I left the January 27, 2020 Bellport Village Board Meeting early Monday night. I left because the Village Attorney, David Moran, told me I wasn’t allowed to ask questions during the Open To The Public portion of the meeting and, as a result, I wanted to start work on this Editorial. Click here to read the latest Editorial.

It's time for a new Bellport.com Photo Contest! This time we want your photos showing off your pets! Photos must be submitted by midnight on Saturday, February 15th. For this photo contest, we are limiting everyone to one photo submission per person. Happy Shooting!

The winner with the most votes for their photograph will receive a $50 Gift Certificate to Pamela Lerner Home & Design. Pamela Lerner Home & Design is the place to go when you want something that is truly one of a kind. An eclectic mix of classic and modern forms that span across many different countries and time periods, her showroom is ever-changing and evolving. You can always expect to come across something new and unique when you walk through her door.

The shop is filled with an unusual mix of furniture, mirrors, lighting, and decorative arts which magically all work together for today’s modern living. Whether in search of the perfect lamp, just the right gift, or a little something for yourself, you’re in the right place. Pamela has everything from luxury boutique items, new and vintage fabulous jewelry, to something as simple and unique to her shop as “The Bellport Candle."

Click here for more information on how to submit a photo.

Café Castello has the perfect Super Bowl Catering Specials to please your hungry football crowd for the big game! Click here for more information.

The Patchogue Theatre has several great performances this January!

Grammy Winning Choral Group, Ladysmith Black Mambazo on Friday, January 31st.

Tickets are on sale now for these and other excellent performances! Click here for more information.

“The South Country String Band” is appearing this Saturday evening, February 1st, from 6pm to 8:30pm at Café Castello in the heart of Bellport Village. Come on down, enjoy live music and a great meal! Wine and beer will be available for purchase.  Click here for more information.

To better educate the children in our community to the needs of preventive dentistry, Dr. Joseph P Graskemper, The Bellport Village Dentist, is providing a “Kids Helping Kids Special”-- Cleaning, Examination, Fluoride Treatment, and all necessary X-rays for children ages 3 to 12 for less than ˝ the regular fees: $100 or insurance form (normally $323) and Dr. Graskemper will donate $2 to the Kiwanis of Patchogue Children’s Fund to help needy children in our area (good till Feb. 29).

For your child’s introduction appointment to a happy healthy smile or even an appointment for yourself to start the year with a bright smile, call The Bellport Village Dentist today! Click here for more information.

Bellport High School invites the South Country community to the production of “Beauty and the Beast,” to be held in Ebersole Auditorium at the High School on February 7th and 8th. Reserve tickets are available for $15 and can be purchased online only at ShowTix4U.com for the following shows: Friday, February 7th, evening performance at 7:30pm; Saturday, February 8th, Character Brunch from 12:30pm-1:30pm; Saturday, February 8th, matinee performance at 2:00pm; and Saturday, February 8th, evening performance at 7:30pm.

If you’re familiar with the Marvelous Mrs. Maisel series, you already know what an “Open Mic” is, but if you’re not, an Open Mic is an opportunity for performers of all types, singers, musicians, comedians, poets, to stand up in front of a live audience and show what they’ve got. For about 15 minutes, they have the spotlight and microphone all to themselves so that they can practice and hone their performing skills.

Starting on February 4th, on the first Tuesday of every month from 6:00pm to 8:30pm, Cafe Castello, on Main Street in the heart of Bellport Village, will be holding a monthly Open Mic for local performers of every type. Hosted by Hank Stone, a member of the South Country String Band, this new Open Mic will be a continuation of the very successful Open Mic Hank hosted for many years in Patchogue and should be a real hit in Bellport.

If you’d like to perform at the Open Mic, signup for a time slot for the evening will begin at 5:30pm and performances will begin at 6:00pm. If you’d like to be in the audience, come on down at any time between 6:00pm and 8:30pm and help support our local performers. While you’re there, be sure to enjoy some of the wonderful Italian Food and Pizzas Cafe Castello is famous for. Cafe Castello is located at 141 South Country Road in Bellport Village. Their phone number is 631-803-8369. Here’s a link to their website.

Rotary Club of Bellport invites you to join them for a Square Dance and Dinner on Saturday, March 7th from 6:00pm-9:30pm at the VFW Hall, 330 N. Dunton Ave, East Patchogue. Enjoy dinner, dancing, drinks, a 50/50 raffle and fun! Tickets are $35 per person, with limited seating of 100 tickets. To purchase tickets or for more information, call or text 631-495-3514.

That's right, DSAI, DOING SOMETHING ABOUT IT, INC., is back! DSAI is excited to host another great event at the Boys and Girls Club of the Bellport Area on Saturday, February 22nd from 4:00pm-7:00pm. Admission is two cans of food or $3. Free entry with a DSAI t-shirt! Last year, they had a fabulous time with great speakers and amazing performances. DSAI is back to bring you the same energy, more great performances, and more amazing inspirational and informative speakers.

DOING SOMETHING ABOUT IT, INC., DSAI, is a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organization. When they say they are DOING SOMETHING ABOUT IT, they mean they are taking action to solve problems, not just talking about those problems. DSAI’s dedicated vision is raising low income neighborhoods from their low socioeconomic status (SES), and creating self-sufficient, supportive, and unified communities by being proactive to strengthen these communities.

DSAI believes in sharing effort with communities wanting to do better, having respect and love for one another, and building generational wealth for future generations. DSAI wants to foster a better environment, help bring an interest and a desire to learn, and encourage our youth to aspire to have a better education so that they can fill positions of power to fight against injustices within these communities. They believe it is truly about building a prosperous environment to live in peacefully, spiritually, and with good physical and mental health so as to achieve these goals for all. They are, DOING SOMETHING ABOUT IT, Inc.

Mark your calendar and don't miss out on a great opportunity to meet and greet, network, and enjoy a good time with people who share common interests in building friendships, community relationships, and obtain valuable information that you can take back with you and continue towards the goal of creating great and prosperous communities. Do you like supporting small businesses? Vendors will be there selling their products and promoting their businesses. There will also be FREE GIVEAWAYS! Click here for more information.

From 6:00pm-8:00pm on Friday, February 28th, New York State Senator Monica R. Martinez is presenting, “African Americans and the Vote, A Black History Month Celebration,” at the Boys & Girls Club of the Bellport Area located at 471 Atlantic Ave. in Bellport. Click here for more information.

From 5:00pm-8:00pm, on Thursday, March 19th, New York State Senator Monica R. Martinez is hosting the Career Expo 2020, “Get Hired,” at the new South Country Ambulance Company Headquarters located at 420 Station Road in Bellport. During the event, the SCDOL (Suffolk County Department of Labor) will be holding resume writing and mock interview workshops. Exclusively for Veterans, there will be a career counselor available from 4:00pm-5:00pm on the day of the event. All who attend are encouraged to bring their resumes! Click here for more information.

Check out this charming three bedroom, two full baths, for sale by owner home in Bellport Village! Click here for more information.

The South Country Education Foundation's Winter 2020 newsletter is hot off of the presses! Check it out to see what they've been up to! Click here for more information.

Would you like to change your political party affiliation so that you can vote in the April 28, 2020 Democratic Presidential Primary, or the June 23, 2020 New York State Assemblyperson, NYS Senator US Congressional District One election? February 14, 2020 is the deadline to either establish or change you party enrollment. Your application must be physically received, not postmarked, by February 14, 2020 by the Suffolk County Board of Elections.

Click here for a copy of the New York State Voter Registration Form that you can fill out, print, and then mail or hand deliver to the Suffolk County Board of Elections.

By Mail:
Suffolk County Board of Elections
PO Box 700
Yaphank, NY 11980

In Person:
Suffolk County Board of Elections
700 Yaphank Ave
Yaphank, NY 11980
(631) 852-4500

The Bellport-Brookhaven Historical Society has two great events coming up! Tickets are on sale now!

A Candlelight Musical Evening with Broadway and Gateway's Moeisha McGill on Saturday, February 15th. Click here for more information.

Authors & Artists Presentation by Gail Collins, NY Times Columnist and Author of "No Stopping Us Now: The Adventures of Older Women in American History" on Saturday, March 7th.
Click here for more information.

Suffolk County Council, Boy Scouts of America, will have a Scout Shabbat Service at Temple Beth El of Patchogue on Saturday, February 8th. Services start at 9:00am. Every Scout, Cub Scout, Girl Scout or Boy Scout in uniform will receive a Scout Shabbat Patch. Questions? Contact David Stern at (631) 696-7078 or the Temple office at (631) 475-1882.

Sunday, February 9th is the day to be someone's hero! Give the gift of life... give blood! This year, as in every year, there is a great need for blood. The Mary Immaculate Church, Christ Episcopal Church and Bellport United Methodist Church in Bellport have joined together to hold a Blood Drive at the Bellport Community Center (4 Bell Street, Bellport) on Sunday, February 9th from 9:00am-2:30pm. Walk-ins are welcome!

Deborah L. Galligan broker/ owner of Swan Realty Corp would like to congratulate several members of the Swan Realty team for their outstanding effort in Q4 2019 and all of 2019. Click here for more information.

New Letters to the Editor have been posted.  Click here for more information.

The South Country Library has released its list of events for January and February. Registration for adult programs is immediate and ongoing unless otherwise noted. Registration for January children's programs starts Thursday, January 2nd at 9:30am. February children's program registration starts Monday, Saturday, February 1st at 9:30am. Click here for descriptions of the upcoming programs.

Lord, it’s been almost a year since my Editorial alerting our community as to what the Bellport Village Board and the Golf Commission were up to, but like a Zombie that rises from the dead, the Village Board’s grandiose plans for changes and additions to the Bellport Village Golf Course never seem to die. Click here to read the latest Editorial.

The Bellport Village Program Fund (BVPF) is pleased to announce that it is reviving the annual summer 5K race in Bellport. Formerly known as the Clipper Classic, the newly christened Bellport Bay 5K will be staged on Sunday July 12, 2020. There will also be a 1-mile Fun Run for kids of all ages. All proceeds from race registrations and tax-deductible sponsorships, after race-related expenses, will go to benefit the BVPF.

“For years, this road race was a central event in Bellport’s summer, and we are pleased to see that the Bellport Village Program Fund is bringing it back as the Bellport Bay 5K,” said Bellport Village Mayor Ray Fell. “I want to thank the Bellport Village Program Fund and all those who are volunteering in the effort to put on a successful race.”

“By bringing back this race as the Bellport Bay 5K,” said Michael Foster, the BVPF Chairman, “we not only will be putting on a great race for everyone who loves to run, but we also will raise money for our ongoing and new projects in and around Bellport. Our goal is to continue the long tradition established by the Clipper Classic and make this race an annual event on Bellport’s summer calendar.”

The registration page is live now! Click here for more information and to register!

For the 7th year in a row, Bellport.com has been selected by Constant Contact to receive their coveted "All Star Award" for 2018. Every spring, Constant Contact selects their All Star Award recipients for the prior year. With over 5 million customers, Constant Contact has been a leader in email marketing since 1995 and is one of the leading communications companies designed to help small businesses and non-profits communicate with the world.  Click here for more information.

We're starting something new in our weekly email blasts... a "Featured Photo of the Week!" Your photo could be featured at the top of one of our weekly email blasts! If you have a photo you'd like us to consider featuring, email it to us. Be sure to sign up for our weekly email blasts to see if your photo has been chosen!

Placing an ad in the Bellport.com Classifieds works! Take a look at two letters we recently received from readers who had posted Classified Ads:

"Thank you for posting a photo of a beagle and our request for a sitter. We received many calls and found a lovely couple in Bellport Village to care for our beagle Molly. Many thanks and you can now remove the posting under pet sitting." - Mary and Tom

"Once again, with the help of bellport.com we have been successful in our efforts. This time we placed an ad for help in caring for our garden. Once again bellport.com made it a successful move. So please discontinue our ad. What would we ever do without you?" Best regards, Elaine

Place your classified ad today! Don't forget- Classified ads are FREE for Bellport.com Subscribers!

Click here to submit your own ad.