🌱 Smithtown Daily: Meet Linx + 'Black Men In White Coats'

Happy Friday, people of Smithtown! Let's get this day started. Here are the top 4 stories in Smithtown today.

First, today's weather:

Mild with clouds and sun. High: 58, low: 40.

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Here are the top stories today in Smithtown:

1. Smithtown's adoptable pet of the week is Linx, he is a male German Shepherd between 2 and 3 years old, he was taken into the Animal Shelter as a stray and was sadly never claimed. The shelter staff describe him as sweet, loyal, friendly, full of energy, and well-mannered. Any potential adopters should have experience with the German Shepherd breed. (Smithtown Patch)
2. Looking to take the family out this weekend? Or looking to go to a nearby event? Your Smithtown Patch community calendar is a great way to see what's happening near you and discover local events that fit your interests. (Smithtown Patch)
3. Stony Brook physicians talk about a nationwide movement called "Black Men in White Coats" to encourage communities to support young Black men in high school and college to become physicians. Stony Brook Medicine’s Jedan Phillips, M.D., and Wilfred Farquharson appeared on WCBS-TV on Dec. 15 to speak about their involvement in the movement. (Stony Brook News)
4. Growing up in Ronkonkoma, I was always aware of the "Curse" that a young Native American princess put on the Lake. Today, facing Lake Ronkonkoma is "The Lady of the Lake," a 32-foot-tall carving of a Native American princess that depicts the woman who supposedly is responsible for the drowning deaths of a male swimmer every year. What started in 2017 is now complete. Artist Todd Arnett carved a Long Island legend into a tree that sits on the property facing Lake Ronkonkoma. The Lady of the Lake is a warning, a ghost story, and a romantic tale, one that involves a Native American princess and forbidden love. According to LongIsland.com, "The story goes that Tuskawanta, an Algonquin princess, falls in love with a European woodcutter but her father forbids her from marrying the young man. The distraught princess kills herself in a boat in the middle of Lake Ronkonkoma and every year afterwards she takes the life of a young man, drowning him in the lake, looking for her lost lover — or exacting revenge — the details are a little shaky." (LongIsland.com)

Today's Smithtown 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 Smithtown!

Today in Smithtown:

• International Bus Career Day — Smithtown Csd. (All Day)
• Polar Bear Treats (Smithtown Library). (5 p.m.)
• Film and Discussion (Smithtown Library). (6:30 p.m.)
• Mythological Aspects in Art (Smithtown Library). (7 p.m.)

From my notebook:

• Sweetbriar Nature Center: "Did you ever find an Eastern Box Turtle, and wonder if it was a boy a girl? It is quite easy to determine the sex of an eastern box turtle. Males usually have concave plastrons (bottoms) are thicker based and have longer tails." (Facebook)
• Smithtown Performing Arts Center: "#tbt to our production of 'It's A Wonderful Life': A Live Radio Play. We have such incredible memories of our time with this cast! #spac, #longisland, #longislandtheatre, #itsawonderfullife, #radioplay." (Facebook)
• Sweetbriar Nature Center: "Friday is going to be a beautiful evening and we have two events going on at 6:30 p.m. Winter Solstice Forest Bathing: Take a mindful forest walk under the stars lit by lanterns. Sing along as we look forward to longer and lighter days." (Facebook)

More from our sponsors — thanks for supporting local news!

Events:

• Big Apple Circus is NOW OPEN in New York City! (Dec. 17)
• NCNW General Membership Meeting Long Island Cross County Section. Online via ZOOM.(Dec. 18)
• Bright Lights, a Magical Holiday Celebration at Vanderbilt Museum. Located at Vanderbilt Museum and Planetarium, 180 Little Neck Rd, Centerport. (Dec. 18 & 19)
• Victory Pro Wrestling presents "Devastation." Located at The Sports Arena, 620 Middle Country Road, St James. (Dec. 18)
• The Krampus Jubilee. Located at Chambers Of Hell, 1745 Express Dr N, Hauppauge. (Dec. 19)
• Brighten The First Day Of Winter With 15 Percent Off FTD’s Sunniest Blooms. FTD Flowers. (Dec. 21)
• Add your event.

Announcements:

• Congratulations To Hills East Football. (Details)
• Add your announcement.

For sale:

• *** $75 OFF *** Walk with "CONFIDENCE" Again! (Details)
• Add your item.

Job listings:

• Draft Line Cleaning Technician. (Details)
• Dental Receptionist. (Details)
• Add your job listing.

Loving the Smithtown 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 featured in front of readers.
• Send me a news tip or suggestion at diane.witek@patch.com.

Now you're in the loop and ready to start this Friday. I'll see you around!

— Diane Witek

About me: Impassioned Writer, Website Designer, Social Media Marketer and newly proclaimed Baker. Lover of nature and animals of all kinds.