A look back: This week in Shelter Island history
10 YEARS AGO
Pied Piper defies red tape and politics
While everyone all year long was wondering when and if a new town youth center would ever become a reality, The Rev. William Grimbol was continuing to operate his own youth program at Shelter Island Presbyterian Church 10 years ago. In fact, his program had been thriving for 18 years. Over the years, he had befriended kids as a youth counselor and coordinator of Club 912, an ecumenical program for youths in grades nine through 12. The youth activities involved about 25 kids, who met three times a month, 10 months of the year. It was funded under the “Make Hope Happen” umbrella, a spiritual but not religious program.
POSTSCRIPT: Pastor Grimbol left Shelter Island in the summer of 2011 to return to his hometown, Racine, Wisconsin. Today the American Legion Post provides a home for youth programs.
20 YEARS AGO
Town to go after LILCO in a $200,000/year suit
Twenty years ago, the Town Board was preparing to file suit against the Long Island Lighting Company, predecessor to today’s Long Island Power Authority, in an effort to recover an annual $200,000 in real estate taxes. The company had, in a sworn public statement, promised that much in exchange for permission to run a 4.2-mile underground 69,000-volt transmission line across Shelter Island. The line linked up North and South forks, but provided no power to Shelter Island. The town was promised a 13,000 volt cable from North Haven to South Ferry, but that hadn’t been installed at the time of the suit.
POSTSCRIPT: Fast forward 20 years and residents are dealing with promises from LIPA to provide backup cables providing power from Southold. Initially, the town was promised the job would be completed before Memorial Day. Now it could be Columbus Day or later.
30 YEARS AGO
Fire Department seeks fact sheet information
Al Kilb was fire chief 30 years and reached out to residents to provide information to the department with addresses, cross streets and information about children in the house, location of rooms of invalids, where propane tanks might be located on property and outside water sources. “In a fire, the first five minutes are worth the next 50,” the chief said at the time, pointing out how critical such information can be in helping firefighters respond quickly and effectively.
POSTSCRIPT: Chief John D’Amato agrees with that advice and adds that in the last five years, there hasn’t been a single death in a fire in New York State in homes equipped with fire detectors.
50 YEARS AGO
Planning Board gets views and opinions
Residents were very outspoken 50 years ago about not wanting to see creation of a special motel district on Shelter Island. The ordinance that banned such a district was effective and they expressed no need for changes.
POSTSCRIPT: There remains no special motel district today, according to building permit coordinator Mary Wilson and those that exist were built prior to zoning laws and are only allowed in established business districts.
