Flanders News: Blood drive at Flanders Fire Department

Welcome summer! I hope everyone enjoyed their Fourth of July holiday — beautiful weather, time with family and good friends and delicious food. I missed the fireworks this year but I plan to catch them another time before the summer ends.

I need to apologize to my good friend and the sweetest woman I know, Charlotte Nelson. Ms. Nelson celebrated her 80th birthday on June 11. Her daughter had asked me to write about it but I’d forgotten since I had just moved. Anyway, happy 80th birthday to you, Ms. Nelson! I hope you had a great day and celebrated with all your family and friends. Please forgive me for not writing about it sooner.

Flanders Fire Department and the Flanders, Riverside and Northampton Community Association will host a blood drive Monday, July 13, from 2 to 8 p.m. at fire department headquarters. All donors are eligible to receive one free game of bowling and free shoe rental at Wildwood Bowl in Northampton. Walk-ins are welcome or you can make an appointment by calling Barbara at 574-8958 or Patty at 727-3977.

Riverhead Moose Lodge wants the community to be aware that it offers many events that are open to the public. On Saturday, July 11, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. the lodge will host a community yard sale. Vendor tables are $20. The annual chicken barbecue will be held Saturday, July 18, from 2 to 6 p.m. Tickets are $20; free for children 12 and under. There will be games and prizes for children and adults. A chinese auction will also be held the same day between 2 and 5 p.m. Donations of baskets, raffia, ribbon, etc., would be greatly appreciated.

The lodge is also selling chances for a lifetime membership for only $10 each. The drawing will be held at the chicken barbecue on the 18th. And finally, on Friday, July 31, at 6 p.m. the lodge will host “Paint Nite.” Tickets are $45 per person, which includes supplies, snacks and wine. Tickets are limited. To sign up or to view the picture you’ll be painting, visit paintnite.com/pages/events/view/longisland/897676. For more information about the yard sale, chinese auction, chicken barbecue or joining the Moose, call AnneMarie at 631-766-2727.

The Southampton Youth Bureau is pleased to announce its first blood drive on Sunday, July 19, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Westhampton War Memorial Ambulance, Westhampton Beach. There will be a 50/50 raffle and acoustic entertainment. There will also be chances to win gift cards from Westhampton True Value, Tonino’s Pizza, Edible Arrangements and more! Call Courtney King for an appointment at 305-989-3348 or email [email protected]. For more information, call the youth bureau at 702-2421.

The SYB will also be serving free lunches to anyone 21 and under. The program began July 6 and will continue every Monday through Thursday until Aug. 27 from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Flanders Community Center.

The Friends of the Big Duck will host the annual Rubber Duck Race on Saturday, Aug. 29 (rain date: Aug. 30), at noon at the Flanders Men’s Club. To enter, call Fran at 727-5342. Each entry is a $5 donation. Prizes will be awarded for first, second and third place. Applications can be found at the Big Duck Gift Shop in Flanders.

Happy birthday to Brittany Brewer on July 11; Matt Deerkoski, July 12; my baby girl, Kaitlyn Doherty, July 13; Joe Manlavitti and Karen Turbush, July 14; Sally Haupt, July 16; Chip Puccio and yours truly, July 19; and Kevin Dupuis and my coworkers Jessica Rivera and Teri Benitez, July 20.

That’s all for this week. I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend. Please get any news you’d like to share with the community to me ASAP. Please drive safely.

Contact Flanders columnist Tanya Doherty at 727-8687 or [email protected].