Cash Mob Coming, Village Mulls Sign Controls, Chamber is Busy, Busy, Busy

Ever heard of a Cash Mob? Well the business district will be the site of one this Saturday. Essentially a ‘cash mob’ is a social network effort that pulls in shoppers to a specific location with participants promising to spend at least $20 with any participating store. It’ll be happening from 11 a.m to 3 p.m. It doesn’t cost any money for a business to participate.

Babylon Village officials are mulling ways to prohibit future use of neon and LED business signs in the business district. Some notable signs though won’t be going anywhere as they’re grand fathered in, including the liquor store and Glen’s Dinette. Officials are also a bit unhappy with the increasing use of brown paper to cover windows of stores currently unoccupied or under construction.

The Babylon Chamber of Commerce will hold its first ever Chinese Auction fundraiser this Wednesday night and the fun starts at 6 p.m. at the American Legion Hall. As of last week the group had over 60 items donated and was expecting to double that once everything was collected. Chamber officials are hoping to raise funds to increase promotion efforts, and not just geared on the business district but to advertise the village as a place that offers something for everyone.

The Babylon Board of Education is continuing negotiations with the teacher’s collective bargaining unit and hearsay has that it could be a two-year contract this time around. The BOE has stated the current budget proposal does not include any projected raises for teachers though the state-mandated ‘step’ increments are funded. Such a short contract, with a zero raise in the first year at least, may make the most sense as next year’s budget decision making process will be even tougher than this year.

During the most recent BOE meeting one trustee discussed the possibility of generating a new revenue stream. Board Vice President Roger Katz is investigating sponsorships of classrooms, buildings, grounds and facilities. The gist is that a person or company can ‘sponsor’ a school building area for a certain amount of money and have a plaque with the sponsor's name on the door or building. The idea is in the early stage, said Katz, as it’s not yet determined what price point would be successful or what timeframe would work best -- think ‘Bio Lab Sponsor’ of the month or a one-year sponsorship of the football field. In either case the sponsor would be given the option to note their support with a plaque or be an anonymous benefactor.

Babylon Lanes will be hosting the eight annual Bowling for Wishes event held by the Marty Lyons Foundation on Saturday, April 28 from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. Organizers are hoping for a good turnout. For more information call 834-7035.

Congratulations to Emily Moran for achieving the highest award in Girl Scouts, the Gold Award. Patch will have a story and photos later this week.

Game enthusiasts might want to keep an eye on the Game Hut’s events calendar as the new video game store is running fun competitions on the weekends.

Mark your calendar for the annual art show sponsored by the Babylon Village Arts Council. It’s taking place June 1-2 this year.