CHARITY ROBEY PHOTO
Aterahme Lawrence at The Islander.
Growing up in Greenport and Shelter Island, Aterahme Lawrence dreamed of beauty pageants, acting and singing, but had little reason to think those dreams could come true. When she describes the poverty, drug use, violence and abuse of her chaotic home life, and the fact that no one in her immediate family had ever been to college, her life today seems incredible. (more…)
REPORTER FILE PHOTO
Shelter Islander Tristan Wissemann, seen here in a game earlier this season, has led his SUNY New Paltz team to a winning record.
The SUNY New Paltz mens basketball team, led by former Shelter Island varsity basketball star Tristan Wissemann, has won six of its last eight games and sports an overall record of 13-9.
The last year that the Hawks had a winning record was in 1999.
Their conference record is now 8-7, and the team is working hard to qualify for the playoffs. (more…)
Courtesy PHOTO
San Ramón, Costa Rica, where Lynn Taplin, Shelter Island High School class of 1971 lives nearby
Lynn Taplin, Shelter Island class of 1971, has never been one to sit still and watch the world pass by.
“When I was 19, a friend — Kris Waddington — and I bought a 1955 Ford bread truck that friends had fixed up as a camper to travel the country,” Ms. Taplin said in an interview via email. “But they chickened out at the last minute, so Kris and I bought it and drove across country until we ran out of money in Phoenix.
“It was during that trip when the travel bug bit me, and hard.” (more…)
CHARITY ROBEY PHOTO Mary and Albert Dickson at home on Shelter Island.
Albert Dickson’s family history includes a number of people about whom you could say, “They did good.”
His great uncle got the idea that places for public access to the water should be designated by the town, and not just rely on the friendly and tolerant owners of near-shore property. He helped establish the town landings we use today. Albert’s grandmother once risked her life to rescue a swimmer in trouble near Second Bridge, and was rewarded when the woman she saved gave her a set of gold spoons. And his parents, Anton and Mary Dickson, in spite of their own very modest means, somehow managed to give food and support to people in the community who needed it. (more…)
COURTESY PHOTO Shelter Island High School alums Margaret Michalak and Matt BeltCappellino had a chance to meet up at the Collegiate Club Volleyball Nationals in Kansas City, Missouri.
When high school athletes think about playing sports in college, normally they envision a varsity team at a NCAA level. While that may be the goal of elite athletes willing to dedicate themselves to their chosen sport six or seven days a week, there are other choices to continue playing sports at the collegiate level. (more…)