This week in Shelter Island history: Sunrise joins ferry fleet
10 YEARS AGO
Sunrise arrives, joins South Ferry fleet
After an eight-hour journey from the Rhode Island shipyard where it was built, South Ferry’s Sunrise arrived at the Route 114 slips with the Clark family and friends aboard. It was purchased for $1.2 million in order to replace the Capt. Ed Cartwright, which was sold to a Manhattan restaurateur. Measuring 101-feet, the Sunrise is three feet longer and one foot wider than the Southern Cross, the second newest addition to the fleet.
POSTSCRIPT: This month marks the tenth anniversary of the Sunrise joining the South Ferry fleet, where it continues to bring cars, trucks, cyclists, and passengers from Shelter Island to North Haven and back under the ownership of the Clark family.
20 YEARS AGO
One to watch for…Amanda Clark
At just 10 years old, Amanda Clark had already won eight trophies in 10 different races in a year, placed fifth for her age group in the Long Island Regatta of 1991, and was excited at the prospect of competing against 150 to 200 other racers in the North American Optimist Regatta of 1992. Her parents proudly recounted Amanda’s natural talent, accomplishments and dedication, as well as her sincere enjoyment of the sport. Her mother speculated she might have Olympic hopes, “but at 10, it’s too hard to tell.”
POSTSCRIPT: Amanda went on to place fourth for her age group in the North American Optimist Regatta in 1992, and this year made the 2012 Summer Olympics sailing team with her partner, Sarah Lihan, of Fort Lauderdale. Her races begin Friday off the coast of Weymouth, England.
40 YEARS AGO
Town Board moves again to tighten dog ordinance
The 1972 Town Board voted to hold a public hearing to discuss amending the existing dog ordinance to include much stricter regulations concerning unsupervised dogs. The changes to the ordinance had been proposed a year earlier, but a strong majority had opposed it. It was concluded that even with just five percent of the dog population causing the problem, action needed to be taken.
POSTSCRIPT: Recently the plans for a dog park on Shelter Island were at least temporarily shelved in spite of positive reception from dog lovers, as organizers work out legal and insurance details before they try to raise money for a dog park.
50 YEARS AGO
The new library – Wear A Brick! – Fund Drive off to good start
The campaign to raise $70,000 for a new library facility began at the start of August in 1962, and just two weeks later $12,000 had been raised thanks to efforts by the Shelter Island Lions Club and the brisk sale of brick-shaped lapel pins, designed by the Parent Teacher’s Association to encourage contributions. Several organizations across the Island volunteered the proceeds from their own events to benefit the library fund, and just three years later the Shelter Island Public Library was completed and dedicated.
POSTSCRIPT: The Shelter Island Library was recently renovated in a project costing more than $875,000 and funded entirely by contributions, proving that support of the library has never waned on the Island.
