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.TOWN OF BABYLON . VILLAGE OF BABYLON •BABYLON SCHOOLS . DF.F.R P A R V crunm c

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( 0 A b v a a n N O iA a v apublished i eo Q O w io i la -a v a ** * * * * * * * *

6Fot '■ ___ 5 IX. MUUC

Publishers, Carolyn and Alfred James

Inside this w eek:• Around Town . . . Page 2• O bitu aries. . . Page 9C

See Inside for hool and Sports news

lie N otices: Your Right to Know: Pages. ..6 ,7 , 8C, 9C & IOC

The Babylon Beacon is the hometown newspaper of Nancy Fink of West Babylon

VOL. 44 NO. 19 THURSDAY, May 13,2010 50 CENTS

In the News ágtt------------------------------------ -----------------------

Five run for three seats in West Babylon Schools

The West Babylon School D istrict recently hosted famous Beatles tribute band, the Fab Faux, for a concert to benefit South Bay Elementary School, ' which was destroyed by a fire in February The group offered to put on a show free o f charge' after one o f its m em bers, R ich Pagano— who is a graduate o f W est Babylon High School— heard about the fire . A ll proceeds from ticket sales w ent to the schooL The Fab Faux played to a packed house at the W est Babylon High School JBeufoTHHng Arts Center In April and raised m ore than $24,000.

■ Thts story first appeared an die Beacon $ website

Town, County join forces to help residents avoid becoming victims of identity theft

Suffolk County Sheriff Vincent DeMarco and Babylon low» Supervisor Steve Bellone are hosting an event to create awareness about identity theft and to atm residents with information on how they can protect themselves from this crime.. Participating as an event'

¡farm er will be Iron M ountain, which 1$ providing an

¡free o f charge. There w ill also he important hand outs from the Sheriffs Office with information m i identity

a victim o f this crime. The event will runfrom lO aart to ' 1p.m., S a t, May 15 in the parking lot o f Babylon Town Hall, 200 East Sunrise Highway, Lindenhurst.

BHS grad wins tax honorsConor Chochdes, a ju n ior attack from Babylon who

plays lacrosse for Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute m Troy, New York was nam ed to the Second Team and leads th e team in m an-up tallies {3 ), H e is also third m assists (11) Fourth on the squad in points (25), goals (14), shots (54) and shots on goal (31 ), he is fifth in ground balls (27). Among the league's best, foe former standout a t Babylon High School is ninth in assists.

S e e I n s i d e f o r S c h o o l

B u d g e t r o u n d u p s

by Carolyn JamesFive candidates, including two incumbents, are running

for three seats on the West Babylon School Board. The election is at large and the three candidates who receive the highest number o f votes will be seated and serve three-year terms.

Incumbents Wendy DeGaetano and Diane Klein are challenged by a form er school board member, James Bocea, and by two newcomers, Donna Livoti and Peter Scarlatos. The third seat is currently held by Joseph Romano who did not seek reelection.

The candidates all said they respect the efforts o f their challengers and want to run because they believe they have something to offer the district, its students, staff and residents.

Three W I School Board incumbents running; two fa ce oppositionby Tiffany Elliott

West Islip School Board Vice President, AnnM arie LaRpsa faces opposition in her bid for reelection to the school board from Robert Maresca in an election scheduled for Tues., May 18. Also running is incumbent Eliot Bloom who is challenged by Scott Brady and Glenn Sloat, while longtime board m em ber George Smith is running unopposed for his seat.

LaRosa, a director o f a private preschool and mother o f two, is a founding mem ber o f PAWS, a non profit that supports the district's students. She is seeking her second three-year term.

"I believe my educational expertise has been a benefit to the W est Islip community," said LaRosa when asked why she should be reelected. "I advocated and instituted the Education Committee, which I am really proud of- because by meeting with district educators, we are able to see what the district needs."

Going forward, LaRosa said she would like to be able to work to improve the district's curriculum, particulary in the área o f technology. And, she's like to see the district complete its energy contract.'

Board hopeful Robert Maresca, a West Islip father o f three and an ironworker, did not return calls for com m ent by press time..

In cu m b e n t tru ste e E lio t B lo o m is fa c in g tw o challengers for his seat: Scott Brady and Glenn Sloat. Bloom, a 16-year West Islip resident and lawyer, is just wrapping up his first three-year term.

Bloom is the founder o f the West Islip Remembers, a non-profit that raised funds for families after 911 and a recipient o f the Nick LaGiglia Service Award. The father o f two and legal counsel to the state lodge o f Fraternal Order o f Police, has served on the board o f directors o f the West Islip Independent Club. He did not return calls for com m ent by press time.

Brady is a retired New York City Police Sergeant who works for Geico.

"I'd be a great addition to the board because I'd actually be at meetings," said Brady who challenged Bloom's attendance record. "Its inexcusable w hen a board

(Continued on page 8)

West Babylon School Board candidate Peter Scarlatos

“E very on e w ho is running is trying to do the right thing,” said Klein, who has served bn the board for three years and is a lifelong West Babylon resident “I want to continue to serve because I have en jo y e d h e lp in g to m eet th e challenges the district has faced and want to continue to serve the children and community”

K l e i n h a s tw o children who graduated from the district.%■ Bocca, who served on the board from 2001 through 2008 when he stepped down, said he wants to serve again. “I really enjoyed being on the board and working for the children,* said Bocca who has three children, one o f whom graduated West Babylon, and a second who is heading to the high school next year. He also has a one- year-old. “I know that everyone running for the board has their heart in the right place.”

Scarlatos is a retired New York City firefighter who has lived in West Babylon for more than 40 years. He has two children attending JFK Elementary School. “I think I can make a difference,” said Scarlatos, who coaches hockey and baseball. “I have lived here my whole life and now that I am retired, I have the time to give back to the community?

Scarlatos said his priority would be in working to balance quality education with a fiscally responsible budget. “We need good resources to maintain a quality educational system but we also need to look at some cost savings,” he said.

DeGaetano and Livoti did not return phone calls for an interview.

The election is Tues., May 18.

Three running for one seat on Babylon School Boardby Janine Logan

D om in ic Bencivenga and N ora Jean G aare are challenging incum bent Tom M elito for the one open seat on th e Babylon Sch oo l B oard in an at-large election. The vote takes place Tuesday, M ay 1 8 ,2 0 1 0 at the Babylon M em orial Grade School from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Here is a look at each o f the candidates.

(Continued on page 3)

C orrection in W B budget storyA story in last weeks edition (W BSD proposed budget increases spending 2% , cuts staff) contained an error in reporting the proposed 2010-2011 budget proposal. The correct figure for the proposed budget for the com ing year is $94.34 m illion not the higher figure reported. We apologize for the error.