News

This week in Shelter Island history

Old, open book with a damaged cover.

50 YEARS AGO IN HISTORY

Former Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara was elected president of the World Bank.

Julie Nixon and David Eisenhower announced their engagement.

Senator Eugene McCarthy of Minnesota announced his run for the presidency on an anti-Vietnam war platform.

Yemen became independent from the United Kingdom.

The Beatles released their “Magical Mystery Tour.”

And on Shelter Island . . .

45 YEARS AGO

State demands deer hunt, Town Board and Gun Club oppose

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation demanded that Shelter Island allow a deer hunt that was to start in January 1977. But the Town Board and the Shelter Island Gun Club argued that there were too few deer on the Island to merit a hunting season.

Supervisor Thomas Jernick said the Town Board in September had passed a resolution asking not to be included in areas where hunting would be allowed, but was told by a regional wildlife manager not to fight the ruling. The hunt was planned for two weeks in January, rather than the three-week hunt that had been scheduled a year earlier.

POSTSCRIPT: There is a hunt that begins now on October 1 and runs through January to be followed by a nuisance hunt that runs through February and March.

30 YEARS AGO

Island opposed County Brown Tide Task Force

The Suffolk Country Brown Tide Task Force supported monitoring runoff of phosphates and other organic nutrients into East End bays to determine their effect on the growth of brown algae that was destroying the scallop crop.

But Mal Nevel, a member of the Shelter Island Citizens Advisory Council and president of the Shelter Island Baymen’s Association argued that sewer runoff was responsible, blaming Greenport, prior to that village’s upgrade of its sewer plant. He also said fertilizers were contributing to the problem

POSTSCRIPT: Today, it’s known that fertilizer has contributed to the problem as has runoff from aged cesspools and septic systems. It’s why Suffolk County has been offering rebates to those upgrading septic systems and the town is also offering its own rebate program for such upgrades.

But Shelter Island is also spending money on a three-year program to look at water quality in terms of protecting both drinking water and runoff into the bays.

20 YEARS AGO

Kraus named to 1997 All American Cross Country Team

One of Shelter Island’s premier athletes, Janelle Kraus,  was named in 1997 to the All American Cross Country Team. Her selection resulted from her 27th place finish in the NCAA Cross Country Championship race in Greenville, South Carolina.

POSTSCRIPT: Ms. Kraus —now Janelle Kraus Nadeau — went on to make a bid for a place on the Olympic team of 2008 and received coaching from another Shelter Island accomplished athlete, Cliff Clark. But an injury sidelined her. Just competing in the trials before the injury pleased her, she said, and she also noted that she trained along side the man who would become her husband, Bill Nadeau.

The pair frequently return to the Island to participate in 5K and 10K runs here.

10 YEARS AGO

School joins town on fuel grant

Ten years ago, Shelter Island School was able to engage in a shared incentive services grant that decreased the cost of fuel by 40 cents per gallon from what the school had been paying by purchasing its fuel using a credit card.

Grant money was used to move the town’s fuel facility from the former highway barn to the new one.

POSTSCRIPT: Today, the school is anticipating being able to join the town in installation of a new septic system that originally was planned only for the Youth Center housed in the American Legion Post. Former school district business official Tim Laube was aware of the project and able to take steps toward having the district included in the project.

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