This week in Shelter Island history
Entrance to the original house at 6 Charlie’s Lane that Brad Tolkin won approval last October to replace with a larger house.
50 YEARS AGO IN HISTORY
The Beatles were awarded the distinction of being named Members of the British Empire by Queen Elizabeth despite complaints from previous recipients that performers didn’t deserve the honor.Sonny and Cher debuted on American Bandstand.
“Fiddler on the Roof” won eight Tony Awards, including one for Best Musical.
English actress Elizabeth Hurley, once linked romantically to actor Hugh Grant, was born.
The New York Legislature passed a bill eliminating the death penalty except for those convicted of killing police officers or guards or other prisoners while incarcerated.
And on Shelter Island …
50 YEARS AGO
Cliff Clark wins Outstanding Trackman Award
Cliff Clark received the Outstanding Trackman Award at a Harding College banquet in Searcy, Arkansas, in June 1965. He was a junior at Harding at the time and also tied with another classmate for a cross country award.
During an AIC meet, Mr. Clark set conference records for the mile and two-mile runs. His mile time of 4:15:2 placed him 11th in the nation in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics.
POSTSCRIPT: Mr. Clark, who now is at the helm of South Ferry, remains active with the Shelter Island 10K committee and has been a long-time coach to runners on the Island, including Janelle Kraus-Nadeau, who was gearing up for a run at the Beijing Olympics in 2008 before she was sidelined with injuries.
Mr. Clark missed being on the 1972 Munich Olympic team by one place.
30 YEARS AGO
Land bank is explained
In the spring of 1985, then Planning Board chairman Gunard Bergman explained the concept of the town purchasing land that would be preserved from development. He said he had learned of the idea from a Wall Street Journal story about the island of Nantucket planning to float bonds to purchase beaches and other land deemed appropriate for preservation.
The story also mentioned that Nantucket was looking at implementing a 2 percent real estate transfer tax to be used to pay off the bonds.
POSTSCRIPT: The Peconic Bay Community Preservation Fund was formed in 1998 and continues the 2 percent transfer tax used by municipalities to purchase and preserve open spaces, farmland and other pieces of property deemed important to preserve from development. In the last year, some, including Assemblyman Fred Thiele Jr., have suggested using some of the 2 percent money to improve the condition of Peconic Bay waterways.
20 YEARS AGO
Richards fourth in class at Police Academy
Walter Richards graduated fourth in his class from the Suffolk County Police Academy and worked as a seasonal police officer during the summer of 1995. He was hailed by then chief L. George Ferrer as a man who demonstrated dedication and professionalism during his training.
POSTSCRIPT: Officer Richards continues to serve on the Shelter Island Police Force.
10 YEARS AGO
‘McMansion’ law is on the books
Ten years ago, the Town Board passed a law setting limits on proposed house sizes unless applicants received a special permit.
The law enacted said any proposed house with 8,500 square feet of heated living space, not including a garage, basement and unfinished attic, would require such a permit and heated living space could not exceed more than seven percent of the lot size.
The law was later amended limiting a house to 6,000 square feet before it would trigger a special permit
POSTSCRIPT: In 2012, Richard Tarlow won his bid to build a 10,431 square foot house with 8,412 square feet of livable space on his land on Nostrand Parkway. In October 2014, after making a number of concessions, Brad Tolkin won his bid to build a 7,840 square foot house on Charlie’s Lane.
