This week in Shelter Island history
50 YEARS AGO IN HISTORY
“A Man and A Woman” took top honors, winning the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival and the following year winning the Academy Award as best picture of 1966.American author and educator Jodi Picoult was born in Nesconset on Long Island.
The yearly inflation rate was 3.01 percent with the average purchase price for a home at $14,200.
Actress Mindy Cohn, best known for her role as Natalie on “The Facts of Life” and later for voicing Velma Dinkley in the Scooby Doo series, was born in Los Angeles.
The Mamas & The Papas “Monday, Monday” was topping the music charts.
And on Shelter Island …
50 YEARS AGO
Old pro returns to scene of his youth
It was May 1966 that Charles Thom, who had been golf pro at the Manhanset Golf Club in 1898 and 1899, returned to Shelter Island and visited with Bob DeStefano, who at the time was golf pro at Gardiner’s Bay Country Club.
He even gave Mr. DeStefano a lesson on putting that day.
Mr. Thom is said to have once coached pro golfer Lou Hamilton, who went on to become a U.S. Open champion.
POSTSCRIPT: As one era gives way to another, Mr. DeStefano is now retired as Gardiner’s Bay golf pro and Leigh Notley is the pro at the club. Mr. DeStefano continues to be active on the Island, including writing a regular column for the Reporter.
30 YEARS AGO
Steps toward water conservation
With a Suffolk County Planning Commission’s resource inventory of Shelter Island in hand, the town was challenged by an Reporter editorial in May 1986 to take steps to identify and protect those areas that were particularly water-sensitive.
There existed a need, the editorial said, to take steps to curb development of certain areas that could experience problems with potable water if steps weren’t taken to protect it.
POSTSCRIPT: Creation of the Near Shore Peninsula District and a requirement that swimming pools be filled with trucked-in water, along with other steps, have been taken to protect water quantity.
This year, the Island embarked on the first year of a three-year study undertaken by the United States Geological Survey to examine water quality issues.
20 YEARS AGO
Island to get its first ATM
It was the North Fork Bank branch at West Neck and Menantic Roads that sported the Island’s first ATM machine in May 1996. Prior to that Islanders had to be resourceful about how to get cash on weekends or nights when banks were closed.
They either had to borrow from a friend, find someone willing to cash a check or travel to either the North or South forks to use ATMs on the mainland.
POSTSCRIPT: Today, there are three banks — Capitol One, which bought North Fork Bank, Chase and Bridgehampton National Bank — that doll out cash to card holders.
10 YEARS AGO
Town backs bills to extend 2 percent transfer tax
The Town Board had been criticized by some who thought its support for the Community Preservation Fund 2 percent transfer tax was tepid. But 10 years ago, the vote was unanimous to extend the life of the program from December 31, 2020 to December 31, 2030.
POSTSCRIPT: The town has continued to support and use the transfer tax for purchasing open space parcels on Shelter Island, with some purchases made solely by the town and others made in conjunction with Suffolk County.
In November, voters could see a resolution on the ballot allowing the town to use up to 20 percent of CPF revenues for water quality related projects.
Town Attorney Laury Dowd is drafting a resolution to that effect that will be considered by the Town Board.
