Congratulations Judy Skillen: Our Historical Society President Has Been Named The Herald Person Of The Year!

This article first appeared in the Babylon Herald Beacon

HERALD PERSON OF THE YEAR JUDY SKILLEN

Tireless volunteer working to preserve Babylon's history

December 26, 2024

By Christie Leigh Babirad

For more than three decades, Judy Skillen has dedicated herself to the betterment of the Village of Babylon.

As president of the Babylon Village Historical & Preservation Society and in her many other endeavors, Skillen is always emphasizing the contributions of others rather than seeking personal recognition.

“Judy is not only one of my closest friends but may be the most skillful public administrator I’ve ever worked with,” said Wayne Horsley, historian at the society. “For more than 40 years, I have been amazed at how much she has accomplished without ever seeking credit.”

For those reasons and many more, Skillen is honored as the Babylon Herald Record’s Person of the Year.

A retired educator, Skillen served for many years as the chairperson of the Special Education program in the West Babylon School District. “I loved every minute and I was so fortunate that I had wonderful people who I worked with,” she said. Alongside her career, Skillen and her late husband, Gerald, were deeply involved with the Conklin House and the historical society. “We as a couple did a lot together, and when he passed away, I was honestly grateful to have these groups because each one has become like a family to me,” she said.

Person of the Year, Judy Skillen, is a devoted member of the Babylon Historical Society. Christie Leigh Babirad/Herald

Skillen’s involvement in the village began with her appointment to the Architectural Review Board, followed by the Planning Board, and eventually as a trustee of the historical society. She recalled how the mayor at the time would frequently ask her to assist with various projects. “I’ve always loved working with people, and I was eager to help,” she said.

Mayor Mary Adams praised Skillen for her long-standing commitment to the village. “Judy Skillen is an incredible woman who throughout the years has been dedicated to the best interests of the Village of Babylon,” Adams said. “Through Judy’s extraordinary efforts, sacrifice, and volunteerism, she has helped preserve the history of Babylon Village, brought awareness of the village’s history to all generations, and has contributed so much to making Babylon Village a great place to live, work, and raise a family.” Adams also called Skillen a “wonderful role model for women of all ages in the community.”

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Skillen led efforts to preserve and catalog historical artifacts that had been improperly stored. “Everything I do, I do because I truly enjoy it,” Skillen said. “What I do here in the village, I love, and I feel very privileged and honored.”

“Judy is an absolute gem,” said Village Trustee Sean Goodwin. “Her dedication to Babylon Village is truly awesome. I enjoy working on so many committees with her. She is my hero!”

One of Skillen’s most rewarding projects was planning the 20th anniversary commemoration of 9/11. “They honored me by letting me plan for that, and you know how sometimes when you plan something it just turns out perfect; that’s the way this was,” she said. But she credited her board of trustees and volunteers for making the event a success. “We just have the best board of trustees; each one has a special skill, talent or forte, and they give it so willingly,” she said. “It’s a team effort, and I have to say, it’s a lot of fun.”

Skillen has led many major initiatives, including the installation of the Robert Moses statue, the historic fountain outside the historical society building, and the Bayman statue. She is also spearheading the Heroes Fountain project at Hawley’s Pond, which will honor essential workers of the 2020 pandemic.

Marge Intreglia, a former colleague at West Babylon High School and a friend for nearly 50 years, described Skillen as “the ultimate professional with a tremendous amount of energy.” Intreglia praised her for her boundless efforts, noting that Skillen has also been involved in fundraising for Superstorm Sandy victims, as well as volunteering at the soup kitchen and for various drives. “She is everywhere and does everything while being so gracious and humble,” Intreglia said. “She also organized every get-together with our friend group and sends inspirational text messages since the pandemic.”

Skillen’s contributions have not gone unrecognized. In 2009, she received the Nathaniel Conklin Award for volunteerism and outstanding community service. She was also named a Woman of Distinction by New York State.

In addition to her work with the historical society, Skillen is the only woman currently serving on the village Planning Board and is an elder at the First Presbyterian Church of Babylon. She acknowledges the good work done by other community groups including the Babylon Beautification Society, the Rotary Club, the Lions Club, and the Pilot Club.

Reflecting on the recent holiday tree lighting in Babylon Village, Skillen shared her emotional reaction. “When that Santa Claus came on the bold firetruck, I started to cry,” she said. “I said to Mayor Mary Adams that it doesn’t get any better with the high school chorus singing ‘Here Comes Santa Claus.'”

Looking ahead, Skillen expressed her enthusiasm for future projects. “We’re just here to bring joy and happiness, which is a nice position to be in,” she said. “I’m very fortunate to have two great daughters, Kim and Michelle, and my three grandchildren beside me through it all.”

“Judy Skillen is a special treasure,” said Town of Babylon Supervisor Rich Schaffer. “She is always working in the background, getting it done in so many ways as a community leader and compassionate soul.”

The Value of Arts in the Community: More Than Entertainment

Since the beginning of the 20^th century, Babylon Village has not been without an arts and entertainment venue.

A Quick Timeline:

Early 1900s – 1914

The Alhambra Hall was an early center of community activities showing movies in the early-1900s in addition to live performances, dances, etc. Movies ceased to be shown there when it was sold to the Odd Fellows in February 1914 for a reported $13,300. The site is currently used for retail and was the site of the Suffrage Study Club.

1913 – 1922

The Babylon Theatre: Ground was broken for the original Babylon Theatre on January 24, 1913. It opened on April 15, 1913 and was closed in July 1922. Movies and vaudeville acts were featured.

1922 – 1924

The Capitol Theatre: Located on W. Main Street, just west of Deer Park Avenue. The Capitol Theatre was built in a Colonial Revival style, seating was provided for 1,050 in orchestra and balcony levels. It was equipped with a Wurlitzer organ. The property entered into bankruptcy and closed on December 20, 1924.

1925 – 2014

The Capitol reopened under new ownership with the name Babylon Theatre in February 1925. In later years it was operated by Prudential Theatres (1929). After a fire on April 3, 1955, it was remodeled. Later operated by United Artists it became a triplex on December 14, 1984. It was then operated by Clearview, and as of June 2013 it was operated by Bow-Tie Cinemas with a total capacity for 688. The Babylon Cinemas was closed on September 7, 2014.

2018 - Present

It re-opened as the 500-seat Argyle Theatre on April 21, 2018 Not only has the Argyle brought first class entertainment to Babylon Village, but is has established Babylon as a destination for quality entertainment. Audiences from other parts of the Island and beyond come to Babylon, not just for entertainment, but for a dining or shopping experience while they are here for a show.

The Many Ways Art Enriches a Community

The role of arts in a community is more than just a way to offer entertainment.

In this era of social media and isolation, it fosters a social connection, bringing people together in a real and tangible way. Watching a show alone on television can’t compare with the shared experience of laughter or a dramatic moment with an audience. Arranging a night or afternoon out with friends or family through the arts is a way of maintaining social connection.

The presence of art in community lends to its identity. A vibrant and important theatre such as the Argyle lends prestige to the Village.

Lastly, the presence of the arts in a community drives economic development. The role of arts and entertainment in a community is not to just offer a few hours of entertainment, but to also provide an opportunity for the visiting public to support local businesses and create a thriving downtown.

Have you seen the outside of the newly renovated Argyle Theatre? They have retained a neon “Babylon” sign as a nod to the past while providing Babylon Village with the highest quality entertainment.

Take a drive by, especially at night. It’s beautiful. Many thanks to Mark and Dylan Perlman for providing a first-class theatre experience and for helping Babylon Village maintain its reputation as a “go-to” location for arts and entertainment.

Wayne & Judy

THE GAZEBO - IN THE BEGINNING

 

What’s interesting and amazing about the creation of the Babylon Village Gazebo, was that it became a template for future projects scattered across Babylon Village. This would include projects like the Robert Moses Statue, The Bayman, the historic Fountain in front of the Historical Society, the growth of the Babylon Beautification Society, to name a few. 

The unique Babylon Village sauce that made these projects fly was an active group of citizens joining hands as full partners with their Village Government. Often, when civic projects are initiated, they begin as government inspired, like fixing our roads or building a park. Often, the government entity will appoint an advisory group to support the Governmental agencies final decisions. This, I may add, maybe the only way to build large civic projects. 

However, building the Village Gazebo in Babylon Village was different. The Beautification Society was fresh off the erection of the Statue,’ Sea Dreams’ that is in front of the library and was looking for a new project. The Beautification Society board (1983) zeroed in on the ageing Village Band shell which used to stand at the rear of the property where the Gazebo now exists.  I remember the seven or so dedicated woman and myself, who comprised the board representing a growing Society, sitting around my dining room table, in solidarity, ‘let's build a Gazebo’! I’m not sure at that time, any of us had any idea how to build a world class pubic gazebo. 

It would not have happened, if it were not for our next step, let’s bring our grand idea to the mayor. The mayor at the time was the venerable, long time office holder, Gilbert C. Hanse. It is not the time to go into detail, but let us say that Gilbert and I came from very different political backgrounds. Though there was a mutual distrust between the two of us, we both loved the Village and it was in our best interest to make this project work. Not to mention, Isabel Gallager, our founding President, remained very active throughout the project and was arguably the most respected person in our community. 

The partnership worked!  The Village and the Beautification team met regularly. I will never forget Gil pulling out a yellow ledger pad and detailing the exact costs the Village expended while the Beautification Society was lagging a little behind. A deal was a deal! The Society went into overdrive to raise additional funds. Of course, the Village fair was quickly becoming the largest single day fair on Long Island and a true money maker.  

The Village Gazebo was finally finished and dedicated on August 25,1985. The Robert Madey architected iconic structure stands proudly for all to use and admire. It has never lost its utilitarian luster! Just as important, the model to which it was created, Village and Civic activists as equal partners, became a time-tested winner. 

As an aside, watch Mayor Mary Adams and the Babylon Village Historical Society members work to create the Hawley’s Pond Essential Workers Fountain. A real test for the Village gazebo model. Oh yeah..Gil Hanse and I became friends. 

Wayne

Building Unity Starts at the Community Level

 In this time of deep division, national and global controversies take up a lot of media attention. The search for unity within our communities with our friends and neighbors sometimes seems elusive. And so the challenge of how to rebuild the bonds that seemed so strong in the past appears to be an impossibility.  But if we take the time to look in our own back yards instead of at the TV and cell phone screens we can find the answers.

In the 2 years that have passed since the height of the COVID-19 pandemic and our attempt to get back to a normal life, it’s easy to forget the isolation so many of us endured and the people who were there for their communities during these dark times.  There were the service workers who showed up at the grocery store and offered, with just a short conversation at the check-out counter, the precious connection with real people. There were the drivers who delivered us our necessities, and there were the medical professionals who tended to those who were so horribly affected by COVID and other diseases. All of them showed up for us 24/7 at sometimes great risk to their own health. They must not be forgotten.

Maureen Zeller, who worked as a nurse at Good Samaritan Hospital during this time, remembers not only seeing COVID patients, but distressed elderly patients whose home care personnel had stopped coming. It was a trying time, but she recalls telling her co-workers “this is what we signed up for when we became a nurse.”

And now it’s time to heal by joining together as a community. As a first step, the Village of Babylon and the Village of Babylon Historical and Preservation Society are partnering with labor unions, local businesses, volunteer groups, and the medical community to erect a heroes fountain which will serve as a permanent tribute to the dedicated and unsung heroes of the pandemic. The fountain, which will be located at Hawley’s Pond at the foot of Route 231 and Montauk Highway in Babylon Village will be 20 feet wide, 17 feet tall and topped by a likeness of a nurse designed by renowned California-based sculptor Jose Fernandez.

Unity can start in our own back yards. The recent pandemic has shown us that our need for communal connection and support is greater than the differences that so often threaten to divide us. It is important to recognize that each and every one of us can play a part, no matter how small, in the strengthening those bonds that unite us. It matters.

Wayne Horsley

Judy Skillen

Leaning into History: The Story of the Steeple (part 2)

 Standing Straight and Better than Ever

Something was not quite right......

 

Everyone in Babylon Village noticed it: the iconic steeple of the First Presbyterian Church was leaning. After one of our powerful January wind and rain storms, the 140 year old steeple was no longer standing straight and tall. People were concerned. Was it safe? Would it topple?

Thanks to the foresight of the original builders, there was no need to fear. Those men knew well the storms that sometimes lash this south shore village and they made provisions to ensure that the public would stay safe. A 1 inch cable was installed to make sure that if the steeple did tip, it wouldn't topple. So, while there was no immediate danger, the Church knew something had to be done. It had to be fixed. However, repairs turned out to be more challenging than originally thought.

First, it wasn’t easy to locate a company who specialized in slightly leaning church steeples. But, after an exhaustive search, Valley Restoration of Connecticut was finally contracted to set things right.

In May Valley Restoration went to work. First, scaffolding was built all around the church’s clock tower up to the very top of the steeple. Now that the outside was secured, it was on to the inside.

 

Scaffolding surrounds the steeple

Next, it turned out 140 years takes a toll on wood, and the wooden floor of the steeple was badly rotted in many places.

 

Rotting wood is painstakingly replaced and repaired

 After 2 months of work, the steeple was finally put back in its upright position. Topped by a newly polished weathervane, the steeple on Main Street is better and more beautiful than ever.

Shining brightly, the newly polished weather vane is a beauty

Over 100 years of history took a punch from mother nature, but with the help of some very talented craftsmen, this steeple will surely be able to stand tall for at least another 140 years. Like many of us, she's been through a lot, but she's still here.

The steeple of the First Presbyterian Church
remains an iconic figure in our Village

Judy Skillen & Wayne Horsley

Stay tuned for more Babylon Village history in the making.

Leaning into History: The Story of the Steeple (part 1)

You might have noticed that the steeple atop the First Presbyterian Church located in the heart of Babylon Village was not exactly upright for a little while (more about that next time). However, you might not know that this steeple has quite an interesting history.

The present-day church was erected in 1870. The lovely structure we see today on Main Street is actually the fourth of the Presbyterian churches which had served this area since 1730 (the original was destroyed by the British). In 1872, after the incorporation of the Town of Babylon, its official name changed to the First Presbyterian Church of Babylon, Long Island. The towering belfry, 250 feet above the ground, has served as a landmark for seaman since 1871 and is listed as a marker on nautical maps.

The tower also houses a four-faced clock.

“On Thursday evening, 12, (1871) a grand promenade concert and reception was given at the American Hotel, in Babylon, for the purpose of raising funds for the purchase of a village clock to be erected on the new Presbyterian Church. The ‘Reunion’ was a great success – mainly through the efforts of our enterprising neighbor, D.S.S. Sammis, who originated the idea of procuring a village clock by means of a social entertainment that would afford not only pleasure for a time, but furnish a reminder of the occasion for all time in a faithful public timepiece. Over $750 was netted for the object in view, which cost about $550. The surplus money was applied to the purchase of a new 1,000-pound bell for the new church.” And on Saturday, April 1, 1871, the Village Clock was put in position atop the First Presbyterian Church on East Main Street.”             

                            Excerpted from South Side Signal

In 2015, the clock, which was maintained by the Village, found itself without a municipal caretaker, the first time in over 144 years. The clock custodian, who manually tended to the winding and basic maintenance of the clock, retired. At that time, the Village-owned clock was given to the Church, who installed an electric motor to power its hands.

                                                                            Judy Skillen & Wayne Horsley

For more information about the history of the First Presbyterian Church, visit https://www.firstpresbabylon.org/.

 

Next up: The Story of the Steeple part 2: All fixed and better than ever.

Eavesdropping Through the Decades

 

It is with immense pleasure that both Judy Skillen and I are introducing an original blog on the history of Babylon Village. Judy, the present President of the Village of Babylon Historical Society and I, the newly appointed Village Historian, admit to a combined 100 years of ‘Being in the Room’ or at the very least, listening in on the events of our community.   The blog will be posted monthly on the Historical Society website and will be reaching out in the future to other venues to expand the readership. 

Babylon Village is in a unique position to tell the story of Long Island.  The one square mile community offers the best of Long Island. The fact that we have a rich history was central to the beginnings of Long Island and why we live here. Many of us heard the stories of some of our luminaries of the past: Robert Moses, Robert Keeshan (Captain Kangaroo), Nathanial Conklin and his mom, the Cuban Giants, and the list goes on. What has not been told is our more recent History. Babylon Village and its surrounding community has historically matured and changed at a fast pace and many stories have not yet been told. These are the stories we want to share, stories that will be new to some and may recall a memory for others.

Some of us have been promoting the axiom, ‘Babylon Village, where history is made’. The stories we share here will hopefully be poignant, often humorous and always enriching. As an example, we believe there is a direct line from the woman of a new group called the Beautification Society of the early 1970’s to the successful restaurant businesses of today. Do you remember the half barrels placed throughout downtown overflowing with flowers? From the Great South Bay and the collapse of the world class clam population to the erection of the Village Gazebo, there are stories to tell.  

Judy and I truly hope you will join us in reminding you of those stories. We have full access to the records of the Historical Society that will provide us with background primary sources and will often have photos that we can publish. As far as Judy and I are concerned, I quote Bob Dylan, ‘May your hands always be busy’- Forever Young -Wayne R. Horsley 

Next up: Leaning into History: The Story of the Steeple (part 1)