🌱 Patchogue Daily: Petito's Family Message + COVID Test Sites

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

First, today's weather:

A.M. mist; otherwise, cloudy. High: 47, low: 42.

Here are the top 5 stories in Patchogue today:

1. The family of Gabby Petito wrote touching messages on social media about first Christmas without her. The family expressed the sadness of their first Christmas without her and said they will continued their mission of hope and working to inspire others facing a difficult holiday season. (Patchogue Patch)
2. New COVID-19 testing facilities opened across LI this week to attend the demand at urgent care. Northwell Health will operate drive-thru testing sites at Christopher Morley Park in Roslyn and Peconic Bay Medical Center in Riverhead. These sites will offer PCR tests and are by appointment only. Long Island has the highest daily COVID-19 infection rate in New York. (News 12)
3. HO-HUM Pavilion removed from Fire Island. On Dec. 20 meeting, the board voted to remove the Ho-Hum Pavilion from Fire Island. There are no plans to replace it at this time. The decision came after an emergency meeting, where the board discussed the problem and sought input from Adon Austin, an engineer with Rising Tide Waterfront Solutions. The decision to remove the pavilion was hard, but that in the end it came down to the cost of moving it or rebuilding it and the environmental impact that it might have. (LI Advance)
4. Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone and Suffolk County Police had a press conference to remind residents to keep vehicles locked after a wave of car thefts across Long Island. Since Dec. 19, Suffolk police responded to eight incidents which the cars were unlocked or in with the key fob inside. (Long Island News)
5. Looking for an outing to enjoy the last week of the year? Click on the link to access Patchogue special events calendar that Patch created just for you. (Patchogue Patch)

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Today in Patchogue:

• Holiday Spectacular On Ice at Patchogue Theater. (2 p.m.)
• Recycling Day - Paper. (All Day)
• NA Meetings- Patchogue Alcoholics Anonymous. (3:30 p.m.)

From my notebook:

• Patchogue Chamber Of Commerce: "Join us for the second Patchogue Plunge! The plunge will happen on Super Bowl Sunday, Feb. 13, 2022. This year we will have breakfast at Toast Coffeehouse in Patchogue. Breakfast and check-in will be between t 8 a.m. and 9:30 a.m." (Instagram)
• Nextdoor Neighbor, Patchogue: "House painting and wallpapering - Call or text today 631-578-6505" (Nextdoor)
• Nextdoor Neighbor, Lower East Patchogue: "Is the W&S DOMINICAN HAIR SALON close in patchogue? - Because i keep calling to book an appointment but there been no answer and I don't drive so that why I am asking before I head over there this week." (Nextdoor)
• Nextdoor Neighbor, Upper East Patchogue: "I have a neighbor in East Patchogue that throws parties with the music blasting until 3 a.m. - I am a few houses away and its loud. - I haven't called the police but I am wondering how should I handle this?" (Nextdoor)
• Nextdoor Neighbor, Lower East Patchogue: "Happy Kwanzaa! - #HappyKwanzaa #Kwanzaa #patientadvocatesofny" (Nextdoor)

More from our sponsors — thanks for supporting local news!

Events:

• HS - Raider Invitational Wrestling Tournament. (Dec. 30)
• New Year’s Eve Dinner Party at Whiskey Neat. (Dec. 31)
• Schools Re-Open - Patchogue-Medford High School. (Jan. 3)
• Add your event

Announcements:

• Behind The Scoreboard – Horses Can Guide The Blind (Details)
• Add your announcement

Job listings:

• Dental Receptionist (Details)
• Add your job listing

Loving the Patchogue Daily? Here are all the ways you can get more involved:

• Send a friend or neighbor this link so they can subscribe
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• Send me a news tip or suggestion at Patchogue@Patch.com

That's it for today! See you tomorrow for another update.

— 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.