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VOL. 112 NO. 26
JUNE 22-28, 20026
$1.00
Babylon cracks down on vape sales to youths By CAROLYN JAMES cjames@liherald.com
Courtesy Amityville Village
Amityville Junior League Essay Contest winners Jolieth Smith and Cate Tibbetts, are recognized during the Village of Amityville Board of Trustees meeting on July 13. Junior League of Amityville Scholarship Committee Co-chair and Corresponding Secretary Kasey Jacobsen, Deputy Mayor Owen Brooks, Mayor Michael O’Neill, and Trustees Adam Ansanelli and Roger Smith join them.
Amityville students recognized The Village of Amityville Board of Trustees recognized two recent high school graduates on July 13 after earning top honors in the 2026 Amityville Junior League Essay Contest. Jolieth Smith, a graduate of Amityville Memorial High School, received first place, while Cate Tibbetts, a graduate of St. John the Baptist Diocesan High School, earned second place. Mayor Michael O’Neill and village trustees honored the students during the board’s meeting. This year’s contest asked students to respond to the prompt: “Describe a communi-
ty you belong to (cultural, academic, geographic, or interest-based). How has it shaped your identity and your sense of responsibility to others?” Smith’s essay explored how her Caribbean American heritage and growing interest in architecture have shaped her identity and strengthened her appreciation for how design can foster connection and well-being. She wrote that values rooted in her cultural traditions — including mutual support, respect and resilience — have influenced her sense of CONTINUED ON PAGE 11
The Babylon Town Board is seeking a court-ordered sale of a North Babylon business property after officials said the owner repeatedly failed to stop illegal sales of tobacco and vaping products to minors despite a compliance agreement reached last year. At the July 8 board meeting, a proposed agreement that would require the owner of Milk and Things, at 1287A Deer Park Ave., to immediately list the property for sale was discussed. If the owner declines to do so, the town plans to ask a court to order the sale. “The intention is to protect our youth, our children and to make sure that these products are not being sold to them,” Babylon Town Supervisor Richard Schaffer said. “In addition to these items being sold, (vaping products), one of the complaints we got was that gummy worms, with THC, also being sold.” THC is a crystalline compound that is the main active ingredient of cannabis. According to the Town Attorney’s office, the business has a documented history of violations involving the sale of tobacco products to minors. Officials said arrests for unlawful dealing
with a child and selling tobacco to minors occurred at the business in 2024 and 2025. The town and the business entered into a compliance agreement in October 2025 that allowed the owner to continue operating while demonstrating compliance with state and local laws, officials said. Town officials said the agreement was violated following an undercover investigation that led to the execution of a search warrant by Suffolk County Police Department First Precinct officers on June 25. According to the town, an undercover minor purchased a flavored vape product during the investigation. Police seized 2,217 flavored vape products with an estimated street value of roughly $60,000, officials said. “The business has shown to have been an example of what a public nuisance is,” Schaffer said. “It is attracting young folks to something that’s so dangerous it can lead them to a life of being addicted to nicotine.” Jorge Rosario, the town’s senior assistant attorney, told the board the products are designed and packaged to attract young people. “They come in bright colored CONTINUED ON PAGE 11