This week in Shelter Island history
Town Board members and County officials met on Shelter Island 20 years ago this month to try to rectify problems here that locals saw as county responsibilities.
50 YEARS AGO IN HISTORY
Today it’s a retro, but in February 1965, children were clamoring for the Wooly Willy magnetic game.Chris Rock was born in Andrews, South Carolina.
Walt Disney Studio bought the Disneyland Theme Park.
“The Raven” was tops among moviegoers.
President Lyndon Johnson received the America’s Democratic League Award from the Anti-Defamation League.
And on Shelter Island …
50 YEARS AGO
Dogs and deer don’t mix
Fifty years ago, Supervisor Evans Griffing appealed to dog owners to keep their dogs on a leash until snow had melted. The problem, he said, was that deer, in search of food following heavy snow, were wandering to new areas where the snow was deep and they couldn’t run.
Many were being killed by packs of dogs while others died having floated out on ice floes into the water where they became trapped.
POSTSCRIPT: The deer population was much less 50 years ago, while today, officials maintain the Island is being overrun by them. Hunters are being offered incentives to kill more antlerless deer, generally does, and to work to reduce the population that is spreading tick-borne diseases and causing traffic accidents.
30 YEARS AGO
ZBA grants variance for power lines
Applicants James Theinert and Joseph Skovira fought and won their case for the Long Island Lighting Company to continue overhead power lines feeding their Sylvan Lane property. The ban that existed was interpreted at the time to refer to new developments, and precluding high tension wires from being installed across the Island. Power lines existing already should be extended to customers the ZBA decided.
POSTSCRIPT: A look around the Island and you might be surprised to know that as of 1983, a provision has been in the Town Code stating that all public utility and public Cablevision facilities constructed after the effective date of this section were to be installed underground, except at the Ram Island Causeways; to maintain existing overhead distribution lines; to install and maintain service lines where overhead distribution lines presently exist; in those instances when a utility company seeks to affix cable lines across a public road where utility poles exist; or in those instances when a utility seeks to place wires or cable facilities on utility poles already erected and maintained by utility companies.
20 YEARS AGO
Town Board meets with county over long-standing problems
Promises, promises. And another one broken. A group of Suffolk County officials who were supposed to be led by County Executive Robert Gaffney descended on the Island 20 years without Mr. Gaffney to discuss complaints about services not rendered to the Island. While Islanders were sending about $100,000 to Suffolk County annually, what it got back in services was a tiny percentage.
Meanwhile, there were issues with county roads here not being properly maintained, deterioration of a bulkhead at Crescent Beach, runoff problems in Coecles Harbor and general squabbling between the town and county over just about everything.
There was much cynicism about whether the latest meeting would improve the relationship and render more assistance to the town from the county.
POSTSCRIPT: The battle continues today throughout the East End where towns from time to time raise the idea of forming a separate Peconic County instead of watching their hard-earned tax money go to support projects up west while their local needs are often ignored by the County Legislature.
10 YEARS AGO
Town trying to hire officer
Ten years ago, with the retirements of Officer Bill Hannabury and Sergeant Jay Card Jr., the Police Department was making a pitch for giving part-timer Dave McGayhey a full-time post to boost the manpower.
The Town Board and Shelter Island Police Benevolent Association reached an agreement to support the appointment that would restore the Department to numbers needed to respond to calls in a timely way.
Mr. McGayhey had been a part-timer for 20 years. But his name was not on the County’s Civil Service list because he didn’t meet the county age requirement.
POSTSCRIPT: Officer McGayhey continues to serve the community on a full-time basis. As for Mr. Card, he is now the town’s Highway Department Supervisor and Public Works Commissioner.
