For Pregnant Resident Ronkonkoma Neighbors Take Over Plowing

A pregnant resident on Willow Place in Ronkonkoma must be glad she has resourceful neighbors after the entire block, fed up with waiting for the town, hit the street with their snowblowers and shovels in hand to clear the street from more than two feet of unplowed snow.

According to Willow Place resident Dan Tripi, the initiative gained momentum as he noticed the expecting mother outside shoveling her own driveway. 

"It wasn't any one person's idea," Tripi stated in an email. "We felt that something needed to be done just in case she needed to get out in a hurry. So we started making a path for her just in case she needed to get out, but then it developed into a snowball effect."

According to Tripi the other neighbors noticed the small band of good Samaritans and brought out snowblowers to help clear a path wide enough for a car to get down Willow all the way to Gatelot Avenue, which was in slightly better shape at the time.

Tripi said the whole operation took about five hours.

"They just helped without us even asking," Tripi said. "It was nice to see everyone coming together and helping each other."

Tripi said clearing the street also made it possible for the rest of the block to get to work and attend college classes. Browse the photo gallery to see the neighbors working together, and for video of the spontaneous act of kindness.