Some airstrip agreement provisions not followed

At Tuesday’s Town Board work session, questions about an agreement between the Shelter Island  Pilot’s Association and the town to maintain the Klenawicus airstrip were put to the board.

Susan Klenawicus, whose family once owned the airstrip, told the board she was concerned with the agreement — up for renewal as of June 30, 2013 — because some of the provisions of the contract are not being met.

There’s a reference in the contract to a review of fiscal records for the airstrip. Ms. Klenawicus asked if board members had seen them. Supervisor Jim Dougherty said he thought they were being kept but had not reviewed the records.

The contract provides for closing the airstrip when snow is on the field with a large X placed at the end of the field for pilots to see and be warned. But this had not been done for years, Ms. Klenawicus said, and showed a copy of the front page of the Reporter from February 21 with a picture of an airplane landing on skis. Ms. Klenawicus pointed out that if an accident occurred the town could be facing a liability issue.

She noted that dangerous “touch and go landings” are happening even though they’re banned by an insurance agreement. There’s also pedestrian traffic on the airstrip with people walking dogs and there are no signs warning motorists and pedestrians about low flying aircraft.

In a provision about maintaining the hangars at the field, Ms. Klenawicus said this was not being done and at one point her hangar doors had been nailed shut, which would have prevented her from removing her airplane in case of fire.

Another fire hazard was electricity being installed in a dilapidated shed with holes in the ceiling.

Storage was another concern, with people using the airstrip to store boat trailers, cars and even restaurant equipment, all prohibited by contract.

Supervisor Dougherty thanked Ms. Klenawicus for her “very straight forward” presentation.

In other business, Matt Rhode asked for approval of the second annual “Wounded Warrior Spur Ride,” a motorcycle tour of the Island for veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan that honors Shelter Island’s Lt. Joseph J. Theinert, killed in action in 2010.

Mr. Rhode, representing the Joseph J. Theinert Foundation, said the Spur Ride  is scheduled for Sunday September 8, with registration at 7 a.m., opening remarks at 8:30 a.m. and launching at 9 a.m. The ride will start and finish at SALT restaurant, which will be providing the post-ride cookout.

Lt. Theinert’s mother, Chrystyna Kestler, asked to speak to the board. She showed some emotion for a few seconds, but gathered herself to tell the board that she had stayed in touch with many members of her son’s platoon who had visited Shelter Island after his death.

“I received three separate phone calls from soldiers who said essentially the same thing, that had they not received the welcome from Shelter Island and the reception of the community, these three men individually and independently were considering suicide,” Ms. Kestler said.

Mr. Dougherty thanked her and said, “We’ll continue to do our best, but please tell us what the best should be.”