On Wednesday, June 3, 2020, we had a chance to sit down with Cheryl Felice, who is running for the South Country School Board, and ask her some questions. We asked about her background, the impact the loss of State Aid might have on the School District, how COVID-19 might affect our students and teachers, and Race Relations in the South Country School District. We hope you enjoy the interview.

The South Country Central School District is pleased to announce that Ali Dennis Guillermo, Jr. and Natalia Jordan have been named valedictorian and salutatorian, respectively, for Bellport High School’s Class of 2020. Audrey Barry was also named essayist.

Bellport High School Principal Tim Hogan called being named the district’s top three students a remarkable achievement as these students “serve as leaders of the building and as role models to other students.”

As valedictorian, Ali Dennis Guillermo, Jr. is an Advanced Placement Scholar with Honors and a member of the National Honor Society, Science Honor Society and Math Honor Society. He received High Honor Roll every quarter during his high school tenure. Beyond academic pursuits, Ali participated in weekly algebra tutoring of middle school students to help them improve their math skills. He also volunteered each week as a receptionist at Brookhaven Memorial Medical Center, now known as Long Island Community Hospital. Ali’s many achievements are magnified by the personal sacrifices that his parents made to start a new life in the United States. Overcoming the barriers of being a first generation student and being at the top of his class is an immense source of pride for his family. This fall, Ali will attend Stony Brook University where he will pursue a career in nursing.

As salutatorian, Natalia Jordan is an Advanced Placement Scholar with Honors and is a member of the National Honor Society and Math and Science honor societies. She is a recipient of the Town of Brookhaven’s prestigious Hispanic Heritage Award, is a volunteer Spanish translator at school night events and a HOBY ambassador. With a passion for science, technology and engineering, Natalia participated in the Science and Technology Entry Program at Suffolk County Community College and Stony Brook University’s Women in Science and Engineering (WISE) program. Her successes were also witnessed on the athletic field, as she ran for Bellport High School’s track and field team and played varsity soccer for four years. She not only served as varsity soccer captain but participated in three travel soccer teams while in high school. Natalia is also a Stony Brook University Hospital volunteer, a member of Brookhaven Youth Court and a summer camp counselor at Los Delfines Camp in Columbia. As a dual citizen of both Columbia and the United States, Natalia is bilingual and extremely proud of her heritage. She will attend Cornell University in the fall where she will study biologic sciences as a pre-med student.

This year’s essayist is Audrey Barry, whose creative mind and artistic talent has distinguished her as one of the class’ top students. Throughout her high school tenure, the South Country community has enjoyed her breathtaking artwork. In addition to being president of the National Art Honor Society, Audrey was selected as a student-artist for the grand opening of South Country’s student art exhibit. Notably, Audrey’s work was displayed in the Heckscher Museum’s “Long Island’s Best” art exhibit and she earned distinguished scores for portfolio pieces submitted to the New York State Art Teachers Association. In addition to her artistic talent, Audrey is a devoted tennis player; she has been captain of the varsity team since 10th grade and was a recipient of the scholar-athlete award. Audrey’s commitment to education has earned her membership into the math, science, and National Honor Societies. Audrey plans on attending Binghamton University where she will pursue a career in biomedical engineering.

Courtesy of the South Country Central School District

On Saturday, May 23, 2020, South Country Unites held a “Meet the Candidates” forum for candidates in the upcoming Democratic Primary for US Congressional District #1. The candidates participating were Bridget Fleming, Perry Gershon, and Nancy Goroff.

Because of the unique restrictions imposed by COVID-19, the event was held using “ZOOM” technology and about 75 people were able to attend this unique forum.

Each of the candidates were asked the same series of questions selected by the members of South Country Unites followed by questions submitted by those attending the gathering. In all, each of the candidates answered questions for approximately 30 minutes.

As we all try to adjust to the “New Normal,” I will say that this ZOOM Meet the Candidates meeting was a complete success. Below you’ll find links to each candidates’ portion of the program.

SCU, Meet The Candidates, Fleming

SCU, Meet The Candidates, Gershon

SCU, Meet The Candidates, Goroff

On a bright and beautiful May morning under a cloudless sky, some of the ladies of the Bellport Garden Club gathered... at a social distance... to fill the Village window boxes with spring flowers and greens. This is an annual tradition, but it was especially important this year to bring some joy and vitality to the Village of Bellport whose shops (with the exception of the restaurants, delis and food stores) have been shuttered for months.

Community beautification is one of the main functions of the Bellport Garden Club. Unfortunately, due to the cancellation of Bellport's Annual Memorial Day Parade, the club's annual plant sale will not be taking place either. The proceeds of this sale help to fund community beautification projects. If you would care to make a donation to the club, please send a check to Bellport Garden Club, Box 203, Bellport, NY 11713 and mark it "Beautification Fund."

Photos courtesy of Michele DePalo

Bellport Rotarians are taking action to recognize and congratulate the graduating Class of 2020 of Bellport High School with a public banner on the greens in the middle of Bellport Village, right near CVS and Cirillo's. As they have done in the past, the Bellport Rotary Club offered vocational scholarships awards to two graduates who will be attending a trade school. The Rotary Club of Bellport has also previously supported our health workers by donating $1,000 for PPE supplies to Long Island Community Hospital.

Photo courtesy of Lorraine Kuehn

Stormy skies on April 30th cooperated during the afternoon for Kreamer Street Elementary School faculty as they drove through the school community’s neighborhood streets, accompanied by South Country Ambulance, to demonstrate unity and support for students.

During the parade, residents were encouraged to wear their Kreamer Kingdom gear, make a celebratory sign, wave and make noise as drivers passed by students’ homes. Even residents who do not live on the parade route parked their cars on neighboring streets to join in the festivities. The parade brought about a sense of togetherness for all who attended.

Principal Sean Clark said the parade’s goal was to raise student spirits and to instill a sense of unity during a time when social distancing is in place and students are learning virtually, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The Kreamer Kingdom is known for its sense of community spirit, and this parade is an example of how our faculty instills a sense of pride and togetherness, even in a time of social distancing and school closures,” Mr. Clark said.

All courtesy of the South Country School District

My good friend, Sal Calvagna, had only a split second to take these photos as the Navy’s Blue Angels and the U.S. Air Force’s Thunderbirds flew over Long Island today, April 28th. It was a salute to our first responders and hospital workers who have given so much of themselves for all of us. As you can see from the map, they flew over NYC and then out to us where Sal took the photos in Holbrook. Great job Sal!!!

Editor's Note: We received the following letter from Lynette Murphy, COMPASS Unity Coordinator, about their recent food drive to benefit the Lighthouse Mission and Angels of Long Island.

"Thank you very much for advertising the food drive sponsored by COMPASS Unity. It was a HUGE success. We filled two trucks - one for Lighthouse Mission and one for Angels of Long Island. Without your assistance in getting the word out, we would not have had a successful event!"

In an effort to assist South Country residents in need, Bellport High School teachers Aimee Iuliucci and Kelly Scotti organized and led a T-shirt fundraiser called "South Country Strong" to benefit the Lighthouse Mission. The duo sold 474 T-shirts to community residents and students, raising more than $2,000. The money was donated to Lighthouse Mission to replenish the food pantry for residents in the South Country community and surrounding areas.

Local clothing company Hart + Sole Clothing donated their time designing the t-shirts. Hart + Sole has also volunteered in the past by designing clothing for the school store at Bellport High School, the high school staff, and the boys basketball team.

I’d like to tell you about a very special person, Amelia “Emmy” Specht, who is 17 years old and lives right here in Bellport Village.

They say the, “Apple doesn’t fall far from the tree,” and Emmy is certainly proof of it. Emmy’s Mom is Joanne Specht who is the originator of the annual Village Halloween Scarecrow Building program and the annual Ho Hum Beach Sandcastle contest, to name just two of the many creative ideas and programs Joanne Specht has been responsible for over the years.

I’ll tell you a lot more about Emmy, but before I do, just in case you don’t read all the way to the end of this story and because it’s so important, I’d like to share with you Emmy’s letter to me when I asked her to tell me all about the “Food For Suffolk County” non-profit organization Emmy just started.

“Hi, my name is Emmy Specht. I am 17 years old and I have lived in Bellport my whole life. I’ve started a food drive for families in our area who are struggling to purchase food because of job loss or decreased wages due to COVID-19.

I am collecting non-perishable groceries all week long and delivering boxes of food EVERY SUNDAY to families in our area. I have worked with the Family Outreach Coordinator at the Boys & Girls Club to identify these families in need.

There are two ways you can help. You can drop off non-perishable food to my front porch, at 26 Browns Lane, Bellport, NY, or you can make a tax-deductible monetary donation through the link below and I will use these funds to purchase groceries for the families on the list.

The families need cereal, pasta, canned vegetables and soup, snacks for children, and juice. Any non-perishables you can spare would be greatly appreciated, even if they are not on this list. I will collect these items all week long, and EVERY SUNDAY I will box up everything I collect for the week and deliver the items to the families who need them. Even one can of vegetables or one box of pasta will help these families get through the week.

If you would like to instead make a tax-deductible monetary donation, which I will use to purchase food, please click this link: www.foodforsuffolkcounty.org

If you have any questions please email me at ameliaspecht1@gmail.com.”

I’d like to tell you a little bit more about Emmy Specht and what she has accomplished in the past 17 years.

When Emmy was 8 years old, she started a charity called “Four Girls for Families” with her sister, Rae Specht, and two of her best friends, Maddie Joinnnides and Eloise Kocay, to help people in Cambodia. The charity the four girls started just turned 10!

When they were very young, they started out by painting and selling greeting cards and T-Shirts. Every summer they would open a “Pop-Up” store in Bellport and take booths at Artists on the Lane, the Methodist Christmas Fair, and other Fairs around Long Island to raise money.

In 2015, the four girls partnered with the Bellport Rotary and received a Rotary International Grant of $55,000! This project was spearheaded by the Bellport Rotary and the money they raised, and monies raised by many Rotary Clubs on Long Island, was then matched by Rotary International.

The four girls started putting their money to work in 2016 when the money was used to build a sustainable farm in Pursat, Cambodia. Currently, they are working with Rotary International again on a 2nd Global Grant. To date, they have raised close to $400,000 to help on a variety of projects in Cambodia and they have delivered close to 4,000 water filters to families. In addition, they have financed the digging of 20 deep water community wells in Cambodia.

At this point, you’d think they had done more than enough, but they have also built a sustainable farm and fishing lake for an entire village in Pursat, Cambodia and they are working on a second farm. Most recently, they partnered with another NGO, non-profit organization, to share the $80,000 cost and built two schools in Cambodia for 900 elementary children.

Each year, the members of “Four Girls for Families” travel to Cambodia to check on their projects and to start new ones. Their families pay for the travel and expenses out of their own pockets. 100% of the monies raised goes to support the projects the organization sponsors. They were all supposed to travel to Cambodia again this June, but that is now on hold because of COVID-19.

Now, I would have ended this story here, but I asked Emmy if there was anything else she was working on, as if that were possible. Here’s her answer.

“Beyond the charity....another program I have worked on is that I am a counselor at Sunrise Day Camp in Wyandanch. Sunrise Day Camp is a camp for children with cancer. I work there full-time all summer, and on school breaks. It is a wonderful place and I love the children I work with. Unfortunately, because of the Coronavirus, I am not sure if the camp will be open this summer.”

Emmy went on to say,

"I want to let you know that the food drive I am now organizing, Food For Suffolk County, is separate from Four Girls for Families. I decided to do this project as a separate fundraising effort because all the fundraising we do through Four Girls for Families goes to projects in Cambodia. I want to make this a separate fundraising effort because I want to make sure people know these contributions (both non-perishables and monetary) will go directly to help people here on Long Island. That is why I created Food For Suffolk County."

What more can I say? I’m sure you are all just as proud of Emmy as I know her parents and I am. I hope you all show her a little of that pride in supporting her food raising efforts by contributing to Food For Suffolk County, www.foodforsuffolkcounty.org.

Have you ever flown in a Helicopter? My friends at East End Helicopters sent me a video they shot this morning of JFK airport from a low altitude. Normally, JFK would be bustling with aircraft, people, and various vehicles moving around all over the place like ants. As you’ll see, COVID-19 has had a real impact on activity at the airport. Enjoy the video!

On Monday, April 13, 2020, Dr. Giani, South Country School District's Superintendent of Schools, held a ZOOM online meeting that was attended by 24 members of the SCCLN, the South Country Community Leadership Network. The purpose of the meeting was to share information, issues, and questions resulting from COVID-19. Dr. Giani said it is, “Not a regular meeting or agenda, just time to connect and discuss community matters and how we may be able to close any gaps.”

Here is some of the information and issues that were presented...

• The South Country School District gave out 4,000 meals to school age and younger children last Friday.

• Child Care programs are being conducted by SCOPE in 15 different locations.

• Clyde Parker is leading a group making masks to distribute to the community. So far, they have made and distributed 1,500 masks. They are hoping to expand their program to include food distribution.

• John Rogers, Chair of the Greater Bellport Coalition, said there’s a need for food for elderly people who are afraid to go into stores and supermarkets. There seems to be no one working on this problem. He and Clyde Parker are working on a food delivery program for the elderly.

• It was reported that Stop & Shop has discontinued their curb-side pickup program.

• The Town of Brookhaven is still running their “Meals on Wheels” program.

• The Lighthouse Mission is offering meals.

• Isabella Rossellini is donating food from her farm. The School District is picking up the food and distributing it with their Mobile Library.

• It was pointed out that there is a problem identifying and reaching those in need.

• The South Country Library is considering the expansion of their WiFi system so that it will cover their parking lot out to Station Road. The goal is to make it possible for people, who do not have internet access, to be able to gain access by either parking or standing in the library’s parking lot while maintaining the appropriate distance from one another. It was also pointed out that the McDonalds in East Patchogue has a WiFi system that covers their parking lot as well.

• Clyde Parker raised the issue of the handicapped and should they be included with the elderly for help with food distribution.

I have to say that I’m proud of the members of the SCCLN for donating their time, effort, and expertise. It’s at times like these that they are really needed.

A family in Ontario, Canada, recreated the iconic opening sequence of "The Simpsons" -- complete "with Maggie being beeped through a supermarket checkout, and Homer at work at the power plant." The BBC has the video here.

Pamela Lerner, of Pamela Lerner Home & Design, has watched children with their parents strolling down Main Street to get some exercise on some of the nice, weather wise, days we’ve had lately. Pamela decided to decorate her window with things the children would enjoy. Here are some for YOU to enjoy!

Brookhaven Lab scientists and staff are in a unique position to combine their expertise to address drug development, medical supplies, information processing and more. Read about it in this week’s edition of “Brookhaven This Week.”

All hands on deck have been necessary in fighting the spread of the novel coronavirus, COVID-19, and Bellport High School has joined the battle with the contribution of 3D printers to the Suffolk Cooperative Library System 3D Printer Farm, located at its headquarters in Bellport.

The 3D Printer Farm started producing face shields for medical professionals at Stony Brook University Hospital, using 3D printers loaned from public and school libraries throughout Suffolk County. The Bellport High School library and art department collectively loaned three 3D printers at the end of March.

Since March, the Suffolk Cooperative Library System has pulled together more than 70 3D printers into one location, called the 3D Printer Farm, and is churning out plastic parts for needed face shields. The protective gear is then finished by Stony Brook’s iCreate program, under the direction of iCreate Director and informational technology professional, David Ecker. The goal is to produce the parts for 200 face shields daily. Supplies to make the shields include elastic, foam, weather sealing and report covers. The report covers made out of clear plastic are replaceable.

This featured photo is of Stony Brook University Hospital nurses using these very face shields! Photo courtesy of the South Country School District.

The Bellport Country Club's Free Meal Program continues to be a WONDERFUL success! On Friday, April 3, 2020, the Country Club served hundreds of guests with their Free Meal program and ran out of prepared meals in 45 minutes! J. Kings Food Service donated several cases of food and was a huge help!

In addition to the Free Meal Program, the Country Club’s sale of trays of prepared food were also a hit. The proceeds from these sales will now go towards defraying some of the costs of the next Free Meal Program day. We’ll be sure to let you know all of the details as soon as they are available.

The Bellport Country Club and J. Kings Food Service are wonderful examples of some of the good things that are still happening during these tough times.

In my March 25, 2020 Editorial about some of the good things going on, I mentioned FaceTime and how we were using it so that 12 of the people in our 24 person Tuesday Coffee Group could continue to meet online on Tuesday mornings. Well, I wasn’t satisfied by having to leave half of our group out because they didn’t own an iPhone, iPad, or Mac computer so I went looking for a solution and I found it. Zoom!

Zoom is by no means as easy to use as FaceTime, but it’s free and with the help of dozens of video tutorials on YouTube, you can do it! For us, it means that our entire group of 24 can now not only meet for coffee on Tuesday mornings, but we can now also meet for a Virtual Happy Hour on Fridays at 5!

A quick word about security and Zoom... in recent days there have been incidents of "zoom bombing" where people jump into a Zoom call who aren't supposed to be there. Luckily, there are several security settings in Zoom to help prevent this and keep your Zoom calls private. Here's an article with more information about those settings.

The Bellport Country Club wanted to do something to help families in our community who needed meals during this incredibly challenging time. They decided to provide meals-to-go for our neighbors in need at no cost! No questions asked!

Well, Wednesday, March 25th was the first day of this program and the Bellport Country Club gave out 1,200 free meals! Because of the response from the community, they plan on giving out another 200 free meals on Thursday, March 26th. The Country Club is going to try to repeat this program once a week if possible.

It’s wonderful that at these stressful times, we’re seeing the best in people brought out. A huge Thank You to the Bellport Country Club!

Local artist, Mikael Levin, came up with a unique way to draw attention to the history of slavery in Bellport’s past. I’ll let Mikael explain...

“For today, February 29th, this last day of Black History month, I am renaming four streets that bear the names of prominent early Bellport families. The new names are of those people they owned as slaves. Browns Lane will become Jude Lane. Brewster Lane will become Peter Lane. Tuthill Lane will become Sebra Lane. Osborn Lane will become Thomas Lane and Reuben Lane. I am performing this one-day renaming action to honor those women, men, and children who were enslaved right here in Bellport, even if all this happened a long time ago.

Whom our streets are named after speaks to who we are. In my work as an artist I often seek to place everyday scenes in a larger cultural and historical context. This action is designed to raise critical consciousness of how the legacy of slavery here and across Long Island is one of the factors impacting our divided community to this day.

Under a 1788 New York State law regarding the freeing of enslaved people, slave masters listed the names of those that they were going to set free. Miriam Brown listed Jude; Mills Brewster listed Peter; Nathaniel Tuthill declared that the child Sebra would be set free when of age; and Henry P. Osborn listed Thomas and Reuben. These families probably had other enslaved people as well, not listed here.

This action is not about whether the Browns, Brewsters, Osborns and Tuthills lived specifically on these streets, and this action is not only about these four families. There were additional slave owning families in the area.

Below are photos of the street signs Mikael renamed.

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On Saturday, February 22, 2020, the Bellport-Brookhaven Historical Society, the BBHS, held another program in their Local History series. This time, in honor of Black History Month, the program featured Dr. Georgette Grier-Key speaking on the history of Bellport’s Ruth African Methodist Episcopalian Zion Church on Station Road right here in Bellport Village. Back in April of 2017, Bellport.com covered the 184th Anniversary of the church’s founding in Bellport. Here’s a link to our coverage at that time.

Dr. Grier-Key’s program started off with a brief history of the seven major Black denominations and Black Churches on the east end of Long Island. It then turned to the history of the Ruth African Methodist Episcopalian Zion Church here in Bellport. The church was founded by Charles Carle in 1838. Rev. Madge H. Thompson leads the church today and a descendant of Charles Carle still attends the church today.

If you weren’t able to attend the BBHS program on Saturday, Click Here to listen to Dr. Grier Key’s presentation regarding the Ruth African Methodist Episcopalian Zion Church.

On Saturday, February 22, 2020, the DSAI, Doing Something About It, held their 2nd Annual Cultural Empowerment Event at the Boys & Girls Club located at 471 Atlantic Ave., in Bellport.

First, we have to apologize. Because of the late start of the DSAI Event, and an overlap in scheduling between the DSAI Event and the Bellport-Brookhaven Historical Society’s Local History program on the Ruth African Methodist Episcopalian Zion Church, we just couldn’t be in two places at the same time and had to leave the DSAI Event early so we could cover the BBHS event too. As a result, we couldn’t cover the DSAI Event the way we would have liked to. We’ll make up for it in the future. We promise!

Doing Something About It, 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!

The Cultural Empowerment program began with a few words from DSAI CEO/President Baron A. Permenter who was followed by motivational guest speakers, Council woman Valerie M. Cartright, Councilman Michael Loguercio and Senator Monica Martinez. The program even included a Hypnotist/Comedian, poetry, music, dance, and speakers from Compass Unity.

Before we had to leave, we were able to snap a few photos of the vendors and DSAI volunteers who helped make the program possible. We’re already looking forward to next year.

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Charlie Flagg sent us his latest report from his recent flight over the new inlet. Click here for more information.

On Tuesday, February 4, 2020, eight local musicians decided to attend Café Castello’s first ever Open Mic hosted by Hank Stone. 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.

The level of musicianship Tuesday night was first rate and the food could not be beat. The Italian food at Café Castello is always wonderful, but this time Nick Gagliardi, owner of Café Castello, even added a special Happy Hour from 5:30 to 7:30 with half price wine, beer, and a selection of special appetizers.

If you weren’t able to attend, or would like to, Café Castello’s Open Mic will be held the first Tuesday of every month from now on, starting at 6pm. The next Open Mic will be Tuesday, March 3, 2020 so come on down and enjoy an evening of great entertainment and food. Click here for more information.

You probably know that work has begun down at the marina. You probably also know that the work area has been surrounded by curtains to either block the public’s view, or more likely, to help avoid someone driving into the wire fencing around the site out of habit.

Well, the great folks at the Bellport Yacht Club have repositioned the video camera atop their club house so that you can monitor progress on the marina, 24/7! What a great idea!!!

Click here for a link to the Bellport Yacht Club’s website where you can watch it all.