This week in Shelter Island history
50 YEARS AGO IN HISTORY
The rock musical “Hair” opened at the Biltmore Theater and ran for 1,750 performances with many of its songs becoming anthems for the anti-Vietnam War peace movement.
Students at Ohio State University seized the administration building to protest unfair treatment of Blacks, holding the building for five hours until they got concessions from the school vice president that were later repudiated by the college president.
Rock vocalist Carnie Wilson of Wilson Phillips was born in Los Angeles, California to former singer Marilyn Rovell of The Honeys and Brian Wilson of The Beach Boys.
The United Methodist Church was formed with the union of The Evangelical United Brethren Church and The Methodist Church.
“The Odd Couple,” starring Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau, was pulling audiences into movie theaters throughout the country.
And on Shelter Island . . .
50 YEARS AGO
Reapportionment plan delayed
A reapportionment plan that would replace the Board of Supervisors and create the Suffolk County Legislature stumbled on the way to passage 50 years ago, at that time seeming to be a technical glitch that could be resolved within a week.
But a week later it was decided the plan would not pass without a public referendum that could put more than one proposal to voters. Three plans were prominent — one calling for an 18 member county legislature with equal representation from 18 districts; another calling for 20 district representatives; and an eight member plan with one from each Assembly district and one from the East End and one from the west.
Ultimately, the County Legislature became a group of elected officials, one each, from 18 districts.
POSTSCRIPT: From time to time through the years since its creation, there has arisen a call for the Eastern towns and villages to break away and create a separate Peconic County because the current legislature is dominated by representatives from the west whose interests vary from those in the east.
Changes in the State Legislature in recent years resulted in renewed calls, since the state would have to approve such a move. But no movement in that direction has taken place.
30 YEARS AGO
3 residents attend school budget hearing
Thirty years ago the Island’s Board of Education approved a $3.6 million budget proposal to be presented to voters the following month. But it was noted in the story that only three residents attended the session to weigh in on the spending plan.
It was the last opportunity the public would have to suggest any changes to the proposal before the vote. True, an early May public hearing in advance of the vote would be held, but no changes to the proposal could be made at that meeting with the budget proposal already determined for the ballot listing.
Given that school budgets tend to represent the largest part of residents’ tax bills and there’s generally grumbling about the amount of spending, there are ample opportunities each year to suggest changes before numbers are locked.
POSTSCRIPT: At the April 18 meeting this year, no one arrived to comment on the $11.7 million proposal that was adopted by the Board of Education, making it too late to bring about any changes to the budget in advance of the May 15 vote. There is a hearing to outline the spending plan on May 7, but the proposal is established for the vote.
20 YEARS AGO
Islander charged in neighbor’s murder
It was 20 years ago that Kenneth Payne III was arrested for killing neighbor Curtis Cook with police reporting that Mr. Payne was angered by threats Mr. Cook made to his girlfriend and daughter and a belief that Mr. Cook was guilty of the child molestation charges that were pending against him.
Mr. Payne was sentenced to 25 years to life in an upstate prison, but released after six years when the State Court of Appeals determined he had been sentenced on a wrong charge.
POSTSCRIPT: Sadly, 20 years later, a second homicide has occurred on the Island with Reverent Canon Paul Wancusa succumbing fromo injuries he sustained during a burglary at his Silver Beach house.
That case remains under investigation by Suffolk County and Shelter Island police.
10 YEARS AGO
11 vie for school board
The year was 2008 and 11 candidates had announced they would seek seats on the Board of Education.
Only three of five incumbents whose terms were expiring announced they would run again. Board president Bob Reylek was among those who chose not to seek re-election as did Theresa Andrews.
Incumbents Edith Lechmanski, Barbara Warren and Katherine Garrison submitted petitions to seek re-election. The others who ran that year were Linda Eklund, Mark Kanarvogel, Richard Frazier, Ken Lewis Jr., Rebecca Mundy, Vinette Olinkiewicz, Steven Python and Art Williams.
Not only did the district’s budget proposal fail that year, but none of the incumbents survived the vote. The budget went down by three votes with 412 rejecting it and 409 supporting it. Shelter Island was one of only nine of the 123 Long Island school budgets to fail that year.
Ms. Eklund and Mr. Kanarvogel were each elected to one-year terms
POSTSCRIPT: Both Ms. Eklund and Mr. Kanarvogel continue to serve on the Board of Education today with Ms. Eklund serving as vice president.
If there was an overabundance of candidates 10 years ago, this year there is only incumbent, Kathleen Lynch, seeking re-election and no one declaring his or her candidacy for the other seat currently held by Susan Binder, who is not seeking a second term.
A write-in vote could fill that second seat. Alternatively, the Board of Education could appoint a successor to take Ms. Binder’s seat until May 2019 or it could schedule a special election.
