🌱 Patchogue Daily: Long Island Community Hospital Upgrade Plan

Morning, neighbors! It's me again, Debora Whitehead, your host of the Patchogue Daily.

First, today's weather:

Partly sunny. High: 46, low: 30.

Here are the top stories in Patchogue today:

1. Patchogue woman who served as an Army nurse during World War I received an honor that's decades overdue. Caroline Lenora Ehmann received the firing of rifles and the folding of the American flag at her final resting place at Cedar Grove Cemetery. (News 12 Long Island)
2. Local residents joined officials as they watched Brookhaven Town demolish an abandoned “zombie house,” located at 4 Grandview Drive in Blue Point. The house sustained heavy damage during Super Storm Sandy in October 2012. After receiving multiple Brookhaven Town building code violations, it was the source of resident complaints through the years. (LongIsland.com)
3. A woman was struck and killed by an LIRR train Thursday morning in Wyandanch, temporarily closing service in both directions on the Ronkonkoma Branch, which was restored after noon. The 9:16 a.m. train from Penn Station to Ronkonkoma struck the woman on the tracks east of the Wyandanch Station about 10:30 a.m., officials said. MTA Police are investigating the crash and declared the woman dead at the scene. Police said no criminality was suspected. (Newsday)
4. LI Community Hospital, NYU Langone seek state approval for merger, with plans for $100M in upgrades. The proposed merger between the region’s last independent hospital, Long Island Community Hospital, and NYU Langone Health is set to go before a state Department of Health panel for approval next week, as NYU Langone announced plans to spend $100 million on upgrades to the Patchogue facility. (Newsday)

Today in Patchogue:

• Author Signing and Meet & Greet. (All Day)
• Defensive Driving with Empire Safety Council. (10 a.m.)
• LEGO Robotics at PML. (2 p.m.)

Patchogue Patch Notebook

• Dozens of Sayville residents rallied before an Islip Town Board meeting Wednesday night to continue protesting a proposed apartment complex that would build more than 1,300 units at a shuttered golf course. At the public hearing Wednesday, about 70 residents discussed the draft environmental impact statement for the Island Hills golf course on Lakeland Avenue, which has been closed since 2015. (Newsday)
• Exemplifying the absolute best of the old-school values, family, friends and faith — that was Walter Kelt. "He would just say ‘You have to lead by God’s example, just be a good person, and try to do the right thing every day,’" said his daughter, Patricia Davies. Kelt, a former Newsday employee who worked in the composing room, lived in Hauppauge for most of his adult life and died at home. He was 86. (Newsday)
• The new proposal for the Islip Town portion of the Ronkonkoma Hub might just be the best combination of ideas for the site yet, using some of the most desirable prior suggestions, while eliminating the non-starters of the past. It's big thinking, and the region needs more of it. But for the plan to come to fruition, public and private officials have to work together in a clear, open process that avoids surprises and provides ample opportunity for input from residents. (Newsday)

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• Holiday Tree Lighting at The Shoppes. (Dec. 4)
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That's it for today! I'll see you back in your inbox tomorrow morning with your next update. If you're liking these newsletters, consider bringing some of your friends and neighbors along for the ride. You can send them this link to subscribe.

— Debora Whitehead

About me: Debora Whitehead is a dedicated wife and homeschooling mom from Coram, NY. She has a bachelor's degree in Education and loves to teach and write. Her passion for the community reflects on her volunteering work at the "Mariposa Ministry," a nonprofit family assistance program. One of her strongest believes is Jesus Christ and when she is not parenting, teaching or reading, she is writing. One of her favorites quotes is: "The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams."- Eleanor Roosevelt.

Have a news tip or suggestion for an upcoming Patchogue Daily? Email me at Patchogue@Patch.com.