West Islip faced Kings Park in a Suffolk boys lacrosse matchup on Tuesday Kings Park's Luke Griffin (19) looks to get around West Islip's Mickey Faulkner (44) in the first quarter during a Suffolk boys lacrosse game on Tuesday April 29 West Islip's Travis Vine (13) looks to clear in the first quarter during a Suffolk boys lacrosse game on Tuesday April 29 West Islip's Mickey Faulkner (44) gets around Kings Park's Aidan Barbosa (9) in the second quarter during a Suffolk boys lacrosse game on Tuesday April 29 Kings Park's Jack Salva (16) looks to get around West Islip's Kevin Cinotti (14) in the fourth quarter during a Suffolk boys lacrosse game on Tuesday April 29 Kings Park's Jack Salva (16) gets around West Islip's Kevin Cinotti (14) in the fourth quarter during a Suffolk boys lacrosse game on Tuesday April 29 West Islip's Derek Busking (27) looks to get around Kings Park's Jake Tetrault (23) in the second quarter during a Suffolk boys lacrosse game on Tuesday April 29 Kings Park's Jack Salva (16) looks to get around West Islip's Angelo Lanteri (5) in the first quarter during a Suffolk boys lacrosse game on Tuesday April 29 West Islip's Will Schwarz (1) looks to get around Kings Park's JJ Joyce (21) in the first quarter during a Suffolk boys lacrosse game on Tuesday April 29 Kings Park's Andrew Laviano (5) gains control of a face-off in the third quarter during a Suffolk boys lacrosse game on Tuesday April 29 Kings Park's Chris Davis (34) looks to pass in the third quarter during a Suffolk boys lacrosse game on Tuesday April 29 Kings Park's Luke Griffin (19) moves the ball in the third quarter during a Suffolk boys lacrosse game on Tuesday April 29 Kings Park's Nick Vicinanza (42) plays the ball in the first quarter during a Suffolk boys lacrosse game on Tuesday April 29 West Islip's Michael Hazelton (26) looks to get around Kings Park's Jake Tetrault (23) in the fourth quarter during a Suffolk boys lacrosse game on Tuesday April 29 West Islip's Chase Busking (9) looks to get away from Kings Park's JJ Joyce (21) in the fourth quarter during a Suffolk boys lacrosse game on Tuesday April 29 Kings Park's Jack Salva (16) scores in the first quarter during a Suffolk boys lacrosse game on Tuesday April 29 Kings Park's Jack Salva (16) loses his footing while trying to get around West Islip's Michael Hazelton (26) in the second quarter during a Suffolk boys lacrosse game on Tuesday April 29 Kings Park's Andrew Laviano (5) wins a face-off over West Islip's Kevin Cinotti (14) in the third quarter during a Suffolk boys lacrosse game on Tuesday April 29 West Islip's Nick Henry (7) takes a shot in the third quarter during a Suffolk boys lacrosse game on Tuesday April 29 The Newsday app makes it easier to access content without having to log in Unlimited Digital AccessOnly 25¢for 6 months A pair of undefeated New York teams and a strong-starting New Jersey team entered the latest USA Lacrosse Public High School Boys' National Top 25 West Islip (N.Y.) improved to 8-0 to debut at No 18 The Lions have more than doubled opponents this year jumping out to a 121-56 advantage for the season Also unbeaten through the early going is Canandaigua (N.Y.) after a 13-12 win over Spencerport on Tuesday moved them to 7-0 The Gray Wolves also had a high-scoring 18-15 win over Jamesville-DeWitt (N.Y.) and debut at No 21 Ridgewood (N.J.) after almost coming back with nine second-half goals One-goal wins over Glen Ridge (N.J.) and Bergen Catholic (N.J.) have helped them match their longest win streak of the season at four 1 spot despite two losses – they came at the hands of private powers Delbarton (N.J.) and Seton Hall Prep (N.J.) 11 Moorestown on Saturday in a showdown with Jersey Its lone loss is by a goal to private school Pingry (N.J.) and their recent wins have been impressive enough to spring them forward nine spots Ridgewood was on the receiving end of another tough loss this week Just like last year’s North Jersey Group 4 final Koby Waldman scored a hat trick and had two assists and Westfield rallied from a 5-1 deficit for a 9-8 overtime win It was Ridgewood’s fifth one-goal game of the season Their outstanding schedule and competitiveness against it has kept them in the rankings Horace Greeley (N.Y.) slides up three spots into the Top 10 after keeping its season-opening win streak going The Quakers face a Rye (N.Y.) team on the rise Rye has won three straight after a loss to Garden City (N.Y.) to move up to No East Islip (N.Y.) also jumped a few spots to No 13 after its 7-1 start 14 Lake Mary (Fla.) tries to extend its unbeaten season to 17 games in the state playoffs Lucy Beckham (S.C.) is new to the South Region rankings Apex (N.C.) lost a game to open the door for Lucy Beckham which has been strong all season and won 12 of their last 13 games including avenging an early-season loss to Wando (S.C.) Scroll below for this week's USA Lacrosse Public High School Boys' National Top 25 and Regional Top 10 lists with each team's previous ranking denoted in parenthesis Compiled by USA Lacrosse writers with input from coaches around the country, these rankings (also found here in our hub) will be updated weekly on Thursdays Also considered (alphabetical order): Arapahoe (Colo.) USA Lacrosse is a 501(c)3 tax-exempt charitable organization (EIN 52-1765246) Issue 293 John Teufel Jan 22 probably the most famous person to hail from my hometown of West Islip Marino is a good “most famous.” People like him But Marino’s been replaced. The most famous West Islip alum now is Daniel Penny, who choked a Black man named Jordan Neely to death on a New York City subway train because Neely was yelling about his suffering as a homeless person. Daniel Penny, the local boy who killed a guy. I don’t think Ken Marino ever got a skybox with the President at a football game I wanted to shrug off my shared history with Penny as a sad twist of life. But the very same day Penny was acquitted, the West Islip basketball team made the news for hurling racial slurs at a rival team And I watched a popular West Islip Facebook group hail Penny in almost messianic terms I was forced to think more deeply about the town that gave me a genuinely beautiful childhood — even while it was infamously known to both residents and outsiders as “White Islip.” West Islip is technically a hamlet and school district in the Town of Islip I lived there for the first 18 years of my life and for a few random months in my 20s as I halfheartedly tried to kick an alcohol habit It’s no mystery why families flock to Suffolk or why housing prices are through the roof West Islip in particular boasts wildly easy beach access as the bridge to Robert Moses State Park runs right through town My house growing up was 10 minutes away from the beach without traffic My grandparents lived in town on the Great South Bay and had a houseboat so we spent two weeks every summer on Fire Island (the not gay part) Growing up in WI means the beach never leaves you A common gripe during my teenage years was that the cops had nothing to do other than bust kids for drinking and smoking weed (which was an accurate complaint) I was allowed to ride my bike alone pretty much wherever I wanted that led Penny to react murderously when confronted with a man raising his voice In “White Islip,” Penny could not have been around many Black people growing up While some boomers will insist that the genesis of the town’s nickname is the amount of cocaine that flowed through it in the ’70s my friends and I always knew it to refer to the town’s racial makeup.  I can remember a total of one Black person in my entire high school I don’t think there were any Asians or Latinos it’s diversified slightly since my time there but the town is still 86% white and just 0.7% Black West Islip is a prosperous town that still thrives on working-class vibes with moms who shop at big-box stores and dads who drive Ford trucks Penny almost certainly did not grow up casually tossing around N-bombs the West Islip I’ve known displayed a strong vein of ethnic tribalism — Blacks and whites belong with their own one lifelong West Islip resident tried to convince me that “not wanting to live around Blacks” was not which I felt (particularly from older residents) on every visit  back after I moved to New York City in 2002 But I know that apart from his stint in the military He carried this history onto that subway car with him Now, West Islip is also a MAGA stronghold. Every single voting district in the town went for Trump by more than 65% One house I had to pass frequently when visiting family had a massive poster of a jacked shirtless Trump holding a machine gun like an ’80s action star West Islip is in many ways a microcosm of how Trump came to power A good chunk of its population is now comfortable-bordering-on-rich is dotted with McMansions that in recent years have replaced the old wood and brick ranches built in the ’50s and ’60s But West Islip thrives on working-class vibes Much of the wealth comes not from law or medicine WASPs are a distinct minority; the town is heavily Italian And as in much of downstate white New York primed the town to become a bastion of Trumpism These were people our politics forgot — irreligious white and strongly resentful of anything smelling like elitism Even as he has mostly kept his head down after getting away with murder he accepted Trump’s high profile skybox invite Penny was destined to become another Kyle Rittenhouse at least if the town’s Facebook page is a good gauge Posts celebrating his acquittal garner hundreds of hearts and likes with not a single critical reply to be seen GOD IS GOOD;” “A hero in every respect.” One would think Penny just made the game-winning shot in the NBA playoffs with its posts threatening gun violence against intruders or excusing and downplaying the racist basketball incident I feel like I barely know the town I came from Some memories peek through — a father casually correcting his son in front of me for referring to “gay people” instead of “fags.” But when I came out of the closet Or did decades of racial exclusivity and the rising cost of living curdle the population The home I grew up in was once for the middle class came through Penny’s arms as he held Neely in a death grip It’s not a coincidence that Neely was killed by an outsider — a New Yorker would know that sometimes And I can’t help but feel it wasn’t a coincidence that he came from West Islip Why Daniel Penny Walked Eileen Weitzman Dec 20 The case against Jordan Neely’s killer was sabotaged by the prosecution’s excessive deference toward the former Marine Who Killed Maria Hernandez? Theodore Hamm Feb 5 New evidence emerges that prosecutors cut corners to put away an innocent man New York Deserves The Indy Nicholas Powers Jan 7 The newspaper that treats the working class with respect while it skewers the rich and the powerful needs your support today Greater Babylon coverage is funded in part by The Argyle Theatre, where Broadway comes to Babylon. Click here for ‘Fiddler on the Roof’ tickets Savers is taking up shop in the former Wild by Nature store on Union Boulevard in West Islip The largest for-profit thrift operator in North America opens its newest Long Island location on Thursday a Savers representative told Greater Long Island this week “We’re thrilled to open our new Savers in the heart of West Islip and to be part of such a welcoming community,” said Frank Parrino, the new Savers store manager “Our mission is to champion reuse and inspire a future where secondhand is second nature We can’t wait for West Islip to experience the excitement of thrifting and making a positive impact together.” will be bringing a wide selection of secondhand goods into the area and on a daily basis at the adjoining Savers donations center Donations will be accepted on behalf of the store’s nonprofit partner, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Long Island The company purchases secondhand items from nonprofit partners to sell in its retail stores Savers notes that these partners support at-risk youth Another Suffolk Savers opened Dec. 12 at the Centereach Square shopping plaza in Centereach West Islip will mark the sixth Savers store on Long Island Nassau’s lone Savers location operates at 188 Hempstead Turnpike in W Photo credit: Savers on Facebook Tap here to see what’s happening Kings Park's Jack Salva (16) looks to get around West Islip's Kevin Cinotti (14) in the fourth quarter during the Suffolk boys lacrosse game on Tuesday April 29 Down two with less than five minutes remaining The Kingsmen had just allowed three unanswered goals to undefeated West Islip to open the fourth quarter and found themselves trailing by one But no game is ever over when senior captain Jack Salva is on the field Salva responded with a missile into the top left corner and scored another goal less than a minute later for Kings Park which scored five fourth-quarter goals in an 11-9 comeback win at West Islip Tuesday the fourth quarter has been our quarter,” Salva said “Obviously we’re working on playing complete games but in the fourth quarter we always find a way to come back and finish the game.” represented a back-and-forth game that saw five different lead changes as neither team led by more than two goals Salva finished with a game-high seven points Senior Chris Davis scored the go-ahead goal with 3:15 remaining before senior Billy Berhalter threaded a perfect feed to junior Matt Corrado to give Kings Park a 10-8 lead West Islip senior Derek Busking came alive in the fourth quarter logging all four of his points which included a bruising goal through numerous defenders to cut Kings Park’s lead to one That’s when Kings Park FOGO Andrew Laviano showed how and why he’s so important to this team The junior won his 19th faceoff — finishing 19-for-23 — to give Kings Park (10-1) possession and eventually an insurance goal from senior Luke Griffin off a great pass from junior Aidan Barbosa against an open net with 22 seconds left “I had to adapt to the faceoff guy and the refs,” Laviano said “I’m able to do that with the help of my wings and by doing what I know I can do on the X.” Junior goalie Nick Vicinanza controlled the cage to the tune of 18 saves Four of the first five goals by West Islip (10-1) — with three coming from junior Chase Busking — came courtesy of follow-up shots after a save from Vicinanza it was wrapped from there,” Vicinanza said Laviano pointed to Kings Park’s desire to send a message that its only loss — an 8-7 result to Mount Sinai on April 17 — was simply a blip Kings Park has won all three of its games since Michael Sicoli covers high school sports for Newsday He graduated from Quinnipiac in 2022 and left with a master’s degree in sports journalism in 2023 West Islip's Derek Busking (27) moves the ball in the third quarter during a Suffolk boys lacrosse game on Tuesday West Islip senior Derek Busking burst from behind the cage with the ball in his stick cradling it as he cut to his left before ripping a one-armed shot for a score minutes into the fourth quarter against Islip Tuesday afternoon eyebrow-raising and a perfect example of physical dominance That also sums up the 6-0 West Islip boys lacrosse team West Islip scored nine first-half goals and defeated Islip Busking finished with a game-high six points the prior years we haven’t started this quick,” Busking said Junior attackman Chase Busking scored three of his four goals in the first half He created his own opportunity with his first goal forcing a turnover in the offensive zone before scooping the ground ball and finishing the chance just like his older brother Derek does all too often “It’s amazing [to play together],” Chase Busking said “We’ve been doing it since we were little.” Senior goalie Travis Vine played an outstanding game in the cage making 14 saves including five in the first quarter “My defense really helped me out today,” Vine said “Our offense put a lot of goals in the net today Islip sophomore Jack Halpin brought the score within one with 10:46 remaining in the second quarter before West Islip ripped off five unanswered goals Part of that can be attributed to a strong performance by freshman FOGO Lucas Dumond who won nine of his first 12 faceoffs to stifle any momentum Islip (3-4) built our FOGO did a good job today,” Chase Busking said West Islip senior Quinn Reilly created the highlight of the day with his first of his four goals somehow retaining control as three Islip defenders poked and prodded him before Reilly ripped a low shot to score with 53.5 seconds left in the first quarter Sophomore Will Schwarz added five points in the win But that’s the deal with West Islip; worry about the Busking brothers and either Reilly or Schwarz is there to punish that focus and you still must battle through a dominant duo of Mickey Faulkner and Kevin Cinotti on defense before even testing Vine in the cage It’s a death by a thousand cuts delivered by a roster of 38 with 17 seniors each one appearing more determined than the last to win “We have a lot of guys who have been in these situations before,” Derek Busking said “It’s just kind of a feel that this is it this year one last chance with your boys and you got to go all out.” Mike Cascione of Smithtown West gets a base hit against West Islip on Monday Smithtown West had a palpable sense of urgency in Monday’s first game of a crucial three-game baseball series against West Islip on Monday The Bulls entered the week tied with East Islip atop the Suffolk League IV standings and West Islip was one game behind both squads So when Smithtown West coach Al Nucci inserted junior righthander Kyle Flood — slated to start later in the series — in the middle of an at-bat to protect a two-run lead with a runner on second and two outs in the top of the fifth inning it was clear the Bulls had all hands on deck He allowed only a single over the next two innings to secure a 5-3 home win “Huge character and guts on Kyle's part coming in there,” Nucci said and I didn't really want to use him … But Game 1 of the series is huge “Kyle did a great job coming in and closing the door 9-1) is one league win away from a playoff berth Flood will start against the Lions on Thursday “It’s just mainly my defense behind me,” Flood said “I can always count on those guys to make plays And really [catcher] Zack [Aronson] just telling me where to put the ball and exactly what to throw.” Said Smithtown West lefty starter Brady Austin: “He gutted out a big seven-out save That was definitely big for us in Game 1.” Austin lasted 4 2/3 innings for his fourth win walking five and allowing three hits and two earned runs who allowed zero earned runs in 24 previous innings 7-3) and should be available later in the series Bulls junior shortstop Michael Cascione went 2-for-4 with two doubles Cascione seemingly hit a leadoff homer that cleared the leftfield wall but the umpires ruled it a ground-rule double He ultimately scored following a throwing error to make it 1-0 after one inning Cascione had a two-run double and scored on a double steal and Nick Friscia had an RBI groundout to make it 5-0 Ben Delanoy had a fourth-inning RBI double Conor Kenefick had a fifth-inning RBI single and Will Delanoy scored on a fifth-inning double steal “We're just so fun to be around,” Cascione said Scenes from a Suffolk League IV baseball game between West Islip and host Smithtown West on Monday Brady Austin of Smithtown West pitches against West Islip on Monday Mike Cascione of Smithtown West hits a double against West Islip on Monday Mike Cascione of Smithtown West gets a base hit against West Islip on Monday Evan Byrnes of West Islip pitches against Smithtown West on Monday Mike Cascione of Smithtown West slides into third against West Islip on Monday Chris Ruby of West Islip bats against Smithtown West on April 28 Mike Cascione of Smithtown West is safe at home against West Islip on Monday Mike Cascione of Smithtown West slides back to second after getting a double against West Islip on Monday Jake Hutter of Smithtown West ducks from a wild pitch against West Islip on Monday Smithtown West's Jimmy Rao runs into third against West Islip on Monday West Islip's Mia Nicolosi (4) looks to get around Smithtown West's Lola Russo (11) in the third quarter during a Suffolk girls lacrosse game on Thursday April 24 Joe Nicolosi was a proud father and a proud coach all in one moment the third daughter to play lacrosse for her father at West Islip scored the winning goal in overtime in a game that felt like more than just another regular-season contest West Islip has defeated Smithtown West in the Suffolk Class B finals in each of the last two seasons and in their first meeting this year West Islip knocked off Smithtown West yet again with a 6-5 victory in Suffolk Division II girls lacrosse action on Thursday Mia scored off an assist from Ava Obloj with 45 seconds left in overtime Mia received the pass near the net from Obloj and in one sweeping motion she finished the goal and the celebration was on “I just really wanted to get it,” Mia said “I was excited for this game and I just wanted to win I want to go far with this team and these girls and we did amazing today.” to score a goal like that and to have that feeling,” Joe said “I played lacrosse in college and that’s one of the best feelings you can have Mia had two goals as West Islip had four different goal scorers The Lions’ defense played a crucial role in the victory also had a key caused turnover and ground ball on a free-position attempt with 2:23 left in overtime That defensive play created the possession leading to Mia’s goal “We take a lot of pride in our defense,” Gagliardi said “Our goal every season is six goals or less and we’ll win the game and we hold ourselves true to that We have a really strong defense and we proved that.” 7-2) scored the game’s first two goals before Smithtown West (8-2 7-2) scored the final two goals of the first half Ashley Mannella scored off an assist from Alyssa Lorefice with 32 seconds left in the third quarter to give Smithtown West a 3-2 lead Carly Obloj and Sarah Flynn scored goals off assists from Ava Obloj 32 seconds apart to give West Islip a 4-3 lead with 9:26 left in the fourth quarter Jolie Schiavo (Smithtown West) and Ava Obloj traded goals before Kate Theofield scored the final goal of regulation for Smithtown West to tie the score at 5 with 2:33 left in the fourth quarter this had the feeling of a county championship game,” Mia Nicolosi said “We really took it seriously in the locker room and gave everything.” they’d want to come back for revenge but we didn’t let them this game,” Ava Obloj said Owen O'Brien covers high school and college sports for Newsday He's also covered professional teams such as the Mets Jets and Giants since graduating from the University at Buffalo West Islip and Smithtown West faced off in a Suffolk girls lacrosse matchup on Thursday West Islip's Mia Nicolosi (4) looks to get around Smithtown West's Lola Russo (11) in the third quarter during a Suffolk girls lacrosse game on Thursday Smithtown West's Kate Theofield (2) moves the ball in the first quarter during a Suffolk girls lacrosse game on Thursday West Islip's Ava Obloj (7) looks t Get around Smithtown West's Ashlynn Renkowski (10) in the first quarter during a Suffolk girls lacrosse game on Thursday West Islip's Ava Obloj (7) gets ready to fire a shot in the second quarter during a Suffolk girls lacrosse game on Thursday West Islip's Francesca Tofano (9) looks to get around Smithtown West's Jolie Schiavo (1) in the second quarter during a Suffolk girls lacrosse game on Thursday West Islip's Francesca Tofano (9) carries the ball in the second quarter during a Suffolk girls lacrosse game on Thursday West Islip's Mia Nicolosi (4) looks to pass in the second quarter during a Suffolk girls lacrosse game on Thursday Smithtown West's Ashley Mennella (9) looks to gain control in the fourth quarter during a Suffolk girls lacrosse game on Thursday West Islip's Carley Obloj (14) tries to get the ball from Smithtown West's Maribella Marciano (21) in the third quarter during a Suffolk girls lacrosse game on Thursday West Islip's Ava Obloj (7) looks to get around Smithtown West's Grace Theofield (5) in the third quarter during a Suffolk girls lacrosse game on Thursday Smithtown West's Vanessa Pollina (16) looks to get around West Islip's Sam McCormick (16) in the fourth quarter during a Suffolk girls lacrosse game on Thursday Smithtown West's Maribella Marciano (21) plays the ball in the third quarter during a Suffolk girls lacrosse game on Thursday West Islip's Mia Nicolosi (4) carries the ball in the third quarter during a Suffolk girls lacrosse game on Thursday West Islip's Makenna Gagliardi (30) makes a save in the third quarter during a Suffolk girls lacrosse game on Thursday West Islip's Mia Nicolosi (4) after scoring the winning goal in overtime of a Suffolk girls lacrosse game on Thursday West Islip celebrates its overtime win in a Suffolk girls lacrosse game on Thursday Caitlin Ropiak of East Islip winds up her pitch during a Suffolk softball game against West Islip on Wednesday Freshman pitcher Caitlin Ropiak is exactly what East Islip softball needs her to be: Focused on the task at hand On Wednesday evening, Ropiak and her crew took a ride over to West Islip High School for a Suffolk League IV showdown with their crosstown rivals. Ropiak pitched a one-hit shutout with 14 strikeouts and also smacked a two-run home run to carry East Islip to a crucial 5-0 road win giving the team sole possession of second place in the league as it took her just 105 pitches (66 strikes) to complete the game She struck out each of her first six batters and retired each of the first 14 she struck out the side in order three times throughout the game Her only baserunner came with two outs in the bottom of the fifth inning when West Islip sophomore first baseman Penelope Knoop lined a soft single into shallow right-center on the ninth pitch of the at-bat Ropiak was hardly disappointed after losing the potential perfect game as she did not even realize she was flirting with one to begin with “I don’t really think when I’m pitching,” Ropiak said and I know I have my teammates who are there to make all the plays so I could just pitch and try to strike the next batter out.” Though her pitching performance was almost spotless it was her bat that changed the entire complexity of the game after an RBI single by junior catcher Reagan O’Hara plated the game’s first run Ropiak stepped in and squared up the first pitch she saw roping a line drive through the wind and over the left-centerfield fence for a two-run shot to make it 3-0 After striking out in the first inning with the bases loaded I was a couple of seconds late,” Ropiak said I just stayed back and took advantage of the first strike I saw.” Sophomore second baseman Marisa Renganeschi was effective in setting the table for East Islip (5-1) The leadoff hitter finished 1-for-3 with a double She was one of three starters in East Islip’s lineup that did not even need to make a play in the field due to Ropiak’s gem “It’s a breeze playing behind her,” Renganeschi said junior pitcher Emily Bouros went the distance allowing just three earned runs on six hits while striking out 12 Brian Branigan felt his house shake so hard March 10 that he believed he had experienced an earthquake “I thought the house was going to get knocked down,” said Branigan who was in his West Islip home with his son Soon he got calls from neighbors: “Did you feel that?" he recalled them saying Branigan and other neighbors of Good Samaritan University Hospital say their homes have been rocked by vibrations from ongoing construction for years since the medical facility started work on a $500 million expansion known as the patient care pavilion Now more than 30 people are suing the hospital its contractors and the hospital system Catholic Health citing the damage they say the vibrations have caused and for what they view as a failure from hospital administrators to take responsibility The residents' attorney estimates their cumulative damages to be at least $10 million contractors and others named in lawsuits have denied the allegations Branigan and other residents of the West Islip community known as Babylon Beach Estates have described cracks in beams hundreds of thousands of dollars in damage according to contractors' estimates they provided to Newsday Multiple residents commissioned engineering reports to assess damage to their homes Reports viewed by Newsday say improper use of equipment on the part of contractors working at the hospital appears to have been the cause said "the alleged injuries and damages were the result of unavoidable circumstances that could not have been prevented by any person." Twenty-three residents filed suit in March of last year in Suffolk County Supreme Court alleging that on March 10 a year earlier — the day Branigan and his son felt their house shake — at least 15 separate properties “experienced severe vibrations and shockwaves" from construction work at the hospital causing structural and cosmetic damage to their homes Catholic Health Systems of Long Island Inc the health system under the sponsorship of the Diocese of Rockville Centre that encompasses Good Samaritan and Our Lady of Consolation Nursing and Rehabilitation center;  which is located behind the hospital and is the site of the flood mitigation project on the Good Samaritan campus; the contractor hired by Good Samaritan to build the flood mitigation project; hired by Catholic Health to perform design planning and reporting services for the flood mitigation project; retained by Posillico to monitor vibrations from work on the flood mitigation whose roles were not outlined in court records Adjo's website says the Bohemia-based company specializes in heavy construction services Howell's website says the Plainview business provided pre-construction and construction services for the Howell said the firm doesn't comment on pending litigation did not respond to multiple calls and emails for comment A motion for dismissal filed by Wang Technology on Sept said the company monitored only the flood resiliency project — not the hospital expansion — and "no vibrations in excess of legally acceptable limits were ever measured at any time." Wang Technology last month filed an appeal of the judge's denial Phone and email messages left with that company's attorney were not returned Hospital spokesman Justin Jaycon reiterated in a Jan 29 emailed statement that the hospital denies the allegations and said the claims from neighbors "are related to work conducted by experienced contractors on a flood-resiliency project aimed at safeguarding the hospital's infrastructure and the surrounding community in emergency situations." "It is important to emphasize that this project is separate from the construction seen on Montauk Highway part of the Hospital’s new 300,000-square-foot Patient Care Pavilion," he said The flood resiliency project will be completed by the end of June and the patient care pavilion is expected to take its first patient by the end of the year Jaycon declined to speak further on the issue "due to ongoing litigation." The $500 million expansion of the hospital has been in the works since at least December 2019, Newsday has reported Plans included several upgrades: a 75-bay emergency department 16 surgical suites and 36 new private patient rooms Also included was a flood mitigation and resiliency project Work on the flood resiliency project began November 2021 includes the construction of permanent flood barrier walls around the perimeter of Good Samaritan Hospital and Our Lady of Consolation and the rerouting of pipes to separate rainfall runoff from wastewater Construction at the hospital is nothing new. It has undergone six other major expansions since opening in 1959 with 183 beds But residents who remember earlier expansions and other hospital construction say they have never experienced vibrations and tremors at the level they have in this latest phase "We've been through multiple iterations of hospital expansions," said Cale Smith we've only experienced damage to our house with this latest project." According to the suit representing the majority of plaintiffs construction has “involved the use of heavy equipment and high impact activities,” such as excavation and pile driving which residents believe caused the shaking felt on March 10 two years ago cites a resident complaint about vibrations from nearby construction that dates back to May 2022 The emails between Islip engineering inspector Anthony Bacchus and the town's engineer were obtained through a public information request Bacchus wrote that the vibrations of May 2022 had been "attributed to the improper use of an excavator bucket to demolish pavement along West Drive," a small road between the hospital and Babylon Beach Estates Bacchus noted in the email exchange that contractors said monitoring software had not alerted workers to any vibration readings exceeding or near an established threshold residents repeatedly complained to hospital administrators about the damage caused by shock waves and vibrations from construction Though the hospital has denied allegations related to the damage on March 20 of that year — 10 days after the shaking that Branigan recalled — Good Samaritan’s then-president Ruth Hennessey issued a press release warning that nearby residents may experience vibrations in the coming weeks because of work on the flood resiliency project After another significant shaking event on March 28 At a neighbor's home later that same day with contractors and Islip Town engineering staff present “additional severe vibrations and shockwaves were felt,” according to the suit despite contractors “advising that the vibration meters were not registering any vibrations exceeding the acceptable limits." It's not clear whether the vibrations were being read at that home engineering reports from neighbors mention that Bacchus told one of them that based on his inspections of neighborhood homes he would recommend the town shut down the excavation job A March 30 inspection form from the town engineering department noted that contractors Posillico and Adjo "halted work associated with ground vibrations" and would "contact the engineering department to inform them of an alternative method of installation," according to the suit Despite knowing that construction was “causing severe damage” to the nearby neighborhood the hospital and its hired contractors “nevertheless continued working unabated … causing further vibrations and shockwaves caused further damage,” according to the suit Town of Islip officials declined to comment for this story which issued approvals for the construction projects some residents have expressed frustration with what they said has been a lack of response by the town to their appeals for help we've gone to everybody," said Denise Branigan "The town is kind of the mediator on this because they authorized the project to be built," said former town Councilman John Cochrane whose district included the impacted neighborhood "The Town of Islip engineers approved the plans for the hospital to do what they were doing."  Town staff and hospital administrators maintained a spreadsheet listing at least 13 residents who claimed vibrations from nearby construction had damaged their homes The spreadsheet showed complaints dating to January 2023 Islip Town Supervisor Angie Carpenter sent a letter to Catholic Health president and CEO Dr informing him that her office had received “numerous calls from residents near Good Samaritan University Hospital whose homes have been damaged as a result of the ongoing work” there the homeowner has reached out to the hospital and has been referred to the contractor the contractor then refers the homeowner back to the hospital," said Carpenter's letter as these people feel that they are victims in a dispute between the hospital and its contractor.”  Carpenter urged O’Shaughnessy to intervene The hospital also sent a letter that June to some residents noted that Good Samaritan's insurance carriers had been notified about potential claims would be "thoroughly investigated and handled in a fair and expeditious manner."  Residents said the hospital sent inspectors to their homes and asked them to fill out claim forms describing the damage Hospital administrators offered Cale Smith and his mother Donna Smith — who was a nurse at Good Samaritan for 38 years — $300 for damage caused by vibrations according to public records obtained by Newsday They showed a Newsday reporter contractor estimates and receipts totaling more than six figures in damage The hospital's offer “was disenchanting who recently bought the house from his mother about 100 people attended a neighborhood meeting that was meant as an appeal for help to elected officials who is president of the neighborhood civic county and state elected officials were invited to the meeting said a town attorney told him that because of the potential for litigation more than 20 people shared stories of how they have been affected by the construction they didn't take the invite," he said Bruce and Doreen Radin live on a dead end in West Islip just feet away from a bike path that leads across hospital grounds damage to their home has included cracked pipes around their house and property and the shifting of bricks around their in-ground pool I didn’t pay much attention to it,” said Bruce Radin on a day he was home while construction continued next door “the entire house was just shaking,” he said Many residents independently hired an engineer to examine the damage to their homes and assess repairs the source of vibrations appeared to be “a large hydraulic excavator” weighing over 91,000 pounds that “was effectively used as a giant hammer to drive the sheet/panel pilings.” “Both the large and small vibrations that were experienced from the excavation work and the work mobilization coupled with the soil conditions of the area allow for the shock waves to travel substantial distances,” he wrote noting: “These waves can and do shake everything and tend to damage building or site features that are inherently brittle or damage features that depend upon their bases to not move.” Drake declined to be interviewed for this story National Grid investigated potential leaks in the neighborhood in response to community concerns The utility company found no emergency conditions or damage to gas facilities but did repair three “non-emergency findings." National Grid spokeswoman Wendy Frigeria said in a statement that the company "regularly inspects the system to ensure its safety and reliability," and the utility's facilities in the neighborhood were not impacted by nearby construction Residents who spoke to Newsday said suing was a last resort “Everyone was passing the buck," Bruce Radin said the experience has been emotionally wrenching maintained the house and built the shed in the backyard where he and Jones liked to sit and chat He was in declining health when the vibrations started the vibrations cracked the shed's concrete floor "I left the chairs there because I didn't have the heart to take them away," Jones said Her home was damaged in multiple places by the vibrations Among multiple neighbors who showed Newsday repair estimates from contractors touting six figures were the Branigans They have already spent thousands on repairs to the home they built for their five children since moving to the neighborhood in 1997 Yet they described themselves as “true supporters of the hospital.” nursing him back to health in the hospital's neonatal intensive care unit “They do God’s work,” Denise Branigan said She has participated in marketing for the hospital and the family even attended a groundbreaking ceremony for the expansion But how the hospital administration has handled the collateral damage that the Branigans say was caused by construction has frustrated the family is supposed to be a “safe haven” for their youngest son … We were robbed of that for the last two years.” "we don't know what to plan for because we just don't know what's going to happen next," Denise said "That part is beyond frustrating." A crack in the foundation of Giulio Deluca's home in West Islip in December Construction outside Good Samaritan University Hospital in West Islip in December Donna Smith speaks with Newsday about damage at her West Islip home Bruce Radin at home in a bathroom that he says was damaged One of the inspection reports compiled by a professional engineer concluded: "The damage to the house and property appear to be caused by both large and small vibrations from the hospital construction." taken for an engineer's inspection report show cracks in her patio and on an interior wall Brianne Ledda covers personal finance and affordability for Newsday She previously covered Southold and Greenport for The Suffolk Times and is a graduate of Stony Brook University Get more on these and other NewsdayTV stories East Islip defeated West Islip in a Suffolk softball game on Wednesday Caitlin Ropiak of East Islip reacts after closing out the top of the inning during a Suffolk softball game against West Islip on Wednesday Marisa Renganeschi of East Islip doubles at the top of the fourth during a Suffolk softball game against West Islip on Wednesday Emma Taliercio-McNamara of West Islip grabs the ground ball for the out at first but Marisa Renganeschi of East Islip is safe at third during a Suffolk softball game on Wednesday Marisa Renganeschi of East Islip heads home off of the single of Reagan O'Hara of East Islip during a Suffolk softball game on Wednesday Kate Vessalico of East Islip drives a single during a Suffolk softball game against West Islip on Wednesday Isabella Treanor of West Islip comes up to bat during a Suffolk softball game against East islip on Wednesday Alexa Ficalora of West Islip watches the pitch during a Suffolk softball game against East islip on Wednesday Alexandria Gangloff of West Islip dives for the catch and the out during a Suffolk softball game against East islip on Wednesday Christine Lombardi of West Islip comes up to bat during a Suffolk softball game against East islip on Wednesday Christine Lombardi of West Islip makes the catch in the outfield during a Suffolk softball game against East islip on Wednesday Reagan O'Hara of East Islip fouls the ball during a Suffolk softball game against West Islip on Wednesday Alyssa Corso of East Islip drives a fly to the outfield during a Suffolk softball game against West Islip on Wednesday Emily Bouros of West Islip throws to the plate during a Suffolk softball game against East islip on Wednesday Emily Bouros of West Islip grabs the ball as Emma Taliercio-McNamara of West Islip comes in for the play as well during a Suffolk softball game on Wednesday Reagan O'Hara of East Islip reacts after a single during a Suffolk softball game against West Islip on Wednesday Alexa Ficalora of West Islip catches the pop up of Caitlin Ropiak of East Islip during a Suffolk softball game on Wednesday Juliet Aguanno of West Islip watches the high pitch during a Suffolk softball game against East islip on Wednesday Marisa Renganeschi of East Islip singles during a Suffolk softball game against West Islip on Wednesday The ranking is based on the 2023-2024 language arts regents results from 316 students which tied the district with 22 other school districts out of 634 across New York State It is also among the top five on Long Island and the top two in Suffolk County and teachers made this tremendous accomplishment possible," said Superintendent of Schools Dr "Beginning in the early years with building a solid foundation in literacy to the middle and high school years where our educators work to strengthen the reading and communication skills our students need to be successful this is truly a team effort and a collective accomplishment." Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts. Frank Saggio appears at his arraignment at Suffolk County Court in Riverhead in October Suffolk prosecutors are looking to seize a $1.2 million Fire Island home owned by the alleged leader of a long-running prostitution ring that operated brothels in Holbrook and West Babylon with the help of a Suffolk County police officer and Islip High School gym teacher The home seizure is part of a $1.96 million civil forfeiture filing against self-proclaimed mafia associate Frank Saggio, his wife and girlfriend for money earned from the alleged scheme Prosecutors allege the Ocean Beach home was bought by a corporation controlled by Saggio using proceeds from the sale of the Holbrook brothel property purchased [24 Bungalow Walk] in order to launder the proceeds generated by the illegal activity," Assistant District Attorney Craig Pavlik wrote in the April 24 filing were charged in October along with veteran Suffolk police officer George Trimigliozzi and physical education teacher Steven Arey in a 58-count indictment alleging enterprise corruption and promoting prostitution Prosecutors have said Saggio oversaw the brothels from October 2019 through last June The police officer and the teacher allegedly served as managers of American Girls Spa  locations on Sunrise Highway while Ciardullo managed the West Babylon site to sign "leases" to pay for the use of the suites — $6,000 monthly for the Holbrook location and $12,000 for West Babylon The civil forfeiture complaint alleges "rent" was the "code word" for illegal payments received by 6801 Sunrise Highway, a corporation controlled by Saggio that was named for the address of the Holbrook location who is named as a noncriminal defendant in the forfeiture action was listed as the sole officer of the corporation The corporation served more as an "alter ego" for Frank Saggio Saggio sold the Holbrook property for $1.2 million he bought the house at 24 Bungalow Walk for $1.25 million The court papers describe the transaction as an effort "to launder the proceeds generated by the illegal activity conducted by 6081 Sunrise." Lisa Saggio did not respond to a phone call or text seeking comment who is representing Frank Saggio  along with co-counsel Mark Lesko which seeks to prevent the house from being sold while the criminal case is ongoing He said the attorneys are currently reviewing the evidence against their client "We are continuing to review the enormous amount of discovery provided to us," La Pinta said Because Ciardullo is alleged to have profited from the operation she is named in the effort to collect a judgment She added that it could also be an attempt to recoup some of the money spent on the district attorney’s investigation which ran at least 18 months and involved extensive wiretaps The district attorney’s office declined to comment immediate past president of the Suffolk County Criminal Bar Association said the district attorney’s effort could be seen as pressure on Saggio and Ciardullo that’s more of a bargaining chip the government has over the accused," he said The Ocean Beach property is not the first home Suffolk prosecutors have sought to seize in the summer rental community in recent years. Five homes purchased by former Schechter School of Long Island chief financial officer David Ostrove in Ocean Beach are the subject of ongoing civil forfeiture action who is serving a 25-year prison sentence and also resided in West Islip was convicted by a jury last year of stealing $8.4 million from the school and laundering the funds through the purchase and rental of the Fire Island properties which are now being managed by a court-appointed attorney while the case is pending Four of the Ostrove homes subject to forfeiture are being offered as short-term rentals by a real estate management company which never received a certificate of occupancy is pending sale after being listed for $2.4 million The proceeds of the sale and rentals are to be used to maintain the homes while the district attorney’s office seeks forfeiture published an autobiography in 2004 titled "Born to the Mob: The True-Life Story of the Only Man to Work for All Five of New York's Mafia Families," in which he claimed to have "worked for each of New York’s big five [Mafia] families refusing to pledge his allegiance to any single organization." Prosecutors said at the time of Saggio’s October arrest that $104,225 in cash was seized from the West Islip home he shared with his wife Follow the latest developments in the Gilgo Beach killings investigation By clicking Sign up, you agree to our privacy policy Suffolk prosecutors are looking to seize a $1.2 million Fire Island home on Bungalow Walk in Ocean Beach Brownstones Coffee just got an upgrade in West Islip The popular breakfast eatery recently relocated to a larger space just a stone’s throw from its previous spot the restaurant closed its doors at 306 Union Blvd. reopening the next day at 425A Union Blvd. A Brownstones spokesperson said the move was driven by growing customer demand At approximately 4,300 square feet with 140 seats the new space is significantly larger than the previous 2,400-square-foot location Brownstones Coffee first opened in West Islip about eight years ago as the company’s second location The original café in Amityville has been serving customers for over a decade the West Islip restaurant draws inspiration from 1920s Brooklyn This location also features an art deco design Run by father-and-son duo Emmanuel and Chris Kourounis Brownstones Coffee is known for its signature breakfast and brunch dishes with additional locations in East Northport West Islip defeated Islip in a Suffolk boys lacrosse matchup on Tuesday West Islip's Derek Busking (27) moves the ball in the third quarter during a Suffolk boys lacrosse game on Tuesday April 15 West Islip's Chase Busking (9) gets ready to fire a shot in the third quarter during a Suffolk boys lacrosse game on Tuesday April 15 West Islip's Derek Busking (27) looks to get around Islip’s Callahan Zusi (22) in the third quarter during a Suffolk boys lacrosse game on Tuesday April 15 West Islip's Quinn Reilly (11) looks to get around Islip's Jack Gardner (7) in the third quarter during a Suffolk boys lacrosse game on Tuesday April 15 West Islip's Lucas Dumond (25) and Islip's Dylan Smith (6) face off in the first quarter during a Suffolk boys lacrosse game on Tuesday April 15 West Islip's Chase Busking (9) fires a shot and scores in the second quarter during a Suffolk boys lacrosse game on Tuesday April 15 West Islip's Nick Klimatas (28) looks to get around Islip's Jack Rao (3) in the third quarter during a Suffolk boys lacrosse game on Tuesday April 15 West Islip's Will Schwarz (1) looks to get around Islip’s Brady Nash (26) in the second quarter during a Suffolk boys lacrosse game on Tuesday April 15 West Islip's Derek Busking (27) looks to get around Islip’s Callahan Zusi (22) in the first quarter during a Suffolk boys lacrosse game on Tuesday April 15 West Islip's Chase Busking (9) looks to pass in the third quarter during a Suffolk boys lacrosse game on Tuesday April 15 West Islip's Will Schwarz (1) looks to get around Islip’s Brady Nash (26) in the first quarter during a Suffolk boys lacrosse game on Tuesday April 15 West Islip's Jack Harvell (16) looks to get around Islip's Jack Gardner (7) in the third quarter during a Suffolk boys lacrosse game on Tuesday April 15 West Islip's Travis Vine (13) follows the play in the fourth quarter during a Suffolk boys lacrosse game on Tuesday April 15 West Islip High School student William Tarpey swapped his textbooks and notepads for protective gear who is enrolled in the school's welding program was prepared at his work station just moments after the class bell rang His task for the day was to create a mock-up hanger a metal piece that holds pipes in submarines opened the vents and attached clamps to the metal piece before starting to weld Using techniques such as t-joint and butt joint welds Tarpey and his classmates focused on keeping their parts perpendicular magnets and grinders to get the angles just right before cooling the metal pieces under water and having them inspected by their teachers "I'm a very hands-on student," Tarpey said "Even when I'm learning in the classroom I prefer hands-on projects more than just reading." Students in the West Islip class are part of a unique program that teaches high schoolers how to make commonly-used submarine parts an initiative intended to attract more workers into the industry at a time when the Navy is looking to dramatically ramp up production of new submarines An estimated 140,000 skilled workers are needed over the next decade for construction of three new submarines per year deputy director of workforce for the Navy's Maritime Industrial Base unit An additional 110,000 workers are needed to maintain surface ships and other naval assets West Islip High is one of four schools across the country asked to participate this year in the program Navy officials said about 111 schools across 23 states have gone through the program "It’s all about trying to build that pipeline," Logan said "We know we need to start working early to introduce young people to manufacturing and to skill trades where you could make a family-sustaining salary." solderers and brazers is expected to grow by 2% from 2023 to 2033 the bureau estimated the median annual wage at $48,940 but on Long Island experts say there is potential to make much more students are taught how to read blueprints weld pipe hangers and use precision machinery to mold couplings mechanical components used to connect two parts of a device Material is donated by General Dynamics Electric Boat a Connecticut-based company that works with the Navy to build submarines who teaches welding and automotive courses at the school said the class gives students valuable knowledge should they decide to continue with a career in welding "They walk in here not knowing how to weld "They could leave this class and wind up getting an entry-level position You can go to college or trade school and be five steps ahead of everyone." said he plans to study marine engineering and welding at Maine Maritime Academy he said he has experience working with precision machines and automotive welding You’re not really sitting at a desk like every other class in school," Sapoff said of the welding course "They teach us every other style and all the techniques we need to have." The demand for career and technical education programs and workforce development has increased in recent years while also gaining support from top officials in the federal government There should be more of an emphasis on "career-focused education especially in cutting-edge STEM fields where American companies need high-skilled employees," McMahon said during her confirmation hearing last month "Our workers deserve more postsecondary pathways apprenticeships and on-the-job learning." Two-year public institutions with "high vocational program focus" saw an increase in student enrollment in the fall of 2024 for the second year in a row according to a report by the education nonprofit National Student Clearinghouse The report estimated that these institutions now "encompass 19.5% of public two-year enrollment program director of the Advanced Manufacturing Training Center at Suffolk County Community College said the school has added morning and afternoon sessions to keep up with the growing demand from individuals seeking trade certifications "It's growing in so many different areas," she said "Not all schools are able to do it within their high schools schools districts and parents has definitely brought it to the next level." More than 300 West Islip Hgh School students are taking courses related to trades such as automotive computer-aided design and precision machining and about 400 are seeking to take courses in these areas next school year The high school had about 1,200 students enrolled last year "Over the last five years more students are interested in hands-on careers realizing not everyone is fit for college — or if they are going to college they can work in something while going to college," Buonomo said executive director of the Nassau-Suffolk School Boards Association said a fundamental shift has been occurring over at least the past decade "School districts started realizing that it’s not just college after graduation," he said working with the trade unions for carpenters And with an aging population of trade workers Vecchio said there is a need to bolster their ranks "We have a generation of workers that are entering the retirement phase," he said "They need more highly skilled workers because Long Island has a huge manufacturing base that still exists." Get the latest updates on how education is changing in your district William Tarpey works on a welding project during a recent class Aidan Sapoff plans to study marine engineering and welding after he graduates Darwin Yanes is a native Long Islander and Stony Brook University graduate who covers education He previously covered the Town of North Hempstead 2025 at 9:24 am ET.css-79elbk{position:relative;}Funeral services are set for Paige Fannon a young woman from West Islip who died in a Connecticut river on March 6 (Courtesy of the Fannon family)WEST ISLIP NY — Funeral services have been set for Paige Fannon the West Islip woman whose body was pulled from a Connecticut river in early March Chapey & Sons Funeral Home in West Islip A prayer service is scheduled for 3:30 p.m Fannon was reported missing in New York on March 4, and was last seen on March 5 in Connecticut, according to Missing People of America. On March 6, her body was pulled from the Norwalk River by members of the Norwalk police and fire dive teams Her clothing and personal items found on the banks of the river near Schenck’s Island on Ridgefield Road in Wilton A GoFundMe has been created by her sister you would know how deeply she cared for who she loved You would know how strong she would fight for you Words cannot describe the pain and stress our family is feeling in this time of need.. We are at peace knowing you are at rest and are free The town said the initiative marks the first update to the Town's comprehensive plan since 1979 aiming to address key areas such as sprawl and congestion while promoting coordinated development and informed infrastructure investment Dubbed "Workshop D," the Brentwood workshop will focus on local "challenges and priorities" in West Islip the TOI-360 plan derives its name from the town’s rich history it will be just over 360 years since William Nicoll purchased land from the Secatogue Nation in 1683 The number 360 also represents this full-circle opportunity to reflect on Islip’s past thoroughly examine growth patterns and land use trends and develop a shared vision for the future This comprehensive plan will address issues like sprawl and congestion while promoting coordinated development and informed infrastructure investment The statement said the adoption of a Comprehensive Plan is essential for several reasons it provides a clear vision for Islip’s future and offers a framework for decision-making This ensures that the community’s needs and aspirations guide all policies and actions by the local government the plan fosters collaboration and builds consensus among stakeholders with varying perspectives The public engagement process will be one of the key challenges in a Town of this size – Islip is the third most populated municipality in New York State The Town is committed to ensuring there is broad public input from the diverse population within the Town of Islip which is home to over 330,000 residents spread across multiple hamlets Engaging a wide range of voices is critical to understanding the needs and priorities across different communities While the plan will primarily address issues at a town wide level it will also provide an opportunity to identify specific community concerns and local priorities 2025 at 5:59 pm ET.css-79elbk{position:relative;}The fire broke out Friday night NY — A raging residential fire broke out in West Islip Friday night arson detectives are investigating a residential fire that occurred on Milligan Lane at 11:28 p.m One person was brought to Good Samaritan University Hospital in West Islip for treatment of injuries The West Islip Fire Department said they were activated for the fire in the area of Milligan Lane and Union Boulevard Chief of Department Robert Celeste transmitted a working fire assignment for heavy fire on the first and second floors of a 1.5 story private dwelling Mohawk Engine Company 3-17-5 arrived and began stretching hose lines to start attacking the fire they started initiating primary searches and pulling additional hose lines Due to "rapidly deteriorating fire conditions" the WIFD command upgraded the fire and transmitted a second alarm assignment bringing in additional mutual aid to assist Firefighters were pulled from the building due to the conditions to regroup and account for all interior members crews began another aggressive interior attack It took crews approximately 2.5 hours to bring the fire under control The person transported to the hospital had minor injuries; one firefighter was evaluated at the scene by EMS The fire is under investigation by the Town of Islip's fire marshal's office and the Suffolk County Police Department's arson squad West Babylon and North Babylon Fire Departments Scenes from a Suffolk Division II girls lacrosse game between Sayville and host West Islip on Saturday Sayville's Olivia DeSimone gets around West Islip's Caitlin Messina in the first quarter during a Suffolk girls lacrosse game on Saturday Sayville's Sofia Cangelosi moves the ball in the first quarter during a Suffolk girls lacrosse game against West Islip on Saturday Sayville's Sophia Buffardi looks to pass in the first quarter during a Suffolk girls lacrosse game against West Islip on Saturday Sayville's Sophia Buffardi gets around West Islip's Eva Klimatas in the first quarter during a Suffolk girls lacrosse game on Saturday Sayville's Olivia Razzano and West Islip's Sophia Barba looks to get control of the ball in the third quarter during a Suffolk girls lacrosse game on Saturday Sayville's Morgan Farrell gets around West Islip's Francesca Tofano and scores in the second quarter during a Suffolk girls lacrosse game on Saturday Sayville's Carley Cangelosi moves the ball in the first quarter during a Suffolk girls lacrosse game against West Islip on Saturday Sayville's Dylan McNamara and West Islip's Sam McCormick battle for the ball in the first quarter during a Suffolk girls lacrosse game on Saturday Sayville's Morgan Farrell and Jenna Messina celebrates Farrell’s goal in the first quarter during a Suffolk girls lacrosse game on Saturday Sayville's Olivia Razzano gets around West Islip's Francesca Tofano in the fourth quarter during a Suffolk girls lacrosse game on Saturday Sayville's Julia Lilienthal plays the ball in the second quarter during a Suffolk girls lacrosse game against West Islip on Saturday Sayville's Olivia DeSimone moves the ball in the fourth quarter during a Suffolk girls lacrosse game against West Islip on Saturday Sayville's Dylan McNamara looks to get around West Islip's Alexandra Livingston in the fourth quarter during a Suffolk girls lacrosse game on Saturday Sayville's Sophia Vario looks to get around West Islip's Caitlyn Vail in the third quarter during a Suffolk girls lacrosse game on Saturday 2025 at 1:08 pm ET.css-79elbk{position:relative;}West Islip High School principal Andrew O’Farrell guidance counselor Evelyn Hanlon and West Islip Union Free School District Superintendent of Schools Dr ( Courtesy of West Islip Union Free School District)WEST ISLIP NY — West Islip High School senior Ege Ulusoy has been selected as a QuestBridge Scholar and has been matched with Stanford University starting in fall 2025 Ulusoy is a member of the Science Honor Society and plays on both the football and lacrosse teams at West Islip High School he runs a tutoring business and plays the viola QuestBridge is a nonprofit organization that connects high-achieving students with full scholarships to top colleges across the United States The organization will cover all of Ulusoy's annual expenses including tuition Through the National College Match application students who have excelled academically can highlight their unique story and stand out in the college admissions process QuestBridge selects top applicants as finalists and students can rank up to 15 colleges to be "matched" to the college that appears highest on their list and is eligible for matching 2025 at 6:51 pm ETA fire ripped through to houses on Long Island (Courtesy of Anthony Frevola)The blaze broke out Friday afternoon (Courtesy of Anthony Frevola)(Courtesy of Anthony Frevola)(Courtesy of Anthony Frevola)(Courtesy of Anthony Frevola)(Courtesy of Anthony Frevola)(Courtesy of Anthony Frevola)(Courtesy of Anthony Frevola)WEST ISLIP NY— Firefighters battled a raging fire that ripped through two homes in West Islip on Friday afternoon Police told Patch the fire damaged the Monroe Avenue homes after the blaze broke out in the garage of one home spread to the house and then jumped to a neighboring home around 12:20 p.m Suffolk County Police Arson Section detectives are investigating the fire 2024 at 10:31 am ET.css-79elbk{position:relative;}The fire broke out on Sunday NY — Firefighters extinguished a fire that broke out at a West Islip residence on Sunday West Islip firefighters responded to a house fire on Southside Avenue around 5:45 p.m West Islip's third Assistant Chief Sean O’Hora "confirmed a fully involved detached garage close to a house and requested to transmit a working fire," fire department officials said Vanguard Engine Company 3-17-2 arrived on the scene within minutes and began stretching hose lines as other companies were arriving Officials said that the Bay Shore Fire Department responded with a Firefighter Assist Search Team truck and the Babylon Fire Department was requested to stand by at West Islip's headquarters Officials said it took crews about half an hour to bring the fire under control after they put water on the fire and began searching the garage Firefighters said that all searches "were negative" and no injuries were reported The fire is under investigation by the Town of Islip's Fire Marshal’s Office and the Suffolk County Police Department Arson Squad 2024 at 5:36 pm ET.css-79elbk{position:relative;}Polls will be open from 6 a.m NY — Voters in West Islip will be lining up at the polls for Election Day on Nov New York State Senate and New York State Assembly are on the ballot People can check their voting status and polling places for both early voting and Election Day on the New York state website Here's what to expect when you cast your ballot: There are 28 early voting locations in Suffolk County You can find your assigned polling place by visiting the New York State Board of Elections website.For questions about voting in Suffolk, contact the Suffolk County Board of Elections at 631-852-4500 The following are the key contested races that will be on the ballot for Bay Shore voters.President/Vice President 2025 at 8:51 pm ET.css-79elbk{position:relative;}According to court documents the director of a Long Island animal rescue organization has been "torturing injuring and not feeding an animal." (Shutterstock)WEST ISLIP NY — The director of a Long Island animal shelter is pleading not guilty to animal cruelty charges in connection with the death of a pit bull named Tali according to court records viewed by Patch the director of Ruff House Rescue in West Islip was arrested on March 17 and charged with "torturing/injuring and failure to provide sustenance," records say Records say that Indelicato "permitted unjustifiable suffering of an animal" between Oct Ruff House volunteers repeatedly informed Indelicato of Tali's worsening medical condition including severe dermatological distress such as fur loss records say the gray and white dog suffered from large ulcerated masses leaking blood and pus on her abdomen; swollen limbs; general physical deterioration; inability to eat or drink without help; and difficulty breathing despite shelter volunteers repeatedly requesting medical help for the dog Tali succumbed to her injuries and was found dead in her kennel Indelicato pled not guilty before Judge Alonzo G Indelicato is being represented by Jan Goldman who was not immediately available for comment volunteer-based organization "dedicated to rescuing dogs and cats from high-kill rural shelters." The rescue states that its mission is to rescue homeless pets that suffer from abuse neglect and indifference to create awareness of the epidemic of homeless pets and educate on the importance of spaying and neutering Samantha McCormack of West Islip kicks the game winner in a shootout against Garden City during the Long Island Class AA girls soccer final on Tuesday Regardless of how you interpret what occurred in the final minutes of the girls soccer Long Island Class AA championship in penalty kicks after 110 minutes of scoreless play in a girls soccer Southeast Regional semifinal at Hofstra on Tuesday night McCormack was the seventh player to take a penalty kick for West Islip Coach Nick Grieco wrote another player’s name with McCormack’s number as the seventh player with McCormack’s name with the wrong number as the eighth player when he submitted his penalty-kick order to the referees McCormack was instructed to take the next penalty kick “I guess the official ruling is you go by the numbers so I gave Sam a little tap on the shoulder and said ‘Go win us the championship,’” Grieco said McCormack didn’t play during the 110 minutes of action but Grieco had the entire team working on penalty kicks over recent weeks He liked what he saw from the sophomore in practice and told her she may be part of a potential penalty kick lineup “I made sure I wasn’t too nervous to freak myself out.” McCormack said the little confusion before she went out to kick was a welcomed distraction After Garden City missed its seventh penalty kick McCormack had the chance to decide the winner “I was a little bit confused over the number stuff but I told myself I have to make sure I score and I don’t miss,” McCormack said “I feel like that actually helped me to not worry so much about the game on the line I was more worried about what was going on.” Jenna Obloj and Ava Obloj also had penalty-kick goals for the Lions which won their first Long Island title since 2009 West Islip (18-1-1) advances to play Albertus Magnus at 1 p.m on Saturday at Nyack High School in the Southeast Regional Final Madeleine Patrickakos and Sophie Rhein scored in penalty kicks for Garden City which finished 15-2-4 after winning its first county title since 2016 West Islip is seeking its first state title since 1989 “Maybe the stars are aligned for us this year,” Grieco said “But we’re just going to take it day by day.” A previous version of this story contained a misspelling of a player's last name 2024 at 11:46 am ET.css-79elbk{position:relative;}The seat comes with a five-year term NY — Albert Cinotti was voted in as the new Fire Commissioner of West Islip during Tuesday night's election Cinotti ran against Michael Cooper for the open five-year seat He has served as the fire chief at Long Island MacArthur Airport for nearly 10 years and has been a resident of the district for over 20 years Cinotti also served in the Brentwood Fire Department spent a decade with the Levittown Fire Department and serves as department treasurer and is a trustee of the West Islip Firefighters Association "It is with great pleasure that I share with you I have received the open position as Fire Commissioner as a direct reflection of your unwavering support and sent their love I thank you for providing me with the opportunity to fulfill this position," Cinotti said in a statement "It is a privilege to serve in our shared community and I appreciate your faith in me to do so to the fullest extent chases after the ball during the state Class AA southeast regional final in Nyack on Saturday West Islip was less than three minutes away from finding itself in the same situation as earlier in the week West Islip was scoreless with Albertus Magnus and the coaches were already thinking about their penalty-kick strategy And that’s exactly what happened when Albertus Magnus scored from 25 yards out with 2:30 left in the second overtime period in the girls soccer state Class AA Southeast Regional Final at Nyack High School on Saturday afternoon we were playing good defense and they just took a shot and it went in the corner and that was it,” coach Nick Grieco said West Islip had four corner kicks in the second half compared to Albertus Magnus with none but the Lions couldn’t break through the defense for a winning goal The Lions won their first county title since 2019 and first Long Island championship since 2009 despite playing without their star defender Erin Palmeri John’s commit who hurt her knee in the Suffolk Class AA semifinals The Lions then defeated Garden City in penalty kicks after a scoreless 110 minutes of soccer on Tuesday “I don’t think people gave us a shot to win the counties we were very resilient and people stepped up and we won that,” Grieco said 140 seconds from [penalty kicks] again with a team I believe is ranked No 1 in the state and depending on where you look eight or nine in the country and we basically took it to them.” Grieco is proud of everything the team achieved this year “These girls played with so much heart and pride,” he said “Work ethic is a skill set that I feel is undervalued these days but our team takes big pride in that and they definitely displayed that today.” West Islip features a junior-heavy lineup and Grieco believes this experience will help those returners next fall “Each year you can see they are building and taking it to the next step and they almost made the state championship,” Grieco said Keep doing what they are doing and they are getting the results.” The body was identified as Paige Fannon, 35, who was reported missing in New York on March 4 and was last seen on March 5 in Connecticut Fannon's body was found near the area of Main Avenue and Grist Mill Road and was pulled from the river by members of the Norwalk police and fire dive teams "The members of the Norwalk Police Department extend our sincerest condolences to the family and friends of Paige Fannon," wrote Lt "Norwalk Police Detectives continue to investigate this incident." Norwalk police were contacted by Wilton police about a missing person shortly before 1 p.m Clothing belonging to Fannon was found on the banks of the river near Schenck’s Island on Ridgefield Road in Wilton Fannon's body was found a short while later 2024 at 6:36 pm ET.css-79elbk{position:relative;}Find out where you can find real Christmas trees this season NY — If you’re planning to put up a live Christmas tree this year it’s a good idea to scope out what will be available from West Islip area tree growers There are more than 16,000 Christmas tree farms in the United States Larger tree farms control about 75 percent of the supply but if you’re interested in supporting a local business this holiday season here are some places to chop or pick out a tree within driving distance of Bay Shore: Recent data from the American Christmas Tree Association’s 2024 Consumer Report shows 99 percent of survey respondents intend to display at least one Christmas tree in their homes this year According to PickYourOwnChristmasTree a typical 7-foot tree would cost about $90.Years of extreme weather — drought conditions in some parts of the country and excess moisture in others — have affected Christmas tree farms where tree farmers are struggling under severe drought conditions that are killing off young trees and could cause future shortages According to the U.S. Drought Monitor about a fourth of the region was in severe to extreme drought It typically takes a tree seven or eight years to grow to the desirable height for decorating “Christmas tree farms in the Northeast have, unfortunately, been hit with drought conditions that will impact the crop for several years to come,” American Christmas Tree Association executive director Jami Warner told CNN “While consumers will be able to find their Christmas trees this season some growers in the Northeast will not be able to harvest as many trees as they have in past non-drought years,” Warner said Bayport-Blue Point's Aubrie Eisfeld moves the ball in the third quarter during a Suffolk lacrosse game against West Islip on Thursday at Bayport-Blue Point This specific play was never practiced before but the Bayport-Blue Point girls lacrosse team puts itself in these types of situations every day The Phantoms’ practices include drills where players can’t hold the ball for longer than a few seconds coach Ryan Gick gave Aubrie Eisfeld the opportunity to take those skills from practice into game action Eisfeld launched a pass near the goal across midfield to Ava Meyn scooped the ball on a bounce and finished for one of Bayport-Blue Point’s 11 goals in an 11-4 home victory over West Islip in Suffolk Division II girls lacrosse play on Thursday (Coach Gick) kind of threw it at us and it worked I knew we were able to work together and get the job done.” I was really excited to do it because it’s something different,” Meyn added Gick said he likes to challenge the girls so they are ready for anything that could happen in a game “It’s stuff that we just get good at because of the way we practice,” Gick said “And some of it is just the skill level of our kids Eisfeld was on the receiving end of a more impromptu long pass situation right before halftime which Eisfeld caught and scored on as time expired in the first half to break a tie at two “I was just hoping somebody caught it and Aubrie just happened to be there,” Brown said I just chucked it as far as I could and hoped for the best.” Eisfeld and Meyn each had three goals and Kailey Bruckner added two goals Francesca Tofano had three goals and Ava Obloj added two assists for West Islip (1-1 2-0) carried its momentum into the second half as it outscored West Islip so everyone was hyped up and went into the second half knowing this was our game now,” Brown said “We were going to keep building on the lead we had Bayport-Blue Point ended the contest on a 7-1 scoring run including scoring all four goals in the fourth quarter “I have all the faith in the world in our kids,” Gick said “They show every day at practice they are capable of handling tough situations and new things thrown at them at the last second and they executed.” 2025 at 8:48 am ET.css-79elbk{position:relative;}Police are advising motorists to use an alternate route NY— Suffolk County police are advising motorists of a road closure on Sunrise Highway due to a car crash Police received a call reporting a car crash at exit 41 around 7:15 a.m No injuries were reported and the cars involved are being towed away Police are advising motorists to use an alternate route 2025 at 11:32 am ET.css-79elbk{position:relative;}From left West Islip High School Principal Andrew O’Farrell Director of Art and Music Education Eric Albinder Chorus Director Melissa Senatore and West Islip Union Free School District Superintendent of Schools Dr (Courtesy of West Islip Union Free School District)WEST ISLIP NY — Three West Islip High School students were selected to join the National Association for Music Education’s All-Eastern ensembles Junior Gavin Pollock and seniors Sean Koerner and Teagan McGuire were invited to join the prestigious event which the district said includes the finest musicians from Connecticut rehearsals and opportunities to learn and network with colleges and universities