HomeMy WebLinkAbout2002 Vol 16 No 3 Fall
'~
::-;;
~
~...
-
~~'" ",-
""'"
~~
'" ...,
~~" # ~
~ ~~ r ~ ~
'jI'''''ijit}1 #~ $'-
'}~.r.i~o~ Fi!!Jlbers Island - Sept. 2:Jt ~O~ ~ ~
~~>~r:::,)jf ~ j . " ~ML1nbz'Farnilv Photo ISBa Daae~3" i..s t,: f
2 Fishers Is/and Gazette - Fall 2001
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
The fOllowing was unt to organizers of the
IPPschoolftrum. [seepage29! Re: The Future
of the Fishers Island School.
My vision of the Fishers Island School
three years from now is:
-A school dedicated to what is best for
the students.
-A school where the leadership, includ-
ing the administration, the Board and the
faculty are united in creating a learning at-
mosphere striving to achieve the highest
standards in education.
-A school where the above leadership,
by personal example and appropriate cur-
riculum, seeks to instill the highest ethical
Winter 2003 Gazette
Deadline: February 14,2003
The Fishers Island Gazette is an inde-
pendent not-for-profit publication initi-
ated with a grdnt from The Sanger Fund
and sustained with subscription and ad-
vertising revenue. It is published three
times a year.
Editor
Betty Ann Ruhinow
Contributors in this Issue
Coleman Brinckerhoff
Krysia Burnham, Faith Coolidge
Nancy Hunt, Leila Hadley Lucc
Robert S. Morton, Carol Ridgway
Cynthia Riley
Photographer Emeritus
A1hert H. Gordon
Controller
Su-Ann Seidl
Newsstand Sales
James Hall
Circulation Support
William C. Ridgway III
SUBSCRIPTIONS ARE $15 PER
YEAR. IT'S EASY, JUST MAIL A
CHECK TO THE GAZETTE!
Fishers Island Gazette, Box 573
Fishers Island NY 06390
and moral ideals in the students.
-A school of outstanding repute, which
would attract more children from Connecti-
cut and eventually entice parents to take up
residence on the Island, instead of leaving
the Island because of better schools on the
mainland.
-A school where teachers would sub-
scribe to the ideal of continuing education
and be self-motivated continually to work to
improve their teaching skills and raise the test
results of their students.
-A school where the administration and
the Board, with outside consultants if neces-
sary, would work together to lower the ob-
scene cost to taxpayers of $68,000 per pupil.
The ideal characteristics and background
for a superintendent of such a school obvi-
ously include extensive experience in analyz-
ing and reversing the direction of troubled
schools; ability to communicate clearly and
succinctly both verbally and in writing; a gift
for diplomacy needed to unite the commu-
nity; common sense to override political cor-
rectness; imagination and skill in creating a
plan of action, and charisma and forcefulness
to put it into effect. Plus a sense afhumorand
a love of all children.
Respectfully suhmitted,
Srowe C. Phelps
-'
Dear Kandi, Susie and Island Health Project
Board Members:
This brief note is intended to express our
approval and delight far the new doctor's
home, which the Clavins had named "Sham-
rock Hill."
The house is a vast improvement over
our previous quarters. The grounds are beau-
tiful, especially now with multiple flowering
hushes and trees. Aptly placed bird feeders
have brought birds numerous in type and
number. The privacy, being removed from
the office itself, is greatly appreciated.
In short, we would like to thank the
board for its purchase of this new doctor's
house and commend you and your real estate
acuity. Any future physician will be greatly
impressed, and the opportunity to live in
Shamrock Hill will be a major attraction of
the physician opportunity.
Cordially yours,
Mary Anne Hand
Jack Hand
To the Editor:
I would like ro salure the Island's Bahy
Boom Echo Generation for their theme
for the guard shack this year. The execution
was fabulous, and the spirit even more so.
Thank you!
Anne Cook
~
.Jfo,:r
,.
The next meeting of the Fishers Island Civic Association will be
Sat. Jan. 18,2003 at 3 p.m. at the school.
4#
!.~
~,
Can or e-mail the editor for
information about advertis-
ing or editorial content:
winter 860-633-8200; summer
631-788-7000; ligazelle@cox.net.
The Gazette appreciates and relies upon edito-
rial contributions from the community. We re-
serve the right to edit copy and regret that we
cannot run every story and occasionally must
hold copy for future issues.
Fall ZOOZ . Pishers Isla"d Gazette 3
HaL." Horn on Fi~"er~ I~land at 4:06 a.....
On Sept. 23, a baby was born on
Fishers Island, reportedly for
the first time in over 50 years.
Rosy pink, with a healthy set of lungs,
Denisse Marie Munoz impatiently arrived
at 4:06 a.m.
Her startled father, Hanks Munoz, who
is chef/caretaker for the O'Keefe family,
placed two 911 calls. The first was to say that
his wife was in lahor, and the second was to
say that the baby was coming-now!
"I was walking my wife to the front door
of the O'Keefe's, and she just dropped to the
kitchen floor," Mr. Munoz said. Jennifer
Rossy Gutierrez was already feeling the urge
to push.
The EMTs arrived first. But their only
experience with delivering a baby was
through a video.
Meanwhile, longtime ob/gyn nurse,
Dianna Shillo had just gone back to bed
after feeding her five-month-old son when
the phone rang at 3:45 a.m. It was Greg
Cypherd informing her of the impending
birth. She threw on some clothes and ran to
the front door jost as EMT Gail Cypherd,
herself a mother of triplets, was pulling imo
the driveway.
"We got there within 10 minutes, and
the patiem was on the kitchen floor. She was
crowning," Ms. Shillo said. "I dropped [0 my
knees in the kitchen doorway; someone
handed me gloves, and I immediately deliv-
ered a little girl.
"There were only minor surprises, be-
cause I'm used to having everything at my
fingenips. When I asked for size seven gloves,
the EMTs had only small, mediom and
large. And when I asked for Kelly clamps,
because I was not delivering the placema
rhere, they had only three small plasric clamps.
So I put two on the placenta side and one on
rhe baby side. I cut the cord with large
kitchen shears.
"People say I'm the hero, but the mom
is. To me it was a day at work. It is the job I
do-I just didn't get paid for it! It really was
a group effon."
Ms. Shillo has been a labor and delivery
nurse for nearly nine years and has delivered
30 babies by herself, usually on nightdury in
the absence of a physician. Ironically, she
had just completed her recertification for
neonatal resuscitation the day before, "I
couldn't have been any more prepared,"
she said.
Mr. Munoz said that although Fishers
Island is isolated, he "feels so safe. The fire
depanmem is so responsive, and the EMTs
are great."
In attendance were Fishers Island's resi-
dent physician, Dr. Jack Hand, and fire
department and EMT personnel Gail
Cypherd, Kathy Zangherri, Carol and Paol
Giles,Jim Wall, CharlieSrepanek,Jill Brock,
Jill Rogan and Bruce
Hubert. Ernie
Middleton captained
the Sea Stretcher, as-
sisted by Bob Evans.
On the Cover: fJ;.'.
Parents, Jennifer Rossy
Gutierrez and Hanks Munoz
relax in L&M hospital with
their new daughter, Oenisse
Marie, 61bs, 9 oz., born Sept.
23 on Fishers Island.
:;;
. (at right) The couple
with baby Oenisse
Marie and her one-and-
a-half-year-old sister,
Lizette Marie. Both
girls have Marie as a
middle name, so when
their father returns
home from work, look-
ing for his daughters,
he can call, "Where are
the Maries?"
~- H'--'r- _c' , ,
1 I
I
- I
"'l'J: c 1:'"~~
,;t~,
~ .' :.~.
,. '10' :j1
, ri..l:o
~,--
. ",;J
:,:"i"
'. ]~~~.'- .
;;;:.:
i'
I
Munoz Family Photo
Hanks Munoz Photo
. (I-r) EMT Kathy Zanghetti and labor and delivery nurse Dianna ShiUo accompany Ms. Gutierrez
and her daughter Denisse on the Sea Stretcher to New London. Ms. ShiUo received the emergency
call at 3:45 a.m. and was back home, mission accomplished, by 5:30 a.m.
4 Fishers Island Gazette. Fall 2002
Fro... F.I. Far...s to F.I. Utility Co...pany
The Fishers Island Utility Co. has
come a long way since Fishers Is-
land ran its own generators at the
turn of the 20,h century and shut them down
every night at 11 p.m.
"When visiting friends on the Island,
my parents used to say, '''The lights are going
to go off, we'd better go home,'" said Harris
Parsons, former utility company chairman.
Back then, the operation was run by
the Ferguson family, first as E.M. & W.
Ferguson and, starting in 1918, as Fishers
Island Farms, Inc. (Farms) By 1924, how-
ever, the Fergusons decided to develop the
Island as a vacation resort.
As Island farming declined, the Farms
became a company with a different focus. It
ran the Island utilities as well as a contracting
firm, a real estate business and the gas [now
Mobil] station. During this period, the Farms
also built the fire station and Union Chapel,
and rook care of houses.
T c1ephone and telegraph services, estab-
lished in the mid-1880s, were the first mod-
ern utilities on the Island. The first water
company was established in 1904 and in
1922, the Island began receiving electricity
from the mainland via underwater cable.
The Ferguson family continued to run
the businesses until 1965 when Henry L.
Ferguson Jr., seriously ill with cancer, sold
the Farms to a group of summer residents
for $200,000.
"The main idea was to keep the busi-
nesses on the Island and to continue em-
ploying Island residents. We've had many
buy-out offers since then, but we are dedi-
cated to keeping this an on-Island concern,"
Mr. Parsons said.
The original purchasing syndicate was
headed by John W. Hanes and included Mrs.
Kenyon Boocock, H. Lawrence BogertJr., T.
Jerrold Bryce, Reynolds duPont, Gordon
GrandJr., Francis Kernan, GeorgedeF. Lord,
Erard A. Matthiessen, Harris B. Parsons and
Contimud on pag' 33
NO."O'~R.VIC~5TATION
(OL.D PowER HoU5
No.7. Ice. Hou&l!.
Photo courtesy of Henry L Ferguson Museum
. According to Fishers Island Farms records, the old power house (above) was built in 1898. Prior
to that, residents on the Island depended on candles. lamps or private lighting plants. Between
1922 and 1940 the structure (below) was used for auto repair and storage.
,
~I
Fall 1001 . Fishers Is/and Gaune 5
Ele<<:lri<<: CO. 10 Upgrade Ser'Vi<<:e 10 I~land
The F.1. Electric Co. plans to stan
work this fall ana major upgrade in
electric service to the Island.
"With the tremendous building activ-
ity over the last couple of decades, and the
addition of air conditioning in new and old
houses. the electricity grid has been maxed
out. I t is obsolete," said J. Geddes Parsons,
utility company chairman.
Electricity capacity is measured by the
amount of power that can be delivered on
days when demand is highest, for example
a very busy, hot July 4'h weekend with air
conditioning running aggressively. The
electric company ran at 95 percent or
more capacity on the busiest days this
summer.
After consultation with its electricity
supplier Groton Utilities, the electric com-
pany has decided to implement an upgrade
plan in three-phases. Phase one, starting this
fall, is to be completed by summet 2003 at
a cost of $500,000. It calls fot bringing in
off-Island workers to upgrade the main line
from the West End to the driving range to
provide increased voltage.
This initial phase will benefit the East
End by delivering an 8320-volt nutlet. East
End residents will no longer have to draw
clectricityall the way from the original 8320-
volt power source on the West End. They
will have their own main power source at the
driving range.
Phase two, at $250,000, will take an
estimated three to five years to complete.
Using a mostly Fishers Island crew, the
electric company plans to extend the in-
creased voltage from the main line out to
individual residences and businesses along
its path.
The timing of phase thtee depends on
how much of a demand is placed on the
system in the coming years. This last phase.
which currently has no dollar value attached
to it, would extend the increased voltage
past the driving range and to individual
residences farther our on the East End.
With increased capacity. inevitably,
comes an increase in rates. The utility com-
pany has not raised rates since the early
1980s, although there have been sutcharges,
including a $700,000 sutchatge for a new
underwater cable from Connecticut in 1989,
which later resulted in a rate decrease when
[,
) If'
c.
~ ;::,
/(
"
Photo courtesy of Mary Pankiewicz
. Larry Baldwin came to Fishers Island in 1927 to work for the Ferguson Navigation Co. He later
maintained the private power plant at the Mansion House and continued working for the utility
company until his death in 1973. He often took his daughter Mary, and an AM radio, with him to
check underground power lines at the East End Chocomount Power Station. If he heard static on
the radio, it meant there was a break in the line. Although he had suffered a heart attack, he
continued to work and succumbed to a second heart attack while working at the power plant above.
the debt was paid.
"Electric company revenues are in the
$1.2 million range," Mr. Parsons said, "and
with normal maintenance of the elecrric
grid, this additional capital spending is too
much for the company to handle. We have
to borrow all monies for this project. Fortu-
nately, the company ha.'i very little debt
associated with its operations.
"As a first step. we have applied to New
York State regulators for emergency rate
relief-permission to raise rates just enough
to cover approximately $40,000 in interest
on the borrowed principal for one year.
"The emergency rate relief will be quite
small, about three percent of revenues. The
permanent rate relief will be a considerably
higher percentage of revenues, probably
stepped in stages, depending on when the
projecrs are completed."
The final rate structure, also to be ap-
proved by state regulators, is still under
discussion. "We don't like raising rates,"
Mr. Parsons said. "bur we have only 500
houses to absorb the cost of service, which
although available year-round. is used mosdy
seasonally.
"I can say at the outset, however, that
we want to pur the vast majority. if nor the
entire rate increase, on the seasonal custom-
ers, as they are the ones who are creating the
peak demand and thus necessitating the
need for the overbuild."
"Overbuild" refers to literally running
the new line above the existing line for a
double system. The electric company's plan
is to overbuild the current 2400-volt system
with 8320 volts. This higher voltage is an
industry standard and already arrives here
via underwater cable, before it is stepped
down to accommodate the Island's aging
2400-volt system. The cable meets the Is-
land at the "Walsh Dock" area on the north
shore. overlooking Munnatawket Beach.
"Think of electricity as water," Mr.
Parsons said. "It arrives with force from
Connecticut through a big pipe, bur it flows
through the Island in a small pipe, and by
the time it reaches the East End, it is a
dribble. Electrical equipment can be dam-
aged ifit does not receive the proper voltage.
The Fishers Island Club, fot example, has
had to install a generator that automatically
kicks in when there is a drop in voltage.
"Our biggest concern now is the East
Contillued on page 33
6 n.~hers Island Gaulle. Pall 2002
Advertisement
Advertisement
Reprinted from the New York City Audubon Society newsletter, The Urban Audubon, Vol. 23 No.7
The Sad Facts about Feral Cats
Rebekah Creshkoff
that the town will be held legally respon-
sible if any harm comes to piping plovers
nesting on the beach.
Although the law is on the plovers'
side, the cats likely have many more sup-
porters. In May, CARE presented local
politicians with a petition to protect the
cats; it is said to have been signed by about
600 people. Given that so many members
of our own species grew up in households
An alarming trend is on the rise;
managed "cat colonies," in which ani~
mal lovers feed and often build shelters
for feral cats. Generally located in natu-
ral habitats. these colonies can wreak
havoc with local wildlife-because as
every cat owner knows, even well-fed
felines hunt.
Despite what some cat lovers ar~
gue, there's nothing "natural" about a
>
~ -~~~.~~~~,
."..~.~ 'tiJi1.~~'-:-'"':-,"'
~
.~
"""
Feral Cats at Fishers Island Transfer Station
An estimated 200-800 feral cats live on the Island.
highly efficient, non-native predator kill-
ing native wildlife--<lspecially if the lat-
ter includes an endangered species.
That's exactly what's happening in the
town of Brookhaven. L.I., where the
state Department of Environmental
Conservation (DEC) alleges that feral
cats at Cedar Beach have "decimated"
the piping plover population.
CARE (Caring for Cats and the
Recovery of the environment), the or~
ganization that feeds the Cedar Beach
cat colony, dismisses the charges. In
late June, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service (FWS), which is entrusted with
protecting threatened and endangered
species, officially notified the Town of
Brookhaven that the cats must be re-
moved, reports John Fritz, co-chair of
the Conservation Committee of the
Federation of New York State Bird
Clubs. Indeed, the approximately 20
shelters and two feeding stations main~
tained by CARE were reportedly dis-
mantled on June 16.
Whether the ban will be enforced
on an ongoing basis remains to be
seen: shelters have been removed be~
fore, only to spring up again nearby.
But the FWS has alerted local officials
with cats as pets, it is no surprise that the
cat lobby is both popular and powerful.
According to Mike Cooper, who raised the
Cedar Beach cat colony issue on the
eBirds listserv, the town of Southampton
has already passed an ordinance permit-
ting cat colonies.
This highly controversial battle is be-
ing waged all across the nation, with fe-
ral-cat populations exploding from Rorida
to California and Hawaii. In an attempt to
control their numbers, some cat advocates
trap, neuter and release them back into
the environment. (CARE claims to have
such a program in Brookhaven, although
this is challenged by local observers.)
In theory, trap-neuter-release (TNR)
programs should lead to the eventual dis-
appearance of a colony. But the sad fact
is, people abandon cats all the time, and
food at colonies lures newly discarded
animals. Perversely, official sanction of cat
colonies as a "humane" solution legiti~
mizes the dumping of unwanted pets.
Sustained by supplemental feeding, cats at
artificially high densities reduce the abun-
dance of native species and change their
composition, with potential effects
throughout the local ecosystem.
"Cats aggravate the impact of dimin-
ishing habitat, driving down bird popu-
lations in fragmented or isolated habi-
tats," maintains Linda Winter, director of
the American Bird Conservancy's Cats
Indoors! Campaign. Along with New
York State Assemblywoman Patricia
Acampora, Ms. Winter has urged the
DEC to address the cat-plover problem.
"This is a violation of the Endan-
gered Species Act," says Ms. Winter. "I
am seeing more and more cases in
which people are deliberately releasing
cats into wildlife areas where they did not
occur before."
Facts about cats
-According to the Humane Society
of the United States, free-roaming cats
typically live less than five years.
-Cats are efficient, prolific predators.
Scientists estimate that free~roaming cats
kill hundreds of millions of birds, and
probably more than a billion other small
wildlife, in the United States each year.
-Feeding feral cats allows them to
breed, and populations can quickly get
out of control.
-Abandoning cats is illegal and cruel.
Feral cats suffer short, miserable lives and
are likely to die a slow, painful death
from injury, disease, getting hit by a car,
starvation, attacks from other animals,
poisoning, or severe weather.
-Feral cats can transmit serious dis~
eases to humans, including rabies and
even plague. According to the Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention, cats
are the domestic animal more commonly
found to be rabid.
-The day-in, day-out demands of
managing a cat colony are overwhelm~
ing-€ven for selfless, dedicated people
who are committed to alleviating animal
suffering.
Be on guard for feral cat groups in
your neighborhood. For more informa-
tion on feral cats, visit the American Bird
Conservancy website at hltp'; /
www.abcbirds.org. Select "Campaigns,"
then choose Cats Indoors! You'll find a
thoroughly researched trove of informa-
tion, including specific action steps on
how to launch a Cats Indoors! campaign
in your community and tips on getting
local cat ordinances passed.
Falll(}(}l . Fishers Is/a"d Gaunt! 7
~
Flowers that Rabbits Will Ignore
Key: P= Perennial; HHA= Half.Hardy Annual; HB= Hardy Biennial
By Leila Hadley Luce
If you have an Island garden, you prob-
ably also have unwanted rabbits, rac-
coons and mher marauders that feast
on and damage carefully tended plants and
trees. Relief comes only from knowing the
enemy and having the patience to wait for
small victories.
Rabbits seldom range more than a few
acres from their warrens. They breed often,
reproduce copiously, eat ravenously. Like
mice, they chew off the bark around the base
of tree trunks, leaving wounds open to dis-
ease and insect damage.
Rabbits feast on seedlings, tender leaves,
strawberries, tomatoes, peas, lettuce, roses,
dianthus (pinks) and many other flowers. By
reducing stems to stubs and nipping offbuds,
they are wanton in their destruction of
Casablanca and Rubrum lilies.
Happily, Suzanne Schutz,
an ardent horticulturist and
Fishers Island friend, has of-
fered a list of some plants that
rabbits ignore [see box above].
To keep rabbits from in-
truding, I'd suggest a fence of
firmly staked inch-wide mesh
chicken wire dug eight inches
deep, with taut wiring at least
36 inches above ground. fu use-
ful repellents, try imerplaming garlic, onion
and rosemary in flowerbeds. Scatter moth-
balls, and sprinkle chili powder, cayenne
pepper and blood meal along the edges of
critical areas.
In autumn and winter, it is helpful to
encase trunks of young fruit trees and other
saplings with burlap or other sturdy cylinders
about two inches larger in diameter than the
trees, and tall enough to shield the tree about
36 inches above the ground or to the ex-
pected snow drift line.
Because rabbits are vegetarians, some
people daub tree guards with animal fat or
bacon grease: A dreadful mistake! What
shoos away rabbits is a siren's lure to
raccoons and rodents.
Terrestrial raccoons, who are also expert
tree climbers, beachcombers and bold as ban-
dits, are perpetually hungry. With cunning
little black hands, bushy tails and black-
masked foxy faces, they may look like their
appealing pet ancestors-but BEWARE!
Fishers Island's raccoons are descendan ts of a
pair of pets set free in the Middle Farms Pond
Achillea (Yarrow) P
Aconitum P
Ajuga P
Alchemilla P
Artemisia (Wormwood) P
Aster P
Astilbe P
Buddleia (Butterfly Bush)P
Cleome HHA
Convallaria (Lily of the Valley)P
Cosmos HHA
Cranesbill P
Digitalis (Foxglove) HB
Hemerocallis
Hosta
Iris
Kniphofia (Red-Hot Poker)
Lunaria (Honesty)
N icotiana
Peony
Polygonatum (Solomon's Seal)
Pulmonaria
Ruscus (Butcher's Broom)
Sedum
Stachys (Lambs Ear)
P
P
P
P
P
HHA
P
P
P
P
P
P
area some 2S years ago, and they have now
proliferated to overrun and plague our Island
from one end to another. Raccoons can carry
rabies, terrorize bird life, rip through com-
post heaps, up-end garbage pails, gouge holes
in shingle roofs, walls and siding,
and uproot turf and lawn in search
of toothsome grubs.
Raccoons picnic on pheasant
chicks and wolf down newly-
hatched cygnets and baby duck-
lings. They suck-dry birds' eggs
from arboreal, land and beach nests
and kill and eat all but the fiercest
nesting parents. They pig out on
mollusks, shellfish and fish; every-
thing growing in the garden; suet
and peanut butter from bird feeders, and pet
food. They like nothing better than fresh
sweet corn and just-ripe fruit and berries.
Cotoneaster, pyracantha (firethorn) and
other brambles are a deterrent to sensitive-
footed raccoons who also shy away from
mothballs, blood meal, cayenne pepper,
T abasco sauce, ammonia, talcum powder,
loud noises, blinking lights, pinwheels,
streamers, barking dogs and dog poop.
Leaving two-fingers-width of space, wrap
a 30-inch section of galvanized duct pipe
around the trunks of fruit trees to keep rac-
coons from climbing them.
Rats and mice don't carry rabies as rac-
coons do, but they carry dangerous parasites
and diseases such as trichinosis and salmonel-
losis. Rats can eat up to a half-pound of food
daily and, like mice, damage far more than
they eat, which is just about everything.
Because rats need to blunt and shorten their
fast-growing teeth, they can gnaw cement
into dusty grit and cause electrical fires and
serious structural damage. What is the best
defense against rodents? Jerry Baker of the
Yardencare Co. recommends the Weitech
Co. (800-343-2659), which manufactures
ultrasonic devices that create stress in the
bodies of rats and mice, sending them fleeing
from your area.
Fishers Island's feral cats, estimated to
be between 200 and 800 in number*, are
known deterrents to rabbits and rodents.
These abandoned housecats, left to run wild
and multiply, are the object of a Fishers
Island Conservancy-sponsored spaying and
neutering program [see Fishers Island Ga-
zette Vol. 16 No.1] Alas, cats and raccoons
have also taken their toll on the easier prey of
nesting birds and their eggs.
This was the first season in the 31 years
that I have visited and lived on the East
End that all eight newborn cygnets disap-
peared within a week from Money Pond,
with their parent swans vacating the pond
shortly thereafter. Sadly also, neither hen
nor pheasant chicks nor bobwhite quail
were anywhere to be found within a mile's
range of our property in 2002, where every
year before there had been seven or eight hen
pheasants on average, at least eight pheasant
chicks surviving from two nests, and a covey
of bobwhite quail.
When all else fails, I fantasize about
creating a market for replicas of the pre-
PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of
Animals) men's winter great coats of the
1920's-racks and racks
of full-length raccoon
coats beloved by F. Scott
Firzgerald.
,.h,Jt~II>J<(I,"1lIiIl
\WN\I(j:!IlWl~\ll1a
~~IWl:,,"1'<
=:--...~..
........,..ftf,_ ,"
-"'"
lUur~
ground
RED PEPPER
* According to the
ASPCA, "One female
cat and her offspring
can produce 420,000
kittens in seven years.
(CAVENNE)
NHWT.I.7j80l. ~J,IR)
8 Fishers Island Gazette. FaIl2(}(}2
~ '"
4\. .. t-
O .
l
I Child & famil)'. cor/JOrn/e.
estate, )'(lfhts, jJet\
I"
\
... ......./
t"
'--~
~
Oil, watercolor, pastel,
I drawing, sculjJture
Bcorll1lre & portfolio
available ujJOfl request
j
CAROLE LO\VE ERD~tAN
Agent
~
~ '\'i~'
~.:" \. I t-
r:~..;_ ~
,'L
L . __.
1)110111' 1.860.5%.%52
('mail enh@sllct,l1t:t
Wl'b portraitsuhd.colll
the beach plum
po box 664
fishers island,ny
06390
(631) 788-7731
ItiA\lll12 1()lf lrlHIE 11)013
ILII'()IUt()l12 ~lrl()I12IE
788-7707
Check out Hairy's
annual inventory
reduction sale
GIFT
CERTIFICATES
AVAILABLE
Browse our
fine selection
of wines from
around the
world
Open Tues.-Sat.
lor your convenience
Angela W. Fowler, RLA, PC
Landscape Architecture
Garden Design
Site Selection
Planning
212-391-9699 · 212-944-1313, fax
39 West 38th St, 10th Floor, New York, NY 10018
Member. International Federation of Landscape Architects
Member. American Society of landscape Architects
Fal/2002 . Fishers Islalld Ga:.ette 9
"Mosquito Girls" UnLeralded Heroines
Fishers Island appears to have es-
caped West Nilevirus this summer.
There were no official reports of
dead birds-the earliest indicator of the pres-
ence of the disease, which has been identified
in at least 40 states across the country and in
77 towns in Connecticut including New
London, Groton, Waterford and Old Lyme.
The virus first appeared in New York
City in 1999, and its symptoms, though mild
in most people, can be fatal for the elderly and
people with cr.ronic illness.
Fortunately, Fishers Island has for the
past 16 years benefited fro III a mosquito
larvacide program, generally considered to
be the best line of defense against the virus
when coupled with public education about
avoiding mosquitoes.
Fishers Island formerly sprayed chemi-
cals to control these pests that date back to the
Dinosaur Age. But after a couple of people
got sprayed, one of whom reponed resulting
headaches, Fishers Island ConservancyChair-
man John Thatcher began a relentless one-
man campaign to bring a non-chemical mos-
quito control program to the Island.
1\5 a result, Island mosquitoes are now
kept at bay by a naturally-occurring bacteria,
which is harmless, except to mosquito larva.
A little smaller and more dusty in appearance
than Grape-Nuts@cereal, the Vectoba~ and
Vectole~ larvacides arc distributed into af-
fected areas, alternating between the two
brands so mosquitoes do not develop an
immunity.
Fishers Island's mosquito control pro-
gram goes virtually unnoticed, until it stops,
as it did in October 2000 and again in March
200 I, "under a cloud oflabyrinthine bureau-
cratic edicts" by the New York State Dept. of
Environmental Conservation. [see Gazette
Vol. 15 No.2, page 33]
During the program's interruption, un-
til Jun. 15,2001, some areas of the Island
suffered large infestations of mosquitoes,
now considered more than a pesky annoy-
ance given the arrival of West Nile virus to
the region.
The "Mosquito Girls" or "Bug Babes"
who search for mosquito larva and distribute
larvacide are the unsung heroines of the
Island's mosquito control program. Mr.
Thatcher recruits the candidates, many from
his home state of New Jersey.
Thissummer's battlefront included two
:it:
seasoned veterans and a new member of the team: Brigid
Thomas, 22, a Lehigh University graduate back for her
fourth summer, and Katie Kirwan, 22, also a graduate of
Lehigh, who spent her first summer on the Island as a
lifeguard at the Fishers Island Club. Completing the trio was
Lauren Herman, 18, a freshman at Harvard University, who
plans to major in chemistry.
Every Mon.-Fri. during the summer, the young women
work their way from the East End to Race Point, mostly on
the north side of the Island due to accessibility. They tackle
five to six sites during their 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. workday.
"We know the sites like the back of our hands, even
when its raining," said Brigid, whose older sister had also
COll1imud on pag~ 27
. (top) Brigid Thomas. carrying
pesticide in horn seeder, inspects
for mosquito larva. .200 I
"Mosquito Girls" (I-r) Elizabeth
Muller. Katie Kirwan and
Brigid Thomas. . (inset) 2002.
Lauren Herman replaced Eliza-
beth as the third crew member.
10 Fidters Is/and Gazene. Pal/2002
A Crime-Stopper, an Energy-Saver and a
Foul Weather Friend all rolled into one.
. Storm Protection
Engineered to withstand
hurricane force winds
. The Ultimate in
Secnrity
Virtually break.in proof
. Snn & Climate
Control
Reduces fading while
lower heating and
cooling costs
. Peace of Mind
Roll.a.way shutters
provide protection
on demand
COASTAL NEW ENGLANO
...,.. IL
~~~~:~~
Toll Free: 1-877-535.3691
www.roll.a.way.com
The ultimate protection for fine homes.
One Touch to Music!
. Home Automation
. Home Installation
. System Design
. Ferry Pick-Up and Delivery
. Furniture Systems
. Home Theaters
. Multi-room Audio
. Two-Piece Projectors
. Pre-Wire New Homes
. Builder Supplies
. In-Store Repair
. Trusted since 1934
ROBERTS
Audio-Video
90 Bank Street
New London, CT
06320
www.robertsav.com
860-442-5314
800-606-4434
ITIPS ON TRIPS I
and CAMPS
A free consulting service for students ages 8- 18
Established 1971
· TRADITIONAL CAMPS · WILDERNESS EXPERIENCES
· FUll SEASONS AND SESSIONS · CREATIVE & PERFORMING ARTS
· COLLEGE CAMPUS STUDY · CROSS COUNTRY TOURS
· SAT PREP & DRIVERS ED · C1RCUS!SAILlNG!SCUBA/TENNIS!GOlF
· EXOTIC TRAVEl · LANGUAGE IMMERSION
· COMMUNITY SERVICE · BIKING: USA & EUROPE
~~I
For future camp fairs, phone consultotion,
brochures & videos, call:
Cassie Kernan
Ph 914.241.0605
39 Stone Hill Rd, Bedford NY 10506
Overnight invitations for
last-minute celebrations!
We carry a distinctive line of
party invitations in-store!
For a huge selection and quick
turnaround, just ask for
Infinite Designs.
We can print...
. Any design in many sizes
. Any typestyle, ink cDIDr and quantity
Matching thank-you notes and accessories too!
I.
(l'oefyll"if!/ .((Jlllllte ! JiUN'/J
'.-9'('('I{11f1 ,Jia!io/I(,/'.f .f/il('(' (9t\IJ
{51 '1lArt j/'u/I Ji"'.d. j!y.rtic
(PSSS/S.d/,oo
Fall 2(J(J2 . Fishers Islalld Gazette 11
,
"Infant Girl SaTes 81-Year-Old Man"
Robert S. Morton, the indomitable author of "A Collection ofStories:'published last February
by the Fishers Island Gazette, wrote the fOllowing (including the title) fOr his close friends. He
agreed to share this true story with the Gazette.
By Roben S. Monon
write as a reponer-but also as the week after my fall, brought about the Miracle
victim of a near-fatal accidelH. of Miracles.
Last August, I slipped and fell down the It was mid-morning, and I looked up
steep, long back stairwell of our California from my bed to see Agnes standing in the
home. Top to bottom. doorway with a tiny. duee-molHh-old girl
My trip down the stairwell was quick named Angelina, a grandniece to Agnes.
and devastating. I had been carrying a tray of One has never seen such a beautiful,
food up the stairs and lost my bal-
ance on the top step. At the bottom.
I could not move.
My wife Elizabeth called 911,
and the emergency medical person-
nel arrived within moments. They
gave me many tests and asked many
questions (my name, social security
number, ete.)
I passed the tests, but even so,
they said I must go to the hospital.
"No way:' I said. "I would die of
loneliness in one night." It should
be said here that in the past 23
years, I have had way too many
surgeries and hospitalizations.
They terrify me.
After "the fall," my doctor pte-
scribed heavy doses of codeine, an
opium-based drug, which helped.
but briefly. He also urged ice packs
for my back. (Medically speaking, I
always thought ice was better put
into large alcoholic drinks, such as
Bloody Marys. I still think so.)
The drugs and ice helped, and
thankfully I was not paralyzed.
Nothingwas broken, but my whole
body was sprained. I couldn't turn over; the
least movement brought excruciating pain.
That first week of recuperation was a descent
into Hell.
I can't minimize the love of my wife of
57 years, without whom I would never have
made it this far. but I could feel myself
sinking ilHo a state of discouragement, resig-
nation and despair.
During those difficult days, I also had
the attelHion of our wonderful Agnes, who
has devotedly served Elizabeth and me for
several years in every known capacity. We
call her the "Miracle Maker."
Agnes saw my painful malaise, and one
William Furse Photo
. Bob Morton and his wife. Elizabeth, on the 15th green
of the Fishers Island Club golf course in the mid-1990s.
cheerful baby.
Shewas dressed perfectly. Diapers neatly
in place. mittens, socks and a lovely blouse.
Agnes walked in and placed the baby face up
on our large four-poster bed. She then de-
parted, saying, "1'11 be back after awhile."
There followed for me, and I believe for
Angelina, roo, a long and lovely period of,
"Getting to know you, getting to know all
about you..." (with a grateful nod to, The
King and 1).
Angelina rook the initiative. She gave
me a large. bright smile. I think she might
even have been flirting a little. I may not be
Rudolf Valentino, but I believe Angelina
would have thought there was a resemblance,
if she had any idea who he was.
The warmth of that connection helped
me to relax for the first time in days. I [Old
her, really in a close-up whisper, how much I
loved her. And then I told her make believe
stories about how I was going to help her
become Princess of the World.
After each of my stories, she would ex-
plode into laughter, throwing her tiny arms
over her head, while kicking her beautiful
little legs vigorously and beaming her alert
and attentive eyes toward me.
I knew she was asking me to tell her
another story, which of course I did
endlessly.
At times I sang to her. 1 may not be
Caruso or Frank Sinatra-again another ref-
erence to which Angelina would have said,
"Never heard of them!"-but I crooned,
"You may not be an Angel, 'cause Angels are
so few." Laughter, throwing of arms, kicking
of legs.
Ultimately, both Elizabeth and Agnes
returned to my bedside and delighted in
witnessing this mutual ecstasy.
The experience with Angelina went a
long way towards healing me. When I was
awake at night, in pain. I would focus on
this precious little girl and then fall into a
deep sleep.
I would be unaware of my pain, hut
more importantly, by far, unaware of the
pains of the world: the poverty. hostility,
inequities, oppression, sadness, indifference
and more.
Then I would awake and think of all
Angelina had given me: hope. innocence.
love, enthusiasm. laughter, trust, compas-
sion, healing.
I must close. Remember, My Fair Lady.
the 1960s musical? There is a song. "Why
Can't a Woman be More Like a Man?"
To save the world, I walH a new song.
"Why Can't a Man Be More Like a
Woman?" Even better, "Why Can't Men
Be More Like My Savior. Angelina?"
As they say, "Out of the mouths of
babes... "
I would add, "Out of their little
hearts...," too.
~~
J 2 Fishers /slalld Gazette - f'alll(J02
F.t. Ferry: Credit Cards, Extra Ferries
The Fishers Island Ferry District
(FIFO) has nearly reached the end
ofits approval stage for renovating
the New London rerminal faciliry and, as of
October, had begun to address the process of
inviting pre-qualified contractors to bid on
the project.
There is a possibilirythat Congress might
approve $3 million for the renovation by the
end of the year. "That would give us a grand
total of$5.6 million, which is about what the
project will cost. Our other source offunding
is rhe $4.9 million from the bonding issue,"
FIFO Chairman Chip duPont said at the
October meeting of the Fishers Island Civic
Association.
Mr. duPom said that $600.000 has
been knocked ofT the estimated cost of the
renovation because cellular cofferdams have
been eliminated, and FIFO does not have to
flood-proof the new building.
Included in Mr. duPont's FICA presen-
tation was the announcement that as of
Nov. I credit cards can be used to pay for
tickets on the ferry. The FIFO computer
system must be upgraded, however, before it
will be possible to call and make ferry reser-
vations with a credit card over the telephone.
He also said that all private and commercial
monthly charge accounts (under $250) are
being discontinued.
Mr. duPom had other announcements
and comments:
-Five special ferry runs have been added
this wimer for the convenience of Island
residents. {see box at right]
-FIFO is removing all junk cars from the
airport and ferry parking lot behind the freight
shed. People who leave cars on the Island and
remove license plates six months later will no
longer be tolerated. Call FIFO. and the office
will arrange to have your car removed. Oth-
erwise, you will be caught by the costly
South old Town ordinance against junk cars,
which will now be enforced.
-There have been complaints about the
ferry leaving just as the train pulls into New
London station. "It is FIFO policy to wait for
the train," Me. duPom said, "but FIFO no
longer has inside information about train
schedules, so we cannot coordinate sched-
ules. Please notify us as soon as you know
your train will be late."
-In response to a question about the
ferry district running a commuter boat,
Mr. duPom said that the Island already had
three daily commuter boats. He reiterated
that it would be too expensive for FIFD to
run a commuter ferry and that there is no
place to tie up.
-Also, in response to a question, Mr.
duPom said there is a line item in the 2003
FIFO budger to study the possibiliry of
lengthening the Munnatawket an extra 30
feet. "The Munnatawket was designed for
three engines, but we had to economize when
we built it," Mr. duPont said. There is cur-
rently great dependence on the Race Point.
since only two trucks at a time fit on the
Munnatawk<t. Mr. duPom said FIFO did
not want to max out its bonding authority
and that the N.Y. State Dept. of Trans-
portation might have money for this capital
improvement.
,,-...
..,. ~
Five Special Occasion
Ferries Added to Schedule
... Depart N.L.
Sat., Dec. 21, 2002.............. 10:00 p.m.
Lost minute Christmas shopping
,Sun., Jan. 5, 2003 ................ 8:30 p.m.
~ E.nd of Christmas/New Yean Breok
'Thurs., Jan 16, 2003........>>>> 8:45 p.m.
Beg. of Mortin Luther King holiday weekend
Sun., Feb. 23, 2003 ..>>>>..>>... 8:30 p.m.
End of Presidents' Week Vocation
Saturday, Mar. 22, 2003..... 10:00 p.m.
"Ain't Misbthovin'. "Garde Aru Theatre@':OOp.m.
~
. The Race Point prepares for departure from the terminal at Silver Eel Pond.
AI Gordon Photo
Ho...e Healt.. Care Plan Hil~ a Snag
For two weeks in July, Fishers Island's
new home health care program had all
the earmarks of success. By the fall, however,
it appeared to be the victim of economics and
geography.
Utopia Health Care of New London
hired Dianna Shillo, a year-round resident
and nurse, to monitor a home health care
program on Fishers Island for applicants who
qualify for coverage by the New York State
Oept. of Public Health aod Dept. of Aging.
"A nursing student from Connecticut
was spending mornings on the Island caring
for an elderly individual, and it appeared to
be a good match," Ms. Shillo said. "We had
hoped to keep her for the entire summer and
hire someone new in the fall.
"Unfortunately, the Oept. of Public
Health objected, because the young woman
was not a licensed aide," Ms Shillo said.
"Connecticut permits nursing students to
CmUi'lurd 0" pagr 13
Fall 2002 - F;.~hers Island Gazene J 3
F.t. Ci'Vi~ Asso<<:iation O<<:toLer Meeting
At the Oct. 12 meeting of the
Fishers Island Civic Association
(FICA) the following items, ex-
cerpted from FICA Secretary Nancy Hunt's
notes, were among those discussed.
School PTO
-Sara McLean announced the creation
of the first-ever F.l. School 1''1'0, whose
purpose is to promote harmony and coopera-
tion both within the school and between
school and community. The group's first
project, suggested by the school's part-time
guidance counselor, was a November forum
for high school students and parents to dis-
cuss the college application process.
-The "0" in PTO stands for "Organiza-
tion," which is meant to include the entire
community. Therefore, the P1'O hopes every-
one will become a member. Dues are $5/yr.
F.I Garbage and Refuse District
-The "long nightmare" of the Pickett
landfill is almost over, said commission mem-
ber Maynard Banks. Planting and seeding
was expected to be completed by the end of
October.
-There will bean election Dee. 10 for an
opening on the garbage district commission
for a five-year term.
FIDCO: Land Trust
-Peter Crisp, president of the Fishers
Island Development Corp. (FIDCO), said
that the Ferguson Museum Land Trust had
recently received two gifts of East End prop-
Home Health Care Snag
Conl';nued from page J 2
work as aides without being specifically li-
censed, but not New York. It is very difficult
for agencies to find people to work, so the
result it that now we have no one."
In addition to manpower problems,
Utopia pays aides $8 an hour, plus $5 for
total travel time. The ferry district had of-
fered to subsidize half of the round-trip fare,
"but who would want to come here when
they can just go up the street and work," Ms.
Shillo said.
"Someone called me the other day look-
ing for help for her mother-in-law. I said,
'Good luck. The only possibility is private
duty, if you can find a person to do it.' And
why would anyone on the Island want to
work for $8 an hour when they can get $25
an hour cleaning houses."
erty development rights, and six were pend-
ing. [see Gazette Vol. 16 No.2] Mr. Crisp
said he hoped West End property owners
would also consider this option.
-FIDCO Chairman Frank Burr said
that since April 1999 Fishers Island has put
over $700,000 into the Southold Trust as
part of South old's two percent land transfer
tax, but none of it has come back to the
Island. Somhold has reaped $100 million
FIDCO: Recreation Path
-FIDCO has not yet given final ap-
proval to the path. It mailed brochures about
the path to over 500 boxholdets in Septem-
ber. [see story on page 31]
Harbor Committee
-South old, which owns Dock Beach Park
and its dock, has delegated decision-making
authority for the use of the dock to the
Island's Harbor Committee. Because a quick
. Charter-for-hire Capt. Andrew Heublein had a busy summer running Island residents and
contractor employees between Noank and the Town Dock at Dock Beach in West Harbor. In
addition to individual and family charters, Capt. Heublein made six round trips each work day to
accommodate off. Island workers.
thus far from the tax. Mr. Burr is a member
of the Southold Open Space/Land Preserva-
tion Committee and welcomes suggestions
of propeny, easements or development
rights to be purchased. Sourhold's purchase
of Dock Beach Park took place prior to the
land transfer tax and was the result of a
bonding issue.
-Enacted Mar. 1, 1999, the land transfer
tax is applicable to the amollnt over $150,000
for homes and over $75,000 for undeveloped
property. Funds collected are used to pur-
chase open space.
Walsh Park Benevolent Association
-WPBAhas been accepting applications,
from year-round residents only, to use the
storefront that is part of the former Rugg
house, now owned by the corporation.
-WPBA is well on its way to achieving its
current fund-raising goal of $1.3 million.
The current focus is on developing rental
housing for people who want to live on the
Island before purchasing a home here.
-Now living in Walsh Park are half the
children at the F.I. School, seven members of
the fire department and four EMT s.
charter between West Harbor and Noank
was beneficial to Island residents, the com-
mittee granted permission for Capt. Andrew
Heublein to llse the dock to load and unload
charter passengers and off-Island workers
from his boat, MV Popeye. There are cur-
rently no charges for use of the dock.
[The Harbor Committee recently granted
permission to Capt. Patrick Kennedy of MV
Kathleen to use the Town Dock for the same
purposes as Capt. Heublein. He will be held
to the same strict operating conditions as
Capt. Heublein, said Harbor Committee Chair
Leslie Goss Gruner.]
Lobster Wars
-The New York State Dept. of Environ-
mental Conservation in September approved
the creation of a lobster conservation zone up
to about three-quarters of a mile off Fishers
Island, Barry Bryan said. It would set a 75-
pot limit for New York and Connecticut
lobstermen, but anyone agreeing to fish only
within this zone would be able to fish an
additional 225 pots. There would also be two
closed seasons a year when all gear must be
out of the water. Gov. George Pataki's signa-
ture was expected after the election.
14 Fishers Island Gazette. Fall 1002
r-
I
I
I
I
--
-
INSPIRE THE MIND.
LIFT THE SPIRIT.
...,
..
...
I
~ "'" ~., ~.;;.'-,,~
. ~ ~,-;.-............ ~.....
'00" -"'~- _ -:::<.vr--
_~try---~,--~~~~-....-;: __-.
_~~~~~~'~~.~_--'::~~ ~4.
~~~;-~ ~7'_ - ,;r:~ . _;':"n,~-_":;. -'~~'., . ~C;
To orJer this photograph (#123189F), call 860.572.5383 or visit \"'-\-"w.mysticst'aport.org/rosenreld.
MYSTIC SEAPORT@
TilE MUSEU,\\OFA,'v\ERICAAND THE SEA',"
8889.SEAPORT . www.mysticseaport.org
J. Carter Brown, 67
J. Carter Brown, 67. the aristocratic
former director of the National Gallery of
Art who had an abiding love for Fishers
Island, died June 17 in Boston, Mass.
Mr. Brown was diagnosed in August
2000 with Multiple Myeloma, a terminal
blood cancer that he treated aggressively with
a stem cell transplant in January 2001. He
lived vigorously after his treatment until he
was hospitalized May 3.
For six weeks, as his lungs continued to
fail, he quickly became known within the
hospital for his strength of spirit and determi-
nation in the face of heavy treatment. He
worked tenaciously on a book about his
father and himself and on a design and con-
struction project for his home. He even kept
up with cmails from numerous organizations
before hewas put into a deep. sedated sleep to
heal his lungs.
His positive attitude. hopefulness, pas-
sion for life and his projects, and love of his
family buoyed him during this time.
Mr. Brown died in the arms of his children
and fiancee.
The Brown family's association with
Fishers Island began with his mother, Anne
Kinsolving Brown who had come to Fishers
Island in 1912 at the age of six. After marry-
ing John Nicholas Brown in 1930, she con-
vinced her husband to consider a summer
home on Fishers Island, forsaking the Brown
tradition of Newport, R.I.
The Brown family connection to Rhode
Island began in 1638 wben Cbad Brown
arrived in the state via canoe. escaping rigid
Bay Colony Puritanism in Massachusetts.
The Browns became well-to-do traders richly
profiting from the rum and molasses trade,
whale oil and candle manufacturing. The
Brown textile factory in Pawtucket, R.I..
built in the 1790s. signaled the start of the
Industrial Revolution in America.
In 1900, the $1 0 million family fortune
fell to Mr. Brown's fatber, Jobn Nicbolas
Brown, an infant at the time. He grew to lead
the life of a philanthropist and a gentleman.
studying and acquiring an extensive collec-
tion of art. Acquiescing to his wife's wishes
for a summer home on Fishers Island. the
Browns built Windshield, named for the ex-
tensive use of glass on its exterior. The 1938
hurricane destroyed the flat-roofed. 138-ft.
long structure just months after its com ple-
tion, but it nevertheless is considered a "semi-
nal moment" in the development of modern
architecture in the United States.
During the hurricane. the flat overhang-
ing roof, perched 100 feet high on Clay
Point, flew ofT like a glider with an airfoil
effect. The house was rebuilt in 1939,
donated in 1963 to the Fishers Island Devel-
Fall 2002 . Fishers Island Gazette J 5
minute drive to my father's office in Provi-
dence, it made sense for him to choose that
house over Windshield.
"Certainly, Carter's love for the Island
was most recently demonstrated by the trav-
eling exhibit he ghost-curated (Harvard and
Rhode Island School of Design being the lead
organizers) all about Windshield."
Courtesy of the John Nicholas Brown Center, Providence, R.I.
. J. Carter Brown c. 1944 in his Bullseye at Fishers Island. . (inset) Mr. Brown in National Gallery's
East Building Atrium, Washington, D.C. Photo credit: Jim Argo, courtesy National Gallery of Art.
opment Corp. and used as a guest clubhouse
by the Fishers Island Club for about two
years. It was then owned privately by two
successive families until it burnt to the ground
Dee. 31,1973.
The Browns put Windshield on the
market when it became clear that their
children would no longer be spending
summers on the Island. "It sat on the
market for several years,"said Mr. Brown's
sister. Angela Fischer. "Meanwhile, the house
in Newport. built by my father's mother.
where my father had grown up, was also on
the market, but there was no interest there,
either. As the Newport house was a short 45-
Mr. Brown's father had strong notions
of architecture and selected Viennese-born
California architect Robert S. Neutra (1892-
1970) to design tbe house. Frank Lloyd
Wright was considered of an older genera-
tion. Two years of almost daily written corre-
spondence between architect and client make
Windshield one of the best-documented
houses in 20th-century architectural history.
Young Carter Brown spent his forma-
tive summers on Fishers Island where sailing
was his major focus. "I must say. he usually
won the Fishers Island Yacht Club series,
either skippering his little Bullseye, which he
Colll;nurd on pag~ 20
16 Fishers Islalld Gazette. Fall 2002
Lavone D. Andrews
Lavone Dickensheets Andrews, 89, a
pioneering architect, who bought a home on
Fishers Island 50 years ago with her husband,
Mark Edwin Andrews, died June 4 in Hous-
ton, Tex.
Mrs. Andrews' architectural career
spanned nearly 60 years. It began with a
license for archirecture in 1938 on a form
that said "he" was licensed, and culminated
in numerous awards, including being named
a Fellow of the Royal Institute of Architects
in Ireland in 1994.
Mrs. Andrews was born in Beaumont,
Tex. Sept. 18. 1912. rhe daughrer of Charles
Dickensheets and Lavone Lowman. Her fa-
ther was an East Coast newspaper reporter
While at Rice, Mrs. Andrews was
president of the Rice Dramatics Club and
was an active member of the Pallas Athene
Literary Society. She was vO[ed best actress
on campus and had leading roles in a number
of productions.
After graduation, Mrs. Andrews was an
apprentice [0 noted architect John Staub and
opened her own office in 1938. At first, her
imerest was in residemial architecture, but
she later expanded her practice to design
schools, health facilities and office buildings.
She became a member of the American Insti-
[Ute of Architects in 1943 and was made a
Fellow in rhe A.I.A. in 1977.
In 1948, she married Mr. Andrews, a
native Houstonian and lawyer who at the
time was an assistam secretary of the Navy in
Washington D.C. While there, the Andrews
met and became close friends with Ann
LA VONE D. ANDREWS
Photo courtesy of Mark Andrews
sent [0 cover the emerging Texas oil boom
story. He soon resigned from the newspaper
and become a wildcatter himself, moving his
family to a series of homes across the country.
Mrs. Andrews attended Miss Hamlin's
School in San Francisco and the Marlborough
School in Los Angeles before graduating in
1929 with the first graduating class of
Beverly Hills High School. In 1933 and
1935 respectively, she received undergradu-
ate and graduate degrees in architecture from
Rice Institute in Houston. Of the 100 stu-
dents to begin the graduate program, Mrs.
Andrews was one offive to receive a degree-
and the only woman.
(Kinsolving) andJohn Nicholas Brown, who
was later godfather to the Andrews' son,
Mark Edwin Andrews Ill.
The Andrews returned to Houston in
1949, and together they ran Ancon Oil &
Gas, a private energy company that Mr.
Andrews had founded before his tour of duty
in Washington. Being a quick study and
having learned the oil business from her
father, Mrs. Andrews was an active partner in
the business and went to the office with her
husband every day. Mrs. Andrews was vice
presidenr ofrhe company from 1957 to 1992.
the year that Mr. Andrews died.
In 1952, after summering in a variety of
locations, the Andrews thought it best to
settle in one place. "The Browns suggested
we try Fishers Island," said her son, Mark
Andrews. "My parents rented what was then
the Guy Rutherfurd house for one month,
and the next year bought the Douglas van
Dyke house on the East End.
"My parents loved the Island at all times
of the year. In 1953. they began spending the
month of November on Fishers. They had a
small group of friends who took turns enter-
taining one another at that time of year: the
Simmons, Foshays, Elys, Pete duPollts,
Kirklands, Bullet Smiths and Bogerts."
Mrs. Andrews' architectural expertise
was called upon in themid-1950safterwatch-
ing the Fishers Island Beach Club blow away
in a hurricane. She was asked to consult with
Matty Matthiessen and John Rawlings, who
were designing a new structure that would
withstand future storms. While she was not
proud of the new beach club from an aes-
thetic perspective, it has stood its ground for
almost 50 years.
The Andrews summered annually on
Fishers until about 1980, when they gave
their home to their son. Over the next de-
cade, they spent a great deal of time at
Knappogue (nah-POG) Castle on the west-
ern coast in County Clare, Ireland. The
Andrews bought the castle, part of which
dates to 1467, in the mid-1960s. The struc-
ture was in ruins at the time.
"My parents fell in love with it, and my
mother decided to take on the restoration of
the medieval castle," Mark Andrews said.
The Irish government helped with the
expense of the restoration, which rook
several years.
Based on the excellence of her work,
Mrs. Andrews was made a member of
The Royal Institute of Architects in Ireland,
which, at that time, was an unusual honor for
an American and for a woman. The resrora-
tion also won the An Taisce Award for archi-
tectural excellence in Ireland and the Europa
Nostra Award for important restoration of a
European monument.
After Mr. Andrews' death, the castle was
sold to the Irish government and is now an
important tourist attraction. The family still
owns the collection offurniture there and can
use the castle for 30 nights each year.
In addition to her practice, Mrs. Andrews
was an active lecturer on architecture and
design. In the 1950s, she gave her first series
oflectures at Pratt Institute and the Parsons
Co1lt;nued 011 page 17
Margaret M. Bogert
Margaret Milbank Bogert of New
York Ciry and Fishers Island died suddenly
Sept. 11. She was 88.
Mrs. Bogert was a philanthropist who
strengthened and perpetuated her family's
legacy through the International Center for
rhe Disabled (lCD), fuunded in 1919 by her
father Jeremiah Milbank, and the JM Foun-
dation, founded by him in 1924.
ThcJM Foundation makes grams in the
areas of health, and education and public
policy research. lCD, the first outpatient
rehabilitation center in the United States,
focuses on medical rehabilitation and pri-
mary care, mental health and addiction re-
covery services, vocational rehabilitation and
job placemem.
Extending her reach heyond the board-
room, Mrs. Bogert personallydevored herself
to bettering the lives of people with disabili-
ties. She trained to be a physical therapist and
worked as a volunteer at ICD and other
medical and rehabilitation centers.
Lavone D. Andrews
COlltilluedfrom page 16
School of Design in New York City. Her last
lecture was to the architectural department
of Texas A&M in 1994.
Mrs. Andrews was a member ofSt. John
the Divine in HoustonandSt.Jolm'sChurch
on Fishers Island. She had served as a trustee
of the Museum afFine Arts in Houston and
the Byzantine Institute in Washington, and
as a member of the YWCA World Service
Council.
Mrs. Andrews is survived by a son, Mark
Andrews, and his wife, Beth, and two grand-
children, Elizabeth Quay Andrews and Mark
Edwin Andrews IV, both students at Harvard
University.
Memorial contributions may be made
to Kilnasoolagh Church in Newmarket-on-
Fergus, Ireland, and sent to Vicki Arbuthnot,
604 Euclid, Housron TX 77009.
"Mom and dad and Mr. and Mrs. Bogert
were extremely close friends. On the
table next to her bed when she died
was a picture of my parents and the
Bogerts on a trip together," Mark
. Andrews said.
Known as "Margie" to friends and fam-
ily, Mrs. Bogert was born June 7, 1914 in
New York City. She attended Miss Hewitt's
classes in the city and then Foxcroft School in
Virginia where she played "side center" on
the basketball team.
At 5 '2", that sports
report was viewed
with skepticism by
her children.
After "coming
out" in New York,
Mrs. Bogert traveled
to China at the sug-
gestion of her father,
who was trying to
break up a romance
of which he did not
approve. The ploy
worked. because
Mrs. Bogert met H.
Lawrence Bogert Jr.
not long after her re-
turn. They were
married in 1936.
Me. and Mrs.
Bogert began sum-
mering on Fishers
Island in 1940, liv-
ing in rented houses until 1946, when they
bought Seascape, the well-known corner
white house, surrounded by gardens, just
beyond the fourth green of the Hay Harbor
Club golf course.
Mr. Bogen first came to Fishers Island
as a college-age tutor for Harry Webb, a
cousin of the Wilmerding and Pope families
and stayed in Lady Salvage's house during
that time.
As the years progressed, the Bogerts
formed lasting friendships with other early
summer families. With an insatiable desire to
entertain and enjoy their friends, the Bogerts
were members of the Red Hats, an informal
group of couples who partied together con-
stantly. These included the Pete duPonts,
Elys, Bremers, Matthiessens, Chesters,
Foshays, John Wilmerdings, Buller Smirhs,
Lords and Andrews.
Mrs. Bogert was known for her annual
Labor Day parties, given with her husband
and then by herself afrer his dearh in 1992.
"Those parties, from the 1960s to 2000, were
an institution," said her son, Jeremiah M.
Bogert. "Mother was extremely gregarious
and loved people. She always had a piano and
bass (Billy Poor and Eddie Drew, musicians)
at her parties, and she loved to sing. She wrote
Pall 2002 . Fi.~/lers 1sland Gazene /7
her own words to popular music and cut an
LP of Fishers Island songs with Jane duPont."
Happy to share her enjoyment and en-
thusiasm for life, Mrs. Bogert donated all the
liquor for the H.O.G tournaments for many
years. She was
a good golfer
and regularly
played with her
husband. For
many years she
would get to
the 18th tee at
the Fishers Is-
land Club golf
course and
need a six to
break 90 but
invariably
would get a
seven. She had
a good game
but never could
quite break
through to the
80s.
MARGARET M. BOGERT
Photo courtesy 01 JM Foundation
In a more
. .
serious vein,
Mrs. Bogert
did not abandon her devotion to public
service, even during summer vacation.
"Mother's biggest contribution to the Island
was via the Island Healrh Project (IHP),"
Mr. Bogert said. "She chaired the IHP Board
and was instrumental. during the late 1970s,
in arranging for doctor coverage from St.
Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital in New York City,
at a time when a different doctor came to
the Island every two weeks.
"My mother had a terrific life, though
she missed my father terribly in the last few
years," Mr. Bogert said.
Mrs. Bogert was a board member of The
Fresh Air fund, Memorial-Sloan Kettering
Cancer Center, Milbank Foundation for
Rehabilitation, National Foundation for Fa-
cial Reconstruction, National Rehabilitation
Hospital, Rehabilitation Institute of Chi-
cago and United Hospital Fund.
Mrs. Bogert is survived by two sons, H.
Lawrence Bogen III of New York City and
Jeremiah M. Bogen of Bedford Hills; a
brorher, Jeremiah Milbank Jr. of Rye; four
grandchildren, Millicent. Jeremiah, Hilary
and Cyrena; and four great~granddaughters,
Madeline, Brigitte, Chloe and Natalie.
Mrs. Bogert is buried next [0 her hus-
band in New St. John's Cemetery.
18 Fishers Islalld Gazene. Fall 2002
Robert A. Campbell
Robert A. Campbell, whose family first
came to Fishers Island 78 years ago, died
Aug. 30 following a brief illness. He was 86.
Mr. Campbell was born in New Haven,
Conn. He graduated from Philips Exeter
Academy in 1934 and teceived a BA in
English from Yale in 1938. He artended
Episcopal Theological School in Cambridge,
Mass. and earned an MA in Education from
Yale in 1949.
During WWIl, Mr. Campbell served
four years in the U.S. Navy as an officer in
the Naval Bomb Disposal Unit in London
and as executive officer on a sub chaser-
rocket ship in the southwest Pacific.
Following rhe war, he worked as a sales
represenrarive for A.G. Spalding Co. Me.
Campbell also served as director of rhe office
of Selective Services and Vereran's Benefirs
at Yale, associate director of rhe Career Ad-
visory Office ar Yale and director of admis-
sions ar the University of New Haven. He
rerired in 1982.
Mr. Campbell was a volunreer tutor in
New Haven public schools and served on rhe
board of rhe Boys' Club of New Haven and
the United Way. He was an emergency
driver for rhe Red Cross Blood Service and
was a 9-gallon blood donor.
He was also a vesrry member and junior
warden of Sr. John's Church on Fishers
Island.
Mr. Campbell's parems, Mary and
Charles Campbell, and his brorhers and sis-
rers, Charlie, Bill, Anne, Peg and Joan began
summering on Fishers Island in 1924. "Their
first house was jusr easr of Flounder Inn,
now owned by Charlie and Alice Ferguson.
It had all rhe 'modern conveniences' of rhe
day-an outhouse and a well!!" said Mr.
Campbell's wife, Peg.
After two summers in rhar house, which
larer did not survive rhe 1938 hurricane, rhe
Campbells boughr whar is now known as
The White House, currenrly owned by Alice
and Hunrer McGuire and Elizabeth Carrer.
A smaller house, up rbe hill ar rhe rear of rhe
Campbell properlY, was known as rhe "boys'
house" and was used by rhe Campbell's three
sons and rheir tutor. Bob and Peg Campbell
moved imo rhe "boys' house" in 1970, en-
larging ir over rhe years.
Mr. Campbell was an avid comperiror
ROBERT A. CAMPBELL
who regularly rook firsr place in numerous
sponingevents. He held rhe pole vault record
ar Exerer umit the advenr of rhe fiberglass
pole and was a member of rhe Yale rrack
team. He particularly enjoyed golf, twice
reriring rhe John M. Ferguson Memorial
Cup at the Hay Hatbor Club in tbe 1930s
and 1940s. The 1 O-inch sterling silver cups
were "retired" after Mr. Campbell won the
rournamem rhree years in a row, twice. He
cominued ro play 9~hole rounds with his
family, frequemly wirh his grandchildren,
until two weeks before his death.
Mr. Campbell also enjoyed waterspons.
He often crewed for Gordon Murphy in
sail boar races during rhe 1930s and 1940s,
and he loved to fish-rarher, said his wife, he
loved rhe experience of fishing, since he casr
often bur seldom came home wirh a fish.
Mr. Campbell is survived by his wife,
Peg Campbell of North Haven, Cnnn.;
two daughters, Margy Lamere and Susie
Grimes; a son, Roben C. Campbell; and
seven grandchildren.
Francis Elizabeth Blodget Whitman, 88
Francis Elizabeth Blodger Whitman,
88, of Lutherville, Md. and Nantucket,
Mass. died Feb. 20 in Baltimore, Md.
Mrs. Whirman was a longtime summer
residenr of Fishers Island before changing
her summer residence ro Nanrucker in 1961.
Known as Betry to her friends and
Franny to her loving family, Mrs. Whitman
was an alumna of The Ethel Walker School
and srepdaughter of noted author and ac-
rress, Cornelia Oris Skinner.
A former president of Rustic us Garden-
ing Club in Bedford, Mrs. Whitman was a
longtime membet of the Colony Club and
Nantucket Yachr Club, and a former mem-
bet of the Hay Harbor Club, Fishers Island
Club, and Bedfotd Golf and Tennis Club.
She was also a longrime member of Sr.
Matthew's Church, Bedford.
Mrs. Whirman was predeceased by her
husband, Peter Morton Whirman. She is
survived by a son, Peter Monon Whitman,
Jr.; three daughrers, Eleanor Whitman
Laughlin, Elizabeth Whitman Ricketson and
Claire Whitman Marshall; a brorher, Oris
Skinner Blodget; 10 grandchildren; and six
great grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be senr to
rhe Nantucket Conservation Foundarion,
118 Cliff Road, Nantucket, MA 02554.
Fishers Island School 9/11 Remembrance
Some 30 members of rhe Fishers Island
community anended a "Remembrance and
Recovery" ceremony Sept. 11 ar rhe school.
The "Remembrance" began with Jer-
emy Doucette raising rhe flag to half-staff,
followed by rematks by intetim Supt. Meg
McKenna. Social Studies teacher Charles
Stepanek asked for a momenr of silence after
calling ro mind those who died ar rhe World
Trade Cenrer and rhe Pentagon.
Music reacher Paul Fitzgerald, wirh
school band members Raben Blair, Nicho-
las Banas and Samuel Horn, presenred Echo
Taps, providing the bridge to "Recovery,"
which again began wirh Jeremy, who rhis
rime raised rhe flag ro full-sraff. Studenr
Council Presidenr Rand Brorhers led rhe
Pledge of Allegiance, and senior Graham Kuzia
concluded with a reading from the Gettysburg
Address reminding rhose in attendance"... rhat
we here highly resolve that these dead shall
not have died in vain.....
Mary Holt Gray
Mary Holt Gray of Richmond, Va.,
widely known for her competitive spirit and
enthusiastic approach to life, died Sept. 2.
She was 88.
Born in Portland, Me., the daughter of
Adelaide and Eugene Holt, Mrs. Graygradu-
ated from Smith College, Northampton,
Mass. in 1936 and subsequently taught at
Shady Hill School in Cambridge, Mass.
During WWII. she was among the first
group of women officers in the Navy and
served as lieutenant in the Director's Office
at Pearl Harbor until 1946. Her experience
as a naval officer had a lasting influence on
Mrs. Gray, sometimes fondly referred to as,
'The Admiral."
In 1950, while general secretary of the
Smith College Alumnae Association, Mrs.
Gray was on a southern swing of the U.S..
representing the college, when she met and
married Richmond "Dixie" Grayand moved
to Richmond. The evem was more than
serendipitous, however, because Mr. Gray's
sister, Jeanann, a Smith College graduate as
well, had engineered the meeting. Mary and
Dixie were married in February 1950; their
son, Ben, was born in November, and their
daughter, Manha, was born 13 months !ater.
Dixie Gray's father, Dr. Benjamin Gray
was Fishers Island's first summer doctor. He
came [0 the Island in dle early 1900s at the
request of Henry L. Ferguson, who met Dr.
Gray as the young doctor was finishing his
ob/gyn residency at Roosevelt Hospital in
New York City. Dr. Gray continued as the
Island's summer doctor for many years fol-
lowing his return to Richmond. In 19] 8, he
delivered Charles Ferguson on the kitchen
table of the Ferguson home.
Dr. Gray practiced out of a room at the
Mansion House Hotel, but the combination
of his popularity and the antics of his chil-
dren, Dixie and Jeanann, running up and
down the halls of the venerable hotel, neces-
sitated a change. With help from Island resi-
dents, he built a home/office known as
Graycrofi, in the sheep meadow up the hill
from the hotcl. The cottage is still the resi-
dence of the Gray family.
Mary Gray first came to Fishers Island in
1952. Growing up in Portland and summer-
ing at the shore in Falmouth, Me. as a child,
she felt connected to her roots in the North-
east with every visit to Fishers Island, where
she enjoyed the camaraderie of many friends.
I t was here that she also had a special way of
indulging her interest in horticulture.
"Mother loved gardening and occasion-
ally did a little poaching from some of the
Island flower gardens!" Ben Gray said. "She
would also go down to the Race and pick
wildflowers. It wa.<; amazing what a variety of
flowers she could find and how beautifully
Photo courtesy of Ben Gray
MARY HOLT GRAY
she would arrange them in a vase."
The game of golf, however, was her
passion. The Gray family played many, many
rounds of golf together at the Hay Harbor
Club and Fishers Island Club. "Mother'sfirst
priority was making sure the daily schedules
were full of activities for my sister and me
growing up on Fishers. As we got older, she
,."
o
'0
~
~
c
~
.
"
~
~
c
.
~
Fall 1001 . Fishers Is/alld Gazette /9
enjoyed our family foursomes as well as golf
with the ladies or with Dad in mixed four-
somes," Mr. Gray said.
Golf was more than a casual hobby to
Mrs. Gray, who was Maine's state women's
amateur golf champion in 1938 and] 939.
Because of her accomplishment, she was
named Maine's outstanding female athlete in
1939. Mrs. Gray competed in many local
tournaments in Richmond and was an active
member of the Richmond Women's Golf
Association, Virginia Golf Association and
U.S. Women's Seniors Golf Association. She
was also on the Women's Committee of the
U.S. Golf Association and officiated in many
USGA sanctioned tournaments.
In addition to her family, Mrs. Gray also
devoted her time and talents to the Rich-
mond community. She served on the boards
of the CommunityChest,Junior League and
Woman's Exchange, and on the Council of
the Virginia Museum. She was president of
the Belle Bryan Nursery and a member of the
altar guild of St. Mary's Episcopal Church.
Mrs. Gray's love of horticulture resulted in
her becoming president and director, respec-
tively, of the Three Chopt Garden Club and
the Garden Club of Virginia.
"Mother could rise to any occasion,"
Mr. Gray said. "She never let life get her
down and, as a result, lived her life to the very
fullest."
Mrs. Gray was predeceased by her hus-
band and her daughter, Martha, known by
many on Fishers Island as "MoRY." Mrs.
Gray is survived by a son, Ben, of Nashville,
Tenn.; a sister, Martha Giles of Portland; and
her grandchildren, Timmons Grayand Stuart
Gray, both of Nashville.
Memorial contributions may be sent to
St. Mary's Episcopal Church, 12291 Rivet
Rd, Richmond VA 23233.
I
.
I
~.
.
. Sandy Gaston's 8 x 12.ft. flag flies at half-staff behind his home, Sept. II, 2002.
20 Fishers Idalld Gazette. FaUl00l
Steven A. Morell, 81
Stephen Andrea Morell of Wiggins,
Miss., who owned The Pequot Inn for 25
years, died at home Aug. 2 in the arms of his
wife, just hours after the two had enjoyed a
quiet 60th wedding anniversary dinner to-
gether. He was 81.
The Morells boughr the Pequot in 1958
and were open for business everyday except
for six months one winter, when the couple
left to for care for Mrs. Morell's aging mother.
"We didn't make money, and we worked
hard, hard, hard during the season," Ann
Morell said. "But I am very glad we stayed
open year-round. It gave local people a place
to go and a place to sleep. I always had clam
chowder on, so there was something to eat
even if we were closed. And I always hada rule
if people were drinking and not eating, "No
more beer until you eat some chowder and
get something into your stomach.'"
The Mardis had owned Den-Mar Lim-
ousineCorp. at then-Bradley Field in Windsor
Locks, Conn. and regularly passed each other
on the highway. One day, Mrs. Morell said to
her husband, ''I'm tired of this rat race. Let's
buy an inn, so we can pass each other on the
stairway instead of the highway."
About six months later, they heard about
an "old-fashioned" inn for sale on Fishers
Island. The couple had never before set foot
on the Island, but while her husband checked
the upstairs, Mrs. Morell marched back to
the kitchen and struck a deal with Betey
McCloskey, who owned the Pequot with
John Pickett.
"We were new to the Island, and we had
0;
<;
"
c
c
.,
"0
1;
.
~
,
o
o
o
"0
~
~
*'
/
STEVEN A. MORELL
I
they bought one of the brick Officer's Row
fort houses, which they later sold to Bob and
Louisa Evans. The proprietors of the Pequot
made a place for themselves in the Fishers
Island community. Their twin daughters
graduated from the high school, and when
the couple decided to retire to Mississippi, 13
years after they had sold the Pequot, their
friends threw a farewell parry for them at the
American Legion.
Mrs. Morell, who is from an old Missis-
sippi family, said the notice of their 60th
wedding anniversary appeared in the news-
paper the same day as her husband's obituary.
During WWII, Mr. Morell served for
three years in the 43r<1 Infantry. He was a
commissioner of the F.I. Ferry District for 10
years, and a member of the American Legion
Post and Our Lady of Grace Church. Hewas
alsoa memberofV.F.W. Lacy Kelly Posr 306
and of the Masonic Lodge, Elks and Shriners.
"We met May 8 at an army base in
Hattiesburg, Miss.," Mrs. Morell said. "We
married Aug. 2, and Steve shipped out Ocr.
2 for three years. Hesaid, 'Don't worry, I'll be
home the day the war is over, and he arrived
back on VJ day just as the bells were ringing.
We had a special love and 10[Soffun. We had
a wonderful life together."
Mr. Morell is survived by his wife, Ann
Denson Morell, two daughters, Carolyn Ann
Morell Darling of West Palm Beach, Fla. and
Cherlyn Ann Morell Wagner of Wiggins; a
sister and brother; six grandchildren, and 11
great-grandchildren.
to gain the trust of the year-round residents,"
Mrs. Morell said. "That's when we decided
to stay open every day, to serve the Island
people. We had bar customers and boarders,
men who lived alone and didn't eat right. So
we threw Christmas parties and Thanksgiv-
ing dinners for all of the people who were
alone. We had up ro 25 and 30 people at
those dinners."
The Morells lived at the Pequot until
J. Carter Brown, Director Emeritus of National Gallery of Art
Continul!d from pagl! 13
outfitted with all the latest gadgets, or later
co-skippering with his brother, Nick, their
larger Quincy Adams-17."
Sibling bonds were consistently strong
among the Brown children evidenced by the
following bit of family lore:
When the hurricane of 1938 struck,
young Carter was napping on the lee side of
the house. Disobeying orders, his brother
Nicholas, 6, woke him from a nap and brought
the youngest Brown to watch the unfolding
drama with the rest of the family. Minutes
later, the big plate glass window in Carter's
room shattered, spewing razor-like shards
into his recently occupied bed. {see Wind-
shield story, Galette, Vol. 7 No.4]
Years later, Fishers Island played an-
other crucial role in Me. Brown's life. In
1961, John Walker, then director of the
National Gallery and also a summer resident
of Fishers Island, lured Me. Brown from
doctoral studies in art to become his assistant
at the museum. Mr. Brown became assistant
director in 1964. By 1967, he was helping to
negotiate the purchase of Leonardo da Vinci's
"Ginevra de' Benci" and was in charge of
planning the East Building, eventually de-
signed by I.M. Pei and voted by the American
Institute of Architects one of the ten best
buildings in America.
Mr. Brown was named deputy director
in 1968 and director, at the age of 34, in
1969. He was the longest-serving director in
the institution's history, and only the third
person to hold this position.
Regarded as reflective and intellectual,
and referred to as part Barnum, part Albert
Schweitzer, Mr. Brown became a champion
of mass culture. Under his tutelage, Congress
increased annual federal funding to the gal-
lery from $3.2 million to $52.3 million, and
the endowment grew from $34 million to
$186 million. Attendance swelled from 1.3
million to 7 million visitors a year. Becoming
a major educational resource to the nation,
the Gallery also doubled its square footage,
increased its collection by some 20,000 works
of art, and instituted an extensive special
exhibitions program, which included the
blockbusters, "KingTut" and "Circa 1492."
"He transformed the museum world
from an ivory tower into an immenselypopu-
larplace," said Earl A. Powell Ill, Mr. Brown's
successor as director at the gallery. "He was a
great aristocrat, but a real populist."
Throughout his adult life, Mr. Brown
never lost his fondness for Fishers Island nor
his connection with friends and family here.
Continued 011 page 21
J. Carter Brown
Pall ZOO] -l'ishers Island Gazette 21
C01JtillUl~d from page 20
"He often spoke of returning to the Island
and even looked at houses to rent, but his
busy life never permitted him enough time in
one place," Ms. Fischer said.
Mr. Brown grew up in a cultured world
filled with art, plays, concerts and operas. He
attended the Arizona Desert School and
graduated from Groton and then Harvard.
summtl cum /aude in 1956. After earning an
MBA from Harvard in t958, hewenr ro Iraly
as the last student of the famed Bernard
Berenson. Between 1958 and 1961, he stud-
ied at Ecole du Louvre in Paris and
Rijksbureau vooe Kunsthisrorische
Documematie in The Netherlands, and re-
ceived a masters degree from New York
University's Institute of Fine Arts. From
1970-2000, he received 17 honorary degrees.
In 1971,Mr. Brown marriedConsrance
Mellon Byers; they divorced two years later.
He married Pamela Braga Drexel in 1976 in
a service at Westminster Abbey in London.
They divorced in 1991.
Me. Brown is survived by a son, Jay
Brown and a daughter, Elissa Brown, both
of Washington, D.C.; a brother, Nicholas
Brown of Newport, R.L; a sister, Angela
Fischer of Boston; and his fiancee,
Anne Hawley of Brookline, Mass., the
director of the Isabella Stewart Gardner
Museum in Boston.
Memorial contributions may be sent to
the Center for Advanced Study of the Visual
Arcs (CASV A) at the Narional Gallery of An
in Washington, DC.
Army Corps Approves Mohegan Aquaculture
The u.s. Army Corps of Engineers in
August approved the Mohegan tribe's
plan for an ambitious shellfish aquaculture
project at six sites in and around Long Island
Sound, including Fishers Island Sound.
In the largest venture of its kind in
Connecticut, the tribe aims to return to its
historic economic roots by farming the sca.
They will be raising shellfish in cages sus-
pended from a buoy systcm, similar to shell-
fish production on Fishers Island.
Earlier this year, the Connecticut De-
partment of Environmental Protection
(DEI') approved the tribe's application, but
cut in half the scope of the proposed $10
million project.
The aquaculture permit dictatcs
that"each long line will be approximately
400 feet in length, and contain approxi-
mately 50 stacks of trays, secured with
Classic Elements...
tensioned anchors at a depth of no less than
1 0 feet below the water surface at all times."
Hundreds of boaters and fishermen have
opposed the loca(ion of the shellfish cages in
wa(ers (hat arc part of a "navigational (hor-
oughfare." The Corps said reviews by engi-
neers and biologis(s indicate the projec( will
no( unreasonably in(erfere with navigation
and will have minimal impact on the local
environmCJ1(.
The tribe is already growing 35 million
clams and 2 million oysters at a small marina
on the Wes(erly, R.I. side of (he Pawcatuck
River. As the shelHish mamre, (he Mohegans
will move lIlem to shellfish beds in Fishers
Island Sound, Pine Island Bay, Stonington
Harbor, Niantic Bayand the PawcaruckRiver.
~t,,:-
- f:!-
~ 0:--::" -..
...combine to create a
relaxed style, soothing
colors and luxurious
touches. This most ap-
pealing four year old resi-
dence has nine rooms
including four bedrooms
and three bathrooms.
Located on the East End
of Fishers Island, it is a
perfect refuge for fulllime
use or as a retreat for ex-
tended family and week-
end guests. $575,000
Doyen. McBride REALTORS@
860.434.5838 ~ 631.788.7303
22 Fishers Island Gazette. Fall 2001
ATOP CLAY POINT
Architecturally distinctive Contemporary with breathtaking panoramic views from four terraces. Rich cyprus and
antique brick exterior. Walls of windows affording marvelous light. Twelve beautifully appointed main rooms.
Entrance Hall with circular oak staircase with wrought iron balustrade. Living Room and Dining Room both with
Fireplaces. Four Master Bedrooms. Pine paneled Recreation Room. Dark Room. Four Bedroom Staff Quarters. Heated
Swimming Pool. Three car Garage. Six acres on one of Clay Point's highest elevations with sweeping view of the
Connecticut Coast & Fishers Island Sound. $1,695,000
~'
.
,.
.
...
D.
ON BARLOW POND
Over one acre of level land with easy access. A fabulous
building site or long-term investment to acquire now for
a future generation.
t;
PARADE GROUNDS
Recently refurbished first floor Pied-a-Terre. Approximately
1900 square feet with new Eat-in Kitchen, Living Room with
Fireplace, Three Bedrooms plus Large Sleeping Porch. Hall
Bath and Powder Room. Basement Storage Space. $325,000
Ginnel Real Estate
(631) 788-7805
Fa1/2002. Fishers Is/a"d Gaz.ette 23
MAGNIFICENT TUDOR
Brick and stucco construction of the F. Scott Fitzgerald era. Almost 7000 square feet of unsurpassed elegance Twelve main
rooms completely renovated. Grand Entrance Hall. Powder Room. Large Living Room with Fireplace and French doors to a
beautiful canopied slate terrace. FomMI Dining Room with Fireplace. Large Kitchen. 1st Floor Master Bedroom Suite with
Fireplace and Bath. Butler's Bedroom and Bath. Three Family Bedrooms, one with Fireplace, each with Bath. Three Smaller
Bedrooms and Hall Bath, Sitting Room. Basement. Three Car Garage. Private 5.7 acre grounds with spectacular southerly
views of Barley Field Cove and Block Island Sound. Pool with Pool House. Tennis Court. $2,995,000
1920's SHINGLE STYLE
Majestic and unspoiled. Beautifully proportioned rooms, gleaming hardwoods and 4 Fireplaces. Gracious Entrance Hall.
Study with Fireplace. Living Room with Fireplace. Enclosed Sun Porches. Dining Room with Fireplace. Kitchen with
Butler's Pantry. Adirondack "Game Rm" with Fireplace. Master Bedroom with Bath. 7 additional Bedrooms. Spectacular
southerly views of Block Island Sound. 2.72 acres on the eastern end of the Island surrounded by the golf course. $2,195,000
Thomas H.C. Patterson, Broker Associate
Box 258, Fishers Island, NY 06390
www.ginnel.com · e-mail: ginnel1@aol.com
24 Fisher.~ Idand Gazette. FaIl2(J(JZ
rnd'sLfc IsLe ReaL"t&' foc,
.J=isbeRS ISlaod, o.l/. 06390 631-"'788"7882
This two bedroom winterized cottage has a certain charm and a
great deal of pO[ential. There is a small living room, reasonably
up-to-date kitchen, outside porch and a full basement. House
appears sound and has a good-sized anic space that could be used
for expansion. Located on approximately 1/3 acre, including
garage with off-street parking. Asking price $275,000 plus
commission to be paid by purchaser. Taxes approximately $1.300.
New Listings
Undeveloped land Parcels
2.9 acres. East End, very private, with small pond, near
Fishers Island Club golf course. Probably no water view, but
a nice-sized wooded 10[ in a desirable area of the Island.
Asking price a very fair $225,000.
~~~
Charming site affords lovely views looking in a south-
easterly direction over the full length of Barlow Pond. Very
private and well-located about midway down the Island
within a mile or so of Isabella Beach. The lot is well wooded
with easy access to utilities. Many of the permitting re-
quirements necessary for building are already in place. This
approximately one-acre parcel is offered at $3 I 0,000 with
very reasonable taxes.
BAGLEY REID. Broker
www.mysticislerealty.com
This recendy constructed 4-bedroom, 3-bath house located in
a quiet wooded area of the Island on 1.67 acres is now offered for
sale for $575,000, with raxes of approximately $6400. This al-
most 2600-square foot house appears well built and has most
certainly been carefully maimained by the owners. In addition to
an attractive living room and separate dining area, there is a most
comfortable TV or family room on the ground floor. The mod-
ern kitchen appears very functional and an attractive work area.
There are numerous closets and extra storage and utility spaces.
-
< 1
c,<<,!,
- . ",--
-- ~ .:-. -
-,- .;_~.;:-:l1: ~ -J ~ ~ .~;"~...="S~-:~
---.... . . ">4 ~., ~._-.. '1' " """-
-- :;~~.5~~~~~~~~:-:~-..~~,~~.~
- - -.~ ~:'" ::-- ..~~i'~::~",,"""",' ~"t ",:...
Chocomount Beach. Approximately 3 acres of undeveloped wa-
terfront land potentially for sale to discerning buyer sensitive to
careful development of property. Direct access to and ownership
of approximately 150 feet of beachfront on the eastern end of
Chocomoum, with sweeping view of beach and Block Island
Sound. Serious inquiries are welcome. (Ginnellisting)
SUE HORN. Salesperson
Fall 21J(J2 . Fishers Is/a"d Gaz.ette 25
....". "
I
~~~
BAGLEY REID · Broker
SUE HORN. Salesperson
www.mysticislerealty.com
Substantial Price Reduction. This architecturally distinctive home built for the Lamont duPonts in the early 1950s was designed by Erard
Matthiessen and has sweeping views of the Connecticut coast as well as glimpses of Long Island Sound. Built of brick and cyprus, the
house contains almost all of the original fixtures and hardware as well as some of the period furnishings. The interior includes a large living
room and dining room, each with a fireplace, opening to a wonderful glass and screened sun porch. There are 4 family bedrooms, 3 1/2
baths. paneled recreation room, and an updated kitchen with butler's pantry. Additional bedrooms are in the staff's quarters. The house
is winterized and has an attached 3-car garage. The 6-acre property is naturally landscaped with a rolling lawn and has a reasonably new
heated swimming pool. There is also a separate 2.7-acre building site. This is a very good value at $1.695.000. (Ginnellisting)
Balconies and outside decks command distant views of both Extremely large shingle house affords views of West Harbor
sides of the Island. A GO-foot heated indoor lap pool is attached to from wrap-around porch. Original portion of house has living
the house in a solarium-like structure with 20 foot+ ceilings. There room with sliding glass doors to porch; dining room, with porch
are 4 double bedrooms each with marble tiled bath; stunning access, and kitchen. Second floor has 4 bedrooms, 2 baths; third
master bedroom suite is on top floor. Large living room/dining floor has 3 small bedrooms, 1 bath. Back portion of house has
room with fireplace overlooks pool area from above. An efficient, large playroom area, 3 bedrooms, 2 modern baths and separate
attractive kirchen and separate office space are on the same level. kitchen. Basement has space for several cars; separate winterized
House is situated on 2.5 naturally landscaped acres overlooking one-bedroom cottage with small outside deck. House needs some
Barleyfield Pond and the ocean beyond. Partially furnished. Fully cosmetic work. but has great space, is conveniently located in West
winterized. Taxes approximately $1 O,OOO.Askingprice$1 ,900,000. End and has a great deal of potential. $495,000, taxes $3800.
rn~st:tc IsLe ReaLt:~ fDC,
26 Fishers Island Gazette. Falll(j(ll
ISLAND HARDWARE
More than just locks and hinges
788-7233
SERVI:;TIIR~
FISHERS
ISLAND
M@bir
FULL SERVICE Sl A liON
Mo'orik
PAINTS
Official New York State
Auto Inspection Station
CARCO@ INSPECTION
Fuel Oil
Gasoline
Propane
Party Ice
Diesel
Service
When you're in trouble, who are you going to call?
E. Riley, station manager
631-788-7311 · 631-788-5543, fax · Emergency only: 788-7178
Mosquito Girls
Continued from page 9
been a Mosquiro Girl. "We know which sites
arc getting wet and which ones to go to first.
We can even predict the pattern of change
between wet and dry spells.
"Mosquitoes like to hatch in humidity.
They incubate around the edges; water
comes, and they hatch. After a rain, if you
have humidity, watch out," Brigid said. "You
also have to pay attention to low and high
tides in salt water marshes. They are the most
lethal. They swarm me the most."
Scientists say that shoreline areas gener-
ate large numbers of mosquitoes, because salt
marsh mosquitoes breed in large numbers in
salt marshes, which are unaffected by rainfall.
Each young woman has her own near-
disaster talc to tell, from trying to avoid dive
bombing seagulls to sinking an entire leg into
mud that appeared to be solid ground.
Although hip boots provide protection,
they often leak and are constantly ripped by
thorns. Boot repair kits are like gold. The
other occupational hazards are poison ivy
and mosquito bites. The answer: ignore it
and don't itch.
The job can be boring when there is no
rain. Mosquitoes lay eggs in standing water
Fall 2002 . Fishers Island Gazette 27
or mud and hatch in about seven to 10 days.
"Sometimes people call to complain about
mosquitoes, but they don't realize that we
only go after the larva."
The trio agreed on the two worst spots
this summer, the ones that had the most breed-
ing and consistently highest larva count: Race
Point and the goose swamp along the eighth
fairway of the Fishers Island Club golf course.
"Wind is good, though, because if it's
windy, they havea hard time landing," Brigid
said.
o
15
~
~
-
~
.
~
>
~
-
.
'"
. The "Mosquito Girls" truck, driven by Brigid Thomas, 22, was consumed in an inferno of fire
Aug. 27 on the East End road not far from Grey Gulls. Fire department volunteers responded
quickly to the blaze, which was blamed on faulty wiring. Ms. Thomas escaped unharmed.
----z&~ Congratulate that new Mom and
Wrb N'lrlrry Dad and let them know you care.
You can even see their baby and order pictures!
SIKrial" Find many job opportunities
Progranu available at Lawrence & Memorial
or visit the medical staff directory online.
Commullity View a full list of educational and
Hrallh tt medical programs and services
offered to our community.
Lawrence & Memorial Hospital
365 Montauk Avenue
New London CT 06320
~ Research over 1,500 timely medical
lJ~E HEAL\~J articles that will help you become
CONNEOION a better health care consumer.
*' You also can find a guide for
visitors including visiting hours,
directions and your patient rights.
Ou,
S4trlUIL
Farilitic
LAWRENCE Iii
&MEMORIALW
The more you know about health care,
the more you'll like L&M.
28 Fi.~hers Island Gazette. Fall 2002
WILLS, TRUSTS & ESTATES
Probate in Suffolk County and Nassau County
REAL ESTATE
Planning & Zoning
51020 Main Road, Southold NY 11971
&1&
Former town attorney and surrogate's court attorney
Patricia C. Moore
ATTORNEY AT LAW
TOWN OF SOUTHOLO, SUFFOLK COUNTY
631-765-4330 . Fax: 631-765-4643
QOHERTV
BEALS &
BANKSI P.C.
CERTIFIED PUBLIC
ACCOUNTANTS
Accounting & Auditing
Tax Return Preparation
Probate and Estate Accounting
Tax & Financial Planning
Accounting Systems Set-up
1-860-443-2033
187 Williams Street
New London, Conn.
Weekly Island Service · Island Appointments Available
New York & Connecticut Licenses Held
FISHER & FISHER ASSOC., INC.
- Full Service Insurance Brokers-
~ <:ornrnercial
Business Owner's
Coverage
Marine
~
CHUBB
~ Personal
Homeowners
Automobile
Liability
Marine
For information, please contact:
John C. Fisher
Fisher & Fisher Assoc., Inc.
455 Post Rd Ste 202
Darien, cr 06820
(203) 656-3644
Fax: (203) 656.3970
~
~
Bertram B. Fisher
DeWitt Stem Group, Inc.
420 Lexington Avenue
New York.. NY 10170
(212) 867-3550
Fax: (212) 983.6483
Serving the Isklnd for over 40 years
I may be the last insurance
agent you'll ever need.
Home, life, auto, business,
disability. It's a good idea to
talk to your Farm Family agent
about all your insurance needs.
I can help you find gaps in your
coverage that may put you at
risk. And eliminate overlapping
coverages you shouldn't have
to pay for.
For the custom-tailored
coverage you deserve, count
on Farm Family for personal-
ized, professional service.
Call me today.
Farm
Family
Life Insurance Company
e Casualty Insurance Company
Glenmonl. New York
A company founded to serve Farm Burea/4, members
Kevin J. Cantwell
AGENT
104 Edwards Ave.
Calverton, NY 11933
631-727-7766
631-727-7941, fax
Fall 2002. f'ishers Jdalld Gazette 29
Board of Edu.:ation Sets Its Fo.:us
The dissension and divisiveness that
tore through the Fishers Island com-
munityduring the past school year,
appear to have mclted away with the depar-
ture of Supt. Kathy Koehnen, who is on
administrative leave.
Reports now describe a more positive
energy at the school. Interim Supt. Meg
McKenna, who retired in June as superinten-
dent of the lindenhurst school system, is
praised for her interpersonal skills and ability
to communicate with parents, teachers and
students.
Ms. McKenna, however, who was so
praised in her last position that they named a
building after her, was scheduled to leave in
November.
The Board of Education acknowledges
that it has challenges, and the biggest areas
are hiring a superintendent and increasing
the number of students at the school.
Board President Steven Scace reported
at the October meeting of the Fishers Island
Civic Association that the Board has hired a
search consultant from the New York State
School Board Association to help find appro-
priatecandidatcs for superintendent. He also
said the Board was establishing a broad-based
selection committee including Board and
community members, parents and teachers.
Responding to concerns about the ap-
proximately $67,000 pet Island pupil expen-
diture for 2002-03, Mr. Scace said that there
were currently 54 students [34 Island, 20
magnet] at the school and that staffing needs
are mostly fixed.
"We can double the number of students
with a relatively small overall cost increase,"
Me. Scacc said. "This needs our highest pri-
ority. We need to focus on revitalizing the
Magnet program, which has declined in the
last few years."
The Board planned an open house
Nov. 1 for prospective magnet students and
parents and hoped to have applications in by
year-end in order to make decisions by March.
More like a private school admission cycle,
one Board member said.
Mr. Scace reported the hiring of three
new teachers: BarbaraJones, third and fourth
grade; Lisa V cndctta, fifth and sixth grade;
and Marie Twomey, Spanish. He also said the
Boatd had scheduled a November budget
planning workshop to prepare for the 2003-
04 budget. This year's expenses included in-
stallation of carpeting in the hall outside the
auditorium, replacement of the stage cur-
tains, repair of the libraty roof and repairs to
faculty housing, beginning with the porches.
Board of Education members are
President Steven Scace, Vice President Rob-
ert Dexter, Karla Heath, Nina Schmid and
Stephanie Hall.
T ~o Foru...s: Year-round Pop. &- S~"ool
Island residents attended two commu-
niry forums, Sepr. 24 and Sept. 26,
indicating their deep concern for the
dwindling year-round population and the
future of the Fishers Island School.
In August, the Fisher's Island Civic As-
sociation (FICA) circulated a question to 36
Island businesses and organizations: "What
can you and your organization do to help
improve and build up the year-round com-
muniry of Fishers Island?" The Sept. 24
meeting at the American Legion Hall was an
opportunity for FICA to record the response.
The Rev. Rosemary Baue, pastor of
Union Chapel, moderated the meeting, which
had been her idea.
Representatives from 26 organizations
and businesses spoke, mainly defining their
role in the community. Ultimately, they pro-
vided a window on a significant framework
of the Island. Information presented included
the following:
Of Race Rock Gatden Co.'s 20 employ-
ees, 11 are year-round residents, and three
have children at the F.1. School.
The Fishers Island Club has 76 employ-
ees, 14 of whom live here year-round. It hosts
golf tournament fund-raisers for organiza-
tions vital to the community and uses local
contractors for its construction and repairs.
The club also provides tennis and golf pros
and facilities to F.I. school students before
and after the season.
St. John's Church gives scholarships to
F.I. School's local graduating seniors, and
this year's contribution was about $50,000.
The Fishers Island Development Corp.
has contributed $30,000 to the lobster wars
and has tried to develop cottage industries,
particularly for women.
The Ferry District contributes to year-
round residents by charging for outgoing
trips only, not incoming. said Paul Giles,
who is filling the seat vacated by Tom Doheny.
Z&SConrractinghas 17 employees, 14
are Island residents, and three are part time,
with a total of eight children in school.
By contrast, however, Harold Cook,
who has a smaller business, said he has only
one year-round resident employed, because
it is difficult for a $20/hr. laborer to live on
the Island.
Jack Raridon drew widespread chuckles
when he noted that "living on this Island isn't
for everyone. If you take 100 families, and
wait 10 years, you'll probably end up with
only five who've stayed on Fishers. That
makes us either very special-or very strange."
He agreed that "we're not very friendly to
new people, and that is something we all have
to work on." As a first step, Mrs. Balle has
organized a community Welcome Wagon for
new year-round residents.
Trudi Edwards pointed out that "it's
become too easy to commute from the main-
land to Fishers." If it were just as easy to
commute the other way, "then families who
live here could work ofT-Island" with greater
flexibility, she said.
. . .
The Sept. 26 public forum took a
different approach. Sponsored by the Island
People's Project. this event was organized by
Cynthia Riley.
Participants had been asked in advance:
"Where do you see the Fishers Island School
in three years?" and "What qualifications do
you feel are necessary for a superintendent of
rhe F.I. School?"
The forum was designed for the audi-
ence to brainstorm and the Board of Educa-
tion to "listen and absorb." Interim Supt.
Meg McKenna, who was scheduled to leave
in November, was on hand to answer some
questions.
Mike Posey was the first to step to the
podium. He had prepared an in-depth pro-
posal for identifying problems, gathering in-
formation, and proposing and implementing
solutions. He suggested a "joint venture" be-
tween the school and a survival organization
Gmti,med 011 page 43
30 Fi.~hers Island Gazette. FaIl2()()1
IDGsl
Group Health Insurance Specialists
:He tfuare
so utlOns
DIVERSIFIED
GROUP SERVICES, INC.
~~.~~I.~~~l
-
(gj
Oxford rlea\th PlanS
"1
@-~f'G":U"'i.
~r'Hs l!eOltli;;::'
SOllitlOns_
Specializing in health insurance
fa,. filip/oyer groups (2-50)
& individual long term care
~
UNUM
Gwup Heahh lnsurane.' Dn,kn
{~ JeanE.Clark,RHU
~)GEFinB . emaiLj.u_darkIMne1.ncl
- nClal ASsurance
1-800- 235- 5126
48 lafa)'clle Street. Norv.:ich, Connecticut 06360
Telephone BoO-8M6-SUo . Fax 800-880-7017
Sally
Pratt
Multi-Million Dollar Producer
&
Chairman's Circle Member
Sally is among the top .08% of real estate sales agents
nationwide. She specializes in the sales and marketing
of exceptional properties from Port Royal to Pelican Bay.
including golfing communities. waterfront. beach front
and estate homes.
~
.........
RESIDENTIAl REAl ESTATE. lNC.
550 Fifth Avenue South, Naples, Florida 34102
800-741-7131 or 941-262-7131, Exl. 127
941-261-5085, home olfice
c;4 -~. - u "Th, 0" Tim<Airli.,"
CU-O/J't -
~
T~jn and .Turbine
~ '(ngln~ - ~
~'. ......t""~p ~
Ctiarfe~~:i~,er~i .
~
RESERVATIONS and INFORMATION
1- 800-243-8623
1-860-448-1646
24-hr. Emergency Service
LOV\lj
w'iCK~r I
.
the beach plum
po box 664 fishers island, ny 06390 631.788.7731
Fa1l2fJ02. Fishers Island Gazelle 31
FIDCO Re<<:rea.ional Pa.... Infor...a.ion
Plans for the East End recreational
path are still on the table, and the
Fishers Island Development
Corp. (FIDCO) wants the community to
understand the background, design specifics,
financing and timetable of the project.
To that end, FIDCO in September
mailed an eight-page full-color brochure with
information about the path, including a de-
tailed map, to over 500 boxholders. The
brochure was widely praised for its composi-
tion and design but did not elicit a flood of
overt opinion one way or the other, said
FIDCO President Peter Crisp.
The FIDCG Board was encouraged to
proceed on May 9 when the IRS granted
501 (c)(3) status to the Fishers Island Recre-
ational Path Foundation. FIDCO has always
counted on voluntary contributions for con-
struction and maintenance of the path, and
now those gifts will be tax deductible.
"The purpose of the brochure is to take
the temperature of the community on the
Island, to see if there is support," Me. Crisp
said. "The community needed a statement of
what it was, the rationale, the cost and what
wc've done so far.
"The next step takes real money
[$250,000], and we don't want to spend that
money on an engineering project, if the com-
munity doesn't want it. Our main purpose
and principle motivation is safety. We don't
wish to be perceived as heavy handed, and we
want to reach a consensus."
FIDCO's timetable is dependem on a
number of issues: final engineering drawings
and state approval, the outcome of conversa-
tions "still in progress with several affected
landowners," and raising the estimated $3 mil-
lion it will cost to build and maimain the path.
"Assuming favorable developments on
all thcsc fronts, construction of
the Path would coincide with
FIDCO planned road repairs in
or around 2004," the brochure
said.
The crushed stone path, four
miles long and eight feet wide,
would start at the gatehouse and
end at the Fishers Island Club
practice putting green. h would
cross the main road twice, in ad-
dition to crossing nine dirt roads
and 13 driveways.
. . .
Separate from the recre-
ational path, road safety on the
East End continues to be an issue.
Last summer, there was no
let up in underage drinking and
reckless driving. FlDCO has au-
thorized the state troopers to stop
speeding motorists and has asked
for a greater police presence on
the East End.
"There havc been sugges-
tions that we patrol the beaches
to stem after-hours drinking. It
has also been suggested that
beaches be closed aftcr dark," Mr.
Crisp said. "FIDCO has proce-
dures, and we do what we think is
reasonable from an enforcement
and expense standpoint.
"Some people think we have a responsi-
bility to oversee every corner of the road. We
have enforcement, and we have properly
posted speed limits. You can never do
enough. "
Fishers Island property owners, who are
also members of the Fishers Island Club,
are eligible to buy shares of stock in FIDCO,
'.
. The FICCO brochure provided several before and after
comparisons of the main road and the proposed recrea~
tional path.
and the directors and officers are responsible
for the stcwardship of the corporation and
its assets.
"There is no liability to shareholders
when directors are deemed to have acted
responsibly. The corporation does have di-
rectors' liability insurance so long as what-
ever incident is not due to malfeasance or
negligence," Mr. Crisp said.
CATCH THE BOATING SPIRIT THIS SUMMER!
. mue WEI\THERGEAR' LlFI' vACKIOT5
-.. , ~.. "
631-788-7528
OPEN MONDAY-FRIDAY 8:00 - 4:30
"IN SEASON"
SATURDAY 8:00 -4:30
32 Fid,ers Is/and Gazette. Fall 2002
FISHER~JSi)ND.CI~...ASS66IAiION
leJ~~4tf4~ishlrs Island NY 06390
e ~&..F,a{ . 631-788-7029
John Spofford & Twig Stickney. Co-Presidents
Nancy Hunt. Secretary
Jay Parsons. Treasurer
Board Members
Barry Bryan, Heather Ferguson, Mike Imbriglio
Sarah Malinowski, Speedy Mettler
Carol Ridgway, Penni Sharp, Janio Spinola
Louisa Evans, Ex officio
The Fishers Is/and Civic Association exists to promote the
economic, civic and social welfare of the people of
Fishers Island. Quarterly meetings provide forums for
discussions of Is/and issues and reports from Island
organizations.
Annual dues: Individual $10; Family $15
Subscribing $25; Supporting $50
Sustaining $100
FIDCO can and
will revoke your
right to drive past
the gate house.
SLOW DOWN-30~!
A community service announcement from FIDCO (Fishers Island Development Corp.)
e~c; Island lit:.
. ~ I~.
~ F.I. ELectric ~
F.I. TeLephone
F.!. Water Works
-A
.,1'
Sound Home
Inspections, Inc.
"Professional home inspection,
from basement to chimney"
Tom Morgan
NDtionolly Certified, American Society of Home Inspecto~ #5535
Connecticut Ucense #HOL234
Fully Insured
19 years' experience
Over 5,000 homes inspected
. On-site computer generated reports
. Specializing in older homes and
commercial structures
860-445-1236
fax 860-572-9148
.""""""",.
f. \
~ ff
;';-'ffffIIllU"'''.$'
PO Box 393 . Mystic CT 06355
www.soundhomeinspections.com
Electric Service Upgrade
COlltillued from page 5
End," Mr. Parsons said, "but the West End
has contributed just as much to the problem
by increasing demand, which reduces the
flow of electricity to the East End."
The first phase overbuild will run from
the "Walsh Dock" area to the power plant
across from Dock Beach, past Union Chapel
and the Pequot. (Q the main road by the Navy
Station and down to the driving range.
"We are contracting off-Island workers
for phase one, because we haven'[ got enough
people or equipment to do the project," Mr.
Parsons said. "Our infrastructure just can't
handle the scope of this project and the time
we have to do it in."
The electric company, however, is com-
mitted to employing on-Island workers in its
day-to-day operations. "We have a superin-
tendent and three journeymen linemen who
live on the Island," said F.r. Utility Co.
President Robert E. Wall.
"Last year, we contracted the services of
a Groton Utilities electrical engineer who
advises us on the management of the com-
pany. He is working on the upgrade project
and provides for redundancy if we are under-
going personnel changes on the Island or
need extra help to respond to a major storm
or hurricane."
Phase one of this project should alleviate
voltage problems for some time, Mr. Parsons
said, "but I would be shocked if we didn't
have 8320 volts throughout the Island in the
future. It could take 1 0 to 20 years for that to
happen, though, depending on growth and
demand. "
f'a//20(J2 . f'i.~her.~ Island Gazette 33
. The F.I. Utility Co. building on the village green is a focal point ofactivityyea....round. particularly
since the U.S. Postal Service rents part of the first floor. (I-r) Cal Beggs. F.I. Fire Chief Greg
Thibodeau. Stowe Phelps and Henry Fisher during July 4th ceremonies.
F.I.Farms to F.I. Utilities
Continued from page 4
Robert K. White.
The new syndicate gave the company a
new name: Fishers Island Utility Co. By
1971, when Mr. Parsons took over as chair-
man, however, a number of problems had
developed. A5 a result, the board decided to
step away from the contracting, real estate
and fuel oil businesses and concentrate only
on electricity, telephone and water.
The company sold the gas station to
Fishers Island Utility Co. Boards of Directors
F." Utility Co. Directors
j. Geddes Parsons, chairman
Robert Wall. president
Richard Baker
Jeremiah Bogert
Stephen Cook. vice president
Harry Ferguson. treasurer
Michaellaughlin
Harris Parsons
Jennifer Russell. secretary
Malcolm McAllister
r.1. Electric Co. Directors
J. Geddes Parsons. chairman
Robert E. Wall. president
John Spofford, treasurer
Jennifer Russell. secretary
Robert Calhoun
William Ridgway
F.I. Telephone Co. Directors
j. Geddes Parsons. chairman
Robert Wall. president
John Spofford. treasurer
Michael laughlin, secretary
Robert Calhoun
William Ridgway. vp technology
r.1. Water Works Directors
William Ridgway, chairman
Robert Wall, president
Robert Calhoun. vice president
Harry Ferguson, treasurer
Frank Burr
j. Geddes Parsons. secretary
Mary Horn. assistant secretary
Robert Miller
John Spofford, treasurer
Francis Doyen; and Lee Fcrguson'ssccretary.
Lucy Ahman, continued the real estate busi-
ness with her husband, Gordon Ahman.
Clarence Bouton bought the contracting
business.
At that time, the company also bought
back Mr. Hanes' shares and sold additional
stock to bring in younger shareholders. There
are currently 29 shareholders of the Fishers
Island Utility Co., which is the holding
company for the three separate utilities: FI.
Electric Co., F.I. Telephone Co. and F.I.
Water Works.
The Fishers Island Development Corp.
(FIDCQ) is a minority shareholder in the
telephone and electric companies and a ma-
jority shareholder in the water company.
FIDCO evolved from the Fishers Island
Corp., which bought the East End from the
Farms in 1925.
Each company has its own chairman
and board {see box at left], which reflects the
following percentage of ownership:
F.1. Utility Co. FIDCO
F.1. Electric Co. 50.99% 49.01%
F.1. Telephone Co. 51.04% 48.96%
F.1. Water Works 40% 60%
The utility company does all bookkeep-
ing for and management of the utilities and
FIDCO through F.I. Utility Co. Ptesident
and FIDCO Manager Rohen E. Wall.
34 Pishers Isla"d lnlutte. Pall 1002
WALSH CO~'RAC-nNG UT[i)
'" Chad Ml!froka, president I
On-Island
General~~ Electrical
Full 5erJ~~tractor i
I- f.~Carpentry, Roofing, Painting =.4J
- 5iding & Decking l_ II
L Year-rqundlho~se and grp_~n~s care - FM
I "' L-JUL ~ . ~ j I
" .
r---- .- I f I
J 5pecial5ervices: Design Aid
il~- OfbifftrY anQrVlillwork~
~ll ,II Exbvation, Alarm 5ervice
~.,' ~~c~)J FAX
~ '631-788-:!JJ.8 631-788-/ / /6 ~
I _ walslir@fishersisland.net. I
24'ohou1r J;mergelJiYService
Z & S Contracting
The Island Contractor
That Supports
the Island
"The Good Guys"
· Renovations
· Remodeling
· New Construction
· Expert Painting/Paper Hanging
· Licensed Electrical, Plumbing &
Heating Professionals
· 24-Hour Emergency Service
· Complete Line of Electrical Appliances
· Now Also Window Washing
Shop: 788-7857
Tom: 788-7755
IT[[)
II REMODELING & RESTORATION II
INC.
Box 447 Fishers Island NY 06390
Fine Home Building,
Design & Maintenance
Services
Tel: 631-788-7919
Fax: 631-788-7192
E-mail: info@bdfiny.com
24-Hour Service
Fully Insured &: Licensed
Pall 2(}()2 . Pishers Island Gaz.ette 35
Phelps, FroIO BroadW'ay 10 Fishers Island
By Faith Coolidge
Anyone who has attended one of
Stowe Phelps' II Island Con-
certs performances over the past
23 years knows that he is passionate about
music. So devoted, in fact, that the octoge-
narian was still taking singing lessons as
recently as four years ago with the same voice
coach he worked with for half a century. Mr.
Phelps' music lessons concluded only be-
cause he outlived his instructor.
Mr. Phelps' most recent performance
was Aug. 9 when he and Charles Arnold
and Suzanne Pollard presented, "The Many
Faces of Love." [see box at right)
A 40-yeat summer resident, Mr. Phelps
has been involved with Island Concerts since
he was recruited to help organize and present
its first program, a classical concert] uly 18,
1979 at the home of Rita Cushman, the
group's founder.
With an extensive background as a solo
singer, an actor in Broadway musicals and as
a television producer, it was no accident that
Mr. Phelps was tapped for the inaugural
performance of Island Concerts.
Evident in his own work is the level of
professionalism that is so important to Mr.
Phelps. "The thing I am least able to tolerate
is amateurism," said the soft-spoken, white-
haired man who spends the better part of a
year planning for just one concert. Preparing
for 'The Many Faces of Love," Mr. Phelps,
Mr. Arnold and Mrs. Pollard met no less
than a dozen times to rehearse. "He's a per-
fectionist," explained Charlton Phelps, Mr.
Phelps' wife of 58 years.
(lorn in New Yotk City, Me. Phelps
spent a great deal of his childhood in Europe.
He was 10 years old when his father retired
from a career as an architect, best known for
helping design the American wing of New
York's Metropolitan Museum. During the
family's first year in Europe, they lived in the
Eden Hotel on Via Crespi in Rome overlook-
ing a monastery. The next stop was Swiner-
land, where for five years Mr. Phelps at-
tended Le Rosey, an exclusive boarding school
where the sons of billionaires, diplomats
and kings are still educated. While there,
he befriended the future Shah uf Iran
with whom he played soccer. "He was a
happy-go-lucky boy," recalled Me. Phelps.
"And a darn nice guy."
Mr. Phelps' interest in music blossomed
at the age of 16 when he joined the GleeClub
at the Cate School, a prep school outside of
Santa Barbara, Cal., where he finished his
secondary education. Maintaining his inter-
est in music throughout his college years,
Mr. Phelps was a member of the all-male
singing group, "The Wiffenpoofs" at Yale,
where he majored in English literature.
Mr. Phelps returned to California after
graduating from Yale in 1939 and began a
serious pursuit of music. He became a pupil
of the famous Russian opera star, Nina
Koshetz, a 350-pound world-renowned so-
prano who had been accompanied on an
early two-year concert tour by noted com-
poser and pianist Sergei Rachmaninoff.
The Koshetz/Phelps relationship was
fortuitous, because it was Ms. Koshetz who
arranged for Mr. Phelps to meet Charlton
Yarnall] acobs, the daughter of a life-long
friend, who was visiting from her hometown
Continued 011 page 37
. (I-r) Stowe Phelps, Suzanne Pollard and Charles Arnold pause before beginning one of their
many practice sessions at the Phelps' home. The trio was preparing for an August Island Concerts
cabaret performance at the Fishers Island Club.
Arnold and Pollard Complete the Trio...
It was standing room only Aug. 9 at the Fishers Island Club when Stowe Phelps
[see story at left]. Charles Arnold and Suzanne Pollard presented their cabaret
performance. "The Many Faces of Love." All three are seasoned performers as their
histories will attest.
An amateur composer. pianist and vocalist. Me. Arnold began his musical career
in 1943 at Andover when he and roommate. the late actor Jack Lemmon. wrote a pop
musical. The two wete prevailed upon to revive a few of the numbers for their 50'"
class reunion.
With a preference for musical comedy. Me. Arnold performed in many operettas
and other musicals in central Connecticut over the years. More recently. he has
concentrated on composing and performing humorous musical parodies. He is also a
jazz buff and has lectured on the histoty of jazz.
Suzanne Pollard has always loved to sing and is known to break out into song all
the time at her home in Virginia. She never trained as singer but has been active in local
Continued 011 page 37
36 Fishers Is/and Gazene. Pal/1002
To get the right answer
in life you have to ask
the right questions.
DBS PaineWebber wants to hear from you.
Because the more we know
about your financial goals,
the better we can help you reach them.
Royden A. Grimm Alan J. Sylvestre
Vice Presidents-Investments
2 Union Plaza, New London CT 06320
860-437-2027 800-247-9488 ex!. 2027
'* UBSIPaineWebber.
VBS PaineWebber is a service mark of UBS AG.
C2001 UBS PaineWebber Inc. All Rights Reserved. Member SIPC
BOROLEUM@
Since 1906
STUFFY HEAD COLD?
SINUS?
HAYFEVER?
DIAPER RASH?
CHAPPED HANDS?
or LIPS?
Suffer no more!
Keep nasal passages clear and avoid chapping.
RELIEF
is as close as your medicine cabinet.
Boroleum works and it's mild!
SINCLAIR PHARMACAL CO., INC.
FISHERS ISLAND, NEW YORK 06390
We will work with
your fabric or you
may select from our
complete line of
decorator fabrics.
Custom
20-500/0
OFF
'7f!.. -
,. ....
Also...
20-30% on
ALL
Upholstery
Fabric
Drapes 0 Vertical &
Mini Blinds 0 Bedspreads
We carry a
complete line
of decorating
fabrics
perfect for
every home...
Call
444-1619
for
Pick up and Delivery "At Home Service"
at F.I Ferry 601 Broad Street 0 New London
"" """"
EST
BLISS
1882
· Pest Control
· Termite Control
o Sentricon*
Colony Elimination System
· Carpenter Ant Specialists
ESTABLISHED 1882
EXTERMINATORS
The oldest and largest in Connecticut
Call 860-443-7697 today!
Phelps From Broadway
FaI/Z002. Fishers Island Gazette 37
Conti'lued from page 34
of Haverford, Pa. during the summer of
1943. "Nina said, 'Come to dinner to meet
the girl you will marry,''' recalls Mr. Phelps
with a wide smile. Ms. Koshctz was proved
right when the young couple married only
one year later.
Mr. Phelps continued his singing les-
sons while serving in the Navyduring WWII.
After his discharge in 1946, singing became
his career.
Incredibly, the first job he landed was on
Broadway when a family friend told Mr.
Phelps to look up a director named George
Abbott. Mr. Phelps was invited to audition
for Me. Abbott's new musical, along with
2000 other men who were competing for
eight available spots.
It was a hot, sticky day, yet Mr. Phelps,
the proper gentleman that he was, showed up
for his audition wearing a summer Palm
Beach suit, necktie, Panama hat and carrying
a brief case and umbrella. Like the others, his
audition lasted only about 30 seconds.
Two weeks later, Mr. Phelps was thrilled
to receive a telegram inviting him to join the
show. The young actor later discovered the
truth behind his selection. "Charlton and I
were having dinner with Ray Bolger and his
wife Gwen, who had helped with the cast-
ing," recalled Mr. Phelps. "I asked her why
she chose me. Her reply? 'Because you looked
Oxford 1890:" Fortunately for Mr. Phelps,
that was the setting for Where! Charlie, and
he was the only one on that hot day who was
formally dressed. "I was just being myself,"
Mr. Phelps chuckled. "What a hoot. It was
pure luck."
Mr. Phelps was a memberofthe Where!
Charlie cast for two years. His next Broadway
musical was another George Abbott produc-
tion, Call Me Madam, starring the legendary
Ethel Merman.
After performing in two consecutive
Broadway musicals, Mr. Phelps decided that
life as a full-time actor was too precarious.
"It's a heck of a life," recalled Mrs. Phelps.
Mr. Phelps' next career was in television,
a relatively new field. For 15 years, he worked
for CBS, first as a producer in the entertain-
ment division, and later as an executive in the
censoring department making progtamming
"safe for family viewing" according to strict
netwotk guidelines.
Finding censoring too negative for his
tastes, Mr. Phelps left CBS and launched a
career as an independent documentary film-
maker. Still, during all of this, he never
stopped singing professionally as a paid solo-
ist for sevetal churches in Manhattan.
Now retired, his interest in music, from
classical pieces to show tunes, remains unwa-
vering. Mr. Phelps can still be found singing
on special occasions at New York City's
Century Club (of which he is a member), as
well as on the village green during Fishers
Island's annual July 4'h festivities. Is he any
closer to hanging up his microphone? Abso-
lutely not. While he has no desire to return to
Broadway, he still loves to perform. Laughed
Mr. Phelps: "I wouldn't mind an occasional
night club date."
Arnold and Pollard
Cmlt;"uedfrom page 34
semi-professional theater, taking the lead in
numerous musicals, including South Pacific
and Paint your Wagon. She has acted in a total
of60 plays in different theaters in Richmond.
Mrs. Pollard has sung with Mr.
Phelps four times for Island Concerts. The
first performance was, "When You Are Smil-
ing," in 1991 with Mr. Arnold rounding out
that trio.
At the conclusion of this summer's pro-
gram, Ghislaine Boulanger, co-president of
Island Concerrs, presented music boxes to
the three longtime summer residents in ap-
preciation of their performances. With a nod
to their first concert, the wooden music
boxes play, "When You Are Smiling" and
are inscribed, "From August 1991 to August
2002. You kept us smiling. Thank you.
Island Concerts."
. . .
Last August'S cabaret performance has
been made into a CD, "The Many Faces of
Love," and will be available for purchase
Thanksgiving weekend at Union Chapel's
Holiday Bazaar. Information about the CD
and its availability for mail order will also
appear in Island Concerts' annual fund-
raising letter.
The songs were recorded at the perfor-
mance and perfected in a sound studio in
New York City. A portion of the proceeds
will be donated to Island Concerts.
Ferguson Museum
W is" List and Call
for Volunteers
Work is proceeding on the renova-
tion of the H.L. Ferguson Mu-
seum, which is expected to open by early next
summer. The museum has made the follow-
ing requests:
Articles on Ocean-Related
Industries on Fishers Island:
Past articles on issues related to lobstering
and commercial fishing on Fishers Island are
being sought for the exhibition. Please call
Carey Matrhiessen, 860-434-9236.
Volunteers:
The museum is looking for volunteers
between now and Memorial Day. Coordina-
tors are assembling a list of interested
individuals who would be willing to help
with simple tasks that arise during produc-
tion. Agreeing to have your name added
to the list does not mean that you are obliged
to participate.
Tasks identified so far include light as-
sembly of items that are shipped to the mu-
seum, and cutting window screening into
circles, used in museum lighting.
If you are interested, call or em ail exhi-
bition designer Serena Furman, 978-897-
9880 or sfataspace@aol.com.
Wish List:
telescope
laptop computet
PC computer, less than 5 years old
digital camera
slide projector
projection screen
small fish tank
portable CDltape pia yet
new freezer (chest type)
Call or email curatorial consultant
Valarie Kinkade, 978-287-0562 or
kinval@aol.com, to see if your proposed do-
nation will matc the museum's needs.
Visit Union Chapel's Holiday Bazaar Fri., Nov. 29, at 9:30 a.m.!
Lunch will be available at II :30 a.m.
38 Fishers /slalld Gazette - Falll(}Ol
Bullseye Nationals &. FIYC A<<:LieTe...ents
Peter Rugg and his daughter
Caroline took first place in the
41" annual Bullseye Nationals
Aug. 2-4, hosted by the Fishers Island Yacht
Club (FIYC). The duo won twooffourraces
sailed off West Harbor in persistently light
air, repeating their previous 1997 win, and
taking home a painting by Charles Ferguson
as their prize.
Twenty boats competed in the regaua.
Ten were local, and 10 were from Rockport,
Marion and Marblehead, Mass., and Tom's
River, N.J. Off-Island boats took the second
through sixth Spots, with Brad Burnham and
FIYC Sailors...
This year's 635-mile Newport to Ber-
muda Race had a record 185 emries,
with a number of Fishers Island Yacht
Club (FIYC) members participating.
They include:
- Peter Rugg, who won the double-
handed race. [see story on page 39J
-Coleman Brinckerhoff, who joined a
team of 15 on a Swan 56 to take I" in class
and 20,h in fleet.
- Peter l:3rinckerhoff and Bill Reed, who
sailed on a custom 65, finishing 6'h in class
and 12,h in fleet.
-John Brim and his son Jamie, who,
sailing their first Bermuda race, took an 8'h in
class and 56'h in fleet. Mr. Brim has owned his
yacht Broadsword for two years and plans to
improve his time when the race is run again
in two years. Kevin Farrar was also a crew
member on Me. Brim's boat.
Race officials were keenly aware of safety
and sailors' qualifications, because each mile
into this race is a mile away from shore and "a
bit beyond operational range" to effect a
rescue from the U.S. side. "This year we
needed to look harder at those who had not
been in the race before or who had not sailed
as far offshore as Bermuda," Race Chairman
John Winder said.
. . .
Notable 2002 FIYCsailingachievemems:
-Norwegian Wood took fourth place in
the 100 Worlds in MarbleheadinJune. The
team: John Burnham, Marty Gibbs, Laurie
Rubinow, Beth Scholle and Chris Hufstader.
-Kevin Grant won the "Offshore 160"
in July, which is a single-handed race from
granddaughter Sofie Malinowski coming in
seventh. "One of the most exciting moments
of the regatta occurred when Charlie Ferguson
and Tim Patterson, sailing Jim Thompson's
Osprey, made a brilliant port tack start in the
fourth race, which they went on to win
despite temporarily loosing the lead in the
middle," said event organizer David Burnham
Sr., secretary of the Bullseye Association.
"I am so grateful for the yacht club's full
support and for everyone who so generously
helped make this regatta a success," he said.
The remaining Island finishers were Tom
. Ginger Cutler, 13, at helm of Arrow, with
brother, Nat, II, and father, Stewart, as their
team tries to steal air from Cal Beggs in
Mistral at the 2002 Bullseye Nationals at
Fishers Island.
Newport, offshore 80 miles, and back. Sail-
ing in his J-46 Crevasse, Mr. Grant com-
pleted the race in just under 22 hours.
-Two of six U.S. entries in the three
women's classes at the Pre-Olympic Test
Regatta in Athens Greece last summer in-
cluded alumni of the FIYClHHC joint sail-
ing program. Isabelle Kinsolving raced in
the 470 class, sailing with Katie McDowell,
and Tanya Haddad sailed in the Europe
Dingby, a singlehanded class. Isabelle and
Katie are engaged in a full-fledged Olympic
campaign and competed in several European
events last summer.
.John Burnham won the 2002 Shields
Nationals in September at Seawanhaka
Corinthian Yacht Club in Oyster Bay.
duPont, 8'h; Cal Beggs, 1 O'h; Charlie Ferguson,
II 'h; Dave Burnham Sr., I2'h; Ginger,
Nat and Stewart Curler, 14'h; David H.
Burnham and Meris T ombari, I5'h, and Chris
Dewey, 17'h.
"Special kudos go to young sailors, Gin-
ger and Nat, and David and Meris, and to
new Bullseye sailor Chris Dewey for their
competitive spirit, which bodes well for fu-
ture Bullseye sailing at Fishers," said Me.
Burnham, who distinctly remembers, as a
very small boy, rowing his boat among the
Island's fleet of wooden Bullseyes.
~
1';;;
"
c;,
\1-~
Rob Gillis Photo
"
o
<
.
~
o
c
;ji
~
.
~
"0
.
.
~ BOLr.X
,
o
o
o
"0
ii: ~
. Peter Brinckerhoff proudly displays the Rolex
watch he received for winning the prestigious
New York Yacht Club Rolex Regatta in July.
Racing his Evelyn 42 Hooligan, Mr. Brinckerhotf
bested the competition in White Fleet's PHRF
Class 4 in the seven-race series in Rhode Island
Sound and Narragansett Bay.
FafllOOl . Fishers Island Gazelle 39
Ne~porllo BerIUuda Ra<<:e ~oo~ Vi<<:lory
The Newpon to Bermuda Race is
considered to be among the most
challenging yacht races in theworld,
and 2002 clocked a panicularly rough ride,
"not for the faint of he an," said Roy Disney,
who finished in a record-breaking 51 hours.
Windcheck magazine reponed that "sails
ripped, hardware blew up, four crew went
overboard and numerous other competitors
were disabled by seasickness. Four yachts
retired due to mechanical failures, steering
problems and a dismasting."
Emerging victorious in the double-
handed class was former Fishers Island Yacht
Club Commodore Peter Rugg, 55, and his
sailing panner of nearly 45 years, Richard T.
duMoulin.
Mr. Rugg had previously sailed in the
Newport to Bermuda Race seven times with
one win, and Mr. duMoulin had competed
17 times, also with one win. Mr. Rugg ex-
plained how careful preparation is equal in
imponance to tactics and talent. The two
sailed on Mr. duMoulin's Express 37, Lora
Ann, which normally carries a crew of 10:
"The great thing about double handing
is that it's 120 percent concentration. With a
full crcw of eight to 12 on boats 36-40 feet,
guys on the rail get cold and bored and tell
jokes because there's nothing to do. Double
handing is a challenge, because there is always
some way to make the boat go faster. You
don't have time to think about being cold or
tired or hungry.
"Rich and I first raced a big boat double-
handed in 1999 in heavy weather in Long
Island Sound, and we were hooked-by two
things. We won, after spending six to seven
hours beating upwind into a 3D-knot west-
erly and trying to stay close ro a J-120 that
owed us 21 minutes, and they finished only
seven minutes ahead of us.
"And then there is the rush of speed that
you are unlikely to achieve with more people
on board. We had the spinnaker up when the
wind increased from 15 to 30. All of a sudden
we clocked 13.6 knots, which happens once
every five years on this boat.
"The next year, we rook a second in a
race to Manha's Vineyard and back to New-
port and successfully handled things that are
complicated even for a full crew. At this point
we decided on the Bermuda race and began
training with a back-up sailor for our two-
man crew.
"We now had two years to look at all the
required and necessary equipment for the
boat, like a long distance radio capable of
communicating over 600 miles. We also
tweaked things to our personal liking, by
deciding, for example, to mount a thermom-
eter on the bonom of the boat rather than
check the temperature of water pumped into
the head to see when we hit the Gulf Stream.
"Safety was a priority, and we rook a
required safety-at-sea course. I took mine
at the U.S. Naval Academy, because my
brother is sailing master there, and he set up
the course.
"Rich and I studied emergency first aid
l
,
"
~q
,~~
"'
\
o
,;
.
~
t
.
o
~
.
..
"
.
.
~
tries to come around with the boat, and it was
rough ro see the cllshion from 200 yards
away. It pointed out (0 us that at night
with rain, wind and lots of seas, it could be
very, very hard to recover someone over~
board. So the A-number one rule was, 'You
stay on the boat!'
"We always wore a harness and elastic
tethers and hooked the tether in the cockpit
and did not unhook it until we got below,
and vice versa.
"I don't know how you want to phrase
this, but we never urinated over the side of
the boat. We used a plastic cup and threw the
contents overboard. It is a well-
known fact that 90 percent of
people lost at sea, when recov-
ered, had their fly open.
"Special repair equipment
was also a necessity. Offshore
you have to think about, 'How
am I going to stop the boat
from sinking!' Suppose a con-
tainer falls overboard from a
barge and rams into you. The
first thing you do is stuff the
hole from the inside with cush-
ions or mattresses or anything
to slow the incursion of water.
Then you pllt something over
the hole from the outside-a
sail or oilskin. We had a sheet of
flexible lead that we could shape
and screw (0 the boat from the
outside.
"We also did a 10( of work
on boat speed, in terms of sails
and sail handling. We put on a
rollerfurlingjib and, since there
were only two of us, gave up sail
space to improve our handicap
rating. We added a second
headstay for a smaller jib that
we could reduce in size and got
a redesigned mainsail for double
. Afterwinning in Bermuda, Mr. Rugg returned tothe familiar
waters of Fishers Island Sound (above) to win the Bullseye
Nationals with his daughter, Caroline in their boat, Pegasus.
The Fishers Island Yacht Club previously hosted the Bullseye
Nationals in 1977, 1986, 1991 and 1997.
and CPR, and practiced giving injections.
Fortunately Rjch's wife is a nurse. We had
morphine and a skin stapler on board. We
also went to a company that repacks life rafts,
and while there, we inflated our life raft so we
could review its contents. Most people don't
specifically see what's in the ran.
"One windy day while we were practic-
ing off Greenwich or Rye, not far out to sea,
I grabbed a seat cushion and threw it over-
board and said, 'Save me!' It rook Rich two
handling.
"We did not have set watches on deck.
We just sailed until one of us was too tired.
It's harder ro come out ofa sleep of more than
one hour, so we tried to nap for 45 min. to
one hour at a time. It's mind over matter.
"We ate vacuum-packed turkey and la-
sagna from heavy rubber-weighted double
dog bowls-the only things we found that
wouldn't spill. Sailing dishes have rubber
COlltimud 011 pag~ 4/
40 Fishers Is/and Gazette. Fall 2OfJ2
Hay Harbor Club
Maxwell S. Porter Partidpation Award: July, Ollie
Scholle; August, Meghan Barden
Patrida King Cantlay Sportsman & Sportswoman
Award: July, Arthur Anthony, Alex Porsons; August,
Whit Johnson, Kathrin Strathe
Swimming
Albert H. Gordon Swimming Award: July, Ginger
(utler; August, Bailey Sperry
Coach's Award/Swim Team: July, Kelty O'Brien;
August, Bailey Johnson
Most Improved 4 & under: July, Oylon Moody, McKenzie
Yerkes; Aug., Oliver Porsons, (ossie Toylor
Most Improved 6 & under: July, Quintin Porsons,
Ainsley Boll; Aug., Elliot Borden, Zinnio Upson
Most Improved 8 & under: July, Uom (oshel, (aroline
(ongson; Aug., Zonder Baccile, Beotriis Kuilpers
Most Improved 10 & under: July, Ryan Nelson, Kitty
(ook; Aug., Dixon Sperry, Aune Mitchell
Most Improved, Swim Team: July, Elliot Frank; Au-
gust, Kitty (ook
Lap Chart, Winner: July, Soroh Rske; Aug., John Boiley
Lap Chart, Runner-up: July, Ginger (utler; Aug., Emily
(oshel
Windsurfing
Instrullor's Award: July, Winch Hotchkiss; Aug., Alex
Horvey
Most Improved: July, Rossie Hutcheson; Aug., George
Guthrie
Most Advanced: July, Tripp (oshel, Emily (oshel; Aug.,
(ooper Hellet, Ashton Harvey
Best Fall: Aug., Winch Hotchkiss
Kayaking
Instrullor's Award: July, Teddy Henderson; Aug., Jake
Horrington
Most Improved: July, Will Bartow; Aug., Soroh Mullen
Fastest EPI Class:July,Jessie Porsons, Beirne Hutcheson;
Aug., Eleonar Homilton
Fa.test Vesper Class: July, Tripp (oshel; Aug., Bobby
Rogers
Tennis
William P. Betker Award: July, Boiley Marsholl; Aug_
Bailey Johnson
Coach's Award: July, Winch Hotchkiss; Aug., Soroh
Mullen
Parent/Child Award: July, Kiny ond Uz (ook; Aug.
Elizobeth Sednaoui
Most Improved lillie Gripper, Age 4-6: July, George
Brawn, (atherine Mc(ance; Aug_ Philip GOII, Natalie
Harrington
Mo.tlmpraved lillie Gripper, Age 6-8: July, Quintin
Parsons, Emma Burr; Aug. Bart Horvey, Alex (reel
Mast Improved Junior Clinic, Age 8-1\: July, (harlie
Gaillord, Sarah Rske; Aug., JamesJohnson, Emma Gilhuly
Most Improved Junior Team: July, Jack (utler, Louise
Ireland; Aug., Nick Boccile, Charlone Bancroh
Mat,h of the Month: July, Winch Hotchkill/Harry
Fronk, Tom Hobson/lim Gaumond; Aug., Zander Baccile,
Uon (reel, Teddy Henderson
-
Boy's Club Champion & Finalist, 10 & under: July,
Harry Fronk, Gearge Ughena; Aug., Penn Sednaoui,
Harry Frank
Girl's Club Champion & Finalist, 10 & under: July,
Bailey Marshall, (oroline Brown; Aug., (oroline Brown,
Bailey Johnson
Boys' Club Champion & Finali.t, 12 & under: July,
Tam Hobson, TIm Gaumond; Aug., Penn Sednaoui,
Davis Rand
Girls' Club Champion & Finalist, 12 & under: July,
Renee Brown, Bailey Marshall; Aug., Renee Brown,
Mimi Anthony
Boy.' Club Champion & Finalist, 13 & up:July, Peter
(rowley, Arthur Anthony; Aug., Tally Taylor, Arthur
Anthony
Girls' Club Champion & Finalist, 13 & up: July,
Renee Brawn, Elizabeth Brim; Aug., Renee Brawn, Uz
Brim
Boys' Junior Ladder 10 & under: July, I' George
Ugheno; 2'" Harry Fronk; 3" Jake Harrington; Aug., l'
Penn Sednooui; 2'" Jake Harrington; 3" Alex Harvey,
Nick Boccile
Girls' Junior Ladder 10 & under: July,I' Bailey
Marshall; 2'" (oroline Brawn; 3"' Meghon Borden;
Aug., l' Bailey Johnson; 2'" Meghan Borden; 3" Sorah
Fiske
Boys' Junior Ladder 12 & under: July, l' TIm
Goumond; 2'" Tom Hobson; 3" Jock Hutcheson; 4'
Winch Hotchkiss; 5' Davis Rand; Aug., l' Ben Albrinoin
Ross; 2'" Penn Sednoaui; 3" George Guthrie; 4' Winch
Hotchkill; 5' Andrew Harrington
Girl.' Junior Ladder 12 & under: July, l' Renee
Brown; 2'" Boiley Marsholl; 3" Mimi Anthony; 4' Saroh
Brim; 5' Jessie Parsons; Aug., l' Soroh Brim; 2'" Mimi
Anthony; 3" Jessie Parsons; 4' (harlone Boncroh; 5'
Be~ey diBonoventuro
Boys' Junior Ladder 13 & up: July, I'TallyTaylar;2'"
Arthur Anthony; 3" Peter (rawley; Aug., I' Arthur
Anthony; 2'" Whit Johnson; 3" Brooks Albrinain Ross
Girl.' Junior Ladder 13 & up: July, l' Renee Brawn;
2'" Uz Brim; 3"' Eliza Brouns; Aug., l' Elizabeth Brim;
2'" Rachel Soper; 3" Alex Parsons
FIYC/HHC Joint Jr. Sailing
Gordon S. Murphy Memorial Trophy: Ginger (utler
Arthur Lee Kinsolving Trophy: Tripp (oshel
Rugg Award: Sage Farrar and David H. Burnham
NanD Award: July, Not (utler; Aug., Winch Hotchkiss
Ferguson Cup'Optis, July: Beirne Hutcheson
Salvage Cup-Optis, Aug.: Alex Strothe
Ship.hape Aword:July, Hope (utler; Aug., Oldie Kuiipers
Mimi & Margaret Award: July, Zander Baccile, Teddy
Henderson; Aug., Jamie Brim
Parent/Child Sailing: July, Beirne & Rossie Hutcheson;
Aug., Alex Slrothe, Lucinda Herrick
Instrullor's Award: July,!omie Brim; Aug., (arter Rose
Optimist Series, Int./Adv.:July, l' Beirne Hutcheson,
2'" Soroh Rske, 3" (ourtNayes; Aug., 1 'Winch Hatchkill,
2'" Dante Pagliorulo, 3" Gront Bauer
Radng Optimists: July, l' Ollie Scholle; 2'" Tripp (oshel;
Hay Harbor Club
3"' Peter Scholle; Aug. I' George (oak; 2'" Bobby
Rogers; 3" Brooks Walker
Radng 420s, Skipper & Crew: July, l' Sage Farrar &
Meris Tombori; 2'" Crosby (oak & Jamie Brim; Aug., l'
Sage Farrar & Meris Tombori; 2'" David Walker & Ben
Hansell
Most Improved Novices: July, Ryan Nelson, Morgot
McElwreath; Aug., Dunmn Harvey, Aune Mitchell
Most Improved Int.fAdv.: July, George Ugheno,
Kathryn (ollender; Aug., Nick Baccile, Soroh Rske
Mo.t Improved, Radng Optimist: July, Not (utler;
Aug., George (oak, Sarah Brim
Mo.tlmproved 420. Skipper: July, Meris Tombori;
Aug., Jamie Brim
Most Improved 420s Crew: July, Kathryn Strothe;
Aug., David Walker
Golf
Men's Club Champion: Mork Andrews
Ladies' Club Champion: Jane (rory
Dolly Howard Tournament: Jane (rory
Women's Ringer Champion: Peg (ampbell
Mixed Golf Colvin Cup: Elizabeth and Mark Andrews
Mixed Captain's Choice: Aug., Katie O'Reogon, Wendy
(omeron, Mark (otlin
Junior Golf
Pip Sinclair Award (Sportsmanship): July, Bates
Parsons; Aug., Ben Albrinoin Ross
Junior Club Champion, July: 9-hole, Bates Parsons
Junior Club Champion, Aug.: 9-hole, Arthur Anthony
ParenHhild Tournament July: 9-hole, Paul & David
Burnham; 4-hole, Bill & George Ugheno; 2-hole, Paul &
William (rowley
ParenHhild Tournament Augu.t: 9-hole, Paul &
Peter (rowley, Peter & Nicholas Boccile; 4-hole, Tom &
Wallis Gaillard; 2-hole, Tom & (horlie Gaillard
Most Improved: July, Ryan Nelson, Bailey Marshall;
Aug., Quintin Parsons, Be~ey diBanoventuro
9-hole boys: July, I' Bates Parsons, 2'" Arthur Anthony;
Aug., I' Ben Albrinoin Rail, 2'" Whit Johnson
9-hole girls: July, l' Jessie Parsons, 2'" Mimi Anthony,
Aug., l' Meghon Borden, 2'" Mimi Anthony
4-hole boys: July, l' George Ughena, 2'" Ryan Nelson;
Aug. I' Jake Harrington, 2"'Teddy Henderson
4-&ole girls:July, l' Bailey Marshall, 2'" Kitty (ook; Aug.,
l' Bailey Johnson, 2'" Aune Mitchell
2.hole boys: July, l' Emmet McElwreoth, 2'" (horlie
Ughena; Aug., l' Quintin Parsons, 2'" James Johnson
2-hole girls: July, l' Julia Leuchtenberg, 2'" (atherine
Mc(once; Aug., l' Julio Leuchtenberg, 2'" Groce Bingham
PUlling Champions, ages 6-8: July, I' Julio
Leuchtenberg, 2'" Emmet McElwreath; Aug. I' James
Johnson, 2'" Julio Leuchtenberg
Pulling Champions, ages 9-1 O:July, I' Bailey Marshall,
2"'T eddy Henderson; Aug., l' Andrew Milchell, 2'" Jake
Harrington
Pulling Champions, age. 11& up: July, l' Bates
Parsons, 2'" Tripp (oshel; Aug., l' Ben Albrinain ROIl,
2'" Mimi Anthony
Comimul!d on page 41
--
f'alll002. Fishers Island Gazette 41
C07ltinued from pag~ 40
HH( Junior Gall
Junior Ringer Boord:July, 9-hole, Botes Parsons; Hole
Bailey Marshall, Joke Harrington; 2.hole, William
Crowley; Aug., 9.hole, David Wilmerding; Hole, Joke
Harrington, Penn Sednooui; 2.hole, James Johnson
Fishers Island Yacht Club
10D Season Series: 1st, Kohoutee; 2nd, Greyhound; 3rd,
Jester; 4th, Norwegian Wood; Sth, Sirius; 6th, Allegra;
7th, Taiga; Bth, Pondion; 9th, Celerity; I Dth, Golf; IlIh,
Creole; 12th, Pre.Empfive Bid.
Bullseye Season Series: 1st, Mistral; 2nd, Arrow; 3rd,
Peregrine; 4th, Querida; Sth, Noble Plenty; 6th, On
Target; 7th, Osprey.
Fishers Island Club Golf
Willom R. Kirkland III Memorial Tournomenl: 1st,
Russell Plonitzer, Bill Holl, Bobby Parsons, Goines
Gwothmey; 2nd, David Wilmerding, Susie Wilmerding,
Helen Bonsol, l. Getz; 3rd, Andrew Strife, logon Yonce,
Stuart Mcleon, G. Getz; 4th, Som Yonce, Uzora Yonce,
Jim Hamilton, Helen Hamilton.
(linlon R. Wyckoff IV Memorial Porenl-(hild
Tournomenl: 1st, Alex lYnlh & Alex lYnlh Jr.; 2nd,
David & David Wilmerding; 3rd, Alex & Brooks Walker,
John & John Harris.
Men's Member-Guesl: long Drive, Tommy Millner;
Closest to Pin, Adrian Reed; Medalist, Peter Goillord,
John Cosllemon. Winner (hompionship Aight, Stuort
Mcleon/Adrion Reed; Runner-up (hompionship
Aight, Peter Goillard/John Cosllemon; (onsolotion
Winner (hampionship Aight, Alex Walker/Perry
Bartol. Winner I sl Aight, TIm loughlin/Paul Stones;
Runner-up I sl Aight, Christie Aonogon/BiII Gribble;
(onsolalion Winner I sl Aight, Molcolm McAllister/
Michoel Troy. Winner 2nd Aight, Will Pieshofl/lom
Foyle; Runner-up 2nd Aight, Win Hotchkiss/Chris
Boll; (onsolalion Winner 2nd Flight, Peter Upson/
Dovid Probert. Winner 3rd Aight, Bob Thorson/Michael
Ainn; Runner-up 3rd Aight, Tom Tomoney/Peter
lowrence. (onsolation Winner 3nd Flighl, Rilh
Foyle/Rich Berger. Winner 41h Aight, lourence
Rubinow/Will Rubinow. Winner 51h Aight, Henry
McCance/Keith Jennings. Winner 61h Aight, Dovid
Wilmerding Jr./Peter lawson.Johnsten. Winner 71h
Aight, Ed TrippeIVince Gollogher. Winner Blh Aight,
lelond Getz/Robert Dewey.
Women's Member-Guesl: Winners 2-day low
gross: Sheldon Withers, Kitty Gerry, Helen BonsaI,
Georgie liunon. Winners 2-day low nel: Gndy
Dwyer, Audrey Chorlson, Noncy Vincent, TIno Foster.
Runners-up 2-day low nel: Beth duPont, Undo
Borden, Hilary Hotchkiss, Anne Burleigh. I sllow nel
(Tues.): Susie Sinclair, Shirley Bobington, Bobsie
Macleod, Potty Jenkins. 2nd low nel IT ues.) Christie
McGraw, Ubby Homilton, Donnell Guthrie, Meredith
. Optimist sailboats at the Hay Harbor Club sailing dock in July.
Fishers Island Gazette Photo
Newport to Bermuda Race 2002 Victory
COllti1JUl'd from pagl' 39
edges. so they don't slide, but they will flip.
"The electronics and computer software
saga could fill a book. We tracked weather
and Gulf Stream patterns well in advance,
.
Finan. IsI low nel (Wed.): Anne Polk, Edith
Tuckermon, Ann Ainn, louise Tolbot. 2nd low nel
(Wed.): Susie Parsons, Susan Ross, Kothy Porsons,
Anne Chewning.
Men's (Iub (hampionship: Winner, Dovid Wilmerding
III; runner.up, Phil Musser; Medalist, Christie Aonogon.
Winner Gold Tee, Charles Ferguson; runner.up Gold Tee,
Bill Wood.
Women's (Iub (hamplonship: Winner, Susie Parsons;
runner.up, Wendy Binghom; Medolist, Wendy Bingham.
AuguSI Pro-Am (l&M Hasp. Benelil): 1st low Pro,
Evon Schiller; 2nd low Pro, Ron DellOSlrino; 3rd low
Pro, Pot Aquoro; 1st Teom, Bobby Jenkins/lwig
Stickney/Potsy Honson/Dilk Kennedy; 2nd Team,
Jimmy Noris/Bill Christopher/Jimmy Noris/Uzoro
Yonce; 3rdTeom, GeneMulok/Burke Ross/Allie Honley/
Dovid Owen.
H.O.G.: 1 st, Duke Bornen/Joson Cossidy/John Colgote/
Bryce O'Brien/Chad Doerge/John Ryon; 2nd, Bill Scon/
Bill Holl/Jim O'Keefe/lrumon Bidwell/Borry Holl/Jerry
Guthrie; 3rd, Peler Upson/Chris Edwards/Brad Burr/
Todd Swenson/Ken Edwords/Hiram Upson; 4th, Will
Peishofl/Peter Boccile/loby Noyes/Rich Foyle/Jim
Boher/Horry Yerkes; Sth, Colin Coshel/Jored Soper/
Potrick Wood Prince/Reid Boren/Chad Bartels/Cloy.
. . .
HHC awards (aurlesy of Audrey
Ludemann; FlC Golf awards (ourlesy
of Tom O'Brien.
but for mOlHhs, we had computer and
software problems searching for the ability (0
use wind and current information in our
navigation during the race. We wanted to be
able to catch the edge of circling eddies and
get a good ride down the Gulf Stream to
improve time.
"We finally found some of the software
we needed the day before the race and didn '(
get a registration number to unlock it lImil
and hour-and-a-half before the start.
"We left Newport at 2:45 p.m. Fri.,
June 14. We were in the Gulf Stream by 4
a.m. Sunday morning and came out of the
Gulf Stream Sunday nighr. By Monday nighr.
we were within 100 miles of Bermuda. and
we finished Tuesday at 9:36 a.m.
"There were very favorable conditions
for a fast race. It took us 91 hours. and Qur
corrected time was 51 hours. Winds were 35-
40 knots, seas were six to eight feet. When we
got into the Gulf Stream. we had more mod-
erate winds but higher seas. These were not,
however, storm trysail conditions and not
gale conditions."
Mr. duMoulin is rear commodore and
Mr. Rugg is treasurer of the Storm Trysail
Club whose candidates for admission must
have weathered a serious storm at sea and
been capable of taking command of a sailing
vessel offshore under any or all conditions.
Adjusting his skills and strategies, Mr.
Rugg returned to Fishers Island to win the
Bullseye Nationalswith his daughter Caroline
in August.
42 Fishers Isla"d Gautte. Fall 2fJ()2
Z&S
FUEL AND SERVICE
STATION
TEXACO@
Montauk Avenue
G A Sishers Islan.d NY 06390
631- ;788-7343S
~PQ, "P'''':"
"Your Full Line Service Station"
lServing Fishers.lsland for OVer 35 yea's
U:pUtI .} . U L L
Official New York Inspection Station
CARCO' Insurance In'Goll' L
I nSppcf~~QflREPAIRS I
FOREIGN AND DOMESTIC
Tyre SAr.\firA
Authorizetl TEXACO'" Dealer
Motor Oil and Related Products
. 01- p~f\l
Authomed AMERAD HESS~ Dealer
Automatic/Watchdog Fuel Oil Service
Joe Perry, Mal/ager, 788-7755 (Emergency Only)
1\ ~. .
~I~~ J_
Whaling City Ford
BROAD AT COLMAN STREET
NEW LONDON, CONNECTICUT
860-443-8361
Pick-up at the Ferry
We Treat You Well...Every Department...Every Time
The
c7YL Cj.
SULLIVAN
AUTOMOTIVE
CORNER
CHEVROLET . BUICK . GEO . PONTIAC
OLDSMOBILE . CADILLAC
Largest GM dealer in
Connecticut and Rhode Island at one location!
~
...".... -.
Sales
443-8432
Parts
442-0491
Corner of
Broad and Colman
Streets
Service
442-4371
Body Shop
442-7132
New London, Conn.
DICK'S
GARAGE, LLC
Phone: 788-7249
Two Forums
CotJt;1Ju~d from page 29
such as Outward Bound to develop programs.
adding that Mystic Seaport was excited about
the potcmial of this kind of arrangement.
Jack Raridon saw the possibility of
developing "collegiate-level golf and sailing
champions" by taking advantage of the
Island's world class golf course and prime
sailing waters.
So few parents of students attended the
meeting that Allie Raridon said there was an
urgent need for a place to foster community.
Ms. Riley later said that there were 24 year-
round residents at the forum, and the few
parents prescnt still represented 10 out of the
34 Island students at the school.
An Baue said the new superintendent
should mirror Ms. McKenna's best quality,
which is that she likes people and is therefore
an effective communicator. Hesaid that online
teaching was worth exploring and also sug-
gested that Board members visit the candidate's
home institution to ascertain how he or she is
perceived there.
Peter Burr said that a potential superin-
tendent should first try living on the Island to
see what running the school and beinga year-
rollnd resident entails.
Nancy Hunt reminded the Board of the
1998 civic association-sponsored Lerer Report
that said grades K-8 were fine, but there was a
concern about the high school.
Brad Burnham said he would like to
study the possibility of having grades K-8
remain on the Island and high school students
go to the mainland.
Responding to this idea, Liz Furse que-
ried how parents would deal with the logistics
of after school activities and the ferry. Chris
Edwards said he would move ofT the Island if
the high school closed, and board member
Karla Heath said she never would have moved
to the Island in the first place if there had been
no high school.
. (top, I-r) Brad Burnham; Fishers Island
Gazette Photographer Emeritus AI Gordon
(101 years old, see photo, p. 12), and Charles
B. Ferguson.
. (middle left) Trudi Edwards is in the spirit.
. (middle right) Harold Cook and two mem-
bers of the Sailing Mastel'$ of ISI2, Essex Fife &
Drum Corps.
. (bottom) Casual gathering in front of the
old firehouse, which now houses The Beach
Plum gift shop.
Falll(J02 . Fishers Islalld Gazette 43
"0
~
.
.
"
,
o
o
o
"0
~
o
44 Fishers /sulIld Gaulle. Fa// 2002
S.::"oolSeel<sto
Mat.::" Students
,",it" Mentors
The Fishers Island School has insti-
tuted a mcnroring program and is
looking to the seasonal commu-
nity to match skills and talents with inter-
ested ninth and tenth graders.
Cynthia Riley, a former professional re-
cruiter, came up with the idea several years
ago and said she finally found a positive
response from the school's new guidance
counselor Tim Evers.
"This program not only benefits stu-
dents, it also gives the seasonal population a
tangible way to help, and it can make the
school a more appealing place to educate
your children," Ms. Riley said.
"Fishers Island's seasonal population has
the most incredible array of experience, tal-
ent and skills. While programming events for
the library, I discovered that we are sitting on
a gold mine of experience," she said.
Ms. Riley's own intetaction with a men-
tor fueled her desire to set up this program.
"When I was 14, I accidentally hooked up
with a political mentor. I got incredible
hands-on experience at all levels of politics,
from telephone polling, issue research,
door-to-door campaigning, coordinating
youth for political rallies and campaigning
for Gerald Ford.
"During an internship in Washington, I
Evans
Realty
Licensed Real
Estate Broker
Sales . Rentals
631.788.7054
Jamie Doucette Photo
. The IPP ball field was one of several areas under water after a record 6.4 inches of rain fell on
Fishers Island Oct. 26. It was sprinkling in New London but torrential on the Island, where three
inches of rain fell in one hour, reportedly more rain than any location in the State of Connecticut.
During the storm, Edwin Horning, who lives in the fort area, "saw a river flowing in front of our
house and a river behind it." The ball field had drained by the next day.
met people at the Supreme Court, Pentagon
and Congress. I loved it, but I also learned
that politics was not for me. I eventually sold
steel, a job I got through my political experi-
ence.
"I want to make that happen for Fishers
Island students. To connect them with one
special adult who will take an interest in them
and share the highs and lows of their progress."
Ms. Riley has interviewed the students
at length to get a clear picture of their goals
and personalities. She would like to have each
IF You ARE CONSIDERING...
. A new dock in front of your house
. Reconstruction of an existing dock
. A bulkhead or shorefront protection
. The permit status of your existing dock
. Erosion protection or tidal wetlands permit
for your home or yard improvement within
300. of the shore
...Call DOCKO, INC,yollrcompkte
wateifront development resOllrce.
phone 860.572.8939. fax 8i"10.S7l.7569
....ww.docko.com . emai] docko@sn('t.nel
rust Office Box 421. Mystic Connecticut 06355
student matched by January and plans to
work closely with the "pairs" at first to facili-
tate a positive learning relationship for both
parties.
Ms. Riley will coach students and their
parents on the proper courtesies, and will be
available to mentors. "Each student and men-
torwill find the best way to develop and fulfill
their relationship, which can be carried on by
telephone and email, as well as in person,"
Ms. Riley said.
C01Jtillu~d 01/ pagt' 45
T oppper' s:
Ice Cream
Remember your
Q's and H's*
at
Hair of the Dog Liquors
All Winter
*Quarts and Half-gallons
Fall 200]- Fidler.f ldatld Gazette 45
KI potassium
iodide...
...is available for pick-up by all
homeowners on the first and
second Tuesday of each month at
the firehouse, 6-8 p.m. Information
and instructions are included.
In the UNLIKELY event of a nuclear accident, causing
a radiation release from Millstone Power Plant in
Waterford, Conn.. potassium iodide will help protect
against future cases of thyroid cancer - especially if
taken by children under the age of five.
The Suffolk County Health Department has pro-
vided KI tablets for every household on Fishers
Island. which lies within Millstone's IO-mile emer-
gency zone. KI is also available at local pharmacies.
[see related story in Gazette Vol. 16 No. 1'1'.31]
Matching Students with Mentors
COlltillut'd from page 44
Each student has indicated three areas of interest. Mentors
are needed in the following fields:
stockbroker/financial analyst
advertising-computer design
doctor/general practitioner
doctor/pediatrician
any field using mechanics
ship designer
military medic
physicist
actor
lawyer
dental hygienist
animal trainer
first grade teacher/careers working with small children
golf teaching pro
wildlife/fishing guide
marine biologist
paleontologist
alternate energy sources/ research and design
If you are nor inclined to mentor, bur would like to help with
career day, please call or em ail Cynthia Riley, 631-788-7178,
cynthiajriley@hotmail.comorcallTim Evers, 631-788-7444.
Send written correspondence to Ms. Riley or Mr. Evers care of
Fishers Island School, Drawer A, Fishers Island NY 06390.
-"-._"-';'.~
.a:- '....
_. ........-
~-.:'" '0
~~~. '":
'<:J..;'~.' .-i
.....-...tr^,. '.-......
,
- ...
.. ~
o
;;
~
~
<
o
.
~
"
.
"
,
~
~
.
~
"'
. (above) Kate Reid and son Buford Scott Reid Jr. pitch in during IPP's
Dock Beach clean-up in June. Trudi Edwards organized the
event. . (below) Sixwyear-olds from the IPP Summer Program helped
with Sarah Tuttle Upson's marine murals now hanging at the ferry dock.
(I-r) Olivia Burr, Charlotte Clayson, Stephie Skeel, Amber Ferguson, Kip
Daly, Hannah Noyes, Elizabeth Redd and Jackson Howard, counselor.
--
~-'~~~~
-
"6
-~. <',.
-~-..:iI ~
r_.........",
-
.::II
~
.--
~.
46 Fishers Islalld Gaz.ette. Pall 2002
Engagements
Siobhan McCready and Erik Bunaes, March
2ool, Jupiter. Fla.
Linda Lane and Jared Soper. May 200l. Florida.
Molly Becker duPont and Trevor Scott
Schafer, Fall 200l, Florida.
Amy Osborn and Rick Moody, May 10, 200l.
New York City.
Margaret Lynn Smith and Robert Goodwin
Warden. May 24, 200l, Bermuda.
Weddings
Karena Dawn Elwell and Martijn Rasser, Sept.
7, Fishers Island.
Katherine Horning and Kristoffer Pearson,
September 21, Worcester. Mass.
Catherine Anne Holbrook and Jeffrey Donald
Edwards, Sept. 28, Fishers Island.
Heather West and Philip Musser. Sept. 28,
Chevy Chase, Md.
Tanis Hunt and John Meakin. Oct 5.
Barrington. R.I.
Lee Ann leMarca and Michael Wall, Oct. 5,
Cold Spring Harbor. N.Y.
Susan Stepanek and David Lavertu, Oct. Il,
Methuen, Mass.
Births
Hannah Leachman, Aprill, to Kelsey (Drowne)
and Bill Leachman, Markham, Va.
Maxwell Harrison Bunting, April 26, to Nancy
(Hall) and Jeff Bunting, Nashville. Tenn.
James Ryder Peishoff, AprillO, to Melissa and
Will Peishoff, Hopkinton, Mass.
James "Jake" Blackwood Brainard, June 20,
to Ann and Tod Brainard, Wenham, Mass.
Alexandra Ledee Sachs, Julyl9, to Ledee
(Kidd) and Bill Sachs, Dallas, Tex.
Virginia Bennett Nostrand, July 25. to Sasha
(Brainard) and Dudley Nostrand. Hamilton,
Mass.
Elsie Frances Welles, July lO, to Katie (White)
and Eric Welles, New Canaan, Ccum.
Francis Sargent Kinlin, Aug. Il, to Lily
(Rutherfurd)and Bruce Kinlin, New York City.
Quinn George Hankins, Aug. 19, to Kim
(Ogden) and Mark Hankins, Chanhassen,
Minn.
Frances "Findley" Jones,Aug. 22. to Samantha
(Jones) and Bryce O'Brien. New York City.
Adelaide George, Sept. 7. to Natalie (Yerkes)
and Quinton George, New York City.
Denisse Marie Munoz, Sept. 2l. to Jennifer
and Hanks Munoz, Fishers Island.
Ryan Alexander Dent, Sept. 24, to Liz Hale
and Patrick Dent. Fishers Island.
Mackenzie Faye Jones, Sept. 25, to Lindsey
and Freddy Jones, Bedford, N.Y.
Kylie Annabel Lombardi. Sept. 27, to MoUy
(Strife) and John Lombardi. Essex, Conn.
Peter Ellsworth Sanger, Oct. 2. to Nina and
Chriffo Sanger, Dover, Mass.
Cordelia Billings Scott, Oct. 2l, to Megan
(Duryea) and Chris Scott, New York City.
Talbot Crispvon Stade and Charles Carnahan
vonStade.Nov.II,toAnn(Crisp)andJohn
yon Stade, Darien, Conn.
. Travel
AM~~S Agency ~
-
.Rep<esent.",",
I" Multiple Births?
" Is it something in the water? Just
how many sets of twins and triplets
are there among year.round and
summer residents? Please send
family photos with names and ages
for a photo montage in a future
issue of the Gazette. (All photos
will be returned.) Mail to: Fishers
Island Gazette. PO Box 573, Fishers
Island NY 06390.
~\ Gail Mayes L.M.T.
Intuitive Massage Therapy
and Bodywork
Travelers Checks
Airline Tickets
Cruises
Hotels
Tours
EiiW
11 Bank SI.
New London
1-800-545-9154
. G.B. ERR.
APPRAISAL COMPANY
631-788-7301
relaxJelease_rej uvena le@yahoo.com
FALVEY CORPORATION
Quality + Our Specialty
A real estale appraisal company
serving Fishers Island
Specializing in unique sitework and
construction projects. All types of
materials available...screened topsoil.
NY STATE CERTIFIED
. We Work to Save the Trees and Environment.
Gregory B. Erb . 860-536-0721
Located in Noank, Conn.
Donald J. Falvey, Pres.
P.O. Box 699, 237 RI. 80
Killingworth CT 06419
Office 860-663-1695
Fax 860-663-2719
Fa//l'J02 . Fishers Is/mId Gazelte 47
~~;ter&Waymarine
CAPTAIN ANDREW HEUBLEIN
.y:
> ocean taxi ~...~ ~..wJ
> courier service 1IIiII::':"::~ '''--..
> crew & equipment transpo'ft- ~ =
> U.S.C.G. certified for 18 paE.sen~ers -...
dt'jJaTlingJrof1/ JVOaIlH, sPTVidng-1jmftl}!.tJllil.!iouJJ!I.- -..
-. - ---
N€UROMlASCULAR TH€RApY
Spods MClSSClge
ReBe1<olo9l'
MENA MORGAN L.M.T.
Ho","se.calls by AppointMent
Lie, #4680
Cell ph: (860) 861-0208
Fishel's Island
(631) 788-7387
'illIre 'equot ~nn
Ivy Robichaux, Jr.
GENERAL CONTRACTING SERVICES
Home Improvement, Repair & Maintenance
Shop 788-7732
Licensed & Insured #20.946-HI Since 1992
Island Launch Service LLC
Capt. Mark Easter. Operator
Available 24 hours a day
March-November
Conveniently located in New London
Charters to other destinations available
Me..age center: 860.887.1844
Cell phone: 860.460.8864
Fax: 860.444.0320
~J\ KaIamian's
.- 'e RUI! Shop.""
-'~~I
Ou'lJiIy " .
Se'">ice ,
Si"te 19~5 .
Wools. Broadloom. Patterns. Berbers. Sisals
FINE HANDKNOTTED ORIENTAL RUGS
Cleaning. Repairs. Binding. Serging
860-442-061 S
963 Bank St.. New London
ATTN: ISLAND RESIDENTS
Searching for any info on 60's actor
Lee Kinsolving for upcoming film project.
Email: gbennett5@aol.com
Phone: 805.526.3312
~
EDWARDS LOBSTERS
"The Best Tails in Town"
PO Box 167
Fishers Island NY 06390
631-788-7645
CHRIS & TRUDI EDWARDS
Delivery Available
nSHER,I'GAZL11'E
ISlA ND ..
Box 573
Fishers Island NY 06390
_\c\.lEI\,S 1~'1._, \ .
.\."" ., :"\
~. . ....; -.
'.;." r'
~ - UnLIT\' co,
~ flth1U
I I . -11-- ~
FIRST CLASS
FIRST-CLASS MAIL
US POSTAGE
PAID
HARTFORD CT
PERMIT NO 945
No Exp C
Ms Betty Neville
Southold Town Clerk
PO Box 1179
Southold, NY 11971