Flanders

From tacos and braciole to funnel cake, food truck fare, games and activities drew more than 2,000 visitors to the Flanders Food Truck Festival this weekend.

A new separate zip code for Flanders, Riverside and Northampton is part of the 2017 version of the Postal Service Reform Act, which was introduced in the House by Utah Republican Jason Chaffetz, who visited Flanders with Rep. Zeldin in September.

A new bill that would create a separate zip code for the hamlets of Flanders, Riverside and Southampton is expected to be passed by the House tomorrow.

The chairman of the House committee that oversees the U.S. Postal Service came to Flanders yesterday at the request of Rep. Lee Zeldin to assure residents that he will work to get the area its own zip code, something they've sought for more than 15 years.

Rep. Lee Zeldin responded to the U.S. Postal Service's rejection of his request for a new zip code for the tri-hamlet area in the northwest corner of Southampton Town by seeking a legislative mandate, inserting a provision in the postal service reform act pending in the House that will require it.

Hope Day, now in its fifth year, was held simultaneously at 19 sites across Long Island, NYC and New Jersey, with Flanders being one of four sites in Suffolk.

Sr. Margaret Smyth of North Fork Hispanic Apostolate says the man who took the holiday lights and cords from the Flanders display is a 19-year-old who had a fight with his mother and left his home, located a short walk from the makeshift camp in the woods discovered by residents Saturday.

The "grinch" who stole Christmas lights and extension cords in Flanders turned out to be a homeless man living in the woods near the holiday display — he was using the cords to power an electric heater — and residents' anger and frustration turned into shock and sadness.

Flanders and Riverside residents took another sharp slap in the face this week: Vandals struck the community’s holiday displays. Not once, but twice.

Police have brought additional charges against a man previously charged in the rash of vehicle break-ins in Riverside and Flanders. They also arrested another man who they said was observed "casing cars" in Flanders.