Weird News of Week: Dinosaur Beckons Churchgoers

As a local news organization, Patch covers stories of all kinds, from heartbreaking tragedies to inspiring tales of community brotherhood. But some stories are just plain weird. Here are some of the stranger headlines from the past seven days.

in Southampton might look a bit like Jurassic Park this week after the pastor decided to plant a lifelike plastic dinosaur near the entrance of the church.

The statue, on loan from local shop , will show its teeth next to a sign that reads, "We baptize not lobotomize. Bring your brain to church."

The message, according to Rev. Katrina Foster, conveys that her parish is a place where religious beliefs and science do not have to be at odds.

"The message we are trying to send is that one can be a Christian and be a thinking person too," Foster told Patch.

That'll Teach Her

When a Montauk woman returned to her car that was parked outside of the Memory Motel on Montauk Highway on July 13, she found that $2,600 in cash was missing from her purse, which she left on the back seat. She told police she had locked her car, but found it unlocked. The car also had new scratches around it. However, as it turned out, the woman's father had actually taken the money to teach his daughter a lesson about not leaving her valuables susceptible to being stolen. He told police he did not intend for the incident to be reported to police. The woman said she would be more careful, a police report said.

Don't blink when you walk through this Smithtown park, or you just might miss it. A tiny appendage to the larger Stump Loop Trail can be found next to the Uncle Giuseppe's parking lot, and for the most part it is just a pass-through that keeps pedestrians off of Route 111 for a few feet. But though the "park" is small, that doesn't mean it doesn't have its problems, including garbage that blows in from behind the supermarket, park officials alleged. .

While this week's set of strong thunderstorms brough ominous dark clouds across the entire region, a Rocky Point local managed to catch something far more unique with his camera: a twister forming over the Long Island Sound.