IT WAS A VERY FITTING TRIBUTE for one of the longest and highly respected employees of Babylon Village, Mary Beth Wright, who served as confidential secretary to three Mayors—Gil Hanse, Don Conroy and Ralph Scordino for more than 30 years. She was initially hired by Mayor Hanse.

A beautiful farewell party was held for her last Wednesday at Lily Flanagan's following the board's acceptance of her letter of resignation. It was full of the many people who worked with Mary Beth through the years. Jut a few of those attending were, Mayor Ralph Scordino, Alice Zaruka, Judy Skillen, members of the Village Board, S.C. Leg. Wayne Horsley, Village Justice John Rafter, Jack Conroy and his family, Village Attorney and resident Joel Sikowitz, Sharon Accettella, John Bartow and many, many more. There were beautiful flowers, music and a delicious buffet with lots of hors d'oeuvres passed around during the evening. Pat Carley, Village Clerk, and others did an outstanding job planning for a wonderful gift for the honoree, which included a stay at a top-notch New York City hotel, dinner and tickets for a Broadway show. Mary Beth expressed her sincere appreciation and was gratified to see so many of her colleagues at the event who she had worked with over the years. And, the Mayor spoke about Mary Beth's professionalism—" She was able to work with people of all different personalities with tact and distinction," he said. "She was a complete professional and was capable of handling any situation that might arise confidently and tactfully. She will be missed by all who had the privilege of working with her," he concluded.

A NEW BABY IN THE ZARUKA HOUSEHOLD. Yes, Alice is a very proud great grandmother now and her son, John and his wife Linda are grandparents. Their son Billy and his wife Jenn of Vallejo, California welcomed their first child, a baby girl, Natalie Paige, on Sept. 10, 2008. She weighed 7 pounds, 8 ounces.

WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH LAGRANGE? Well, they are still open for business. Called their number after seeing a sign out front that says "reservations being accepted," and got a recording stating that reservations are available in the upcoming months and also for New Year's even when there will be a buffet party. We'll have more info. on their plans. Is it still "for sale?" We'll try to get answers to these questions for you in future issues.

HE COULD BE 50 0R 60, bur Ralph Scordino Sr., the father of our Mayor, celebrated his 90th birthday on Saturday. The family gathered together at the Hibernian Hall for a party to celebrate the happy occasion. Many happy returns to a great guy; we wish you all the best, Ralph.

A GIFT FOR THE WHOLE VILLAGE. When Gerry Skillen died last year, his wife Judy and his two daughters wanted to donate a gift everyone who knew him would enjoy. There were donations in his memory to the Babylon Presbyterian Church where Gerry and Judy and their daughters were active members— so they combined these funds with their own donation to buy a Carillon, which plays bells and songs on a continuous basis from 9 a.m., through 9 p.m. The Verdin Company in Maryland established back in the 1800s was selected and now when you shop or just go for a stroll in the Village, you can hear beautiful music, including patriotic songs, bells, chimes, etc. The music brings a smile to the faces of Villagers, "just like Gerry's smile," said his wife. The Skillen family loved the Village and they loved the Village Presbyterian Church. This was an ideal way to preserve his memory and to bring joy to the community he loved so much. Our thanks, and the thanks of the Babylon Villagers who will enjoy the music for years to come, to the Skillen family.