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Bellmore Friday Night Car Shows 2

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From LONG ISLAND – by Ann Parry (ann-parry.com)
August 17, 2017

Last Friday, my friend Bob and I walked out of International Delight Cafe where we had dinner, and plunged into the tide of cars, motorcycles and fellow walkers heading to the Bellmore Friday Night Car Show at the Bellmore LIRR Station parking lot.

    • UPDATE: see 2019 Schedule for Friday Night Car Shows at end of post
Bellmore, New York, USA. 11th August 2017. Hood ornament closeup is shown of 1938 Pontiac 2-door sedan parked at the Bellmore Friday Night Car Show. (Ann Parry/Ann Parry, ann-parry.com)

Bellmore, NY, USA.  August 11, 2017. Shown is hood ornament of 1938 Pontiac 2-door sedan at the Bellmore Friday Night Car Show. (© 2017 Ann Parry/Ann-Parry.com)

Before long, we were in a colorful sea of parked cars and enjoying the breezy evening. Then we met up with friends and started to explore.

As usual, I spent most of my time lingering at just a few cars, so I could pay careful attention to them, and chat with their owners when possible.

  • Click on each photo below for larger view 
Bellmore, New York, USA. August 11, 2017. Red RAM lifted underlit truck drives past onlookers at the Bellmore Friday Night Car Show (Ann Parry/Ann Parry, ann-parry.com)

Bellmore, New York, USA. August 11, 2017. Red RAM lifted underlit truck drives past onlookers at the Bellmore Friday Night Car Show (© 2017 Ann Parry/Ann-Parry.com)

1958 Oldsmobile “Bugmobile”

“Bugsy” is embroidered on FRANK MARTOCCI‘s  green cap, which matches the color of the 1958 Oldsmobile Super 88 4-door sedan he fondly calls his “Bugmobile.”

Bellmore, New York, USA. 11th August 2017. FRANK MARTOCCI, of Bellmore is owner of green Oldsmobile, 1958. (Ann Parry/Ann Parry, ann-parry.com)

Bellmore, NY, USA. August 11, 2017. FRANK MARTOCCI, of Bellmore, owns the green Bugsmobile 1958 Oldsmobile at Bellmore Friday Night Car Show. (© 2017 Ann Parry, Ann-Parry.com)

What first drew my attention to Martocci’s classic Oldsmobile were the colorful plastic cheeseburger, ketchup and mustard bottles on the food tray suspended from the passenger window partly rolled down – but it just as easily could have been the colorful plastic bugs strewn on the car’s exterior and top of the cheeseburger.

Bellmore, New York, USA. 11th August 2017. Chrome hood ornament is seen closeup of green 1958 Oldsmobile, owned by Frank Martocci, of Bellmore, at Bellmore Friday Night Car Show. Marocci calls the classic car his Bugmobile. (Ann Parry/Ann Parry, ann-parry.com)

Bellmore, New York, USA. 11th August 2017. Chrome hood ornament is seen closeup of green 1958 Oldsmobile, owned by Frank Martocci, of Bellmore, at Bellmore Friday Night Car Show. Martocci calls the classic car his Bugmobile. (© 2017 Ann Parry/Ann-Parry.com)

The Bugsmobile is the first and only car Martocci has ever had. He used it for his driver’s license Road Test, and by next month, September 2017, he’ll have had it for 40 years.

Bellmore, New York, USA. 11th August 2017. At Bellmore Friday Night Car Show, Frank Martocci, of Bellmore, is owner of Bugmobile, owner of green Oldsmobile, 1958, with left taillight shown in detail where chrome piece is swung open to reveal opening the gas is put in tank. (Ann Parry/Ann Parry, ann-parry.com)

Bellmore, New York, USA. 11th August 2017. To fill tank with gas, chrome piece swings open on left tail light of 1958 Oldsmobile owned by FRANK MARTOCCI, at Bellmore Friday Night Car Show  (© 2107 Ann Parry/Ann-Parry.com)

1967 Volkswagon Wunderbug Woody

MIKE RADOMSKI, of Valley Stream, is the artistic owner of the 1967 Volkswagen Wunderbug Woody Wagon that drew lots of appreciative attention from visitors.

Bellmore, New York, USA. 11th August 2017.  At right, MIKE RADOMSKI, of Valley Stream, owner of 1967 Wunderbug Volkswagen, and BRYAN RICHHEIMER, of Vermont, chat at Bellmore Friday Night Car Show. (Ann Parry/Ann Parry, ann-parry.com)

Bellmore, New York, USA. 11th August 2017.  At right, MIKE RADOMSKI, of Valley Stream, owner of 1967 Wunderbug Volkswagen, and BRYAN RICHHEIMER, a bird sculptor from Vermont, chat at Bellmore Friday Night Car Show. (© 2017 Ann Parry/Ann-Parry.com)

Woodys, with their golden warm panels, are innately handsome vehicles, and Radomski customized his with flare.

The wooden roof luggage rack carries three surfboards with natural wood finish. He told how a man so loved this look during an earlier car show that he asked if Radomski would bring the wagon to the man’s beach party.

Bellmore, New York, USA. 11th August 2017. At Bellmore Friday Night Car Show, MIKE RADOMSKI, of Valley Stream, is the owner of Wunderbug Woody Volkswagen, with homemade angel hood ornament. Elevated tracks of Bellmore Long Island Rail Road station are seen in background. (Ann Parry/Ann Parry, ann-parry.com)

Bellmore, New York, USA. 11th August 2017. At Bellmore Friday Night Car Show, MIKE RADOMSKI, of Valley Stream, owns Wunderbug Woody Volkswagen. Elevated tracks of Bellmore Long Island Rail Road station are in background. (© 2017 Ann Parry/Ann-Parry.com)

Radomski covered the Wunderbug hood in colorful floral fabric of earthy red yellow and greens. And I was fascinated by the trumpeting angel hood ornament he handmade from three silver forks, a 10-penny nail and a washer!

Bellmore, New York, USA. 11th August 2017.  At right, MIKE RADOMSKI, of Valley Stream, owner of 1967 Wunderbug Volkswagen, and BRYAN RICHHEIMER, of Vermont, chat at Bellmore Friday Night Car Show. RADOMSKI made angel hood ornament made from 3 silver forks, 10 penny nail, and a washer. (Ann Parry/Ann Parry, ann-parry.com)

Bellmore, NY, USA.  Aug. 11, 2017.  MIKE RADOMSKI, of Valley Stream, the owner of 1967 Wunderbug Volkswagen, made angel hood ornament. (© 2017 Ann Parry/Ann-Parry.com)

And, yes, the Woody Wagon got to go to the beach party :)

Going & Coming

Around 8:30 pm, we left to head back to IDC for some homemade gelato, and passed the ever-alert volunteers from the Chamber of Commerce of the Bellmores and the Nassau Auxiliary police guiding the steady stream of cars into the parking lot.

Bellmore, New York, USA. August 11, 2017. Members of the Chamber of Commerce of the Bellmores and Nassau County Auxiliary Police wear yellow neon reflective safety vests as they guide cars into the main lot of the Long Island Rail Road Bellmore Train Station parking lot where the Bellmore Friday Night Car Show is held. (Ann Parry/Ann Parry, ann-parry.com)

Bellmore, New York, USA. August 11, 2017. Members of the Chamber of Commerce of the Bellmores and Nassau County Auxiliary Police wear safety vests as they guide cars into LIRR Bellmore Train Station parking lot for Bellmore Friday Night Car Show. (© 2017 Ann Parry/Ann-Parry.com)

We each had the fun challenge of choosing one of the 80 or so flavors of gelato. For me, chatting with new and old friends while eating a scoop of chocolate chip gelato on a gluten-free waffle was a great way to end that summer night in Bellmore.

Bellmore, New York, USA. 11th August 2017. Motorcyclist locks up her parked Harley Davidson motorcycle parked with other motorcycles across the street from Bellmore Friday Night Car Show, in parking lot of LIRR Bellmore station. (Ann Parry/Ann-Parry.com)

Bellmore, New York, USA. 11th August 2017. Motorcyclist locks up her parked Harley Davidson motorcycle parked with other motorcycles across the street from Bellmore Friday Night Car Show, in parking lot of LIRR Bellmore station. (© 2017 Ann Parry/Ann-Parry.com)

Just the Facts

WHEN:  Weekly meets from MAY 12 to OCT. 6, 2017, from 6 PM – 10 PM (weather permitting)

WHERE:  Bellmore LIRR parking lot on Sunrise Highway (between Bellmore Ave. & Bedford Ave.)

INFO:  bellmorechamber.com   (516)-679-1875 – The Chamber of Commerce of the Bellmores and the Town of Hempstead host Friday Night Bellmore Car Shows

UPDATE:  2019 Schedule

Weekly Friday meets from MAY 3 to OCT. 4, 2019, from 6 PM -10 PM (weather permitting)

2017 Bellmore Friday Night Car Shows:   GALLERY

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Winter Storm of 2016 Hits Long Island

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From LONG ISLAND – by Ann Parry (ann-parry.com)
January 26, 2016

Travel was strictly for the birds last weekend, when Winter Storm Jonas brought so much gusting snow that Governor Cuomo declared a State of Emergency and later banned travel.

Merrick, New York, USA. January 23, 2016. Travel is strictly for the birds, when Blizzard Jonas brings dangerous snow and gusting winds to Long Island, and Governor Cuomo bans travel, shutting down L.I.'s roads and railroads, due to hazardous conditions. A red male cardinal and several wrens eat seeds from a variety of hanging bird feeders in a suburban backyard, as the winter Storm of 2016 already dropped over a foot of snow on the south shore town of Merrick, with much more snow expected throughout Saturday and early Sunday. (Ann Parry/Ann Parry, ann-parry.com)

Merrick, New York, USA. January 23, 2016. As Winter Storm Jonas brings dangerous snow and winds to Long Island, a  red male cardinal and several wrens eat seeds from bird feeders. (© 2016 Ann Parry/Ann-Parry.com)

As the storm was at its strongest mid-Saturday, I captured photos of wrens, robin red crests, cardinals, and pigeons at our bird feeders. Since I was aiming my Nikon through our open dining room window, I first put our two cats safely behind a shut door of another room.

Merrick, New York, USA. 24rd January 2016. Two Town of Hempstead snowplows, a small one plowing out a cul de sac, dead end side street, and a large plow on the bigger road leading to it, are clearing roads while Blizzard Jonas continues to bring dangerous snow and gusting winds to Long Island. Governor Cuomo banned travel, shutting down L.I.'s roads and railroads, due to hazardous conditions, and the winter Storm of 2016 has already dropped about two feet of snow on the south shore town. (Ann Parry/Ann Parry, ann-parry.com)

Merrick, New York, USA. 24rd January 2016. Two Town of Hempstead snowplows are clearing roads early Sunday morning, while Blizzard Jonas continues to bring dangerous snow and gusting winds to Long Island.  (© 2016 Ann Parry/Ann-Parry.com)

Town of Hempstead Highway Department crews were working around the clock that weekend, and their long hard work showed. In fact, I saw a cul de sac near Park Avenue School cleared of snow before breakfast time Sunday.

Merrick, New York, USA. January 24, 2016. After Nor'easter drops more than two feet of snow on south shore of Nassau County, Long Island, many Town of Hempstead Highway Department employees work long hours operating snow ploys to plows to remove about 25 inches of snow blanketing downtown streets and public parking lots. (Ann Parry/Ann Parry, ann-parry.com)

Merrick, New York, USA. January 24, 2016. Town of Hempstead Highway Dept. employees work long hours plowing 25 inches of snow blanketing downtown streets and parking lots. (© 2016 Ann Parry/Ann-Parry.com)

Sunday afternoon, I took my all-wheel drive for a quick visit to downtown Merrick, where Town of Hempstead crews were plowing over two-feet of snow from the parking lots for the Merrick Long Island Rail Road Station and Merrick United States Post Office.

And I was absolutely thrilled I charged extra batteries and picked up extra bottles of water on Friday for nothing, since we didn’t lose electricity.

Winter Storm 2016:  GALLERY

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