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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1992 Vol 6 No 1 February FISHERS ISLAND I N"~~';::"'II n Vol. 6, No.1 A Fishers Island Civic Association Publication February, 1992 Scott Harris Flip Flops on Fishers Island By Dan Gordon Southold Town Supervisor Scott Harris has changed his tune, In a recent interview with the Gazette, Mr, Harris sounded very different on a number of topics than in previous interviews and meetings with Islanders, None of these changes bodes well for the relationship between the Island and Southold town, A little more than a year ago, Mr, Harris told the Gazette in an interview he felt that Southold had an obligation to help pay for the Fishers Island garbage transfer station, The only caveat he made at that time was that the transfer station should be constructed simply and cost effectively, The garbage commissioners pro- ceeded to scrap earlier plans for a transfer station building and instead constructed a simple concrete slab where dumpsters are located, The projected cost for the station was cut significantly to $200,000, The transfer station followcd Scott Harris' rec- ommendation, The only problem is that Scott Harris now says that Southold will not provide any funding for the transfer station, That is not alL In the sarnc interview with the Ga- zette in the fall of 1990, Mr. Harris said the Town of Southold would be prepared to return to Fishers Island some of its tax money which is used for the operation of the Southold landfill in Cutchogue, A year later, Mr. Harris' position has changed, Now, he says that the Island will See llarris 011 Page 10 Oi. J~ Dick. Grebe, righI, celebrates wilhJoey Doucelle at the American Legion/lall 01'1 November 15. Ihe MY he claimed his lottery prize. (Photo credit: Ann Mudge) By Mary Roberts Grebe Hits $10.7 Million Lotto Jackpot Dick Grebe likes playing the 10Ltery and Lwice a week for the last two years he regularly bought tickets for the Connecti- cut Lotto, First he gave money to someone traveling to the mainland to purchase the tickets, Then he made sure the form was returned to him, ,He usually watched the drawings on TV, and he consistently used the sarne numbers, On Friday, May 17, he hit it big winningajackpotof$IO,683,752, With no other winner to split the pot with, he became the largest single winner in the records of the Connecticutlottcry, "Using the same numbers is Lhe way to get the best odds," said Mr, Grebe with a smilc, "The winning numbers - 6, 9,11, 13, 39, 40 - carne from a birthday, lucky numbers, ages and a number I once won with," "I watched the TV that evening to see the drawings, The first two numbers were mine," he said, ''Then lightning carne and my TV blanked out. I had to call thc Lotto number the next morning to learn I had won." "At first you dun't believe it." hc added, "You think, what am I going to do?" Hc Lold his family, a fcw friends, his lawyer, and George Griffiths, who had bought him the ticket. He then made one decision - to delay identifying himsclF. "He called me the night of May 18 and told me he won," said his lawyer, Robcn An- toine, who is liccnsed to pmctice law in See Lottery on Page 8 2 Fishers Island Gazelle - Letters to the Editor - Dear Sir: Now that the garbage problem has been dealt with, I would like to express my concern about the consequences of the very limited schedule during which the new fa- cility is open. Having been there last Sun- day, I do not understand why it has to be manned, but I assume that there arc good and sufficient rea'ons. I am afraid though that the very limited period during which access is now scheduled to be available will lead to garbage and recyclable being left all over the Island. Those of us who are fairly regular visitors over weekends were depos- iting our reeyclables in the appropriate bins at the dock prior to k'tking the Sunday night ferry back. What are we to do with these things now? Why do the bins have to be under lock and key? I am asking the Gar- bage District Commissioners to recon- sider. Sincerely, Maarten Van Hengel The Fishers Island Gazette is a not- for-profit publication sponsored by the Fishers Island Civic Association. The Gazelle is published four times a year in February, May, August, and No- vember. Editors: Dan and Sally Gordon. Associate Editors: Rick Moody and Rob White Reporters: Mary Roberts, Ann An- thony and Annie Burnham Sports Editor: John Peishoff Photographers: Dick Edwards, Al Gordon, Ann Hanes, Ann Mudge, and Bill Furse Controller and Circulation: Bob An- thony Advertising Director: Sarah Rose The Fishers Island Gazette: Box 573, Fishers Island, N. Y. 06390. Subscriptions are $12 a year. Please mail your order with a check made out to the Fishers Island Gazelte. Also contact the Gazetle for advertis- ing rates. To the Editor: I read the "Environmentally Speak- ing" and "Fishing" columns in the past few issues of the Gazette, and my many friends and family members asked me to utter a squawk. Just who docs this Thatcher and his fishing friends like McCall and the Doyen brothers think they are? Thatcher even called me and my family pests when he should be tending to his environmental knilting elsewhere -the Idea! But I know what's wrong with all these slow-swimming and heavy-fOOled creatures! I see them out there casting from the shore line all the time - bul they can't catch as many fish as we can! My family and I may look ugly and scmwny, and have screechy mucous voices - but boy, can we fish! Thatcher and his fishing friends are jealous- thaI'S all. My family and I can catch twice as many fish in half the time. And so whatifwe go to the bathroom a lot- you would too, if you ate whole fish gulped down the way we do it. We even like it raw. And a, for the nostril-wrench- ing smells in our rockeries - they're noth- ing. We gel used to them in no time. Why can't you? Just remember, when you're ap- proaching a cormorant rockery for the first time, put a clothes pin on your nose and stay up-wind, boy! Slay up-wind! Sincerely, Charles W. Cormorant III "White Caps" Sold The "White Caps" property at the East End of Fishers Island was sold in September to Islander William Hanley, Jr. The property which is dramatically situ- ated on the eastern point of the Island had been put up for sale by Jonathon Barres in the summer of 1989. Mr. Hanley did not disclose the purchase price. Mr. Hanley, who has been a resident of Fishers Island for many years, said he will restore the original informal atmos- phere of a French country house. "White Caps" was built in the 1930's by the Simmons family and has been an Island landmark. Letter Part of National Scam The Fishers Island Gazelle published a leller in the fall issue from a man who identified himself as Lee Richards, an in- mate at a Georgia Correctional Facility. Georgia prison authorities have since an- nounced that the leller was part of a nation wide scam in which two inmates tried to con money from sympathetic readers. Georgia prison officials, according to a Connecticut newspaper, wrote be- tween 45 and 50 lellers to small town news- papers across the country. In the leller to the Gazelle, the inmate who identified himself as Lee Richards, said he was born on Fishers Island, but was shortly afterwards removed by Family Children Services. In the leller, he asked if anyone might have known his parents. He finished the letter by writing, "If there is anyone on Fishers Island who knows my mom or dad, or just somcone who wishes to write as a friend and share a smile from time to time, please write." For their literary efforts, inmates Terry Carnes and Ira Lee Richards, Jr., will receive an additional 180 days in prison, according to Georgia prison authorities. Lt. Richard Wood of the Cobb County Corectional Institution in Marietla, GA., told the Lakeville, CT., Journal that the two inmates wrote to small newspapers on the premise that "the smaller the paper, the more the concern." Letters were pub- lished in papers in Texas, Idaho, Washing- ton, Wyoming, Kentucky, Connecticut, Pennsylvania as well as New York. Lt. Wood told the Lakeville Journal that the two inmates were "subtle and prelly intelligent in their approach. If they received a response, they would write back saying they were only allowed to receive money orders or stamps." The Fishers Island Gazette apolo- gizes for being unwillingly involved in the scam. Erratum The Fishers Island Gazelle in its fall issue incorrectly identified Charlie Arnold in a photo caption as being the arranger for songs performed in a concert last summer at the Fishers Island Club. Stowe Phelps was actually the arranger for most of the material. Garbage Commission- ers Now Face Second Hurdle The Fishers Island garbage commis- sioncrs having just cleared their first hurdle with the construction of the new transfer station now face a second imposing obsta- cle, capping the Island landfill. Garbage commission chairman Jim Hancock said soil tests would commence on the closed landfill this winter and would take about nine months to complete. The tcsts arc being performed by the engineer- ing firm of A. R. Lombardi Associates, Inc. The results of the soil tests will be submitted to the New York Department of Environmental Conservation. "After we pass the information to the DEC, they will come back and tell us the method of capping that they want," said Mr. Hancock. The thoroughness of the capping re- quirements will be will depend on the de- gree of contamination demonstrated in the soil tests, said Mr. Hancock. The most common method of cap- ping would call for soil to be deposited over the landfill then covered by a plastic liner and then more soil and top soil. In "a worst case scenario," the DEC could order that the landfill be mined and removed, the garbage commissioner said. However, Mr. Hancock said he did not expect any significant problems to be uncovered since there is no manufacturing on the Island, which is usually the reason for serious contamination. Mr. Hancock said it would be prema- ture to estimate how much the capping procedures could cost. However, if the DEC orders extensive capping procedures, the cost could easily be more than $1 mil- lion, said Mr. Hancock. The Island landfill was closed Janu- ary I as the Island's new transfer sllition commenced opemtion. Garbage is now being consolidated at the transfer sllition and is being shippcd La a garbage-to-power generation plant in Preston, Connecticut. The Island landfill, which is located near the gate to the East End of the Island, has been used as a burial siLe for the Is- land's garbage since the 1950's, according La Mr. Hancock. Fishers Island Gazette 3 A truck pulls up to deposit garbage at the new reey/ing center which opened in early January. (Photo: Dick Edwards) Private Garbage Pickup Commences On January I, Fishers Island entered a brave new world of garbage disposal. On that date, the Fishers Island Garbage Dis- trict terminated its residential pickup of garbage. Homeowners now either have to drop off garbage and recyclables to the transfer sllition located behind the movie theater or pay a private hauler to collect the garbage. Z&S Contraeting went into the gar- bage business immediately in early Janu- ary. z&S is offering pickup for year round residents at a rate of $300 a year, and pickup for seasonal residents at $350 a year. The year round service includes onc pickup per week for nine months and two pickups per week during June, July and August. The seasonal service calls for one pickup per week in April, May, October and November, and two pickups per week during June, July, August and September. Gada Contracting had been pl,mning to provide garbage pickup, but then dropped out. Conversely, Dick Grebe, who had been the garbage contractor when the service was supplied by the garbage district, has decided to resume garbage pickup for homeowners. He had earlier planned to terminate his garbage service ,md turn it over to Gada Contracting. Mr. Grebe could not be reached for comment. However, he mailed the Gazette his service proposal which almost dupli- cates Gada's earlier plan. Mr. Grebe's pro- posal calls for twice a week pickup of garbage as well as recyclable materials from April I until October 15 for a LOUt! charge of $645. Tom Shillo, ownerofZ&S Contract- ing, said about 75 homeowners have signed up for the garbage pickup, and he is hoping to reach at least 100 customers. Z&S has ordered a new recycling truck which is expected to be delivered later this winter. With this truck, Z&S will be pick- ing up recyclables as well as garbage. For those homeowners who wish to deposit their own garbage, the transfer sta- tion is open three days a week from J,muary until May 15. The tmnsfer station is open on Mondays and Wednesdays from 7:30 am until 4 pm, and on Saturdays from 8 am until 12 noon. Garbage Commissioner Chairman Jim Hancock said the opemting hours of the tmnsfer station will be expanded during the summer months to seven days a week, but the schedule has not been established yet. The recycling bins which had been located at the ferry docks have been moved to the transfer station. 4 Fishers Island Gazette Dick Grebe demolished the "Ileartbreak" in January with his own backhoe. The Harbor and "Heartbreak" Bought by Dick Grebe The Harbor, the once and future social hangout, is about to reopen. Dick Grebe has purchased the Harbor and the neighboring hotel from Annette Walsh for an undisclosed sum. Mr. Grebe intends to maintain the name The Harbor for the restaurant and bar. The hotcl which had been an apartment building for many years was r.aed by Mr. Grebe in January to create parking for the Harbor. In recent years, the building had been empty after it had been condemned. It was dubbed the "Hcanbreak HoteL" Mr. Grebe has begun renovations on the Harbor in the hope of opening for the summer of ]992 season. By partitioning off part of the area, he hopes to remain open year round. During the ]940's, UlC Harbor was used as a stable for work horses owned by Henry Walsh, the late husband of Annette. Since the ]950's, the Harbor has been operated at various times as a restaurant and bar until it was closed in the early 80's. Mr. Grebe told the Gazette he plans to offer a limited menu."Nothing fancy. Hamburgers, fries and things like that," he said. The Ilarbor building beJore renovation. (PhOlO: AM Mudge) Bank Moves in on Pequot By Ann Anthony The Pequot Inn has been closed and a bank auction on the property is scheduled for March 13. At the scheduled sale, the Union Trust Company ofConnecti- cut will auction its fIrst mortgage on the property. The bank holds a mortgage of about $400,000, and began foreclosure proceedings in August due to non-payment by Fishers Pequot Associates, the parUlership which owns the inn, according to bank lawyer Tom Plastaras. With back interest and penalties, Union Trust Company is owed in excess of $500,000, but is prepared to accept a deep discount on the mortgage just to terminate its involvement in the building, Mr. Plastaras said. The bank will accept a minimum bid of $250,000, he added. The bank decided simply to put the mortgage up for auction rather than complete foreclosure proceedings and sell the property itself because this process is much quicker, said Mr. Plasteras. "If we moved aggressively, it would still take a year to foreclose," said Mr. Plasteras. "The bank wants to reduce its non performing loans and wanted to move more quickly." The purchaser of the mortgage at the auction has the right to complete the foreclosure or can renegotiate a new agreement with Fishers Pequot Associates, which is composed of a number of off-island business peop]e who bought the Pequot in the early 80's. The Pequot has been a favorite night spot on the Island for many years. When or even whether it will open again remains uncertain due to the bank auction. Steve and Anne Morell, former properiators of the Pequot, hold the second mortgage on the property, a position which could be jeopardized by the mortgage auction. Mrs. Morell said she and her husband arc saddened by the Pequot's present status. "We have put 25 years in to the Pequot," Mrs. Morell said. "Even if it does not turn out well for us financially, we hope something good happens so the the Pequot can still operate." Bank lawyer Mr. Plasteras said a number of persons both on and off the Island have contacted the bank about purchasing the mortgage. The auction of the mortgage is scheduled for I pm on March 13 at the Pequot Inn. The inn was put up for a public auction in November of 1986, and at that time there were no bidders. Republicans Sweep Town Election Republicans captured total control of the Southold Town Board in the November election. Republican council candidates Alice Hussie and Joe Lizewski toppled Democratic incumbents Ruth Oliva and Ellen Latson to make the six-member council all Republican. Dr. Lizewski polled 4,]89 votes, followed by Mrs. Hussie with 3,854, Mrs. Oliva with 3,762 and Mrs. Latson with 3,381. Fishers Island Councilman Ray Edwards was not up for election this year. Incumbent Supervisor Scott Harris defeated Frank Kujawski by a vote of 4,582 to 3,363 to return to office for another two year term. Mildred Dixon Elected to Garbage Commission Mildred Dixon won a seat on the three-member Island Garbage and Refuse Commission when she defeated Art Walsh in a fall election. The vote was 46 to 24 in favor of Mrs. Dixon. The election was one of the few contested mces ever held for the garbage commission. "I think it helps to have a woman on the committee," said Mrs. Dixon, who is a bookkeeper with Gada Contracting. Mrs. Dixon said being on the gar- bage commission will be a new experience. "I am looking forward to being on the board," she said. "It will be a learning experience." Gada Contracting won the contract to manage the new Island transfer station. Mrs. Dixon said she believed she could be impartial on votes concerning Gada Con- tracting and would abstain on especially sensitive votes. In addition to having worked for Gada Contracting for 25 years, Mrs. Dixon is a elerk of the Union Chapel and is a former member of the Fishers Island Board of Education. She has been a resident of the Island for more than 50 years having moved here as a youngster. Mrs. Dixon is lilling the seat vacated by AI Dawson who stepped down from the garbage and refuse commission after many Wall Back as Fire Chief Former chief Bob Wall was elected Fishers Island Fire Chief in an unopposed election in December after current chief Tom Doherty withdrew his name from nomination. S Mr. Doherty, who is president of the Fishers Island Utility Company said he stepped aside because of time commit- ments to his job. "There are a lot of things going on with the phone company, and that was the reason,"saidMr. Doherty. "Weare chang- ing over our telephone switching system, and that is im portant." Mr. Doherty had served as lire chief for four year after succeeding Mr. Wall in 1987. However, Mr. Wall had come out of retirement to challenge Mr. Doheny last year and had lost in a very narrow election. Mildred Dixon years. Mrs. Dixon's term, which began in January, is for three years and pays $70 a month and $70 a meeting. The other com- mission members arc Carey Mallhiessen and Jim Hancock. The garbage commission has just completed construction of a transfer station and now faces the task of elosing the Island landfill. In addition, the garbage commis- sioners arc facing increased pressure from Island contractors to provide facilities for building debris ... ~ Bob Wall The election which took place at the lire house on December 10 is for a one year term beginning in Janaury. Mr. Wall said he decided to run for lire chief because he wanted to improve training of liremen. Fishers Island Gazetl*! 5 Ferry District Orders New Engine The Fishers Island Ferry Commis- sioners spent $40,500 this wintcr to pay for a new engine for the Racc Point. The de- cision was made after an. engine broke down this fall putting the Race Point out of service [or almosLlwo months, said district managcr Phil Knauff. The new engine was purchased from the H.O. Penn Machinery Company of Ar- monk, N.Y.,and iscxpectcd to be delivered in early March. The cngine that broke down in dIe fall was repaired and is now in operation on the Race Point. "But then we decided it would be safer to have a spare engine, like we do with the Munnatawket," said Mr. Knauff. "So then we can rebuild when necessary with no more than a day to a day and a half of loss in service." When lhc new engine arrives, it will be installed, and the existing engine will be removed ,md rebuilt, said Mr. Knauff. The removal and installation job should put the Race Point out of service for two to three days, he added. The purchase of the new engine will not affect the ferry dis,rict budget, Me. Knauff said. "We have money in reserve for con- tingencies like dlis," he said. "I want to bring up the standards in training and effectiveness," said Chief Wall. Mr. Wall had served as lire chief for 14 years before he stepped down in 1987. "Hopefully, one of the lower chiefs will come up and I can step aside," said Chief Wall. "It might take a number of years," In other lire district elections, Wayne Doucelle was elected lirst assistant chief; Dave Denison was elected second assistant chief; John Doueelle was elected captain. Russell Heath and Allan Thibodeau were elected lieutenants. Stay Informed! Subscribe to the Gazetle Mail your order and $12 to the Fish- ers Island Gazette, Box 573, F.r. for a year's subscription. 6 Fishers Island Gaz.ette An Islander's Log By Rick Moody We used to take pictures of the wild turkeys when I was a kid on the is- , land. This was in the sevenues. Not far from where we live now - up by Isabella Beach. Back then we Ii ved on the property affectionately dubbed Fog Hill for its prevailing weather. But we would hcad out to the East End of the island looking for those wild turkeys, which were so wild they often hovered within spilling distance of the main road. They were enor- mous ,mimals, even by the standards of kids like us, kids used to honking at dmt one bunch of ospreys ,md watching them lazily stretch their awesome wings. The mastery of large birds is a lucky thing to be jaded about. It was the sort of trip you made a couple of times a week - to check up on dIe turkeys. My brother would come back from somemoming activity at the Big Club - Hey, we saw the turkeys again - ,md I would nesde with that left-out feeling until I got a chance to look, too. I can remember them dotting the woods by where Bagley Reid lives now, or further up by the driving mnge. Mostly though they were splayed across the yard of the house now called "Roadview." It was as if the turkeys were the domesticated pets on that property. It wasn't hard to lind them. We just drove by. In one photo (I'm recreating these from memory now), my brother was sitting on the hood of our yellow Volkswagen Thing, holding aloft a Gm of Coca Cola, while in the distance a number of turkeys lounged, some fanning out their impressive tails. (In some ways they weren't that far from the Thanksgiving cartoons we associ- ated with them.) Then there were a couple of closer shots of dIe turkeys walking po- litely, but firmly, away, the way you might take leave of an airport religious zealot. And then suddenly they just weren't dlere anymore. I didn't count them, nor do I know of any official census of the turkeys, so I don't know if they sim pi y dwindled, or if their passing were due to some bacterial scourge or hunting accident. (Note to local hunters: if you have to shoot at the birds on the L.F. Doyle Nature Preserve, why not take your empty shells with you?) But one year they no longer turned up in their usual locations. More likely. since I was a teen- ager then, I didn't notice for a few months, since the turkeys were a secondary part of any journey - something you did on the way to Chocamount- while their passing became permanent. We didn't know that the pictures were for posterity. We didn't know they might have been part of a his- torical record. They were just snapshots. Now, the ospreys are indigenous in awesome numbers, thanks in part to an aggressive program to create nesting plat- forms for them. Each summer, it seems, there are new nests - by the driving mnge, on dIe undeveloped land near Walsh Park. The ospreys are as natural a part of Fishers Island now as ferry lines and video rentals. This is the kind of local and relatively inexpensive conservation for which every- one can be grateful. At the same time, we are suffering with an evergreen blight, one that seems to be moving east through the navy installa- tion these days. Drive along the road and look at those pines and the swath of exfo- liation is unavoidable. But perhaps this isn't such a dmstic process, in the scheme of local history. Maybe the island will be returned to its pristine, treeless condition, the way it looks in the photographs before the hurricane of '38, after which, [ have been told, trees began to nourish here. And, then on the other hand, we have the resurgence of the cormomnt. Drying their wings like aquatic vampire bats, I have watched them on the rocks in West Harbor or in dleir element: submerging themselves for minutes ata time on another fishing expedition. They are the coastal equivalent of the coyote or urban pigeon- a resourceful and adaptive animal that is also unpleas,mt to look at. With the cormo- mnt comes the question my father has been asking lately: what has become of the bluelish? While it's certainly true that the Moodys have always been unsuccessful fishermen and fisherwomen, this summer proved even less promising than usual. Can we fairly attribute this absence to the cormorant'! The island's natural hierarchies ebb and now as in any other locale, and this fall has been a good example of this activity. Marked by hurricanes and tropical storms, 1991 was an autumo in which all local planning, all control of nature, proved small and provisional when contrasted with the awesome manipulations of wind and tide. And yet Fishers Island seems to gather together both a Yankee individual- ism and a community pride one could hope for in the face of calamity. It wasn't long after the Hurricane Bob's winds began to subside that people appeared along dIe is- land roads and harbors not only to survive the damage but to reverse it. I have been told that the utilities were even turned off ahead of time to prevent trouble with live wires. And the Ferry District called reser- vation-holders on the morning of the slorm to advise them to take an earlier boat out if they wanted to make it off the island before the storm. So what about the local strain of Homo Sapiens Sapiens? The turkey of Fishers Island disappears and the osprey takes its place. The connorant challenges the seal gull. But dIe resident of Fishers Island proves there is more here nourishing than vanishing - there is a rcallocal dig- nity, whatever the season. I have spent more time on Fishers Island in the fallaI' 1991 than at any time in my life, through the obliteration of beaches and the compe- tition of species. But I also went to get advice from friends at the school one after- noon when I got locked out of the house. I was greeted like a long lost relative. I visited the Ferguson Museum and got a personal tour just for being the lirst party there. My father and I went to the library and spent a good forty-live minutes, giving Ann the librarian our opinions on a wide variety of subjects. And this is just a cur- sory sampling of the glorious human mo- ments of fall 1991. The heavens open and neighborli- ness prevails. Some days we forget. But in general our record is just line. The sm,dl town pace of Fishers Island persists. TIlis is a delicate place - our hands are out- stretched. Editor's Note: This is the inroduc- lion of An Islander's Log, which will be a regular Gazette column on everyday life on Fishers Island. Rick Moody will be a principal contributor to this column. Fishers Island (;aUtle 7 Hay Harbor Dredging Project Appears Headed For Approval By D-an Gordon The Hay Harbor Club is expected to receive approvals from two regulatory bodies this winter which will allow the club to commence dredging the channel into Hay Harbor. The dredging project is de- signed to increase water circulation into the harbor and reduce pollution which has reached signific,mt levels in recent years. Hay Harbor applied this fall to the state Deparunent of Environmental Con- servation and the U.S. Army Corps of En- gineers for approval to proceed with the project. Officials from both agencies said as of late January no objections had been received concerning the application. "I don't see any problems," said James Haggerty, chief of the Eastern per- mit section of the Corps of Engineers. "If the DEC comes through, this project could be done in the spring." David Patterson, who ch,tired an en- vironmental subcommittee of the Hay Har- bor Club, said he is pushing to have the dredging work completed before this sum- mer season. The pollution problem in Hay Harbor has been troubling to club officials because of the large sailing program con- ducted there and because of its proximity to the salt water swimming pool just out- side Ole harbor. The Fishers Island Conservancy first uncovered the pollution problem in Hay Harbor several years ago when it con- ducted water quality tcsL~ there. The pol- lution problem was confirmed by the sanitary engineering firm of A.R. Lom- bardi and Associates which was hired by the Hay Harbor Club and which began running tests late in 1990, according to Mr. Patterson. "We have a problem in the sailing dock area," said Mr. Patterson. The pollu- tion comes from three main sources, hu- man and animal fecal matter and oil resulting from surface water runoff from surrounding roads, he added. Engineers believe that the pollution has been compounded by the fact that the channel into Hay Harbor has been sub- jected to significant silting. The water depth at the two ends of the channel has been reduced to two feet at low tide. Engi- neers believe that this has diminished the water now in and out of the harbor and . FISHERS ISLAND REAL ESTATE AGENCY FISHERS ISLAND, NEW YORK 06390 (516) 788-7007 made the water more stagnant, Mr. Patter- son said. "We have to do everything we cml on the pollution front," said Mr. Patterson. "The attitude is that this (the dredging) might help and it can't hurt." The drcdging will be performed by Docko Construction of Connecticut at an approximate cost of $25,000, Mr. PaLtcr- son said. Sand dredged up from the chan- nel will be deposited on nearby Stony Beach. The engineering tests over Lhe past year have indicated that contributing to the pollution in Hay Harbor have been three leaking sepLie fields on neighboring private properties. These property owners arc cur- rently replacing their septic systems which should help alleviate the problem, Mr. i"at- lCrson said. Water quality tests will be performed this summerto determine whether the steps taken by Hay Harbor and neighboring property owners have been successful. Get Involved! Join the F.I. Civic Assoc.! Charters to the hub or the country club WIllJAM R. HAASE ucensed N.Y.S. Real Estate Broker MARY AUCE HAASE ucensed N.Y.S Real Estate Salesperson . REAL ESTATE SALES REAL ESTATE RENTALS WINTER INSPECTIONS Well have you hot>nobbLngWllh fTlO'nd3Ofbu~olMOC"'es how1 Ahad oIl(hn:luk WIth ~ Illa.ndloldesIWmUllt'e'-'bk IWClwter s,orvx:e c..utodaY/OfOU~ntl""'nd. l4hourd.lyOf l,.."or 'lhLne we-flyanyw e ~rvx:(" CaQta!1W <tiers FAA approved /bg)lllJ1W\il\8WIW'Cr-.ft~ ~"'m.frltr,II).''I6plJi>IIc .COASTAL AIR SERVICES "Since 1955" GrotcnNrw Lordon Aupor< Gru:ooCT~IOOI ,"""'...... o.J;~IOOI 8 Fishers Island Gazelle Lottery Continuedfrolll Page I New York and Connecticut, but lives in New Orleans, La. "I have often bought Lalla tickets for him, sort of like picking up a pack of cigarettes so it wasn't a tolal surprise." ''The next day I contacted lottery of- ficials in New Orleans," he continued. "I told them to communicate that there was only one winner for the Connecticut Lotto, but that the winner would not be coming forward," said Mr. Antoine. "People can weleh on bills, make lawsuits, and create all sorts of problems. He wanted to wait for the summer season to be over." "I'm involved in seveml dilferent business negotiations," Mr. Grebe "tid. "If I had cI,timed the ticket (in May), it would not have becn to my advantage to do so." Mr. Grebe during the summer months didn't give the slightest hint that he was a new multimillionaire and managed to keep the matter a total sccret from the public until he carne forward to claim the prize in November. In Connecticut, the Lalla board knew that they had a winner. "Because of a code, we knew the winning ticket was purchased in Montville, but that was all," said Cindy Chalfant, LOllery Public Rela- tions. "The winner has one year to claim dIe money. Before this, I believe that two or three months is the longest time before someone claimed the prize." Dick Grebe shows nothing up his sleeve. (Photo: Dick Edwards) "His attorney called a few times to stay in touch," said Ms. Chalfant. "Finally, on Thursday, November 14, he called to say he would be coming in dw following day with the winner," The appearance of Mr. Grebe ended months of rumors in Connecticut about the identity of the winner. Rumors had circu- lated that a prison inmate and then a police chief had won the 10llery. When Mr. Grebe arrived at Lalla headquarters in Newington on November IS, he was greeted by TV camems as well as screaming office girls disappointed that Mr. Grebe was married. "You really aren't sure the whole thing will work out," said Mr. Antoine, "until you get the first check and shake hands with the President of the Bank," The first check was for $429,497 with 19 similar annual payments to follow. Asked where he kept the ticket all those months, Mr. Grebe explained, "I kept the ticket in my back pocket. I had signed it, so no one could claim it. It was perfecdy safe!" Mr. Grebe does not expect the money will change him "As for the fu- ture," Mr. Grebe explained. "I will con- tinue with my auto repair business at the airport, and my excavation work," "I hope to bring the Harbor Restau- mnt back to its original condition," he said. His first big purchasc was a Caterpiller excavator, which he has already used to pull down the adjacent aparunent building. One islander noted that the whole island became a winner when Mr. Grebe pulled the winning lollery ticket. "Dick Grebe is one person who spends all his money on the Island," the islander said. "He doesn't even go off the Island to have lunch," Old Seastretcher Sold The old Seastretcher ambulance boat has been sold to a Aorida man for $24,000, according to F.1. Fire Chief Bob Wall. The money will be put into dIe current Seas- tretcher fund, he said. The 36-foot Hattems boat had been put up for sale this fall for $37 ,500.''I'm not entirely pleased with the selling price, but it was a tough market out there," said Chief Wall. The former Seastretcher, which had been in scrvice for Fishers Island for 15 years, was replaced by a new $285,000 Seastretcher this fall. State to F.I. School: Review Must Wait The state Education Department has decided against perfonning an reviewal' the Fishers Island School system until at least next fall when a new type of evalu- ation program is expected to be estab- lished. State officials said the only review program now provided by the Education Deparunent would be inappropriate for Fishers Island because it only evaluates school systems that arc performing at un- acceptably low levels. The new evaluation system to be pro- vided under the state education depart- ment's "New Compact for Lcarning"will be aimed at helping satisfactory school districts perform beller. The Fishers Island School District has been discussing for almost a year whether to perform a study to determine how effective the high school education program is and whether there arc beller alternative forms of education. The dis- cussion has produced strong emotions among many Island residents, both in favor of and opposed to such a study. A number of parents arc concerned that the high school cannot provide an ade- quate education currently because of its small enrollment, while other active school district members believe the education is satisfactory. At first, the school board planned to commission a study to explore a wide range of options from transporting Island secondary students to school on the main- land to creating a private school on the Island. However, the board became dead- locked on the matter this fall and instead voted to have the state education depart- ment only review the existing program at the Island school. However, dIe state's only evaluation program was for school districts needing remedial work because of poor peformance. The state education department this fall told the Fishers Island School that it would not perform the study here because it was not appropriate. But state officials said the study might be performed when the guidelines for the New Compact For Learning are finalized which is expected later this year Islander Writes of His War Experiences By Bernie Walsh " Chatting with Gerry Carroll, you im- mediately get the feeling he just loves this latest challenge and is having a lot of fun with it. Lieutenant Commander Gerald Joseph Carroll, USN Retired, had an out- standing career as a Navy pilot who saw action in Vietnam, Lebanon, and Grenada, and was awarded many decorations, in- cluding the Distinguished Flying Cross. He has now written a successful book about his experiences in Vietnam titled "North S.A.R." The novel has an impressive forward by his friend of many years, Ton Clancy, author of such best sellers as "Hunt for Red October," and "Red Storm Rising." The helicopter pilot in the latter novel is based on Tom's old friend Gerry. Mr. Carroll has also received a substantial advance from his publisher Pocket Bnok for his second book, which he reports is almost finished. As you listen to Mr. Carroll ruminate about the years he spent in Vietnam, you know that these times arc never far from his mind or from his heart. In 1972, when it was obvious the United States would lose the war, Gerry thought he might some day write about this experience and the lives of the Navy aviators who had to do a job and somehow believe in it, even when few oth- ers did. Lt. Commander Carroll knew then what kind of book he would llill write: "I was tired of everybody apologizing for be- ing in the military. The war was lost politi- cally, not militarily," continues Mr. Carroll. "The press did not tell the true story to the American people. I did not see any atrocities, nor did I know anyone who did." Gerry flew 450 rescue missions in Vietnam, 400 of which were civilian re- lated. "No other mission had quite the satisfaction as flying rescue," said Mr. Car- roll. "It meant so much to know that when you picked up a guy that he was going to be able to go back home to his wife and kids, and you weren't going to have to put on a blue mincoat and listen to another Eternal Father funeral service." Lt. Commander Carroll was shot down three times, "but all I got were a I - Gerry Carroll at advanced helicopler training sclwo/ in Florida in 1971. couple of bruises," he said. "None of the medals I got was for offensive action, they were forrescue. I am proud as hell of that." After graduating from Boston Col- lege in 1969, Gerry surprised and dis- tressed his parents, Dr. and Mrs. Gerald J. Carroll, by signing up for a career in the navy. "He had wanted to fly from age 8," says his mother. In 1985, his friend Tom Clancy urged Gerry to write about his experiences. Over the years, Gerry had put some thoughts, events and places down on paper, but then set them aside. He was finishing his naval career as an assistant air opera- tions officer at the Patuxent River Naval Air Station, and was considering job offers from several military contractors. At Mr. Clancy's urging, Gerry wrote three chapters, and gave them to Mr. Clancy. The publisher's reaction was posi- tive. "This man is a writer, now we have to convince him to write a book," he told Mr. Clancy. Gerry Carroll had a wealth of mate- rial for a book. He had learned to fly 37 different types of aircraft, was qualified in tanks, and had engaged in 200 or so combat missions. Like most writers, Gerry had reser- vations about whether he could write well enough to amuse and interest tile general public. There were also family considera- Fishers Island Gazette 9 tions. His wife Debbie, who had been so supportive all through his military years, was now planning, as was Gerry, to spend as much time as possible with their three children Sean, age 16, Kevin, age 13, and Brian, age 6. "I missed enough of tllCir growing-up years," said Gerry, "and now is their lime." After many family discussions, tile decision was made to go for it. "Debbie is a very good sounding board, she has a very good ear, and is objective," said Gerry. The consensus was that it was better to try now than maybe in tcn years regret not having done it. When asked if he had come away from all of these experiences with a strong life philosophy, he said, "Absolutely! The New York Times, the Washington Post, the big movers and shakers, is not all tI,at America is about. It is the home coming queen in my home town, the Founh of July parade on Fishers Island, which I had the honor of leading three years ago. I had my parade, I walked with my children past the house I had lived in for so many summers with my mother and father, 1 saw the famil- iar faces of friends. This, too, is what America is all about." At last sighting, "Nonh S.A.R." was number 17 on the Walden Books 'Uld B. Dalton Books sales for all hard covers. Carroll in 1985 after receiving Distinguished Fly- ing Cross for service in Granada. 10 Fishers Island (;azeUe Harris Continued from Page I receive no reimbursement for its tax mo- nies which are directed to the Southold landfill. The landfill costs about $600,000 in tax money annually to operate, but Fishers Island gets no use out of it. Instead the Fishers Islanders have until this year used the Island landfill which Islanders alone pay for. Councilman Ray Edwards has complained about this situation for years, calling it a form of double taxation. What is the reason behind these changes in Mr. Harris' position on issues affecting Fishers Island? Mr. Harris provided the following explanations: coneerning the transfer sta- tion, he said that town funds could not be used for this construction project because dIe Fishers Island Garbage District was remaining intact instead of being dissolved as had been earlier contemplated. However, when Mr. Harris' commit- ment was made a year ago, the garbage commissioners had already told Mr. Harris and town officials they would not dissolve the district because they had received opin- ions from the town legal staff that this would not jeopardize town funding. Concerning reimbursement of tax monies spent on the Cutchogue landfill, Mr. Harris said no money is due Fishers Island because the town operates the metal dump on the Island and therefore Fishers receives a benefit from Southold garbage operations. The metal dump is open three days a week for an hour and a half each day. There is more. Fishers Islanders have often ques- tioned whether they have received services commensurate with the town tax monies they have supplied to Southold. The ques- tion came up again at the "Town Fathers" meeting in early August when the town board holds a regular session on Fishers Island. At that time, Islander Bill Ridgway said he understood that Fishers Island pays in more than $300,000 in taxes than it receives in serviees, and asked if he could get a cost breakdown of services provided by Southold to the Island. "I can work on that with my account- ant John Cushman," Mr. Harris replied. "Sure. Absolutely." Scoullarris In the interview with the Gazette, that attitude had changed. The town sim- ply does not provide cost breakdowns like that, said Mr. Harris. Fishers Islanders have used the fig- ure of eight percent to describe the percent- age of town taxes supplied by the Island. When this figure was mentioned in the Gazctte interview this fall, Mr. Harris' only response was, "I don't know where people are getting this figure from." An inspection of the minutes from the Town Fathers meeting in August 6 demonstrates that the figure has come from Scott Harris himself. During the meeting, Southold Coun- cilman Tom Wickham in answering a question from an Islander said "As I under- stand it, what Fishers Island contributes, something on the order of 8 percent, is it?" "Eight and a quaner," Mr. Harris replied. Mr. Wickham went on to say, "The people of Fishers Island are indeed contrib- uting some eight percent of d,at $600,000, or so, towards that (the operation of the landfill). There is relatively litde coming back 10 Fishers island in terms of direct benefits in handling garbage. There are things that could be done in the future and we look forward 10 sitting down with peo- ple here, and working out some reasonable solution. .. At the town father's meeting, Coun- cilman Wickham said Fishers Island docs not get sufficient attention from Southold. "Let'S face it, we all go back to our jobs and Long Island, and Fishers Island does not ligure high on our priorities for another eleven months, until we have this opportunity (town fathers meeting) again." Mr. Harris interjected quickly, ''That's not true. That's your opinion, Tom, not ours." This solicitude for Fishers Island was certainly hard to lind when the Gazctte tried to set up its interview with Mr. Harris during the fall. First, two phone calls to arrange a face-to-face meeting were not answered. A third phone call still produced no Scott Harris, but a helpful secretary arranged the meeting with Mr. Harris for the day after Thanksgiving, at his office in Southold. Three hours before the meeting, the seeretary called this reporter at his Phila- delphia office to cancel the meeting. One small factor was overlooked. It takes four hours to travel from Philadelphia to Southold, and by then I had already left to make the appointment on time. I arrived at Southold Town Hall to lind that Scott Harris had no delinite plans 10 come to his office that day. After one more unreturned phone call to his home, I finally got through to Mr. Harris, only to lind out that he was about to leave for a dinner party. It was agreed that a phone interview would be conducted in the next few weeks. Back in Philadelphia, one more phone message went unreturned before the seeretary set an appointment for a phone interview later in the week. When the call was made at the ar- ranged time, no Scott Harris. He was at a funeral, and had made no effon to inform me of the change. Later in the morning, I called again and with peevishness rising in my voice, I was finally connected through to Scott Harris for the interview. The interview was to be conducted and then published in a question and an- swer format. The question and answer for- mat had been used in the fall issue of the Gazette when Hay Harbor president Hiram Moody had been interviewed. Mr. Moody's responses were direct and infor- mative, and the interview was such a See Harris on Page 11 Fishers Island Gazelle J J Harris Continued from Page 10 succcess that the Gazette decided to pub- lish this type of story on a regular basis. The interview with Scott Harris, once it was finally sUlrted, proceeded with one problem. I had pulled the jack con- necting the telephone taping device out of the tape recorder. The interview was then conducted for the next 45 minutes with the tape busily running...but without one sound being recorded until the last five minutes when I noticed the loose connec- tion and corrected it. This technical glitch prevented publication of the interview ver- batim. But because Mr. Harris' responses were long and rambling and designed to obscure information, the orignal question- and answer format would have becn a waste of space. Sometimes questions had to be asked twice 10 get anything approach- ing a direct answer. For instance, the question of whether Southold would help pay for the Island lIansfer station produced a response from Mr. Harris that Southold had tried to make Fishers Island exempt from the landfill clo- sure order by thc state DeparlInent of En- vrionmental Conservation so that the Island landfill could stay open. Mr. Harris then commended the Is- land for now taking care of its own garbage without having to ship it off Island. Mr. Harris was reminded that the lIansfer sta- tion was built to do exactly that, to consoli- date garbage so it could be shipped off island. It was obvious Mr. Harris had con- fused the lIansfer station with an incinera- tor which had been planned earlier but rcjected. Only after the question of whether Southold would help pay for the lIansfer station was askcd again did the answer finally cmnc out, no. As town supervisor, Mr. Harris is the top elected official in Southold, roughly equivalent to a city mayor. As supervisor, Mr. Harris is paid $54,700 a year. In a January interview with the Suf- folk Times, Mr. Harris said many town employees receive significantly less in public service than in the private sector. Speaking of himself, he asked "How many people responsible for $14 million budgets earn $54,000?" Apparently, Mr. Harris thinks the town, and Fishers Island, is get- ting a bargain. Dr. Ralph /loch celebrated his 90th birthday on November 19 Members of his family joined him on Fishers lslandfor the celebration (photo above). 'fhe American Legion. Post honored Dr. Hoeh. Post Commander Ed Scroxlon presented him with a gift. (Photos: Dick Edwards) Robert & Louisa Evans Benefits Plus "Insurance Services" Licensed Real Estate Sales - Rentals Life -/Icoflf, - Di.wlJilily. Pcnsion John J. Peishoff (516) 788-7101 10 Nonh Main St., Suite 313, West Hal1ford Conn. 06107 202.236.0447 -~ 12 Fishers Island Gazelle Cross Country Team Finishes Strong The Fishers Island cross country team linished the 199 I season with a solid 6-2 record and some impressive individual perfonnances in two championship meets. After compiling a 4- I record in the lirst half of the season, Fishers Island de- feated SI. Dunston's 19-43 with Shawn Malone capturing tirst place. After losing to SI. Andrew's School, Fishers Island defeated SI. Thomas More at home with the Vikings sweeping the top three positions. Shawn Malone linished lirst and was fol- lowed by Brian Caruso in second and Mike Wall in third. Providing depth on the learn were Lisa Faulkner, Adam Heath, Sarah Vin- cent, Mike Doucette and Kevin Caldwell. Newcomers Jackie Leroy, Lesely Craw- ford, Shannon Thibodeau and Kelly Do- heny rounded out the team. At the Providence Country Day School Chowder run, which is an invitation mect for several private schools in late October, Lisa Faulkner finished fust in the girl's division. Shawn Malone and Brian Caruso finished 12th and 13th respectively in the boy's division. Cross COWllry runners pose for team photo on the day of the Providence Chowder run. At UTe Southeastern New England Independent Schools Athletic Association meet held at the Porn fret School on No- vember 6, the Fishers Island boy's learn linished ninth out of II schools. The girl's team linished fifth out of live teams. Lisa Faulkner led the girls with a 10th place finish in 21:40 followed by Sarah Vincent in 14th with a time of 22:58. Shawn BOUTON SERVICES, INC. Malone led the boys with a 20th place linish with a time of 17:47 overthe3.1 mile course. Brian Caruso linished 29th with a time of 18:09. With all the runners returning, Coach Dan Gillan said he is expecting an even beller record next season. LEDYARD. HORWICH. EASTIYME . COLUMBIA Gudtn Crntfr &: Florist OLDRIDGE GENERAL CONTRACTING NEW CONSTRUCTION RENOVATIONS & ALTERATIONS RESIDENTIAL & COMMERCIAL COMPLETE CONSTRUCTION SERVICE 206 BOSTON POST AD EAST LYME, CONN, 06333 TEL: 739.8397 .Excavation -Concrete Masonry .Carpentry 'Plumbing & Heating 'Electric 'Painting & Wallpaper .Kitchen cabinets 'Landscaping services 'Septic services Off season inspection WEEKLY DELIVERIES TO NEW lONDON FERRY Home Improvement #18.957-HI Plumbing #2929-P Gary & Paul Riggio Owners Paul Butler General Manager Call 7268 OR 7288 Here to serve you 24 hrs. a day! Ale \17 POBOX 29. LEDYARD CENTEP LEDYARD. CONN 06339 Telephone AreaCode 203-464-8400 Your every gardening need Evergreens. Fer111Ilers, Tools. Insecticides. Mulches. Fruit, and Shade Trees ~~~) ~, Fishers Island Gazette J 3 Malone Takes on the Big Guys By Annie Burnham On the cross country course, Shawn Malone of Fishers Island has become a giant slayer. At five-foot, four-inches, and weigh- ing 115 pounds, Shawn was usually the smallest runner toeing the starting line at each meet during the fall cross country season. The eighth !,'rader was also one of the youngest. Most of his competitors were either high school sophomores, jun- iors or seniors. However, by the finish line, the 13- year-old Malone was usually at the front or near the front of the pack, and he led the Vikings to a successful 6-2 record. Shawn finished first in Fisher's Island's home opening meet against Bacon Academy and he later placed first in a meet against St. Thomas Moore. Shawn ran second in two tri-meets with the Williams School and St. Dunston's. One of Shawn's more impressive performances was at the season finale, the Southeastern New England Independent Schools Athletic Association meet in Pom- fret, Connecticut. Competing against 114 runners from 12 private schools in South- eastern Connecticut and Rhode Island, Shawn finished 20th in an excellent time of 17:47 over the 3.1 mile course. "Shawn's performance this year hasn't surprised me," said cross country coach Dan Gillan. "He's very talented. He's also got the build of a runner, long legs and strong muscles." Shawn doesn't get fazed by the size and age of his competitors. "In the rlIst couple of races, it's a little intimidating because you think that if they arc older, they arc probably beller," said Shawn. "But after a while, you no longer get intimidated." Shawn first started running two years ago. "I had never run before coming to Fishers Island," Shawn said. "There were no sports al my previous school (in Nor- wich) besides gym. I run because I enjoy it and it is something to do." Coach Gillan thinks there is a bright future ahead in cross country for Shawn. Shawn Malone leads a trio of runners over hurdle during the Providence COUnlry Day Chowder run in mid October. "Could Shawn go on and run in col- lege? Definitely," said Mr. Gillan. "I see with continued effort, the sky is the limit." Mr. Gillan said he is taking great care not to exert too much pressure on Shawn at an early age. He doesn't want Shawn to become stale from overworking. "I want to see Shawn keep active in a few sports, instead of just concentrating on running," Mr. Gillan said. Shawn said that during the cross country season, his weekday workouts consisted of two-and-a-half mile runs. He is taking the winter off to play basketball, but plans to resume running in the summer. Right now, Shawn, who is the son of Pam and Sparky Malone, is the most likely candidate for the most valuable runner award given at the Alumni basketball game in lhe spring. His aspirations for next year? "I hope to do beller next year," Shawn said. "I'd like to beat myoid mee times and finish higher." Keep the Pace! Subscribe to the Fishers IsI,md Ga- zelle. Mail your address ,rod $12 to the Fishers Island Gazelle, Box 573, Fishers Island, N.Y. 06390 Shawn Malone stretching before a workoul on Fishers Island. 14 Fishers Island Gazelle Boys Basketball Struggles Early The Fishers Island boys basketball team struggled to a 1-2 record in the early stretch of the basketball season. The team is rebuilding with only two players return- ing from last year's 16-4 tearn. The team has been led by senior captain Jay Cushing and sophomore guard Mike Wall. Other starters arc juniors Fred Whit- lock, Brian Caruso and 8th-grader Shawn Malone with bench support being provided by Eric White, Adam Heath, and Don Gray. After opening the season with an im- pressive win against Windham Tech 50- 38, the Vikings lost close contests to Sl. Andrew's 37-32 and Sl. Thomas More 50- 45. This year, the post scason tourna- ment will be held at the Fishers Island School on Saturday, February 29. The lirst round games arc scheduled to be played at 12:30 and 2:30. The consolation game is scheduled for 5 pm to be followed by the champion- ship game. All arc encouraged to come support the home town Vikings. Girls Basketball Showing Promise The Fishers Island Lady Vikings opened the 1991-92 basketball season with a 2-2 record. The Vikings defeated Wind- ham Tech 24-14 in the sca,on opener, but were then upended by Salem 38-21. Co-captain Lisa Faulkner led the Vi- kings to a 44-31 victory over Sl. Andrew's by scoring 26 points and pulling down six rebounds. She also contributed six assists and five steals. Jessica Worst carne off the bench to grab five rebounds in a 27-24 loss to the Salem School on January 10. Other standouts on the team have been co-captain Sandi Doherty and Shan- non Thibodeau ,md Kelly Doherty. Fast improving Sarah Vincent rounds out the starting lineup. Second year players Eva Papatha- nagiou and Jessica Worst have provided bench support while first year players Jes- sica Scroxton, Sue Stoehr and Tara Cook have given added depth to the team. Coach Dan Gillan said he has been pleased with the effort displayed by the players and is confident dmt more wins will come in the remainder of the scason. St. Luke's-Roosevelt is building a stronger hospital for a healthier New York. - . )/' 51. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital Center Is pleased to provide a physician year-round on Fishers Island. , :~;."" r. ST. UJK"''"S\ROOSEYELT '; fl' . I \.: - n I r 0 _{~~. . - . g: n"f"I<J1 (.~rzlf' . ~. ~ ::]c ~ ~I Panther Cats Build To The Future The Fishers Island Panther Cats compiled an early 1-1 record in the 1992 season defeating Fields Memorial School but then losing at home to the Salem School. The Panthercats arc made up of younger students at the school. The Panther Cats arc sporting new uniforms which were donated by Dick Grebe. The Panther Cats arc made up of dle following players: Marissa Lanier, Nicho- las Malinowski, Kathleen Doherty, Kath- erine Malinowski, Justin Thibodeau, Sarah Thomas, Jessica Vincent, Jessie Vowles, Wesley Walters, Nicholas Worst, Kevin Caldwell, Lesley Crawford, Michael Doucette, Eric Grebe, and Jadyn Leroy. "These players just keep improving at every practice," said coach Carol Giles. "Another good thing about our tearn this year is that all our players have the ability La score which opens our offense up tre- mendously." The Panther Cats have four more games remaining on their schedule includ- ing home games against Fields Memorial and Westbrook. ."_!'!~ ,. ,. " ':~J \. I ..,..,:~ ) . ~\- ~'!1" 'iff.. t ' u }~ f.", . Fisllers lsla,U/ (;azelte J 5 j. I WATERFRONT BUILDING LOT 2.95 Acres of prime, waterfront property. Approximately 300 feet of frontage on the Fisners Island Suund. Approved house site overlooking private pond with northerly vie\vs of the Connecticut coastline. One of the only remaining vvaterfront lots on the Eastern end of the island. Listed at S545,lXlO I 1 I I I ':;-'<P " , .~ '~. ~, '....:.i}:""f~_': , -4 iiIllI.,;i;~ ~_....,~.... _,-',,":Jr.. It .~ ' :::'" "-':.'-"v."\q~ ~ ..- ",,'," .'.t,.~" ,_.' ~"~t.t~~ - -*-.,:':~ ..~,~, ~ ,~ ,..;(\, m.. ,.'. "~ "'~' . i~j.'" . '," ,,"', ." , """'1~"',~~~1t~B'" ~... ~..~t\_.;,.' -.:: " .4'~ ..~~"~.. ~... . ~"; ...,t:"'~.. '~"'~" ....~~..,<o.: :Of .~. ",""~"Y':'-'" .- . "",' . ... .____~~~,i'F...t . _ SPECTACULAR EVENING SUNSETS Nearly four Jcres with frontage on the Fishers Island Sound. North HilI area. 1111' house could be sited to take advantage of the southern exposure, Wl'stl'r1y views of the race, and the Sound. DEC and Health Department approvals. $385,0(X1 .... ~-J~.:, ,~ - ' -" ~::. ~ ~ -::. ~~....;;;:.- 'to. ~ ....-- ~~- ~ -r ~. -, . --- ...'"" .... ~ " ",~ ~'*l.b"*~'~~:~ ~ ..,~~ ", w -,- .'~K ~-::'t: ~~ ,'"" ';':;~ ~. - *:7:'~Y-w-~ '" ", ",,,.-, ~ ~~.. ~ " . " . . .~~...._, =~,~ PERFECT FOR THE GOLFING ENTHUSIAST Three private lots located near the center of the Fishers Island Club Golf courSt:'. Convenient to East End beaches. Idt'al1.43 acre parcel 5150,000. Adjacl'nt to the sixth hole, 1.85 .Kre parcel $230,lXX) With private pond, 2.9 acres $270,000. -:;JL_ , i Ginnel Real Estate 493 Bedford Center Rd. Bedford Hills, New York 10507 (914) 234-9234 -,...- I I I 16 Fishers Island Gazette by Rob White Islanders Practice Fine Art of Golf Ball Retrieval He stalks by night, padding softly in starless, early-morning hours through the wilds of the East End. The beam of his flashlight sweeps before him like the ray of a lighthouse - and freezes on a small white orb, gleaming in the darkness. A mint-condition Wilson Staff TC2! Lewis Lamb has bagged another big one. Chasing lost golf balls is the closest thing to Fishers Island's national sport. The courses are tough, the brand-names are the best, and it's open season all year round. Schoolboys and senior citizens, lobstermen and chief executive officers- all tramp the links in search of abandoned Top Flites, Maxl1is and TitleislS. While thrift may not be the first word about Fishers that comes immediately to mind, as far as golf balls are concerned, nearly everybody's a piker. And with the price of a new sleeve of three balls hover- ing around eight bucks, it's not surprising tlmt the market for used balls continues to grow. The traditional first stop in the "pre- owned" ball market is a Big Club ground- skeeper, who will sell you a ball off the back of his mower for 50 cenlS. (The price is always the same, regardless of the ball's condition, so shopping this way is a eatch- as-catch-can proposition.) Nowadays, everybody has gotten into the act. In a rough estimate based on the claims of well- known Island ball shaggers, thousands upon thousands of nearly-new to almost- kept specimens trade hands each year. Like surf-casters, ball seroungers are a reclusive, secretive, and suspicious lot, loath to reveal their methods and particu- larly adverse to revealing their prime stomping grounds. In one telephone inter- view, a well-known ball tracker insisted he'd given up the sport years ago. An unnamed source in the foom with him at the time asked whether he had given away any trdde sccrelS. "No way," he replied. "I buffaloed 'em!" Other shaggers are more forthcom- ing, with methods if not locals. Lewis Lamb was happy to give away his noctur- nal strategy; he knows he'll never run into heavy competition at midnight. Art Walsh argues for November reconnaissance, after the bushes beside the fairway have lost their leaves. Sometime shagger Bob Par- sons advocates overcast days, when white balls glow in the gloom. Bobby and his family make one or two Big Club pilgrim- ages every fall. In his shed is a milk crate filled with some 400 to 500 good ones. Then there arc the real fanatics who hunt where no one else dares to go. I recall an early September day some twenty years ago serving as bag boy for my teenage pal, Jay McAllister. I watched as Jay marched in his cutoffs to the shore of the eighth fairway pond, donned a mask and snorkel, waded to the center of the brown pool, and submerged. The snorkel began to move slowly outward in concentric circles. About once every 30 seconds, he would surface and toss me a ball, which I dutifully placed in an L.L. Bean beach bag purloined from Jay's parents. Pond-trolling is now big business. The balls Tom O'Brien sells at the Big Club (eight dollars for five) come from retrievers who collect some 10,000 a day in Florida golf course ponds. While there are many legitimate can- didates for the title, a straw poll of Fishers Island golf ball scavengers named Joe Ro- gan "shagger extraordinaire." Rogan be- gan working at the Hay Harbor golf course when he was 14 years old. By his 18th birthday, he was single-handedly trimming all the Big Club greens ("by hand!" he's quick to note). While he worked, he watched golfers closely. And he learned. When he later took up shagging in carnest - primarily as a form of exercise - he was well ahead of the game. Rogan's methodology is eooly sci- entific. He claims to have analYl.cd the average drive distance from each green, and hunlS for balls in a shotgun pattern along those latitudes. "There arc generally more slices than hooks," he says, "so I spend more time to the right of the fair- way." As any frustrated golfer will attest, balls-in-the-rough tend to disappear when you're looking strdight at them. To get around this problem, Rogan employs his keen peripheral vision, eatehing balls out of the comer of his eye. His preferred hunting season is springtime, and he favors the Big Club's first nine. (The back nine arc more open, making it easier for golfers to find their own bum sholS.) The Rogan approach clearly pays off. The day I called him, he had picked off 175 balls. (It has been a particularly good day; his normal take is more like 50 or 60.) In an average year, he finds some 2,000 balls and estimates that 40 percent are "real gold," while the rest arc "pretty banged up." Like a master l1y fisherman, See Golf BaU on Page 17 Joe Rogan shows a/fanoiher trophy at the flay {farhar course. (Pholo credit: Dick Edwards) Golf Balls 1 Continued from previous page Rogan is in the sport for love, not money. The balls he doesn't "toss back" to Hay Harbor pro Dan Colvin he ships to various golfers in his family. For Albert Gordon's 90th birthday last swnmer, Joe had the perfect present, a bucket containing 90 golf balls. Most Island golf ball scavengers work hard for their keep, but at least one has let an act of God do his work for him. The owner of a house on the Connecticut side of the Big Club course is said to have strolled down to his beach the day after Hurricane Bob - to lind a dozen balls corralled in a tidal pool. Easter Egg Hunt Scheduled The Island People's Project will sponsor its annual Easter Egg Hunt on Sat- urday, April 18, at noon. The rain date will be noon on Easter Sunday, April 19. Children ages 0-12 are welcome. Prizes will be awarded for the winners. There will be five separate age-coordinated hunts. The oldest group (9-12) will be a more challenging competitive hunt with a prize of $20 gift certificate to Crystal Mall. _J c(/OJl (/ I {F/~If'<l - "The 011 Time Airlille" An Island Fish Story By Speedy Mettler I spend my fall weekends trying to catch and tag striped bass in ille waters surrounding Fishers Island. Must days I lish eight hours or more per day, I use only barbless hooks (in order not to harm the fish), and I rclease every fish I catch. [ rarely go out in a boat, but prefer the chal- lenge of lishing off the rocks or from the beaches. I use anything from surf rods to light spinning rods (4 pound test) to lly rods, depending on the weather, the wind and where I am fishing. Sometimes the lish are caught within three feet of where [ am standing in the water! Last weekend I decided to lish in the middle of the day to take advantage of an hour or so before I had to catch the ferry. As luck would have it I caught two small bluefish on my lirst two casts (which [ released). Then about liftcen minutes later I hooked a small "school" striped bass, weighing about live pounds. Since the water was very clear, [ could see it per- fecily. Just as it was about live feet from the shore, there was a huge boil in the water and I had a glimpse of another lish. [ Scheduled and Charter Flights Passenger Terminal Tel. (203) 448-1646 Toll Free: 800-243-8623 Fishers Island Gazelle 17 assumed it was just another small striper swimming with my hooked fish, as some- times occurs. Before I knew what hap- pened I saw a small stripper swim away. But wait, I still had a fish on my line! I played the fish in and brought it ashore. It was a striped bass that measured 37 inches and weighed 20 pounds! (I carry both a tape and a scale in my pocket at all times). I tagged it rclea,cd and then sent the post- card with the tag numbcr, the date and the length of the fish to the American Littoral Society in Sandy Hook, New Jersey. Now that's a fish story (and it's true)! Adults to Perform Play The Fishers Island School adult edu- cation program will put on the play Arse- nic and Old Lace this winter. The performance dates have not been set yet. Don Janse, drama director for the school, said as of late January that there were still openings in the cast. In addition, he said help is needed in lighting, set con- struction, costuming and make up. Arsenic and Old Lace, which was written by Joseph Kesserling, first ap- peared in New York in 1941. A. JOHN GADA Goner.1 Contracting Inc Phone 7231 E5liblished 194Ei DISTINCTIVE RENOVATIONS RESTORATIONS AND CUSTOM HOMES Groton/New London Airport Groton, CT 06340 -~ /8 Pishers Iswnd Gazelle Flanagan Jumps From Fishers Island to the Big Time By Dan Gordon Fishers Island has produced some good tennis players, but none who have played beyond the club level. That is until Michael Flanagan arrived on the scene. Michael demonstrated his promise early. At age eleven, he won the 12 and under, 14 and under, and 16 and under ladders at Hay Harbor Club. After a seven year absence from Fishers Island, he returned this summer to simply vaporize the field at the Fishers Island Club tournament in August. He lost just one game in capturing the men's single title. However, Michael is not just excelling at the local level, he is winning recognition at the national level. This fall, the 19-year- old was ranked number 12 in tennis in the National Collegiate Athletic Association. Just a sophomore he played number two at tennis powerhouse Stanford University, which was the third mnked team in the country behind USC and UCLA. 'Things have been going great," Michael Flanagan said of his performance this fall. The high point was when Michael reached the semi-finals of the Volvo All American tournament in which he competed against the top 32 collegiate players in the country. Michael came up to Fishers Island for many summers during the 70's and early 80's. "I remember the group lessons<md playing on the ladders." Michael established some impressive credentials while attending St. Marks School in his hometown of Dallas. He See Flallagan on Page 19 IF YOU ARE CONSIDERING.. . A dock in front of your home . Reconstruction of an existing dock . A bulkhead or bulkhead repair . The permit status of your existing dock . State Tidal Wetlands Permits for your home and yard jmprovemcm CALL: !JOCKO,INCORI'ORATE!J 203-572-8939 Tom Law, prop. orouraffiliatc GWENl\10R MARINA, Inc. 203-536-0281 S:'lhdy McGugan, pwp. We offer complete waterfront services from design and engineering to construction. " a complete waterfront developmcm resource" 1'.0. BOX 421. MYSTIC, CT06355 ~.. Michael F/anaganpounding in a serve during a sectionaltournamenl. Z & S Contracting... "The Good Guys" -Renovations -Remodeling -r'-Jew Construction -Expert painting & paper hanging -Licensed electrical, plumbing & heating professionals -24-hour emergency service -complete line of electrical appliances -full landscaping service -now window washing as well Count on the Good Guys... Z & 5 Contracting! Call Z &5 at 788-7857 Flanagan Continued from previous page reached his highest mnking atl8 when he was number one in Texas and number six in the nation in the 18 and under division. However, when he entered Stanford, just making the tennis team was an imposing challenge. Stanford was the defending national champion with four All-American tennis players return- ing. In addition, there were five nationally r,,"ked freshmen in- cluding the top and fourth mnkcd players 18 and under. Michael Hanagan rose to the challenge bypassing the higher mnked freshman to play alternatively fourth, fifth and sixth on the team. Stanford finished third in the country with a 15-5 record, and Michacl Hanagan's personal record was 17-5. The training was intense."We practiced three hours a day," he said from his Dallas home over Christmas vacation. "Then there is weight training and conditioning." The hard work, Michael credits, with improving his games significantly this past year. Michael said his strength in his return of serve and ground strokes. The tennis season is a long one. There is a fall schedule, and then the regular season runs from January through late May. The schedule includes cross country travel for dual meets and tourna- ments in the Southeast. "It's tough studying," said the history major. "You bring books with you, but it is difficult. The teachers don't know who the athletes are." Before coming up to Fishers Island last August, Michael played the U.S. Tennis Association satellite circuit."it was fun and a good experience,but it was really grueling," Michael said. "But it gave me a concentrated dose of what life on the tour would be like. it helps to see if that's what you want to do," THE BANK OF MYSTIC MEETING THE FINANCIAL NEEDS OF THE COMMUNITY FULL-SERVICE BUSINESS AND PERSONAL BAt,KING NOWIN THE MYSTIC PACKER BUILDING MYSTIC. CT (203) 572-8981 Fishers Island (;azelle 19 Michael Flanagan receiving trophy from Maarlen van Hengel after defeating Scott KeLner for the Fishers Island Club championship in August. As far as Michael's future plans he would like to turn pro after college. "Right now, I'm ahead of schedule," said Michael. "I didn't think I'd be where I am as a sophomore. I'll probably gmduate. That will give me two more years to get my grune ready for the pro tour. If I do well in college, maybe I'll get help from the U.S. Tennis Association to play bigger Gmnd Prix evcnts," Sandwiched between the Grand Prix tennis tournrunems this summer he plans to return to Fishers Island in August where his parents rent a house. "There are great facilities on Fishers Island." he said. "There is good competition, and I very much enjoy playing there," STUFFY HEAD COLD? SINUS? HAYFEVER? DIAPER RASH? CHAPPED HANDS? or LIPS? Keep RELIEF as close as your medicine cabinet with... :~1ii. BOROLEUM .In~ 1 80S Guaranteed srrd prepar8d by SINCLAIR PHARMACAL CO., INC. FISHERS ISLAND, NEW YORK 063g0 -~ 20 Fishers Island Gazette Nautical Notes with Peter Rugg The effects of Hurricane Bob re- main visible on Fishers Island with a number of locust tree stands still leaning at precari- ous angles and new sawdust and logs in abundance. This autumn maple trees which had suffered defoliation from Bob on one side sprouted new green leaves to replace those lost while the other side of the smne tree turned red with the season. It is too bad that we could not keep some of the red and green delights into the Holiday season. The effect on the boating Ileet is also evident. The Pimtes Cove stomge bam and yard across from the American Legion seem less full this year rellecting the boats lost as well as those sent off island for repair. These include many powerboats, about five International One-Designs ,md several Bullseyes Per- haps this is the yearfor the Harbor Advi- sory Committee to complete the planned new West Hmbormooring grid as the num. ber of moorings needing to be moved will be at a minimum. Hay Harbor suffered devastation of the swimming dock in the hurricane. This coslly facility was only five years old ad it was last replaced after Hurricane Gloria. Clearly, it is too coslly to maintain a swim. ming program which must replace docks so often. In addition, as some people worry about the water quality, plans are under consideration for a swimming pool. The junior sailing program uses the same water in Hay Harbor, and fortunately one nor- ",;. "" J. ,,/ ~ . . This rowboat was definitely not pUlling ouJ to sea after a January snowstorm. (Photo credit: Dick Edwards) mally sails in a boat, not in the water. expanded in search of additional competi. However, as Hay Harbor continues to be- tion, and a malCh may be set against the come more shallow due to natural silting, New York Yacht Club. In addition, Whit- some of the water front activities may be field Morris, President of Offshore Glass moved to West Harbor. Company which has recently been selected It has been announced that Mike as the builder of new fiberglass Interna. Breault will be the Sailing Master and Head tional One-Designs was there. Morris is Instructor for the Fishers Island Yacht ready to take orders and can deliver com- Club/Hay Harbor Club Junior Sailing Pro- petitively priced new boats in time for the gram this summer. Mike grew up in Nian. 1992 sailing season. John Brim, whose tie and is a senior at Yale University where Elidcr was badly damaged in Hurricane he is captain of the sailing Team. Breault Bob is evaluating alternatives which may has extensive experience in the Eastern include selling Elidcr and either obtaining Connectieut Junior Yacht Racing Associa. a new boat or joining up with partners in tion and has won many championships in one of the other boats. the 420 class. When asked why he wanted Swnmer plans also involve the pos- to come to Fishers Island, Breault said, "I sibility of having the Sailing World speed grew up sailing at Fishers and against peo. circle at Fishers Island. This is a 100 metre pie from Fishers. The Island has had a rigid cirele whieh is anchored in the water. great sailing program for many years, and Sailors test themselves sailing around the I wanted a chance to be part of it." eircle. This new form of activity was re- Plans for next summer were recenlly cenlly tested in Newport and received a discussed at the winter reeeption of the host of favorable criticism. The speed cir- Fishers Island Yacht Club which was held cle is a great leaching tool, a new form of at the New York Yacht Club. Plans call for competition and a new recreational activity the successful team racin ro am to be for those less inclined to com te. CATCH THE BOATING SPIRIT THIS SUMMERI Telephone 7528 Now oHeri"'i1laser sailboats OPEN MONDAY. SATURDAY 8:00-4:30 Hay Harbor Board to Decide on Pool The Hay Harbor Club board of direc- tors was to meet in early February to dccide whether 10 proceed with the construction of a swimming pool. Construction of an "L" shaped pool with five lanes had been rec- ommcnded to the club board in the fall by a board subcommittee which had been evaluating the club's swimming progmm. A poll taken this wintcr of the club membership produced a large response with about 55 percent in favor of the pro- posal, and 45 percent opposed, according 10 club president Hiram Moody. "People feel very strongly about this on both sides," said Mr. Moody, who added that this has been the most sensitive issue he has faced as club president. The proposed pool is projected to cost as much as $250,000, Mr. Moody said. Thc club board is considering a special assessment of $1 ,000 to $1,500 to pay for the pool as well as other projects such as conversion of some tennis courts and re- pairs to facilities damaged by Hurricane Bob. The new bathhouse, which has al- ready been approved by the board, would not require additional funding because money has been set aside for it. The club board has become increas- ingly concerned about the quality of the swimming program. The water quality of the salt watcr pool has been questioned in recent years because of pollution in nearby Hay harbor. In addition, the club has started 10 use private pools for instruction of the club's younger swimmers. "The unblemished truth is that we have inadequate managcment control over ~~~ ~,.., , the water quality and program quality of our most basic athletic program both on site and at borrowed pools," Mr. Moody wrote in a letter 10 the club membership. Opponents believe that the infonnal atmosphere of the club will be compro- mised by the new pool. In addition, some members have been upset by the prospect of a special assessment when income is tighter due to the recession, Mr. Moody said. If the board approves the swimming pool plan, Mr. Moody said he would like construction to be completed before this summer season. A design firm has already produced preliminary drawings, and an en- vironmental impact consultant has becn hired to review plans. DEe Imposes Fines Fines of $1,000 apiece have been imposed on the cngineering finn of Calo- cerinos & Spina and the Falvey construc- tion company for removing earth near a tidal wetland without a permit. Calocerninos and Spina has been working on a steady basis in recent years to provide plans for upgrading the Island airport. One of their plans called for the levelling the northwestern section of the airport. The work was performed by Falvey Construction in the fall of 1990. The state Department of Environ- mental Conservation fined the Town of Southold, which owns the property, $2,000, and the town this fall imposed payment on Calocerinos & Spina and Falvey Construction, according to the DEe. No lasting damage was done to the environment by the grading work, how- ever, the required pennit was not applied for, said DEC official Charles Hamilton. "your complete landscaping service" Fishers Island Gazette 21 -- School Notes -- By Susan Stepanek The students at Fishers Island School have been very busy raising money for various causes. The junior class held a Mexican brunch on January 5 to raise money for a trip to Mexico. [n addition to the brunch the junior class is also selling Fishers Island boxer shorts for $10 a pair to help with the cost of the trip. The Ycar- book staff is planning a spaghetti dinner and bingo night on February 7 to help pay for this year's yearbook. Last but not least, the seniors arc now selling the Sunday papers at the sehoolto pay for tlleir April vacation cruise. When the students weren't busy making money they were off on a variety of field trips. The elementary grades lOok a trip to the Plymouth Plantation on No- vember 8. Even though it was cold every- one had a blast. On December 10, the elementary students went to see an "Amelia Bedelia" Christmas play at tile Guard Theater. The Spanish students in grades 5-11 went to see the ballet Folk- loricode Mexico on November20th. After the performancc the students cnjoycd lunch at a Mexican restaurant in Groton. Gmdes 10-12 went to the Bushnell on De- cember 9 10 see a perfonnance of the Tour De Foree. The plays performed were The Fall of the House of Usher, The Mousc, thc Most Dangerous Game, and the Ransom of Red ChieLThe school was fillcd with Christmas festivities. The annual Christ- mas concert was held on December 13, with students from throughout the school participating. Gmdes 5 and 6 also staged a performance of Charles Dickens "A Christmas Carol." From the 15th through the 20th, all students and teachers partici- pated in Secret Santa activities. --"If.. RACE ROCK 'GARDEN CO "'" "" "'~" .,,,,,,. ';""'. - ~",.~ """,,,,,, ", ,~ ,,,,, ~J~~A>~"/:I~~~~ ~~..r ~c~~ Brooke Services 142 Thames St., Groton, CT 06340 (203) 446-8268 22 Pishus Island Gazelle Around the Town with Ann Walsh Anthony Who was it who said "The rieh get rich, the poor get children?" Well, in this econ- omy it is hard to dif- ferentiate. It just seems that every- one is getting the latter.Elma Chapin Burnham was born on November 16, wigh- ing 8 Ibs, 8 1/2 oz. Elma's parents are Annie and David, and her big brother is David. Winchester Fitch Hotchkiss III ar- rived on November 22. Winchester joined the family weighing 9 Ibs, 2 oz. His par- ents are Win and Hillary 0N alker), and his older sister is Leslie. Cindy and Frank Gillan had their third baby. Taylor Hope Gillan weighed 6 lbs, 14 oz. on her birthday, November 26. Taylor joins siblings Elliot and Kelsey. December 7 is a day which will sure- Iybe remembered by Bob and Luisa Evans. That is the day Samuel Livingston Professionals serving professionals. Evans was born weighing 8 Ibs., I oz. Samuel is Elizabeth's little brother. Sarah Baldwin Fiske demonstrated a keen sense of timing by arriving at II :40pm on Thursday, Deeember 12. Sarah who weighed 9 Ibs, 12 oz. is the first child of Diana (Furse) and Will Fiske. Meghan Rutherfurd Borden is a first child of Linda (RUlherfurd) and Mark Bor- den. Born on December 20, Meghan weighed 8 Ibs, 2 oz. Bringing in the new year (and a few weeks) Victoria Chapin Breining was born on January 14. "Tory" weighed 6 Ibs., 8 oz. and is the third child of Jenny (Kelsey) and Dick Breining. Tory follows siblings Kelsey and Peter.lf you are in the market, I'd line up baby sitting now. It looks "' though there will be competition! John Peishoff and Katrina Fraser arc engaged and planning an August wcdding. According to John, this is the first time his name has been in the paper without a sports score following. Wendy Crisp is planning a Septem- ber wedding. Wendy is going to marry Ted Henderson. I think I hear the sound of breaking hearts. Duke Doucetlte. right. and his son Wayne celebrate New Year's Eve at the Legion Ilall. (Photo: Ann Mudge) FISHERS ISLAND MOBIL _ Kidder, Peabody II f1 Co. Incorpor"ted f,,~"J.J 18/', .~,.."~.,, ....u. ,,,... ~~J A....",~rt ~,,,... f ,..~~rt~." 10 Hanover Square, New York. NY 10005 Telephone: (212) 510-3000 Over SO.lJJlllOn,ll olfi({'s worlJwlJ(' Amilablefor YOll! - Diesel Fuel - Special Unleaded - Super Unleaded Regular Unleaded - Propane - Fuel Oil - Slips Electric & Water Hookups Clean Restrooms - Hot Showers - Ice Machine Outboard Lubricant Telephone: (5] 6) 788-7311 \VI' Also ,\/ollirol' C/wllll('116 I ~..,.,.:>,,,,---,... Fishers Island Gazelle 23 Message from Carol Ridgway Civic Association President January's civic aSSOCIatIOn meeung was attended by about 75 persons - an impressive count for our winter meet- ing. Eileen Wall spoke for the Board of Education report- ing that on the recommendation of the mag- net committee her board has requested that the ferry district consider an extra boat leaving shortly after the end of school. This additional boat would allow magnet students to return to Connecticut earlier and would enable them to pursue after school activities on the mainland. The magnet committee feels that this schedule would result in more good stu- dents being interested in our magnet pro- gram. Also, the school board feels that an early morning ferry departing from Fishers Island would enhance the school popula- tion by attracting more year round resi- dents who might need to be on the mainland earlier than 9 am. In reorganizing myoid files, I found some old very unofficial calculations I made during my tenure on the school board. When I moved 10 Fishers Island with my three children in 1971 there were 113 children in the school representing 43 families. There were quite a few families with six to nine children and the mean family size was 2.6 children.!n 1978, the school enrollment was down to 62 coming from 3 I families with a median size of 1.6 children. At present, there arc 47 Island kids in school with 29 families involved and a median of 1.6 children. The number of school families has not decreascd significantly since 1978 which is hcartcning but unfortunately smallcr families are a nationwidc trend. Congratulations to the garbage and refuse district for getting the transfcr sla- tion up and running on schedule. Jim Han- cock reported on the inslallation Slating that they arc still making improve- ments.the plant opef'dtion. One problem docs remain, however. The contractors do not have a place to dispose of their debris now that the dump is closed to them. Hopefully, a solution will be worked on soon. New faces on the Island are Gary Riggio, righi, owner of Houlon Services and manager Paul BUl/er. ~ WALSH SERVICE "Sj"TIING THE STANDARDS" ELECfRIC CONTRAC"nNG AND HOME IMPROVEMENT CONTRACfING PROPERTY SALES AND RENTALS Bagley Reid licenced Real Estate Broker Barbara 1. Reid James G. Reid licenced Salespersons Marilyn F. Pickett Secretary 516-788-7882 . 516-788-7782 -Electrical. Residential & Commercial -Painling -Ca']Jt'nlry -Alarms; Faclor)' trainc'd (0 install & mainlain Fire Lite ,1Iar", S}stcms -Alarms: NFPA Traifll'd to install & maintain intr/lsion alarms. -J/ollse chl'cking during rlU' off season -All home improl'l'fl/l'f/ts -J/ighly MOlimted craftSr1ll'll -Estimates? No Problem -i\lItliori:ed May tag dl'ala rD<ys'tfc IsLe ReaL't~ IOC. FISHERS ISLAND. NY 06390 MASTER ELECTRICIA:\' #92.l-E 110\.1E 1\.1PROVE\.1ENT #lll.]22-111 P.O. Box 478 Fishl'rs Island, NY 0(,:190 (516) 788-7778 FAX: (516) 788-7776 24 Pis/lers Island Gazette Halloween Night is Special at F.I. School The Island People's Project spon- sored their annual Halloween party on Oc- tober 31, in the school gym. Emcee Charlie Stepanek announced the assort- ment of goblins, witches and fairy tale characters as they paraded through the gym. All the children participating re- ceivcd a small Halloween treat and feasted on cider and doughnut holes. The judges (Dick Edwards, Kathleen Hesse and Cath- erine Jenssen) had a very difricult job of choosing the prize winning outfits. Those who carne up with the top awards were: prettiest - Meris Tombari, a ballerina; most creative - David Burnham, a dinosaur; most uncomfortable - Sarah Horning, a mummy; scariest - Kyle Heath, Fmnken- stein; most traditional - Lauren Thibodeau, a witch; best storybook chamcters - Mason and Sam Horn, the cowardly lion and the tin man; the most captive - Petcr and Nick Wall, a pirate and his first mate; funniest- Matthew Reale, a clown; and the best group - Dan, Courtney, Danicl Gillan and Marissa Lanier, the hunter, Little Red Rid- ing Hood, the wolf and grandmother. Gmdes 1-6 at Fishers Island School competed in a Halloween poster contest. The winners were: fust grade - Megan Murmy; second gmde - Chris Papatha- nasiou; ulird gmde - Hannah Vincent; fifth grade - Connie Papaumnasiou. There was also a Pumpkin decorat- ing contest. The children then departed from the school and went trick-or-treating at the island homes. A fun night to both participate in and wateh! nllll.R.\"GA 7'~1' u! . I.\"!..l.\'f) , ~j' Fishers Island Civic Assn. Fishers Is., New York 06390 llalloween night produced a whole gymfu/l of scary, threatening, beautiful andfunny people. From upper left Kyle J/eath as Frankenstein, Nicholas Wall asa pirate. Meris Tombari as afairy godmother. and Mal- thew Reale as a clown. Plwto credits: Dick Edwards) FIRST CLASS