Things have been especially quiet, with a lot of Babylonians away for winter break. Next Monday brings us to March, and everyone is praying for balmier weather…"Not yet," says Mother Nature! But spring does start later in March and can’t come too soon for most of us.

•The Babylon Fountain Committee is still busy trying to raise the funds to erect a replacement for the fountain donated by the Babylon Women’s Exchange at the end of the 19th century. Various fundraisers have been held and more are in the works. A small town in Pennsylvania, Ligonier, has generously agreed to let a cast be made of their fountain by the foundry that will re-create the statue for us. But Babylon will need to pay for the transport of the statue both ways and insure it while it’s out of Ligonier’s hands. Please make tax deductible donations to TheBabylon Village Fountain and send them to Valerie Fronzo, Village Treasurer, at 153 West Main St., Babylon, NY 11702.

•Get well wishes to Joann Fitts, who has been ailing for some time. Joann is one of the sweetest people in the village, and is missed by all her clients, co-workers, and friends.

•Also, best wishes for a complete and speedy recovery for Donna Consola. Donna broke a hip in an auto accident recently and is recovering.

•Today is the 17th anniversary of the first bombing of the World Trade Center in 1993. Who would have thought that nearly two decades later we would still be fighting against the same terrorists? Although we have come a long way in Iraq and are making progress in Afghanistan, it looks as though the war against these terrorists will go on for many more years.

•On a happier note, today is the birthday of Levi Strauss. This man created the first pairs of jeans for California’s gold miners in 1850. There are few people in the U.S. that have not had a favorite pair of jeans! Thanks, Levi!

•How often have you looked at that small, deserted, church on Montauk Highway in West Islip? Located opposite CVS and Eaton Lane, the church has been empty for ages. However, sources tell us that it won’t be empty for long. Two large houses are to be built on the church property along Church Lane, and supposedly, the church will become a medical office. As it happens, a month ago I called the realtor handling the property and was surprised to learn that the asking price for the church and property was over three million dollars. I was relieved, however, to find out the church itself is considered a historical property and cannot be destroyed or significantly altered.

The building itself was last used as a Ukrainian Catholic church. The piece of land that it sits on was the First Presbyterian Church or “First Church”, built in 1730. It was destroyed by the British army in 1778 during the American Revolution. An Episcopal church was later built on the site.

Later, Squire Issac Thompson of Sagtikos Manor (a relative of the Gardiner family) and his friends Tredwell, Anning, Mobray, Scudder, Sammis, and others, donated funds to build a new Presbyterian Church further west, in Babylon Village. TheSecond Church was built in 1783 after the war ended. The current Presbyterian Church is actually the third church to serve its parish.

Locals believe there may have been a cemetery on the grounds of the original church and are concerned that the construction underway may disturb such graves. If anyone has further information about the site of the original church and its grounds, please contact me, c/o The Babylon Beacon. Any further information will be published in this column.