REPORTER FILE PHOTO | Dering Harbor Village Hall.

If the newly minted leaders of the Village of Dering Harbor were to author a training session for municipal officials it might have the title: “Everyone’s a Critic: How to Conduct Village Elections and Stay Sane During the Process.”

That’s the actual title of a seminar being offered by the New York State Conference of Mayors and Municipal Officials (NYCOM) as part of its fall training program in Saratoga Springs. While Dering Harbor’s new mayor and trustees could probably teach that class, the inexperienced team could learn a great deal attending some of the many other sessions on offer.

Mayors and trustees in New York State are not required to receive training, but attending the program, or another like it, may provide practical insights in how to best handle the business of the village after an especially toxic transfer of power.

To recap: As candidates, the incoming trustees were sued by long-serving mayor, Tim Hogue, as part of an effort to keep their names off the ballot; Mr. Hogue then quit when the three, who ran as write-ins, bested his party’s incumbents; and, the defeated board members, at a special eleventh hour meeting, named Kirk Ressler, one of their own, as interim mayor.

After learning that his appointment was flawed, Mr. Ressler resigned. In introducing his replacement, John T. Colby Jr., Mr. Ressler noted that Mr. Colby would’ve been appointed mayor sooner if not for “too many hiccups” that included “opposition” and “conditions” which came up during “intensive discussions.”

That all of those discussions were held out of public view was not raised as a matter of concern in a village where important decisions seem regularly to be made outside sessions of the board — perhaps via emails, phone calls, behind closed doors in “executive sessions” or other means not open to public view.

NYCOM’s mission is “to improve local government by facilitating cooperation, the exchange of information and ideas about best practices and the discussion of new solutions to common municipal problems.”

With just 36 homes and 11 yearround residents, Dering Harbor is New York’s smallest municipality.

But even tiny municipalities have obligations to employees, vendors and others that have to be handled with care. NYCOM is just one of many valuable resources for advice on practical matters of governance.

And the village faces serious issues. It’s in the process of replacing an antiquated storage tank for its communal water system. It needs to work on improving septic and stormwater runoff, especially along the ecologically sensitive waterfront.

The village could make owners of undeveloped properties (who pay taxes but cannot yet vote) feel more welcome by taming the process for getting development plans approved that in recent years has taken on an air of public excoriation.

Politically, the new mayor and board have some high hurdles ahead. If they don’t want a redux of election hijinks next year, they’ll have to work from the outset to demonstrate they can be trusted to tackle the business of the village in an open and forthright manner.

First up, the new mayor needs to appoint a trustee to fill the seat he vacated. It would be best if the position went to someone who will be unanimously welcomed by the board.

Having postponed from mid-July to August 5 the annual re-organizational meeting, the new leadership team might make use of the extra time to persuade some newcomers to join the stalwart volunteers on the many committees responsible for conducting the village business.

The board is advertising for a new village clerk; it should give serious thought to expanding the clerk’s hours to make the village more accessible to residents, contractors and other members of the public.

Now is also a good time for the board to reconsider the long-standing recommendation of the Suffolk County Board of Elections (SCBOE) Commissioner Nicholas LaLota, to transfer the burden of running elections from the village clerk to the county. One result: Village voting would take place during general elections in November instead of June.

Most Dering Harbor homeowners have primary residences elsewhere and prefer the June date because it’s more convenient. But that means voters can register locally to cast ballots here in the summer and then register elsewhere to cast ballots in general elections in the fall. While perfectly legal, the practice heightens distrust of the already hard to fathom voter registration system — expressed this year in numerous legal challenges to voters filed with the SCBOE.

To appease Mr. Hogue’s many supporters, the new board may choose not to rescind his appointment by the lame duck trustees as chair of the Zoning Board of Appeals. But it should follow New York State guidelines and require the new ZBA chair to attend training.

Leaders of zoning boards and planning boards have so much power to impact the future of a community collectively and the fortunes of its residents individually that the state has mandated new appointees receive some form of training to prepare them for the responsibilities that come with their jobs.

Mr. Hogue certainly knows the village better than anyone. But he bailed out at a critical juncture and must make some public effort to win back the trust of all villagers if he is to serve as an effective and fair arbiter of their property disputes.

Lastly, the new board and mayor should explain to residents why the village has been unwilling or unable to settle the lawsuit brought by three residents disputing the village’s claim of ownership strips of land that abut their properties. More than any other dispute, the handling of this matter has caused deep division in the tiny community.

There may be legitimate reasons for the continuation of the legal case; but until they are enumerated, rumors that the dispute sprang from personal animus toward specific residents will continue to taint the village.

The post Column: Getting schooled on good government appeared first on Shelter Island Reporter.

ELANOR P. LABROZZI PHOTO The mega-yacht Vibrant Curiosity was anchored this week in waters just outside Dering Harbor, setting off speculation about who might aboard.

Islanders may be accustomed to sightings of mega-yachts during summer months, but the arrival of the Vibrant Curiosity at the anchorage just outside Dering Harbor got the phones ringing at the Reporter.

The yacht —  according to SuperYachts.com and other published reports — is 280 feet four inches long, with a 47-foot beam and draught of just over 13 feet. It has twin 4,680 horsepower engines that allow it to travel at a top speed of about 20 knots and a cruising speed of 17 knots with a range of 5,000 nautical miles.

Owned by German billionaire Reinhold Wuerth, Vibrant Curiosity was reportedly purchased for $111 million. Launched in 2009, it was designed by an Italian company, Nuvolari & Lenard. It flies the flag of the United Kingdom, leading a couple of those in attendance at a village of Dering Harbor event to speculate that guests might include British royalty.

Efforts to discover who was aboard the yacht during its stay off Shelter Island have been unsuccesful.

The yacht, which has accommodations for 14 people and a crew of 26, most recently made the news August 1 when the New York Post ran a story about it headlined: “Another jackass billionaire blocked Lady Liberty with his megayacht.”

The story described the frustration of some tourists who were unable to get a clear photograph of the Statute of Liberty because the yacht reportedly was anchored so as to “hog the free view.”

Mr. Wuerth, according to a Forbes profile, runs a family wholesale screw business, Wuerth Group, that is “the leading global supplier of assembly and fastening materials for the automotive, construction and engineering trades,” prompting The Post to dub him, of course, “the screw king.”

Locally, a group of swimmers approached crew members who’d arrived at the Section 9 beach by tender to set up for a children’s birthday party on Friday. One of the swimmers, Carole Tiernan, said they were concerned that the crew members might encroach on sensitive seagrasses in the area. But they were unable to winkle any information out of the crew.

A couple staying aboard their sailboat in Dering Harbor also were unsuccessful in discovering anything about the occupants. Marji Cyr, in a call to the Reporter, raised the possibility that the boat might be available for short-term cruises. No information could be found to support that idea.

Islanders might worry that the arrival of Vibrant Curiosity heralds an invasion of mega-yachts, but a debt of gratitude is owed to the multimillionaires of the past who berthed their ocean-going sailing vessels here.

Some of them asserted political pressure to can proposals to build bridges connecting the Island to the north and south forks because the proposed spans would’ve blocked the tall masts of their yachts.

The post Mega-yacht named Vibrant Curiosity is true to its moniker appeared first on Shelter Island Reporter.

MARTIN BURKE PHOTO Dawn Wednesday breaking over Dering Harbor.

Patchy fog will soon burn off this morning and Wednesday will be bright and clear with plenty of sunshine, according to the National Weather Service (NWS).

The high temperature will be 79 degrees with calm winds from the west at about 6 mph.

Tonight will remain clear, the NWS forecasts, with a low around 64 and a southwest wind from 5 to 9 mph.

The post Weather Service: A bright and clear Wednesday for Shelter Island appeared first on Shelter Island Reporter.

BOB DeSTEFANO PHOTO
Valerie LaPapa giving a golf lesson to Mia Wilutis.

For many of you who play golf on Shelter Island, you know Valerie LaPapa.

Valerie is the person you meet when you golf at Gardiner’s Bay Country Club (GBCC) who immediately makes you feel better just because you’ve met her.

Valerie has been the assistant golf professional at GBCC under head pro Leigh Notley for three years. Proficient in all aspects of her profession, she takes her greatest satisfaction from teaching the game, especially to children.

People pick up golf for many reasons. Take 11-year-old Valerie Cofran. She lived on a golf course in Wellington, Florida, and thought the boy picking up the range balls was cute, which led her to hitting balls on the driving range. Many of those shots were earmarked for the cute boy in the cart.

Hitting those balls had an effect she didn’t anticipate. Valerie discovered she had a talent and soon became a player, which led her to play tournament golf in the Palm Beach County Junior Golf Association. Valerie also qualified for the United States Junior Girls Championship.

It wasn’t long before she was good enough to get a scholarship to the University of Florida playing three years on the Gators golf team.

Other things happened at the University — like meeting Dave Ragan. They married after college and immediately moved to the prestigious River Oaks Club in Houston.

For four years, Valerie worked teaching junior golf for the famous golf professional, Dick Harmon. Dick was the son of the long-time Winged Foot pro Claude Harmon and brother to a man who might be considered the best teacher in golf, Butch Harmon.

I was most impressed with Valerie’s father-in-law, Dave Ragan. Dave played against such great names as Hogan, Palmer and Nicklaus in the late 1950s and early 1960s. I also remember when he played for the United States in the Ryder Cup.

Valerie was also very fortunate to get help from her father-in-law along with Dick Harmon. The marriage lasted seven years. The best thing the marriage produced, she said, was a son, Bennett, one of the finest young gentlemen working up at the club.

No grass grows under the feet of Valerie, since her next move was to the beautiful Breakers Golf Club in Palm Beach. Not only was she at a great club again, she was with another top teacher for 13 years, Todd Anderson.

If she doesn’t know how to teach golf, especially to kids, then I don’t know who does. I’m pleased that the club hired this woman of talent who continues running the best junior golf program in the state.

Ever since she hit balls at that cute boy in the golf cart, she connects with people in golf. At the Breaker’s Hotel, she met Vince LaPapa, where he was a food and beverage manager. They married, had a daughter, Juliana, and are happily together after 12 years.

Valerie comes to Shelter Island to stay from Memorial Day to Labor Day. When she returns to Florida, she’s a teacher at the magnificent Emerald Dunes Club in West Palm Beach, owned by Ken Tropin of Dering Harbor.

Having taught golf for 60 years, I enjoyed talking golf with Valerie. I can safely say that no one should fear wasting their money when they invest in a golf lesson from her. We are lucky to have her.

The post Eye on the Ball: A teacher and a pro appeared first on Shelter Island Reporter.

REPORTER FILE PHOTO

Village officials spent the week hunting for possible leaks in Dering Harbor’s antiquated water system since a spike in usage has drawn saltwater into the public water supply. This has caused pressure to drop system-wide, putting at risk the aging water tower.

Village Mayor John T. Colby Jr. said Tuesday he’s been working with Water Commissioner Hap Bowditch and Highway Supervisor Richard Surozenski, with support from members of the Board of Trustees and other residents, to find out where leaks in the system might be located.

Mr. Colby  — who only recently was appointed mayor following the sudden departure of Tim Hogue, who quit the post after 25 years when his party was defeated in the June election —  has explained the process in a series of emails to residents, keeping them abreast of actions taken so far and alternatives yet to be employed.

Initially, they’ve relied on a process of elimination, shutting off a section at a time to see how this impacts the amount of water being pumped by the newer of the village’s two wells, which has a device that can accurately measure flow. The older well can’t be used for this process because it has no such device. Instead, a calculation based on the top capacity of the pump must be used, which doesn’t provide the degree of accuracy needed to source a leak, Mr. Colby explained.

A representative from the company that is assisting the village in a project to replace its aging water tank was expected to consult with the team Wednesday. Mr. Colby said the village has reached out to the U.S. Geological Survey, which may be able to provide more sophisticated equipment to aid in the search.

Thus far, a leak has been discovered at an unoccupied property and a couple of irrigation hoses were found to be running, but Mr. Colby said the amount of water attributed to these items is relatively small. That the system, parts of which date from the late 1800s, is not accurately mapped has made the search more difficult.

While inconvenienced by periodic water shut-offs and voluntary water use restrictions, Village residents expressed appreciation to Mr. Colby and new trustees Ari J. Benacerraf, Karen Kelsey, Besty Morgan and Patrick Parcells for efforts to figure out the cause of the 500,000 gallon spike in usage last month and for the daily email briefings.

“Good job to all of you,” resident Ken Walker wrote in response to an update. “We have more communication from this board in the last two weeks than we had from the previous ‘administration’ in the last 10 years!”

The post Hunting for leaks: Water woes in Dering Harbor appeared first on Shelter Island Reporter.

JULIE LANE PHOTO
Police Chief Jim Read told the Town Board Tuesday that Shelter Island has a reliable emergency preparedness plan in place.

Whether Shelter Island gets hit with remnants of Hurricane Irma or a future storm, Police Chief Jim Read believes the town is prepared.

But he told the Town Board Tuesday that residents should be prepared with enough food and water for 72 hours without power.

PSEG will have a crew stationed on the Island throughout a storm and begin making repairs as soon as it becomes safe to do so, Chief read said.

The relationship with PSEG “is strong and we expect it to remain strong,” the chief added.

As for telephone service, he said the relationship with Verizon “isn’t quite as strong” as with PSEG, but he expressed confidence that efforts would be made to keep phone service operating.

Those who haven’t yet registered for the “Code Red” emergency notifications should do so and list all numbers, including land lines and cell phones that can serve as backups if wires go down servicing land lines.

Code Red registration is available on the Police Department’s website at shelterislandpolice.us.

The town has two emergency shelters, one at the Senior Center in the Medical Building that has its own generator and can accommodate those in need. In the event of a major storm, the school would be opened and, it too, has a generator, Chief Read said. It would be staffed by both town and school personnel.

Town Hall, the Police Station and Justice Court all have generators. Police, Emergency Medical Services staff and the Shelter Island Fire Department are prepared to coordinate needs with the Fire Department, and all departments will work in conjunction with North and South ferries to handle evacuations if necessary.

Currently, Shelter Island has its own emergency management plan, but there’s an effort under way to develop a unified Suffolk County plan, Chief Read said.

“In some ways, it’s a new face to an old plan,” he said about the prospective unified plan.

WATER QUALITY GRANTS
With four months remaining before the $440,000 allotted for water quality projects is to be spent or revert to the Community Preservation Fund, the Town Board is discussing legislation that would set the framework for how grants would be assessed for those seeking funds to install upgraded septic systems.

If a law covering the framework can be quickly passed, the Town Board wouldn’t have to hold public hearings on each application, according to Town Attorney Laury Dowd.

There was a discussion at Tuesday’s work session about hiring a water quality expert to provide advice on the law and, possibly, on applications.

“It’s a crisis,” Supervisor Jim Dougherty said about the need to start replacing aged systems that are failing to reduce the nitrogen content in both ground and surface waters on and around the Island.

The Water Quality Improvement Projects Advisory Board can’t act until the Town Board reaches agreement on how the process is to be conducted. The water quality committee has been discussing getting money to people who can’t afford to pay anything for a new system, but whose existing systems are posing the greatest risk to water safety.

Suffolk County has been encouraging communities to concentrate on areas near shorelines where high levels of nitrates pour into the water. But some of the most inefficient older systems are in the Center where the need for upgraded systems is necessary to keep nitrates from affecting the aquifer, according to Town Assessor Craig Wood, who has been monitoring many of the water quality committee meetings.

The discussion on how to proceed will continue at the September 12 work session.

In other business: The board will approve at its September 15 regular meeting a fireworks display by Grucci in the Dering Harbor area on September 24, providing the group sponsoring the event pays a $5,000 fee to cover incidental expenses. Any money not used will be returned to the sponsoring group. This is a private event and details of its purpose were not immediately available.

The post Shelter Island gears up for hurricane season appeared first on Shelter Island Reporter.

CHARITY ROBEY PHOTO | Codger at home with Crone (a ka a Lois B. Morris) and Cur (Milo) at their West Neck Road home.

Cur is ailing.

The canine cardiologist has confirmed the vet’s diagnoses of pulmonary hypertension and congestive heart failure, which may be slowed but can’t be reversed or cured. Cur may have a year.

Codger has not yet told Cur, although he probably suspects something wrong — all the recent doctor visits, the 12 pills a day (concealed in tasty food), the help he needs getting into the car. The extra hugs.

Cur has always been a promiscuous seeker of affection, even from strangers, but there seems to be an added poignancy to his neediness. Crone does not necessarily agree.

She thinks Codger has always projected human sensibilities onto Cur, especially his own. Codger does not dispute this. He has always considered Cur a Cocker Sapien.

Codger has dealt with the deaths of his father, mother, former wife, best friend and a newborn, yet somehow the impending end of his time with Cur seems more heartrending. What is it with people and their pets?

Of course, somebody did drop Cur off at a South Carolina kill shelter seven years ago. He was saved by Last Chance Animal Rescue, a Hamptons group that posted his photo on its website. Crone spotted the picture — that face! — and called. Incredibly, she found out that the dog was being fostered by Penny Moore, who lives around the corner.

Fate, you think?

Crone had been happily owned by several dogs and cats, but Codger, with far less experience, was reluctant until he actually met the black, white and brown “Snoopy” as he was then called (renamed Milo). He was thought to be between 4 and 7 years old.

On that first short walk from Penny’s hound haven to Crone’s empty kennel, Codger realized that Cur was brave, curious, upbeat, energetic, friendly, yet cool, all attributes that Codger has tried to instill in himself. He believed that Cur could inspire him to be a better human, the companion that such a dog deserved.

Cur was also the first creature of any species who listened to Codger without ever rolling his eyes and who sat beside Codger for hours, silently, while he wrote. Cur made no judgments.

So in this coming tribute year, if they have a year, what can Codger do for Cur?

They will talk, of course, cuddle, try to take more varied walks — Cur likes the occasional smell-a-thons in Greenport and Sag Harbor. There will be treats within the limits of health concerns (watch the salt) and visits with his godmothers, Phyllis Gates and Cathy Kenny, and probably futile attempts to persuade Jules Feiffer that dogs are superior to cats.

But ask what Cur can do for the Island that took him in. He’s not a service dog, not even one of those shady “support” dogs for people who become emotionally distressed by having to stand in line. But Codger can tell that Cur feels a sense of grateful obligation.

He would never, for example, try to use a restroom in The Dory without buying a drink, rent out one of his four beds in the house for less than three nights, walk on Wades Beach between Memorial Day and Labor Day, ask John Cronin if he quit as Town Engineer out of frustration, ask why the $440,000 available for water quality improvements hasn’t been allocated yet or wonder out loud why the town could not have found a way to buy St. Gabriel’s.

One of his favorite walks has been along Burns Avenue, from the kayak landing to North Cartwright and back, but since St. Gabriel’s became Pandion Landing he speeds up while passing the earth-moving equipment digging the heart out of that sweet green meadow. At least five grand new houses will be built, presumably swelling property tax revenues. Maybe that’s why the town didn’t buy the land.

But that’s not an interest of Cur’s. Even on walks in Hay Beach, Ram Island or Dering Harbor, he rarely stops to look at handsome homes unless there are people outside who might want to pet him. He no longer even pretends to chase deer, rabbits and chipmunks that cross his path, if indeed he sees them.

He spends a lot of time smelling the flowers.

Codger is trying to be more mellow, too. Now that he’s a director of the Senior Citizen’s Foundation, Codger has been thinking about old people and their animal companions and how important they are to each other. Maybe Cur could start a little group of volunteers that would take care of a pet on a short-term basis, until the human is well again, perhaps back from the hospital.

So the pet doesn’t have to be sent off to a shelter and hope, often in vain, that someone like Crone falls in love with a face.

The post Codger column: Comments on a Cocker Sapien appeared first on Shelter Island Reporter.

RICHARD LOMUSCIO PHOTO
The Village of Dering Harbor Board of Trustees at the November 4 meeting in Village Hall.

The trustees of Dering Harbor Village voted unanimously at their November 4 meeting to hold a public hearing on a resolution to amend the zoning law to establish standards for structural fences and repeal the need for review by the Architecture Review Board. The public hearing is set for Saturday, December 2.

There were about 10 village residents present.

The board tabled two other resolutions concerning a moratorium on fences and guidelines for vegetative fences. Additionally, trustees approved a motion to pay all bills.

Mayor John T. Colby Jr. noted that he’s responsible for preparing the 2019 budget. It was also noted that the board should prepare job descriptions for all village employees. An insurance report urged the board to survey all assets and see that they are adequately covered taking into account depreciation. It was also explained that about $2,000 in insurance could be saved by getting rid of a truck that’s not being used.

In other matters, the board looked at the current water works report and reported that 200,000 gallons more were used than last year at this time. The report said chlorides were up, but going down. It was suggested that residents not irrigate with village water.

Resident Bridgford Hunt said that “perhaps it’s time for meters.” It was explained that a new water tank is necessary and choices are being investigated. A new well is planned for a cost of about $22,000. The fire code demands that a well be capable of pumping 1,250 gallons per minute for 60 minutes.

In other matters, Mayor Colby said that the Yoco Road dry well installation will start on November 10, according to town Highway Superintendent Jay Card Jr. He added that an application for a curb cut, parking, trailhead and hunting signage on the east side of Manhanset Road to access the Mildred Flower Hird Preserve has gone to the Village Planning Board.

It was reported that the Shore Road naming committee, which is chaired by Jim Goldman, will conduct a survey for road names.

An investigation revealed that the village should enroll in the Suffolk Share Program. Greenport Mayor George Hubbard and Mr. Card reported that it’s “very helpful.”

In new business, resident Mary Walker said she was concerned about a boat that stayed at a village dock for the past two summers and appeared to have someone living on it. “I am concerned about where the waste is going,” she said.

A discussion followed and it was suggested that the village’s attorney examine the situation.

The next meeting is set for Saturday, December 2 at 10 a.m.

The post Down to business in the Village of Dering Harbor  appeared first on Shelter Island Reporter.

JULIE LANE PHOTO Volunteer Park on Bridge Street.

Months after a bathroom was expected to be installed at Volunteer Park on Bridge Street, the unit is still stored at the Highway Department barn.

Public Works Commissioner Jay Card Jr. and former town engineer John Cronin continue to work their way through the bureaucracy to get Suffolk County Department of Health Services permission to install it.

“They’re not making it easy,” Mr. Card said about Health Department officials who are now, he said, telling him the town will have to apply for a variance to use the unit.

The bathroom was purchased with a $67,000 Suffolk County grant along with $30,000 from the Shelter Island Chamber of Commerce, plus $20,000 from town coffers.

When the county grant was received in 2015, the Health Department knew how the unit functioned and Mr. Card said he was led to believe it would be smooth sailing in getting a permit for installation.

Last February, Mr. Cronin met with Health Department officials to outline the detailed plan and left convinced the town would get the permit with no difficulty. But it wasn’t much later when the permit application was denied and Mr. Card was told he could appeal the decision. That was supposed to be in August when the town case could get on the Appeals Board agenda.

What the Health Department is requiring now is a “full blown septic system for a four-bedroom house and they don’t care that it would leech into Dering Harbor and Chase Creek,” Mr. Card said.

The flush unit would be pumped out just as the Port-A-Potty in the parking lot on Bridge Street is cleaned, Mr. Card said.

In the interim, Dory owner Jack Kiffer sued the town for $50,000, complaining that the lack of the bathroom facility results in people asking to use the bathroom in his bar and restaurant.

Despite the town’s response that it was ready to install the bathroom, but was being held up by the Board of Health, Mr. Kiffer said he’s been complaining for six years about the need for a public bathroom at Volunteer Park and planned to push ahead with the suit.

The post Public bathroom blocked by Health Department appeared first on Shelter Island Reporter.

REPORTER FILE PHOTO

Better direction on water
To the Editor:
Thank you for writing clearly about my position on the rebate program for septic systems here on Shelter Island (“One resident says plan is shortsighted, ineffective,” November 23).

Obviously, we need a broad, townwide plan that addresses the complete issue of water quality and not just free rebates and a lot of talk.

Perhaps with new Town Hall leadership in January, we can expect better direction in this area, as well others.
GORDON GOODING
Shelter Island

A special gift
To the Editor:
I would like to share a recent event that was potentially tragic but turned out to have a positive, heartwarming conclusion.

Saturday, November 18 was cold, wet and raw. My 87-year-old mother, who lives on Midway Road and suffers from Alzheimer’s disease, slipped out of her house, past the home aide and wandered off.

At the same time I was driving through central Pennsylvania and received a call that Mom was out of the house. My daughter and her friend immediately began looking for her along with Mom’s closest friend and some neighbors. My daughter called the Shelter Island Police Department, which responded immediately and I was now heading back to New York.

Two hours had gone by and the situation was getting somewhat tense. My daughter let me know that the Police Department, led by Officer Thomas Cronin, stepped up the effort significantly, calling in the Fire Department and additional police officers.

Many neighbors and friends stepped in, including Jack Kiffer and some of the guys from the Dory, to look for Mom, going house to house. I was told that two helicopters were sent by the New York State Police.

Close to four hours had now gone by and the weather was cold and rainy. My thoughts had gone from bad to worse to desperate.

A call finally came letting me know that Mom had been found deep in the woods by the firefighters. Although cut and wet and cold, Mom was O.K.

We have been coming to the Island in the summer for 30 years and Mom is retired here for the past 15 years. To know that the Shelter Island Police and Fire departments and our friends and neighbors and complete strangers sprang into action to help is simply incredible and moving. This was truly a special gift from a wonderful community that we will never forget.

It is especially fitting that it happened with a good ending on the eve of Thanksgiving Day.

Thank you Shelter Island.
BERNARD GRAHAM
Shelter Island

CPF money for Dering Harbor?
To the Editor:
The Village of Dering Harbor has been committed to water quality improvement and conservation since its 19th century origins as a destination resort with limited water resources.

With that in mind, the village has submitted an application to the town’s Water Quality Improvement Projects Advisory Board for a modest request for community preservation funds to be used to improve the health and well-being of its residents while preserving community character.

The expected cost of this proposal is $643 per household and will help provide all households with the best drinking water possible. The project will serve to improve access to water resources while reducing the risk of contaminate intrusion into its water system independently operated and maintained by the village since 1933.

The plain language of the amended community preservation fund law signed by Governor Andrew Cuomo in 2015 holds community character and the quality of all water resources in the highest regard. In the spirit of the governor’s support and the dedication of Senator LaValle and Assemblyman Thiele to preserve our natural resources, I ask the committee to consider the merits of our application.

The Village’s planning board will review future Village water quality improvement projects for referral to the town’s Water Quality Board.
JOHN T. COLBY JR.
Mayor, Village of Dering Harbor

A valuable resource diminished
To the Editor:
I write in response and to second Trish Gallagher’s letter (“Save Menantic Creek,” November 23), regarding the need to dredge Menantic Creek.

I have spent extensive time on Menantic Creek throughout my life and have with dismay watched conditions here change over the past 60-plus years. I fail to understand why such a valuable resource has been allowed to diminish the way it has.

Trish is right — the South Ferry used to shelter in Menantic Creek. There was much activity in and on the creek and shellfish were abundant.

Today we have barely 12-foot depth at our dock at low tide and the depth throughout the creek is dramatically reduced to the point where boating use is restricted to shallow draft boats or very limited operation of deeper draft craft at high tide.

Menantic Creek is an important piece of the Shelter Island waterway system and dredging it will insure its viability for generations to come.

Please advise us on how we can help move this important project forward.
ALICE DEUPREE
Shelter Island

The post Shelter Island Reporter Letters to the Editor appeared first on Shelter Island Reporter.

50 YEARS AGO IN HISTORY

Arthur Kornberg is credited with leading a team of scientists at Stanford University who synthesized DNA in a test tube.

San Diego, known as a snow-resistant city, had snow 44 years ago with surrounding mountain tops coated in white and temperatures that dropped to 19 degrees Fahrenheit.

Canadian Prime Minister Lester Pearson announced his retirement from politics and was succeeded by Pierre Trudeau.

The Beatles released “Christmas Time is Here Again.”

Australian Prime Minister Harold Holt was presumed to have drowned when he disappeared while swimming in rough seas at Cheviot Beach in Portsea, Victoria; his body was never found.

And on Shelter Island . . .

40 YEARS AGO

School Board approves teacher pay

The Board of Education in December 1977 reached an agreement with its 23 teachers on a new contract that generally gave the teachers a 4.31 percent average raise. The salary scale was based on base pay averages in surrounding school districts. Under the new agreement, a first year teacher with an undergraduate degree would earn $11,520, up from $11,044 in the previous school year.

Teachers also got extra pay based on years of service, degrees earned and extra academic credits.

Teacher pay 40 years ago added up to approximately $450,000, representing nearly half the district’s budget.

POSTSCRIPT: Teachers have come a long way in 40 years. Instructional salaries alone for the 2017-18 school year total $4.5 million of the overall $11.3 million budget. Add to that the cost for benefits and other costs that are tallied under the program component of the budget and the district spends 69.2 percent of its budget on staff.

30 YEARS AGO

ZBA wins suit on annex decision

In 1987 an applicant who had been refused a request to convert property for use as a rooming house, had taken the Zoning Board of Appeals to court to try to overturn the decision.

The property, known as the annex, at one time had been a rooming house, but that pre-existing nonconforming use had expired when it went unused. Accordingly, the property reverted to C-zone residential use that allows for a primary single-family occupancy residence.

But 1987 had marked a period in the town’s history when several ZBA decisions had been overturned by courts with many believing the ZBA had overstepped its bounds in rendering poor decisions.

That the court upheld its position  on the use of the annex drew applause along with changes in ZBA procedures that  would assure decisions weren’t made in haste and are clearly stated.

POSTSCRIPT: ZBA decisions are always subject to efforts by applicants to overturn a rejection. But in the last several years, the ZBA has worked with applicants to try to reach compromises on applications that pose problems and has succeeded in avoiding lawsuits.

20 YEARS AGO

No contract yet for Village fire protection

The year was 1997 and the Shelter Island Fire Department was expected to sign a five-year contract with Dering Harbor to provide fire protection to the village. But the draft that was expected to be signed got to the village late and failed to include some provisions that then Village attorney Fred Tedeschi said he thought had been agreed upon between the two entities. That held up the process of getting a signed agreement between the Village and the Fire District.

POSTSCRIPT: Today the Village of Dering Harbor is, indeed contracted with the Shelter Island Fire Department for protection, but there is discussion about renaming Shore Road in the Village since there is also a Shore Road in the town.

10 YEARS AGO

New runoff rules coming

It was not popular 10 years ago when New York State established what is today known as MS4 — Municipal Separate Stormwater Sewer Systems. The mandate was for all municipalities to establish a means of ending stormwater runoff into surrounding waterways to curb pollution.

It’s not that anyone objected to the aim, but Councilwoman Chris Lewis expressed concerns: “We’re getting 90 pages of instructions to do something they can’t give us a model for, they can’t give us funding for and they can’t provide oversight for.”

POSTSCRIPT: Shelter Island’s MS4 efforts have been largely under the direction of Town Attorney Laury Dowd, who has represented the town at meetings and worked with Public Works Commissioner Jay Card Jr. and former town engineer John Cronin to make some improvements.

With Ms. Dowd retiring at the end of the year and Mr. Cronin having left town employment, the MS4 work will likely fall to the next town engineer, according to information discussed at budget hearings in October.

The post This week in Shelter Island history appeared first on Shelter Island Reporter.

JENNIFER STEELE PHOTO Morning fog rising from Dering Harbor.

Tuesday’s weather will be similar to yesterday, with the National Weather Service (NWS) calling for a mostly cloudy day with a high temperature of about 35 degrees.

The wind will be out of the northeast at about 6 mph before turning to the southeast this afternoon.

Tonight there is a slight chance of snow, according to the NWS, between 9 p.m. and midnight, which will then turn to rain. The wind will stay out of the southeast between 7 and 9 mph. The NWS forecasts snow accumulation of less than half an inch.

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MARTIN BURKE PHOTO A foggy morning in Dering Harbor.

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BEVERLEA WAZLZ PHOTO Kayaks lining Wades Beach.

Owners of small boats, such as kayaks, who leave them in the water or beached on town-owned property during the warm weather season must remove them between December 15 and March 30 of each year.

But that doesn’t always happen, creating problems and expenses for the town. The town has the right to remove the crafts after giving owners a 21-day notice and can auction them off to recover costs associated with the removal. Bay Constable Peter Vielbig had suggested eliminating the 21-day notice, according to the Waterways Management Advisory Council (WMAC).

Giving notice isn’t always possible, since many owners fail to attach stickers to the boats identifying themselves. And what’s worse, after a storm, the boats that should have been removed are found floating in the water leaving the bay constable to wonder if someone has fallen off a boat and drowned.

The WMAC is now working with the Mr. Vielbig to study the current code with an eye to revising it and encourage improved compliance with the law.

There was discussion about increasing fines for those who could be identified in order to discourage people from failing to secure and label their crafts and remove them during the off season. As it stands now, owners of crafts that the town has to pick up and store are charged a storage fee.

Ultimately, it will fall to the Town Board to determine whether there’s a need for changes in the code.

NONCONFORMING
The WMAC is struggling with a provision in the town code that prohibits changes to docks if they are already considered nonconforming.

To date, the WMAC has either rejected applications to change nonconforming docks or required significant givebacks that presented reasons for recommending that changes be allowed.

Such givebacks might include shortening the length of an existing dock or taking out floating docks connected to the main dock. But basically, the WMAC looks for reasons to stop the floodgates from opening with a host of applications that would increase nonconformities from the town code.

WMAC Chairman John Needham found himself particularly troubled by recent applications that he thought offered givebacks but were insufficient to distinguish them from previous applications the WMAC had rejected.

Members gave a 3-3 vote to a proposal from Peter Levensen for changes to a nonconforming dock in Dering Harbor. One member, Mike Anglin, was absent while three participated via a televised hookup because they were out of town. Members are allowed to vote if they are participating at a meeting where they can be viewed on screen to ensure their identities.

“I have a lot of chips to trade,” Mr. Levensen said, explaining that the new dock arrangement would reduce the footprint from the current dock and have less impact in Dering Harbor.

But he was unwilling to give up splash boards on the proposed new structure and that bothered some of WMAC members.

It will fall to the Town Board to make a final decision on whether or not to grant Mr. Levensen’s application.

Greg Nissen and marine contractor Jack Costello had their hands full in winning five votes to recommend changes to a dock in West Neck Creek sought by Daniel Lord Road LLC. The passageway is narrow, but the men agreed not to ask for any movement of moorings that are in an area they said belongs to the limited liability corporation.

That won the day with all but Al Loreto, who voted “no” on the application. As he saw it, there were insufficient givebacks to justify changes to an already nonconforming dock.
Frank Ciacco secured a 6-0 recommendation for a dock in Coecles Harbor.

Bill Geraghty, a WMAC member, had to recuse himself, but returned to the room after the vote to learn that the other five members had approved his application for a dock in West Neck Creek.

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REPORTER FILE PHOTO Dering Harbor Village Hall.

Village of Dering Harbor Mayor John Colby Jr.’s recent resolution at a meeting of the East End Supervisors and Mayors Association to purchase a pump-out boat was accepted unanimously and $120,000 was allocated from funds available from the East End Economic & Environmental Institute.

The pump-out boat — a vessel that takes other boats’ waste and disposes of it safely — would be based on the Island. In addition to serving the town and the village, it would also serve Greenport, Southold, Sag Harbor, Noyac and North Haven, according to a press release issued by Mr. Colby at the opening of the March 10 Village Trustee meeting.

“Serving the great Peconic Estuary system from Plum Island to Gardiners Island to Riverhead, a pump-out boat would help alleviate DEC [New York State Department of Environmental Conservation] concerns aimed at mitigating nitrogen intrusion into surrounding waters as identified and reported by the DEC and would be the most efficient way to disburse a portion of the fund while meeting DEC expectations,” Mr. Colby’s release said.

Meanwhile, a public hearing on the height and setback of hedges and fences scheduled for Saturday, March 3 is set for Saturday, April 14. At that time there will also be a public hearing on the new budget, which shows an increase of about $63,0000.

In other matters:
Mr. Colby said two ZBA members that he had asked to resign — Marian Brownlie and Tim Hogue — said they intend to complete their terms. Ms. Brownlie’s ends in 2020 and Mr. Hogue’s ends in 2019.

“We lost several trees during the last storm but they’ve been removed,” Mr. Colby reported.

Trustee Betsy Morgan said she would like to gather feedback on garbage collection and see better decorations on the huge bunker pot near the Village Hall. Village clerk Lisa Gilpin said the Garden Club could help.

Trustee Patrick Purcells said Sylvester Manor has hired an expert on invasive species, noting that his knowledge can benefit the whole Island.

It was also reported that the Village’s new water tower should be installed by July. The Village used 3,000 gallons per day in January, Mr. Colby said.

The Mayor noted that he plans to run for reelection and will be on the ballot for Election Day June 19. “I have a history and dedication to Shelter Island and the East End and see Dering Harbor Village as a jewel in the crown of Shelter Island Town,” Mr. Colby said.

The trustees set Saturday, April 14 for its next meeting.

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CHARITY ROBEY PHOTO Justine Karen at the Islander.

A very articulate 16-year old is sitting in a corner booth at The Islander talking about her life. It’s the height of lunch hour and just about everyone in the busy dining room knows who she is, where she lives, who her parents are, who she is eating lunch with, and why.

What’s weird is that Justine Karen is totally O.K. with it.

Actually, she revels in it. “Shelter Island may have given me a false sense of security,” Justine said. “I’m very comfortable. But I’m about to graduate, so I’m on the cusp of being very uncomfortable for a decade or so.”

She’s in the middle of deciding where she will spend the first part of her decade of discomfort. Hunter College and Brooklyn College are both strong possibilities. But she’s also applied to schools in Ireland and Scotland, such as The University of St. Andrews, the University of Edinburgh, the University of Glasgow and University College Dublin, where she has already been accepted.

Her interest in going to school overseas is partly fueled by her desire to study humanities and partly by a desire to travel. “I have a little bit of an impulsive streak,” she said. Justine was born in Brooklyn in May 2001, and when 9/11 happened a few months later, her parents, Reed and Kyle Karen decided they were ready to leave the city.

One of their friends had a summer house on Shelter Island and when Justine was six months old and her brother Ray was three, the family moved here.

Justine’s dad was a cabinet-maker at the time and most of his clients were on the East End. These days he’s a Shelter Island Town Building Inspector and her mom Kyle is an occupational therapist specializing in pediatric therapy and an adjunct instructor at Stony Brook Southampton.

When Justine was 12, she began making regular trips to New York City on her own, starting with a 7 a.m. Jitney from Greenport that dropped her off at 86th street on the East Side. From there, she made her way to the Metropolitan Museum of Art and spent the rest of the day sightseeing on the Upper East side.

She missed her return bus but was able to get another one as far as East Hampton, forcing her mom into an unscheduled trip to the South Fork to pick up her adventuring daughter. On a later trip, she figured out the subway system and visited the borough of her birth on the F train.

Justine describes herself as “a lopsided student — graduating a year early — terrible in math, but very strong and very interested in the humanities.” She credits her social studies teachers with helping her develop an interest in history and politics.

“When I think back about my experience here, I’m definitely going to be thinking about the social studies classroom, and Mr. Brennan and Mr. Miedema,” she said.

She’s also working with the Living History Project at the Shelter Island Historical Society, an oral history project that archives video interviews of graduating seniors.

She loves to read, loves history and is also interested in politics.  Her senior thesis on the Watergate scandal makes the argument that Watergate ushered in an era of entertainment value in politics, where facts became less relevant and political appeal had more to do with who is the most entertaining person to watch.

Justine reconciles her love of reading with her love of socializing by feeling free to combine the two.

“Both proms I’ve attended, I’ve been sure that my purse is big enough for a book,” she said.

When she broke out a copy of the Colm Tóibín novel “Brooklyn” at one prom, her brother intervened. “Ray came over and asked me to stop reading,” she said.

An enthusiastic participant in the annual school musical, Justine is never on stage. “I play from the sidelines,” she said. “That’s how I like it. I applaud the people who can get in front of people.”

Her specialty is the management of props and last year’s production, which involved more than the usual number of fragile and roughly-used objects, was a challenge she accepted with evident relish, especially as she had to make sure that nothing broken made it on stage.

Justine is a member of the women’s cross-country team, participates in spring track, is a co-editor of the yearbook, and writes for The Inlet, the school’s newspaper. Her love of running opened the door to her first experience as a journalist, writing articles about the cross-country and varsity boys basketball teams for this newspaper, in which her supple and vivid writing skills were evident.

“I want to write professionally,” she said. “I’m not sure if that means being a journalist or in some other medium.”

It dawned on her that going to high school here is a rare experience when a summer friend who attends Bronx High School of Science told her stories of competitive behavior that Justine can hardly believe.

“Here, you know everyone, from the moment you are born until the moment you leave,” Justine said. “I love how informal you can be with your teachers.”

She pointed with pride to the fact that a group of high school students spoke at a Town Board meeting last year to voice their opinions about short-term rentals and affordable housing.

“That was driven by concern,” Justine said. “People want to come back and have this life and they’re worried they won’t be able to.”

She said most students here are awake and aware of what’s going on in town. For example, she said, when former Town Supervisor Jim Dougherty told an offensive joke in a speech last year at the League of Women’s Voters sponsored State of the Town event, a large contingent of high school students were present, including Justine

“We were really upset by his comments,” she said. “There are kids who don’t care, but there are more who have an extraordinary amount of hometown pride. Those kids want Shelter Island the way they want it to be.”

Lightning Round

What do you always have with you? A book.

Favorite place on Shelter Island? I like long runs out in Dering Harbor and Ram Island. Those courses are my favorite places.

Favorite place not on Shelter Island? In New York, the walk from 42nd Street and Third Avenue down to Union Square, passing through Gramercy Park.

When was the last time you were elated? My friend Francesca is extremely excited about prom and took me and two other friends shopping at Estelle’s Dressy Dresses, a five-hour ordeal. Seeing how elated she was, it wore off on me. Francesca and I got dresses. Both were red.

What exasperates you? People who don’t have a sense of humor.

What is the best day of the year on Shelter Island? A Wednesday in May because at that point no one is out and the weather is beautiful.

Favorite food? Ice cream.

Favorite person, living or dead, who is not a member of the family? Margaret Doyle. I look up to her. She took me with her family to London and on many trips to the city.

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AMBROSE CLANCY PHOTO The Town Board at its Tuesday work session. From left, Councilman Paul Shepherd, Supervisor Gary Gerth, Councilman Jim Colligan, Councilwoman Amber Brach-Williams and Town Clerk Dorothy Ogar.

Shelter Island has an opportunity to become $2.2 million richer.

At Tuesday’s Town Board work session, Supervisor Gary Gerth said he had been approached by a Florida cell tower company offering to buy the town’s tower at the Recycling Center for the multi-million dollar amount.

The board has agreed to listen to their offer, Mr. Gerth said, scheduling a presentation via conference call with SBA Communications for 1 p.m. Tuesday, April 10. The public is invited to Town Hall for the presentation.

Describing the cell tower as having a landlord/tenant relationship with cell phone carriers that also includes revenue sharing, the town currently has a five-year lease arrangement with carriers several carriers — Sprint, Verizon, Team Mobile, MetroPCS and New Cingular — which signed five-year agreements to put equipment on the town’s tower. The contracts are for five-year leases with 10 five-year renewals.

The town received $134,000 in 2017 from its deals, but Sprint, which pays the town $35,000 annually, has made it’s intentions known it’s pulling out, Councilwoman Amber Brach-Williams said

In addition, Ms. Brach-Williams noted that MetroPCS has not paid its bills since November 2015.

Councilman Jim Colligan said that cell phone technology changes rapidly and in the future there might not be a need for towers.

Town Attorney Bob DeStefano Jr. said he had contacted an attorney from The Center for Municipal Solutions, a telecommunications consultancy, to review the proposal.

In other business: The board agreed to make an addition to the town code regulating boats on town-owned property. Each owner will now have to pay $15 for a sticker issued by the Town Clerk to be placed on their boat verifying that the they have permission to store the boat. Any boat left on town property between December 1 and March 31 that doesn’t comply will be removed without prior notice.
Town Engineer John Cronin presented an agreement of shared services with Southold on

MS4 (Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System) requirements. The purpose of the federally mandated MS4 law is to adopt regulations to prohibit storm sewer system runoff and regulations for storm water management in general.

Southold will, among other duties, prepare and file Shelter Island’s annual MS4 report; examine needs relating to Dering Harbor’s compliance; and conduct a critical review of storm sewers.
With the shard services agreement and a New York State Department of Environmental Conservation ruling last October exempting the Island from certain requirements, it might not be necessary for the town to have a MS4 Committee, Mr. Cronin said.

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MARTIN BURKE PHOTO Daybreak Monday over Dering Harbor.

Winter temperatures continue to linger, but the beginning of the work week will be a bright, spring day on Shelter Island, according to the National Weather Service (NWS).

Temperatures will peak at 43 degrees, but a northwest wind between 7 and 9 mph will make it feel more like 25 to 35 degrees.

Tonight, clouds move in behind a southwest wind at 5 to 7 mph and the low temperature will be about 36 degrees, according the NWS.

And speaking of winter lingering, after 4 a.m. the NWS is forecasting a chance of snow, but with little or no accumulation.

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REPORTER FILE PHOTO

At the April 14 Village of Dering Harbor Board of Trustees meeting, Mayor John Colby Jr. announced that the board had passed a revised hedge/fence law, enabling residents to now plant hedges with a minimum of a four-foot setback from the front property line, curb, sidewalk or paved street without Architectural Review Board (ARB) review.

However, the revised law continues to require ARB review of structural fences and walls residents want to build.

“This will help to put some of the old controversy behind us while maintaining what many of the Village Roads look like already,” Mr. Colby said. “Often removing a legislative burden serves to reduce disagreements.”

Approximately 12 village residents attended the meeting. Numerous statements were made expressing strong feelings in support or opposition of a revision to the law during the public hearing portion of the meeting.

One resident in extreme opposition to a change in the law is the village’s former mayor, Tim Hogue.

He did not attend Saturday’s meeting, but was represented by an attorney and a stenographer who took notes throughout the proceeding. The attorney read a letter to the board written by Mr. Hogue voicing his opinion on the possibility of a change in the law.

According to the revised law, hedge leaves and branches may grow into the setback, but its roots and stems must be four feet back. The village can still regulate the hedge if it becomes a nuisance, Mr. Colby explained. Hedges must comply with corner clearance requirements and hedges in rear or side yards are not regulated.

“Previously, hedge applications were reviewed first by the trustees then referred to the ARB, causing many unforeseen problems and needless litigation,” Mr. Colby said.

The controversy Mr. Colby referred to is a months-long debate over changes to the previous hedge law, which became a hot topic earlier this year when Mr. Hogue, along with resident Marian Brownlie, filed a lawsuit against the village, the Board of Trustees, the Architectural Review Board and residents Brad Goldfarb and Alfredo Paredes.

The action, filed in New York State Supreme Court on this past January sought a judicial review of a decision by the trustees to grant a license to Mr. Goldfarb and Mr. Paredes for a row of holly trees they planted between their property and Ms. Brownlie’s property.

Under Mr. Hogue’s leadership, the village had ticketed the couple for planting the hedge without permission in violation of a village ordinance regulating so-called “living fences.”

“It’s time to put this to rest. We really listened to what everyone said, we really paid attention to all of your comments,” said Trustee Betsy Morgan when the opportunity for public comment was closed.

In other business: On Saturday, the Suffolk County Water Authority (SCWA) gave a presentation of their services in hopes of being selected by the village to manage its water supply and distribution system, rather than paying a village employee to be responsible for its operation.

The village has been reviewing options to pay someone else to manage the system following a 2017 drinking water debacle where high chlorides were found in both of the village’s wells due to leaks, a faulty valve and over pumping of Well #2, resulting in the well’s intake of salt water.

The village is currently in the process of installing a new municipal water tank, a necessary move after the previous tank — which dates from about 1955 — sprung 20 leaks during a January 2017 deep freeze.

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COURTESY PHOTO A similar public restroom, shown above, is slated to be installed at Volunteer Park when county officials give the go-ahead.

Shelter Island has moved a step closer to installation of a new bathroom at Volunteer Park.

Public Works Commissioner Jay Card Jr. and Town Engineer John Cronin attended a hearing April 19 in Yaphank with Suffolk County Department of Health Services officials to appeal an earlier decision that has been blocking installation because the unit, partially paid for with Suffolk County money, is not linked to a septic system.

Instead, the unit operates like Port-A-Potty that has to be pumped out. What the Health Department wanted was installation of a full septic system that would have resulted in waste being leached into Dering Harbor and Chase Creek.

Mr. Card said he was told a decision would be given within six weeks. But he asked if he could get a verbal indication sooner since he has to order a tank that would receive wastes until they are pumped out.

The Island officials left the meeting without a certain commitment, but a feeling that one would be forthcoming prior to receiving a written approval.

Town officials have been struggling for months to gain approval for the unit that, unlike a Port-A-Potty, would be a permanent bathroom in Volunteer Park.

County Legislator Bridget Fleming (D-Noyac) has been pushing the request forward after reading that the county had invested $67,000 in a unit that has been sitting idle at the Recycling Center. Ms. Fleming wasn’t at the April 19 hearing, but sent a representative.

Assuming the town receives approval, installation would be rapid and the unit would be operational for the summer season,” Mr. Card said.

Still pending is a lawsuit filed by Jack Kiffer, owner of the Dory, who blames the town for failing to move faster to put a public bathroom on Bridge Street where he, like other merchants, have had peole, especially in the summer months, asking to use their facilities.

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