On Sunday, May 18th, Councilman Anthony Manetta and Town Clerk Gerry Compitello hosted Mangia on the Lawn! This vibrant celebration of Italian culture, cuisine, and community took place on the Great Lawn at Town Hall. Pictured to
right and left of Councilman Manetta (center) are performers Angelo Venuto and his daughter Maria Venuto. Also pictured are guests who attended the festival.
In March, West Babylon High School senior Mansimaar Birk competed in Rochester, New York, at the DECA State Competition. Birk placed sixth in her area of Principles of Business Management and Administration and qualified for the International Career Development Conference Competition in Orlando, Florida, in April. ICDC is the culmination of the DECA year. There were more than 26,000 high school students and teacher-advisors gathered from 49 states and eight countries. Birk competed in an exam in her field and a role-play interview by a business professional acting as a judge. Congratulations to Birk for representing West Babylon on the DECA stage. Photo courtesy of West Babylon School District
On April 23, West Babylon Senior High School students participated in the annual Long Island Regional Envirothon. This competition brings together schools from Nassau and Suffolk counties to test their knowledge in the topics of wildlife, soil, aquatics, forestry and a current events issue.
Accompanied by Mrs.
Durbin, Ms. Tichy and Ms. Kirby, West Babylon’s three teams demonstrated their understanding about our local ecosystems as well as presenting their solution to a deforestation and reforestation issue currently impacting New York State. Congratulations to the teams for taking part in this competition that helps promote environmental
stewardship and the following participants: David Aguilar, Christopher Alexiadis, Greg Almonacid, Mansimaar Birk, Aminah Booker, Fernandez Amiram, Jimmy Cameau, Philip Dolega, Ashley Gil, Jennise Gomez, William Horowitz, Leo Jin, Kaylah JonesGriffith, Alura Liles and Olivia Stuart.
WEDNESDAY, MAY 28th
6:00PM MYSTERY BINGO
The Memorare Columbiettes are hosting a Mystery Bingo evening. $35 per person includes 8 games of bingo, wine, soda, snacks and dessert. Mystery clues lead to winners' prizes. Raffles, 50/50 and lotto board chances will also be available for purhase. Memorare Council, 2183 Jackson Ave. Seaford, NY 11783. For tickets and information call: Kathy LoFrese 516221-1398 or Lisa Koening 516-826-5751
THURSDAY, MAY 29th & THURSDAY, JUNE 5th
6:45PM
BINGO THURSDAY NIGHTS
$2000 Cash Prizes. Doors Open 5:00pm. - Games start 6:45pm. Cost: 5.00. Knights of Columbus, 78 Hempstead Ave., Lynbrook, NY 11563. For more information, please call 516-887-2228
FRIDAY, MAY 30th
9:00AM-5:00PM LONG ISLAND ORCHID FESTIVAL
The Long Island Orchid Society will be holding its 10th annual festival at Planting Fields Arboretum in Oyster Bay on May 30-June 1, 2025, from 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM. This year’s theme is all about terrariums and the many ways they are used to grow orchids. Free Event. Planting Fields Arboretum, 1395 Planting Fields Road, Oyster Bay, NY 11771. For more information, please call Sherri Evans 516 338 6604
Events must be submitted at least two weeks prior to the event date and will run free of charge on a space available basis. For more info, call 631.226.2636 x275 or send events to editorial@longislandmediagroup.com
SATURDAY, MAY 31st
10:00AM Registration
12:30PM Start
4th ANNUAL 5K CROSS COUNTRY RUN/WALK
VFW Post 6249 Joseph P. Dwyer Weekend Race Event. Rain or Shine. Proceeds to benefit the Joseph Dwyer Veterans Peer Support Project. Rocky Point HS, 82 Rocky Point, Yaphank Road. Register: strongislandrunningclub.com. For more information, please call the VFW 631-744-9106 or 631-873-8272. vfw6249@yahoo.com. Donations welcome!
5:00PM-8:00PM COMEDY & KARAOKE NIGHT
First Presbyterian Church, 497 Pulaski Rd Greenlawn, NY 11740. Tickets $10/pp ~ Sold at the Door (Pizza, Salad, Dessert & Beverages) Featuring; Squeaky Clean Comedienne Pat Shea & Joyful Noise Karaoke with DJ Larry.
THURSDAY, FRIDAY & SATURDAY thru MAY 31st
11:00AM-4:00PM UP-CYCLED OCEAN CRAFTS
Explore the wildlife of the Long Island Sound as you create your own using recycled materials in this self-guided activity. Leave your creation with us to be featured in our "Recycled Ecosystem" display. Free with Admission. The Whaling Museum & Education Center 301 Main St. Cold Spring Harbor, NY 11724. For more information, please call Cristina Ainslie 631-367-3418
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UPCOMING
JUNE EVENTS
SUNDAY, JUNE 1st
10:00AM-4:00PM
NORTH BABYLON LIONS CLUB STREET FAIR
(rain date 6/8) Deer Park Ave From Hale Rd to Stone Ave. Bounce Rides, Over 100 Craft Artisans, Vendors, Food trucks, Raffles and 50/50's. For more information, please contact Peter O'Leary 516383-0553
THURSDAY, JUNE 5th
Doors open 6:30PM, Event begins 7:00PM
A HILARIOUS HYPNOSIS SHOW Brumidi Lodge, 2075 Deer Park Ave. in Deer Park, NY 11729. Admission includes a complimentary Brumidi Bento Snack Box, Coffee/Tea, Cash Bar, & Raffles. Good, clean fun appropriate for all ages. For more information, please call Linda Galensas 516-356-0949
7:00PM
FOURTH ANNUAL
HERE-AND-NOW ART EXHIBITION
Sponsored by Long Island Arts Council at Freeport June 1 to 28, Reception: Thursday, June 5, 7 p.m. This wide-ranging, eclectic, and inspiring show demonstrates the breadth and talent of the artists. Free Event. Freeport Memorial Library, 144 West Merrick Road Freeport, NY 11520. For more information, please call Cindy Soto 516-379-3274
Collegiate Athletic Association indicates only a small fraction of young people will get that chance. The NCAA reports that roughly eight million students currently participate in high school sports in the United States, while less than half a million athletes compete at the collegiate level. Football is among the most popular sports at both the high school and college level. Though more than one million studentathletes compete in high school football, data from a recent NCAA Sports Sponsorship and Participation Rates Report indicates that just a little more than 73,000 played college football during that school year.
PSEG Long Island is energized to announce details of its fifth annual Power to Feed Long Island food drive initiative and invites Long Islanders to make a donation to support their neighbors.
Beginning June 13 in Massapequa, PSEG Long Island will set up collection bins at eight different Stop & Shop supermarkets on eight different Fridays through the summer. The annual collection campaign supports Island Harvest Food Bank’s mission to feed neighbors facing food insecurity.
Hundreds of thousands of Long Island families struggle with hunger and food insecurity throughout the year. During the summer months, there is a significant reduction in food donations to local food banks, pantries and other programs. Compounding the issue, children are not in school where they can receive free or reduced-cost breakfast and lunch.
Enter PSEG Long Island’s Power to Feed Long Island. Between June 13 and the end of September, PSEG Long Island will set up collection boxes at eight Stop & Shop supermarket locations across Long Island (schedule is below) where community members can donate nonperishable food and essential personal care needs. The items collected at these drives will be distributed to families through local soup kitchens, nourishment centers, food pantries and other outreach programs in the neighborhood.
Over the past four years, Long Islanders have supported PSEG Long Island’s Power to Feed Long Island events by donating the equivalent of 130,000 meals to help people in their communities struggling to feed their families.
“As we celebrate the fifth year of PSEG Long Island’s Power to Feed Long Island, we thank the generous Long Islanders who have opened their hearts and wallets to help their neighbors in need each year,” said David Lyons, interim president and COO, PSEG Long Island. “There is hunger in every ZIP code on Long Island, and PSEG Long Island is energized to partner with Island Harvest and Stop & Shop once again to help families in our communities who need it, especially during the difficult summer months.”
“PSEG Long Island has long been a valued partner with us on the frontlines in our mission to end hunger and reduce food waste on Long Island,” said Randi Shubin Dresner, president and CEO, Island Harvest Food Bank. “The generous support from PSEG Long Island, Stop & Shop, and their customers is not just a lifeline, but a beacon of hope for
our neighbors who may be a paycheck away from not being able to provide for themselves and their families a basic human right, like food.”
“As a leading grocery retailer on Long Island, we understand the critical role we play in fighting hunger in our communities,” said Daniel Wolk, external communications manager at Stop & Shop.
“We are proud to once again welcome PSEG Long Island and Island Harvest to our stores this summer for the Power to Feed Long Island food drive. With food banks facing increasing demand, we are deeply committed to supporting Island Harvest’s mission to end hunger across Nassau and Suffolk counties.”
As a thank you to customers who make onsite donations, PSEG Long Island volunteers will be providing contributors free LED lightbulbs and reusable shopping bags. Representatives from PSEG Long Island will be available at each location to provide information on financial programs and money-saving energy efficiency options. Island Harvest Food Bank personnel will be in attendance to share information on its hunger relief programs.
Island Harvest requests specific items, including:
Nonperishable food: Healthy varieties of canned foods, such as low-sodium beans, vegetables, soups, pasta sauces and tomato varieties, tuna and chicken, rice, pasta, nut butters, olive and canola oil, spices and pet food (no glass containers please).
Household essentials: Toilet paper, paper towels, hand sanitizer, laundry detergent and dish soap.
Personal care items: Toothpaste, toothbrushes, deodorant, soap, shampoo, conditioner, feminine care products and shaving products, antibacterial wipes and washcloths.
Baby care items: Diapers, wipes, formula, creams, ointments and baby wash.
Cash or online monetary donations: Island Harvest estimates each dollar donated provides roughly two meals.
For a full list of suggested donations, additional details about PSEG Long Island’s Power to Feed Long Island, including a video of last year’s events, or to make an online donation, visit psegliny. com/feedLI. Information on PSEG Long Island’s financial assistance programs are available here: psegliny.com/myaccount/ customersupport/financialassistance. For
The schedule for PSEG Long Island’s Power to Feed Long Island 2025 is as follows:
information about Island Harvest and the services it provides, visit islandharvest. org or call 631-873-4775.
View and download photos of last
year’s Power to Feed Long Island events here: flickr.com/photos/psegli/ collections/72157722842243506/
Suffolk Legislator Tom Donnelly (D-Deer Park) is pleased to inform Babylon and Huntington residents about the local Suffolk County Office for the Aging Spring 2025 Senior Advocate Schedule. Senior advocates are County representatives who come out into the community and assist seniors with information gathering, completion of eligibility or recertification applications and referrals to appropriate community agencies.
“It is so important for us to provide our senior citizens with the assistance and information they need in ways that are most convenient to them. These visits allow our seniors to connect with our County’s senior advocates right in their own communities,” said Legislator Donnelly. “I hope all those interested in the services that the Suffolk County Office for the Aging provides will take advantage of this opportunity.”
This spring, Senior
Advocates will be visiting the following locations in the Town of Babylon:
• North Amityville Nutrition Center, 48-C Cedar Road, Amityville: Wednesday, June 18, 10 am – 1 pm
• Rainbow Center, 293 Buffalo Avenue, Lindenhurst: Wednesday, June 4, 8:30 – 11:00 am
• Tanner Park Senior Nutrition, 2 Tanner Park, Copiague: Wednesday, June 11, 8:30 am – 1 pm
• Spangle Drive Center, 4385 Spangle Drive, North Babylon: Tuesday, June 24, 12 – 3:00 pm
• Wyandanch Senior Nutrition, 28 Wyandanch Avenue, Wyandanch: Wednesday, June 11, 10 am – 1 pm
In Huntington, they will be visiting the following:
• Huntington Senior Nutrition Center, 423 Park Avenue, Huntington: Wednesday, June 18, 8:30 am – 2:00 pm
• Paumanack Village 5 & 6, 100 Adriatic Drive, Melville: Thursdays, May
29 & June 26, 8:30 am –12 pm; residents only Advocates assist with the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP – formerly known as food stamps), Medicare Savings Program and Heating Emergency Assistance Program (HEAP) applications. They also can provide information on Medicare, answer questions and make recommendations and referrals. For more information about available services or directions to any of these locations, please call the Suffolk County Office for the Aging at (631) 853-8200.
“For more than three decades, the Suffolk County Office for the Aging has been providing full and troublefree access to critical services,” Donnelly said. “I am glad to see their great professional community outreach program continue and hope that every senior resident will make full use of it.”
Theopportunity to use ingredients synonymous with spring is upon us. Such is the case with the following recipe for “Prosciutto, Tomatoes & Peas” from Biba Caggiano’s “Spaghetti Sauces,” (Gibbs Smith), which employs spring shallots to pack a flavorful punch for a light dish that’s ideal for a warm night.
Serves 4 to 6
1 1/2 pounds unshelled fresh peas or 1 10-ounce package frozen peas, thawed
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup minced shallots
2 cloves garlic, minced
1. Shell the fresh peas and cook them in a medium saucepan of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to the bite, 3 to 4 minutes.
2. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the shallots and cook until lightly golden and soft. Add the garlic, stir once or twice, and then add the tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper and cook until the tomatoes begin to soften, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the prosciutto, stir for a minute or two, and then add the peas. Stir until the peas are heated through. Turn off the heat.
5 to 6 fresh plum tomatoes, minced
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
1/4 pound sliced prosciutto, diced
1 pound spaghetti
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
3. Meanwhile, cook the spaghetti in boiling salted water according to package directions.
4. When pasta is almost done, scoop up and reserve 1/2 cup of the cooking water. Drain spaghetti and add to the skillet. Add the butter and mix quickly over low heat until pasta and sauce are well combined. Add a little of the reserved cooking water if needed. Taste, adjust the seasoning and serve with a little sprinkle of the Parmigiano cheese
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services reports that pollen season is getting longer and increasing in intensity. Shifts in precipitation patterns, more frost-free days, warmer seasonal air temperatures, and greater amounts of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, each of which are side effects of
climate change, have led to higher concentrations of pollen in the air and longer pollen seasons. Data from the USA National Phenology Network, which provides data on the timing of seasonal events in plants and animals to ensure the well-being of humans, ecosystems and natural resources, indicates total
pollen counts increased by as much as 21 percent between 1990 and 2018. Such data may come as no surprise to people with asthma and seasonal allergies who have noticed the side effects of such conditions tend to start earlier than in the past and extend for longer periods of time than in previous years.
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Insurance Leap-Frog: The Game of the Decade While talking to your friends, neighbors and family has the topic of conversation changed to the high cost of insurance. Everyone’s Home and Auto insurance premiums have gone through the roof, regardless of whether they have filed a claim. A result of the pandemic is that folks are running to switch to a lower priced carrier…..only to have the new carrier then raise that premium. And, so the game continues. We leap to the next carrier.
Insurance is a pool of money. Customers pay money into the pool and the pool pays out to cover claims. Unfortunately, over the last few years, the pool has gone dry. Unfathomable weather events have surprised insurers. No one could expect wild-fires to erupt in more than 20% of the country. Nor could we expect an unprecedented number of tornados or Cat 4 and 5 hurricanes. And, no, these occurrences aren’t just elsewhere. New York saw over 20 tornados this past year or so, as well as wild fires and torrential rains that drowned people in their basements and swept parts of the West Point highway down into the Hudson.
Auto insurers have paid out Comprehensive claims due to these weather events. Additionally, regular collisions cost insurers more than they’ve ever paid out before. Not only are the nuts on the road causing more accidents, but cars also cost more to repair due to advanced technology and parts shortages.
So, what is the consumer to do
when they learn that their neighbor pays half of what they do? First, realize that no two people are the same, nor are any two policies. Seldom are two ‘identical’ policies, issued by different companies the same. Intrinsic coverages are often hugely different. So, too, are each of our individual needs. What is suitable coverage for one person is grossly inadequate for another person and too much insurance for another.
What should you do? Talk to insurance agents until you find the one you’re comfortable with. This should be no different than choosing your doctor. A good agent will learn about you, what you stand to lose, and what risks you present. Then, a proper line of coverage will be prescribed. Next, don’t compare the prices of different quotes but, rather, compare the different prescriptions. Choose the agent and policy based on the best value for reasonable coverage.
Scores of people insist that exercising with a partner is a great way to remain committed to a fitness regimen, and now research is beginning to support that assertion. A 2023 study from researchers in Japan published in the Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics found that exercising both alone and with a partner two or more times a week helped to lower risk of cognitive impairment, but the risk was decreased by a more significant margin among those who exercised with others.
