Scott Damsgaard I was born in Brookhaven Memorial Hospital in Suffolk County, Long Island, New York in a small town called Brookhaven its the only town that stretches from the North Shore to the South Shore of Long Island. Explanation follows Brookhaven is really a Township. It is called a Township because it has ten villages these villages are as follows: 1 Bella Terre 2 Bellport 3 Lake Grove 4 Mastic Beach 5 Old Field 6 Patchogue 7 Poquott 8 Port Jefferson 9 Shoreham 10 East Patchaugue In one of Brookhaven's ten villages Called East Patchaugue one of the villages cities is called called East Islip. The town is really Brookhaven ( P. S. It would be best if you thought of it as a township to clearify the ten villages part of brookhaven), the village is East Patchaugue (one of ten within Brookhaven township )there is an East Patchaugue in Brookhaven whereas West Patchaugue is in a completely different Township - it is in The Smithtown Township. In the Village of East Patchaugue( there are both the cities East and West Islip ). I hailed from Long Island, New York from The Village of East Patchaugue in city of East Islip in a hometown hamlet called Lake Ronkonkoma. The name got its origin from the Algonquian Language Monatauk native indian word;"Raconkamuck" which in translation means ``the boundary fishing place'' in the Algonquian language Jim Croce wrote a song entitled; "New Yorks not my home." It was once my home! "I am a Native Lake Ronkonkoman" Lake Ronkonkoma was my Hometown until 1974 Lake Ronkonkoma is a hamlet (and census-designated place) in Suffolk County, New York, United States. The population was 19,701 at the 2000 census. Lake Ronkonkoma is located in the Brookhaven Township, but has small sections in the Town of Smithtown. Sachem High School North is located in Lake Ronkonkoma. Contents 1 Geography 2 History 3 Lake Ronkonkoma in popular culture 4 Notable residents and natives 5 Demographics 6 References 7 External links Geography Lake Ronkonkoma is located at 40°4947N 73°647W (40.829709, -73.113015)[1]. According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 4.9 square miles (13 km2), all land. History Lake Ronkonkoma Location Suffolk County, New York Coordinates 40°4942N 073°0718W Primary inflows groundwater Primary outflows underground Basin countries United States Max. depth 100 ft (30 m) Surface elevation 52 ft (16 m) The actual lake, Lake Ronkonkoma, adjacent to the hamlet, is the largest lake on Long Island. The land surrounding the lake itself is in the jurisdiction of Islip. The elevation of the lake surface is given as 55 feet (17 m) on the most recent USGS map, but as the lake is a "groundwater lake," not fed by streams, it has no surface outlet and its water surface reflects the current level of the local water table. This can undergo significant changes over time and the lake level experiences slow periods of rise and fall. In the late 1960s it was quite low; after several intermediate changes in level, in 2007 the lake was higher than at any time since, with a difference of well over five feet between the 1960s low and the 2007 high. As a result of the lake's existence, Lake Ronkonkoma was once a resort town, until the area experienced a population explosion in the mid-1900s. Remnants of old resorts and hotels can still be seen around the lake's shores. Many summer cottages and bungalows from that period remain, now converted to year-round use. The lake is the subject of a number of urban legends, mainly rooted in the area's rich Native American heritage. For example: 1. It's bottomless (and/or empties into the Long Island Sound or other waterways). In fact, the lake is relatively deep (approx. 100 feet) at its southeastern side, and is what's known as a kettle hole lake; 2. Every year the lake sacrifices someone. Specifically, "The Lady of the Lake" calls young men out to the middle of the lake and drowns them. In all versions, the lady is an Indian princess who herself drowned in the lake, for reasons that vary depending on the story. 3. There is a mysterious rise and fall of the lake that doesn't have any noticeable relationship to local rainfall totals. This has not been sufficiently explained either way. The most popular story is that every year two lovers from somewhere in the area are killed by the Native American princess. Usually it is in an automobile accident because of the angry spirit. The Native Americans in Suffolk County, as opposed to Nassau County (then a part of Queens County) got along well with the white English. In the Dutch west end of the Island there was bitter fighting between the Native Americans and the Dutch. There is some kernel of truth in the story. The lake was considered the most sacred lake by the Indians and it was also the meeting point. The tribes controlled different parts of it. One thing is certain, the Native American princess could not have lived in what is now Ronkonkoma; a major point of the story is that the princess and her lover ran off from their own settlement to the lake. In addition the Indians did not live anywhere near the lake. They lived near the coasts of the Island. Lake Ronkonkoma in popular culture The Brookhaven Town Beach and Park on the eastern side of Lake Ronkonkoma in Brookhaven Town has been renamed in honor of Navy SEAL Lieutenant Michael P. Murphy. LT Murphy who is the posthumous recipient of the Medal of Honor presented to his parents, Daniel and Maureen, on October 22, 2007 by President George W. Bush. LT Murphy is the first sailor since Vietnam more than 35 years ago to receive the Medal of Honor and the only Navy recipient for actions in Afghanistan during Operation Enduring Freedom. The park that bears his name is now known as Navy SEAL LT Michael P. Murphy Memorial Park. It is a fitting tribute since LT Murphy was head Lifeguard and Beach Manager of this park and beach during high school and summer recess from college. Navy SEAL Lt. Murphy is buried at Calverton National Cemetery on Long Island NY.:----/ Ronkonkoma is referenced in two songs by singer/songwriter Mike Doughty: "Busting Up a Starbucks" and "Like a Luminous Girl." Ronkonkoma was referenced by Artie Lange during the March 3rd, 2009 taping of the Late Show with David Letterman. The comic recounted a story of sitting in front of a fan at Yankees games who repeatedly cheers on Derek Jeter by shouting, "Do it for Ronkonkoma!" In the American television series from the 1970s, All In The Family, the character Edith Bunker reminisced about a weekend she spent at the Lake with a boy she was dating, and his parents. The boy grew up to be a hot tar watcher. Two characters in the movie 200 Cigarettes are visiting New York City from Ronkonkoma. "These Are the Rules" a YA novel by Paul Many (Random House, 1998) is set in "White Sand Lake"--a thinly-veiled reference to Lake Ronkonkoma--and includes the Indian legend as a plot device. In a 1992 "Mad About You" episode, Paul and Jamie Buchman briefly discuss buying a home in Lake Ronkonkoma Notable residents and natives Question book-new.svg This section does not cite any references or sources. (May 2009) Maude Adams (stage actress) Jumbo Elliott (American football player) David E. Grange, Jr. (U.S. Army Lieutenant General) Joe Jones - basketball coach Moira Kelly (actress) Steve Hass (musician) Lennon Murphy (singer/songwriter) Steve Park (Islip) - NASCAR Driver Demographics As of the census[2] of 2000, there were 19,701 people, 6,700 households, and 5,011 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 4,093.1 per square mile (1,649.2/km²). There were 6,949 housing units at an average density of 1,814.4/sq mi (646.4/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 89.4% White, 1.4% African American, 0.15% Native American, 2.41% Asian, 0.09% Pacific Islander, 1.3% from other races, and 1.27% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.9% of the population. There were 6,700 households out of which 35.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.8% were married couples living together, 10.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.2% were non-families. 20.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.86 and the average family size was 3.32. In the CDP the population was spread out with 24.7% under the age of 18, 7.4% from 18 to 24, 32.6% from 25 to 44, 23.2% from 45 to 64, and 12.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 93.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.3 males. The median income for a household in the CDP was $60,209, and the median income for a family was $67,375. Males had a median income of $50,715 versus $34,301 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $23,233. About 3.1% of families and 6.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.8% of those under age 18 and 17.0% of those age 65 or over.RONKONKOMA, LONG ISLAND Ronkonkoma, Long Island Ronkonkoma is a hamlet and census-designated place located in Suffolk County, Long Island, New York. It is within the Town of Islip and near to the Long Island MacArthur Airport which is recognized as one of the top five regional airports in the country. Lake Ronkonkoma is on the north that split between Brookhaven and Smithtown townships. As of the 2000 census, there were 20,029 people, 6,550 households, and 5,200 families residing in the CDP. The median income for a household in the CDP was $67,339, and the median income for a family was $73,003. Males had a median income of $50,594 and only $35,013 for females. The latitude of Ronkonkoma is 40.815N. The longitude is -73.112W. It is in the Eastern Standard time zone. Elevation is 112 feet. The community has been diversely translated as "white sand," "resting place of the wild geese," and the "fishing place." It is adjacent to Lake Ronkonkoma. There are some notable companies located in the town including CVD Equipment Corporation, a nanotechnology and high-technology engineering company that is doing research on carbon nanotubes in cooperation with the University of Cincinnati in Ohio. In early 2007, there were only four registered sex offenders living in Ronkonkoma with a ratio of 5007:1 number of residents in Ronkonkoma to the number of sex offenders. The number of registered sex offenders compared to the number of residents in this area is smaller than the state average. Famous residents living in Ronkonkoma include Moira Kelly (actress), Lennon Murphy (singer/songwriter), Joe Jones (basketball coach), and John Negron (singer/songwriter). The racial-makeup comprises of 93.85% White, 0.90% African American, 0.06% Native American, 2.39% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 1.12% from other races, and 1.64% from two or more races. Most of its residents ancestries were Italian, Irish, German, Polish, and English. Ronkonkoma has 3 Elementary Schools and one Junior-High School. The Ronkonkoma Fire Department has a long history of service and has kept up with new technology. It makes an average of 4-ambulance and 1 fire call per day offers informative training in fire prevention. The department has also a comprehensive program of enrolling volunteers called Explorers who can handle fire-fighting as well as other emergency situations and lend a helping hand in an accident or a disaster. The local Chamber of Commerce of the Greater Ronkonkomas is dedicated to help business in the community and provides for recurrent interaction between local enterprises and people at large and arranges blood drives in the middle of its other activities of social significance. Ronkonkoma has a lake, nearby beaches and a recreation center, senior center, ball courts, playground, and a picnic area.