🌱 Patch AM: Could a drink coaster at dinner change two shelter dogs’ lives?

Hi Smithtown! We have the latest buzz right here. Let's keep you in the loop and get this morning started right! ☀️

In today's newsletter:

• Could a drink coaster at dinner change two shelter dogs’ lives?
• How did a single storm help drive up Smithtown’s payroll?

Also on today's calendar: Caroline Church's 3rd Annual Live Nativity & Tree Lighting and 8 more events.

Today's riddle: My brother swallowed a box of firecrackers. - Is he all right now? 🤔 (Answer below!)

Weather forecast:

• Thursday: Times of clouds and sun, with a high of 48 and low of 44 degrees.
• Friday: Windy; rain in the morning, temps: high: 56, low: 28.
• Saturday: Colder; breezy in the morning, with a high of 38 and low of 34 degrees.

📰 News we're reading

• Smithtown launches Home for the Holidays campaign to help long-term shelter pets (tbrnewsmedia.com) — Smithtown is rolling out a “Home for the Holidays” campaign using custom drink coasters in local restaurants to spotlight Blaze and Betty Boop, two dogs who’ve lived at the Smithtown Animal Shelter for over six years. Student volunteers from Smithtown high schools and local businesses are teaming up on this guerrilla-style effort, hoping to finally match these long-term residents—and other shelter pets—with permanent homes this holiday season.
   

• $200G earners rise in Long Island's towns and cities (newsday.com) — Smithtown’s overtime spending jumped nearly 30% from 2023 to 2024, largely due to emergency response and cleanup after a severe August storm that flooded parts of town and closed the Smithtown Public Library for months. The report places Smithtown in a broader Long Island trend of rising municipal pay, especially overtime and police-related costs, that could pressure local budgets and taxes.
   

📸 Around Smithtown

Show off your photography skills and the sights around town! Click here to submit your Photo of the Day to Patch AM!

🗓 Upcoming Events in Smithtown

Add your event to our calendar and newsletter!

★ Featured events ★

Thursday December 18

• Caroline Church's 3rd Annual Live Nativity & Tree Lighting
  Caroline Episcopal Church, 1 Dyke Rd, Setauket
  5:00 pm

Friday December 19

• The Nutcracker at Caroline Church
  Caroline Episcopal Church, 1 Dyke Rd, Setauket
  6:30 pm

Want to see your event featured? Click here!

Other local events

Thursday December 18

• Oscar Nominee Scandar Copti Talks HAPPY HOLIDAYS on SOUNDS OF FILM
  6:00 pm

Saturday December 20

• Breakfast with Santa at Christ Lutheran Church in East Northport
  Christ Lutheran Church - East Northport, NY, 189 Burr Rd, East Northport, NY, 11731
  9:30 am
• Jennifer O’Brien State Farm Desk O’ Treat & Pumpkin Patch
  Jennifer O'Brien - State Farm Insurance Agent , 550 Smithtown Bypass Flr 2 Ste 114 , Smithtown
  10:00 am
• Creation Station
  The Smithtown Library - Kings Park Building , 1 Church St , Kings Park
  10:00 am
• LIVE MUSIC RUBBER SOUL
  Garden Grill , 64 N Country Rd , Smithtown
  6:30 pm

Sunday December 21

• Jennifer O’Brien State Farm Desk O’ Treat & Pumpkin Patch
  Jennifer O'Brien - State Farm Insurance Agent , 550 Smithtown Bypass Flr 2 Ste 114 , Smithtown
  10:00 am

Monday December 22

• GMS - Winter Concert Chorus 7 & 8 (Mr. MacCarthy) (rescheduled from 12/15/25)
  Great Hollow Middle School Nesconset, NY 11767
  6:30 pm

Tuesday December 23

• Town Board Work Session
  Smithtown, NY Calendar , 99 W. Main Street Victor T. Liss Board Room - 2nd Floor , Smithtown
  10:00 am

Sunday December 28

• Krampus & Cocktails
  Katies of Smithtown , 145 W Main St , Smithtown
  7:00 pm

📣 Smithtown Shout Outs!

Want to say something great about someone in town? Click here to submit your Shout Out to Patch AM! It's free!

🗓 Events Nearby

Thursday December 18

• Wintergreen Scavenger Hunt: Tiny Tots (Ages 3-5), $4 per child upon arrival
  WQ29+4G Charles & Helen Reichert Administration Building , Kings Park
  10:30 am
• SET Cherished Guest Concert
  Three Village Csd Stony Brook, NY 11790
  11:00 am
• Snowman Wood Craft
  Cornell Cooperative Extension of Suffolk County , 423 N Griffing Ave # 100 , Riverhead
  12:30 pm
• Vascular Disease Screenings - Centereach Location
  Stony Brook Vascular Center , 23 South Howell Ave, Suite H , Centereach
  1:00 pm

Have we missed something on our calendar? Add an event yourself! As always, before attending confirm event details to ensure accuracy.

Want to see your business here? Click here to connect with local customers.

💬 Chatter

What your neighbors are talking about on social media

• LOST DOG.
  This dog was on Laurel and Shirley at 730 am. I hope he finds his home. (Nextdoor Smithtown Pines)

• Walgreens posted a job opening for Pharmacy Customer Service Associate in Smithtown. Apply here.
• Burger King posted a job opening for Team Member in Commack. Apply here. You can search for other jobs near Smithtown here.

🗞 Nearby News

Kings Park

• 15 Recent UFO Sightings Reported Across Upstate New York (thenew961.com)

Hauppauge

• South Huntington Woman Named Suffolk Legislator's 2025 Volunteer Of The Year (patch.com)
• New Suffolk Law Targets Human Trafficking At Hotels, Motels: Officials (patch.com)
• LIPA rethinks energy strategy amid uncertainty over renewables (newsday.com)

Stony Brook

Ok Smithtown! So now you're in the loop about what's happening today. Thanks for reading, and see you in your inbox next time! Oh -- and if you like what you're reading, invite a friend to Patch AM!

-- The Patch AM Team

P.S. The answer to today's riddle: I don’t know. I haven’t heard the last report.
Got a good riddle for PatchAM? Send it to us!

👉 Help make Patch AM better

• Help us grow by suggesting local news sources.
• Shape this newsletter with your feedback.
• List items for sale or services offered

We use a combination of real people and machines to tell you what’s happening around town. Learn more about Patch AM.

Share to NextDoor     Share to Facebook