This week in Shelter Island history
Following a tribute honoring James Messer, who died in August 2005, his widow, Janalyn Travis-Messer hugged then supervisor Art Williams who had teared up while reading the proclamation thanking the late councilman for his years of service to the town.
50 YEARS AGO IN HISTORY
Carlos Irwin Estevez — you know him better today as Charlie Sheen — was born in New York City.Physician, missionary and Nobel Peace Prize winner Albert Schweitzer died.
With a move to Anaheim, the Los Angeles Angels baseball team became the California Angels, but it wouldn’t be the last name change as they later became the Anaheim Angels and now are the Los Angeles Angels at Anaheim.
Heavyweight boxing champion Lennox Lewis was born in London.
A first class stamp cost 5 cents.
And on Shelter Island …
50 YEARS AGO
Season’s end
Seasonal residents and visitors hoping for one more summer weekend saw temperatures drop into the 30s for the Labor Day holiday 50 years ago. It had been a good summer, but no one had anticipated that temperatures would drop so precipitously when the calendar promised a couple of more weeks of summer.
POSTSCRIPT: This year, the Labor Day weekend is shaping up to be perfect for beach-goers, boaters and others pursuing summer activities. It should cap what has been a practically unblemished series of warm summer weekends. If meteorologists are correct, the week that follows will see temperatures here in the 80s with no rain entering the picture until Thursday and Friday.
30 YEARS AGO
Highway candidates square off in a clean battle
It was September 1985 when Ed Sabal and Leo Urban faced one another in a battle for the Republican nod to run for highway superintendent. A third candidate, incumbent Frank Klenawicus, had both the Democratic and Independence lines on the ballot while Mr. Urban had the backing of the Conservative Party.
Mr. Urban won the primary, but in the general election in November, Mr. Klenawicus prevailed.
POSTSCRIPT: This year, incumbent Jay Card Jr. has a free walk to the job for a third term facing no opposition.
20 YEARS AGO
FEMA okays firefighter paybacks
The Federal Emergency Management Agency cleared the way 20 years ago for 100 percent payback of expenses incurred by local fire departments who sent crews and equipment to fight the Pine Barrens blaze that was a week-long battle.
POSTSCRIPT: Anyone around the East End then certainly remembers the Pine Barrens fire and takes seriously the warnings this year when drought-like conditions pose the potential for another such battle.
10 YEARS AGO
Voters will make choice to fill empty board seat
Following the death of James Messer in August 2005, the Town Board announced it would allow voters to decide who would fill the vacant seat. The Town Board could have made an appointment pending an election, but opted to leave the seat empty pending the November election.
At the same meeting at which that decision was made, then Supervisor Art Williams presented Mr. Messer’s widow, Janalyn Travis-Messer with a proclamation honoring her late husband’s service to the town.
POSTSCRIPT: With the unanticipated decision by Councilman Ed Brown to resign his seat on the Town Board as of December 31, an interim appointment will be made and then an election for his seat will occur in November of 2016.
