HomeMy WebLinkAbout2002 Vol 16 No 1 Spring
Vol. 16 No.1 Established in 1987 Spring 2002
2 Fishers Isla"d Gazette. Spri"g 1(}02
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
To the Editor:
Carol Ridgway had it so right when she
wrote a letter to the Gazette regarding hous-
ing on Fishers Island for the winter popula-
tion. Ask just about anyone out here and
they're going to tell you we have a major
problem. Families are leaving here and at too
fast a pace, and others are on the verge. I've
asked why (hey are thinking about going and
I get two answers-the school and housing.
We've got to find a way of handling this latest
crisis and try to build up the year-round
population again.
For the good of both year-rounders and
the summer residents, I hope a solution is
found. If anyone has any ideas, please speak
up. The future of Fishers Island depends on it.
Sincerely,
Patty Faulkner
Summer 2002 Gazette
Deadline: May 20, 2002
The Fishers Island Gazette is an inde-
pendent not-for-profit publication initi-
ated with a grant from The Sanger Fund
and sustained with subscription and ad-
vertising revcnuc. It is published three
times a year.
Editor
Betty Ann Ruhino\','
Contributors in this Issue
Happy Gaillard, Leila Hadley Luce
Gail Mayes, Pierce Rafferty
Carol Rid~vay, Cynthia Riley
Thelma H edge Shaw
Photogral)her Emeritus
Albert II. Gordon
Controller
Su-Ann Seidl
Newsstand Sales
J ames Hall
Computer Support
William C. Ridgway III
SUBSCRIPTIONS ARE $15 PER
YEAR. IT'S EASY, JUST MAIL A
CHECK TO THE GAZETTEI
Fishers Island Gazette, Box 573
Fishers Island NY 06.~90
Mar. 7, 2002
Open Letter to the Board of Education
Fishers Island School
Fishers Island NY 06390
Gentlemen/L1dies:
I am writing to submit my views on the
very important issue facing all of us on Fish-
ers Island: the future of the Fishers Island
School. As a slimmer resident for more than
20 years and a member of the [school] Build-
ing Committee for the past (hree years, I am
well aware that the decision on this issue will
impact not only the education of our Island
children but also the quality of life for all
residents.
I strongly believe that the school should
be continued in its present structure, i.e., for
all grades, K through 12. This is consistent
with my understanding of the recommenda-
tion of the 1998 Lerer report. Clearly, the
school is needed for the education of children
of year-round residents. If the upper grades
of the school were closed, 1 believe we would
lose not only parents of children in (hose
grades but also parems of children in the
lower grades. Who would want to keep their
children in the lower grades knowing that
they face the major upheaval of moving to an
entirely different off-Island school in a few
years? What family would want to move to
the Island knowing that an education for
their children is available for only a few years?
Faced with an increasing exodus of year-
round residents from the Island. our Island
services certainly would suffer. Where would
we get our dedicated fire department and
EMS volunteers? Who would be here to
protect the homes and property of summer
residents or year-round retired persons?
The cost to taxpayers of a "gated Island"
certainly would be substantially higher (han
our present community consisting of a good
number of year-round residents. 1 believe the
current problem with declining enrollment
in (he school could be rectified by returning
to the recommendation of Dr. Lerer's report
that magnet students be attracted here. It
seems to me (hat the drop in number of
magnet students. from 26 in 1998 to 17
today, is attributable to the current school
administration's lack of vigor and enthusi-
asm for the magnet program. For example. I
understand that the former practice of sub-
mitting articles and advertisements regard-
ing the magnet program to (he newspaper in
New Lmdon was abandoned.
It is of utmost importance in myopin-
ion that the views of all Islanders. both year-
round and summer resident, be solicited in
the decision-making process. I strongly urge
you to call an open meeting of all Island
persons to discllss these critical issues.
Thank you for your attention to the
letter. I believe I speak for all Fishers Island
residents in expressing our sincere apprecia-
tion for the time and effort (hat you devote to
the good of the Fishers Island School.
Sincerely,
Catherine W. Kennedy
To the Editor:
There are ongoing rumors regarding the
status of Charles Stepanek as a social studies
teacher a( the Fishers Island School, and the
Board thinks it would be helpful for all
concerned to clear the air of confusion and
misunderstanding. Mr. Stepanek is a tenured
teacher. The Board is not in a position to
offer his job to anyone and has not done so.
The superintendem routinely receives
solicitations from colleges seeking to place
their graduates in teaching positions. Typi-
cally. the colleges request information about
curremly posted or advertised openings. as
well as jobs that might be available in future
years. With the knowledge of the Board, (he
superintendent responds to these inquiries in
an effort to establish and maintain sources for
recruiting strong teachers to the Island. The
two individuals who came to the Island in
January from a Long Island college had no
invitation or appointment at the school. nor
had they called in advance to ask any ques-
tions. They came in response to the
superintendent's description of Fishers Is-
land as a desirable place to live and teach. No
vacancies had been announced for 2002. and
if the individuals had inquired, this is what
they would have been told.
Mr. Stepanek is now at an age where
Co1ltinu~d on page 3
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~ Call or e-mail the editor for
J ,Ii information about advertis-
.s'0 ing or editorial content:
winter 860-633-8200: summer
631-788-7000: figazette@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.
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Sprillg 201J2. Fishers Islalld (;azelle 3
Superintendent Koehnen Under Fire
A powerful undercurrent of frus-
tration, anger and resentment to-
ward Fishers Island School Su-
perintendent Kathy Koehnen erupted early
this year in the form of a petition and a
packed Mar. 20 Board of Education meeting
attended by about 120 people, manyofwhom
say they view Ms. Koehnen as a threat to the
future viability of the school, and therefore,
dle community.
The petition, circulated by year-round
resident Karla Heath and signed by 91 peti-
tioners, both year-round and summer, calls
for the Board of Education to "refrain from
renewing" Ms. Koehnen's contract, which
expires in 2003.
"At least 30 more people would have
signed the petition, but they feared recrimi-
nation at the school," Mrs. Heath said.
A swirl of negativity has dogged Ms.
Koehnen for months. Messages about her on
the Fishers Island Utility Co.'s website, the
"Peg Board," had become so vitriolic and
abusive that the company indefinitely shut
down its electronic bulletin board Mar. 19
[see story on page 5].
Specific complaints about the superin-
tendent, who began work at the school in
April, 1999 are difficult to pin down. Some
parents say that teachers fear for their jobs
and that Ms. Koehnen has created an atmo-
sphere of distrust. They cite her "abrasive
Letters to the Editor
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Co"tillued from pllge 2
many teachers choose to retire, and under his
union Contract, he is obligated to give only 30
days' notice of his intention to retire. The
school has had difficulties in the past with
sudden departures under the union contract,
most recently when a language teacher re-
signed after the end of the school year, leav-
ing little time to find a replacement. The
Board believes that it would be irresponsible
to our smdents if the school took no stcps to
address the possibility of future vacancies,
both anticipated and unanticipated.
Mr. Stepanek has taught at the school
and has been an active and valuable member
of the Fishers Island community for 29 years.
The Board apologizes foranydiscomforr that
this misunderstanding has caused him.
Sincerely yours,
Margaret E. Bryan
Presidem, Board of Education
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style, intimidation of teachers and students,
complete power over the school Board, lack
of communication and lack of respect for
magnet students and their parents."
It is generally agreed that two incidents
brought this intense disapproval to a head.
The first was aJan. 19 meeting of the Fishers
Island Civic Association at which Ms.
Koehnen reported that because of a projected
enrollment of 6-8 children in the high school
in 2007, the Board had decided to begin an
Comillut"d 011 pllge 4
Mrs. KoeLnen Responds...
Like any good school, Fishers Island
School has room for improvement.
But improvement means change,
and change is seldom easy. When I first came
here, there was no written curriculum. Now
we have one. There was no collection of data
on student achievement. Now we have that.
There were no faculty meetings. Now we
have them, with any teacher able to add an
item to the agenda to be discussed by all.
There was very limited communication be-
tween teachers and parents regarding their
children's work. That has now increased.
There was no focus on staff development,
with only a few teachers ever havinganended
a conference or workshop. Now we have
teachers who are excited about their visita-
tions to other schools, conferences they have
attended and the new ideas they are trying.
There were long-standing violations (sincc
1982) of New York Srare Property Tax Law,
which are now being corrected. Financial
records were in disarray and not up-to-date.
Now we are computerized and up-tn-date.
The Board of Education has been learn-
ing and growing as well. Last fall, the Board
began working with a leadership trainer from
the New York State School Boards Associa-
tion, and this is continuing.
The community should understand that
the friends and neighbors whom you have
elected to the Board of Education are volun-
teers who serve many hours on
your behalf. The Board has full
legal authority over the school. In
their role asclected officials, Board
members review far more infor-
mation than other community
members, much of it confidential
as it relates to individual children
and employees.
If there are any legitimate
concerns, there are a number of
ways in which these concerns can
be addressed. As mentioned above,
teachers may bring up any item
for full discussion at faculty meet-
ings. Teachers have in their union
contract a grievance procedure.
The Board has adopted policies.
most approved in 1993 during
full review, which define the work-
ings of the school district, includ-
ing how to address complaints.
These specific policies were re-
viewed by the Board at its public
meeting in December. The Board
also developed and approved
guidelines for public comments at
its meetings.
Historically, the Fishers Is-
land community has become in-
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. Fishers Island School students enjoy a field trip to the
Science Center of Eastern Connecticut in New London Feb.
27. Trip was funded by F.I. Library,lPP and Island Concerts.
Couti"ut"d 011 pllgt" 4
4 Fisllf'r.f Islmld Gazette. Spring 2002
Superintendent Under Fire
Continued from page 3
"exploration of options" to determine the
best way to continue providing a quality
education for Fishers Island children.
The Board denied immediate rumors
that it wanted to "close the school" [see box
at right]. (In a lenef accompanying the
above petition, Mrs. Heath disputed the 6-8
enrollment figure projected for 2007, stating
that the estimated enrollment would, in fact,
be 14 Island students.)
The second incident developed when
two college students came to Fishers Island
during this school year ostensibly in response
to information about teaching positions at
the school. Although the Board issued an
explanation [see Leners to the Editor on
page 2], detractors view the incident as yet
another example of Ms. Koehnen's threats
and intimidation.
Board of Education President Miggie
Bryan is a staunch supponer of the superin-
tendent. "Kathy is very ethical. She is a
superb educator with years of experience and
has made many changes for the good. She
has truly improved the school in every way,
including curriculum, finances and the
physical plant."
The Board expected a large turn-out for
its Mar. 20 meeting in the gym. Mrs. Bryan,
aware of this issue's emotional quotient,
asked resident New York State Trooper Jo-
seph Curto to be present in uniform.
A number of people spokc, including
year-round resident John Bean, whose wife
is the computer teacher at the school. The
Beans have two sons who anend the school;
their daughter is a 2001 graduate. Mr. Bean
summarized his concerns: "When the super-
inrendem first arrived, I was one of her
biggest supporters. In rime, however, I got
the distinct impression that she did not
respect the teachers or the students.
"The teachers used to have free rein in
the school, but she locked everything down;
she gets in the way. She brought the bureau-
cracy of the mainland to the school, which
used to operate more like a f..1mily.
"Mrs. Koehnen has also been detrimen-
tal to the academics, which were incredible.
And she treats the magnct students like sec-
ond class citizens, saying they are guests at
the school.
"People feel they have nowhere to go
with their complaints. She controls commu-
nication, and the Board falls in line with her,
so there are no checks and balances on
her power."
Year-round resident Pat Schiestl, who
also spoke at the meeting, said later that this
issue is not just about (he school.
"It is about the community; it is parr of
the grand problem. We need to work as a
team, with better communication between
the Board and the community. People have
to be informed to avoid hard feelings."
Only one person stood up to speak in
defense of the superintendent. Vear-round
resident Michael Crupi later said, "The
school does not exist in a vacuum. We're not
going to attract families, because property
values are too high, and access is difficult.
"Things were not wonderful, and people
were dissatisfied with the school long before
Kathy arrived. When we moved to the Is-
land, we were aware there were problems.
"But when we put our son, who has
since graduated, in school here, we were
horrified at what we saw and considered
moving off the Island. Teachers were run-
ning around doing whatever they wanted
and [former superintendent] Dr. [Neil]
O'Connell did nothing. When Karhy ar-
rived, the teachers were on notice that there
would be performance reviews. Kathy al-
ways got back to us. She was on top of
everything. She was so professional. We saw
gradual improvement.
"I rhought rhe behavior [at the Boatd
meeting] was inhumane. Whatever mistakes
she's made, she never did anything to deserve
that treatment."
Mrs. Koehnen Responds
Corlfinurd from pdge 3
cited by school issues from time to time, with
reports that some teachers were helping to
spread misinformation and rumors. I cer-
tainly hope that this is not the case this time.
I see teachers who care about children; I see
teachers defining and extending their cur-
ricula and course outlines; I see teachers who
are excited about learning more and improv-
ing their teaching skills.
I hope rhat the people in our commu-
nity will learn from the past that to listen to
one side of the story on the street is not
enough. I am hopeful ,hat people will ask
themselves if this is the whole story and look
for factual information. The packet of in for -
mati on that the Board of Education distrib-
uted at its March meeting provides some of
it. Community members who are interested
in seeing for themselves the atmosphere in
the school are invited to come to the school.
Board of Education Has No Plans to Close High School
Responding to previously submitted questions, the Board reported at its Mar. 20
meeting that it had in January begun discussing "options" for the school due to declining
enrollment but had no "anticipated intention" to eliminate the high school. The Board
will be working with Educorps, a group of retired school administrators, authorized
by the State of New York. Educorps is the same group that advised the school on its
financial computerization for the cost of expenses, only $234, Supt. Koehnen said.
. Fishers Island School Board of Education (I.r) Aaron Lusker; Miggie Bryan, president; Sue Horn;
Traci Thibodeau; and Stephen 5cace, vice president.
Spring llHJ2 - Fishers Islalld (,azelle 5
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IHP Pur~"ases
Do~lor' sHouse
&. Plans OtTi~e
The Island Health Project (IHP) in
February informed donors to its
Capital Campaign for the Health
of Fishers Island that two complaints against
IHP made to New York Stare administrative
agencies had been dismissed.
In its letter, IHP wrote, "On November
14,2001, the New YorkState Depanmentof
Health sent IHP a letter stating that no action
would be taken on a complaint that IHP was
improperly operating a medical facility or
clinic rather than subsidizing a private prac-
tice. On December 7,2001, IHP received a
similar communication from the New York
State Attorney General's Charities Bureau
that no action would be taken 011 a complaint
lodged in May, 2001, that IHP engaged in
fraudulent fund raising and illegal operation
of an unlicensed clinic."
The two dismissed complaints had been
lodged byadjacenr property owner, Nina W.
(Anthoine) Leth, individually and as Man-
ager of Windham Resources, LLC.
IHP launched its campaign in Fall, 1999
and had such an overwhelming response to
its initial goal of$1.5 million that it revised
the goal to $2 million and achieved that Feb.
I I. 2000.
The goal of the campaign was threefold:
to build a new health facility, renovate the
doctor's office into a residence, and establish
a permanent Operating fund to cover ex-
penses, which have doubled since retaining
resident physician, Jack Hand, M.D.
IHP has changed its original plans for
meeting its campaign goals. Dr. and Mrs.
Hand are now living in the former West End
home of John and Peg Clavin. purchased in
"move-in condition" by IHP Nov. 19,2001.
This new arrangemem creates additional in-
terior space for the renovated office. IHP
now plans to redesign the current doctor's
office to include a handicapped accessible
entrance, ambulance drop-ofT, modern fix-
tures and appropriate living quarters for doc-
tors filling in while Dr. Hand is away.
"IHP's Capital Campaign donors and
the entire community should take pride in
this development, because the new residence
provides strong additional incentive for any
future physician whom the Island might wish
[0 attract as a year-round Fishers Island resi-
dent," said IHP in its letter to donors.
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John Bean Photo
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. The Island Health Project (IHP) in November, 200 I purchased the former West End home o(
John and Peg Clavin (or Fishers Island's resident doctor. IHP sees this house as a strong draw (or
future physicians who might consider living and working year.round on Fishers Island.
F.I. Eledroni<<: Bulletin Board Shut Down
The Fishers Island Utility Co. on
Mar. 19 shut down indefinitely its
electronic message board, the "Peg
Board," due to months of abusive messages.
"The Peg Board is not a public forum. It
is a private website set up by a private com-
pany filf the convenience of the Fishers Is-
landcommuniry," said Robert E. Wall, presi-
dent of the utility company.
"The message board is a great thing
when used appropriately but not when it is
abused. It was hurting people and, therefore,
hurting the community.
"There are no freedom of speech issues
on a private site," Mr. Wall said. He added
that, as president, he has the authority to
make this decision and informed the utility
company Hoard of his planned action.
The urilitycompany had posted a warn-
ing, later unheeded, that further abuse of the
site would not be tolerated and would lead to
ashutdown.OnMar. 7, the company posted
the following.
"... When we first esrablished "The Peg
Board," we emailed all of our FISHNET
customers and notified them ofits existence.
We also mentioned that we would monitor
it and would not allow inappropriate lan-
guage to be used.
"Unfortunately, we had to delete the
school postings along with several other
postings due to language, which our com-
pany does not condone.
"Currently, we arc working on tracking
users that wish to abuse this privilege. Hope-
fully, hywayof this posting, certain individu-
als will think a little more clearly and choose
their words with more care.
"However, if this privilege is continued to
be abused, then instead of postings being
deleted, the whole board Illay be discontin-
ued."
Fishers Island Telephone Co. inaugu-
rated irs FISHNET se!Vice shonly after July
4, 1999 and by 2001 had 150 subscribers.
The company upgraded ro high-speed
Internet access Aug. 15. 2001.
Wanted for New Museum:
-Original green, oversized Olmsted East
End development map, 1926/1928.
'Fishers Island home movies. 1 920s-'60s.
'Artifacts that reveal Island history.
Don't delay-exhibit design at
advanced stage!
Please send description to: Pierce
Rafferty/History, H.L. Ferguson Museum,
Fishers Island NY 06390: email
PRafferty@~
6 Fi~her.~ Is/and Gazette. Sprillf( 2(}(}1
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n 0
... (I-r) Corbin and
Edmund Hedge check
lobster traps.
"IIIlI Hedge family photo
../ (I.r) Robert, John
Campbell, Edmund,
Alfred, William, Belle,
Bessie and Charles W.
Hedge.
.. (inset) Edmund Hedge,
two years before losing
his arm in ashooting acci-
dent.
"The Hedges on the
BessieH.
Spr;,'g 2()Ol . Fishers Island Gazelle 7
EdIUund Hedge: Courage in tl.e Fa<<:e of A.d-versity
Corbin Hedge. 77, died Jan. 18. His Jaher, Edmund, was a Iobsterman on Fishers Island This is Edmunds story.
By Thelma Hedge Shaw
previous afternoon and figured that the hunt-
ers had bagged enough game and hadn't
bothered to track down the injured ducks,
now unable to fly. A5 Ed reached for his
shotgun, pulling it to him, the hammer caught
on the sail, discharging one barrel of the gun.
The shO( entered his arm at the wrist and tore
up to the elbow.
To this day, no one knows how Ed,
bleeding profusely, made it back to port.
Fortunately, he was not alone in the boat. He
was rushed to the Fr. Wright hospital where
the post surgeon said the arm had to be
amputated two inches above thc elbow.
Ed had planned to join his fathcr in thc
lobstcr busincss the following spring. In-
stead, when recovered, he worked with his
brother Rill in the plumbing business, learn-
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Dawn broke with the promise of a
glorious day for the tiny Island,
but as young Edmund Hedge
gazed ofT into the sunrise, thc bcauty of the
dawn was the last thing on his mind.
It was 1916. the day before Thanksgiv-
ing, and the 17-year-old was ploning the best
course of action as he approached the dock
and his father's lobster boat, Bessie H. Ed.
who was accompanied by a friend, rested his
double-barreled shotgun against the cabin of
his boat. pulled the lines from the pilings and
shoved of[
Ed, a gentle-hearted soul, was headed to
North Dumpling with his friend Harry
Abbott to cnd the lives of a couple of Mallard
ducks shot and wounded by a group of
hunters. Ed had seen the ducks late the
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Hedge Family Photos
ing to use tools with his left hand. When his
father died in 1917, however, and left him
the Bessie H., Ed decided he was going to
show people he could "lick" his problem.
Some Islanders thought he was foolish
to try. but he answered the skeptics, saying,
"lobstering is my life, and without it and the
sea, you might as well let me die."
A few years later, Ed married Bertha
Stoughton of Clinton, Conn. and built her a
wood-shingled house a few hundred yards up
from West Harbor. He made good money
fishing. In the 1950s. he could rake 200 or
300 pounds a day from his 100 pots. By the
1970s, he said he IH::eded twice as many pots
to duplicate that ca(ch.
losing an arm did not make Ed biner.
CMlfbllled on page 9
8 Fishers Island Gazette. ,)'prillK ](J()]
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SprbJg 10(}1 . Fishers lsla"d Gazette 9
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Edmund Hedge
Co1lt;lIuedfrom page 7
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During WWl, he was one of the few men left
on the Island. Before hauling his pots, he
would tend fires, if needed, in the homes of
men who were offfighting. Later in the day,
he would return with extra lobsters in his
bushel baskets for those families he had
tended earlier.
Durillg that tinle, Ed frequendywalked
the nine or so miles across the frozen sound,
pulling his sled behind him. Loading up on
supplies, he would then start the long, lonely
and often dangerous journey back across the
frozen expanse. He never complained, be-
cause he thought it was his duty while his
neighbors were off fighting for freedom.
Over the years. Islanders relied on Ed in
times of trouble or need. The one-armed
bandit, as he was now lovingly called. would
always manage to set things right.
For example. when a friend's mother
died, and the funeral was scheduled for 10
a.m.. Ed learned that her two sisters had
missed the 7 a.m. ferry. There was no visibil-
ity out on the water. The fog was as thick as
pea soup. Without a thought for his own
safety, Ed volunteered to pick up the sisters.
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even though the ferry had almost run aground
that morning coming though the channel.
Guided by his many years of experience and
his strong desire to help, he safely made it
over to the mainland and back with
his cargo.
Then there was (he Thanksgiving din-
ner that his wife, Bertha, kept warm for over
two hours. The family had just sat down to
eat when the phone rang with news that the
young minister, who had come from Con-
necticut to preach at the annual Thanksgiv-
ing service, had missed the ferry. He was
longing to get home for his first Thanksgiv-
ing with his bride of two weeks and offered to
pay anyone for a ride to the mainland. Ed left
the table to bring the young minister home
and refused payment. saying it was his plea-
sure to be of service.
Ed had overcome so many challenges in
his life. yet he was always known and loved
for hisgeIltleand generous disposition. Once
a recipient of Ed's kindness, you never could
forget him.
Sadly. for all of us who loved him, and
there were literally hundreds, Ed met an
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Hedge Family Photo
. Charles W. Hedge residence and dock.
obstacle he couldn't overcome: He died
Sept. 27. 1975.
I could write countless pages about
Captain Ed, my grandfather. He was the
most generous person I have ever known. He
was always willing to give of himself so that
others would benefit. In the eulogy given hy
Rev. Arthur Kinsolving, his nature was well
described:
"When Ed was threatened by death in
1970 by shotgun pellets still lodged in his
upper stump from his accident in 1916, Dr.
Grant Sanger had him admitted into the
Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center in
New York. I walked in and found a gathering
of nurses in his room. The nurscswerc frankly
amazed and mystified. This great fisherman,
this man of the sea who had met everything
the Atlantic can do, was a new breed of man
to them. They had seen New York bums. oil
tycoons and ordinary people galore, but Ed
was a unique product, a gifted, giving man
from the American tradition of the sea. I'm
sure as Ed moved into the company of God,
the other guests arose and stood to salute this
gentle man, a sailor home from the sea."
J() Fi.~/lfn 1.~/alld Gazette. Spring 1001
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Spring 2002 . Pisllers Isla"d Gazette J J
f\.rnold Indu<<:ted into Conn. Golf Hall of Fame
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C harlesG.Arnoldwasinductedinto
the Connecticut Golf Hall of Fame
in December, 2001, proving that
consistency is equally prized ofT the links as
well as on its greens and fairways.
In selecting Mr. Arnold, the Connect-
iCln State Golf Association (CSGA) said,
"Charlie Arnold has been a fixture of Con-
necticut golf for five decades. His wisdom,
enrhusiasm and tireless efforts on behalf
of the game have set an example for the
men and women who labor behind the scenes
to protect golf's integrity and enhance its
enjoyment."
In 1969, Mr. Arnold was Warerbury
Country Club's golf chairman when he was
asked ro serve as CSGA presidenr. Ar 44, he
became the youngest president in the history
of the organi7.-3tion.
CSGA officials nored rheir debr of ap-
preciation to Mr. Arnold for his advice,
counsel and leadership, and also for his
guidance in helping to restructure the
organization during his long tenure
(1971-1985) as chairman of CSGA's
nominating committee.
Since 1984, Mr. Arnold has also been
active in the United States Golf Association
(USGA), serving on USGA's Secrional Af-
fairs Committee for the last 14 years. He is an
accredited rules officer, giving rwo seminars
annually, and has officiated In
numerous CSGA and USGA tournaments
since 1953.
Not only is Mr. Arnold the "idea" man
with initiative, bur he also doesn't wait to be
asked to help. He eagerly joined fund-raising
efforts for CSGA's new Connecticut Coif
Foundation two years ago. "It's an opportu-
nity for inner city kids to be involved with all
aspects of golf, not just the game, bur work-
ing in golf shops, for example. It's just get-
ting ofT the ground, and r m very proud to be
involved with the foundation.
"Although it's for all children, the greater
opportunity is for inner city children who
otherwise would not have an opportunity to
play," Mr. Arnold said. "It used to be, until
you were out of school, you couldn't afford
to join a club. Now, the kids are in the act. In
the past, the only young people who got to
play were the caddies who played on Mon-
day afternoons. Now there are lots of oppor-
tunities for kids."
Mr. Arnold did not play golf as a child.
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Encouraged by friends, he picked up his first
golf club in 1946 after two years in the
infantry in Europe. His summer of relax-
ation before college was spent playing and
practicing golf with his friends each day
from 7 a.m. until dark, breaking long
enough only for a brown bag lunch and a
walk from the course (after 36 holes) to the
driving range and putting green.
He finished the sum mer with a 3 handi-
cap and jokes that it has been downhill ever
since. "It just shows you what a little daily
attention can do for your golf game," Mr.
Arnold said.
"I didn't play in college (Yale, '48, Ap-
plied Economics). After the war, we worked
six days a week and played Saturday after-
noons and Sundays. I was in the manufactur-
ing business, and it was kind of hands on.
Everybody did it that way then. I guess I
played about 40 or
50 rounds a year.
"One of my
good friends was in
a different manu-
facturingcompany.
We each worked
Saturday morning
and had a regular
Saturday afternoon
game. He had a wry
senseofhumor,and
about the 15th or
16,h hole, he'd say,
'I sitin my office all
weekandcan'twait
to get out onto the
course, and now I
can't wait to get
om'"
Mr. Arnold is
four-time golf
champion at
Highfield Club in
Middlebury,
Conn. and also
holds a golf cham-
pionship in Florida.
He is past president
and Executive
Committee mem-
berofthe New En-
gland Golf Associa-
tion, past president
of the CC of Waterbury and a member of
the Course Ranking Panel for Golf Digest.
In addition to his CSGA and USGA
activities, Mr. Arnold is also a fixture at the
Fishers Island Club golf course. He was head
of the golfcommittee for 11 ycars and worked
with the Board on all greens and golf matters
during the 1990s.
"I always loved that course and every-
thing aboUl it," Mr. Arnold said. "They say
you can learn more about a person's charac-
ter in 18 holes of golf than in 10 years of
social or business association. You find out
the good and bad. The convivialiry and
sociability of playing with people you like is
very pleasant and very relaxing."
Mr. Arnold is a member of the CC of
Waterbury, Royal and Ancient Golf Club,
U.S. Seniors Association, Fishers Island Club
and Hole-in-the-Wall Club.
Jamison C. Bazinet Photo [Waterbury} Republican/American 2001
. Charles W. Arnold was inducted into the Connecticut Golf Hall of
Fame in December, 200 I. Honored for decades of tireless efforts on
behalf of the game, Mr. Arnold was also head of the golf committee at
the Fishers Island Club for II years.
J 2 f'Mrers Idalld (;azelfe . .\'pring 2tJtJ2
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Mary Ferguson Russell
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thought it was a waste of time for women.
Instead, she went to work fur Time-Life in
New York and later for the Office of War
Information in the Middle East during
WWII.
Always an adventurer, she used to tell
wonderful stories about her wartime experi-
ences flying from one small airport to an-
other, pouring coffee into the pilot hoping
that he would stay awake long enough to
make it to the next landing strip.
After the war, she married Tuck Russell,
and they spent most of their married life in
New Yark City. While raising three children,
Mrs. Russell volunteered in many commu-
nity organizations. including the James
Weldon Johnson
Community Center
and the Stanley Isaacs
Center, both organi-
zations that provided
services for the
Harlem community.
At one poine, she also
served as a full-time
volunteer at the
United NationsAsso-
Mary Ferguson Russell. a voracious
reader. avid sailor and skier. and intrepid
traveler. died Sept. 29. 2001 in Essex, Conn.
She was 87.
Mrs. Russell was born in Schenectady.
where her father Samuel Ferguson. was a
utility company executive. She grew up in
Hartford, Conn. and often left all of the
lights on in her house. because her father had
taught her that it was good for business.
Her grandfather. Henry Ferguson. had
built Holiday House overlooking Hay Har-
borin 1897. He was the
brother of Edmund
and Walton Ferguson.
who purchased Fishers
Island in 1889 from the
Fox family heirs.
From the time she
was born. Mrs. Russell
spem summers on Fish-
ers Island. where she in-
dulged her love for sail-
ing by spending many
afternoons racing Fish-
ers Island one-designs.
"She often sat on
the porch of Holiday
House, and watched
with a twinkle in her ,::.
eye as boats came too
close to rocks or to the
shore. She used to say
she knew where all of the rocks were, because
she had hit most of them in her childhood,"
said daughter Jennifer Russell.
"Her annual golf matches with Muff
Rafferty were eagerly awaited by both fami-
lies. As children, we would hide behind trees
and rattle pots and pans or blow whistles to
try to distract Muff. Mom would go on
hitting one shot after another-not terribly
far but straight as an arrow every time.
"She was one of the founders of the H.L.
Ferguson Museum and served on its board
for years. Many was the time that we would
be corralled to help stuff envelopes or type
labels for exhibitions.
"Mom was a strong presence in the
Fishers Island community and will be sorely
missed."
Mrs. Russell graduated from Miss
Porter's School in Farmington, Conn. but
did not attend college because her father
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dation.
Throughout her
life, Mrs. Russell pos-
sessed extraordinary
intellectual curiosity,
reading constantly on
foreign affairs. history
Photo Coutesy of Jennifer Russell and current events.
For many years she
studied Russian and
practiced by playing bridge with a group of
Russian emigres who lived near her home
in the city.
With an insatiable desire to travel. Mrs.
Russell eventually became a partner in
Fredericks Helton, a travel agency. which
allowed her to participate in numerous trips
to exotic locations around the world. After
retiring, she and Me. Russell moved to Essex.
Mrs. Russell is survived by her husband,
Thomas W. "Tuck" Russell of Essex; a son,
Thomas W. Russell III of Minneapolis.
Minn.; two daughters, Jennifer Russell of
New York City and Sarah Russell of
Hadlyme. Conn.; a son-in-law, Lance Elwell;
and two step-grandchildren, Kari Katzander
and Karena Elwell.
Memorial contributions in Mrs. Russell's
memory may be selH to the H.L. Ferguson
Museum. Burial was on Fishers Island in the
old cemetery hehind St. John's Church.
MARY FERGUSON RUSSELL
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.\'pring Z002 . Fishers Island Gazelte J 3
Margaret W. Spofford
Margaret Walker Spofford, 97, died Oct.
7,2001 at home in New York City.
Known as Peg to friends and "Zee" to
her family, Mrs. Spofford was a woman of
steady habits and lively wit. She lived. in the
same home for over 60 years and changed
residence only when she summered on
Fishers Island.
Born Dee 29. 1903 in Muskegon,
Mich., Mrs. Spofford was the middlechild of
Louis and Margaret Walker. She graduated
from The Madeira School in Washington,
D.C. and from Vassar College, class of 1926.
Afrer marrying Charles M. Spofford in 1930,
she devoted the rest of her life to her family
and to active volunteer service with the
Women's Association of the Brick Church
and the Children's Aid Society.
The Spoffords summered in Lake
Spofford Family Pholo
MARGARET W. SPOFFORD
Placid in 1946. but decided it was too long a
commute from the city, so they gave Fishers
Island a try at the recommendation of
friends. The result is Mrs. Spofford.s legacy
to Fishers Island: four children, 13 grand-
children and 22 great-grandchildren, all of
whom spend time on the Island.
In 1947, the family remed the Noble
House, now owned by Henry and Margaret
King. at the East End. With four active
children. none of whom had driver's licenses,
Mrs. Spofford always said rhat she put 3000
miles on her car in two monrhs. She also said
Co,ujllut'd 0" page /4
14 Fidlers /sla"d Gazette. Sprillg 2002
Stephen T. Kelsey, Jr.
Stephen Tomlinson Kelsey Jr., known
as both "Steve" and "Tommy," died Mar. 7
in BelW}'n, Pa. after a brief illness. Hewas 85.
Born in East Orange, N,J.. Mr. Kelsey
grew up in New Jersey and Manhattan. He
graduated from Hotchkiss School in 1935
and Yale in 1939. In 1942, he enlisted in the
Coast Artillery Corps. He was proud but
quiet about the fact that he landed on
Normandy Beach D-Day plus one. He was
discharged in 1946 with the rank of Captain.
Mr. Kelscy's lifelong love of trains led
him, in 1939, to work first with the Pennsyl-
vania and then the Canton railroads. He
joined Martin Marietta in New York City in
1962 and later moved to its corporate head-
quarters in Rockville, Md., retiring in 1985
as Director of Policies and Procedures.
According to Mr. Kelsey's family, "His
second great love (after trains!) was golf.
Needless to say, his favorite golf course was
the Fishers Island Club where he was elated
to become club champion in 1970."
In a letter, dated 1990, Mr. Kelscywrotc:
"My life's pivotal events have occurred on
Fishers. In the late 1920s, duringa visit at my
Margaret W. Spofford
COlltimud from page 13
that the constant southwest wind blew po-
tato chips away at cocktail time, so the family
began renting in the Village until building a
house on Chocomount Cove in 1953.
Anecdotes abound when Mrs. Spofford's
name is mentioned. One popular story cen-
ters around her unquestioning devotion to
family, and the other proves a keen apprecia-
tiClll of how to overcome certain obstacles on
the Island.
Mrs. Spofford's father, who had a sig-
nificant influence on her life, had founded a
company that made filing cabinets. During
WWII, while her husband was in Europe, she
was sent tax returns with instructions [0 sign
and file them. This she did. Some months
later, IRS agents arrived at her apartment
door, stating that she had not filed the tax
returns. She invited them inro her office,
opened her filing cabinet, and proved that
she had indeed "filed" them. This story was
later reported in 71Je New Yorker.
The second anecdote results from the
fact dlat Mrs. Spofford was an ardent fan of
uncle's house overlooking the 14,h hole (the
Van Dyke house, currently owned by Mr.
and Mrs. Mark Andrews), I resolved then
and there to return to the island at every
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STEPHEN T. KELSEY, JR.
opportunity. During the 1954 Membcr-
Guest golf tournament, 1 met and was seated
next to Nancy Bryce who, for more than 35
years, has made me happy beyond my
crossword puzzles but would not regularly
buy a Sunday New York Times. One Mon-
day, she called the grocery SlOre looking for a
paper, but Bill Bloethe informed her that he
had no papers left. He suggested that she call
the transfer station. She promptly called Jim
Wall, then manager of the station. He erased
the puzzle for her and had it ready when one
of her children arrived to pick it up.
In her younger years, Mrs. Spofford was
an accomplished golfer, mandolin player and
marksman, reportedly targeting rabbits from
her deck with a 22-calibre rifle. More re-
cently, her real joy was the weekly trip to the
two church thrift shops with one of her
granddaughters.
In early days on Fishers Island, Tom
Armstrong and his wife Bunty rented a house
adjacent to the Spofford property on
Chocomounr Cove. Mr. Armstrong called
on Mrs. Spofford to ask for an ingredient for
his pepper jelly and rhus began a lifelong
friendship.
The Spofford family asked Mr.
Armstrong to say a few words at an Oct. 12
service at St. John's Church. Unable to at-
fondest dreams."
From 1955 until the last few years of his
life, Mr. Kelsey was able to fulfill his desire to
spend time on the Island. HeandMrs. Kelsey
bought their first Island home on Shingle
Hill in 1967. finally settling in the Winthrop
House in 1980afterthedeath of Mrs. Kelsey's
parents, Mr. and Mrs. T. Jerrold Bryce.
Mr. Kelsey was predeceased in 1995 by
his wife of 40 years, after her II-year struggle
with Alzheimer's disease.
Mr. Kelsey is survived by two daughters,
Melie Truesdale Spofford of New York City
and Fishers IslandandJenny Kelsey Breining
of Ridgewood, N.J.; and five grandchildren,
Daphne and Jeremy Spofford and Kelsey.
Peter and Victoria Breining.
Contributions in Mr. Kelsey's memory
may be made to the Island People's Project,
which Mrs. Kelsey helped found in 1972.
Send obituaries to:
Fishers Island Gazette
Obituaries
PO Box 573
Fishers Island NY 06390
~
tend, he wrote the following, which was read
at the service:
"...1 always felt that Zee and I communi-
cated as if we were both the same undefined
age...! was captivated. I rook her some flow-
ers in August, and the flirtation continued.
Through it all, you could not let generaliza-
tions obscure real facts, or she would imme-
diately catch you in your error. She once
visitcd [me] with (her daughter] Peggy for
[Omara sandwiches and asked what I col-
lected. I responded, American furniture,
whereupon she pointed out at least five En-
glish pieces. Fools did not have a chancc.
"She was a grand lady-a treasure-and
my life, and so many others, were truly en-
riched by her spirit and great kindness...1 will
miss her very much... ,.
Mrs. Spofford is survived by two sons,
Nicholas Spofford of Ridgefield, Conn. and
J olm Spofford of New Yark City and Fishers
Island; two daughters, Nancy Yerkes and
Peggy Benkard. buth of New York City; 13
grandchildren; and 22 great-grandchildren.
Mrs. Spofford is buried in New Sr. John's
Cemctery.
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Corbin Hedge, 77
Corbin Hedge. the last in a long line of
year-round Hedge family residents. died of a
heartattackJan. 18. Hewasfound dead in his
boar, the Three Gulls, in West Harbor at
9:27 a.m. after returning from hauling
lobsters. He was 77.
Mr. Hedge was born on Fishers Island,
the only child of Bet-
tha and Edmund
Hedge. Except for
serving his country
duting WWII, he
spent his entire life on
the Island, mostly in
his boat or at the fam-
ily fish matket, which
opened in the early
1940s and closed in
the 1970s.
"I spoke to him
Thutsday night, and
he said he was going
hauling with the first
tide," said daughter
Thelma Hedge Shaw
of Ridge. N.Y. "He returned to West Harbor
Friday morning, dressed in full oilskin garb,
with lobsters at his fect and waved to
[lobsrermanJ Paul Tombari. When Mr.
Tombari looked back again, he saw the boat
in neutral and thought my father had fallen
overboard.
"This was difficult, but it was what my
father wished for-to go with his boots on."
In his eulogy, Mr. Hedge's son, Richard
S. Hedge of Grown, Conn., said, "A large
portion of my father's life revolved around
the sea. He harvested lobsters to make his
livelihood. It was upon his beloved mistress
that his life abruptly ended. I remarked aloud
upon learningofhis passing, that he wouldn't
have had it any other way. From those of you
with whom I've spoken, you've all expressed
that same sentiment. How fortunate he was
to have met his fate, doing what he loved
above all else."
In addition to his children, Mr. Hedge
leaves a granddaughter, Asha Shaw.
There has been a Hedge living on Fish-
ers Island since the mid-1870s, when Corbin
Hedge's great-grandfather William Anthony
Hedge and his family moved to the Island for
his health.
The Hedges were one of the first fami-
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lies to buy property on Fishers Island imme-
diately after Fox family heirs began selling
off land lots. Both Mr. Hedge and his wife
Frances Crandall Hedge eventually owned a
substantial amount of property in the West
Harbor area. Today, Hedge Street, a left
turn after the Pequot Inn, is one of the few
street names actually in common use on
(he Island.
William Hedge, a successful wholesale
and retail grocer, had a colorful youth as a
world traveler and a
Pony Express rider
car tying gold dust
and mail for Wells
Fargo. According w
family lore, when no
transportation was
available, he had a
huge taft built (0
transport their fur-
niture and posses-
sions to the Island.
The raft also carried
amastercarpenter to
;1 build an addition to
Photo Courtesy of Thelma Hedge Shaw their new house.
CORBIN HEDGE A few years
later, Mr. and Mrs.
Hedge's SOil, Charles, who had been going to
school in Middletown, Conn., came to Jive
with the family. Charles loved the water, but
family records indicate that his father built
him a store so Charles could begin running a
business. Unfortunately, Charles was not in-
terested, so Mr. Hedge sold the store to the
Wilbur family, who ran Wilbur's Store for
many years. That building now houses
Topper's, The Pickett Fence and Hair of the
Dog Liquors.
In lieu of business, the Hedges encour-
aged their son to pursue his considerable
musical talents. When that idea provided no
spark, Me. Hedge bought a schooner for
Charles who ferried passengers to and from
the mainland and took out sailing parties,
often playing banjo on the deck.
Charles eventually earned a living deep
sea fishing and lobstering. He married Belle
Camphell, and rhey had six childten, Will-
iam, Alfted, Edmund [see stoty on page 7],
J aim Campbell, Robert and Bessie. Corbin
Hedge was Edmund's son.
Ed note: Hedge family infOrmation obtained
from written recollections of Corbin
Hedges great-aunt, Frances Grace Hedge
Thorp, born Oct. 17, 1876.
Spring 2002. Fi.fhers Is/and Gazene J 5
Herber/A. Ahlgren
Longtime summer resident, Herbert A.
Alllgren, died Nov. 17, 2001 at Norwalk
Hospital, Norwalk, Conn. He was 80.
Born in Brooklyn in 1921, Mr. Ahlgren
first came to Fishers Island as an infant in
1922 when his fathet, Adolph Ahlgren,
worked at the Mortimer Buckner estate. The
Ahlgren family spent a year on Fishers Island
in 1930, and Mr. Ahlgren made lifetime
friendships while attending the Fishers Is-
land School. He continued to summer on the
Island and finally bought property on the
Peninsula in 1951.
Mr. Ahlgren graduated from Long Is-
land University in 1942 and in 1943 gradu-
ated ftOlll the USNR Midshipman School at
Northwestern University in Chicago, III. A
veteran of WWII, he rose to the rank of
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. Herbert Ahlgren worked tirelessly as chair.
man of the American Legion Post No. 1045
War Memorial Committee to develop two
bronze plaques, dedicated in 1995. honoring
both year.round and summer residents who
served inthe U.S. Armed ForcesduringWWll,
the Korean conflict and the Vietnam War.
lieutenantwhilecaptaininga U.S. Navy L.ST
in the South Pacific. After the surrender, Me.
Ahlgren was stationed in Japan as part of the
Army of Occupation.
Returning home ill 1946, he continued
his education and received an M BA from
New York University. In 1949, he went to
work in New York City for the Association
of National Advertisers, from which he re-
tired as vice president in 1985.
Mr. Ahlgren was married [() Mary Ann
Anderson until her death in 1955. The next
year, he met Mary Shea on the Fishers Island
fetty, MYSTIC ISLE, where he illlrodllced
himself and offered to carry her luggage.
They were married in 1956 and shared a love
offamilyand long summers on Fishers Island
until her death in 1983. Mr. Ahlgren and his
COfl/jllued 011 pllge 18
16 n.~hers Island Gazette. Sprillg 2002
R. Stewart Rauch
R. Stewart Rauch, 87, a retired Philadel-
phia banking executive and a 50-year
summer resident of Fishers Island, died
Nov. 15,2001, in Beaumont Health Center,
Bryn Mawr, Pa., of complications from
pneumonia.
At a Dec, 17,2001 memorial service for
Mr. Rauch, his children presented the fol-
lowing remarks, delivered by son Benjamin
It Rauch:
"It is hard to speak about Dad without
speaking about Mom, because when he was
three, they met. She was four. St. Regis,
where they met, would be a theme for much
of his life, and theirs.
"Pop would go on to St. Paul's, where he
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and he left it when the PSFS was the largest.
"During those years, he would also serve
in board member roles at 65 institutions-
business, philanthropic, educational and not-
for-profit...What is really extraordinary is
that, in addition to a full-time job, he man-
aged to be involved in nearly everything that
happened in Philadelphia.
"His greatest moment came after the
assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
in 1968. Like many cities, Philadelphia was
on the verge of exploding. With other busi-
ness and black leaders in Philadelphia, Pop
initiated, under the chairmanship of Leon
Higginbotham, the Good Friday Group,
which calmed the city, and launched many
successful programs, including job training,
that would serve as models for the nation.
"Pop's contributions, both to business
and to Philadelphia, would be recognized in
. Frances and R. Stewart Rauch at their SO.h wedding anniversary celebration.
would begin a lifelong affinity for clubs and
'societics,' and thcn to Princeton, where he
would graduate Phi Beta Kappa. Pop was
very proud of his Phi Beta Kappa key, and
would wear it in the pocket of his-as he
called it-'waistcoat,' for as long as he
wore one.
"After Princeton, he well[ to the
Campbell Soup Company. Stirring toma-
toes literally got the better of him, and he
went to law school. The Dechert office then
figured prominently in his life, interrupted
by naval service during the war in the Middle
East and the Pacific. He subsequently got an
offer to join the PSFS in 1949. He took it,
and the career we remember him for was off
and running.
Pop was with the PSFS for 30 years. He
joined the oldest savings bank in the country,
his being named, in 1977, as the recipient of
the Philadelphia Award. It is given to rhe
person who has advanced the 'best and largest
interest of the community.' With it comes a
grant. Pop asked that the grant be given to
one of his favorite institutions, The Ameri-
can Philosophical Society.
"A man both philosophical and practi-
cal, he did not mind when people poked fun
at him. When a magazine ran a cartoon that
said that P-S-F-S stood for, 'Ptetry-Soft-for-
Stew,' he framed it and put it in his office.
"When choosing his sporting wardrobe,
he saw no reason to give in to convention. He
was not bothered at all by those who said,
from the chairlift at the Homestead in Vir-
ginia, 'Whoa, horsey!' as he snowplowed
wearing his jodhpurs. And perhaps most
Continu~d on page J 7
Frances Rauch
Frances Rauch, of Bryn Mawr, Pa., lately
known as "the amazing Mrs. Rauch," died
Nov. 1,2001 at home. She was 88.
Her courage in the face of a final illness
prompted the above accolade, but her chil-
dren agree that "amazing" was an appropriate
lifelong description for their mother.
Mrs. Rauch read widely and was always
looking for ways to sharpen her mind. As the
mother of two children in the 1940s, she
commuted over 100 miles from Paoli, Pa. to
New York City to study for a bachelor's
degree from Columbia University.
Twenty years later, now the mother of
five, Mrs. Rauch received a master's degree in
education from University of Pennsylvania.
It was a point of considerable pride to her
children that she scored higher on the Gradu-
ate Record Exam than they did.
A formidable conversationalist and de-
bater, Mrs. Rauch loved mind games, like
Scrabble, and possessed a huge store of facts.
Ready for quick retrieval almost until the end
of her life were the names of kings and queens
of England, U.S. presidents, state capitals,
Triple Crown winners, and the relative but-
terfat content of the milk of Holsteins, Jer-
seys and Guernseys.
Mrs. Rauch was a respected member of
the boards of the Philadelphia Zoo, Temple
University, and the Child Guidance Clinic
and Visiting Nurse Association in Philadel.
phia. To these organizations she gave not
only advice, but also time, money and com-
mitment. It surprised noone to learn that her
PIN number for ATM transacrions was W-
O-R-K.
Mrs. Rauch's children remember that
she was "instinctively prescient and often
acted on her hunches." Early on, she sensed
that women were poised to win a grearer
voice in world affairs and urged her daughters
to be prepared to playa part. Two daughters
earned master's degrees and one, a Ph.D.
Mrs. Rauch and her husband, Stewart,
who died Nov. 15,2001, began summering
on Fishers Island in the 1950s, usually rent-
ing a house near Hay Harbor where Mr.
Rauch particularly enjoyed claming. In the
1960s, they purchased a farm house on [he
Wilmercling property and in 1967 built a
new house overlookingSrony Beach and Hay
Harbor.
In addition to tennis, golf and fishing,
Mrs. Rauch was an avid participant in Edwin
Cominued on page J 7
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Catherine C. Dailey
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Catherine Conboy Dailey, aformcrsum-
mer resident who lived in Lake San Marcos,
Cal., died Jan. 8 after suffering a stroke. She
was 88.
Fishers Island held a special place in her
heart. and Mrs. Dailey cherished every mo-
ment spent here, even though she had not
lived on the Island in many years.
The daughter of Bertha and Marrin
Conboy, Mrs. Dailey was born in East Or-
ange, N.J. and grew up in Riverdale. She
graduated from the Academy of Mr. St.
Vincent in Riverdale, the Institur de Halites
Etudes in Fribourg, Switzerland and attended
Barnard College.
101935, she married John F. Dailey Jr.
of Rochester, a former Florida amateur golf
champion and assistant U.S. attorney in New
Yark City. They raised six children, making
their home, successively, in Tarrytown,
Montclair, N.J. and Chappaqua, all thewhile
summcring on Fishers Island.
The Daileys spent their first two sum-
mers in rented Steffanini houses but in 1950
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R. Stewart Rauch
Continued from page 16
famously, when in Africa on safari he sighted
a 'kangaroo,' he laughed as hard as his
children.
"But he stood his ground on principle.
In his speech when he accepted the Philadel-
phia Award, he called for racial harmony, a
remark which prompted threats against him
personally, and withdrawals from the PSFS.
Pop's response was simply to repeat the re-
marks and ask the media department of the
PSFS to let him know, as we would say today,
how many "hits" he took. He would not be
intimidatcd.
"Now, all of this makes him sound like
asaint.Hewasn't. Whileattractiveandcharm-
ing, he had, to put it positively-and on this
remark there is unanimity-an 'impressive
temper.' He had his likes and dislikes.
"Fast was good. Slow was bad. Why fly
subsonic when you could fly Concorde? Why
ride a slow horse when he could ridc
Venture, his horse of many years and perfect
match as they both HAD to be at the from of
the hunting field?
"And slow could certainly be speeded
up. Concerts, plays--operas in particular-
bought the house, now owned by the
Anthoine family, on the hill across from the
post office.
Family picnics at Hay Harbor,
Chocomount and Isabella Beaches, and Sun-
day afternoons at the Big Club were favorite
summer memories. Mrs. Dailey's children
fondly remember their mother encouraging
them to participate in numerous activities,
including Hay Harbor's weekly swimming
races, Mr. Hickey's tennis lessons, the tennis
and golfladders, and low tide c1aming, crab-
bing and fishing. On rainy days, there was
always Mrs. Jones at the library, in addition
to the games and jigsaw puzzles that could be
found at Polly's Shop.
Although Mrs. Dailey never considered
herself an arrist, some of the paintings she
created while taking Charlie Ferguson's art
classes always hung on the walls of her home
throughout her life, reminding her ofIsland
summers.
Mrer her husbaod'sdearhin 197], Mrs.
Dailey returned to college, graduating from
Pace University in White Plains. That same
year, she moved to Southern California where
she lived for most of the rcmaining years of
her life.
~
all took too long, as did virtually all four-
somes on thegolfcoursewherever he played...
"His is a Philadelphia story. But all of
this-his career, his likes and dislikes-belie
what was most important to him: his family.
He was not the sort of man to come out and
say it, but in his correspondence, it is there.
Writing to a friend and colleague of many
years who congratulated him on receiving
the Philadelphia Award, he says what has
given him the greatest pleasure is to have his
wife, five children, siblings and in-laws gath-
ered for the occasion. He was loyal, devoted,
protective.. .
"Some of you were here six weeks ago at
our mother's memorial service. It has been
tough on us to have both of our parellts leave
us within two weeks of each other. But we
believe it was easier on them. When Pop
realized Mom had died, I think he also real-
ized he had done what he wallted to dC}--
loved and protected her and us-and with
her, raised five children who could now go
on. So a fortnight later, he wellt and joined
her again."
Me. and Mrs. Rauch are survivcd by two
sons, Rudolph S. Rauch III and Beojamin
Spr;'lg ]()()Z- FidJers Is/and Gazette 17
Friends and family remember Mrs.
Dailey for her independence, determination,
advocacy of learning and education, loyalty
to duty, devotion to church and family, and
no-nonsense approach to life.
Mrs. Dailey was predeceased by her old-
est daughter, Joan, who died of cancer in
1992.
She is survived by two sons, Peter Dailey
of Houston, Tex. and Christopher Dailey of
San Francisco; three daughters, Barbara Klaus
of Evergreen, Col., Kathleen Dailey of Half
Moon Bay, Cal., and Margaret Hall of
Bcthesda, Md.; two sisters, Marion Kerr of
Bozeman, Mont. and Constance Kelley of
Chevy Chase, Md.; 10 grandchildren; and
three great grandchildren.
ELIOT HALE PORTER
As the Gazette went to press, we
were saddened to learn that Eliot
Hale Porter died Mar. 20. Mr. Porter
died peacefully at his home at 27
Wilbur Rd., Stonington. There will
be a memorial service on Fishers
Island at a date to be announced.
Rauch; three daughters, Sheila Kennedy, Su-
san P. Rauch, and Eleanor R. Crosby; nine
grandchildren, and one great-grandchild.
Contributions in Mr. Rauch's mcmory
may be made to the Rauch Scholars Fund,
c/o the American Philosophical Sociecy, 150
South Independence Mall East, Philadelphia
PA 19106-3387.
Contributions in Mrs. Rauch's memory
may be made to the Philadelphia Zoo, 3400
W Girard Ave., Philadelphia PA 19104.
Frances Rauch
COrltirluedftom page 16
Horning's nature walks. She also enjoyed
wading in tidal flats for hours looking for
clams, especially if a grandchild joined her.
Mrs. Rauch spent stilI more time slashing
poison ivy and bayberry that line the rough at
the two Island golf courses looking for
golf balls.
In the 1980s, Mrs. Rauch passed on her
skills as an accomplished golf ball hunter to
two young grandsons who developed a small
summer business selling golf balls. Their
grandmother was reputed never to have played
with a new golf ball after the age of65.
/ 8 f'i.~hl'rs Islalld Gazette. Sprillg 2()()2
Raymond Albert Yakaitis, 68, formerly
of Windsor, Conn.. died Oct. 26, 2001 at
his daughter's home in Windsor.
Mr. Yakaitis and his wife, Marilyn, had
been married for 45 years. They lived in
Windsor and began summering on Fishers
Island in 1979.ln 1994, the couple moved to
the Island as year-round residents, taking an
active role in the community.
Born in Windsor Oct. 7,1933, son of
the late Martin and Barbara Jean Yakaitis,
Mr. Yakaitisgraduated from Loomis in 1951
and from Holy Cross in 1955, with a BA
in Sociology.
After receiving an honorable discharge
as ca.ptain in the U.S. Marine Corps, Mr.
Yakaitis worked for several years in data
processing at HamiltonStandard in Windsor
Locks, Conn. He continued his career at the
Hartford Insurance data center before open-
ing his own business, REM Associates, which
specialized in professional job placement in
the computer industry.
Mr. Yakaitis was a commissioner of the
Fishers Island Garbage & Refuse District, a
former member and past president of the
Windsor Lions Club, and an active member
of the Windsor Independent LivingAssocia-
tion Inc. (WlLA).
He was an avid ice fisherman and a
lifelong Red Sox fan. Mr. Yakaitis was also a
devout communicant of St. Gabriel's Church
in Windsor and Our Lady of Grace Church
on Fishers Island. He was a family man with
a wonderful sense of humor who loved chil-
dren and loved life to the fullest.
Mr. Y akai tis was predeceased by an older
sister, Barbara Jean Masters and a younger
brother Martin'''Skip'' Yakaitis.
He leaves his wife, Marilyn Burke
Yakaitis; three sons, Raymond Yakaitis J r. of
South Windsor, Larry Yakaitis of Mystic,
and Tim Yakaitis of North Stonington; five
daughters, Kathy Tosca of Hebron, Conn.,
Joan Erickson of West Haven, Utah, Mary
Beth Welsh of Windsor, Anne Robinson of
Windsor, and Carolyn Taylor of Windsor;
17 grandchildren; and a cousin, Laverne
O'Malley of Suffield, Conn.
Memorial masses were held at St.
Gabriel's Churcb and Our Lady of Grace
Church. Burial was a New St. John's Cem-
etery.
Memorial contributions may be made
to Our Lady of Grace Church or to WILA
Ine. 45 Maple Ave, Windsor CT 06095.
Herbert A. Ahlgren
COllf;l1Urd from page 15
third wife, June Schlegel, enjoyed retirement
and rraveling until ber dearh Aug. 6, 2001.
M r. Ahlgren was an active member of
the American Legion's Alfred R. Grebe Pose
#1045 and was instrumental in creating the
Village Green war memorial honoring year-
round and seasonal residents who served in
rbe U.S. Armed Forces during WWll, tbe
Korean conflict and the Vietnam War.
An avid golfer, Me. Ahlgren often played
numerous rounds of golf with his friends at
the Hay Harbor Club. When not on the
course, he loved sailing and boating, but,
most of all, he enjoyed sitting on his deck
overlooking Darby Cove, enjoying the Island's
peace and tranquility, which he treasured.
Mr. Ahlgren is survived by three sons,
ThomasAblgren ofWest lslip, KeitbAblgrcn
of Atlanta, Ga. and John Ahlgren of Stam-
ford, Conn.; two daughters, Karen La Grippo
of South Carolina and Harriet McNamara of
Nonhport; and 10 grandchildren. He was
predeceased by a brother, Kenneth Ahlgren.
Memorial contributions in Mr. Ahlgren' s
memory may be made to the National Kid-
ney Foundation of Connecticut, 924
FarmingronAve.. West Hartford CT 061 07.
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Spring 2{}(J2. Fishers J.~lalld Gazene 19
I
Green ThougLls
I
By Leila Hadley Luce
I can't resist a play on Wordsworth by
noting that Thomas N. Armstrong III
and his wife Runty are hosts of golden
daffodils (as well as admission-payingguesrs)
at their annual "Daffodils & Drinks" benefit
fur Fishers Island projects.
The daffodils blossom in a hurst, masses
of them; some 30,000 bulbs planted are
natllralizing across the Armstrong's "Hoover
Hall" property as far as your eyes can see.
Lookingas though they had just been painted,
the daffodils' clean, shining brightness, the
scent of young leaves and spring earth, every-
thing glowing and blowing, him at the
bliss of May and June and the hope .:,:;.-:.~~'
and magic of summer ahead. ;f~~f.;;""
Now. to get down to earth, as 'i~~l
gardeners must, daffodils, narcissi ,:).~...-
and jonquils are members of the
Amaryllis (Amarylfidaceael fam-
ily, and the genus Narcissi. All daf-
fodils are narcissi, but not all narcissi
are daffodils, a botanical distinction that
has to do with the length of the flower
trumpet, technically termed the corona, and
the six flat petals that compose the perianth.
There are more than 26 species and over 300
cultivars of narcissi, daffodils and jonquils
that have a dozen classifications, and blos-
soms that range from yellow and white to the
color of smoked salmon on stems ranging
from 4 to 12 inches. Jonquils have rwo to six
blossoms on a stalk and a trumpet that is half
as long as the petals. Daffodils generally
produce only one flower on a stem. Narcissi
come in singlc-, double- and multi-flowered
varieties.
The daffodil came by its name through
the age-old tendency to spurn the familiar.
The British infinitely preferred the imported
white asphodel and imported affadil, or poet's
narcissus, because they both produced many
white flowers, to their native species of daf-
fodil (Nllrcissw pseudonarcissw) which yielded
only a single yellow flower regarded as a false
narcissus-hence its botanical name-
known as a bastard affadil. Over the years,
this pronunciation eroded, and most of the
"bastard" crumbled away, leaving only the
final d. By the time Queen Elizabeth I teigned,
the bastard affadil had become rhe daffadil.
Referring to its rush-like leaves,""jonquil"
derives from the Spanish junquilla (rush).
The name "narcissus" comes to us from the
Greek myth about the handsome youth of
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that name who was so captivated by his
reflection in a pool that, leaning over to
embrace it, he fell, was drowned, and changed
by the gods to a flower.
Daffodils are best planted in fields, along
woodland paths, perhaps circling a pair of
oaks or maples, or bordering fences, walls,
driveways, hedges. Landscapers recommend
that you interplant daffodils with later-bloom-
ing daylilies to mask their withering, thus
sparing you the sight of their sallow dishevel-
ment until the first of July when the leaves
and stems can be cut back or mown over.
Remember that four months of fresh air and
sunlight this year are required to assure ro-
bust daffodil bulbs next year. Forget the
business of bending leaves back and securing
them in tidy knobs. This practice
..::" . .r.:.~..;~;. adumbrates fewer and punier flow-
"s!. ers the following year.
~~.. The mucilaginous sap of
.. daffodils contains sharp crys-
tals of calcium oxalate, an irri-
tant that keeps animals from
eating the plant and the reason
why, when you mix daffodils in a
vase with other flowers, the daffodils
will soon make the other flowers wilt. Hap-
pily, daffodils look splendid fanned out on
their own. However. for the sake of a mixed
bouquet, some people take the trouble to sear
daffodil stems by holding them over a gas or
candle flame for a few seconds, or push
cotton wool up the stems to cork the sap.
Dona Gibbs of Rye and Fishers Island,
tells me that people who go to astonishing
trouble with daffodils are those like herself
who exhibit their daffodils at one or
several of the thousands of daffodil flower
shows, each with many divisions, open
throughout America during the spring.
"Judges are vigorously schooled to look for
perfection. It's like being in a dog show for
flowers. The exhibition area is even called a
show bench," she said.
It's not enough for a daffodil's corona
and periamh to conform precisely with their
division's characteristics. "The flower heads
in a collection of three stems in test tube
containers should look the judge in the eye,
or be appropriately reflexed or pendant,"
Mrs. Gibbs said.
As an experienced exhibitor, Mrs. Gibbs
shared a few tricks necessary to achieve award-
winning results:
Ifan otherwise perfect flower head is not
angled correctly or seems slightly off center,
it can be set right either by gentle manipula-
tion of the stem or flower by using a remov-
able paper collar (0 adjust it. Flowers should
have no bruising or nicks in the petals and
should be impeccably groomed. Specks of
dirt should be whisked away with a camel's
hair brush.
Sometimes, a flower head is marred with
notches created when the flower is opening.
A steady hand and a pair of cuticle scissors
often can fix this flaw. A serious exhibitor's
toolbox resembles a makeup stylist's kit on a
movie shoot.
Rain or snow before a show is bad news,
although daffodils can be rescued by picking
them early, holding them in a refrigerator
then bringing them out into bright light and
placing them in warm water before exhibit-
ing them.
For information about daffodils, Mrs.
Gibbs applauds The New York Botanical
Garden at www.nyhg.org.lgardensl
dafTodils.html and The American Daffodil
Society at www.daffodilusa.org/daffodils.
For trusrworthy bulb sources, she favors
Brent and Becky's bulbs in Virginia
(www.brentandbeckysbulbs.com) and
Oregon's Grant E. Mitsch's "superb" cata-
log. For fun bulbs from grandmother's gar-
den, Mrs. Gibbs prizes Old HOllse Bulbs at
www.oldhousebulbs.com.
~
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..
~
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~
,
o
o
<
.2
l'
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~
. Daffodils (above) are part of the Amaryllis
family (inset).
20 Fidler.', I.~latJd Gaulle. Spring 2002
SOUTHERN EXPOSURE
Approximately 1.8 acres. Fabulously private building site
located off quiet dirt road on desirable East End. Distant
southerly views of the Block Island Sound. Property has 50'
elevation and has been partially cleared. $275,000
ESTATE
PARCELS
FOR SALE
;
FABULOUS WATER VIEWS
of Middle Farms and the Block Island
Sound. Beautiful 3.1 +/- acre building site
depicted as two lots on the FIDCO map.
Spectacular southerly views. Property has
55' elevation. $350,000
IN THE ROUGH
Private lot located near the center of the Fishers Island Club Golf
Course. Convenient to the beaches on the East End and all activ-
ities at the Club. 1.85 Acres adjacent to the sixth hole. High, dry,
building site, perfect for the golfing enthusiast. $185,()()()
Ginnel Real Estate
(631) 788-7805
,-'... t'..--:-'" '.'
Sprillg 2fJ02. Fishers Island Gazette 21
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MAGNIFICENT TUDOR
Brick and stucco construction of the F. Scott Fitzgerald era. Almost 7,000 sq ft 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, Fornlal Dining Room with Fireplace and large Kitchen. 1st Floor Master Bedroom
Suite with Fireplace & Private Bath. Butler's Bedroom with Bath. Three Family Bedrooms, one with Fireplace and each
with its own Private Bath. Three smaller Guest Bedrooms. Hall Bath and 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 and Tennis Court. $2,995,000
.
..
.
PARADE GROUNDS
Recently refurbished first floor Pied-a-Terre. Approximately 1900
square feet with new Eat-in Kitchen, Living Room with Fireplace,
Two Bedrooms plus Large Sleeping Porch. Hall Bath and Powder
Room. Basement Storage Space. $325,000
I
Thomas H,C Patterson, Broker Associate
Box 258, Fishers Island, NY 06390
http://www.ginne1.com · e-mail: ginnel1@ao1.com
22 Fi.-:/ters Islalld Gazelle. Sprillg 2002
ITlJ's"tfc IsLe r<eaL"tJ' foc,
+=fsbeRS ISlaod" o,~ 06390 631"'788"'7882
-=-;0';
www.mysticislerealty.com
New
Listing
A delightfully intimate setting with approximately 117-foot direct water frontage on Pirates Cove with views to West Harbor and
the Connecticut coast from a high vantage point. This easily maintained fully winterized three bedroom 2 1/2 bath house contains
a good size living room with fireplace, dining room, kitchen with water views, a large playroom or extra bedroom, a generous utility
room with an outside entranCe and laundry facilities. In addition there is a large pressure-treated outside deck as well as an enclosed
screened porch substantial in size. Appears to be well maintained. Offered mostly furnished. Just reduced to $630,000 with extremely
reasonable taxes of $2,300.
Perfect family house totally remodeled within past several years
on private cui de sac within walking distance of Village. HOllse has
large sllnny living room with stone fireplace, generous outside
deck area, family room, office area and modern kitchen. Small
powder room completes first floor. Second floor has good-sized
master bedroom with bath, two double bedrooms and bath, and
laundry area. Large partially finished attic area has expansion
potential. Partial basement has updated mechanics for house
including a zoned heating system. $475,000. taxesapprox. $4.000.
One of the most beautiful properties on Fishers Island. This white-
washed brick Tudor house sits above Badeyfield Cove with exuaor-
dinary ocean views and takes complete advantage of its truly unique
5 3/4-acre site. The hOllse is tasteful and elegantly designed with a
well-positioned pool, poolhouse and tl:nnis court that have been added
within the last several years. The current owners have been highly
successful in developing the property, inside and out for enjoyable
family living. The house is being offered at well below its replace-
ment cost, at $2,995.000. Taxes $28,000. [Ginnellisting]
.\'pring 2fJfJ2. Fisllers blalld (iautle 23
,
~...:
. ..... :~
New
Listing
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Built in 1988 by a discerning
client working with a
distinguished architect, this
contemporary dwelling is one
of the most interesting and
creatively designed homes on
the Island. The interior spaces
have a great spatial quality with
soaring ceilings and many
windows affording great light
and views.
~
There are balconies and outside decks, including a spectacular roof deck commanding views of both sides of the Island. A 60-foot heated
indoor lap pool is auachcd to the house in a solarium-like structure with 20 fooH ceilings. There are 4 double bedrooms each with marble
tiled bath; stunning master bedroom suite is on top floor. Large living room/dining room with fireplace overlooks pool area from above.
An efficient auractive kitchen and separate office space is on the same level. House is situated on 2.5 naturally landscaped acres overlooking
Barleyfield Pond and the ocean beyond. Partially furnished with some items to be negotiated separately if so desired. Fully winterized
and well maimained by an established local contractor. Taxes approximately $10,000. Asking price $1,900,000.
Spectacular views of Barleyfield Pond
and ocean on approx. 1.7 acres. Large
paneled living room with fireplace
opening to bluestone terrace and pool.
Dining room, also with fireplace, ac-
cesses spacious modern eat-in kitchen.
Separate firs( floor guest wing includes
two double bedrooms and bath. Sec-
ond floor master bedroom suite ha.~ sit-
ting room, fireplace. modern bath, wa-
ter views; four bedrooms, two baths;
help's room wi(h bath. Renovated fam-
ily room has separate access to pool.
Two-car garage and automatic sprin-
kler for grounds. House partially win-
terized with three zone oil fired system.
Updated wiring throughout. Pool was
resurfaced this spring and new teak
decking system installed. Exterior
porches have been entirely rebuilt
within (he last several years.
$1,950,000, taxes approx. $11,000.
.
t
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rT.lJ1SLtC IsLe ReaLLd' foc,
BAGLEY REID. Broker SUE HORN. Salesperson www.mysticislerealty.com
24 Fishers Ida"d Gazette. Sprillg 2(}(}2
ISLAND HARDWARE
More than just locks and hinges
788-7233
SERV,:iTIIR@
'-M Benjamin ~ .
oore~
...... PAINTS .J
MECHANIC
ON DUTY
FISHERS
I SLAN D
M@bir
FULL SERVICE STATION
Official New York State
Auto Inspection Station
CARCO@ INSPECTION
Fuel Oil
Gasoline
Propane
Dockage
Diesel
Service
I
I
1
1
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
Walsh Contracting Ltd., general managers
I
Spritlg l(J(Jl- Fishers Island Ga:.ette 25
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Passenger
Car/Driver
Ferry Rate Increase: Effective Feb. 25
WINTER SPRING-FALL SUMMER
Oct. 16-Mar31 Aprl-Jun8 Sept 10-0ct 15 Jun9-Sept9
11.00 16.00 23.00
12.00 18.00 27.00
11.00 20.00 28.00
12.00 22.00 32.00
3.50 5.50 7.50
2.50 3.50 4.50
~OO ~OO ~OO
COMMUTER BOOKS
49.50
144.00
PLEASE NOTE ADDITIONAL CHARGES:
'Oversize vehicles: automobiles, sport utility vehicles, pick-up trucks, utility trucks and vans exceeding 18 feet in length and used
non-commercially shall be subject to a surcharge. (See Section 2, Item 20 Tariff FSHR 400-E)
1.00 2.00
31.50
99.00
67.50
207.00
'Cor/Driver
W /Reservation
'Car/Na Driver
W /Reservation
Passenger
Seniar/Child
Bicycles
3.00
Pick-up trucks, trailers (including utility, boat, house, cement mixers, compressors, generators, welding machines, etc., less than or
equal to 18 feet:
25.00
25.00
30.00
All other commercial or non-commercial trucks, trailers, etc., loaded or empty:
2.00/11. 2.00/11. 3.00/11.
All freight, except articles covered elsewhere, specifically in packages, parcels or boxes weighing 0-100 Ibs.
2.00 2.00 2.00
For more information, published tariHs are available in the manager's oHice.
~
.
-
~
wolford . Hanro . Eda . Eres
Nina R.icci . Capucine Puerari . Chante!le
La Perla . Aubade . Cosabe//a
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26 Fishers Is/mId Gaz.elle. Spring 2002
Absolute Aulo
305 Bl'oad 51
New London CT 06320
860-443-8472
General Repairing
Fareign & Domestic
Gasoline & Diesel
GM Specialist
For your convenience we will pick up and
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187 Williams Street
New London, Conn.
Weekly Island Service · Island Appointments Available
New York & Connecticut licenses Held
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443-8432
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442-0491
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442-4371
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442-7132
New London, Conn.
Sprillg 2{}{}2. Fishers Islalld Gazette 27
PLil Knauff Relires fro... F .1. Ferry Dislri<<:1
I
Ferry District Manager Phil Knauff
has been an institution on Fishers
Island for the past 23 years. During
that time, the buck stopped with him, as an
unending stream of people with cOllntless
questions climbed the steep, narrow stairs to
his second floor lair at the ferry district office
at Silver eel Pond.
Mr. Knauff, 67, retired Mar. 29with an
informal open house at his office. There arc
hundreds of people, however. who have en-
joyed Mr. Knauff s wry and dry sense of
humor and who consider him a friend. They
will be able to say good-bye and wish him
well July 7 at "Phil Knauff's Independence
Day," an informal presentation/roast on the
Village Green.
The event, which will follow the Island
People's Project annual "July 4th" bike pa-
rade, will honor Mr. Knauff for his years of
service, not onlyas manager but also as EMT,
member of the Fishers Island Fire Depart-
ment and San ta Claus at the fire department' s
annual Christmas parry.
Mr. Knaufrscareerasferrydisrrtct man-
ager began not long after he answered a
newspaper ad for the position in 1979. He
thought he had a good chance oflanding the
job because of his years of marine experience.
Born in New London, he attended local
schools, graduated from Brown University
and joined the U.S. Coast Guard in 1957,
doing most of his duryon the East Coast and
in the Great Lakes. He and his wife Connie
married in 1958.
One of Mr. KnaufFs Coast Guard re-
sponsibilities was inspecting ferries, so he
knew many people in the marine industry in
New London, including the late Fishers Is-
land ferry Capr. Alfred S. Bicknell and cur-
rent captain, Mark Easter.
After retiring from the Coast Guard in
1977, Mr. Knauff had worked for a whole-
saler for over a year when his wife saw the ad.
"I couldn't get there fast enough," he said.
"Ray Doyen was chairman of the ferry com-
mission at that time. I came to Fishers and
met Ray and Louise for lunch. I was all
gussied up, and they were all wearing shons
and lzod shirts!
"I started workJune 25,1979, and itwas
pretty much Monday through Friday. I was
able to get along doing work at horne, be-
calise I was then working two jobs, also
running tour boats on the Connecticut River
from May to Oct. to earn extra money for
,
,
"
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college tuitions." The Knauff's have three
children, Gretchen, of Old Lyme, now a
lawyer; Lisa, who lives in Westbrook, Conn.;
and Berr, who lives in Indianapolis, Ind.
The 1980s brought unprecedented
growth in ferry traffic, which has since lev-
eled off, Mr. Knauff said. He has seen
passenger volume double from 80,000 to
160,000 passengers per year and now views
public relations as a very important part of
the job, which is essentially administrative
and financial.
"The thing that is most different from
when I started is the increased interaction
with people. That's a great deal of what the
job is. People want services, and we began
offering varying types, such as FedEx and
UPS. I spend parr of my time trying to
determine who would be expecting certain
deliveries, such as those addressed to 'Mrs.
Fishers Island' or with no address at all."
Returning them to sender is not an option.
"Phil, I'm leaving the blood," called
Catherine Jenssen in the background. Mrs.
Jenssen, who administrates the doctor's of-
fice. had dropped off blood work destined
for a lab in New London while Mr. Knauff
was talking to the Gazette.
That prompted a question about un-
usual freight carried by the ferries. "The
kinds of things haven't changed. They just
keep coming and coming and coming," Mr.
Knauff said. Another way to look at it is that
Mr. Knauff has seen it all. It seems like an
ordinary day when someone moves a house
from the mainland to Fishers via the ferry.
One of his more memorable experiences.
however, does involve unusual freight and
passengers sent by Warner Brothers. It was
the summer that the movies invaded Fishers
Island to shoot portions of The WorldAccord-
ing to Garp at the Wilmerding house.
"It was a steady stream of vessels in and
out. OLINDA made at least two trips a day
exclusively for WB. They broke camp on a
Friday in July or August with seven or eight
fairly large trucks lined up to go back to New
London. With both OLINDA and MUNNA-
TA WKET at Fishers Island, running sched-
uled trips, someone asked if we could have a
boat back in a half hour--obviously not
someone who had been involved with day to
day goings on for the previous seven or eight
weeks!" Mr. Knauff said.
The job takes 50-GO hours per week,
counting nights and weekends, with more
weekend time in the summer. He usually
arrived on the7 a.m. ferry and left on the4:45
p.m. ferry. The work at home was auditing
the daily receipts, and there were extras, such
as dropping blood work off at the hospital if
it didn't get over on an earlier ferry.
Now that he is retired, Mr. Knauff said,
"I plan to stay active with the ambulance
association in Old Lyme, where I live. I'll also
volunteer to work at L&M Hospital in New
London and drive for paramedics at L&M or
Shoreline Clinic in Essex. I don't think I'll
continue playing Santa Claus on Fishers Is-
land, though. They have a Santa Claus suit
and can get someone to fill it." Easier said than
done. Phil.
. Phil Knauff in his second floor office one month before retiring as ferry district manager.
28 Fishers l.fIalld Gazelle. Spri"g 20()2
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Sprillg 2002. Fishers Islalld Gazette 29
Feral Felines Cause Conlroyersy on FisLers
I
Fishers Island has a feral cat problem.
Noonewilldisputethat fact. There
are two opposing views, however,
as [0 the best way to deal with the multiplying
felines. now estimatcd to be about 400
in number.
One group thinks that cats are respon-
sible for the significant reduction of quail.
pheasant. whippoorwills and shorebirds on
the Island. They would like to euthanize
the cats.
The other group says that cats keep the
rats and mice in check, and besides. they do
not endorse the random killing of animals.
Striking a compromise, the Fishers Is-
land Conservancy. with the help of an anony-
mous gift, is sponsoring a trial program
to catch. inoculate. neuter and release
healthy cats.
Cynthia Riley has volunteercd [0 work
with Dr. Mark Sminkey from Noank-Mystic
Veterinary Hospital to see if the program can
work. The conservancy has purchased 12
$50 Tomahawk traps and is paying for the
vcterinarian's services. (The less expensive
Have-a-Hean trap is not suitable, because it
opens at one end only. and the vet needs
openings at both ends to extricate the cat.
which can fight ferociously when cornered.)
After it is trapped, the cat is transferred
to a net in which it is weighed and given a
mild anesthetic. Dr. Sminkey, aided by his
surgical technician, immediately tests the
eat's blood for feline leukemia. felinc Aids.
distemper and rabies. Sick cats are euthanized.
Healthy cats are inoculated for distemper
and rabies; they are thcn neutered and spayed.
returned to the trap, and released where they
had been captured.
Since January. Mrs. Riley, working un-
der the protocols of the national organization
Alley Cat Allies, has captured two cats at the
Transfer Station and two at the building
called "Ordinance," current site of the BD
carpentry shop near the ferry. At Ordinance,
there is a "managed cat society," that is,
people are feeding them there.
It was easy to catch the first two cats at
each location. Mrs. Riley said. but then cats
become "trap savvy," and others will just sit
and watch rather than enter the trap baited
with cat food.
The three males and one female cap-
tured were all healthy. They were treated.
ear-marked with indelible ink and released.
The cost is $40 for males and $70 for females.
.
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According to Mrs. Riley. those four cats will
account for a reduction of at least 36 kittens:
The female averages three litters a year of six
kittens each, for a total of 18. Also. when a
neutered male cat mates with a female. the
female will think she is pregnant and will not
mate until her next cycle. Three male cats
interrupting three female cycles provides the
other 18.
The conservancy would like Mrs. Riley
to enlist the aid of other volunteers in this
time-consuming task, but she is reluctant to
ask anyone to help until the program is off
and running, because anyone involved with
the cats must have a pre-rabies shot and a
tetanus booster.
Under this program, workers are not
licensed to capture wild animals, so if a
raccoon is captured, it must be released. Feral
cats are considered domesticated. even though
defined in Webster's dictionary as "wild" and
"having escaped from domestication and
o
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become wild."
Depending on which side is speaking:
rats and mice carry diseases far worse than
cats. or cats can have at least six serious
diseases and can spread disease. Everyone
agrees that the cats have been left behind by
departing vacationers. The result is an explo~
sion of feral cats, spawning rumors of attacks
on pet cats and dogs and aggressive behavior
toward children.
Cat supporters dispute the rumors and
continue to feed the felines. hoping that Mrs.
Rileywill be able to trap enough cats to make
a difference.
Other feral cat "hot spots" are said to
be the Transfer Station, North Hill around
to Walsh Park, near the American Legion.
Pickett laodfill. west of the first hole of
Hay Harbor Club golf course, near the
Boroleum Factory, behind the Texaco Sta-
tion. and several locations on the East End.
i..\r:..~
. There are an estimated 400 feral cats on Fishers Island. Defined as, "having escaped from
domestication and become wild," feral cats are known to cluster in several "hot spots" on the
Island, including the Transfer Station (above).
. Bird enthusiasts are concerned that feral cats are responsible for the significant reduction in the
numbers of whippoorwills (above) and shore birds on the Island.
]0 Fi.~"ers Islalld Gazette. Spri"g 2002
Z&S
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.)pring 2(J(U . Fi,~hers Island Gazette 3/
Sto<<:L.piling "KI"
Not a Cure-all
I
~
I
I..
In the wake of 9/11, there has been
increasing talk of stockpiling "Kl"-
potassium iodide, the thyroid block-
ing medication-for people who live within
the 1 O-mile evacuation zone of a nuclear
power plant.
Since Fishers Island lies within
Millstone's emergency zone, Suffolk County
has decided to stockpile the drug for Island
residents without waiting for New York offi-
cials to decide whether to accept the federal
government's alTer of more than 1.2 million
doses.
Kl is cheap, easy to obtain and has a five-
year shelf life. In one form, it is known as
Pima Syrup, also used as an expectorant,
available by prescription at the pharmacy.
Officials are concerned. however, that the
public will see the drug as a cure-all for
radiation exposure.
"KI does not protect against leukemia or
radiation poisoning, and it does not protect
against the common agents that would be
used in so-called 'dirty bombs' of radiation,"
said Dr. Patricia Dillon, director of commu-
nicable diseases for Suffolk County. "This
drug is specific to nuclear power plant acci-
dents, which would release radioactive
iodide.
"Also, Kl has been proven effective only
for children under the age of five." she said.
"It can't hurt adults to take Kl (unless
they have an iodine allergy), but there are no
studies that show significant benefits to those
over the age of five at the time of nuclear
exposure. "
Dr. Dillon eXplained why KI ("K" bcing
the chemical symbol for potassium) could be
effective: "If taken within four hours of expo-
sure, Kl floods the thyroid with safe iodine,
blocking radioactive iodine from entering.
The thyroid is especially vulnerable to radio-
active poisoning and its associated cancer.
Adult thyroids are abulIr half filled with
iodine, which has been stored over the years
through diet. The thyroid in children. how-
ever, is an open vessel for the radioactive
iodine, the effects of which come not only
from the immediate accident but also from
the effects of chemicals that settle on the
ground. "
There is a caveat for those who think KI
distribution is a result of the terrorist attack.
The Federal government began discussing KI
I
distribution a year before 9/11, Dr. Dillon
said. The timing of the current stir, therefore.
could be seen as coincidental. There is one
instance, however, other than an accident
where it would be effective, and that is if a
terrorist worked from the inside to cause an
intentional meltdown, Dr. Dillon said.
KI has been available since the 1950s.
and there are supplies on hand at nuclear
power plants, Dr. Dillon said. But there was
no definitive information that it was effective
until the Chernobyl accident in 1986.
As the radioactive cloud approached
Poland, the Poles took Kl, whereas those in
the Chernobyl area did not. Statistics now
indicate that the Poles had a minimal inci-
dellCc of thyroid cancer compared with those
in the Chernobyl area. The results showed
up, however, only in those who were under
the age of five at the time of the accident.
"We want to do anything we can to
help," Dr. Dillon said, "but we don'rwant to
create a greater problem. KI is not a panacea
and should not be taken prophylactically on
a daily basis. Evacuation should still be the
focus."
The county plans to purchase enough
KI for Fishers Island's 250 year-round resi-
dents and up to 5000 summer residents, plus
extra for rescue and emergency workers. There
are currently no plans to restock after the
drugs expire.
Connecticut has asked the federal gov-
ernment for 450,000 doses of KI for
distribution within Millstone's IO-mile
evacuation zone. The request, based on a
worst-case scenario, includes doses for resi-
dents, workers. seasonal visitors and tran-
sients in the state.
The World Health Organization rec-
ommends that every country with or near
nuclear plants stockpile Kl. Ireland report-
edly distributes it to all residents, and in the
U.S., Alabama, Arizona, Maine and Tennes-
see already have some stockpiles.
TOlD BoLerly NeW'
Ferry Manager
Tom Doherty has replaced Phil Knauff
as manager of the Fishers Island Ferry Dis-
rrict (FIFD). Mr. Knauff retited Mat. 29.
Mr. Doherty. 5 I, is a 26-year-residenr
of Fishers Island and had been a ferry district
commissioner for 20 years. He recently left
the Fishers Island Utility Co. after 13 years as
its president.
Nina Schmid, FIFD secretary for three
years. is now FIFO assistant manager. She
will assist Mr. Doherty in day-to-day ferry
district operations.
Mr. Doherty resigned as a ferry district
commissioner and was replaced by Paul Giles,
who will complete Mr. Doherty's term, ex-
piring Aug. 2004. FIFO commissioners are:
Chairman Chip duPont. Lily Ahman, David
Burnham, George Esser, and Paul Giles.
John Bean Photo
. The newly-cleared Pickett Landfill has altered the landscape of Fishers Island, offering a winter
view of Block Island Sound south of the road just beyond the gatehouse. The Garbage & Refuse
District took title to the property Nov. 200 I, after concluding arbitration with the Pickett family,
and began clearing in January. The SO-year-old landfill will be a grassy mound when it is capped,
which includes a plan for drainage and a membrane with topsoil, so water won't seep through
into the underground aquifer.
32 Fishers Is/and Gazette. ,,",'pring 1002
IHA\IIIl? IVlr= lrlHIE I()OI3,~ 11~lc..
~v lU'L # U)119.87
'discounts on cases
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Member, International Federation of landscape Architects
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the beach plum
po box 664
fishers island, ny
06390
(631) 788-7731
,
Spring 2()(J2 . Fishers }sla"d Gazette 33
Happy Gaillard Re~alls East End Ad~entures
O nee a summer, in the years be-
fore rhe Fishers Island Club,
we would drive down the Is-
land. which meant as far as the Coast Guard
Station. and with luck, to the Winthrop
Cottage near the last barn. The route varied
a little from {aday's even at the start, for the
Village triangle was not one-way, and we
always bore left at the end of West Street,
then up the hill past St, John's, rhe library,
the Roman Catholic Church and along the
golf course. The roughs of that course in our
early golfing days were thick with heavy
grass, and golf balls were easily lost. We spent
a great deal of time in those roughs. Along-
side the road shon of the fourth tee was a spot
where the young were often trapped on week-
ends waiting for a break in the endless proces-
sion of elderly foursomes to whom, in silent
rebellion, we had to give way.
As you passed West Harbor, you could
catch a glimpse of the cove and peninsula
before skirting the chicken farm and finally
turning onto the old Isabella road just short
of the present gatehouse. It was a narrow dirt
road with ditches on both sides filled with
green slime, and dragonflies flitted back and
forth, and turtles sunned on the banks. The
'""- \'
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'~
I
.
By Happy G.illard
trees made a ceiling overhead till it opened
out to the marsh, bore up the hill to the left
and down again to Viking Beach, named for
the fishing schooner that went on the rocks
there in 1925. The road skirted the rocks,
climbed the next hill and joined the present
road till well past the clay pits. At Isabella you
used to be able to drive down the present path
to the beach. We never used it though, pre-
ferring to scramble down the cliff to our
favorite rocks, but I did ride it once in a
Model T. There was a parking area and a
turnaround at the foot.
The road continued to cling to the shore,
and as it dropped down to Eaglewing Beach,
which used to separate Island Pond com-
pletely from the ocean, there was a gate. We
children would all rumble out of the car and
clamber to the lowest rail, while one of us
unlatched the gate. It would swing open
downhill, and we loved the ride. It was even
fun pushing it back, too, knowing it would
keep the cows housed in Wilderness and
Middle Farms from wandering too far afield.
I don't remember ever seeing any cows loose;
I only saw them in Wilderness Barn being
milked. The road then crossed the Flats back
to the macadam at Middle Farms where the
. Happy Gaillard's father takes her sister and brother, Anne and Bill, for a sail in Hay Harbor.
bull with the ring in his nose was kept, past
the Harry Ferguson, the Alfred Ferguson and
the Tilford drives and Bull Rock, up which a
lady fled to save herself from a maddened
bull. I tried it once, nor so long ago, and it's
steeper than it looks. There might be a detour
to the top of Chocomount, especially if it
were a perfect Island day. Hunt, our chauf-
feur, disapproved of this detour as the road
was very rocky and once, thanks to a preced-
ing heavy rain, a huge mass of the road on the
hilltop side, bigger than the car itself, col-
lapsed just after we had crossed it, making a
gigantic hole. We were stranded above. For-
tunately, it was a day of heavy traffic. Another
small car had preceded us up the mountain.
Mterdue consultation and appropriate mea-
suring, both cars turned for the descent. the
smaller leading. Would the outer bank of the
road be wide and firm enough for safe pas-
sage? It was. And then, it was our turn, or
rather, Hunt's. The crater was safely negoti-
ated, and we piled in for the next excitement.
This always came at Life Saving Beach (the
Club beach). Strong winds were always driv-
ing sand from the dunes across the road so
that further passage was often impossible.
COllrimled 011 pilge 35
~." ~{
. Ji ..... ~'
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,
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Photo Courtesy of Happy Gaillard
34 Fi~'''en Island Gazette. Spri"g lOlll
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Happy Gaillard
.
COlltjlluedfrom pdge 33
The only place to turn was at the drive into
the Coast Guard Station. The road was very
narrow and Hunt invariably, it seemed [0
me, backed [00 far into the sand dunes. Itwas
something of a challenge to find boards on
that barren beach to dig away the dunes and
give the tires some purchase to ease out and
complete the turn. If that were the end of the
journey, we would walk Life Saving Beach
where the Coast Guard kept a lifeboat in a
shed ready on rollers to be manned and
rowed ou[ through the surf to the aid of
anyone in distress within reach. A larger craft
was kept in East Harbor. The Coast Guard
walked the circuit of the Island daily, report-
ing in from telephone boxes placed at inter-
vals along the path that skirted the shore. In
those days, the Island was quite bare-open
fields with rocks and low clumps of bayberry
and blackberry, the sizable trees confined [0
only a few wooded areas, so visibility was
good. But sometimes we got through the
sand and finished the drive up the hill past the
third and last barn and would park for a while
in the field by tbe Wintbtop Cottage looking
au[ toward Watch Hill. From there on. there
was onlya path through the fields to the East
.
-i), .
~. : -.~. <l'rt
, >Iil-
# .~"?'
"
Photo courtesy 01 Happy Gaillard
. In the past century, only bathing attire has changed when children play at Hay Harbor.
End until the Club was built. The golfcourse
opened up new vistas, and the road was
carried on past Mudand Money Ponds to the
Simmons house. There you got a view of the
most westerly of the four passages between
Block Island and Fishets Island Sounds and
of Wi cop is set Island where the herring gulls
used to nest. The 1938 hurricane laid it bare
of shrubby growth, and the gulls retreated to
East Point and elsewhere that provided cover
for the young.
We would return on the main road
through Lovers' Lane-not the little road
that really deserved the name and was the old
road to the Clay Pits-but that section of the
main road from which it branches ofT. Before
1938, it was a tunnel of green, the tall trees
interlacing their branches overhead. And
home again for a game of croquet or tetherhall,
a good book, or just a sit on the porch
enjoying the quiet of late afternoon on
Hay harbor.
~
Re...e...bering Lo....ed Ones Who Ha....e Passed A ~ay
I
I-
Every Christmas for the past five
years, red ribbons have adorned
the blue spruce next to Union
Chapel. The ribbons are more than an addi-
tion (Q the festive atmosphere of the season,
however, because each one signifies a
memory, and together lhey create the com-
munity "Memory Tree. n
The tree, picked for its central location,
becomes, at that time of year, an expression
of love for those who have passed away.
Cynthia Riley thought ohhe idea five years
ago after a bittersweet Christmas without her
mother, Joan Estabrooks, who had died.
"Knowing others felt the same way. I
thought a memory tree might be of heIp.
Doing some small tangible thing to signifY
the loss would heIp many through the com-
bined sadness and joy of the holiday season,"
Mrs. Riley said.
Rev. Bob Wright, Union Chapel's min-
ister at the rime, supported the concept and
offered a praycrofdeclication during a church
service. The next year, Rev. Kate Latimer and
.
o
'0
<
~
~
J!
;x
.
"
i
u
. Red bows are tied to the "Memory Tree."
Mrs. Riley conducted a Memory Tree service
outside at night by candlelight. The follow-
ing year. Rev. Rosemary Baue coordinated
the service with what was thcn the school
Student Council Christmas caroling.
For the past two years, the service has
taken place with Rev. Balleand Father Barnes
co-officiating. Community members tie rib-
bons to the tree and read the names of all
residents who have died during the past year,
both winter and summer. Everyone is abso-
lutely quiet as Cal Beggs rings a ship's bell
after each name is read. Theonlyother sound
is that of a distant buoy bell.
At this point, those present can add
names to the tree. The group, about 36 in
number, sings "Silent Night" and, meeting
up with other people, carols around the
Island.
Memory Tree ribbons. for people of :lIlY
faith or belief, arc removed Feb. 14. Anyone
who would like to add a ribbon next Christ-
mas, but cannot be present, may call Cynthia
Riley (631-788-7178) who will do it for you.
36 Fi.'l"er.~ I.~lalld Gazette. Sprillg 2002
FISHER~S ~ND~N
J ~ r' ~V
l! OX 46"4, ')shers Island NY 06390
-""ie1~&.F.ax . 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/s/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 Island issues and reports from Island
organizations.
Annual dues: Individual $10; Family $1 S
Subscribing $2S; Supporting $SO
Sustaining $100
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38 Fishers ls/a"d GazeJie . Spri"IJ ZfJfJ2
Queens of F.t.
Ha-ve Reigned
Sin<<:e 1989
By Gail Mayes
Outsiders who see Fishers Island
as a private, distant place would
probably not be surprised to
hear that we have documented royalty living
among us.
It has never been a secret. but now
everybody will know: There is a new Queen
of Fishers Island crowned every summer. A
prince is also selected annually for his win-
ning personality and work within the
community.
It is the queen, however, who fills the
spotlight. This light-hearted fun is the work
of Tidal Wave Salon owner, Peggy Elliot,
who hosts the midsummer Queen Parry,
usually in early August.
The festivities include lunch, followed
by poems dedicated to Fishers Island's loyal
subjects and runners-up. The identity of the
new queen is a closely guarded secret until
Peggy crowns her in the fUllniest and most
lighthearted event of the season.
"This party is all tongue-in-cheek and
lots offun!! That's really our only goal-to get
together and have a few laughs. Summer goes
by so quickly. we need community "royalty"
to jazz things up a bit!" laughed Peggy, who
initiated the Queen Parries in 1989.
At that time. she had no washing ma-
chine at her summer rental (0 wash salon
rowels. and there was no Laundromat on the
Island. When Patsy Hanson generously of.
fered to take the towels home and wash them.
Peggy said, "You arc so wonderful! I should
make you Queen of Fishers Island." Patsy
replied. "That's fair!" And the summer tradi-
tion of the Queen party began. With a crown
made of a tin foil-covered paper plate (Statue
of Liberty style), Patsy becamc the first in a
long line of Queens of Fishers Island.
Peggy. the real Queen of Fishers Island.
has a unique way of choosing the latest roy-
alty. It is always the woman who brings her
the most or best gifts, which have included a
telephone/answering machine from Bobbi
Trippe (provided when Peggy's phone
dropped and broke), Nancy Gerry's special
smoked turkey pastrami sandwiches. KFC
from the mainland, and beautiful flowers and
vegetables from Kathy Weymounth's
garden.
Our 200 I Queen, Liz Furse. not only
iJ:.
l1'
.. "^'"
Gall Mayes Photo
. (I-r) Past Queens of F.I., Margie Ogden (1997), Patty Wall (2000) and Kathy Weymouth (1997).
got a hole-in-one and won a golf tournament,
but she also brought Peggy lots of ice cream.
During the ceremony, there is usually a
lone, confused man, who has been tricked
into stopping by, ostensibly [0 lift something
heavy or to help with some similar task. He is
then surprised with a title and a crown. The
prince is usually embarrassed to receive this
honor. but all have later been seen driving
around the Island wearing the Princelycrown.
Past Princes include Tom Doherty (1997),
Phil Knauff (I 998), Ed Riley (I 999), Aaron
Rice (2000) and Dr. Jack Hand (2001).
Peggy named Cynthia Riley the first
Princess of Fishers Island in 2001. "Our
only Princess is Cynthia Riley. She contrib-
utes so much to Fishers, I just had to award
her a title. She is great! " Peggy said.
FormerQueensincludeSusic Rentschler,
Alice Rutherfurd, Bobbie Trippe 1995,
Char/ron Pbelps 1996, Margie Ogden and
Kathy Weymouth 1997, Naney Gerry 1998,
Norma Bartol 1999, Patty Wall 2000and Liz
Furse 2001.
. The Hobnob. a classic wooden sloop that sank in high winds while racing around Fishers Island
Sept. 29, 200 I, washed up on Middle Farms Beach in January. The sailboat sank about 200 feet off
the Island's southern shore barely one minute after the last of the eight-member crew had been
rescued by the U.S. Coast Guard.
-
Spn'ng lfJfJ2 . Fidll!rs Island (;azelle 39
~
I
I
Waler W orL;.s
Keeps Wa..:I."'1
Eye on Orougl.l
The City of New London has im-
posed mandatory water restric-
tions due to the severe drought.
Although March delivered normal precipita-
tion, the area is still a foot shon of rainfall.
Fishers Island Water Works is watching
the Island water supply carefully and, as of
late March, saw no need for similar restric-
tions.
According to Fishers Island Utility Co.
President Bob Wall, Barlow and Middle
Farms Pond are quite high, but the wells are
down about 10 inches. "I have seen the wells
lower than that in the past," Mr. Wall said.
"Nevertheless, we are asking people to be
aware of the amount of water they use. At the
water company, we are always on guard,
checking and monircring wells. We are al-
ways watching ir."
Water Works Chairman Bill Ridgway
in March provided a capsule look at the
company's assessment of the Island's water
supply:
"The chloride levels in the wells, both
main and monitor, are fine, indicating that
salt intrusion is nor currently a problem. If
the levels rise to about five times their present
level, then we would have to stop pumping
from the well or wells where there is an
intrusion. Thisrisewould occur over a period
of weeks and is not something that would hit
us overnighr. Thus, we believe we would
have ample warning and could take the nec-
essary steps at that time.
"We use the four major wells as our
primary source of water and have the two
ponds and potentially Treasure Pond as
backup. In the summer, we often blend well
and pond water, both to exercise the H!tra-
tion plant and to take pressure ofT the wells.
"It is our belief that the Island would be
more responsive to conservation measures jf
necessary than, say, a large city. L1wn water-
ing is a big use of water on Fishers Island. In
fact, the water company is far more profitable
in a dry summer that a wet one. So if it were
necessary (0 impose restrictions 011 the lIse of
water, we think there would be immediate
and positive response from the community.
"If we don't have rain by this summer,
we will have to watch the situation very
carefully, but at the moment, we are san-
guine that the situation is under control."
r
. Over 120 people attended the Mar. I Mystery Dinner Theater fundraiser for the Fishers Island
School's senior class trip to Hawaii. An overwhleming sense of a "warm family community"
prevailed throughout the evening, during which cast members, staying in character, mingled with
the audience while the dinner was served. The mystery? Who stole the Boston creme pie-which,
coincidentally, was also dessert. (I-r) Matt Neilson, Joe Curto, Cynthia Riley, Alan Thibodeau,
Kristin Shaw and Laura Edwards.
IPP Su......er Regastrataon Under_a.,.
It's time to register for a summer ofIPP fun! This year's morning program, open to children
ages 4-11, will run from July I through Aug. 9. MegAtkin, last year's director, will retllrn
and is preparing a host of exciting acrivities for the children, including arts & crafts, sports and
special events by Island guests. IPP also hopes to afTer an afternoon swim program at Dock
Beach. Registration materials will be mailed in April to families already on the mailing list.
"'Ifyou did not tegister last year, then your name is NOT on the mailing list. Don't miss
out. Please send your name and mailing address to Anne Burnham, awburnham@aol.com or
call her at 508-252-3442. Register early, space is limited!!
Register for IPP's summer Basketball Clinic, with coach Dan Gillan. June 25-28, 9 a.m.
to 3 p.m. Registration forms are available at the school or Hair of the Dog Liquors.
. Construction continues on clubhouse at Hay Harbor Club golf course.
Soutl.old Voters Eled Ne_ T o_n Super,.,isor
S outhold voters have ousted three-term
Republican Town Supervisor Jean
Cochran and replaced her with 29-year-old
Josh Honan, a Conservative who ran on a
Democratic ticket.
Mr. Honan, an active U.S. Coast Guard
reservist, is the son of Gail Honan, a trustee
on the Village Board of Greenpon. His
grandfather, Schuyler Wentwonh Honan,
was Southold Town supervisor from 1933-
46 and later was a state senator.
The untested Mr. Honan is shan on
experience, but voters were eager fora change.
The final tally was 5,352 votes for Mr. Horton
and 3,518 votes for Mrs. Cochran.
Fishers Island Republican Council-
woman/J ustice Louisa Evans ran unopposed.
40 Fishers l.~lalld Gazette. Sprillg 2002
2000-200 I
Fourth Quarter Honor Roll
High Honor Roll (93-100)
Ethan Bean, Sarah Bean, Rand Brothers
Sage Farrar, Dragan Gill. Rebecca Leeser
Conner Scace, Michael Scace
Camilla Spinola
Honor Roll (87-92)
Melissa Batz. Tristan Belan
Robert Blair. Katie Bloethe, Alicia Cairns
Zoey Feinstein, Brett Flowers, Cory Hollis
Lindsey Horn, Mason Horn, Martin Karpel
Graham Kuzia, Matthew Neilson
Olga Solovyova. James Stanley
Callie Walter. Colin Walter
2001-2002
First Quarter Honor Roll
High Honor Roll (93-100)
Ethan Bean, Tristan Belen
Rand Brothers, Andrew Ellis, Sage Farrar
Jane Sawyer, Conner Scace, Michael Scace,
Camilla Spinola. Keith Tripp
Honor Roll (87-92)
Stephen Bean
Nicholas Banas
Robert Blair, Alicia Cairns
Brendon Conroy
Zoey Feinstein, Dragan Gill
Felicia Hardy, Mason Horn
James Stanley, Colin Walter
Defining tile Tide
By Charles Stepanek
The core of this adapted maxim is still true: time and tide-
and ferries-wait for no man. Working at the ferry. of course,
gives me direct access to observing the specifics of time and
ferries, i.e., the 20-minute rule and the final tOOt of the ferry
with its slow movement away from the ramp.
It is the third element, the tide, that is not precisely observable.
Sure, one is aware of high and low tide water levels. We all
have had the opportunity to watch waves struggle to their
maximum height along the sand and then recede. Bur that is
vague, ju::;t overlapping movements, not a point in time. I
wanted-"the moment," that point in time when the
change occurs.
2001-2002
Second Quarter Honor Roll
High Honor Roll (93-100)
Ethan Bean, Rand Brothers
Andrew Ellis, Sage Farrar, Cory Hollis
Conner Scace, Michael Scace
Camilla Spinola, Keith Tripp
Honor Roll (87-92)
Stephen Bean, Alicia Cairns
Melanie Cairns, Zoey Feinstein
Dragan Gill. Felicia Hardy
Mason Horn. Graham Kuzia
Matthew Neilson
Olga Solovyova, James Stanley
Callie Walter, Colin Walter
~~"ter&Waymarine
CAPTAIN ANDREW HEUBLEIN
. -J"
- Wi"C""~~~
> courier service ... I.......
> crew & equipment transport ..!
> U.S.C.G. certified for 18 passengers
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-~
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de/Jartin~Imlll Noa1lll, V'rllit'iflK IAHlI( r~/!1/r({~oulJd,;, ____ .==--=:
- -~-
Hay Harbor is a place to see it...
The boat channel...
Seaweed tendril attached to an underwater rock...
It was an outgoing flow. The tide table I'd constructed was
about 20 minutes late. (No, I didn't place Mother Nature in
the standby lane.)
While I watched, the tendrils wavered. First flowing in the
direction of the sound, they then began to rise upward and
slowly rocked in the still water.
It was a magic moment-tremendous powers of water, motion,
moon and gravity were in equilibrium.
. G.B. ERR.
APPRAISAL COMPANY
A real estate appraisal company
serving Fishers Island
NY STATE CERTIFIED
Gregory B. Erb . 860-536-0721
Located in Noank, Conn.
BOROLEUM@
Since 1906
STUFFY HEAD COLD?
SINUS?
HAYFEVER?
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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
I
Spri"g ]O(}}. Fisher.~ lda"d Gazene 41
.
~
. Wlnf@rStudies by Cynthia Riley: Trees silhouetted against sunlight and clouds: and rare snowfall. Jack Rivers' round house seen through trees.
u.s. Coast Guard Sets Up Sur...eillan<:e on Fishers Island in Wal.c of 9/11
The u.s. Coast Guard has set up a
surveillance system on Fishers Is-
land to monitor vessel traffic in
Eastern Long Island Sound.
Since 9/ 11. there has been apprehension
that the next terrorist arrack could come from
rhesea in the form ofacargo ship pullingil1to
a busy pon. Of particular concern in this
region are rhe Coast Guard Academy, Naval
submarine Base and Electric Boat on the
lower Thames River; and Millstone Power
Plant on the Niamic River.
Commander of Coast Guard Group
Long Island Sound, Capr. Joseph J. Coccia,
said the Coast Guard selected Fishers Island
because the Navy owns property 011 the Is-
land where the Undersea Warfare Cemcr
conducted exercises for years. Cooperation
between the Navy and Coast Guard has
increased significmdy over the past months.
The new radar system will operate 24
hours a day providing a complctc tactical
picture of what is moving through the area by
coordinating with vesselmovcment reported
to the Coast Guard. Capt. Coccia said.
This operation will be part of the na-
tional Vessel Traffic Services program, which
operates similar surveillance operations in
heavily traveled port areas such as New York
Harbor, Puget Sound, Houston and the
Lower Mississippi.
Cynthia Riley PhOlot
42 Fishers Isla"d Gazette. .\/Jril'K ]00]
Announ<<:eInenls
ENGAGEMENTS
Antonia Gold and Hans Paal Bunaes.
Karena Elwell and Martijn Rasser.
Philip Musser and Heather West, Fall
2002. Washington. D.C.
Susan Stepanek and David Lavertu, Oct.
13. Merrimack. Mass.
Sarah Strife and Michael Barnwell. Nov.
16, New York City.
Tanis Hunt and John Meakin, Oct. 5.
Providence. R."
Lila Musser and Brooks Preston, June 3.
2003.
Katharine Lopez and Timothy B.
Weymouth.
WEDDINGS
Kemp Talbott and Dave Hoversten. Dec.
I, 200 I, St. Pete Beach, Fla.
Kristin Broadhead and Colin Cashel,Jan.
12. West Palm Beach, Fla.
Evans
Realty
Licensed Real
Estate Broker
Sales . Rentals
631-788-7054
Holland Holcomb Goss and Kevin
Christopher Lynch, Feb. 2. San
Francisco, Cal.
Catherine Goodrich and Ned Carlson,
Mar. 3, Tallahassee. Fla.
BIRTHS
Addison Lee White, Aug. 1,200 I,to Kristy
and David White, Austin, Tex.
Lindsey Christine Shafer, May 9, 200 I, to
Heather (Oswald) and Colin Shafer,
Boston, Mass.
Benjamin Ian and Flora Olivia Damon,
Oct. 3, 200 I, to Carlene (Boylen) and
Ian Damon, Hawaii.
Eric Phillip Meyer, Oct. 29, 200 I, to Lisa
and Ken Meyer, Livingston, N.J.
Maisie McKown Spofford, Nov. 13,200 I.
to Sherin and Charles Spofford.
Concord. Mass.
Margaret Joy Mancusi~Ungaro. Nov. 14.
200 I. to Jennifer (Miller) and Greg
Mancusi~Ungaro. Marblehead, Mass.
IF YOU ARE
CONSIDERING...
. A dock in front of your home
. Reconstruction of an existing dock
. A bulkhead or bulkhead repair
. The permit status of your existing dock
. Sttlfe Tidal Wetlands Pennits for yoltr home
and yard improvement
CALL:
DOCKO, INCORPORATED
"a complete waterftont development resource"
860.572.8939
860.572.7569 fax
www.docko.com
PO Box 421 Mystic CT 06355
Liadan Ross, Nov. 29, 200 I, to Carolyn
(Stepanek) and Edward Ross,
Somerville, Mass.
Maud Sarah Alexandra Peel, Dec. 7,200 I,
to Megan (Spurdle) and Giles Peel,
Suffolk, England.
Scudder Keep Sinclair Jr., Dec. 21, 200 I.
to Jennifer and Scudder Sinclair,
Boston, Mass.
Richard Eliot and Nicholas Edward
Spizzirri, Dec. 23, 200 I, to Amory
(Armstrong) and Peter Spizzirri, Cos
Cob, Conn.
Katherine "Kate" Birmingham Flanagan.
Dec. 26, to Katherine and Chris
Flanagan, Dallas. Tex.
Finlay Arthur MacDonald, Feb. 7. to
Courtney (Smith) and Jeff MacDonald,
Watertown. Mass.
Aeden Kesey Connelly, Mar. 8, to Sue
and Kevin Connelly, Fishers Island.
Topper's
Ice Cream
o
Opening for our 9th season
Fri. May :3, 2002
Open every weekend in May and June
CATCH THE BOATING Sr.lRlT THIS SUMMER!
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631-788.7528
OPEN MONDAY. FRIDAY 8:00 - 4:30
SATURDAY 8:00 -4:30
"IN SEASON"
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CARETAKER JOB WANTED:
Looking for position as year-round
caretaker, will live in or commute
from Conn. Twenty years' experi-
ence, five years on Fishers Istand.
Local references available. Please
reply to Steven Robertson, 860-
691-1563.
IPP COUNSELORS NEEDED: Do
you love kids? Are you looking for
a fun summer job? The IPP sum-
mer morning program is looking
for counselors. You must be 14
years old. Please phone program
Director Meg Atkin (401) 453-6196
or e-mail matkin@rockyhill.org.
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HOUSE FOR RENT-AUGUST: Up to 14 days. Large. nicely furnished
and great location. Call for information, 631-788-7510.
DRfVER WANTED TO SELL GOOD HUMOR ICE CREAM on Fishers
Island from our vending truck. Keep truck with you at all times. Earn $850-
$1200 per week. Apply now. Call Mon.-Sat. 9 a.m.-3 p.m. only. 203-366-
2641 or 800-899-1009.
FALVEY CORPORATION
Quality + Our Specialty
Specializing in unique sitework and
construction projects. All types of
materials available___screened topsoil.
. We Work to Save the Trees and Environment +
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Donald J. Falvey, Pres.
P_O_ Box 699, 237 Rt_ 80
Killingworth CT 06419
Dffice 860-663-1695
Fax 860-663-2719
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11' .' ' .. ' ;_~ ,r-..-...-
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m~e Jequot c3fnn
l
Mon. thru Fri.. 4:30 p.m. to close
Sat. & Sun.. 12:30 p.m. to close
631 -788-7246
r
Ivy Robichaux, Jr.
GENERAL CONTRACTING SERVICES
Home Improvement, Repair & Maintenance
Island references available
Shop 788-7732
Licensed & Insured #20.946-HI Since 1992
Spring 2(}(}2. Fishers Isla"d Gazelle 43
SWIM INSTRUCTOR & LIFE
GUARD: Certified Swim Instructor
and Lifeguard needed for IPP Swim
Program at Dock Beach, afternoon
hours. Please call Trudi Edwards
631-788-7645.
OPEN & CLOSE HOMES: Avail-
able for seasonal home openings
and closings. Call for local refer.
enees. Please reply to Steven
Robertson. 860-691-1583.
PHOTOGRAPHY: Excellent advice and instruction for a fee. Roger Riley
photographer and instructor will advise you in both digital and traditional
photography. Will instruct on-Island and/or coordinate photography time
with ferry schedule. Call 860.443-5700 or www.myphotoadvisor.com.
BACK ISSUES OF GAZETTE FOR SALE: Back issues of the Gazetle are
not filled with old news-they are packed with Island history. Back
issues-from 1992 to the present are available for $5.00, plus shipping.
Write or call the editor [see bottom of page 2].
Intuitive Massage Therapy
and Bodywork
631-788-7301
relaxJeleaseJej uvena te@yahoo.com
. Trowel
AME~':'S Agency ~
-
ttRept,"senl"hv,"
Travelers Checks
Airline Tickets
Cruises
Hotels
Tours
EiW
11 Bank St.
New London
1-800-545-9154
EDWARDS LOBSTERS
"The Best Tails in Town"
PO Box 167
Fishers Island NY 06390
631-788-7645
CHRIS & TRUDI EDWARDS
Delivery Available
llSHER.SG' AZ'Ii-'j 'j.'E.
l\lAND .., 1)1 F 101 Ji '
Box 573
Fishers Island NY 06390
RECEIVED
FIRST~CLASS MAIL
us POSTAGE
PAID
HARTFORD CT
PERMIT NO 945
FIRST CLASS
No Exp
c
,;:i'"
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APR 2 2 2002
Ms Belly Neville
South old Town Clerk
PO Box 1179
Southold, NY 11971
Sou,hold Town Clelk