Long Island's Top 5: Our Most Popular Facebook Stories This Week

From a giant snake in a Suffolk County garage to Clare Rose's illegal replacement of Long Island strikers, check out the stories Long Island Patch readers were sharing, reading and commenting on for the week of May 15.

Clare Rose Begins Illegally Replacing Long Island Strikers

Clare Rose began permanently replacing striking union members at the Long Island Budweiser distributor on May 15. It is a violation of federal labor law to permanently replace workers who are striking over unfair labor practices. The announcement, via a Facebook post by Clare Rose CEO Sean Rose’s wife, Michelle McLaughlin Rose, stated that “Clare Rose is hiring permanent warehouse men, permanent driver’s [sic], and summer helpers.”

Meet The Mepham Valedictorian And Salutatorian

Valedictorian Rachel Jozwik worked tirelessly to juggle her regular course load in addition to being a part of Mepham’s Advanced Science Research Program. Her payoff was being named a Regeneron STS Semifinalist earlier this year. Jozwik was one of among 300 nationally recognized semifinalists in the country’s most prestigious pre-college science competition often considered the “Junior Nobel Prize.”

Giant Snake Found In Long Island Garage

A Long Island resident got quite a scare Wednesday when they discovered a 6-foot snake hanging out in their garage. Thankfully a Suffolk County SPCA detective was already in the area on an unrelated matter. SPCA officials say a Medford resident "frantically alerted" Det. Dominic Mozzone about the snake. Mozzone, who has attended the SPCA's dangerous reptile training, was ready and able to safely remove the black racer snake from their home.

Affordable Apartments For Rent Near Farmingdale

Long Island isn't always known as being "affordable." However, according to Realtor.com there are several apartments for rent in or around the Farmingdale area for under $3,000 a month. Patch has shared a number of active listings throughout Farmingdale, including The Jefferson, Farmingdale Villas and The Lofts.

Sachem School Budget Passes

Local residents approved the Sachem School District’s $314.2 million proposed budget on May 16 by a margin of 2,998 to 1,175. The budget represents a 2.54 percent spending increase over the current year, and it includes a 3.47 percent hike in the school tax levy, which is within the district’s state tax cap. The average homeowner in Islip Town in the district will pay an additional $200 in school taxes next year.

Photo credit: Suffolk SPCA