🌱 Patchogue Daily: Robbery Investigation + Santa Claus At RHUM

Happy Friday, neighbors! Let's get you all caught up on what's happening locally to start today off on an informed note.

First, today's weather:

Mild with clouds and sun. High: 59, low: 40.

Here are the top 5 stories in Patchogue today:

1. Suffolk Police is investigating an incident during which a man was forced at knifepoint to withdraw money from two ATMs and got slashed on the face. A Centereach man left his car unlocked while shopping at OK Petroleum, a gas station located at Middle Country Road in Centereach. When he returned to his car, an armed man, was in the backseat and asked for money. When the victim said he did not have money, the suspect forced the victim to drive to two nearby ATMs to make withdrawals. (smithtownmatters.com)
2. Long Island has lots of good spots to see incredible Christmas lights and if you are looking for something really different to see this year, Ronkonkoma has one of the Island's best holiday lights tours and it's sponsored by Tapped Enterprises. The ticket costs $25 per person and includes a 45-minute light tour. A portion of the proceeds go to the Make-A-Wish Foundation. (News 12 New Jersey)
3. House hunting in the web can be a little hard as pictures often don't show all the fun details and don't answer questions that can come up while looking for a nice property. That's where open houses come in handy! Click on the link to see the open houses in Patchogue and have fun on your search! (Patchogue Patch)
4. Old Saint Nick is ready to have some brunch fun in Patchogue this year. Meet the “real” Santa Claus. Santa (you can check his I.D.) will be entertaining kids and parents alike at RHUM in Patchogue on Sunday, Dec. 19, as he stops by for a special Santa Brunch event at the tri-level Main Street restaurant. (Greater Long Island)
5. Community thanks the Town of Brookhaven’s annual Youth Bureau INTERFACE for the amazing Thanksgiving Food Drive. Volunteers distributed holiday meals for 1,016 families. Over two days in November, the INTERFACE Program and JVC Broadcasting also held a food drive at Compare Foods in Patchogue. P.J. Gelinas Junior High School in East Setauket, Sachem North and Sachem East High Schools helped to collect food picking up from local groceries stores. (LongIsland.com)

Today's Patchogue Daily is brought to you in part 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 Patchogue!

Today in Patchogue:

• ORE — G.O. Holiday Dance and Toy Drive. (6:30 p.m.)
• Holiday Spectacular On Ice at Patchogue Theater. (7 p.m.)
• The Remedy Band at Rudi's. (8 p.m.)

From my notebook:

• "A cozy starter home' in Bayport on the market for $399G. Built in 1920, the two-bedroom, 1½-bath on Bayport Avenue has original pinewood floors and painted wood-beamed ceilings and walls in the first-floor bedroom and half bath." (Newsday)
• Patchogue-Medford Library: "Meet our newest member of the library. One-month-old little Miss Rylee got her first library card yesterday! Our very own Ms. Joyce knows how important is to start them young." (Instagram)
• Patchogue Theatre for the Performing Arts: "If you missed Anthony Rodia in Westbury last month, you're in luck! Anthony Rodia: The Road Rage Tour is coming to Patchogue Theatre for the Performing Arts Friday, Feb.18 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are on sale now and selling fast!" (Facebook)
• Nextdoor Neighbor, Lower East Patchogue: "Good morning. An update from Councilperson Foley on the work presently taking place on Swan River at the intersection of S. Country Road and Montauk Highway." (Nextdoor)

From our sponsors — thanks for supporting local news!

Events:

• Big Apple Circus is NOW OPEN in New York City! (Dec. 17)
• Holiday Spectacular On Ice at Patchogue Theater. (Dec. 18)
• Breakfast with Santa at Patchogue Local Burger Co. (Dec. 19)
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For sale:

• *** $75 OFF *** Walk with "CONFIDENCE" Again! (Details)
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Job listings:

• Hairdresser Wanted (Details)
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Thanks for following along and staying informed. See you all tomorrow morning 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.