Community

Flanders

Hello and happy Thursday, friends and neighbors. Mother Nature doesn’t seem to want to put an end to this heat wave and, honestly, I’m OK with that, especially after this past winter. And don’t get me started about March. Some people are still having problems from the floods, especially those folks on Horton Avenue in Riverhead.

Stop by Riverhead Free Library in the next few days and check out the Flanders Historical Society display. Special thanks to Trustee Joann McLean for putting the display together.

Congratulations to Melvin Robinson Jr. of Riverhead on advancing to the second round at the Apollo Theater in Harlem. A busload of friends and family were there to support him. He will head back to the Apollo in September for the show-off round. Congrats on a job well done, from your wife, Shelley, and all your friends and family.

Here is some good news for us parents who are getting the kids ready for school and might be strapped for cash. The Town of Southampton Youth Bureau is sponsoring a Super Summer Celebration on Saturday, Aug. 21, from noon to 3 p.m. at the David Crohan Community Center. The general public is invited. Here’s the best part! Admission is free for all. Bracelets can be purchased for $5 so that the children can enjoy the waterslide, bounce house, face painting, crafts and a snow cone. Vendors will consist of local organizations that provide services to the community. There will be performances by local youth, including Dylan Collins. For more information, call 702-2427. If your organization would like to attend the event as a vendor, e-mail [email protected] for details. Please note that vending space is also free.

I had two mini-reunions with friends last week. The first consisted of friends from St. John the Evangelist School in Riverhead, some of whom I hadn’t seen since eighth grade — Michele Lennon from North Carolina, Laurie Keane from Rocky Point, Maryann Milton from Quogue, Teri Huck Mclean from Wading River and Debbie Setek Fleming from Riverhead. We had a great time at J&R’s in Calverton and it felt like it was just yesterday that we said goodbye and went our separate ways. It was a great visit with some really great women. The second mini-reunion was with friends I see on a regular basis but never get to just go “out” together. Michele (a different Michele), Maryann, Kim, who lives in Virginia but comes up every summer, and I went out to dinner on Friday and had a really good time. If you don’t already do it, take some time for yourself and go out with your friends. It doesn’t matter where. It really does make you feel good and takes some of the stress away for a while.

That’s all for this week. Thanks, everyone, for your news, phone calls and e-mails. I really appreciate it and could not do this without you. Drive safely and enjoy your weekend.