public monies, may be obtained by any resident of the District during the fourteen (14) days immediately preceding said meeting except Saturdays, Sundays and holidays from the Library located at 44 Lake Avenue, Deer Park ,New York during the operating hours of the Library; and
FURTHER NOTICE
IS HEREBY GIVEN, that personal registration of voters is required pursuant to Section 2014 of the Education Law or pursuant to Article 5 of the Education Law. If a voter has heretofore registered pursuant to Section 2014 of the Education Law and has voted at any Annual or Special District meeting within the past four (4) years, such voter is eligible to vote at this election; if a voter is eligible and registered to vote pursuant to Article 5 of the Election Law, such voter is also eligible to vote at this election. All other persons that wish to vote must register.
The Board of Registration will meet for the purpose of registering all qualified voters of the District pursuant to Section 2014 of the Education Law on Saturday, March 31, 2026 between the hours of 4 p.m.. and 8 p.m. prevailing time at the Deer Park Public Library, 44 Lake Avenue, Deer Park, New York to add any additional names to the register to be used at
the aforesaid election/ vote, at which time any person will be entitled to have his/her name placed on such register, provided that at the meeting of the Board of Registration he or she is known, or proven to the satisfaction of the Board of Registration to be then or thereafter entitled to vote at such Special District Meeting for which the register is prepared. The register so prepared pursuant to Section 2014 of the Education Law of the State of New York and the registration list prepared by the Board of Elections will be filed in the Office of the Director of the Library and will be open for the inspection by any qualified voter of the District between the hours of 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on each of the five (5) days prior to the election/vote except Sunday.
FURTHER NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN, that petitions nominating candidates for the office of Trustee of the Deer Park Library shall be filed in the Office of the Director of the Library, at the Library, 44 Lake Avenue, Deer Park, not later than 5:00 pm Monday, March 16, 2026 which petition shall be filed between the hours of 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. prevailing time Monday to Friday. Each petition must be directed to the Library Director, must be signed by at least twenty-five (25) qualified voters of the Library district and must state the residence of each signer and the name and residence of the candidate. Vacancies on the Board of Trustees are not considered separate, specific offices; candidates run at large. Nominating petitions shall not describe any
specific vacancy upon the Board for which the candidate is nominated.
AND FURTHER NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN, that military voters who are not currently registered may apply to register as a qualified voter of the district. An application for registration as a military voter can be requested in person from the Library Director at his office at the Library, Monday – Friday between the hours of 9:00 am and 5:00 pm or in writing to Deer Park Public Library
44 Lake Avenue, Deer Park, NY 11729, or by email to directorsoffice@deerparklibrary. org. The application for registration must be received in the office of the Library Director no later than 5:00 pm on March 20, 2026. In the request for an application for registration, the military voter is permitted to designate his/her preference for receiving the application for registration by mail, facsimile transmission or electronic mail.
AND FURTHER NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN, that military voters who are qualified voters of the district may submit an application for a military ballot in person to the Library Director at his office at the Library, Monday – Friday between the hours of 9:00 am and 5:00 pm or in writing to Deer Park Public Library 44 Lake Avenue, Deer Park, NY 11729, or by email to directorsoffice@deerparklibrary. org. in order to receive a military ballot, the military ballot application must be received no later than 5:00 pm on March 20, 2026. In the request for an application for a military ballot, the military voter is permitted to
designate his/her preference for receiving the application for a military ballot, and the military ballot, by mail, facsimile transmission or electronic mail. All original qualified military voters’ ballot application and military ballot must be returned by mail or in person. Ballots for military voters shall be distributed to qualified military voters no later than March 20, 2026. Military ballots must be received by the Library Director (1) before the close of the polls, on Tuesday, April 14, 2026, and must show a cancellation mark of the United States postal service or a foreign country’s postal service, or must show a dated endorsement of receipt by another agency of the United States Government; or (2) not later than 5:00 pm on the day of the election and be signed and dated by the military voter and one witness, with a date ascertained to be not later than the day before the election. A list of all persons to whom military ballots shall have been issued will be available in the Office of the Library Director between the hours of 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on each of the five (5) days prior to the election, vote, except Sunday.
FURTHER NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN, pursuant to the provisions of Section 2018-a and Section 2018-e of the Education Law, absentee ballots and/or early mail voter ballots for the election of Trustee of the Library, and adoption of the annual budget, may be applied for at the Office of the Director of the Library, 44 Lake Avenue, Deer Park, New York, during the hours of 10
a.m. through 4 p.m., prevailing time, Monday through Friday. Completed applications must be received by the Library Director no earlier than March 14, 2026, and by April 7, 2026, if the ballot is to be mailed to the voter. If the ballot is to be delivered personally to the voter at the office of the Library Director, the completed application must be received by the Library Director no later than 5:00 p.m. on Monday, April 13, 2026. No absentee or early mail voter’s ballot shall be canvassed unless it shall have been received in the office of the Library Director not later than 5:00 p.m. on the day of the vote/ election. A list of all persons to whom absentee and early mail ballots shall have been issued will be available in the Office of the Library Director between the hours of 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on each of the five (5) days prior to the election, vote, except Sunday.
Dated: February 18, 2026 Deer Park, New York BY ORDER OF THE BOARD OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE DEER PARK PUBLIC LIBRARY 26-124 3/5, 12, 19, 26
Tickets are officially live for Lindenhurst’s 4th Annual Chamber Basket Auction taking place on April 15 at the Fireman’s Pavilion. Doors open at 6 p.m. Drawing begins at 7:30 p.m.
The night will include baskets, raffles and community fun. There will also be a cash bar and food available for purchase. They are also now accepting basket and item donations from local businesses.
Tickets are required for this event and are $20, which includes one sheet of 25 tickets, coffee, tea and dessert. Please visit lindenhurstchamber.org/events.
The Fireman’s Pavilion is located at 555 Heling Blvd., Lindenhurst.
For more information, please call (631) 226-4641.
The Village of Babylon will be opening applications for summer employment beginning February 17, and can either be picked up in the mayor’s office at the Village Hall or printed from the village website at villageofbabylonny.gov.
Opportunities will be open for the village’s summer recreation camps and for the parks, highway and greenhouse departments. Applicants should be at least 16 years of age. Applications will be accepted for residents 15 years old only if workers are needed. Interviews will be held in May for all positions.
For any questions, please contact the mayor’s office at (631) 669-1212.
The Village Hall is located at 153 W. Main St., Babylon.
The Town of Babylon will be hosting their 38th Annual Black History Month Program on March 10 at 6 p.m. at Amityville Memorial High School. Admission is free. This year’s theme is “A Century of Black History Commemorations.”
Entertainment will be provided by the Amityville Memorial High School Jazz Band, Venettes Cultural Workshop and Vocalist Jerome Lewis.
Master of Ceremonies will be Kevin Boston-Hill and the Keynote Speaker will be Georgette Grier-Key.
Honorees include Bethel A.M.E Copiague and Babylon, NAACP Central LI Chapter, Holy Trinity Baptist Church and Ebenezer Baptist Church Babylon.
The event will also feature several vendors. Amityville Memorial High School is located at 250 Merrick Road, Amityville. For more information, please call (631) 957-4292.
AVISO DE ASAMBLEA DISTRITAL ESPECIAL DE LA BIBLIOTECA
PÚBLICA DE DEER PARK
MUNICIPIO DE BABYLON, CONDADO DE SUFFOLK, NUEVA YORK
POR LA PRESENTE
SE NOTIFICA que se celebrará una Asamblea Distrital Extraordinaria de los votantes cualificados del Distrito Escolar Libre de Deer Park, Municipio de Babylon, Condado de Suffolk, Nueva York, en la Biblioteca Pública de Deer Park, 44 Lake Avenue, Deer Park, Nueva York, el 14 de abril de 2026 a las 10:00 a. m., hora vigente, con el fin de votar mediante papeleta sobre los siguientes puntos:
Aprobar el Presupuesto Anual de la Biblioteca de Deer Park para el año fiscal 2026/2027 y autorizar que la parte correspondiente se recaude mediante impuestos sobre la propiedad gravable del Distrito Escolar Libre de Deer Park.
Elegir a un (1) miembro del Consejo Directivo, cuyo mandato comenzará el 1 de julio de 2026 y finalizará el 30 de junio de 2031.
SE NOTIFICA ADICIONALMENTE que, para la votación en dicha reunión del 14 de abril de 2026, las urnas estarán abiertas de 10:00 a. m. a 8:00 p. m., hora vigente, y la votación se llevará a cabo en la Biblioteca Pública de Deer Park, 44 Lake Avenue, Deer Park, Nueva York.
SE NOTIFICA ADICIONALMENTE que se celebrará una reunión informativa pública en la Biblioteca Pública de Deer Park, 44 Lake Avenue, Deer Park, Nueva York, el 1 de abril de 2026 a las 7:00 p. m., hora vigente, para debatir la cantidad de dinero que se requerirá para el año
siguiente para los fines de la Biblioteca Pública de Deer Park. y POR LA PRESENTE
SE NOTIFICA que cualquier residente del Distrito podrá obtener una copia de la declaración del monto que se requerirá para el año siguiente para los fines de la Biblioteca de Deer Park, excluyendo fondos públicos, durante los catorce (14) días inmediatamente anteriores a dicha reunión, excepto sábados, domingos y festivos, en la Biblioteca ubicada en 44 Lake Avenue, Deer Park, Nueva York, durante el horario de atención de la Biblioteca.
POR LA PRESENTE
SE NOTIFICA que se requiere el registro personal de votantes de conformidad con la Sección 2014 de la Ley de Educación o de conformidad con el Artículo 5 de la Ley de Educación. Si un votante se ha registrado previamente de conformidad con la Sección 2014 de la Ley de Educación y ha votado en cualquier reunión anual o extraordinaria del Distrito en los últimos cuatro (4) años, dicho votante es elegible para votar en estas elecciones; si un votante es elegible y está registrado para votar de conformidad con el Artículo 5 de la Ley Electoral, también es elegible para votar en estas elecciones.
Todas las demás personas que deseen votar deberán registrarse.
La Junta de Registro se reunirá el sábado 31 de marzo de 2026, de 16:00 a 20:00, hora vigente, para registrar a todos los votantes cualificados del Distrito, de conformidad con la Sección 2014 de la Ley de Educación, en la Biblioteca Pública de Deer Park, 44 Lake Avenue, Deer Park, Nueva York, para añadir nombres adicionales al registro que se utilizará
en la elección/votación antes mencionada. En ese momento, cualquier persona tendrá derecho a que su nombre se incluya en dicho registro, siempre que en la reunión de la Junta de Registro se sepa o se demuestre, a satisfacción de la Junta de Registro, que tiene derecho a votar en ese momento o posteriormente en la Reunión Extraordinaria del Distrito para la que se prepare el registro. El registro, preparado de conformidad con la Sección 2014 de la Ley de Educación del Estado de Nueva York, y la lista de inscripción preparada por la Junta Electoral se archivarán en la Oficina del Director de la Biblioteca y estarán disponibles para su inspección por cualquier votante cualificado del Distrito entre las 9:30 a. m. y las 4:30 p. m. de cada uno de los cinco (5) días previos a la elección/ votación, excepto el domingo.
SE NOTIFICA
ADEMÁS que las peticiones de nominación de candidatos para el cargo de Fideicomisario de la Biblioteca de Deer Park deberán presentarse en la Oficina del Director de la Biblioteca, ubicada en 44 Lake Avenue, Deer Park, a más tardar a las 5:00 p. m. del lunes 16 de marzo de 2026. Dicha petición deberá presentarse entre las 9:00 a. m. y las 5:00 p. m., hora vigente, de lunes a viernes.
Cada petición debe dirigirse al Director de la Biblioteca, estar firmada por al menos veinticinco (25) votantes cualificados del distrito de la Biblioteca e indicar la residencia de cada firmante, así como el nombre y la residencia del candidato. Las vacantes en la Junta Directiva no se consideran cargos separados ni específicos; los candidatos se pre-
sentan por oposición. Las peticiones de nominación no deben describir ninguna vacante específica en la Junta para la que se nomina al candidato. , ADEMÁS, SE NOTIFICA que los votantes militares que no estén actualmente registrados pueden solicitar su registro como votantes cualificados del distrito. La solicitud de registro como votante militar puede solicitarse personalmente al Director de la Biblioteca, en su oficina, de lunes a viernes, de 9:00 a. m. a 5:00 p. m., o por escrito a la Biblioteca Pública de Deer Park, 44 Lake Avenue, Deer Park, NY 11729, o por correo electrónico a directorsoffice@deerparklibrary.org. La solicitud de registro debe recibirse en la oficina del Director de la Biblioteca a más tardar a las 5:00 p. m. del 20 de marzo de 2026. En la solicitud de registro, el votante militar puede indicar su preferencia de recibirla por correo postal, fax o correo electrónico.
Y ADEMÁS, POR LA PRESENTE SE NOTIFICA que los votantes militares que sean votantes calificados del distrito pueden presentar una solicitud para una boleta militar en persona al Director de la Biblioteca en su oficina en la Biblioteca, de lunes a viernes entre las 9:00 a. m. y las 5:00 p. m. o por escrito a la Biblioteca Pública de Deer Park, 44 Lake Avenue, Deer Park, NY 11729, o por correo electrónico a directorsoffice@deerparklibrary.org. Para recibir una boleta militar, la solicitud de boleta militar debe recibirse a más tardar a las 5:00 p. m. del 20 de marzo de 2026. En la solicitud de una boleta militar, el votante militar puede designar
su preferencia para recibir la solicitud de boleta militar, y la boleta militar, por correo postal, transmisión por fax o correo electrónico. Todas las solicitudes de boleta de votantes militares calificados originales y las boletas militares deben devolverse por correo postal o en persona. Las papeletas para votantes militares se distribuirán a los votantes militares cualificados a más tardar el 20 de marzo de 2026. El Director de la Biblioteca deberá recibir las papeletas militares (1) antes del cierre de las urnas, el martes 14 de abril de 2026, y deberán mostrar una marca de cancelación del Servicio Postal de los Estados Unidos o del Servicio Postal de un país extranjero, o un endoso de recibo fechado por otra agencia del Gobierno de los Estados Unidos; o (2) a más tardar a las 17:00 h del día de la elección, y estar firmadas y fechadas por el votante militar y un testigo, con fecha que se verifique a más tardar el día anterior a la elección. La lista de todas las personas a quienes se emitieron papeletas militares estará disponible en la Oficina del Director de la Biblioteca entre las 9:00 h y las 17:00 h de cada uno de los cinco (5) días previos a la votación, excepto el domingo.
SE NOTIFICA ADICIONALMENTE que, de conformidad con las disposiciones de la Sección 2018-a y la Sección 2018-e de la Ley de Educación, las papeletas de voto en ausencia y/o las papeletas de voto por correo anticipado para la elección del Fideicomisario de la Biblioteca y la aprobación del presupuesto anual pueden solicitarse en la Oficina del Direc-
tor de la Biblioteca, 44 Lake Avenue, Deer Park, Nueva York, de lunes a viernes de 10:00 a. m. a 4:00 p. m., hora vigente. Las solicitudes completas deben ser recibidas por el Director de la Biblioteca no antes del 14 de marzo de 2026, y antes del 7 de abril de 2026 si la papeleta se envía por correo. Si la papeleta se entrega personalmente al votante en la oficina del Director de la Biblioteca, la solicitud completa debe ser recibida por el Director de la Biblioteca a más tardar a las 5:00 p. m. El lunes 13 de abril de 2026. No se escrutará ninguna papeleta de voto en ausencia o por correo anticipado a menos que se haya recibido en la oficina del Director de la Biblioteca a más tardar a las 17:00 h del día de la votación/elección. La lista de todas las personas a quienes se emitieron papeletas de voto en ausencia o por correo anticipado estará disponible en la Oficina del Director de la Biblioteca entre las 9:00 h y las 17:00 h durante los cinco (5) días previos a la elección, excepto el domingo.
Dated:
Deer Park, New York BY ORDER OF THE BOARD OF February 18, 2026 THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE DEER PARK PUBLIC LIBRARY 26-125 3/5, 12, 19, 26
New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli is urging residents on Long Island and across the state to take a few minutes to see whether they have unclaimed money, as part of National Unclaimed Property Day.
The annual observance is intended to raise awareness about forgotten funds and help reconnect people with money that belongs to them. In 2025, the comptroller’s office returned more than $580 million to rightful owners statewide, including through a new fast-track program that automatically mails checks to eligible individuals without requiring a claim form.
“Spend a few minutes on Unclaimed Property Day checking for your lost money,” DiNapoli said. “It’s free, easy, and the money is yours. Lost funds can come from an uncashed check, an unused gift card or a forgotten refund — even small amounts can add up.” Unclaimed funds are turned over to the state when people lose track of money owed to them. Common sources include utility security deposits, trust accounts, old bank accounts, uncashed checks and unused gift cards. The funds do not expire, and residents can search for them at any time.
The comptroller’s office maintains an online database where people can check whether money is being held in their name. A county-by-county map showing unclaimed funds owed to residents statewide is also available. More information is available at osc. ny.gov/unclaimed-funds.
The Lindenhurst Kiwanis is now accepting orders for their Hometown Heroes Banner Program.
Honor your Hometown Hero with a custom banner displayed in North Babylon, West Babylon, Village of Lindenhurst, Deer Park, Wheatley Heights, North Amityville, Wyandanch, Copiague and the Village of Amityville. Space is limited, so please do not delay.
For more information and to place your order visit shorturl.at/kbqH9.
5, 2026
WEST BABYLON PUBLIC LIBRARY
211 Route 109 West Babylon, NY 11704 • (631) 669-5445 • Fax: (631) 669-6539 • www.
wbpl.us
Nancy Evans, Director LEGAL NOTICE
NOTICE OF SPECIAL MEETING OF WEST BABYLON PUBLIC LIBRARY NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that a Special District Meeting of the qualified voters of West Babylon Union Free School District will be held on Tuesday, April 14, 2026, between the hours of 1:00 P.M. and 9:00 P.M. at the West Babylon Public Library, 211 Route 109, West Babylon, New York, the designated polling place, for the following purposes:
1. To consider and vote upon the Library Annual Budget and tax appropriation (“tax levy”) for the fiscal year 2026/2027, for the following proposition: That the Library Annual Budget as proposed by the Board of Trustees of the West Babylon Public Library for the fiscal year 2026/2027 be approved, with the requisite portion thereof to be raised by a tax appropriation (“tax levy”) in the amount of $4,154,630.
2. To elect one Library Trustee for a term of five years, commencing July 1, 2026. A petition shall be required to nominate such candidates to the office of Library Trustee. Each petition shall be directed to the West Babylon Public Library, shall be signed by at least twenty-five (25) qualified voters of the District, shall state the residence of each signer and shall state the name and residence of the candidate. In the event that any such nominee shall withdraw his/her candidacy prior to the
election, such person shall not be considered a candidate unless a new petition nominating such person in the same manner and with the same limitations applicable to other candidates is filed with the West Babylon Public Library. Each petition shall be filed between the hours of 10:00 A.M. and 4:00 P.M., but not later than Monday, March 16, 2026, at 5 pm. Petition forms may be obtained from and signed petitions returned to, the office of the Director of the West Babylon Public Library. No person shall be nominated by petition for more than one separate office.
NOTICE IS FURTHER GIVEN that the Special District Election and Budget Vote shall be conducted by voting on the propositions by paper ballot on Tuesday, the 14th day of April 2026, between the hours of 1:00 P.M. and 9:00 P.M., at the West Babylon Public Library, 211 Route 109, West Babylon, New York, which has been designated as the polling place for the Special District Meeting.
NOTICE IS FURTHER GIVEN that a public hearing for the purpose of discussion of the said expenditure of funds and the budget thereof will be held on Monday, March 30, 2026, at 6 P.M.
A register of the qualified voters of the School District for said Special District Meeting and Election, to be prepared for the Special District Meeting and Election to be held on Tuesday, April 14, 2026, shall include all persons who have previously registered for any annual or special meeting or election held or conducted at any time
within four years prior to the preparation of the register or who are registered to vote at any general election pursuant to Section 5-210 of the Election Law of the State of New York. Such register will be filed in the Office of the Director of the West Babylon Public Library immediately after completion and will be open for inspection by any qualified voter of the District at the Office of the Library Director from 10:00 A.M. to 4:00 P.M. on each of the five (5) days prior to the meeting or election for which it was prepared, except Sunday or holidays. Only qualified voters who are duly registered will be permitted to vote. The Office of the Library Director is located at 211 Route 109, West Babylon, New York in said District.
FURTHER NOTICE IS GIVEN, that any qualified voters who wish to register to vote may visit the office of the School’s District Clerk, 10 Farmingdale Road, West Babylon, NY or any school building main office during their regular business hours to register. Those wishing to register to vote must be a United States Citizen, at least 18 years old, cannot be in prison or on parole for a felony conviction and cannot claim the right to vote elsewhere. In addition, those wishing to vote must be a resident of the District for at least 30 days prior to the vote.
FURTHER NOTICE IS GIVEN, that in accordance with Education Law Section 2018-a and Section 2018-f, application for absentee ballots or early mail voter ballots for the Special District Meeting and Election may be applied for at the office
of the Director of the West Babylon Public Library. Such application must be received no earlier than March 16, 2026, and at least seven (7) days before the election if the ballot is to be mailed to the voter or the day before the election if the ballot is to be delivered personally to the voter. The Board of Registration shall make a list of all persons to whom absentee voter ballots and early mail voter ballots have been issued and have it available during regular office hours commencing twentyone days preceding the Special District meeting and until the day of election. Such list will be posted at the polling place during the election. No absentee voter ballot or early mail voter ballot shall be canvassed unless it is received not later than 5:00 P.M. on the day of the Election.
FURTHER NOTICE
IS GIVEN, that military voters who are not currently registered may apply to register as a qualified voter of the School District by requesting and returning a registration application to the School’s District Clerk in person, or by email to bburrows@ wbschools.org or fax sent to (631)-3767008. The request for the registration application may include the military voter’s preference for receipt of the registration application by either mail, fax or email. Military voter registration application forms must be received in the office of the School’s District Clerk, 10 Farmingdale Road, West Babylon, NY, no later than 5:00 p.m. on March 19, 2026.
FURTHER NOTICE IS GIVEN, that military voters who are qualified voters of the School District, may
request an application for a military ballot from the Library Director in person, or by email to nevans@ wbpl.us or fax sent to (631)-669-6539. In order for a military voter to be issued a military ballot, a valid military ballot application must be received in the office of the Library Director no later than 5:00 p.m., on March 19, 2026. Military ballot applications received in accordance with the foregoing will be processed in the same manner as a non-military ballot application under Section 2018-a of the Education Law. The application for military ballot may include the military voter’s preference for receipt of the military ballot by mail, fax, or email. A military voter’s original military ballot application and military ballot must be returned by mail or in person to the office of the Library Director at 211 Route 109, West Babylon, New York in said District.
AND FURTHER NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN, that military ballots shall be canvassed if they are received by the Library Director before the close of polls on April 14, 2026 showing a cancellation mark of the United States Postal Service or a foreign country’s postal service, or showing a dated endorsement of receipt by another agency of the United States Government; or received not later than 5:00 p.m. on April 14, 2026 and signed and dated by the military voter and one witness thereto, with a date which is ascertained to be not later than the day before the election.
NOTICE IS FURTHER GIVEN that a statement of estimated Library expenses (Budget) and
tax appropriation (“tax levy”) for the fiscal year 2026/2027 will be available at the West Babylon Public Library, 211 Route 109, West Babylon, New York, daily, except Sundays and holidays, between 10:00 A.M. and 4:00 P.M., during each of the fourteen (14) days preceding the Special District Meeting.
Dated: January 26, 2026 BY ORDER OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES, WEST BABYLON PUBLIC LIBRARY, RACHEL SCELFO, PRESIDENT 26-104. 2/26, 3/5, 12, 19
SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK COUNTY OF SUFFOLK
BETHPAGE FEDERAL CREDIT UNION, -againstCHRISTOPHER C. BRIGHT, ET AL. NOTICE OF SALE NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN pursuant to a Final Judgment of Foreclosure entered in the Office of the Clerk of the County of Suffolk on November 16, 2022, wherein BETHPAGE FEDERAL CREDIT UNION is the Plaintiff and CHRISTOPHER C. BRIGHT, ET AL. are the Defendant(s). I, the undersigned Referee, will sell at public auction at the BABYLON TOWN HALL, 200 EAST SUNRISE HIGHWAY, NORTH LINDENHURST, NY 11757, on March 27, 2026 at 3:00PM, premises known as 10 HAYES ROAD, AMITY HARBOR, NY 11701; and the following tax map identification: 0100182.00-01.00-125.000. ALL THAT CERTAIN PLOT, PIECE OR PARCEL OF LAND WITH THE
BUILDINGS AND IMPROVEMENTS THEREON ERECTED, SITUATE, LYING AND BEING IN THE TOWN OF BABYLON, COUNTY OF SUFFOLK AND STATE OF NEW YORK
Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index No.: 617138/2017. Robert P. Valletti, Esq. - Referee. Robertson, Anschutz, Schneid, Crane & Partners, PLLC, 900 Merchants Concourse, Suite 310, Westbury, New York 11590, Attorneys for Plaintiff. All foreclosure sales will be conducted in accordance with Covid-19 guidelines including, but not limited to, social distancing and mask wearing. *LOCATION OF SALE SUBJECT TO CHANGE DAY OF IN ACCORDANCE WITH COURT/ CLERK DIRECTIVES.
26-107. 2/26, 3/5, 12, 19
NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF SUFFOLK
Deutsche Bank National Trust Company as Trustee for the Holders of New Century Home Equity Loan Trust, Series 2005-A, Asset Backed Pass-Through Certificates, Plaintiff AGAINST Mark Guerreri; Denise Guerreri; et al., Defendant(s)
Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly entered February 25, 2020, and Amended November 27, 2023, and Amended October 2, 2024, I, the undersigned Referee, will sell at public auction at the Babylon Town Hall, 200 East Sunrise Highway, Lindenhurst, NY 11757 April 1,2026, at 3:00PM, premises
known as 41 Lenox Street, Lindenhurst, NY 11757. All that certain plot piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements erected, situate, lying and being in Lindenhurst, Town of Babylon, County of Suffolk, State of NY, District 0103 Section 002.00 Block 03.00 Lot 086.002. Approximate amount of judgment $374,847.57 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index# 610008/2017. Scott Lockwood, Esq., Referee
LOGS Legal Group LLP f/k/a Shapiro, DiCaro & Barak, LLC Attorney(s) for the Plaintiff
175 Mile Crossing Boulevard Rochester, New York 14624
(877) 430-4792
Dated: January 28, 2026
For sale information, please visit www.Auction.com or call (800) 280-2832
26-106. 2/26, 3/5, 12, 19
BIBLIOTECA PÚBLICA DE WEST BABYLON
211 Route 109 West Babylon, NY 11704 • (631) 669-5445 • Fax: (631) 669-6539 • www. wbpl.us
Nancy Evans, directora AVISO LEGAL
AVISO DE ASAMBLEA EXTRAORDINARIA DE LA BIBLIOTECA PÚBLICA DE WEST BABYLON POR LA
PRESENTE SE NOTIFICA que se llevará a cabo una Asamblea de distrito extraordinaria de los votantes calificados del Distrito escolar de West Babylon Union Free el martes, 14 de abril de 2026, entre la 1:00 p. m. y las 9:00 p. m. en la Biblioteca Pública de West Babylon, ubicada en 211 Route 109, West Babylon, Nueva York (el centro electoral designado) para los siguientes fines:
1. Para considerar y votar sobre el presupuesto anual de la biblioteca y la asignación tributaria (“gravamen fiscal”) para el ejercicio fiscal 2026/2027, para la siguiente propuesta: Que el presupuesto anual de la biblioteca según lo propuesto por el Consejo de Administración de la Biblioteca Pública de West Babylon para el ejercicio fiscal de 2026/2027 sea aprobado, y la porción requerida de dicho presupuesto que se debe recaudar a través de una asignación tributaria (“gravamen fiscal”) sea la suma de $4,154,630.
2. Para elegir un Administrador de la biblioteca por un plazo de cinco años, a partir del 1.º de julio 2026. Se requerirá una petición para nominar a dichos candidatos al cargo de Administrador de la biblioteca. Cada petición estará dirigida a la Biblioteca Pública de West Babylon, será firmada por al menos vein -
ticinco (25) votantes calificados del Distrito, indicará la residencia de cada firmante y el nombre y residencia del candidato. En caso de que cualquiera de estos candidatos retirase su candidatura antes de las elecciones, dicha persona no será considerada como candidato, a menos que se presente ante la Biblioteca Pública de West Babylon una nueva petición en la que se nomine a dicha persona de la misma forma y con las mismas limitaciones aplicables a otros candidatos. Cada petición deberá presentarse entre las 10:00 a. m. y las 4:00 p. m., pero a más tardar el lunes, 16 de marzo de 2026 a las 5:00 p. m. Los formularios de petición se pueden obtener en la oficina de la Directora de la Biblioteca Pública de West Babylon y las peticiones firmadas deberán ser enviadas a dicha oficina. Ninguna persona será nominada mediante petición para más de un cargo diferente.
TAMBIÉN
SE NOTIFICA que las Elecciones de distrito extraordinarias y el Voto del presupuesto se llevarán a cabo mediante votación de propuestas a través de boletas el martes, 14 de abril de 2026, entre la 1:00 p. m. y las 9:00 p. m., en la Biblioteca Pública de West Babylon, ubicada en 211 Route 109, West Babylon, Nueva York, centro electoral designado para la Asamblea de distrito extraordinaria.
ASIMISMO,
SE NOTIFICA que se llevará a cabo una audiencia pública para debatir sobre el gasto de los fondos y su presupuesto el lunes, 30 de marzo de 2026 a las 6:00 p. m. El registro de votantes calificados del distrito escolar para dichas
Elecciones y Asamblea de distrito extraordinaria, que se preparará para las Elecciones y Asamblea de distrito extraordinaria que se llevarán a cabo el martes, 14 de abril de 2026, incluirá a todas las personas que se hayan registrado previamente para cualquier elección o asamblea ordinaria o extraordinaria llevada a cabo o realizada en cualquier momento durante los cuatro años previos a la preparación del registro o que estén registradas para votar en cualquier elección general conforme al artículo 5-210 de la Ley Electoral del Estado de Nueva York. Se presentará dicho registro ante la oficina de la Directora de la Biblioteca Pública de West Babylon inmediatamente después de su finalización y se abrirá para la inspección por parte de cualquier votante calificado del Distrito en la oficina de la Directora de la biblioteca de 10:00 a. m. a 4:00 p. m. todos los días durante los cinco (5) días previos a la asamblea o a las elecciones para las que se preparó, excepto los domingos o feriados. Solo podrán votar los votantes calificados que estén debidamente registrados. La oficina de la Directora de la biblioteca está ubicada en 211 Route 109, West Babylon, Nueva York, en dicho distrito.
TAMBIÉN SE NOTIFICA que cualquier votante calificado que desee registrarse para votar puede concurrir a la oficina del Secretario del distrito escolar, ubicada en 10 Farmingdale Road, West Babylon, NY, o a la oficina principal de cualquier escuela durante su horario de atención habitual para registrarse. Aquellas personas que deseen
registrarse para votar deben ser ciudadanos de los Estados Unidos, tener al menos 18 años, no pueden estar en prisión o en libertad condicional por la condena de un delito grave y no pueden reivindicar el derecho de voto en otro lugar. Además, aquellas personas que deseen votar deben ser residentes del Distrito durante al menos 30 días antes de emitir su voto.
ADEMÁS, SE NOTIFICA que, de acuerdo con la sección 2018-a y 2018f de la Ley de Educación, la solicitud de votos en ausencia o las boletas para votos anticipados por correo para las Elecciones y Asamblea de distrito extraordinarias se puede pedir en la oficina de la Directora de la Biblioteca Pública de West Babylon. Dicha solicitud debe ser recibida no antes del 16 de marzo de 2026 y al menos siete (7) días antes de las elecciones si se debe enviar la boleta por correo postal al votante o el día antes de las elecciones si se debe enviar la boleta personalmente al votante. La Junta de Inscripción hará un listado de todas las personas a las que se les ha enviado boletas para votos en ausencia y boletas para votos anticipados por correo y estará disponible durante el horario de atención habitual a partir de los veintiún días previos a la Asamblea de distrito extraordinaria y hasta el día de las elecciones. Dicho listado será publicado en el centro electoral durante las elecciones. No se computará ninguna boleta de votante en ausencia o boleta para votos anticipados por correo a menos que se reciba a más tardar a las 5:00 p. m. del día de las Elecciones.
TAMBIÉN SE NOTIFICA que los votantes
militares que no estén actualmente registrados pueden solicitar registrarse como votantes calificados del distrito escolar si solicitan y envían una solicitud de inscripción al Secretario del distrito escolar en persona, a través de correo electrónico a bburrows@ wbschools.org o fax al (631) 376-7008. El pedido para la solicitud de inscripción puede incluir la preferencia del votante militar para recibir la solicitud de inscripción a través de correo postal, fax o correo electrónico. Los formularios de solicitud de inscripción de los votantes militares deben recibirse en la oficina del Secretario del distrito escolar, ubicada en 10 Farmingdale Road, West Babylon, NY, a más tardar el 19 de marzo de 2026 a las 5:00 p. m.
ASIMISMO, SE NOTIFICA que los votantes militares, que son votantes calificados del distrito escolar, pueden pedir una solicitud de boleta militar a la Directora de la biblioteca en persona, a través de correo electrónico a nevans@ wbpl.us o fax al (631) 669-6539. Para que un votante militar reciba una boleta militar, debe enviarse una solicitud de boleta militar válida a la oficina de la Directora de la biblioteca a más tardar el 19 de marzo de 2026 a las 5:00 p. m. Las solicitudes de boleta militar recibidas de conformidad con lo anterior se procesarán de la misma forma que una solicitud de boleta no militar conforme a la sección 2018-a de la Ley de Educación. La solicitud de boleta militar puede incluir la preferencia del votante militar para recibir la boleta militar a través de correo postal, fax o correo electrónico. Una solicitud de bo-
leta militar original y una boleta militar del votante militar deben enviarse por correo postal o entregarse en persona en la oficina de la Directora de la biblioteca, ubicada en 211 Route 109, West Babylon, Nueva York, en dicho Distrito.
ASIMISMO, SE NOTIFICA POR LA PRESENTE que las boletas militares se computarán si la Directora de la biblioteca las recibe antes del cierre de las elecciones el 14 de abril de 2026 y cuentan con un sello postal del Servicio Postal de los Estados Unidos o de un servicio postal de un país extranjero, o tienen un acuse de recibo con fecha de otra agencia del Gobierno de los Estados Unidos; o las recibe a más tardar el 14 de abril de 2026 a las 5:00 p. m. y cuentan con fecha y firma del votante militar y de un testigo, y se verifica que dicha fecha es anterior al día de las elecciones.
ADEMÁS SE NOTIFICA que una declaración de gastos estimados de la biblioteca (presupuesto) y asignación tributaria (“gravamen fiscal”) para el ejercicio fiscal 2026/2027 estará disponible en la Biblioteca Pública de West Babylon, ubicada en 211 Route 109, West Babylon, Nueva York, todos los días, excepto los domingos y feriados, entre las 10:00 a. m. y las 4:00 p. m., durante los catorce (14) días previos a la Asamblea de distrito extraordinaria.
Fecha: 26 de enero de 2026
POR ORDEN DEL CONSEJO DE ADMINISTRACIÓN, BIBLIOTECA PÚBLICA DE WEST BABYLON, RACHEL SCELFO, PRESIDENTA 26-105. 2/26, 3/5, 12, 19
Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine t announced the first video in a docuseries to help commemorate Suffolk 250. The series will highlight local historical figures and places with significance during Suffolk’s revolutionary period. The first video is of Patriot’s Rock in Setauket. Operated by the Three Village Community Trust, the location was the site of the Battle of Setauket. Patriots came across the Long Island Sound and faced off against the British garrison at the then Presbyterian Meeting House on August 22, 1777. The resulting skirmish ended in a retreat by the colonial forces. Members of the trust walk viewers through the battle, its importance to the war and the area’s history as a Native American meeting place.
Link to Patriot’s Rock Video: https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=hr9FH2PQJsc
More information on Patriot’s Rock can be found at https://www. threevillagecommunitytrust.org/ patriots-rock-historic-site/
For more on Suffolk 250, please visit https://www.suffolk250.org/
Councilman DuWayne Gregory is urging residents to support families by donating to the Town of Babylon Food Pantry, which is currently in desperate need of food.
Items may be dropped off at the pantry, located at the ACE Center, 48 Cedar Road, Amityville. The pantry provides essential food and household items to neighbors facing hardship. The pantry is open Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
The pantry will be welcoming donations of unexpired, nonperishable foods and toiletries. Items may also be dropped off Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Town Council Office, Town Hall, 200 E. Sunrise Highway, Lindenhurst; Department of Human Services, temporary location at the Town Hall Annex, 281 Phelps Lane, North Babylon; and the Old Town Hall, 47 W. Main St., Suite 2, Babylon.
For more information, please call (631) 957-3000.
NOTICE OF SPECIAL DISTRICT
MEETING WEST
ISLIP PUBLIC LIBRARY
TOWN OF ISLIP, SUFFOLK COUNTY, NEW YORK
The Board of Trustees of the West Islip Public Library, Town of Islip, County of Suffolk, State of New York HEREBY GIVES
NOTICE that a Special District Meeting of the qualified voters of the West Islip Union Free School District, Town of Islip, Suffolk County, New York, will be held at the West Islip Public Library, 3 Higbie Lane, West Islip, Town of Islip, Suffolk County, New York on the 14th day of April, 2026, between the hours of 10:00 A.M. and 9:00 P.M. prevailing time, for the purpose of voting upon a proposition adopting the annual budget for the support and maintenance of the West Islip Public Library for the fiscal year 2026-2027 and authorizing the appropriation of the requisite portion thereof to be raised by a levy of a tax upon the taxable property within the West Islip Union Free School District, Town of Islip, Suffolk County, New York.
NOTICE IS FURTHER GIVEN of the election of one (1) Trustee of the Board of Trustees of the West Islip Public Library to be held at the West Islip Public Library, 3 Higbie Lane, West Islip, New York, 11795 on the 14th day of April, 2026 between the hours of 10:00 A.M. and 9:00 P.M., prevailing time; such office to be filled as follows: the successful candidate is to fill a full term for the period July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2031 (Idamarie Tully being the incumbent); and
NOTICE IS FURTHER GIVEN that
candidates for the office of Trustee of the Board of Trustees of the West Islip Public Library shall be nominated by petition, which petition shall be directed to the Clerk of the West Islip Union Free School District, Town of Islip, Suffolk County, New York, 11795 and shall be signed by at least 25 (twenty-five) qualified voters of the District; shall state the name and residence of the candidate and shall state the residence of each signer. Said petition shall be mailed to or filed with the Clerk of the West Islip Union Free School District, Administration Office, 100 Sherman Avenue, West Islip, New York, 11795 Monday through Friday, between the hours of 9 A.M. and 4 P.M., prevailing time, to be received not later than 5 P.M., Monday, March 16, 2026; and NOTICE IS FURTHER GIVEN that the Board of Registration will meet at the West Islip Public Library, 3 Higbie Lane, West Islip, Town of Islip, County of Suffolk and State of New York in said School District on the 7th day of April, 2026, between the hours of 4:00 P.M. and 8:00 P.M. prevailing time, at which time the Board of Registration shall prepare the register of the School District, and any person shall be entitled to have his or her name placed upon such register, provided that at such meeting of the Board of Registration he or she is known or proved to the satisfaction of the Board of Registration to be then or thereafter entitled to vote at the Meeting for which such register is prepared; that the register prepared pursuant to Section 2014 of the Education Law, shall be filed in
the office of the Clerk of the District at the Administration Office, Sherman Avenue, in said School District; and that the said register shall be open for inspection by any qualified voter of the District on each of the five (5) days prior to and the day set for the meeting (except Saturday and Sunday) from 9:00 A.M. to 4:00 P.M., prevailing time; and
NOTICE IS FURTHER GIVEN that a copy of the statement of the amount of money which will be required for the year 2026-2027 for Library purposes, may be obtained by any resident in the District during the fourteen (14) days immediately preceding such Special District Meeting and on the day of such Special District Meeting, except Sundays or holidays, at the WEST ISLIP PUBLIC LIBRARY, 3 Higbie Lane, West Islip, New York, in said District, during the hours in which the Library is regularly open for business; and
NOTICE IS FURTHER GIVEN that a “Public Budget Information Meeting” will be conducted on the 7th day of April, 2026 at 7:30 P.M. at the Library at 3 Higbie Lane, West Islip, New York, to present the proposed 2026-2027 Library Budget; and NOTICE IS FURTHER GIVEN that pursuant to the provisions of Section 2018 of the Education Law, voting will be permitted by early voter and absentee ballot. Except for those persons whose registration record has been marked permanently disabled by the Board of Elections, pursuant to the provisions of the Election Law, applications for early voter and absentee ballots must be received by the Clerk
of the West Islip Union Free School District, Administration Office, 100 Sherman Avenue, West Islip, New York, 11795 at least seven (7) days before the vote/ election if the ballot is to be mailed to the voter, or the day before the vote/election, if the ballot is to be delivered personally to the voter.
A list of all persons to whom early voter and absentee ballots have been issued will be available in the office of the Clerk of the West Islip Union Free School District on each of the five days prior to April 14, 2026 except Saturdays and Sundays (subject to the office being open to the public during such five days). In order to be canvassed absentee and early voter ballots must be received by the Clerk of the West Islip Union Free School District, Administration Office, 100 Sherman Avenue, West Islip, New York, 11795 not later than 5:00 P.M. (prevailing time) on April 14, 2026; and
NOTICE IS FURTHER GIVEN to all persons who shall have been previously registered for annual or special school district meetings and who have voted at any such annual or special district meeting conducted any time within the four (4) calendar years prior to April 14, 2026 shall be entitled to vote at this Special District Meeting. In addition, all those who have registered to vote with the Board of Elections of Suffolk County pursuant to Article 5 of the Election Law shall be entitled to vote at this Special District Meeting notwithstanding their failure to have previously registered with the School District; and
NOTICE IS FURTHER GIVEN that military voters who
are qualified voters of the West Islip School District may request an application for a military ballot from the Clerk of the West Islip Union Free School District, Administration Office, 100 Sherman Avenue, West Islip, New York, 11795; or by email to e.davis@wi.k12.ny.us. In such request, the military voter shall indicate his/her preference for receiving the application via mail or email. A military voter must return the original military ballot application to the Clerk of the West Islip Union Free School District, Administration Office, 100 Sherman Avenue, West Islip, New York, 11795. For a military voter to be issued a military ballot, a valid military ballot application must be received in the office of the Clerk no later than 5:00 P.M. on March 24, 2026. Military ballot applications received in accordance with the foregoing will be processed in the same manner as a non-military ballot application under section 2018-b of the Education Law; and NOTICE IS FURTHER GIVEN that a military voter’s original military ballot must be returned by MAIL to the Clerk of the West Islip Union Free School District, Administration Office, 100 Sherman Avenue, West Islip, New York, 11795. Military ballots shall be canvassed if they are received by the District Clerk (1) before the close of polls on April 14, 2026 and showing a cancellation mark of the US Postal Service or a foreign country’s postal service, or showing a dated endorsement by receipt of another agency of the U.S. government or (2) not later than 5:00 P.M. on April 14, 2026 and
signed and dated by the military voter and one witness thereto, with a date which is ascertained to be not later than April 13, 2026.
Dated: January 21, 2026
West Islip, New York By order of the Board of Trustees of the West Islip Public Library Town of Islip, Suffolk County New York By: Jamie Papandrea Interim Secretary to Board of Trustees 26-126. 3/5, 19, 4/2, 9
Thirty student-musicians from Copiague School District have been selected to participate in the annual Suffolk County Music Educators Association’s All-County Festival this March. Students were selected for the festivals based on their NYSSMA scores and teacher recommendations. Congratulations to all the students.
AVISO DE REUNIÓN ESPECIAL DEL DISTRITO BIBLIOTECA PÚBLICA DE WEST ISLIP PUEBLO DE ISLIP, CONDADO DE SUFFOLK, NUEVA YORK
La Junta de Fideicomisarios de la Biblioteca Pública de West Islip, Pueblo de Islip, Condado de Suffolk, Estado de Nueva York POR MEDIO DE LA PRESENTE DA NOTIFICACION de que una Reunión de Distrito Especial de los votantes calificados del Distrito Escolar Union Libre de West Islip, Pueblo de Islip, Condado de Suffolk , Nueva York, se llevará a cabo en la Biblioteca Pública de West Islip, 3 Higbie Lane, West Islip, Pueblo de Islip, Condado de Suffolk, Nueva York el dia 14 de abril del 2026, entre las horas de 10:00 A.M. y 9:00 P.M. tiempo prevaleciente, con el propósito de votar sobre una propuesta adoptando el presupuesto anual para el apoyo y mantenimiento de la Biblioteca Pública de West Islip para el año fiscal 2026-2027 y autorizando la apropiación de la porción requerida de la misma que se recaudaría mediante un impuesto de un impuesto sobre la propiedad sujeta a impuestos dentro del Distrito Escolar Union Libre de West Islip, Pueblo de Islip, Condado de Suffolk, Nueva York.
NOTIFICACION
TAMBIÉN SE DA de la elección de un (1) Fideicomisarios para la Junta de Fideicomisarios de la Biblioteca Pública de West Islip que se llevará a cabo en la Biblioteca Pública de West Islip, 3 Higbie Lane, West Islip, Nueva York, 11795 el dia 14 de abril del 2026 entre las horas de las 10:00 A.M. y 9:00 P.M., hora prevaleciente; dicho cargos se cubrirán de
la siguiente manera: el candidato triunfante deberá de cumplir un período completo desde el dia 1 de julio del 2026 hasta el 30 de junio del 2031 (siendo la titular, Idamarie Tully); y
NOTIFICACION
TAMBIÉN SE DA de que los candidatos para el cargo de Fideicomisario de la Junta de Fideicomisarios de la Biblioteca Pública de West Islip serán nominados por medio de petición, lo cual la petición debe de ser dirigida al Secretario del Distrito Escolar de West Islip Union Libre, Pueblo de Islip, Condado de Suffolk, Nueva York, 11795, y deberá ser firmada por lo menos por 25 (veinticinco) votantes calificados del Distrito; deberá indicar el nombre y la residencia del candidato e indicará la residencia de cada firmante. Dicha petición deberá ser enviada por correo o ser presentada ante el Secretario del Distrito Escolar de West Islip Union Libre, Oficina de Administración, 100 Sherman Avenue, West Islip, Nueva York, 11795 de lunes a viernes, entre las horas de 9 A.M. y 4 P.M., hora vigente, pero debe de ser recibida no más tarde de las 5 P.M., lunes 16 de marzo del 2026; y NOTIFICACION
TAMBIÉN SE DA de que la Junta de Registro se reunirá en la Biblioteca Pública de West Islip, 3 Higbie Lane, West Islip, Pueblo de Islip, Condado de Suffolk y Estado de Nueva York en dicho Distrito Escolar el día 7 de abril del 2026, entre las horas de 4:00 P.M. y 8:00 P.M. hora prevaleciente, en lo cual la Junta de Registro preparará el registro del Distrito Escolar, y cualquier persona tendrá derecho a que se coloque su nombre en dicho registro, siempre y cuando en dicha
reunión de la Junta de Registro él o ella sea conocido o comprobado a la satisfacción de la Junta de Registro de tener entonces o posteriormente derecho a votar en la Junta para la cual fue preparado dicho registro; que el registro elaborado de conformidad con la Sección 2014 de la Ley de Educación, será archivada con la oficina del Secretario del Distrito de la Oficina de Administración, Sherman Avenue, en dicho Distrito Escolar; y que dicho registro debe de estar abierto para inspección por cualquier votante calificado del Distrito en cada uno de los cinco (5) días previos y el día establecido para la reunión (excepto sábado y domingo) a partir de las 9:00 A.M. hasta las 4:00 P.M., hora predominante; y NOTIFICACION
TAMBIÉN SE DA de que cualquier residente en el Distrito puede obtener una copia del estado de cuenta de la cantidad de dinero que se requerirá para el año 2026-2027 para efectos de la Biblioteca, durante los catorce (14) días inmediatamente anteriores a dicha Reunión Especial del Distrito y en el día de dicha Reunión Especial del Distrito, con excepción de los domingos o días festivos, en la BIBLIOTECA
PUBLICA DE WEST
ISLIP, 3 Higbie Lane, West Islip, Nueva York, en dicho Distrito, durante las horas en que la Biblioteca está abierta normalmente para negocio; y NOTIFICACION
TAMBIÉN SE DA de que una "Reunión Publica de Información de Presupuesto" se llevará a cabo el día 7 de abril del 2026 a las 7:30 pm en la Biblioteca en 3 Higbie Lane, West Islip, Nueva York, para presentar el pre-
supuesto propuesto de la biblioteca del 20262027; y NOTIFICACION
TAMBIÉN SE DA de que, en conformidad con las provisiones de la Sección 2018 de la Ley de Educación, se permitirá la votación mediante votante adelantado y papeleta de voto ausente. A excepción de aquellas personas cuyo récord de registro ha sido marcado permanentemente discapacitado por la Junta Electoral, en conformidad con las provisiones de la Ley Electoral, las solicitudes para votante adelantado y papeleta de voto ausente tienen que ser recibidas por el Secretario del Distrito Escolar, de West Islip Union Libre, Oficina de Administración 100 Sherman Avenue, West Islip, Nueva York, 11795 por lo menos siete (7) días antes de la votación/ elección si la boleta debe de ser enviada por correo al votante, o el día antes de la votación/elección, si la boleta será entregada personalmente a el votante. En la oficina del Secretario del Distrito Escolar, de West Islip Union Libre, estará disponible una lista de todas las personas a las que se les ha emitido votante adelantado y papeleta de voto ausente, durante cada uno de los cinco días anteriores al 14 de abril del 2026, con excepción de los sábados y los domingos (sujeto a que la oficina esté abierta al público durante dichos cinco días). Para poder ser sondeadas, papeletas de voto ausente deben de ser recibidas por el Secretario del Distrito Escolar de West Islip Union Libre, Oficina de Administración 100 Sherman Avenue, West Islip, Nueva York, 11795, a más tardar a las 5:00 P.M. (hora prevaleciente) el 14 de abril del 2026; y NOTIFICACION
TAMBIÉN SE DA de que a todas las personas que hayan sido previamente registradas para reuniones anuales o reuniones especiales del distrito escolar y que hayan votado en alguna de tal reunión anual o reunión especial del distrito celebrada o llevada a cabo en cualquier momento dentro de los cuatro (4) años del calendario anteriores al 14 de abril del 2026 tendrán derecho de votar en esta Reunión Especial del Distrito. Adicionalmente, todos aquellos que se hayan registrado para votar ante la Junta Electoral del Condado de Suffolk en conformidad con el Artículo 5 de la Ley Electoral tendrán derecho a votar en esta Reunión Especial del Distrito a pesar de que hayan fallado al registrarse previamente con el Distrito Escolar; y NOTIFICACION
TAMBIÉN SE DA de que votantes militar que son votantes calificados del Distrito Escolar de West Islip pueden pedir una solicitud al Secretario del Distrito Escolar de West Islip Union Libre, Oficina de Administración 100 Sherman Avenue, West Islip, Nueva York, 11795 para que se les emita una boleta militar; o por medio de correo electrónico a e.davis@ wi.k12.ny.us. En tal solicitud, el votante militar debe de indicar su preferencia con respecto a si recibir la solicitud por correo o por correo electrónico. Un votante militar debe de devolver la solicitud original del boleto militar al Secretario del Distrito Escolar de West Islip Union Libre, Oficina de Administración, 100 Sherman Avenue, West Islip, Nueva York, 11795. Para poder que
a un votante militar se le pueda emitir una boleta militar, una solicitud de boleta militar válida debe de ser recibida por la oficina del Secretario a más tardar a las 5:00 p.m. del 24 de marzo del 2026. Las solicitudes de boletas militares recibidas de acuerdo con lo descrito anteriormente se procesarán de la misma manera que se procesa una solicitud de boleta que no sea militar de acuerdo con la sección 2018-b de la Ley de Educación; y NOTIFICACION
TAMBIÉN SE DA de que el original de una boleta militar de un votante que es militar debe de ser devuelta por CORREO al Secretario del Distrito Escolar de West Islip Unión Libre, Oficina de Administración, 100 Sherman Avenue, West Islip, Nueva York, 11795. Las boletas militares serán sondeadas si son recibidas por el Secretario de Distrito (1) antes de que cierren las cabinas de votación el 14 de abril de 2026 y con muestra de cancelación del Servicio Postal de los Estados Unidos o de algún servicio postal de un país extranjero, o con prueba de un endoso fechado y demostrando haber sido recibido por otra agencia del gobierno de los Estados Unidos o (2) a más tardar a las 5:00 P.M. del 14 de abril del 2026 con firma y fecha del votante militar y con un testigo de la misma, y con una fecha constatada a no ser posterior al 13 de abril del 2026. Fecha: 21 de enero del 2026 West Islip, Nueva York Por orden de la Junta de Fiduciarios de West Islip Biblioteca Pública Pueblo de Islip, Condado de Suffolk Nueva York
Por: Jamie Papandrea Secretaria de La Junta de Fideicomisarios 26-127 3/5, 19, 4/2, 9
•The following students were recently named to the President’s List at SUNY Potsdam: Julia Avdoulos of Wheatley Heights, majoring in Music Education; Anthony Bruno of Deer Park, majoring in Music Education; Noah Davis of Babylon, majoring in Music Business; Kameron Karim of West Babylon, majoring in Music Education; Thomas Kerrigan of West Islip, majoring in Music Education; Daniel Kister of Lindenhurst, majoring in Music Business; Simone McPartling of West Babylon, majoring in Music Education; and Kennedy Royal of West Babylon, majoring in Music Business.
•Dylan Slade of Lindenhurst was recently named to the Dean’s List at SUNY Potsdam.
•The following students were recently named to the Dean’s List at James Madison University: Julianna Kotarski of West Islip, majoring in Communication Sciences and Disorders; Matthew Cella of West Babylon, majoring in Economics; and Lucy Carnese of Babylon, majoring in Musical Theatre.
•Ben Dellafranca of Babylon, a sophomore Economics major at Le Moyne College, was recently named to the Dean’s List.
CONTINUED ON NEXT
Village of Lindenhurst Eggstravaganza
The Village of Lindenhurst will be holding their 2nd Annual Eggstravaganza on March 14 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., with a rain date of March 15.
The event will include a Petting Zoo at the Village Square, an egg hunt through downtown Lindenhurst and photos with the Easter Bunny at the Village Gazebo or the Lindenhurst Fire Department Main House.
Please bring a non-perishable item for their local food pantries.
If you are a business and would like to participate by giving out eggs, please fill out the registration form at the following link: shorturl.at/qclSh.
Business participants can be storefronts on Wellwood and Hoffman Avenues or businesses from beyond the downtown. Businesses without a storefront in the downtown will be set up at tables along the route.
Lindenhurst Village Square is located at 116 N. Wellwood Ave., Lindenhurst.
NOTICE IS HERBY GIVEN that the Special Village Election in and for the Village of Babylon, Town of Babylon, Suffolk County, New York, will be held in the following Election Districts in said Village, namely:
1st Election District: Municipal Building, 153 W. Main St. (County districts 1, 94 & 121)
2nd Election District: Municipal Building, 153 W. Main St. (County districts 2, & 142)
3rd Election District: Municipal Building, 153 W. Main St.
4th Election District: Municipal Building, 153 W. Main St. (County districts 21 & 33)
15th Election District
Municipal Building, 153 W. Main St.
23rd Election District: Municipal Building, 153 W. Main St.
61st Election District: Municipal Building, 153 W. Main St.
Election will be held on the 18th day of March 2026. The polls will be open on said day between the hours of seven (7) o’clock a.m. and nine (9) o’clock p.m. At such election, the following offices are to be filled for the term set forth, the candidates having been duly nominated therefore:
Jeffrey W. Szabo, 42 Little East Neck Road S., Babylon, NY 11702 Trustee for 1 year – Better Babylon Party
Jordan Hoffman, 172 Fire Island Avenue, Babylon, NY 11702 Trustee for 1 year – Jordan Hoffman For Village Trustee BY ORDER OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Jean Marie Parker, Village Clerk
DATED: February 25, 2026 Babylon, New York 11702
HERBY AVISO QUE LA Elección especiales del Pueblo en y para el Pueblo de Babylon, Pueblo de Babylon, Condado de Suffolk, Nueva York, se llevará a cabo en los siguientes Distritos Electorales en dicho Pueblo, a saber:
1er Distrito Electoral:
Edificio Municipal, 153 W. Main St. (Distritos del condado 1, 94 y 121)
Segundo Distrito Electoral: Edificio Municipal, 153 W. Main St. (Distritos 2 y 142 del condado)
3er Distrito Electoral: Edificio Municipal, 153 W. Main St. Cuarto Distrito Electoral: Edificio Municipal, 153 W. Main St. (Distritos 21 y 33 del condado)
15th Distrito Electoral
Edificio Municipal, 153 W. Main St. 23 ° Distrito Electoral: Edificio Municipal, 153 W. Main St. 61 ° Distrito Electoral: Edificio Municipal, 153 W. Main St. Las elecciones se llevarán a cabo el día 18 de marzo de 2026. Las urnas estarán abiertas en dicho día entre las siete (7) horas de la mañana y las nueve (9) horas de la noche. En dicha elección se ocuparán los siguientes cargos por el plazo señalado, habiendo sido debidamente nominados los candidatos para ello:
Jeffrey W. Szabo, 42 Little East Neck Road S., Babylon, NY 11702 Fideicomisario por 1 año - Better Babylon Party
Jordan Hoffman, 172 Fire Island Avenue, Babylon, NY 11702 Fideicomisario por 1 año – Jordan Hoffman For Village Trustee POR ORDEN DE LA JUNTA DE FIDUCIARIOS
Jean Marie Parker, secretaria del pueblo FECHA: 25 de febrero de 2026 Babylon, Nueva York 11702 26-128 3/5, 12
When someone stops advertising, someone stops selling. When someone stops selling, someone stops buying.
When someone stops buying, someone stops making. When someone stops making, someone stops working.
When someone stops working, someone stops earning.
When someone stops earning, everything stops.
The following students were recently recognized for academic achievements and graduation at their respective colleges:
•The following students were recently named to the Dean’s List at SUNY Canton: Maria Hearn of Deer Park, a Cybersecurity major and Gabriella Waszkiewicz of West Babylon, a Veterinary Technology major.
•The following students received PartTime Honors from SUNY Canton: Kyah Flowers of West Babylon, a Health Care Management major; John Garnett of West Babylon, a Cybersecurity major; and Joseph Vaillancourt of West Babylon, an Emergency Management major.
•The following students were recently named to the Dean’s List at Shenandoah University: Kaylee Lamar of Lindenhurst and Isabella Pop of North Babylon.
• The following students were recently named to the Dean’s List at the University of Connecticut: Kaitlyn Brodmerkel of Babylon; Zachary Gries of Lindenhurst; Adela Marques of Lindenhurst; David Aguilar of West Babylon; Leo Lin of West Babylon; and Arianna Magali of Deer Park.
•The following students were recently named to the Dean’s List at SUNY Oneonta: Gabriella Abbatiello of West Islip; Samira Ahmed of Deer Park; Terese Antilus of West Babylon; Ashley Banaciski of Deer Park; Skylar Byer-Mixon of Deer Park; William Colloca of West Babylon; Annabella Daniele of West Islip; Rachel DeLuca of West Islip; and Jake DeVito of West Islip.
•The following students were recently named to the Dean’s List at SUNY Oneonta: Luke Donohue of West Islip; Jenna Frisch of Lindenhurst; Meg Haarstick of West Islip; Jacob Hurst of West Islip; Daniel Madsen of West Babylon; Sara McDonough of West Babylon; Sean McGuire of West Babylon; Ellen Mcgrath of West Babylon; Ivana Milanov of Lindenhurst; Julia Perrone of West Islip; Delaney Poole of West Islip; Isabella Randazzo of West Islip; Nathaniel Santana of North Babylon; Vincent Spiwak of Lindenhurst; and Brooke Wisniewski of West Islip.
•The following students were recently named to the Provost’s List at SUNY Oneonta: Jack Brady of West Islip; McKenzie Busch of Babylon; Carley Leto of Lindenhurst; Stella Merkle of West Babylon; and Juliet Schlosser of West Islip.
•The following students were recently named to the Dean’s List at Kutztown University: Matt Galante of North Babylon and Lauren LaMorte of West Islip.
•Andrew Keller of West Babylon, a member of the New York Army National Guard and assigned to Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 69th Infantry Regiment, was recently promoted to the rank of staff sergeant.
•Ciara Sturmann of West Islip recently graduated Magna Cum Laude with a degree in English from the College of Charleston.
•The following students were recently welcomed to the Class of 2029 at the University at Albany: Zubair Ali of Deer Park, majoring in Accounting (Intended);
Marley Michel of North Babylon, majoring in Adolescent Education (Intended); Lynn-Chloe Jasmin of Wheatley Heights, majoring in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology; Erika Sy of Deer Park, majoring in Biology; Taylor Jeanmarie of West Babylon, majoring in Biology; Erin Mauro of West Islip, majoring in Biology; Nicholas Friedlander of West Islip, majoring in Biology; Jordyn Haskins of Deer Park, majoring in Business Administration (Intended); Layan Hassanin of Deer Park, majoring in Business Administration (Intended); Farrah Khan of North Babylon, majoring in Business Administration (Intended); Jailene Solomon of North Babylon, majoring in Business Administration (Intended); Logan Atherley of North Babylon, majoring in Business Administration (Intended); Keylisa Conserve of West Babylon, majoring in Business Administration (Intended); Tristyn Satnick of West Babylon, majoring in Business Administration (Intended); Jordinn Goodwin of Deer Park, majoring in Childhood and Special Education (Intended); Brielle Service of Deer Park, majoring in Criminal Justice; Sofia Figueroa of Deer Park, majoring in Criminal Justice; Said Samuelson of Lindenhurst, majoring in Criminal Justice; Tamara Leopard of North Babylon, majoring in Criminal Justice; Allyson Roth of North Babylon, majoring in Curriculum Development and Instructional Technology (MS); Shannon McGuire of West Babylon, majoring in Curriculum Development and Instructional Technology (MS); Ashfaq Khan of North Babylon, majoring in Cybersecurity (BS); Niason Dacosta of Wyandanch, majoring in Cybersecurity (BS); Benjamin Ladouceur of Wheatley Heights, majoring in Electrical and Computer Engineering; Laiba Ahsan of North Babylon, majoring in Emergency Management and Homeland Security; Francesca La Femina of West Islip, majoring in Higher Education (MS); Alex Collins of Deer Park, majoring in Human Biology; Reagan Keith of Wheatley Heights, majoring in Human Biology; Saneel Boodram of Deer Park, majoring in Information Science (MS); Zuri Bayley of Wyandanch, majoring in Interdisciplinary-Legal Studies; Sophie Greer of West Babylon, majoring in Open Major; Olivia Luvera of West Islip, majoring in Political Science; Alexa Stevenson of Wheatley Heights, majoring in Political Science; Janyiah Dube of Deer Park, majoring in Psychology; Joy Scrivano of Lindenhurst, majoring in Psychology; Shainah Salomon of North Babylon, majoring in Psychology; Chelsea Williams of West Babylon, majoring in Psychology; Jessica Martino of West Babylon, majoring in Psychology; Gianna Paul of Wyandanch, majoring in Public Health; Ryan Kiser of Babylon, majoring in Public Health - Online (MPH); Brooke Tyler of West Islip, majoring in School Psychology (PsyD); Mya Perkins of Deer Park, majoring in Sociology; Jennifer Schack of Deer Park, majoring in Special Education and Literacy II (MS); and Jessica Ferraroni of West Islip, majoring in Taxation (MS).
CIRCULATION ASSOCIATE
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Richner Communications, publisher of Herald community newspapers has an excellent opportunity for a FT/PT Customer Service Clerk in our busy Circulation Department. Basic customer service and administrative responsibilities include: heavy computer work, answering phones, making phone calls, entering orders, faxing, filing, etc. STRONG knowledge of EXCEL a must! Knowledge of DATABASE maintenance or postal regulations a big plus. Qualified Candidates must be computer literate, able to multi-task, dependable, reliable, organized, energetic, detail oriented and able to work well under deadlines. Salary Range is $17 per hour to $20 per hour. For consideration, please send resume & salary requirements to: circulationassociate@liherald.com
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Part Time & Full Time. The award-winning Herald Community Newspapers group, covering Nassau County's North and South Shores with hard-hitting news stories and gracefully written features, seeks a motivated, energetic and creative editor/reporter to join our dynamic (and awesome) team! This education and general assignment reporting position offers a unique experience to learn from some of the best in the business. Historically, reporters who have launched their careers with us have gone on to The New York Times, Newsweek, Newsday, the New York Daily News, New York Post, CNN, BBC, NBC News and The Daily Mail, among many others. We look for excellent writers who are eager to learn, enhance their skills, and become well-established and respected journalists in our industry. Salary range is from $20K to $45K To apply: Send a brief summary in the form of a cover letter describing your career goals and what strengths you can bring to our newsroom, along with a resume and three writing samples to jbessen@liherald.com
MAILROOM/ WAREHOUSE HELP Long Island Herald has IMMEDIATE openings for a FULL-TIME & PART-TIME mailroom/warehouse helper in Garden City. We are a busy print shop looking for motivated and reliable individuals to assist in various duties in the shop. Forklift experience is a plus and heavy lifting is required. Hours vary, so flexibility is key. Salary Ranges from $17 per hour to $20 per hour. Email resumes or contact info to careers@liherald.com
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Richner Communications, One of the Fastest Growing Media, Event and Communications Companies on Long Island is Seeking a Sales/Marketing Candidate to Sell our Print Media Products and our Digital, Events, Sponsorships. Earning potential ranges from $35,360 plus commission and bonuses to over $100,000 including commissions and bonuses. Compensation is based on Full Time hours
Eligible for Health Benefits, 401k and Paid Time Off. Please Send Cover Letter and Resume with Salary Requirements to rglickman@liherald.com or Call 516-569-4000 X250
PRINTING PRESS OPERATORS
FT & PT. Long Island Herald has IMMEDIATE openings for Printing Press Operators in Garden City. We are a busy print shop looking for motivated and reliable individuals to assist in various duties in the shop. Hours vary, so flexibility is key. Salary Ranges from $20 per hour to $30 per hour. Email resumes or contact info to careers@liherald.com
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Household Help Offered
Q. We are suing our contractor and need some advice. A year ago, we finished our second-floor addon and first-floor kitchen and rear family room remodel by opening up walls to join them. Everything seemed fine until it rained the first time. The windows began to leak at the bottom, and then around the tops and sides. Our new sliding glass door did the same. The basement flooded, and we are not in a flood area. Then the air-conditioning company said somebody disconnected the ducts, and when we opened the ceilings, more water poured down. The house is now filled with mold, which we clean with bleach where we can get to it, but we couldn’t move out and have two small children under age 4.
Although we have many questions and hired an attorney, we’re wondering whether we should hire an architect to go over all the problems and identify them, with remedies, or hire one of the contractors who said they could fix the problems, or wait until the lawsuit is finished to make it possible for a jury to see the damage. The job architect, whom we never met, has now had their license revoked for the next two years, but we wouldn’t go to them, anyway.
A. Ugh! This is more common than you would think. It starts with not having the architect working for you and instead working for the contractor. I can guess that the contractor was contacted first, and you hired them to get their architect and provide plans. That was your first mistake.
Next, people are lazy, expecting that anyone they hire knows all the best techniques to build and knows all the rules, codes and laws. That was mistake number two. Even though you hire people, you should have gone over critical details, especially about waterproofing and structural techniques on the plans, to make sure that the building owner looks for those steps to be carried out. You, the building owner, I always say, are the “eyes and ears” on the job, since the architect often isn’t there at critical times, when waterproofing membranes and materials are joined.
Mistake number three was not doing a water test with a garden hose when the finish siding, windows roofing, etc., had been applied. Simulating rain by pointing a hose skyward so that the water cascades down — not a direct fire-hose hit — tells you right away if something is failing.
You’re going to need a licensed expert — an architect or an engineer — to work with your attorney. Document everything with videos during simulated or storm events to show the water coming in and whatever other failures, such as leaking and disconnected air ducts, and hire people who can do the job correctly as soon as you can. You need to have a healthy home for your family, and a lawsuit could take years while you possibly get sick from the mold and the chlorine you’re breathing. Good luck!
© 2026 Monte Leeper Readers are encouraged to send questions to yourhousedr@aol.com, with “Herald question” in the subject line, or to Herald Homes, 2 Endo Blvd., Garden City, NY 11530, Attn: Monte Leeper, architect.
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Long Islanders work hard for what they have. Families here build their lives around safe neighborhoods, good schools and the ability to provide for their children. The suburban way of life exists because generations believed in responsibility, accountability and earning their success through hard work.
Increasingly, the policies shaping Long Island’s future are not coming from Long Island. They are coming from New York City. That reality became unmistakably clear on Feb. 11, during a public hearing in Albany. As ranking member of the Assembly Local Governments Committee, I was questioning New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani in a televised hearing. My questions focused on public safety, antisemitism and the realworld consequences of the Mamdani administration’s decisions.
In the middle of my questioning, my microphone was turned off. The supporters of the mayor, who control the committee, silenced the ranking mem-
ber while he was performing his official duties. Other legislators were permitted to continue speaking freely. My questioning was stopped the moment it became uncomfortable for Mamdani.
That moment revealed everything Long Islanders need to understand. If the elected representative of suburban communities can be silenced while questioning the mayor of New York City, the voices of everyday Long Islanders are even easier to ignore.
IThis imbalance defines how Albany operates. Legislative priorities are driven by New York City’s political pressures. Housing policies punish property owners. Regulations expand government control. Tax burdens continue to rise. These policies may serve New York City’s political leadership, but they undermine the suburban communities that form the backbone of New York state.
across the state, including Long Island families.
Mamdani frequently speaks about working people. He has never lived the life of a working-class laborer. I have.
n the middle of my questioning of Mayor Mamdani, my mic was turned off.
I’m originally from Franklin Square, and I am a carpenter who has spent five decades swinging a hammer, building homes and working with my hands. I understand what it means to wake up early, work in the heat and cold, and earn every dollar through physical effort.
Working people deserve leaders who understand their lives, not politicians who only talk about them.
ties like ours.
This issue is bigger than party labels. Long Islanders care about preserving their suburban way of life. Residents want safe streets, affordable living and leadership that respects the people who built these communities.
Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman has demonstrated that suburban communities can be protected and strengthened. His leadership has prioritized public safety, fiscal discipline and defending the interests of Long Island residents. He understands that Long Island is not an extension of New York City. Long Island is its own community, with its own values and its own identity.
Mamdani recently proposed raising New York City property taxes by nearly 10 percent while draining billions from reserve funds. That approach reflects a pattern of fiscal irresponsibility. When New York City mismanages its finances, Albany responds with policies that place additional pressure on taxpayers
Long Islanders live those values every day. Residents here prioritize safe communities, homeownership and fiscal responsibility. Families invest their savings in their homes and neighborhoods because they believe in stability and opportunity. These principles created the quality of life that makes Long Island one of the most desirable places to live.
New York City’s political leadership increasingly embraces a different model. Government expands. Taxes rise. Accountability disappears. The consequences spread far beyond city limits and reach suburban communi-
New York state needs leadership that understands that distinction. Long Island deserves a governor who will stand up for suburban communities, restore balance in Albany and ensure that our voices are never silenced or ignored.
The events of Feb. 11 were a reminder of what’s at stake. Long Islanders can’t afford to remain silent while decisions are made that shape our future without our input.
Long Island deserves to be heard, deserves to be respected and deserves leadership that will fight for its future.
Ari Brown represents the 20th Assembly District.
Ashort article appeared in Newsday last month, announcing that New York state had canceled new wind power bids. This was a big deal that required wider coverage. And then, two weeks later, another article appeared, with the headline that wind farms’ impact on average Long Island electric bills had increased near fivefold since 2019. This story spelled out what many of us had warned for years: The true cost of wind power is coming in at costs far higher than the initial low-balled estimates.
This is an enormous fall from grace for wind power, which was supposed to be the panacea for our costly energy needs.
Courts reversed President Trump’s decisions to halt wind projects that were already underway, and rightly so. But there was no such protection for newer projects.
These projects should have to rise
and fall on their own merits, and for too long they were propped up by misinformation and huge ratepayer and taxpayer subsidies. We have long argued that the public was not getting a transparent accounting of what these offshore wind projects were going to cost.
AIn fact, the woke, virtuesignaling politicians in Albany were just signing off on these projects without even knowing how much they would cost. When then Gov. Andrew Cuomo boasted at a 2019 press conference that these massive new windmills would cost about 73 cents per month per customer, he was clearly drifting in the wind. It is estimated that by 2028, the true cost will average $3.54 per month. This is in addition to fuel, delivery and other increases that will come about. The impact on commercial users will be even greater.
Imagine if we didn’t have adequate natural gas capacity as we weathered this brutally cold winter.
Here’s what our center wrote two years ago about these potential costs, after Newsday reported that officials were signing off on these projects having no idea of their true costs:
lbany was signing off on these projects without even knowing how much they’d cost.
“The head of the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, which oversees offshore wind contracts and bidding, admitted that she did not know what the total cost will be of the project for the construction of wind turbines off Suffolk County.”
You can’t make this stuff up.
So many of these pols simply wanted to placate the burgeoning wind power cottage industries — which showered them with substantial donations — and repeat the mantra that wind was clean and cheap and would save the day from fossil fuels. But as we now know, wind power isn’t cheap, and it’s not reliable.
“When asked by a Newsday reporter how much the ballyhooed Sunrise wind project will cost, she stated: ‘The total cost of the project, I defer to Orstad.’” Orstad is the private company constructing the offshore wind turbines. When the spokesperson for that company was asked the cost, she had the temerity to state: “That’s something that publicly we do not share.”
Are you kidding us?
This isn’t to say that some wind projects could not be an important supple-
ment to an “all of the above” strategy. But our legislators were making dangerously foolish decisions to block natural gas pipelines and close down upstate nuclear power plants, all while banking on the idea that solar and wind were going to save the day. They wouldn’t, and they couldn’t.
When the true price of these windmills became known, people started clutching their pearls. These policies are partly responsible for our having seen a 50 percent increase in energy rates over the past five years in New York. See our center’s white paper on this subject at cenetrforcosteffectivegivernment.org.
Now the subsidies are gone, and wiser folks are saying “no more” until we can see that wind power is truly reliable and affordable. We can have more wind projects, but they must be costeffective, and they cannot, at the present time, replace natural gas, either in cost or reliability.
The fantasy has finally come to an end.
Steve Levy is executive director of the Center for Cost Effective Government, a fiscally conservative think tank. He has served as Suffolk County executive, as a state assemblyman and as host of the podcast “On the Right Side.” He can be reached at steve@commonsensestrategies.com.
Incorporating the Babylon Beacon in 2024
Carolyn JamEs
Associate Publisher / Editor
Donna Consola JessiCa Kleiman
maryann Heins
Multi Media Marketing Consultants
offiCe
2 Endo Boulevard Garden City, NY 11530
Phone: (516) 569-4000
Fax: (516) 569-4942
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every March we observe Sunshine Week, a national initiative dedicated to one of democracy’s most powerful disinfectants: light. This year, Sunshine Week will be celebrated March 15 to 21, anchored by Freedom of Information Day on March 16, the birthday of James Madison. The timing is symbolic and significant. Sunshine Week reminds us that open government is not a luxury. It is a necessity.
Launched in 2005 and rooted in the pioneering 1972 Colorado Sunshine Act, Sunshine Week was created to raise awareness of the public’s right to know. At its core is a simple but profound idea: Democracy works best when the people can see what their government is doing. Transparency is not about satisfying curiosity, it’s about accountability, trust and ensuring that power remains where it belongs: with the citizens.
Sunshine Week’s foundation is the principle that government records and proceedings belong to the public. Taxpayer dollars fund government operations; therefore, the public has both a legal and moral right to understand how decisions are made and how money is spent.
Freedom of Information laws at the federal and state levels give citizens access to public documents, from village board minutes to federal agency communications. But these laws are only as strong as the public’s willingness to use them. Like muscles, transparency laws weaken without exercise. When citizens
stop requesting records, attending meetings and asking questions, secrecy grows stronger.
Open meetings and public records are not bureaucratic technicalities; they are the mechanisms that keep democracy breathing. Transparency reveals how taxpayers’ money is spent, how contracts are awarded and how policies are shaped. It enables watchdog groups, journalists and everyday citizens to trace decisions from proposal to outcome.
Without openness, the risk of waste, fraud and abuse increases. History repeatedly shows that secrecy breeds complacency and, at times, corruption. Open government, by contrast, ensures that decisions must withstand scrutiny. It does not weaken institutions — it strengthens them. Sunshine Week underscores a critical truth: When the public can see the process, officials are more likely to act responsibly.
In times of crisis — economic downturns, national security challenges or public health emergencies — secrecy often expands. Officials may argue that swift action requires less oversight. While emergencies can justify temporary discretion, they must never become permanent excuses for opacity.
Democracy demands vigilance. Sunshine Week serves as an annual reminder that transparency must be defended, especially when it feels inconvenient. Freedom of information cannot be indefinitely sidelined without eroding public trust.
Supporting Sunshine Week means protecting democracy itself. Openness prevents the concentration of unchecked power and ensures that elected officials remain responsive to citizens rather than to special interests.
Transparency helps parents question school board policies, residents examine zoning proposals and taxpayers track infrastructure spending. It provides communities with the tools to advocate for fair and effective governance.
It also allows us, as journalists, to do our jobs. We rely on open-records laws to uncover stories about misuse of funds, conflicts of interest and public safety failures. It’s why studies show that the presence of a local newspaper in a community mitigates waste, fraud and abuse.
Public trust in government is fragile. One of the most effective ways to build and sustain that trust is through transparency. When agencies proactively release information and conduct business in public view, suspicion diminishes.
Transparency does not guarantee agreement. Citizens, and government officials, may still debate policies and priorities. But openness fosters understanding, and understanding is the bedrock of trust.
So this Sunshine Week, take a moment to reflect on the importance of open meetings and public records. And vow to step up whenever someone tries to turn off the light of transparency.
It’s ‘the power of the state against the people of the nation’
To the Editor:
Re Peter King’s column, “There are better ways to resolve the immigration crisis,” in the Feb. 12-18 issue: Immigration is a problem, but Immigration and Customs Enforcement exemplifies the real, much larger crisis. Immigration is a longstanding issue, and many “better ways” have been proposed over the past 30 years, as Mr. King knows. In fact, one such proposal was on track for bipartisan approval last year until President Trump and his allies killed it.
ICE has operated for decades with little notice. Violence was seldom used, citizens were not arrested, and habeas corpus was observed — until Trump. The Border Patrol previously confined its racist brutality close to the Mexican border, until Republicans expanded the “border” to a 100-mile-wide
while the accusations and demands of the federal government against Harvard, Columbia and other elite institutions garner national headlines, the administration’s Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education offered to other universities should give further pause. The compact would confer preferred access to federal research funds in exchange for agreeing to demands that would compromise academic freedom and institutional independence.
University leaders must protect these priorities embedded in state-awarded institutional charters and regionally accredited campus mission statements. They are supported by many agreements on academic freedom and tenure, dating to 1915.
Support is also found in Supreme Court Justice Felix Frankfurter’s 1957 concurring statement in Sweezy v. new Hampshire. In it, he said, “It is the business of a university to provide that atmosphere which is most conducive to speculation, experiment, and creation. It is an atmosphere in which there prevail ‘the four essential freedoms’ of a university — to determine for itself on
academic grounds who may teach, what may be taught, how it shall be taught, and who may be admitted to study.”
But what do we mean by academic freedom? This form of freedom is not freedom from responsibility to students, colleagues, institutional mission or society. Instead, it is freedom to inquire, i.e., interrogate assumptions and assertions to expose the questions hidden by answers, as James Baldwin said, and special interests in government, media and even institutions. It is the freedom to think independently, to have rights, and to consider consequences, both intended and not.
sleadership?
urprisingly few college trustees have any professional experience in higher education.
It also is the freedom to imagine — to consider what might be, and how humanity might develop its humaneness. It is the freedom to express ideas without fear of reprisal or censorship.
Finally, it is the freedom to innovate, to realize what is imagined in new forms and methods.
We know these priorities and principles. Do we know how to protect them? How do we prepare university trustees for their roles as fiduciaries and guardians of them? How do we prepare campus presidents for their duties as “chief purpose officers” responsible for ensuring that the principles guide decisionmaking? How do we prepare faculty for their responsibilities in governance and
zone. Even then, cities were not invaded — not even El Paso or Brownsville, much less Portland or Milwaukee — until Trump.
The Department of Homeland Security pursued its intended mission: defending against 9/11 or Beirut- and Benghazi-style attacks by foreign terrorists, seldom making the news. Then Trump decided that the homeland itself — Chicago, Los Angeles, Springfield, Ill. — was the “enemy within,” rife with “domestic terrorists” like Alex Pretti, who must be prevented from voting. Meanwhile, Trump allied himself with Saudi Arabian interests, the major sources of the 9/11 and other “homeland” assaults. Remember Jamal Khashoggi.
The FBI, formerly our premier law enforcement agency, is now Trumpified, refusing to investigate homicides by federal agents, interfering with state ballots, arresting journalists and charging members of Congress with sedition. In earlier times, Peter King himself might have been among those in such felonious jeopardy. The depth, breadth and pervasiveness of corruption in all of this is obvious, with beneficiaries openly paying well for more of this new form of republican government — modeled on ancient Rome’s republic of patricians and plebes, paterfamilias all. Our government is using the power of the state against the people of the nation. That is the crisis. Currently, the best — and perhaps only — way to resolve both the crisis and the problem is to end MAGA’s abuse of government, from Blakeman and Garbarino to Vance and Trump.
BRIAn KELLy Rockville Centre
Boards of trustees are responsible for preserving academic freedom and free speech, which are necessary for teaching and scholarship that challenge assumptions and assertions. Furthermore, college and university boards have three legal duties like those of corporate boards, the duties of care, loyalty and obedience. Care means that board members must prepare diligently, participate actively and protect the institution through appropriate oversight, including guarding against external interference.
The duty of loyalty requires that board members act in good faith and in the institution’s best interests, not out of selfinterest or the interest of a particular constituency, including alumni or a governor. The duty of obedience means that boards must uphold the institution’s charter and mission, maintaining public trust through transparent stewardship.
Surprisingly, fewer than 15 percent of American college and university trustees have any professional experience in higher education. This underscores the need for rigorous orientation in academic governance, the meaning of mission and academic freedom and the highereducation landscape.
Campus presidents are too seldom
thought of as educators, the keepers of an institution’s mission and legacy for transformational teaching and learning as well as protectors of academic freedom. But they have the opportunity and responsibility to define how they fulfill their roles. Are they chief executive officers or chief mission officers?
Chief executive officers focus on size and scale, organization and delegation, short-term goals, the efficiency of means, money and markets, customers, personnel and labor. By contrast, chief mission officers focus on purpose, the long term, the integrity of ends and means, the quality of programs and services, student success, and faculty as partners in a moral enterprise. Both require balanced budgets.
The faculty is the guardian of academic standards. The curriculum is a covenant in fulfillment of the mission for student learning. This requires a focus on students, third-party quality reviews, and faculty as partners in governance and leadership. These roles require preparation and continued learning, not just memories of how mentors fulfilled their roles.
The three parties to academic governance constitute a system that is intended to support academic freedom — the freedom to inquire, imagine and innovate, in fulfillment of missions for teaching, research and service.
Dr. Robert A. Scott is president emeritus of Adelphi University and the author of “How University Boards Work.”
