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This week in Shelter Island history

Old, open book with a damaged cover.

50 YEARS AGO IN HISTORY

The first Star Wars series premiered on NBC.

Gemini 11 rocketed into orbit and caught an Agena target achieving its primary goal of a rendezvous to test an emergency means of returning people from the moon.

Queen Elizabeth II officially opened the Severn Bridge linking England and Wales and declaring the bridge would usher in a new economic era for South Wales.

Head of the American Nazi Party, George Lincoln Rockwell, was arrested as he led a “white power” march through a white neighborhood at the edge of Chicago’s south side.

Chevrolet debuted the Camaro, its answer to the Ford Mustang.

And on Shelter Island …

50 YEARS AGO
Beach sticker program ends season on the plus side

It was the first year of the town’s beach sticker program in 1966 and the effort was declared successful with “flying colors.”

There were 2,200 stickers sold at $1 each to cover expenses. More money was expected to flow into town coffers from money paid by those who violated the policy and failed to have the necessary stickers.

POSTSCRIPT: While the stickers were only available to town residents and those staying at local bed & breakfast establishments and hotels, last year, the Town Board agreed to provide a limited number of day passes to non-Islanders. That, too, has seemed to work effectively.

30 YEARS AGO
Scallop reseeding considered

The Town Board in September 1986 began a discussion of whether to start a scallop reseeding program to rejuvenate the decimated shellfish population. Algae blooms had spread throughout Peconic Bay during the summers of 1985 and 1986.

Town Councilman Rowland Clark told his colleagues that a Fishers Island seed business had sold its scallop seeds to the state, but speculated that the town could get the seeds the following year at a cost of $35 per 1,000 seeds. The town’s seeding fund was expected to have a balance of $6,000 at the end of 1986.

POSTSCRIPT: Thanks to individuals and those who worked through the Cornell Cooperative Southold Project in Aquaculture Training (SPAT), the scallop program has been rejuvenated.

20 YEARS AGO
Island gears for $600,000 bond vote

The Town Board in September 1996 approved putting a resolution on the November ballot in 1996 to coordinate with a New York State open space funding program for land preservation.

Almost 75 percent of voters approved the measure.

POSTSCRIPT: Today, there’s the Community Preservation Fund started in 1999 that assesses new property buyers on the East End a 2 percent tax to be used to preserve land. And if voters support a referendum on this year’s November ballot, up to 20 percent of CPF money could be allocated for specific programs to protect water resources.

10 YEARS AGO
Water worries

Ten years ago, the Suffolk County Water Authority (SCWA) was seeking permission to tap into the Lloyd Aquifer, the last reserve on Long Island. Shelter Islanders and representatives from other East End towns were concerned, despite the fact that here, residents use well water.

Why they were concerned was explained in a column by Karl Grossman at the time. Referring to attorney Sarah Meyland, who is an expert on water resource management, Mr. Grossman explained that Long Island, surrounded by saltwater, maintains a tension with freshwater resources.

Ms. Meyland explained that the East End has a relatively shallow water table compared with western parts of Long Island. Tampering with resources by allowing use of the Lloyd Aquifer could threaten water supplies here.

The SCWA today maintains it takes “very little water” from the Lloyd Aquifer.

POSTSCRIPT: Concern about water availability is widespread throughout New York State that has declared drought conditions and called for voluntary compliance to save water.

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