Click here for the Archive Directory
2008
December 2008
The December 19th Acoustic Jam Was The Best Yet!
For those of you who couldn't make it to either play or listen on the 19th, below you'll find recordings of 27 tunes we played that evening. The recordings came out so well that we just had to share them with you.
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For All You Snowbirds!
On December 19th,
we had the first snow of Winter, 2008. If we could just have it snow, last
for a day, and then the temperature go back to 74 degrees, it would be
great! We know all you Snowbirds are gloating, but please have a wonderful,
happy and safe Holiday Season. All the best from Bellport.com.
The Red River Ramblers In Concert
On
Sunday, December 14th, the South Country Library welcomed for the first
time, local resident Tom Linden’s 4-piece country band The Red River
Ramblers. The Ramblers play old-time, rootsy country music by artists
including Hank Williams, Johnny Cash, Merle Haggard, Patsy Cline, Lefty
Frizzell, Kris Kristofferson and others. They have played at some of the
most prestigious Long Island music
festivals including Bradstock and the Cedar Beach Music Festival.
Click here to see
photos from the concert and a video clip.
The Bellport-Brookhaven Historical Society's Annual Holiday Brunch
The Bellport-Brookhaven Historical Society held their
annual Holiday Brunch on Sunday, December 14th. It was a chance to mingle
with friends and neighbors in a historic setting. Everyone enjoyed the
roaring fire and great food and drink.
Click
here to view photos from
the event.
Former Bellport High School Student Films Joan Baez Documentary
The Puleston Farm located in Brookhaven, New York was
recently transformed into a Hollywood movie studio when former Bellport High
School graduate Lionel Rosenblatt filmed a PBS documentary on Joan Baez and
the Cambodian refugees. Baez,
born on Staten Island has recorded over 30 albums in her 50 year
singing career starting in 1959.
Her songs carried messages regarding civil rights, folk tales, Vietnam War,
human rights, gay and lesbian rights, environmental causes, the War in Iraq, death
penalty and politics.
Mr. Nelson C. Briggs, Principal, Mrs. Suzette Fandale, Art Chairperson, Mr. Brandon Payne, Art Teacher and Bellport High School students Molly Sheppard, Zachary Towlen and Patrick Daly had the opportunity to observe Mary Wharton, Executive Producer and Director for the PBS documentary. The documentary will include an interview with Lionel Rosenblatt. The Bellport High School students had the opportunity to observe methods and techniques of video production in a real world setting.
Pictured:
(Back row from left to right): Zachary Towlen, Molly Sheppard, Mr. Brandon Payne,
teacher and Patrick Daly
(Front row from left to right): Mary Wharton, Executive Producer, Lionel Rosenblatt, and Mrs. Jennifer Puleston
Click on the photo above to view a larger
version.
2008 Holiday Tree Lighting
Once again, the Village Holiday Tree Lighting was a
huge success. The evening started with a procession through town to the
Community Center where hot cider, cocoa, marshmallows and cookies were
waiting for everyone, courtesy of The Bellport restaurant and Porters
restaurant. Santa arrived by fire truck, thanks to the Bellport Fire Department,
and he was followed by a group of professional figure skaters and the
official tree lighting. A wonderful time was had by all!
Click
here to see more photos.
November 2008
Bellport Village Holiday
Decorating Activity Was A Success
Bellport Village started to ring in the Holiday Season
on Saturday, November 29th by holding the first ever Holiday Decorating Get
Together at the Community Center on Bell Street. About 30 children and 20
parents and helpers joined in to create Holiday
decorations of all kinds. Snowmen, candy canes, and snowflakes could all be
found. Everyone had a wonderful time.
Bellport Garden Club Is
Sprucing Up The Village!
While wandering around Main St., we noticed that the
Bellport Garden Club members were giving the shops on Main St. a Fall
sprucing up. They did a great job and we really appreciate all the time
and effort they put in to make the Village a nicer place to visit.
South Bay Art Association's 22nd Annual Student Art Show and Opening Reception
November
21st-23rd was the SBAA's annual Student Art Show and Reception at the
Bellport Village Community Center. As always, the
artwork was wonderful, and the students who participated
should be very proud of their work. The winners of the Brookhaven National
Laboratory Award were invited to exhibit at the Brookhaven
National Laboratory Art Show November 24th-26th.
Click here to see
some of the entries.
Wow! 12 Players and Singers had an Acoustic Open Mic and Jam at the Community Center. They will do it again on December 5th!!!
It was a cold
and rainy night, but 12 local musicians showed up at Bellport's first
Acoustic Folk, Blues, and Old Timey Music get together at the Community
Center.
An
audience of about 15 people listened to 3 hours of non-stop music and
they all said they had a great time.
The evening started at 7pm with an Open Mic
for those musicians who wanted to perform a song or two, either by
themselves or with a few of their friends. The Open Mic was followed by
a 2 hour jam where everyone sat in a circle and took turns either
suggesting a song or taking the lead for part of a song.
The biggest surprise of the evening was
the acoustics in the Community Center. Although a PA system was set up,
it wasn't used as it simply wasn't necessary. It turns out that the
Community Center is a GREAT place to listen to live, acoustic music.
If you weren't able to make it to either
play or listen, there will be another Open Mic and Jam on December 5th
and 19th. For more details and a copy of the acoustic music schedule
through April, Please Follow This
Link.
October 2008
Once Again, It Was Halloween At
The Bellport Restaurant
This has become a very special annual
affair. The evening starts early and finishes very late. The Bellport
serves a special menu along with their regular fare so there's always a
wonderful assortment from which to choose.
As always, there's plenty of live music on
hand. The evening started with Bellport's own Skip Bement and finished
off with a very raucous group of players featuring Taylor and others
from The Bellport's weekly jams on Thursday evenings.
Please click here to visit The
Bellport's website.
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The Bellport Chamber of Commerce, Frank C. Trotta 31 Years! Celebration
On October 30th, 2008, the Bellport Chamber of Commerce held a dinner, at
the Bellport Country Club, to celebrate former Mayor Trotta's 31 years
of service to the Village of Bellport. Over 360 people attended, the
largest group the Country Club had ever had, and celebrated the evening
with Mayor Trotta and his family. There would have been even more people
attending, but unfortunately, the event was sold out and many people
were unable to get tickets. Click
here for more information and to see lots of photos from the event.
First Annual Scarecrow Contest Winners!
The
votes are in!
Click here for the winners of the 1st
Annual Scarecrow Contest!
Jeanne Hollmann Celebrates A Very
Special Birthday
It’s no
secret that Jeanne Hollmann is a very special person. Everyone in
Bellport knows and loves Jeanne. Well, Jeanne just turned 75 and she
celebrated her birthday with her family at Disney World in Florida
"where dreams come true" and everything is truly "magical." Her four
children, all graduates of Bellport High School, are in the photo, and
all of her grandchildren, from all over the country, are in the photo
too. They met in Florida to celebrate for four days. Jeanne and Fred
Hollmann, Karen, Susan, Tim, Terry Schuman.
A Very Special Event Was Held On October 26th To Benefit The Guide Dog Foundation For The Blind, Inc., And America's VetDogs-The Veteran's K-9 Corps
On October
26th, a benefit was held at "PORTERS on the lane" for the Guide
Dog Foundation for the Blind, Inc., and America's VetDogs - The
Veteran's K-9 Corps. It was an evening of Cocktails,
Gastronomical Delights, and Entertainment for these wonderful
causes. Naturally, the guide dogs in attendance were the stars of the
evening, but Bellport’s own Isabella Rossellini was on hand to
help out. Isabella is very supportive of this program as we all
should be. Click here for
more information.
Bellport High School Homecoming Parade
Although the weather was threatening at times, not a drop of rain fell and the sun even poked out at times. The Homecoming Parade ran south on Station Road and then turned east onto Main Street at the four corners. As usual, there was a great turnout in town to celebrate Homecoming. To top if all off, the final score at the Homecoming football game was Bellport 21, Centereach 0. It doesn’t get much better!
Click here
to see photos
from the Homecoming Parade.
Bellport Fire Dept Fire Safety Open House
The Bellport Fire Dept held their annual Fire Safety Open House on Saturday, October 11th at the Bellport Fire House. Children experienced a simulation of a smoke situation
where they entered and crawled through a "smoke house" to learn how to escape.
The rescue squad was on hand to use the "Jaws of Life" and "save" a victim from a car accident. There
were also demos of stove and dryer fires and much more, including antique equipment and poster contest results.
Click
here to see
more photos from the Open House.
The South Country Ambulance Company Receives New
Equipment
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At times, the South
Country Ambulance Company has to operate in very tight quarters,
such as at sporting events, parades, or in heavily wooded areas.
This kind of environment can severely limit the movement of large vehicles without posing
a danger to the public. The solution, purchased using grant money obtained by our State elected officials, Assemblywoman Patricia Eddington and State Senator Caesar Trunzo, is an all terrain vehicle (4X2 Gator) which can be used for search and rescue in our parklands (Southaven Park, Werthiem Federal Wildlife Refuge & undeveloped areas in the South Yaphank area of our district) as well as our beach front. |
| From left to right: Lt. Ed Smith, Assemblywoman Patricia Eddington, State Senator Caesar Trunzo, Chief of Department Gregory Miglino Jr., Chief of Operation Luis Salinas. | ||
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| South Country Ambulance Company Chief, Gregory Miglino, Jr. (right), explains the advantages of the new ATV (All Terrain Vehicle) to Assemblywoman Patricia Eddington (left) and State Senator Caesar Trunzo (center). |
Bellport's New Cell Tower Is Here!
The
legislation Assemblywoman Patricia Eddington (D/I/WF-Medford) authored,
permitting the village of Bellport to lease
certain land for the construction of a cell tower, was signed into law by
Governor Paterson (Ch. 171 of 2008). She was joined by Senator Caesar Trunzo,
who authored the measure in the Senate, Bellport Mayor David Pate, former
Bellport Mayor Frank Trotta and the South Country Ambulance Company Chief,
Gregory C. Miglino, Jr. Eddington explained the tower will improve cellular
communications for residents and improve public safety.
Click here for more information.
New Mayor of Bellport a
Lifelong Ambassador for the Lab
Brookhaven
National Laboratory has just published a nice story about our new Mayor,
David Pate.
If you follow this link, you can read all about David's role at the Lab.
September 2008
A New Mural For The Village
Bistro
Our
good friend, John DiNaro, is at it again. John is responsible for the
wonderful murals you see at the HSBC Bank, the Stewart Auto Center, The
Sugar Loaf Cafe, and now at the new Village Bistro at the four corners
in Bellport Village. John exclusively uses Benjamin Moore exterior latex
paint which he buys at Village Paint
in Bellport.
The Village
Bistro is under new ownership and is open seven days a week. Besides
breakfast and lunch, the Village Bistro is now serving a special dinner
menu on Mondays
thru
Saturdays from 3pm to 9pm. Stop in, enjoy a great meal, and enjoy John's
new mural.
The Village Bistro is located at 124
South Country Road in the Village and their phone number is
631-286-0444. Tell them Bellport.com sent you!
You
can follow this link to see more of John's work at the Horse and Eagle
Gallery.
Amy Bedell Does Great In The
Nation's Triathlon!
The
Nation's Triathlon was an all-around success. Most importantly,
approximately 700 Leukemia & Lymphoma Society/Team in Training
participants from around the country collectively raised over $3 million
to help fund research to cure blood cancers. Amy Bedell surpassed
her fundraising goals by raising over $5,500!
The
actual race was great, too, though with a heat index of over 100 degrees
it was very hot and humid! Amy finished in 3 hours and 30 seconds,
ranking 36th out of 138 in her age group and 205 out of 953 women overall (1036 out of 2395
total participants). The swim was better this time (Amy did not get
kicked in the nose or goggles), and the water in the Potomac River
didn't appear as polluted as you might think (!!). She definitely did
best on the bike, averaging 19.5 mph, but it was the run that was the
hardest under the conditions. Many participants were treated for heat
stroke/heat exhaustion and dehydration after making it through the
finish line (including Amy), but they all had a great time nonetheless.
Amy wants to thank everyone for so
graciously donating to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and for
supporting her as she trained for this event. Your generosity and
support made it easy to find motivation...
Reggie Seltzer Hosts a "Meet & Greet" for Assemblywoman Eddington
On
September 10th, Reggie Seltzer (right) held a "Meet and Greet" get
together at her home in Bellport for Assemblywoman Patricia Eddington.
More than 25 Village residents attended to listen to Assemblywoman
Eddington's views on issues which impact everyone in the Bellport area.
Just some of the issues discussed were:
-
Passing a tax cap based
on income, providing immediate relief and taking into account ALL the
taxes we pay on property
- Increasing Enhanced STAR rebates for eligible seniors by 40 percent and preserving the Middle Class STAR rebate check program
- Assemblywoman Eddington's bill which secured State permission to erect the new cell tower in Bellport
- Legislation to eliminate the state sales tax on gasoline
- Securing state aid for local schools to help hold the line on property taxes
- New laws that increase accountability in our schools, ensuring money goes into the classroom
- The amount of “High Tax Aid” local schools receive from the state
- Laws to keep sex predators away from children, like civil confinement and e-STOP, which prevents predators from accessing social networking sites like Facebook and MySpace
- Legislation to prevent sex predators from clustering in neighborhoods
-
Ensuring that every
child in New York has access to health care coverage, and help
make prescription drugs more affordable
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Flowers At The South Country
Library
This
year, the South Country Library installed a new, more attractive traffic
island at the entrance to their parking lot. It was designed and
constructed by local businesses. The island has a garden full of
colorful, perennial flowering bushes and plants. At the request of the
library, two small sections were left empty so library staff could add
flowering plants as the seasons change. Thanks to all this creative
work, the library was very happy to be awarded a Street Garden sign by
the Bellport Garden Club for their efforts to help keep Bellport
beautiful!
August 2008
Amy Bedell Update
Amy
Bedell is well on her way to participating in The
Nation’s Triathlon to raise money for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society in
honor of her dad, Fletch Bedell. We first told you about Amy's
fundraising efforts in July.
Here is the update that
we just received from Amy:
"I just wanted to give you all an update and let you know that I
finished my first triathlon yesterday -- the Runner's Edge Tobay Sprint
Triathlon in Oyster Bay. It was kind of a warm-up for my "A" race --
the Nation's Triathlon in Washington, D.C., to which you all generously
donated.
So
far, my "team" alone has raised almost $100,000 for the Leukemia &
Lymphoma Society. My team is made up of only the Long Island Chapter's
Nation's Triathlon participants and there are approximately 60 chapters
across the country. All chapters will be competing on Sept. 14th, along
with all regular/non-charity entries, for a total of approximately 3500
competitors.
I
am very happy with how I did. There were over 1100 participants and I
finished 19th in my age group (35-39). The swim leg was rough (among
other things, someone kicked my goggles off!), but overall, it was
GREAT. I was glad to finally race and not just train all the time!"
For more information
about Amy's efforts, or to donate yourself,
click here.
Village Blood Drive Was A Success
On
Tuesday, August 26th, the Village of Bellport held a blood drive at the
Community Center. In
total, they collected 34 units of blood. 13 people came to give blood,
but were unable to give, because of various reasons such as high or low
blood pressure, iron deficiency, etc. Thus, the total registration came
to 47. They hope to do another "Blood Drive" next summer.
July 2008
The Doors Of Bellport
Recently,
Bellport High School students in Suzette Fandale’s Photography II and
III classes were given the assignment to photograph the doors in
Bellport Village based on architectural style and detail. The 28
students photographed the doors, worked on them in Photoshop, and
created the final poster, shown to the left, using layout and design
techniques discussed in a workshop given by Fandale and Brandon Payne,
an art teacher at the high school. The students spent roughly three
weeks working on the assignment. The cameras that were used were Canon
S3 IS.
The students whose work was chosen for the poster are:
Christine Jaeger, Jade Doherty, Kamilah Blackett, Kerin Lawlor, Joanna
Kulesza, Michelle Deehan, Amy Pfeifle, Emily Hagermann, Mike Porto, Sam
Isla, Rebecca Lomuto and Megan Lane.
Christine Jaeger (graduate 08, going onto Pratt) did the final layout
and design for the poster. The original poster, 24x36, was donated to
the South Country Education Foundation and auctioned off at their
Cocktail Party and Benefit. It was purchased by Pamela Lerner.
The project was funded by the South Country Education Foundation in
their Fall 2007 grants. The $2500+ grant covered the materials and
equipment needed, including three new digital cameras for the high
school. For the full list of grants from last fall (and other grant
cycles as well) including "The Doors of Bellport,"
click here.
The current poster, 18x24, is available at Pamela Lerner Antiques for
$20. The proceeds from the sale will benefit the Art Program at Bellport
High School. Click on the image for a larger version.
Video Of The 2008 Clipper Classic
Race
2008 marked the 25th annual "Clipper
Classic" 5K Run and 1500 Fun Walk through the Village of Bellport. The
race started at the Gateway Theatre, looped through the Village, and finished at the Marina.
With over 400 runners and dozens of walkers, this race was a huge event
that was not to be missed! The race was held by the South Country Education
Foundation, a non-profit organization that promotes and supports local
education through scholarships and grants. Proceeds from
the Clipper Classic race went to the Bellport Clipper Classic Scholarship
Fund. Click here to see video from
the 2008 Clipper Classic.
2008 Street Garden Recognition Program
The
Bellport Street Garden Recognition Program was a huge success this year
with many more participants than last year. The deadline for entering
was June 30, 2008, but they look forward to more entries next
year. There were 99 participants this year and the program is
contributing greatly to the beauty of our lovely little village! All
that you need to do to enter next year is apply and have a garden close
to the street that is maintained and cared for during the gardening
season. There is no competition; it is simply a recognition of gardening
efforts! Look for next years' application on
Bellport.com in the next few months.
Click here to see photos
of the gardens showcased in the Street Garden Program.
A Casino Coming To Bellport?
Several
people have emailed us regarding an article just published that
discusses the possibility of a Casino being built in Bellport near
Sunrise Highway. We know nothing more than what is in the
article, but we will be sure to keep you informed should we hear of any
updates. Click here to read the article.
Live Music At The Sugar Loaf @
Night
Once
again, live music at the Sugar Loaf @ Night was a show stopper.
Bellport's own Tom Linden and Bob Wallen were the featured artists for
the night.
Ritter Imagery Gallery's First Show
The Ritter Imagery Gallery is a new local gallery on Main Street in
Bellport Village. Their goal is to showcase contemporary artists,
supporting mostly emerging talent and pairing them up with seasoned
professionals such as Christian Ritter, for whom the gallery is named.
The reception, "Don't Tread On Me," was executed by Tyler Healy who
brought with his idea of an emerging talent exhibit, the spectacular
works from Lauren Grucci, Quinn Sherman, Charlie Stravinsky and Dan
Derby, an amazing group representing the youth of Bellport. The exhibit
reception was held on July 18, 2008 and will run for 7 days.
The Ritter Imagery Gallery donated their gallery space for the event.
Many other local businesses, such as Porters On The Lane, Pamela Lerner
Antiques, and Carla Marla's Ice Cream Parlor also helped make the show a
reality.
Ritter Imagery Gallery, 151 Main St., Bellport, NY 11713, 631.803.6139
Click any of the photos below to enlarge the images.
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Artists On The Lane Was A Huge Success!
Artists
On The Lane is one of the largest outdoor art shows on Long Island and
draws artists from all over the country. The show is devoted to fine
art, displayed along the sidewalks of Bellport Lane, all the way down to
the Bay.
The weather was overcast on July 4th, but the rain held off and everyone
had a wonderful time. Please click
here to see and read all about it.
In addition, The Garden Club's annual
4th of July Food Sale at Artists On The Lane was a resounding success
and a great deal of money was raised for the beautification of the
Village! Click here to see
more photos of the Food Sale provided by the Garden Club.
Please Help A Fellow Bellport Resident
Hi
Everyone…
You may not
know it, but our community’s good friend, “Fletch” Bedell, was
recently diagnosed with myelodysplastic syndrome and
myelofibrosis, overlapping blood-related cancers. We’re sure
you’ve seen Fletch driving his tractors in one of Bellport’s
parades over the years. Fletch loves his tractors! Fletch’s
family has been an important part of Bellport since his Dad was
Mayor.
Now there’s a
way for you to help out a little. Fletch’s daughter, Amy, will
be participating in The Nation’s Triathlon to raise money for
The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and she would love for you to
participate in the event by helping to support her efforts.
We’ll let Amy tell you all about it by
Clicking On This Link.
If you would
like to help out, please mail your donation to Amy Bedell at 18
N. Howells Pt. Rd., Bellport, NY 11713. Please make the check
payable to “The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society”. You may also make
a donation through her special website, which is available at
http://pages.teamintraining.org/li/nattri08/abedell. All
donations are 100% tax deductible and corporate sponsorship is
available.
We all
appreciate your help.
June 2008
Boys & Girls Club Of Bellport's 5th Annual "Beach Ball" Fundraiser
The
Beach Ball - the 5th Annual Summer Benefit for the Boys & Girls Club of
the Bellport Area was held recently at the Bellport home of Rona and Ian
McKechnie. Over 400 guests enjoyed the sounds of the Boys & Girls Club
Steel Drum Band while dining on an assortment of Balinese foods during a
beautiful evening designed as a “South Seas Getaway” by the bay. They
were entertained by watching the world champion Boys & Girls Club Double
Dutch team and later danced the night away with DJ Max
Salpetrier. Attendees participated in both a silent and live auction of
antiques, designer items, fine art, jewelry, in addition to bidding on
the Boys & Girls Club’s New Vista Programs. Over 90 percent of the
$165,000 raised will support Club activities including the New Vista
Programs which bring an array of cultural and educational opportunities
to the youth of the Boys & Girls Club that they may not typically
experience. Click here for more
information about the event and the Boys & Girls Club.
It’s A Bird, It’s A Plane, IT’S THE GOODYEAR BLIMP!
Wednesday morning, June 11th, the Goodyear Blimp was touring
the Great South Bay and it passed right by the marina. We get plenty of
aircraft passing Bellport, particularly those two little yellow Cubs,
but the twin engines on the Goodyear Blimp sound very different. There
was no missing the fact that something unusual was heading towards and
passing Bellport on its way out East.
Click to see a larger
version of the photo.
Sailing, Sailing Over The Deep Blue Sea....
The
Verne W. Critz First Graders took their annual ferry ride to visit Ho Hum
Beach for the day. They had an absolutely beautiful day for the trip and
we’re sure they will remember it for a long time to come. It’s great to
see the children taking advantage of the things that make Bellport
unique.
May 2008
Annual Bellport Village Memorial Day Parade
The
annual Bellport Village Memorial Day Parade was held on Monday, May
26th. The weather could not have been nicer and everyone had a great
time at the parade!
Click here to see
photos from this year's parade.
Bellport Garden Club's Annual Memorial Day Plant Sale
Garden Club Members held a plant sale on May 26th at the Annual Memorial
Day Parade in downtown Bellport. Plants for sale consisted of perennials dug lovingly from members’ gardens and
also
some annuals. There were some other small gardening related
items for sale as well. This sale offered a great chance to get a jump
start on spring planting and support the Garden Club
at the same time!
Click here to
see photos from the event.
51st Annual SBAA Member's Exhibit
The
51st Annual Member's Exhibit was held over Memorial Day Weekend, May
24th-26th at the Bellport Community Center. This year's exhibit was dedicated to
their Past
President, Jody Love.
Click here to see photos from the Exhibit and a list of the award
winners.
Character Counts For Students At Brookhaven
Elementary School
CHARACTER COUNTS! At Brookhaven Elementary School as the students learn a
big lesson in caring and citizenship this month. Brookhaven Elementary is one of three elementary schools in South Country
School District, where over the last few weeks, the students from
pre-kindergarten through third grade held a change drive to show the
character traits of caring and citizenship for the district wide
character education initiative.
The school had set a goal to collectively raise $500, to donate to the
Child Life Unit at Stony Brook Hospital. The money would provide
children staying there with various entertainment and recreation
activities to help their stay at the hospital be a little brighter.
Students collected and donated spare change over the duration of a month
to meet this goal. One student, Caitlynn Bogertmann, a third grader in
Mrs. Blackford’s third grade class, raised over $100.00 for this worthy
cause all on her own. Together the children exceeded everyone’s
expectations when the collection surpassed their original goal and
totaled at $845.88! It was exciting and inspiring to all of the
children when hearing the news of the total amount collected!
On Thursday, May 1st, Paulette Walker, a representative from Stony Brook
Hospital, came to the school to accept the check from students who
represented from each classroom. She thanked the children of Brookhaven
for their generosity. Everyone involved in this effort has proven the
effect of caring and citizenship put into action can really make a
difference. Great job everyone! Click on the photo above to enlarge.
April 2008
Avino's Italian Table Is Coming To
Bellport
Avino's
Italian Table is coming to Bellport! Jim Avino, is in the
process of transforming the "Old Inlet" restaurant, which was
built in 1856, into an "upscale," but affordable Italian
restaurant. He wants to, "Maintain the charm while adding a
Tuscan flavor" to the new restaurant.
As Jim put it, "Avino's will be a place that you can either get
a bite or visit for dinner." The menu will be extensive and they
will have a 50 to 60 bottle wine list. They plan on being open 7
days a week for lunch and dinner and there will be a brunch on
both Saturdays and Sundays. Avino's will also be doing Parties
and Catering. We can tell that Jim has a lot of plans for
Avino's Italian Table, both from a menu and physical point of
view so stay tuned!
Although
they are in the midst of construction right now, click here
to see what they are up to!
Porter's On The Lane To Open Soon!
Are you ready to eat your way through the Summer of
'08? Porter's On The Lane will soon join The Bellport and Meritage as
one of the premier restaurants in Bellport Village. Located on the site
of the former Chowder House, Porter's On The Lane is being totally
renovated and brought up to date. John and Jen, the owners of Carla
Marla's, just across the street, have invested $500,000 in the
renovations alone to make Porter's a very special place. As John put it,
"Not even a light switch has been reused!"
Porter's On The Lane will feature steaks and seafood
and will be open 7 days a week for lunch and dinner. There will also be
a Sunday Brunch and well known Sean Blakeslee has signed on to be the
Chef. The atmosphere will be decidedly nautical in flavor and the front
porch, always a special place to dine, has also been completely redone.
We'll be sure to let you know when Porter's On The Lane is ready to
open. For a "sneak peak," click here for a look at the
renovations that are well underway!
This Is Getting Silly!
Come on guys, this is Bellport! You're
supposed to come here to slow down and lighten up!
After last month's crash at the four corners
(see below), we had hoped that things would be quiet for a while, WRONG!
We're told that the Jeep, heading east on South Country Road, tried to
make the left to go up Station Road and lost control. The Ford seems to
have gotten the worst of it. Thank goodness no one was hurt, but the
Donna Waters dress shop has got to be getting tired of this. Thanks to
Rich Rieb for the photos. Click to enlarge.
March 2008
Bellport High School Dance Team Receives Accolades
The
Bellport High School Dance Team was named the Scholastic 2008 Long
Island Champion of Champions in the Lyrical Division placing 1st place
in the rankings for all of Long Island – March 9th, 2008. They placed
2nd in Jazz and 2nd in Hip Hop as well. This competitive and talented
dance team continues to strive for excellence in dance and the community
as well as the high school are extremely proud of their accomplishments.
Bellport Village Easter Egg Hunt
Fun was had by everyone who attended this
year's annual Easter Egg Hunt at the Village Marina! The Easter Bunny
was even on hand for photos! Bellport.com took video of this festive
event. Click here to see the video.
Bellport Village's 100th Anniversary Committee's First Meeting
Bellport's Mayor, Frank Trotta, held the first meeting of the Bellport
Village 100th Anniversary Committee on Tuesday, March 12th. About
half of the members were able to make this first meeting and it looks
like it's going to be a very exciting year! Various activities are
planned from May to December including parades, music, sailing, games,
food, artwork, and way too many activities to mention here. Naturally, Bellport.com will keep you posted as each of the events comes closer.
Click the photo for a larger version in which you can see their shining
faces!
Oh My... And You Thought You Were
Having A Bad Day!!!
On Tuesday,
March 12th, a car went out of control at the four corners in the Village
and tried to take out the Donna Waters clothing shop. Luckily, no one
was hurt on the street, the sidewalk, in the car, or in the Donna Waters
shop. We have to thank our Mayor, Frank Trotta, for the photograph he
took on the scene. If you'd like to see a larger version of the photo,
just click on the image to the left.
Bellport High School's Dennis Scruggs Becomes NY State Champion
Bellport's
Dennis Scruggs, the # 2 600m runner in the US, is now the NYS Champion
in that event. Scruggs and the other members of the school's 4 x
400m relay team traveled to Ithaca, NY last weekend to compete in the NYS
Indoor Track Championship held at Cornell University. Scruggs
represented Section XI (Suffolk County) in the 600m event and the relay
team, Jonathan Rosero, Jaquan Holland, Matt Smith, and Dennis Scruggs,
represented Section XI in the 4 x 400m relay event.
Despite the
fact that he has run the second fastest time in the US in this winter's
indoor track season, Scruggs was seeded in the second heat because his
fastest time was posted in December and NYS Championship rules required
the use of a time after January 1, 2008 for seeding purposes.
Nevertheless, Scruggs' finishing time of 1:21.83 on Saturday was better
than any of the times run by athletes assigned to the first heat.
Dennis Scruggs is the first Bellport runner to win a NYS title in Indoor
Track.
After his
successful win in the 600m and his attendant rise to the top podium for
the award ceremony, he joined teammates for the 4 x 400m relay, a hotly
contested event featuring the state's top teams with Bellport seeded 4th
in that event. Bellport placed 3rd in that event, successfully earning
another medal for Section XI.
The relay
team will next appear at the National Scholastic Indoor Track Meet at
the Armory on Friday, March 14, 2008. This meet attracts top qualifying
high school athletes from across the country. Bellport is now one of
those teams.
Bellport High School Competes In The Millrose Games
The
Bellport High School 4 x 400m relay team took the bronze medal in that
event in the Suburban boys division in the February 1, 2008 Millrose
Games. Competing against standout relay teams from Nassau, Rockland,
and Westchester counties in New York and two teams from counties in New
Jersey, Bellport finished in 3rd place, beating rival team from
Hempstead which is ranked 6th in the U.S.
Running for Bellport were seniors, Jonathan Rosero, Matt Smith
and Dennis Scruggs, and sophomore phenom, Jacquan Holland. Scruggs is
currently ranked 2nd in the U.S. in both the 400m and 600m sprints,
while Holland is ranked 2nd in NY in the 55m dash and 1st in Suffolk
County.
Scruggs
also set two new Suffolk County records this season in both the 400m and
600m sprint events. The Bellport 4 x 400m relay team set the new
Suffolk County record in that event, as well.
The
Millrose Games is regarded as the most historic and prestigious indoor
invitational track meet in the world. It provides a highly visible
venue for Olympic hopefuls and high school and college athletes. The
crowd at Madison Square Garden was thrilled by the success of Suffolk
County athletes, including the Bellport and Hempstead relay teams and
the winner of the Millrose Mile, Kyle Merber, of Half Hollow Hills
West. Fans also experienced seeing US medal winner, Bernard Lagat, win
the famed Wannamaker Mile for the 6th time, and 2 time U.S. Olympic
silver medalist, Adam Nelson, win the shot put event with a throw of 72
feet, 5 inches, the longest throw in the world this season.
After
their outstanding performance at the Millrose Games on Friday night, the
Bellport relay team must return to competition the next night at the
Small Schools Championship for the Suffolk County title.
More Wins and Record Breaking...
Bellport High School boys took first place in the 4 x 400m relay event at the Millrose Trials at the Armory on January 9, 2008, winning in a time of 3:25.82 over Amityville at 3:25.95. Bellport qualified to compete in the Millrose Games at Madison Square Garden on February 1, 2008. Bellport and Amityville both broke the existing Suffolk County record of 3:26.07, with Bellport setting the new Suffolk County record and beating the old school record by over 7 seconds. Bellport is now ranked #7 in the US in this event and Amityville, #8.
BHS Winter Track Team Continues To Set New Records
On
Saturday, January 4, 2008, Dennis Scruggs won the second heat of the
400m event at the Hispanic Games held at the Armory in New York City,
posting a time of 48.56 seconds. The time was the best in the event,
beating all runners in the first heat which was the seeded section. In
the process, Scruggs set a new Suffolk County record in the 400m dash.
Only three weeks before, Scruggs came from the second heat to win the
600m event at the Bishop Loughlin Games held at the Armory. His time of
1:20.23 posted on
http://users.eniinternet.com/coachzar/, set a new Suffolk County
record and is currently the fastest time for the 600m in the United
States this season.
Dennis Scruggs also anchors the school's 4 x 400m relay team which
includes Jonathan Rosero, Jaquan Holland and Matt Smith. Holland,
a Sophomore, has the fastest time in Suffolk County this season in the
55m dash, having run the event in 6.65 seconds. He also has the fastest
time in the 300m dash, followed by Rosero with the 4th fastest time in
that event this season.
At the Brown
Invitational held at Brown University on December 29, 2007, the team set
a new Bellport High School record which they broke, again, on January 4,
2008 at the Armory. The most recent record time of 3:26.19 was only
12/100s of a second from a new Suffolk County record in that event.
Bellport High School Boys Cross Country Earns Awards and Recognition
The
Bellport High School Boys Cross Country Team finished its season at the
Division Championship race on October 23, 2007 with a 4th place finish
in the unseeded division, earning the team a 6th place finish overall in
the County A Division. Led by Senior co-captains, Matt Smith and Andrew
Seidman, the team showed improvement throughout the season. Other
seniors competing this year included Zachary O'Brien, Doug Kramer, Ryan
Johnston, John Martinez, Matt McCann and John Morgan.
On
November 2, 2007, the team competed in the County Championship, NYS
Qualifier, for a chance to send team members to the New York State
Championship to be held in Norwood, New York on November 10, 2007. Matt
Smith, running the 3.1 course at Sunken Meadow State Park in a time of
17:28, qualified to represent Suffolk County in the A Division at the
New York State Cross Country Championship Smith was one of 660 runners
from New York State to compete in the State Championship. Smith was also
named All County, Second Team, and honored as a member of the All County
Academic Team. To qualify for the latter honor, a runner must be in the
top 10% of his class and in the top 50 runners in Suffolk County.
At
its Awards Evening on December 19, 2007, Coach Les Williams announced
that the team earned recognition as a NYS Scholar Athlete Team. This
recognition is bestowed upon teams whose members achieve an average of
90 or better. He and assistant coach, Dan Jennings, expressed
enthusiasm about the quality of the distance running program at Bellport
High School and reported that they look forward to working with
returning team members next fall. Jose Malave, currently a Junior, shows
promise as a leader of the team, and Derek Palafox, an 8th grader, is
expected to return as one of the top 5 runners on the team. Other
returning members will include Kyle Gubbins, Bobby Kraker, Ben Kurrass,
Chris Lisinski, Khristian Palafox, Jack Ramirez, Daniel Sears, Roark
Xanthos, and Dalton Zeh.
January 2008
Bellport High School Students To Compete In Long Island Challenge
Bellport
High School students have been chosen to compete in the Long Island
Challenge sponsored by Cablevision, News 12 Networks and Power to Learn.
The Long Island Challenge is an academic TV quiz show for high schools
featuring the best and brightest local students. The Challenge tests
high school students' knowledge of history, arts and literature, science
and math. The show is made up of three rounds: Multiple Choice, The
Lightning Round and Free Response. There are also randomly placed bonus
questions for teams to earn extra points. Each fall, high schools
from around the area hope to be chosen as one of 32 schools in each
region that will participate. Schools advance in the tournament through
a series of elimination rounds. After 31 weeks of competition, one
school in each region is crowned champion, winning $2,500 dollars for
their school. The final winning teams from each region go on to The
Challenge Championship where they square off one another in a tri-state
showdown. The school crowned The Challenge Champion will receive $10,000
in prize money. Each student participating in the final Challenge
Championship game will receive $500.
You can watch Bellport
High School compete against West Islip on February 9th at 6:30pm and
9:30pm on Channel 12. Representing Bellport are: Matthew Askaripour,
Katherine O’Connor, Matthew Smith, Julie Harrow and alternate, TJ Veitch.
Richard Boes and Paul Feltman are the advisors for the Bellport team.
Bellport High School To Compete At The Brookhaven National Laboratory Science Bowl 2008
Several
Bellport High School students are preparing for their upcoming
competition in the 2008 Science Bowl, which is set for Saturday,
February 2nd, 2008, at Brookhaven Lab in Upton, NY. The Science Bowl
Competition is a contest featuring 20 High Schools from Long Island and
New York City where students go head-to-head, answering questions in
multiple formats within all disciplines of science. Those topics are:
Astronomy, Earth Science, General Science, Physics, Biology, Chemistry,
Mathematics, and Computer Science. There are five students who compose
the Bellport High School team coached by Mr. Corbett, Earth Science
Teacher at Bellport High School: Katherine O'Connor, Amanda
Rivera, Deanna Lally, Julie Harrow, and Matt Smith.
Numerous South Country Students Selected For SCMEA All-County Music Festival
The
Suffolk County Music Educators’ Association (SCMEA) selected 49
musicians in the South Country School district to be members of the 2008
All-County Music Festival. Bellport has representatives in all three
performing organizations, including the All-County Band, Chorus, and
Orchestra.Selections of
All-County students were made from NYSSMA Solo Festival evaluation
sheets scores and nominations submitted by district music
teachers. The SCMEA All-County Music Festival recognizes Suffolk’s
most accomplished music students in grades 5-10.
Click here to see the list of
all students representing South Country.
Click here for the 2007 Archives