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This week in Shelter Island history

50 YEARS AGO IN HISTORY

Army Lt. William Calley was officially charged with the massacre of more than 100 Vietnamese civilians at My Lai and eventually convicted of killing 22.

President Richard Nixon and Japanese Premier Eisakus Sato agreed on the return of Okinawa to Japan  by 1972 with the understanding that the United States could continue to have military bases there, but no nuclear weapons.

John Lennon returned his Order of the British Empire as a protest of England’s support of the Vietnam War.

Lou Piniella, playing for the Kansas City Royals, was named Rookie of the year; he would go on to play for the Baltimore Orioles, Cleveland Indians and New York Yankees, and would later manage the Yankees, the Seattle Mariners, Tampa Bay Rays and Chicago Cubs

Baseball outfielder Ken Griffey Jr., who played for 22 seasons for the Seattle Mariners, the Cincinnati Reds and briefly for the Chicago White Sox, was born in Donora, Penn.

And on Shelter Island . . .

40 YEARS AGO

Move afoot to limit Island businesses

Town planners were discussing a plan 40 years ago to limit what was then known as a restricted business zone in the Center to professional offices and educational and government operations.

POSTSCRIPT: Today’s concerns have been with the look of Route 114, particularly in the Center, where there are a number of empty storefronts.

30 YEARS AGO

ELIH in turmoil over money

It was 30 years ago that Eastern Long Island Hospital was financially struggling and looking for a possible merger with Central Suffolk Hospital (now Peconic Bay Medical Center). The plan was for ELIH (now Stony Brook Eastern Long Island Hospital) to close its medical-surgical beds and operating room and stabilize patients until they could be transported to either Central Suffolk or Stony Brook.

The merger fell through when the ELIH Board of Trustees voted against it.

POSTSCRIPT: Eastern Long Island Hospital, like Southampton Hospital, has joined Stony Brook University Hospital and Peconic Bay Medical Center is now affiliated with Northwell Health.

20 YEARS AGO

Way to go, Dr. Frank

The year was 1999 and the Reporter Osprey’s Nest column included a salute to Dr. Frank Adipietro, who ran the New York City Marathon, his  21st as a marathon runner, according to the note.

POSTSCRIPT: In the Reporter of Nov. 7 this year, a story appears of Dr. Frank, as he is best known on the Island, running the New York City Marathon on Nov. 3. He proudly announced then that he has run every New York City Marathon since 1981, except for 2012 when Superstorm Sandy resulted in cancellation of the race.

10 YEARS AGO

$10 million budget approved for 2010

Ten years ago, the Town Board approved a budget for the 2010 year of $10.1 million with Supervisor Jim Dougherty pronouncing himself proud to have kept spending in line.

“All of our colleagues,” he said referring to Town Board members, department heads and staff “have really contributed to make this a very sound and defensible budget that we all feel confident we can meet during the year.” He predicted the budget would have little impact on taxes.

POSTSCRIPT: On Nov. 19, the Town Board approved a $12.7 million budget for 2020, anticipating the need for $9.3 million to come from taxes.