🌱 Jones Beach Light Show + Free Thanksgiving Meals

Good morning, Five Towns! Let's get you all caught up to start this day off on an informed note. Here's everything you need to know today in town.

The Jones Beach light show is back, and starts today. Find out what's new this year. Volunteers will be cooking free Thanksgiving meals for those in need, for the 11th year.

Did you know you can feature your local business right here in the newsletter for just $79/month? Click here to learn more.

First, today's weather:

Partly sunny and windy. High: 50 Low: 37.

Here are the top stories in Five Towns today:

1. News 12 checks out the Magic of Lights at Jones Beach State Park, which opens today. The Holiday Village is also back, but visitors must wear masks. (News 12)
2. An East Rockaway church is gearing up for its 11th Thanksgiving Day meal open to the community. Barbara and Doug Herrmann and a team of volunteers usually offer the meal at Bethany Congregational Church but because of the pandemic they will prepare and pack meals to delivery to residents in Lynbrook, East Rockaway, Oceanside, Rockville Centre and Franklin Square. Meals will also be available for pickup and takeout at the church, at 100 Main St., on Thanksgiving Day. (LI Herald)
3. Mike Smollins tells us that voters in the East Rockaway School District approved a bond update of $27.7 million that passed in November 2019. The plans will bring no additional cost to taxpayers. Improvements include new athletic fields, classroom upgrades and a river bulkhead. (LI Herald)
4. Alex Costello reports that County Executive-elect Bruce Blakeman has named Christopher McGrath, a partner at the law firm Sullivan Papain Block McGrath Coffinas & Cannavo, as the head of his transition team. Blakeman also appointed Floral Park native Arthur Walsh to be his chief deputy county executive. Walsh is the general counsel for Nassau Off-Track Betting. (Patch)
5. Patch has the news that East Rockaway school superintendent Lisa Ruiz announced her retirement after nine years. The retirement was announced at the district's Nov. 16 board of education meeting. (Patch)

Today's Five Towns Daily is brought to you by our friends at Verizon. They're building the fastest 5G network in the country. To learn how 5G is going to change life for you and your community — and to get access to this amazing technology — click here. And thank you Verizon for sponsoring this community resource in Five Towns!

Today in Five Towns:

• Hewlett High School Student Council Elections, George W Hewlett High School.

From our sponsors — thanks for supporting local news!

Events:

• "They Tried to Kill Us, We Won, Let's Eat! Jewish Food and Antisemitism," with Joel Haber (November 22)
• Get Your House in Order! (December 2)
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Announcements:

• PAL Grows Youth Lacrosse Across Long Island (Details)
• Behind The Scoreboard — A Builder Of America’s Pastime (Details)
• Stressed out caring for a loved one with memory issues? (Details)
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Gigs & services:

• Tag and Estate Sales (Details)
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Now you're in the loop and ready to start this Friday off right! See you tomorrow morning for your next update. If you're feeling these newsletters, consider inviting some of your friends and neighbors to follow along. You can send them this link to subscribe.

— Jackie

Have a news tip or suggestion for an upcoming Five Towns Daily? Contact me at FiveTowns@Patch.com.