This week in Shelter Island history
50 YEARS AGO IN HISTORY
The Boston Celtics basketball franchise that began in 1946 was purchased by Trans-National Communications.
Hurricane Camille struck the United States Gulf Coast killing 259 people, mostly in Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana.
Mick Jagger was accidentally shot in the hand by a backfiring pistol while filming the movie “Ned Kelly” in Australia.
On the chance that you kept an old calendar from 1969, the first time the dates fall on the same days as they did then will be in 2025.
And on Shelter Island . . .
50 YEARS AGO
Thank the ferry workers
A letter to the editor in the Reporter from a writer who described himself as “just a summer resident” pointed out the crews of the ferry companies should be thanked for the services they provide, running the boats all day in all kinds of weather.
POSTSCRIPT: We think the same today as we deal with gracious crew members who are a lot more patient, despite weather, bad-tempered drivers and other problems they overcome to provide all of us the ability to get where we need to go. They are the best ambassadors these companies could employ.
30 YEARS AGO
Town passes tennis court law
There was a debate about whether a tennis court should be considered an accessory building on a property. In amending the code, the Town Board voted 4-1 with then councilman Al Kilb Jr. casting the sole dissenting vote. He refused to comment on his decision.
The revisions to the law also set the limits to heights of fencing around a tennis court at 10 feet and decided that front and sideyard setbacks would apply to construction of such courts.
POSTSCRIPT: Today’s Town Code holds firm to the decisions made in 1989 pertaining to tennis courts.
20 YEARS AGO
What does ‘Shelter’ mean to weather here?
Numbers released on rainfall for the month of July 1999 showed that while both North and South forks had considerable rain, Shelter Island was sheltered.
Accordingly, while the average rainfall on the forks for that month was 2.5 inches, Shelter Islanders saw only 0.44 inches of rain largely because of sea breezes that protected the town from the deluge. Ironically, on the day the Reporter wrote the story in August 1999, it was heavily raining on the Island.
POSTSCRIPT: After a very wet spring this summer, the Island has received high temperatures during much of July. But data for the month of July this year is not yet available.
10 YEARS AGO
Helicopter headway?
Shelter Island representatives joined representatives of Senators Charles Schumer, Kristen Gillibrand and Congressman Tim Bishop at a meeting with the Eastern Region Helicopter Council to discuss trying to quiet noise over Shelter Island. No agreement was reached to stop the noise here.
POSTSCRIPT: The problem persists 10 years later with ongoing pressure to involve the Federal Aviation Administration in forcing helicopters to use paths over water, including going around the tips of Shelter Island and the North and South forks to come back up to the East Hampton Airport. But pilots and companies persist in flying across paths that adversely affect residents of the area in order to save time and money by simply cutting across land masses at various points.
