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A BIG thank you to the Bellport Garden
Club for the wonderful job they did on Main Street this week. The
urns and window boxes look lovely! You are all so kind to do this.
Let's all donate a little something towards their overheads.
Pamela Lerner
Pamela Lerner Home & Design
Bellport
Village, NY
Kudos to Mary Lou and the entire staff of the Village office for coming up with the idea for a Christmas wreath decorating contest. Although only in its first year what started out as 27 wreaths has quickly gone to 54! The Bellport Village Program Fund was thrilled to financially support this contest, but the creative idea and talent rightly belongs to the Village Office. Thanks also to Jason Crane and the Highway Dept. for hanging the wreaths around town.
Jane Graham
Bellport Village,
NY
Mayor and Trustees:
I was able to
watch a portion of last month’s village board meeting and was very
surprised to hear that a few Village residents are suggesting that
the Tradition to “Loop the Dock”, especially during the summer
months, be eliminated. This activity has been going on for more
years than I am old and it would be a travesty to have it taken away
from all of us who have enjoyed this privilege...and Tradition.
As a young girl, my Mom would tell me and my siblings that we
had to go down to the dock to see if the water was still there... As
you can imagine we were shocked that this could happen and we would
question her. After the loop, my mother and us were relieved to see
everything was in fact as it should be...the water was still there,
and then she would smile. As a young adult and parent, I would say
the same thing to my children...and now I continue to do so with the
grandchildren. A Tradition.
When members of my family come
home to visit they have already Looped the Dock before they get to
the house...a Tradition.
Yes, it is busy at the Dock during
the summer months with the Ferry, Playground, Sailing Program, Kids
Camp and Concerts. This is a good thing and not a reason to
eliminate or curtail this activity because nothing has changed in
the recent years...the Tradition continues.
The fact that
some cars park at the southern end of the dock and use their iPhones
and play music...really? Other than the use of iPhones , that is yet
another Tradition.
I would have to admit, unwillingly, that
change is necessary in some cases or areas, but not this Tradition.
It was suggested at this village meeting that perhaps it could be
done as a trial to see if the residents liked this change. I will
remind you that all of us were prevented access to the dock during
the renovation/reconstruction and NO ONE liked it.
I am
asking all of you to strongly consider NOT implementing this change
that will affect all of us residents. I also feel that a proposed
change by a few residents and a decision to move forward with it
should be up to the majority of the Village residents and tax
payers. Let all of us have the opportunity to speak and be heard at
an “in person” Public Meeting.
A life long resident, Bob
Lyons, was famously quoted many times, ”If it ain’t broke, don’t fix
it”. This is a perfect example of leaving the Dock as it
is...Tradition.
Pamela Hannon
Bellport Village, NY
Dear Mayor Fell and the Board of
Trustees:
I am writing in support of the letter Kathie and
Rich Dallin sent addressing the proposal of eliminating the parking
in front of the Bellport Yacht Club.
I have been a resident
of the community in the Village and the Hamlet for over 50 years.
The tradition of looping the dock was one of the first things I was
introduced to. It was as if it were mandatory when returning to the
Village after work, shopping or a short trip.
Before
retiring, my career took me away from home frequently. The first
thing I did upon returning was to loop the dock, then sit in the car
at the end of the dock to “plug” back in. During personal crises in
my life, I found inner peace sitting in my car at end of the dock,
absorbing the view to clear my head. Other times I’d just sit to
think, maybe catch up on the news without the interruption of
household obligations pulling my focus.
I understand the
necessity to keep our children safe, but as the Dallin’s pointed
out, to my knowledge, there has never been any accident involving a
vehicle and a pedestrian in the park and dock area during my half
century in the community.
To coin the idiomatic expression,
“don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater”. Surely the board can
try to come up with a less aggressive action to address these safety
concerns. Several were made during your October board meeting which
seemed to be a good start. Perhaps a quiet - turn down your radio
sign at the end of the dock as well as enforcing speed limits is all
you need to do.
During the time I have resided in the
community, we have had a steady influx of summer residents, many
ultimately becoming year round residents. These folks were attracted
to the Mayberry like quality of our town. Looping the dock and
parking for a bit is the heartbeat of that quality.
Please
let us not take away the very nature of the reason people come to
visit, then stay for a lifetime. As Kathie and Rich pointed out,
“there have always been lots of children there enjoying the
playground, crabbing and fishing, the sailing program, the races,
skating, boating, taking the ferry, and watching the amazing ice
scooters. Nothing has really changed.
So…….. if it ain’t
broke, why fix it.
Amelia Chiaramonte
Brookhaven
Hamlet, NY
Yesterday in front of CVS three veterans
were raising funds and handing out poppies and flags. They were not
wearing masks. I went into CVS and bought five masks and told them
if they put them on I would contribute. One had a mask and put his
on and I gave the others masks to keep. I asked them to promise me
to wear them and they agreed, so I made my donation. Three of my
family members were veterans so I make it a effort to donate every
year. I took my poppy and flag and politely left. The flag was used
to replace the one that was vandalized next to my “Vote for Kids”
and “Vote for Honesty” sign. The flag staff broken in half and the
flag was left on the ground.
Today I went to CVS and there
they were again without masks! A Village Constable was in the
parking lot and I asked if he could enforce this village violation
matter and he said he would. Leaving the CVS drive thru I saw only
one man wearing a mask and the other two didn’t. Now I was really
upset and confronted them about disregarding the CDC guidelines. I’m
a cancer survivor and my husband is scheduled for surgery and has to
be COVID free. There is not excuse for this blatant disregard for
the publics safety.
In the future the village needs a assure
that this doesn’t occur again. Perhaps fines could be issued to
violators, and/or permits requiring them to wear masks during their
fund raising.
Pauline M Dubick-Hazard
East
Patchogue, NY
To The Mayor, The Board Of Trustees, And
The People Of Bellport:
The mayor’s goal of enhancing access
for the disabled at Village Hall is undoubtedly well- intentioned.
The issue is how to do it. Since Village Hall is in the Bellport
Lane Historic District and is also listed on the National Register
of Historic Places [click
here for a tour of what makes Village Hall significant], the
mayor has had discussions with the Historic Preservation Commission.
No decisions have been made, but the mayor’s preference seems to be
to use the front entrance. While a single entrance for all would be
ideal, it is hardly possible at Village Hall without compromising
its historic significance.
Most of us are aware that there
are many buildings all over the country where, for various reasons,
separate entrances for the disabled are common. In particular, many
small historic buildings in America- just like Village Hall- cannot
provide disabled access if they are to preserve what makes them
significant. Congress understood this when it passed the Americans
With Disabilities Act in 1990, so it inserted a provision called
“shifting services” where an adjacent building is utilized. In
Bellport, the Community Center, which has access for the disabled,
has fulfilled that function for the past 30 years without any
difficulties. When asked at the Village Board meeting of October
26th if there had been any complaints about this arrangement, the
mayor did not respond.
As background, the village has now
obtained a grant to construct direct access. An engineer is working
to see how access can be achieved. In spite of the fact that there
are no legal requirements as to where a ramp must be placed, the
mayor has pushed the Historic Preservation Commission to focus on
the front. Ideas submitted by both the engineer and the chair of the
historic commission, involve a front entrance. I would recommend
other alternatives that would obviate the need to deface Village
Hall, which would amount to a blatant act of vandalism. I also
believe, and the mayor seemed to concur, that it would serve the
village well to hire an architect experienced in adapting historic
structures to the needs of the disabled.
Going forward the
village should focus on all possibilities for disabled access. Such
possibilities (as illustrated in the video) would include placing
access in the east, rear side of Village Hall or, best of all,
continuing with the practice of “shifting services” which has served
us well for 30 years and can continue to do so, regardless of
changing technology. Indeed, technology makes shifting services even
easier. I fervently hope that the mayor and the trustees will
recognize that it is not necessary to sacrifice Village Hall, a
cultural landmark, and diminish what makes Bellport so distinctive
and desirable.
Victor Principe
Bellport, NY
Dear Mayor Fell and the Board of
Trustees:
We feel compelled to write about the possible
elimination of parking in front of the Bellport Yacht Club. We
strongly oppose this suggestion.
This proposal appears to be
generated by children's safety, environmental and noise issues?
To address safety, perhaps, a speed table can be placed on the
west side of the Yacht Club to slow cars at that point? The speed
limit has to be enforced, not only at the Dock, but throughout the
Village. Perhaps, the new parking spaces, along the East side of the
Dock, should instead provide a walkway to the benches in front of
the Yacht Club?
Specifically, regarding children's safety in
front of the Club, or anywhere in the park, it is the responsibility
of the parents or caregivers to keep watch...especially near cars
and the water. To our knowledge, there has never been any accident
involving a vehicle and a pedestrian in the park area.
As far
as environmental issues from idling cars, most people turn their
cars off when parking for more than a minute or two. Also, there are
so many hybrid cars now which automatically go to battery when
parked.
If there is loud noise coming from a car radio, the
Village noise ordinance should be enforced by Code.
The area
in front of the Yacht Club, as well as the entire park area, is for
ALL residents and parking should not be eliminated or restricted.
There are many older, or handicapped residents, who would not have
access to this panoramic water view. In inclement weather, many
residents would not care to park and walk to the front of the Yacht
Club. The front of the Yacht Club is the PERFECT spot to view the
bay, the Inlet, the races, the sunset, etc.
In addition,
people have been looping the Dock and parking in front of the Yacht
Club for 60 plus years that we personally know of. There have always
been lots of children there enjoying the playground, crabbing and
fishing, the sailing program, the races, skating, boating, taking
the ferry, and watching the amazing ice scooters. So, nothing has
really changed.
We were lucky to be "down at the bay" for
many wonderful years, with our own children enjoying all these
activities. So, nothing has really changed.
When I got my
drivers license, well over 60 years ago, my first trip was to park
in front of the Yacht Club. When our son and his family visit, we go
from the airport directly to the Bay. As many know, it's a tradition
to loop the bay and park just to be sure the bay is still there. So,
nothing has really changed.
People, of all ages, have been
walking, biking and driving around the Yacht Club and stopping to
admire the view for years. This is the very essence of our magical
Village.
So, nothing has really changed.
During the
Covid crisis, we parked in front of the Yacht Club every single day.
It brings us hope, peace and clarity. We realize change can be
good...but not when there isn't any good reason for the change.
Please don't take away this iconic tradition.
Rich and Kathie Dallin
Bellport Village, NY