🌱 Shirley-Mastic Daily: Dairy Queen Grill & Chill Opening

Morning, people of Shirley-Mastic! It's me again, Debora Whitehead, your host of the Shirley-Mastic Daily.

First, today's weather:

Increasingly windy. High: 40, low: 10.

Here are the top 5 stories today in Shirley-Mastic:

1. Councilman Dan Panico shared a post on his social media announcing the opening of the Dairy Queen Grill & Chill in Mastic. The eatery specializes in ice cream and other treats and will serve the community adjacent to Carpet Express on Montauk Highway. (Greater Long Island)
2. Twenty-seven spots for the universal pre-kindergarten program are available at William Floyd School District. Registration will be open until March 15. For more details click here: (Press Release Desk)
3. MMS Community Library publishes eNewsletter for Jan. 10. The newsletter has a schedule of community services and events that will be happening at the Mastics, Moriches and Shirley area. (Press Release Desk)
4. New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance is accepting applications for COVID-19 rent relief in the towns of Brookhaven and Babylon. For more information and help with applications, reach out the Family Service League locations, including Bay Shore (631-647-3104); Mastic Beach (631-874-1327); and Riverhead (631-591-7577). (Newsday/Subscription Required)
5. Nearby News: Police released the ID of the man who hit by a car in Medford on Jan. 4. The victim was 29-year-old Saul Lozada of Patchogue. The accident happened on North Ocean Avenue. He was crossing the road when he was hit. Lozada was transported to Long Island Community Hospital where he was pronounced dead. (News 12 Long Island)

Today's Shirley-Mastic 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 Shirley-Mastic!

Today in Shirley-Mastic:

• Everyone Loves a Story — Adult Storytime at MMS Library. (10 a.m.)
• LEGO Builders — in person, at MMS Library. (4:30 p.m.)

From my notebook:

• "Real Estate: Two Shirley-Mastic area new open houses to check out." (Shirley-Mastic Patch)
• "The Sachem Central School District is making some bold moves to stop the spread of COVID-19 in their schools. The district is increasing social distancing and opening windows slightly to allow more air flow in classrooms. The district is also not allowing visitors inside buildings and making all meetings with parents virtual." (News 12 Bronx)
• Suffolk Times: "A tradition dating back more than three decades continued this year with The Suffolk Times’ annual People of the Year awards to honor those who have made a difference in our community." (Instagram)
• Girl Scouts of Suffolk County: "Congratulations to our Gold Award Girl Scout, Lilah! She is teaching text-based coding to middle school girls to help them see the possibilities in STEM based careers." (Instagram)

More from our sponsors — thanks for supporting local news!

Events:

• AAECF’S Dr MLK Realizing the Dream Exhibit. (Jan. 15)
• Mommy and Me Yoga — In person — MMS Library. (Jan. 15)
• Add your event

Announcements:

• Behind The Scoreboard — Babe And A Young Fan (Details)
• Add your announcement

Loving the Shirley-Mastic Daily? Here are all the ways you can get more involved:

• Send a friend or neighbor this link so they can subscribe
• Get your local business listed in front of readers
• Send me a news tip or suggestion at shirley-mastic@patch.com

Now you're in the loop and ready to head out the door on this Friday. I'll see you soon!

— Debora Whitehead