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HERALD BEaCon
Also serving Babylon, Bay Shore, Copiague, Deer Park, Farmingdale, Lindenhurst, North Babylon, West Babylon, West Islip and Wyandanch
Obituary: Gil W. Hanse
LIMEHOF scholarship winners
Lindenhurst grants tenure
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VOL. 75 NO. 33
AUGUST 7 - 13, 2025
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Alzheimer’s center opens in Amityville By CAROLYN JAMES
Carolyn James/Herald photos
The Rabinowitz family is joined by local officials at the ribbon cutting ceremony for the Barbara Rabinowitz Education and Resource Center in Amityville.
cjames@liherald.com
Michael Rabinowitz still remembers the pain of watching his mother, Barbara, slowly slip away. For six long years, Barbara Rabinowitz battled dementia — a fight neither she nor her family fully understood at the time. “I lost my temper with her more times than I’d like to admit,” Rabinowitz said. “My understanding of what my mother was going through was very limited. The last thing on my mind was that she was suffering from some type of disease.” Barbara Rabinowitz died in 2022, leaving behind a family shaped by heartbreak — and determined to help others avoid the same confusion and isolation. “This is not something that only affects the individual,” Rabinowitz said. “It affects the entire family.” In response, the Rabinowitz family partnered with the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America and longtime friend Charles J. Fuschillo, the foundation’s president and CEO. Together, they launched what they call a much-needed resource for families facing memory-related illnesses. CONTINUED ON PAGE 3
Town, school and community recognize Babylon student athletes By ALENA BERENBLATT Correspondent
The Babylon Board of Education meeting in July was a celebration of student athletic achievements, highlighting a year of notable accomplishments across multiple sports programs. “We had a very successful year, from the fall to the winter, and finished up very strongly in the spring,” said Athletic Director Mike DeJoseph. “There are a couple of tremendous achievements we’re recognizing, thanks to the efforts of our coaches, student-athletes and parents.” The varsity baseball team was honored for capturing the
New York State championship this spring, following titles at the Suffolk County and Long Island levels. “It was a long road. We dealt with some injuries earlier in the year,” said Coach Michael Birnbaum. “In the state tournament, we fell behind 4-0 in the first inning but came back to win 5-4. Then we shut out the final team, 2-0. It’s a real testament to their hard work all year.” Superintendent Carisa Manza thanked Birnbaum and Assistant Coach Rick Punzone for “cultivating excellence in these very stellar players.” She also acknowledged the dedication of parents and expressed pride in the student-athletes.
Babylon Village Mayor Mary Adams presented the team with a proclamation, commending them as “Suffolk County champs, Long Island champs and state champions.” “This great feat is an example of teamwork, team spirit and representing our village,” Adams said. “Panther pride.” Suffolk County Legislator Kevin McCaffrey also honored the team with a proclamation. “To say you had a good year athletically is an understatement,” McCaffrey said. “I hope you use this as a springboard to overcome future challenges and achieve continued success.” Finally, the team was recently recognized at a Babylon
Town Board meeting. Testifying to the character of the athletes, Birnbaum told Babylon Town Supervisor Rich Schaffer and all town officials, “It is not only what they do on the field; it is what they do off the field.” “Obviously, it is a team effort,” said Schaffer. “The team is only as strong as each individual player and that is why this team has something so special going
on.” The varsity softball team was recognized for winning the Suffolk County championship. “This team has a lot of potential. We made it to the Long Island championship and didn’t give up until the very end,” said Coach Nicole O’Donnell. “We’re a young team and this core group is going to take us to the next level next year.” CONTINUED ON PAGE 10