By Mike White 🎆 July 7, 2026

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☕ Good morning, Long Island!

🇺🇸 Hope everyone had a glorious 250th Fourth of July holiday.

✍🏼 Feel free to respond to this email with feedback. 🪧Also, click here if you're looking to promote an event or a great local business!

Weather: We're looking at a 30 percent chance of showers before 11 a.m. today in Smithtown. Mostly cloudy with a high near 79. 🌥️

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1. Now open and buzzing, here’s a look inside The James in Garden City

🥩🍷 Garden City diners are finally getting their first look inside The James, the latest concept from the hospitality team behind Northport’s Arlo Kitchen & Bar and The James in Babylon.

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2. Family bids farewell from Piccolo after nearly 50 years in Bellmore

🍝 Piccolo was more than just a neighborhood Italian restaurant in Bellmore — it was a gathering place where generations of families came together to celebrate life’s milestones, share meals, and build lasting memories. The nearly 50-year run ended on Friday.

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3. Three undrafted Long Islanders earn NBA Summer League opportunities

🏀 Bryce Harris and Jordan Riley have been chasing the same NBA dream since they were kids growing up in Brentwood. This month, they’ll live it.

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More headlines to highlight

🦈 As Long Islanders embraced the Fourth of July weekend, a suspected shark bite at Jones Beach briefly halted swimming Friday and added to a growing string of recent shark sightings on the South Shore.

⛹🏼 Just weeks after losing to the Knicks in five games in the NBA Finals, the San Antonio Spurs added two of the Island’s biggest basketball names.

🎮 Retro gaming fans have a new destination in Riverhead.

🍔 Betty’s Burger Bar is set to open in Merrick on July 15 in a space most recently home to the short-lived Rabbit Hole Bar and Grill.

🇺🇸 Red, white and blue filled the streets of Port Jefferson on Saturday morning as the village celebrated America’s 250th birthday. See photos.

🌯 Burrito Blvd has opened in the former Green Cactus space in RVC.

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GREAT IDEAS

Bay Shore mom creates postpartum support center she wishes she’d had

For many women, motherhood can bring isolation, anxiety and struggles that often go unseen. After experiencing those challenges firsthand, Bay Shore resident Lisa Lackner has created a new center designed to help local mothers navigate the postpartum journey together.

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