🌱 Ted Cruz Visited Elks Lodge + Blood Drive At Travis Hall + Events

Hello all. It's me, Debora Whitehead, your host of the Smithtown Daily. Let's get this day started off right, with a quick dive into everything you need to know about what's going on these days in town...

First, today's weather:

Mostly sunny. High: 86, low: 70.

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Here are the top 5 stories in Smithtown today:

1. High school juniors and seniors are invited to participate in the 16th Annual Mildred Smith Historical Essay Contest at the Smithtown Historical Society to compete for a $1,000 scholarship. Participants will write about history with the topic “Leadership and Legacy in Smithtown" about someone or a group that impacted our community. (Smithtown Matters)
2. U.S. Senator Ted Cruz visited the Smithtown Elks Lodge to support congressional candidate Michelle Bond. Cruz, who was at 120 Edgewood Ave. on the evening of Aug. 17, said Bond is a defender of life and law enforcement members. (Smithtown Patch)
3. The Smithtown Town Board features the end-of-summer concert at the Bluff with Nathan Dean and the Damn Band rocking the night away. Come out on Aug. 27 at 7 p.m. at 798 Old Dock Road in Kings Park for those who enjoy country music. Entry is free. (Smithtown Matters)
4. Senior residents of the Fountaingate Gardens in Commack celebrated the 53rd anniversary of the legendary Woodstock Festival. Dressed in their Flower Power outfits, residents remembered the music festival held from Aug. 15- 18 in 1969 at the dairy farm in Bethel in New York. (Patch)
5. A day to help save lives is approaching the Smithtown community. Suffolk County Legislator Rob Trotta has partnered up with St. Joseph’s Church in Kings Park to organize a blood drive on Thursday, Aug. 5, from 1 to 7 p.m. at Travis Hall. All donations will be distributed to blood banks throughout Long Island. (TBR News Media)

Today in Smithtown:

• Construction Zone (Smithtown Library-Nesconset Building). (10 a.m.)
• Chairobics and Strength (Smithtown Library-Smithtown Building). (10 a.m.)
• Garden and Grow (Smithtown Library-Smithtown Building). (10:30 a.m.)
• Game Day (Smithtown Library-Smithtown Building). (11 a.m.)
• Friday Movie Matinee (Smithtown Library-Smithtown Building). (2 p.m.)

From my notebook:

• Smithtown Library Kids: "We had a blast in the 'Learn Lab' making crafts using our Cricut at the Smithtown Building!" (Smithtown Library Kids via Facebook)
• Patch: "The trailer for Lifetime's 'The Gabby Petito Story' released over the weekend centers around the Long Island native's complicated relationship with her fiancé, Brian Laundrie." (Patch)
• Nextdoor Neighbor, The Landing: "Favorite Dog Groomer? We are looking for a new dog groomer, either a mobile service or someone convenient to the Smithtown area. Who do you recommend?" (Nextdoor)

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Events:

• A Savings Account That's Music to Your Ears. (August 19)
• Coping with Emotional Issues in Divorce — Vesta's Long Island, N.Y. Hub. (August 22)
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Announcements:

• Behind The Scoreboard — Congratulations to Rockville Centre’s Lori King (Details)
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For sale:

• 2015 Honda Odyssey (Details)
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All right, you're all caught up for today! I'll see you around.

— Debora Whitehead

About me: Have a story idea? Please get in touch with me! I would love to hear from you! Wife, mom, foodie, traveler, and nature lover.

Have a news tip or suggestion for an upcoming Smithtown Daily? Contact me at Smithtown@Patch.com.