This week in Shelter Island history
Islander Wade Kotula, then 14, crossed the finish line in first place at the 2004 Shelter Island Run/Walk for Breast Cancer with a time of 19:26. This year, young members of Shelter Island’s cross country team, Jack Kimmelmann and Kal Lewis, posted even better times while placing third and fourth, respectively.
50 YEARS AGO IN HISTORY
Time Magazine used the term op art for the first time
The Supremes “Baby Love” topped the music charts
The Rolling Stones made their first appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show
Movie tickets averaged $1.25
Postage stamps cost 5 cents
Gasoline averaged 30 cents per gallon, but the average annual income was $6,000
And on Shelter Island …
50 YEARS AGO
Islander in pre-med program tops runners
Cliff Clark, then a junior studying pre-med at Harding University in Arkansas, broke a course record at the Harding Invitational Meet, defeating more than 100 athletes. Two weeks later, he went on to defeat the competition from Mississippi College of Jackson, finishing a 3.5-mile course in what was described as a “record-shattering time of 18:51.” His coach said Mr. Clark was destined to become a great runner.
POSTSCRIPT: Mr. Clark fell just short of his dream to make the Munich Olympics, but he has stood tall on Shelter Island, coaching numerous athletes to achieve their dreams and was inducted into the Shelter Island School’s Athletes Hall of Fame. Instead of going on to become a doctor, he’s president of the South Ferry Company. He was a co-founder of the Shelter Island 10k.
30 YEARS AGO
14 percent tax revenue hike proposed
In October 1984, Town Board members were mulling a preliminary $1.79 million budget that called for an 18 percent spending hike and a 14 percent tax increase. Then, as now, the Highway Department and Public Works was on target to consume a large piece of the overall budget pie. Town Board members were considering additional personnel for both the Highway and Police departments.
POSTSCRIPT: The numbers could change, but at this moment, the current Town Board is anticipating a 6 percent increase.
20 YEARS AGO
Taking advantage of the harvest
Back in 1994, baymen were able to harvest scallops in October and they were finding yields far improved over what they had been in the 1980s when the dense bloom of phytoplankton, or brown tide, was responsible for virtually wiping out Long Island scallops.
The work of reseeding was led by Cornell Cooperative Extension where Chris Smith taught East End residents to transplant seed scallops throughout the area. In 1984, local prices for bay scallops ranged from $7.50 to $13.99 per pound with the lower prices found on Shelter Island and the North Fork and the high prices showing up in Bridgehampton and Nassau County.
POSTSCRIPT: The scallop season gets under way November 3 this year.
10 YEARS AGO
14-year-old Islander places first in 5k
Wade Kotula, then 14, placed first in the 2004 5K Run/Walk for Breast Cancer in 2004 with a time of 19:26. More than 600 people registered for the race that year and the North Fork Breast Health Coalition was the sole beneficiary of profits that year. Mary Ellen Adipietro had revived the event in 2000 and continues as race director today.
POSTSCRIPT: Today’s youths — members of the school varsity cross country team — posted even better numbers last Saturday with Jack Kimmelmann and Kal Lewis placing third and fourth overall. Jack’s race time was 18:35:09 while Kal’s was 18:44:06.
