Good News: Safe Village Scores High; Autistic Teen Walks 90 Miles

As a local news organization, Patch covers stories of all kinds, from heartbreaking tragedies to nitty-gritty breakdowns of government and school district issues. But some stories are simply inspiring, often showing that at the heart of our communities is a desire to do good. Here are some of the touching headlines from the past seven days.

Teen With Autism Walks 90 Miles for Awareness

Anna Tuzzolo of East Quogue is on a mission — to virtually walk the 90-miles from her hometown to Montauk Point by January.

Tuzzolo, a 13-year-old who was diagnosed with autism at the age of three, is walking to give back to a Water Mill camp that she has come to love.

Village Lauded for a Year Without Pedestrian Injuries

Northport was recently named one of the safest areas in the region for motorists and pedestrians by AAA.

In the past year, Northport recorded no pedestrian injuries and a 97 percent seat belt usage rate over the past year.

A Tight Squeeze for Firefighters

The Commack Fire Department got itself into a tight squeeze last Thursday when volunteers practiced rescue techniques within a 14-inch crawl space at the Huntington Recycling Center on Townline Road in East Northport.

Commack’s team is one of the automatic response teams for the townships of Huntington and Smithtown, and is immediately notified to respond to any Technical Rescue emergency in either township.

Firefighters practice technical rescue at the Huntington Recycling Center. Photo by Commack Fire Department.

Girls Swap Gifts for Food Donations on Birthday

Instead asking for toys, dolls and games on their birthdays, Josephine, 6, and Cordelia Gleason, 4, wanted to do something for others to celebrate.

Earlier this month, the Northport girls had a birthday party, but instead of having a table filled with wrapped boxes and bows, they had grocery bags filled with items to give to families in need. That’s because instead of gifts, they asked their friends to donate food to the Ecumenical Lay Council pantry in Northport. The girls donated the goods the following week.

Scouts Keep Beaches Clean

Local scouts in Bayport-Blue Point and Sayville recently took to the beach and participated in an annual cleanup effort.

As part of the International Coastal Cleanup effort Girl Scouts of Suffolk County, Service Unit 18 did a cleanup at Corey Beach in Blue Point.

Sayville Girl Scout Troop 1220 participated in its fourth annual cleanup of Sayville Beach during the International Coastal Cleanup.

Girls Cross Country Champs

On Oct. 15 the Bayport-Blue Point Girls Cross Country team won its fourth consecutive Cross Country League Championship. Concurrently the team also accomplished something that had only been done once before in school history: this league championship also gave the girls their tenth consecutive titles dating back to the fall of 2010.

Locals Participate in Pancreatic Cancer Walk

Last weekend, Mount Sinai resident Elliot Dreznick and Port Jefferson resident Mike Malinowski came together to participate in the Lustgarten Foundation’s 13th Annual Pancreatic Cancer Research Walk on Jones Beach.

The Lustgarten Foundation has been around for years collecting monetary donations used towards advancing scientific and medical research related to Pancreatic Cancer. The non-profit organization hosts events all year to raise funds including a Holiday Rock & Roll Bash, the 2013 Hamptons Marathon, and A Night on the River.

This year, the Lustgarten Foundation broke records when 7,500 people participated in the cancer research walk on Jones Beach, raising close to $1.1 million in the process.

Cousins Share Special Bond

If family tradition continues for cousins Francesco, Valentina and Madeline are destined to be best friends just like their moms have been all their lives, and the fact they were all born within a month of each other at Southside Hospital in Bay Shore makes for a unique bond.

Sisters Josephine Scalone, 33, of Holbrook, gave birth to Valentina on September 27; Catherine Ahrens, 35, also of Holbrook, delivered Madeline on October 11 and third sister Angela Granzino, 38, of Mastic, welcomed Francesco on September 9.

The three cousins are destined to spend a great deal of time together as they grow up as their moms are extremely close when it comes to being together and speaking every day.

Tree Dedicated to Fallen Officer

A freshly planted tree at Argyle Lake Park has been dedicated to the memory of Nassau County Police Officer Arthur Lopez, who was killed last year in the line of duty.

Officer Lopez, a Babylon Village resident, was shot and killed by a fleeing suspect during a chase on October 23, 2012 in Bellerose Terrace, Queens.

Meet the Homecoming King and Queen

Babylon Junior-Senior High School selected Logan Middleton and Jayne Dittmeier as the 2013 Homecoming King and Queen during a halftime ceremony during the Mount Sinai-Babylon game.

Field Hockey Raises Awareness

The Lindenhurst High School girls varsity field hockey team pulled out a victory off the field by raising cancer awareness.

The team, donning pink "Stick It To Cancer" t-shirts," helped to raise money for "Play 4 A Cause," a nonprofit organization whose mission is to develop and introduce novel methods to raise public awareness of diseases.