Suffolk County Police Second Squad detectives are investigating a motor vehicle crash that seriously injured a pedestrian in Greenlawn Dec. 1.
Police said a 63-year-old man was attempting to cross Clay Pitts Road when a 2012 Honda Odyssey traveling east at about 9 p.m struck him.
The pedestrian, whose identify is being withheld pending notification of next of kin, was airlifted to Stony Brook University Hospital for treatment of serious injuries. The driver of the Honda, Gigi Franklin, 54, of Greenlawn, was not injured.
The vehicle was impounded for a safety check and the investigation is ongoing. Detectives are asking anyone with information about the incident to call the Second Squad at 631-854-8252.
A helicopter airlifted an injured football player from Huntington school district to Stony Brook University Hospital. Photo from Greenlawn Fire Department
A 12-year-old football player and student at Finley Middle School in Huntington was airlifted from a field on Greenlawn Road Monday, Oct. 24, just after 6 p.m.
The Greenlawn Fire Department responded to the scene. Two Greenlawn FD Rescue Squad ambulances responded along with the Greenlawn/East Northport Fire District Paramedic. About 20 Greenlawn firefighters and rescue personnel also responded to the incident.
The department said a paramedic evaluated the player and determined that the patient should be transported to an appropriate trauma center for further treatment.
The Suffolk Police Medivac helicopter was requested and airlifted the youth to Stony Brook University Hospital.
Greenlawn Park was taped off Saturday morning after a dead body with lacerations was discovered at the end of August. File photo by Gabriella Espinoza
Earlier this summer, Supervisor Frank Petrone (D) announced the decision to increase patrol in Huntington with park rangers, who would monitor town parks and improve security, and this past weekend these rangers finished their training.
Starting last Thursday night, Sept. 1, five of the eventual six rangers went through orientation and preparation procedures, and experienced their first nights out on the job.
Huntington Station resident Jim McGoldrick was not able to get a glance of the rangers in work during the weekend, but praised the idea.
“I think it’s a great move on the town,” he said in a phone interview. “Every little bit helps. It’s coming together, and is helping the community.”
A.J. Carter, town spokesperson, said the weekend was a success, in a phone interview: “People were very happy to see them. They were given information from the community; people responded very positively.”
Although their jurisdiction is in town parks, the park rangers can intervene if they see activity on the roads or other areas outside the parks.
The officers are meant to function as peace officers do. According to New York State criminal procedure law, peace officers can make warrantless arrests; use physical force to make an arrest or prevent an escape; carry out warrantless searches with probable cause; and issue appearance tickets. They can also carry firearms and take away weapons from people who do not have the proper licenses to carry.
Carter said all rangers are certified with a firearm, know how to use a defibrillator, administer Narcan and everything else required of a peace officer.
The town spokesperson also said the exact shift times and locations have not yet been decided, as they want the rangers themselves to be able to give input once they have more experience on when and where the best use of their roles would be. Each ranger works part time, and is paid $23.53 an hour. There are expected to be two rangers on patrol per shift — one overseeing the west side of town, and the other the east. Their shifts run from Thursday to Sunday.
The park rangers operate under the supervision of the town’s public safety department.
Joe Rose, director of public safety, also said the community received the rangers very well in the opening weekend.
“Multiple people stopped them throughout their shifts to bring [up] their concerns,” Rose said in a phone interview. “It was rewarding to see the response from the public.”
Rose said an added benefit of park rangers is that it cuts down on time with handling a crime in action. Park rangers are able to act without having to call the Suffolk County Police Department first, and can issue tickets and make arrests on their own.
Huntington has experienced violent crimes in some parks.
On Aug. 20, an 18-year-old’s body was found with lacerations in Greenlawn Park. A man was walking through the town early that morning and discovered the body. In 2013, the body of a young woman was found in the Froehlich Farm Nature Preserve, which borders Huntington Station.
Many other towns on Long Island use systems like this, including Smithtown, which has a park ranger division comprised of “law enforcement personnel” who “enforce town codes, parks rules and regulations, as well as state and federal laws,” according to the Town of Smithtown website.
Carter said the final details of this program will be locked down in the coming weeks.
Greenlawn Park was taped off Saturday morning after a dead body with lacerations was discovered at the end of August. File photo by Gabriella Espinoza
A man walking in Greenlawn Park Aug. 20, discovered a dead body with significant lacerations.
The man flagged down a passing motorist who called 911 at 7:11 a.m. and Second Precinct officers responded.
The body was transported to the Suffolk County medical examiner’s office to determine the cause of death.
Police said Wednesday that the body was identified as 18-year-old Estiven Abrego Gomez, of Greenlawn,
Suffolk County Police Homicide Squad detectives are investigating the death. Anyone with information on the incident is asked to call the detectives at 631-852-6392 or call anonymously to Crime Stoppers at 1-800-220-TIPS.
A Greenlawn man was talking to a woman in front of his house on Lafayette Street on Tuesday night, when he was shot in the face by an unknown person.
Suffolk County Police Second Squad detectives are investigating the incident which occurred at approximately 11:15 p.m. on July 19.
According to police, multiple shots were fired. The victim was transported to Stony Brook University Hospital with non-life threatening injuries.
No arrests have been made. The investigation is continuing. Anyone with information on this shooting is asked to all the Second Squad at 631-854-8252 or anonymously to Crime Stoppers at 1-800-220-TIPS.
A young man was getting out of his car on Saturday morning when he was hit in the head by a man with a gun in what police are calling a robbery.
The Suffolk County Police Department is looking for three male assailants after the incident outside the 7-Eleven on Broadway in Greenlawn, shortly after midnight.
It began when the 21-year-old victim was getting out of his car in the convenience store parking lot, police said. Three men approached him, one displaying a handgun. That gun-wielding suspect struck the 21-year-old in the head, but he fled without handing over any of his belongings and called 911.
Police did not give further details on the exchange between the victim and the attackers, but called the incident a robbery.
All three assailants were wearing dark clothing, police said. One was described as a thin, dark-skinned black man in his late teens, standing about 5 feet 7 inches. Another was described as being about 5 feet 10 inches tall, weighing about 150 pounds and wearing a mask.
Detectives from the SCPD’s 2nd Squad are investigating the incident. Anyone with information i asked to call them at 631-854-8252 or to call Crime Stoppers anonymously at 800-220-TIPS.
Paul Lasinski, center, smiles with Harborfields High School Athletic Director John Valente, left, and Principal Rory Manning. Photo from Hansen Lee
Paul Lasinski of Greenlawn has been an athletic trainer and health teacher at Harborfields for nearly 20 years, and in less than two weeks he will walk the halls and fields of the high school for the last time as he prepares to retire.
It was about 18 years ago when Lasinski, or “Ski” as he’s known at school, took the position of athletic trainer. Ever since then, he has been a mainstay of the HF athletic program.
“I try to treat the student-athletes like I would want my child to be treated,” Lasinski said in an interview. “The kids here at Harborfields are really great. If you treat the students well and they know that you’re there for them, they know you’re giving your all for them, then a bond will come.”
Lasinski said he will be moving to South Carolina soon, and his replacement has already started training. Rachel Jersky, currently the athletic trainer at Bayport-Blue Point High School, will take over from him.
Lasinski’s history • Hofstra athletic trainer in 1976, when men’s hoops first went to NCAA tournament
• Two sons graduated from HHS
• Was athletic trainer at the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy • Has been at Harborfields since ’97
“Not having Paul roam the sidelines in his infamous trainer’s cart, or watch him tapes hundreds of ankles throughout the year, will be difficult to get used to,” said John Valente, Harborfields director of health, physical education, athletics, medical and nurse services. “[He] has left his mark on so many that he can never be replaced for who he is and what he has represented to the Harborfields Central School District.”
Lasinski said his favorite moments over the course of his HF career have been the times when he worked closely with the students. He said he was not looking forward to saying goodbye.
“The last week is going to be so difficult for me,” he said. “Being around the kids … and watching them play was such a highlight for me.”
He said one of his favorite memories was when the boys’ basketball team won the New York State championship in 2012. Lasinski was on the bus coming home with the team from Glens Falls when he said members of fire departments in the town reached out to him because they wanted to orchestrate a welcome home ceremony for the boys. He let the head coach know, and they decided to keep it a secret from the boys to surprise them.
“When we pulled around the corner … and the boys saw the sirens and the American flags, it was mayhem. That was a special moment,” he said.
Valente said it’s no secret the athletic director shares a bond with many student athletes.
“Behind this talented professional is a man revered by students, staff, parents and the entire community,” he said in an email. “Paul … gives of himself freely. He has been known to travel to athletes’ homes to check on an injury or provide care. It has always been inspiring and touching to witness the interaction that Paul has with the student athletes. They genuinely love Ski.”
Lucas Woodhouse, point guard of the 2012 team and now a key member of the Stony Brook University basketball roster, said Lasinski was an important piece of the group.
“[He] played a huge part in our team’s success over the years,” Woodhouse said. “He was great to be around, so much that people would go to just hang with him and talk about anything. It was great to have him be a major part of the team every year.”
The Greenlawn resident said he has enjoyed his time as a health teacher and said the most important part of teaching high schoolers is maintaining an open conversation, whether the topic is drugs, nutrition or sexual activity.
“You have to talk about it [with the students],” he said. “You really have to tell them what’s going on and make them aware of the choices they could make and how they affect them.”
Lasinski drives his golf cart around the grounds at Harborfields. Photo from Hansen Lee
As an athletic trainer, Lasinski would be looking over nearly 300 student athletes each day during the busier sports seasons.
“Thank God they don’t all get injured at once,” Lasinski joked.
He said a Saturday in the fall could have him working up to 12 hours, between soccer games in the morning and then football games in the later afternoon.
“You need to have a good wife,” he said of his wife Bonnie, who was a support system when he would work extra hours at the school. “She spent a lot of Saturdays without me, but she knows it’s what I love. This is what I do best. This keeps me young.”
And his efforts did not go unnoticed across the district. Valente said Lasinski has gone above and beyond his work responsibilities throughout his years of service.
“Paul works many hours and never looks at his watch,” he said. “It is not uncommon for him to be treating students as early as 6 a.m. on a Saturday morning, and then work over 10 hours throughout the day being at all of the contests.”
Assistant principal Tim Russo smiles at the board of education meeting before his appointment as principal is announced. Photo by Alex Petroski
The Tornadoes have a new leader.
Assistant Principal Tim Russo was appointed principal of Harborfields High School Tuesday night at a board of education meeting.
Russo has been a part of the district for 15 years now, holding several roles over that time as an athletic coach, social studies teacher, student manager, and assistant principal.
“I think my experience in the district, being here so long, gave me an understanding of the culture of the district and the school itself,” Russo said of why he thinks he makes a good fit for the job.
Russo said he’s enjoyed his time at Harborfields and he feels like his time spent there has been an ideal scenario.
“This is the first district I ever worked in, and I couldn’t really see myself ever leaving the district,” he said. “I’m just so happy here. And this is a perfect fit for me; it felt like everything kind of aligned. You’re in the spot that you’d love to be, you get the opportunity to move forward professionally and continue to work still with all of your closest friends and colleagues.”
Current Principal Dr. Rory J. Manning is leaving the position to take over for Francesco Ianni as assistant superintendent for administration and human resources next year. And Ianni is leaving his post to become superintendent of the district, as it was announced earlier this year that Diana Todaro would be retiring in 2017.
“It has been a pleasure to work with Mr. Russo these past years in his roles as teacher, student manager and assistant principal,” Todaro said in a letter to the district. “I wish Mr. Russo much success in his new role and I am extremely confident that he will lead the high school through many new initiatives, in addition to ensuring the high standards of excellence.”
Ianni has been working with Russo for years, originally when Ianni was an assistant principal at the high school and Russo only just a social studies teacher there.
“He’s a great guy with an outstanding personality that works well with kids and the faculty,” Ianni said in a phone interview. “He’s been a great teacher, and coach, and in all of the communities here, he is very well respected. It’s always difficult to bring a great school to next level, but he has the ingredients to be successful and to provide students with the necessary support to go to the next level.”
Russo said is he up to the challenge of bringing the high school to that next level.
“I’ve been given the opportunity to take the school from being outstanding to maybe just a little bit more outstanding,” he said. “I want to be a guide, to lead the faculty and let them understand that we’re confident in everything we do in the buing and we just want to continue to do the right thing for the kids and make sure we continue to be great.”
Jim Feeley has been living in Centerport for most of his life. Photo by Victoria Espinoza
A Centerport resident has planted deep roots in the community where he grew up.
Jim Feeley has been an active volunteer in the Centerport Fire Department for the past 50 years, joining in June 1965.
During his tenure he served as chief of the department twice and a volunteerEMT on the Centerport Rescue Squad. He was a member of the board of fire commissioners and the president of the Town of Huntington Fire Chiefs Council. Last year he was named Firefighter/EMT of the Year in the 18th Legislative District.
His parents built their house on Fleets Cove Road in Centerport, and Feeley met his wife Joan while walking along Fleets Cove Beach.
“I loved living across from the golf course,” Feeley said in a phone interview. “I used to hunt and explore the grounds with my brothers.”
Feeley is a 1964 Harborfields graduate, and his wife is a graduate of Walt Whitman. When it came time to decide where to raise a family, they both agreed they wanted to continue living in Centerport.
Feeley said he remembers the exact night when he decided to join the Centerport Fire Department, back in the spring of ’65 while shooting pool with his brother at an old bar in Centerport, at just 19 years of age.
“I learned a lot about my neighborhood,” he said. “There will always be someone to help you out; someone you can trust.”
Over the years, Feeley said he had been proud of the department for its active drill team, which has participated in many tournaments, and the camaraderie and closeness of the department as a whole.
According to Feeley, the fire department used to organize multifamily camping trips in the 1970s and ‘80s, and members of the Northport Fire Department even got involved.
“These are the same guys I’ve been meeting for coffee for the past 50 years,” he said. “Everyone has each other’s back. I don’t know where else you would find that.”
Feeley reflected on some of the big fires he’s worked on in his half century with the department.
“In 1966 at Gidyes Inn in Centerport, we worked on a fire for 25 hours,” he said. Gidyes Inn used to stand on Main Street where the U.S. Post Office now stands.
Feeley remembered a fire in 1972 where he and many of his family members left the table at Thanksgiving dinner to go put out a fire on Little Neck Road. The fire had gotten so big that embers were landing on boats floating near the house, which was located on the water.
Feeley’s brother, two daughters and two nephews also volunteer at the Centerport Fire Department. His wife is a member of the Ladies Auxiliary of the department.
In his off time, Feeley said he enjoys gardening at the Huntington Town’s garden plot in Greenlawn on Dunlop Road and participating in the Knights of Columbus in Greenlawn.
Feeley was recently recognized for his years of service by Suffolk County Legislator William “Doc” Spencer (D-Centerport) at a February Suffolk County Legislature meeting.
“James Feeley is an outstanding example of a true public servant,” Spencer said in a statement. “It is a privilege to be able to recognize and thank him for his inspiring service to our community.”
Prev
