Letters

Letters to the Editor


To the Editor:

Ten years ago, I met my now husband at the 2003 running of the Shelter Island 10K race. I found myself at the home of a friend of a friend near Dering Harbor who hosted a 10K pre-race party at his home. Although I didn’t know it at the time, my “husband-to-be” was at this party. I was in my running clothes. He was in bathing shorts. With a beer in his hand, he sauntered up to ask me if I was running the race. Although it seemed an obvious question to lead to an obvious answer, I said that I was, and asked him if he was. He then said, “I am, and I’m going to kick your a@#!”

I said if you kick my a@#, you must be a pretty fast runner. And so it went. My friend and I gave him a ride over to the race where he proceeded to sign up for his first running race in several years, while I lined up with Kenyans. He didn’t see me again until the end of the race. I achieved a personal record of 38 minutes, 38 seconds, which I believed put me as the 7th woman to cross the finish line that year.
Although 2003 was our last official running of the 10K, it wasn’t our last ever. The next year we were in China together and missed the race.

The year after, in September 2005, we were married, on Shelter Island at the Ram’s Head Inn. The morning of our wedding we had our guests run/walk the entire 10K course and visit the house where we met. We have since moved to Boulder, Colorado, but still come back to the Hamptons every summer and visit Shelter Island with our three kids and tell the story of how we met and wed. This year will be no different — but since we visit in July, we will again miss the race. But Shelter Island and the 10K will forever hold a special place in our hearts … and running shoes.
RENEE (ROSEN) ISRAEL
Boulder, Colorado

Scoreboard update

To the Editor:

I know we were all disappointed that the scoreboard [at Fiske Field] wasn’t ready for opening day, but sometimes life is complicated. Work still needs to be done, steel beams drilled and set in concrete, and the electricity laid to the board. And it all needs to be done by people volunteering their labor, synchronizing times with each other, and doing it at the busiest time of the year.
So the answer to when it is coming, is “soon.” I have been informed, “maybe next week.” Let’s hope for the best and that the date we had chosen for the formal dedication, June 21, will still work. Come and cheer anyway! I’ll try to keep you posted.
CAROL GALLIGAN
The Scoreboard Committee

Farewell to Sierra

To the Editor:

A very special dog, well-known to many of the residents of Silver Beach, passed away on March 20 after spending most of her 17 1/2 years on Silver Beach. Sierra was part Siberian huskie and part German shepherd with a pure white coat. Typical of the breed, her one eye was brown while the other was blue. In her prime, she was a free spirit who relished traveling all over the peninsula of Silver Beach. She knew every nook and cranny, every hole in the fence, every beachfront and, of course, every barbecue. She loved nothing better than a good chase, be it deer or squirrels, and would walk for miles just a few feet ahead of you, as the “leader of the pack.”

Meeting her for the first time, she could be a bit intimidating but that perception would quickly dissipate. She was one of the most intelligent, friendly and sensitive dogs I have ever encountered.

As the years went by, Sierra continued as a “goodwill ambassador” to the community. She had Letters to the Editorher neighbors as well as some very special friends (including Brad and Pat, Dan and Carolyn), all of whom she would visit during her routine “house calls.” When arthritis took its toll, Sierra gamely tried to limp along and keep her routine but as she approached the equivalent of 119 in human years, she became more homebound. The North Fork Hospital staff helped keep Sierra “in the game” and extended her longevity.

I still find myself looking for her, expecting her to come up the driveway with that tail wagging, wanting to take me for a walk. She had a very good, long life and certainly touched the lives of many of us on Silver Beach, both young and old. She will be sorely missed.
DEBBIE SPOTTECK NEEDHAM
Shelter Island