Shelter Island is well on its way to protecting the town’s drinking water, according to Town Engineer John Cronin.

Guided by Supervisor Gary Gerth, Mr. Cronin has drafted an initial 17-point water resource agenda he credits Town Attorney Bob DeStefano Jr. with refining.

What Mr. Cronin found in comparing the 17-point draft with efforts undertaken by the Water Advisory Committee (WAC) is that the volunteers on the committee were receiving monthly readings from the United States Geological Survey (USGS) on saltwater intrusion into fresh potable well water and gauging the nitrogen content in wells.

The 17-point plan is currently being reviewed by WAC members before it goes to the Town Board, Mr. DeStefano said. The draft plan states in its introduction that it aims “to guarantee continued local control of our water resources while taking full advantage of all of the resources available to us, and to keep the island population apprised of and involved in water related issues.”

The latest draft calls for:
1) Investigating ways to further optimize pumping operations for wells located near shoreline areas to minimize saltwater intrusion.

2) Funding the development of a comprehensive local groundwater model using data from prior surveys and studies along with needed engineering and hydrological consulting services to be used in future water plans.

3) Implementing conservation pricing for local public water suppliers, including Shelter Island Heights, Dering Harbor and West Neck Water and including a full description of water conservation pricing in annual water quality reports issued by public water suppliers.

4) Establishing monitoring and guidelines for best management practices to reduce peak demand for landscape irrigation and modifying the existing irrigation law.

5) Establishing guidelines for use of water by geothermal systems proven to not be harmful to the aquifer.

6) Improvement of the management of public supply wells through engagement with local public water suppliers because of their potential to negatively impact the island’s sole source of water supply.

7) Funding groundwater monitoring, contaminant identification and aquifer modeling.

8) Continuing and expanding current efforts in association with the USGS to monitor, map, and actively remediate or strategically contain groundwater contamination to minimize and prevent potential impacts to drinking water.

9) Maintaining, updating and utilizing the existing monitoring well network to gain insights into water quality through regular testing and water quantity through automated well water height measurements and data logging, while initiating a voluntary and anonymous database of private water quality test results.

10) Developing transparent reporting of all water quality and quantity information to the public using the town website and the Reporter.

11) Requiring town notifications before any pumping of water from, or injection to, the aquifer.

12) Utilizing outside agency knowledge and resources to help the Island better manage on its own the water quality and supply, including federal state and county services.

13) Encouraging reauthorization of the Long Island Commission for Aquifer Protection (LICAP) with legislation in the Suffolk County Legislature and actively use LICAP guidance in managing local aquifer resources

14) Ensuring that all water resource planning is based on sound scientific data, to eliminate rumor and conjecture.

15) Using the resources provided by the New York State Department of Health other departments that have the power to regulate and protect drinking water on a regional basis without encumbering the town with a regulatory regiment of its own.

16) Enforcing recently enacted town legislation requiring “denitrifying” of on-site sanitary waste disposal systems for all new construction of residential buildings of more than 1,500 square feet and for replacement of septic systems when required by the county health department and continuing the current rebate program for voluntary septic system replacement.

17) Understanding that much of the work of water quality and quantity management is carried out by conscientious volunteers and ensuring that such work is periodically reviewed for competency by those qualified to assess their work, and that all volunteers have clarity of their mission using new or revised mission statements or committee charges.

The supervisor is interested in getting input from several sources before finalizing the action plan, Mr. DeStefano said.

“There are a group of dedicated volunteers there,” Mr. Cronin said, speaking about the WAC.

For a committee of volunteers to bring so much expertise to their work was a surprise, Mr. Cronin said.

The need now is to link science with the practical implementation in the administrative and legislative arenas, he said.

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50 YEARS AGO IN HISTORY

Jim Morrison of The Doors incited a riot at the Chicago Coliseum during a performance in which 4,000 audience members ended up battling with police while he hid backstage.

A little more than a month after Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated, Reverend Ralph Abernathy led a March of the Poor to Washington, D.C. where some 50,000 people camped out in tents and wooden houses that became known as Resurrection City on the Mall to demand the government pay attention to the need for jobs, healthcare and decent homes.

American skateboarder Tony Hawk was born in Carlsbad, California.

“Little Orphan Annie” cartoonist Harold Gray died in La Jolla, California, at age 74.

Actor Paul Newman appeared on the cover of “Life” magazine with an accompanying story about how Hollywood stars were becoming political activists.

And on Shelter Island . . .

50 YEARS AGO
Litter is everyone’s responsibility

In a notice appearing in the Reporter 50 years ago, there was a reminder to residents and visitors that litter doesn’t throw itself away and that people cause it and can prevent it.

“People means you,” read the notice.

POSTSCRIPT: On May 19, the Lions Club has organized a cleanup campaign, encouraging volunteers to join the effort to do away with the residue of a brutal winter and prepare to welcome Island visitors to the beauty that is Shelter Island.

If you’re willing to help, register at cleanup.shelterinslandlions.org and show up at the Center Firehouse at 9:30 a.m. for coffee, bagels and doughnuts before setting out with a crew to various parts of the Island. As a reward, after the cleanup, the Shelter Island Fire Department will host a barbecue for volunteers back at the firehouse.

30 YEARS AGO
Society launches barn-raising project

It was at this time 30 years ago that the Shelter Island Historical Society launched a fundraising effort to build a barn on its Havens House property with plans to use it as a museum to house artifacts. In addition to $55,000 already raised for the effort, several Islanders had offered their skills and equipment without charge to be used in building the barn.

The total fundraising goal was $125,000 and plans called for preliminary construction to begin in June of 1988.

POSTSCRIPT: The barn, besides becoming a repository for artifacts has been the home for the Historical Society’s special events including the May 5 Run for the Roses Kentucky Derby party. The barn built in 1988 replaced a long-gone barn that had deteriorated and been removed from the property. Chris Fokine built the current barn and is working on the new addition to the Historical Society that will provide much more display space, improved storage of records and study space for those using the resources of the Historical Society.

20 YEARS AGO
Town agrees to new centers for seniors/youths

Twenty years ago, as the old highway barn was about to be demolished with the construction of the Recycling Center, the Town Board approved a resolution to create a combined senior center and youth center on Route 114 where the old barn was standing.

Plans called for the new senior/youth center to occupy about 3 acres of the 4.1-acre site. The Senior Citizen Affairs Council was to draft a plan for development and the Town Board would review that plan and make the final decision on its viability.

POSTSCRIPT: With the best of intentions 20 years ago, a combined senior/youth center never came to fruition. Instead, the senior center now occupies space in the basement of the Medical Center and the Youth Center operates out of the American Legion Post.

10 YEARS AGO
Village, town, school win grant

Thanks to a combined effort by the Village of Dering Harbor, Shelter Island Town and the Shelter Island School District, New York State awarded a $213,003 grant that was put to work relocating a fueling station to the Recycling Center to serve all three entities.

The new fueling station would replace an aged one that had been inadequate to meet needs.

POSTSCRIPT: The award came at a time when the concept of shared services was relatively new but today, grants often are awarded when there is a demonstration of various groups working together to achieve the same end. Such is the case with the combined effort to upgrade septic systems serving both the Youth Center at the American Legion Post and Shelter Island School.

j.lane@sireporter.com

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

MARTIN BURKE PHOTO Dawn view of Dering Harbor from Volunteer Park.

Shelter Island woke Wednesday to the sounds of ferry foghorns drifting across the water as thick mist wrapped everything from the ground to the treetops.

According to the National Weather Service (NWS), the dense fog will linger until mid-morning when it will begin to disappear, replaced by mostly sunny skies.

The high temperature today will be near 61 degrees, according to the NWS, with calm winds from the east at 5 to 9 mph.

Tonight, clouds move in with the winds shifting slowly to the north, with a low temperature of about 48 degrees.

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JULIE LANE PHOTO Andy Steinmuller plans to relax and enjoy his grandchildren and great grandchildren now that he has stepped down as a Shelter Island Fire Commissioner.

After 25 years as a Shelter Island Fire Commissioner and 67 years as a firefighter, Andy Steinmuller is retiring — as a commissioner, that is.

He’ll still be functioning as a fire police officer directing traffic so there are no tie-ups for firefighters answering emergency calls. But his days of attacking fires are over.

That’s a job for a younger man, he said during a recent interview at his Manwaring Road home.

“I’ve had enough,” he said about his decision to resign now, just six months before his five-year term as a commissioner ends.

He let his fellow commissioners know now so they can appoint someone to the post who will have the advantage of being elected to a full five-year term in December, Mr. Steinmuller said.

He’s suggested a couple of names to his colleagues, but thinks they have their own ideas about who should fill the post.

The fire department veteran is concerned about a future that might not be very far off — maybe two or three years, he said — when Shelter Island will have to give up its volunteer fire department and hire professionals.

Being a firefighter has always been a tough, time-consuming job, Mr. Steinmuller said, but the demands of training today make it that much more difficult. When he came on, training was largely on the job.

Now firefighters and EMTs have to put in long hours going to classes, often up-Island. It’s not just at the beginning of their service, but volunteers must continue to train in new methods, he said. Even if young firefighters can find the time to train, they’re often working off-Island, so they can respond to only a limited number of calls, he said.

For Mr. Steinmuller, firefighting was always in his blood, starting as a volunteer in Bethpage, becoming chief of the department there and instituting an EMT squad. He also functioned as an EMT trainer for several fire departments. When he moved to Shelter Island he joined the Fire Department.

What attracted Mr. Steinmuller to originally run for commissioner was ongoing discussions about merging the Heights and Center departments. He promised, if elected, that he would dedicate his energy to bringing about that merger. In the mid 1990s, he led the effort to make it happen, he said, and saved the taxpayers money.

Another initiative he’s proud of is seeing water tanks installed around the Island. While the town may be surrounded by water, getting a supply to fight a blaze isn’t always easy. But having tanks in critical areas has helped to solve that problem.

He remembers major fires he helped fight on the Island — one in Dering Harbor on a freezing winter night when he and his fellow firefighters were challenged to get enough water to contain the inferno. He also responded to the Belle Crest Inn Fire in February 2013 that did heavy damage to that structure.

Now that he’s stepped down as a commissioner, he said he’s lucky to have six grandchildren and four great grandchildren on the Island, with a seventh great granddaughter due in November. He figures that will keep him busy.

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JO ANN KIRKLAND PHOTO John Quinn with his daughter — and our reporter — Halsey, at the finish line of the 2015 10K.

This story appeared in the June 25, 2015 issue of the Reporter

The 3-mile marker of the 36th annual Shelter Island 10K Run was a lot more than just a milestone, much more than a sigh of relief as I approached the halfway mark.

The white picket fence and green grass of the golf course, the rush of the race and the thud of sneakers on concrete were all familiar. For years I stood by that fence, handing out high-fives and words of encouragement to the racers, but I was always waiting for one person — my dad, John Quinn.

Sign held high above my head, brimming with pride and excitement as he emerged from the woodsy road, that was all I ever knew of the 10K.

Until Last Saturday, when I ran by that fence cheering him on as he ran next to me on the day before Father’s Day, rather than cheering from the sidelines. As we passed, the memories became just a flashback, reduced to a second, a moment in time of something that now felt much bigger.

I have never been much of a runner, that’s always been my dad’s thing. He’s finished marathons, countless triathlons, including  a half Ironman. He wakes up every day to the silent darkness of the early morning (shortly after I’ve gone to sleep) to spend hours in the gym before work.

When I was about 10, I stepped up to the starting line of a local 5K, confident that I could keep up with the stride of my 6-foot 2-inch partner. I spent the second half of the race with an angry grimace, walking my way to the finish line, a few fingers pressed firmly into the stitch below my ribcage. Despite my cranky complaining and stubbornly slow pace, my dad walked with me the entire time, crossing the finish line with me well past our goal of 30 minutes.

Standing beside him in the rain at the starting line of the 10K Saturday, I bounced from foot to foot. Adrenaline had kicked in like a shot of espresso. I looked at him as he calmly waited for the gun. He’s done this more times than I’ve laced up my sneakers for a run. For a brief moment, I feared a repeat of the last time we lined up to race together, so many years ago.

But this time was different.

I had trained, starting with short, daily treadmill runs up to longer outdoor runs the month before the race. And even with a constant rain, it happened to be one of those days that you feel like you can run forever. Maybe the feeling came because it was my father at my side, or the excitement of the race, or the cheers of spectators who sacrificed the dry comfort of the indoors to root for friends, family and countless strangers. Or maybe it was just luck.

Along the way I waved to the people I knew on the sidelines. Each time it gave me an unexpected burst of energy and confidence,  even when those crowded along the edge of the road clapping and shouting were complete strangers.

My dad, seasoned runner, racer and triathlete, matched my pace for the first 3 miles. After we passed the halfway timer, he began to slow down. I wanted to run with him and cross the finish line together for the first time the day before Father’s Day.

But he refused to let me slacken my pace.

“Just like everything in life,” he said through heavy breaths, “there comes a time where I have to give you a push and say, ‘Go for it.’”

For the next two miles I retreated into my thoughts and let my body take over. I climbed up the small but cruel hill before Second Bridge. “Where you start to ask yourself why you signed up for this,” my dad had told me the night before when he took me on a drive through the course. It took only one look at the view of Dering Harbor — masts of sailboats dark against the horizon, the chop of the water like the texture of a painting — for me to forget about my burning leg muscles.

As soon as I saw the flags that signaled the start of “Joey’s Mile,” with each flag representing a fallen soldier or Marine, my stride turned into a bounding pace. Training for and running a 10K isn’t easy for most and at the 5th mile we were sweating and huffing and hurting.

But the flags that line the edges of Joey’s Mile — too many of them — put things in perspective during that final stretch. We finally answered the question we’ve asked ourselves since the 3rd mile: Why did we sign up for this? Why do we run? Answers: For fun, to relax, to spend time with people or maybe to be alone, for the challenge, to see the beautiful Island, to test our limits and to build strength.

We also run because we want to, and because we can. And, for that, we are so lucky.

I passed the finish line alone, making a time faster than I’ve ever finished. I walked back to the fence where I waited for my dad to run in just a few minutes later, cheering him on, just like I used to.

It took nearly 19 years for me to finally follow in his footsteps.

Or, rather, for him to follow in mine.

The post A Father’s Day memory, when a daughter ran with her dad appeared first on Shelter Island Reporter.

JOHN CLARE PHOTO Lingering light over Dering Harbor.

The Dering Harbor Village Board met on Saturday, August 18, with the primary focus on the village’s water system.

The Suffolk County Water Authority, which has been operating and maintaining the system since June, provided the board and residents an overview of improvements as well as recommendations for the future.

“They did a very good job of highlighting various steps that have been taken to make the system better,” said Shelter Island Town Engineer John Cronin, who sat in on the meeting at the invitation of Trustee Patrick Parcells. “They laid out what they are seeing now as well as possible needs for the future.”

“The recommended upgrades include metering,” according to Mayor Betsy Morgan, “which will be pretty easy to get in place by next summer.”

This week, the village’s new water tank will begin to be filled slowly in order to make a smooth transition.

“They also recommend digging two smaller wells to replace the village’s older well,” the mayor said, and possibly replacing Well #2, which had been dug too deep, resulting in saltwater intrusion.

“We’ve already seen improvement,” Ms. Morgan added, “and we have faith that we’ve righted the ship and are on the right path. I was very impressed with the extent of SCWA’s knowledge, and with their in-house labs and their engineering staff we’re quickly seeing results.”

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JULIE LANE PHOTO
Councilwoman Amber Brach-Williams tells her colleagues she will ask Water Quality Improvement Projects Advisory Board members about providing money for a salt water intrusion study.

The Town Board is exploring ways to provide water to those who don’t have reliable wells and those who need nitrogen-reducing septic systems to protect the water they have.

At the board’s Tuesday work session, members said they’re aware of residents who have drilled wells on town property to have potable water.

The members want a discussion — including with Suffolk county — on legalizing a system that will provide potable water without forcing property owners to break the law. To legally place wells on town land, a property owner must obtain a variance from Suffolk County and demonstrate that, short of trucked-in water, there’s no solution to their situation.

Town Attorney Bob DeStefano Jr. said those allowed by the county to drill wells on town property should register with the town and not be allowed to have irrigation systems. He also warned that if the board moves to legalize some well installations on town-owned land, it could open questions from those who had requested similar help and were turned down.

While town permission could be written into the code, board members generally agreed with Councilwoman Amber Brach-Williams that there shouldn’t be any kind of blanket permission, but the board should act on individual applications.

Supervisor Gary Gerth said he wants to consult with Town Engineer John Cronin on what restrictions should be incorporated in judging applications.

A subcommittee on the issue was appointed, including the supervisor, Mr. DeStefano, Councilman Paul Shepherd, Commissioner of Public Works Jay Card Jr. and Building Permits Examiner Lori Beard Raymond.

Ms. Brach-Williams said she will speak to the Water Quality Improvement Projects Advisory Board about allocating money for the United States Geological Survey (USGS) to drill four new test wells to assess salt water intrusion.

Along similar lines, the Water Quality Board is asking the Town Board for advice on how to disperse its grants for installation of nitrogen-reducing septic systems without property owners being taxed on the grant money. Following Southampton’s lead, the board expects to identify reputable vendors who install the systems and register them.

Another hurdle could be how much money contractors want in advance. That could be worked out through a loan program that Assemblyman Fred Thiele Jr. (I-Sag Harbor) favors to assist property owners.

There would also have to be coordination with Suffolk County for those who have applied for and been approved for grants for both the county and town.

In other business: The board is weighing a proposal from Mike Bebon of the American Legion to allow a Shelter Island woman to use the kitchen at the Legion post for a food truck.

Details would have to be worked out in terms of liability, responsibility for maintenance, security, repair of equipment and how to grant priority use of the kitchen for that purpose over other uses.

Mr. DeStefano is to meet with the principals of the plan and Mr. Bebon and report back to the board.

There was discussion of making a deal with Dering Harbor for a town highway crew to handle a mile and a half of its snow plowing, sanding and salting. Richard Surozenski has been in charge of village roads and would continue doing some of that work.

If it happened, it would likely start as a single-year agreement and then be evaluated. Shared services imply savings for both partners, but while the town would be paid for its services, it would be at cost, not a profit. There’s also concern about liability.

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REPORTER FILE PHOTO Dering Harbor Village Hall.

The Dering Harbor Village Trustees met on Saturday, October 13 and after public hearings on four issues, unanimously passed several measures.

A revision was made to the village’s hunting ban, to allow Dering Harbor to participate in the Deer Management Program under the auspices of the Shelter Island Police Department.

The program uses a Deer Damage Permit for culling deer from February 1 to March 31. Recreational hunting is allowed from October 1 to January 31 in the Village, only on the 5-acre Parcells property and the two Mildred Flower Hird preserves, which have sufficient acreage for hunting to be permitted.

Revisions were made to zoning violation fines, which had not been raised since 1970. Attorney Wayne D. Bruyn said it was advisable for the village to conform to other municipalities and state law.

A law requiring setbacks of 75 feet in side and rear yards for outdoor structures and swimming pools was replaced with one requiring setbacks of 75/50/50 feet in District A, which contains parcels of 3 acres or more; and 40/30/30 feet in District B, where lots are smaller. While these requirements are less stringent, they will still give Dering Harbor the strictest starting setbacks for accessory structures on the North and South forks.

A proposal to re-define the type of noise-generating construction that could be banned or limited on weekends drew considerable discussion. The board decided to adjourn the hearing until the next meeting to allow them to tweak the proposed changes and distribute the bill before that meeting.

A request for proposals was opened. The only proposal received was from Chris Johnson, for highway and snowplowing service.

Patrick Parcells reported on the continuing progress of the water system. Suffolk County and New York State had some final inspections but all concerns seemed to be resolved. Pending one more bacteria test, the system was expected to switch to using the new tank in the coming week.

The name of Shore Road has been officially changed to Harbor Lane. Trustee Clora Kelly has replaced the signs and erected new signs alerting drivers to the change. Fire Marshall Arthur Bloom has contacted first responders and security companies to advise them. Mayor Betsy Morgan and Clora Kelly are working with Waze and Google to update their maps.

The mayor announced that there is an opening for a clerk.

She also reminded residents that October 15 would be the last date for trash pickup by the village, in the wake of Richie Surozenski’s retirement. Some cost-saving measures were reported, including cancelling cleaning service and switching from Verizon to Optimum for phone service.

A Zoning Board of Appeals meeting was announced for October 27 at 10 a.m. The next meeting of the Board of Trustees is set for Saturday, November 10 at 9 a.m.

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BEVERLEA WALZ PHOTO High winds threatened to topple poles on Ram Island Road during Saturday’s storm.

Shelter Island was battered by a quick moving no’easter on Saturday that flooded  — among other spots — Bridge Street, the North and South ferry landings, and closed some roads and cut power to some residents.

Here are a few shots by Beverlea Walz and Eleanor P. Labrozzi, who braved the storm.

ELEANOR P. LABROZZI PHOTO North Ferry suspended service for a short time due to flooding on the Shelter Island side.

BEVERLEA WALZ PHOTO South Ferry at the height of the storm.

ELEANOR P. LABROZZI PHOTO Kissing Rock seemed afloat.

BEVERLEA WALZ PHOTO
PSEG crews were hard at work restoring power.

ELEANOR P. LABROZZI PHOTO Dering Harbor came to Bridge Street.

ELEANOR P. LABROZZI PHOTO Crescent Beach Saturday morning.

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COURTESY ILLUSTRATION

One of America’s top companies is narrowing down the search for a location for its new headquarters — a choice that could bring 50,000 jobs and $5 billion of construction investment to some lucky place in North America. How about here?

Amazon, the company that generates 43 percent of U.S. online sales, is in the final stages of the search, and even though they would not consider it, and we would not allow it, I enjoy thinking about what would happen if they chose an Island with ferry-only access, 100 miles east of New York, as an East Coast bookend for their current Seattle digs.

It would be the largest company to locate on Shelter Island since the Lima Bean Farmers Cooperative began to grow and process frozen beans in 1951.

Come to think of it, that Lima Bean Cooperative didn’t end well. Bad weather caused crop failures, the picking, packing and flash-freezing jobs went away, and the local farmers who established the cooperative lost their money. So maybe we don’t mention that whole saga, especially since the problem was really just climate-related, and beyond the intervention of humans.

The competition to be Amazon’s new home has given the company an excuse to detail its hopes, dreams and values like a contestant on The Bachelor. The wish list for Amazon’s new headquarters includes population, (over one million should be enough) a well-educated populace, access to recreation, (a lot is good) and proximity to universities. This list closely reflects my own process when choosing a place to live, what kind of car to drive, or a mate; do a lot of research, and find something outdoorsy and smart.

Although the last census put the population within commuting distance of Shelter Island at under half a million, we all know those figures are suspect. Like the lima bean thing, we don’t need to get too specific. Besides, Amazon currently supplements its human workforce with 45,000 robots in its warehouses, and will undoubtedly be hiring some to work in HQ2.

If Amazon did come here, we’d have new words to learn. It is said there are no workers or bosses at Amazon, only associates, and those associates are never fired, they are released like undersize porgy. Like many American companies, they refer to their warehouses as fulfillment centers. This moniker is a little confusing to me, since I think of a fulfillment center as place where happiness is attained, and in this case it’s a place where happiness is temporarily stored, packaged and sent out for delivery.

Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos said in an interview with Washington Business Journal that he likes to putter around in the morning, and he doesn’t have meetings before 10 a.m., a practice entirely in keeping with the pace of life on Shelter Island, where pretty much everyone is either taking their kids to school, working around the house (theirs or someone else’s) or engrossed in sweeping, mulching, and dump-visiting early in the day.

Amazon loves to brag about its scrappy, thrifty corporate culture as reflected in their celebration of the door desk, a staple of office furniture that, according to legend, Bezos invented when he visited Home Depot and realized he could save some money. He bought a door, attached some 4X4s, and christened it a door desk. It was by all accounts, very wobbly. On Shelter Island, we just call it a desk, and thanks to the skills of our populace, ours don’t usually wobble.

One of the suggestions in Amazon’s request for site proposals is a place that will think creatively about real estate. Finding imaginative solutions to housing problems is in our DNA, as our many citizens who have lived for extended periods on a boat moored in Dering Harbor can tell you.

Another carrot of opportunity that Amazon is dangling before the noses of civic leaders is a $15 an hour minimum wage, which sounds like a lot except the New York State minimum wage for Long Island is set to rise to $15 an hour by 2021.

It’s true that Shelter Island didn’t even make the short list for the 2024 Summer Olympic Games, but that shouldn’t stop us from dreaming big. All it would take Jeff Bezos to fall in love with Shelter Island is a 15-minute ferry ride, and everyone knows that a person in love can do irrational things.

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REPORTER FILE ART

Islanders will have no trouble identifying the familiar locations visited by Gail Newman’s protagonist, Kate, as she returns to Shelter Island at the beginning of this novel.

The young lawyer is seeking salve for her wounds after a professional crisis. While not of her making, it left her needing to make a fresh start. So like countless others before her, she takes refuge on Shelter Island, returning to the beautiful Dering Harbor mansion where her aunt lives, as did her late grandmother.

As Kate revisits the Island beaches and gathering spots she knows from her youth, the reader will catch on quickly to the inspiration for many of them, such as the cozy bar with a patio behind, overlooking the water. In the book, it becomes “The Seagull,” the setting for some of the encounters that give the book its plot twists and turns.

“The characters are loosely based on my wife Elise’s family,” said Ms. Newman. “Her aunt was a well-known Shelter Island artist, Louise Schaefer. Her family had a home in Montclair Colony on the Island. The cottage is ours now. We just moved from a house in the Chesapeake area to an apartment in Norfolk. Now the Shelter Island home is the house we can concentrate on. We plan to get there for Thanksgiving and Christmas. I’m a country girl at heart.”

The book’s title, “Sunlight in the Shadows,” refers to a painting that has special significance for three of the characters; it’s also a nod to Ms. Schaefer, who was important in Elise’s life on the Island.

Like Kate, Elise grew closer to her aunt after her grandmother’s death. Since the book is fiction, though, the family not only has the mansion in Dering Harbor, but gorgeous cars and a yacht, complete with captain. A seemingly endless supply of money fuels their lifestyle. “These characters deserve it,” laughed Ms. Newman.

While the story is essentially a love triangle involving Kate and two other women, there is a delightful Greek chorus throughout the book. Her grandmother and aunt had developed a coterie of close women friends – a funny, boozy, intrepid bunch of broads who tend to pop champagne corks to celebrate good news, or lift sad spirits, or just because it’s Tuesday.

These become Kate’s supportive circle as she navigates her life crises. One straight-shooting, take-charge type, is Patsy. “She’s my favorite,” Ms. Newman acknowledged. “I based her on Elaine Stritch.”

Although she discovered Shelter Island many years ago, Ms. Newman said she still feels excitement to get off the ferry and drive around the Island. “That’s why Shelter Island attracts so many artists and writers,” Ms. Newman said. “It brings out the magic in you.”

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COURTESY PHOTO

Shelter Island events and activities for the week of November 8, 2018.

50+ drop-in basketball, Sundays, noon to 2 p.m., school gym. No charge.

Adult coed drop-in basketball, Mondays and Thursdays, 7 to 8:30 p.m., school gym. No charge.

Adult coed drop-in soccer, Tuesdays, 8:30 to 10 p.m., school gym. No charge.

Adult coed drop-in volleyball, Wednesdays, 7 to 10 p.m., school gym. No charge.

Alcoholics Anonymous, Fridays, beginners meeting, 7:30 p.m., Presbyterian Church. Open discussion Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. St. Mary’s; Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Saturdays, 7:30 p.m.

Al-Anon, Saturdays, 10 a.m., St. Mary’s.

Alignment & Base Exercise, Wednesdays with Callie Atkins, 5:30 p.m., Youth Center, Legion Hall, $5.

Art/Rich Poetry Roundtable, Tuesdays, 4 p.m., library.

Artist’s Way, a spiritual path to higher creativity with June Shatken. Wednesdays, 4:30, library.

English as a Second Language, Thursdays, 5:30 to 6:30 p.m., library. For adults, free, with Teri Piccozzi.

Essentrics, low impact workout with Laury Dowd, Tuesdays at 9:30 a.m., Thursdays at 8:30 a.m. American Legion/Youth Center. $5/class.

Functional Fitness, with Maggie Davis. Tuesdays and Saturdays at 8 a.m. American Legion/Youth Center. $5/class.

Knitting and crocheting club, Mondays, 7 to 8:30 p.m., Senior Activity Center. (631) 749-1059.

Knitting club, Thursdays, 4:30 p.m., library.

Mah jongg club, Monday at 10:30 a.m., library lower level. Instruction available. Stephanie Zinger (631) 749-8805.

Open gym, for grades 6 through 12, Fridays and Saturdays, 7 to 10 p.m., sign in by 8. School. (631) 749-0309.

Pickle ball, at the school courts, Wednesdays at 7 p.m. and Sundays at 4 p.m.

PiYo, Pilates/yoga based exercise with Julia Weisenberg. Thursdays, 6:30 p.m., Tuesdays, 6 p.m. American Legion/Youth Center. $5. (516) 659-9155.

Poker table, Thursdays, 1:30 to 5 p.m., Senior Activity Center. (631) 749-1059.

Senior Mah jongg, Fridays and Mondays, 1:30 to 5 p.m., Senior Activity Center. (631) 749-1059.

Senior yoga, Fridays and Mondays, 10 a.m., Senior Activity Center. (631) 749-1059.

Sensory exploration, young children play at multiple stations. Wednesdays, 11:15 a.m., library. Call (631) 749-0042 for dates.

Shelter Island All-Faith Youth Group, grades 8 to 12. Wednesdays 6 to 7:30 p.m., Camp Quinipet’s welcome center.

Silver Circle Social Club, Wednesdays, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Senior Activity Center. Call (631) 749-1059 for details.

Sylvester Manor farm stand, Open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, November 10, 17 and 24; Wednesday, November 21; Friday, November 23; and Saturday, November 24. 21 Manwaring Road.

Watercolor class, with June Shatken. Tuesdays, 9:30 to 10:45 a.m., Senior Activity Center. Call (631) 749-1059 for details.

Yoga, gentle flow with Dawn Hedberg. Thursdays, 5 p.m. American Legion/Youth Center. $5/class.

Yoga, hatha flow with Lila Piccozzi. Saturdays, 10:30 a.m. All levels. American Legion/Youth Center. $5/class.

Yoga story time, for children. One Saturday per month, 11 a.m., library. Call (631) 749-0042 for dates.

Youth Yoga, for ages 6 to 12 with Kelci McIntosh. Thursdays, 2:45 to 3:45 p.m. American Legion/Youth Center. $5/class.

Zumba, with Susan Binder and Melanie Matz. Mondays, 5:30 p.m., Tuesdays and Thursdays at 7 a.m. and Saturdays at 9:15 a.m. American Legion/Youth Center. $5/class.

Zumba Gold, with Susan Binder. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 9 a.m. American Legion/Youth Center. $5/class.

EVENTS

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 10

Coffee and coloring, the Shelter Island Library offers coffee and coloring for adults at 1 p.m. Coffee, tea and refreshments are provided while guests color their stress away. The library will provide coloring templates and colored pencils.

Shakespeare, the Shelter Island Library hosts a Shakespeare Discussion Group to discuss “The Merchant of Venice” at 12:30 p.m.

Owl prowl, adults and children ages 12 and up are welcome to visit Mashomack Preserve to learn about owls and hear, and possibly see, screech owls from 4:30 to 6 p.m. Reservations requested. Bring binoculars and a flashlight. For details call (631) 749-4219 or email mashomackpreserve@tnc.org.

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 15

Life transitions, the Shelter Island Library hosts “Navigating Life Transitions: Visioning and Values” with Jeanne Marie Merkel at 6:30 p.m. Ms. Merkel is a Certified Life and Transition Coach and will share time-proven insights and exercises that will empower you to confidently navigate any life transition. She will guide participants through visioning exercises to clarify values, strengths and dreams and outline the first steps toward creating the desired changes. Registration required.

MEETINGS

(At Town Hall unless otherwise noted)

November 9: Town board, meeting, 4:30 p.m.

November 10: Dering Harbor board, Village Hall. 9 a.m.

November 12: Conservation Advisory Council, 7:30 p.m.

November 13: Town board, work session, 1 p.m.

November 13: Planning board, 7 p.m.

November 14: ZBA hearing, 7:30 p.m.

November 19: Community Preservation Fund Advisory Board, 8:30 a.m.

November 26: Fire Commissioners, 7:30 p.m., Center firehouse

November 27: Town board, work session, 1 p.m.

November 30: Town board, meeting, 4:30 p.m.

The post Island calendar: November 8, 2018 appeared first on Shelter Island Reporter.

MARTIN BURKE PHOTO
Dawn view of Dering Harbor.

Village of Dering Harbor Mayor Betsy Morgan announced on the village website that Google Maps has changed Shore Road to Harbor Lane, following the Board of Trustees approval of the name change.

Trustee Clora Kelly had been working to get Google Maps and Waze to accept the change. “As Waze is owned by Google we’re confident that they will make the change soon as well,” said the mayor.

At the November 10 meeting of the village board, a public hearing was set for December 8 on proposed clarifications to the construction law. In order to limit excessive noise, the current law banning construction on weekends in the summer and Sundays the rest of the year would be amended to include activities such as leaf and snow removal.

Vicki Weslek was unanimously approved as the village clerk. Three laws approved at the October 13 meeting have been officially filed with the state, Mayor Morgan reported.

A committee comprising Ari Benicerraf and Karen Kelsey was appointed to meet with the village’s accountant to discuss outlining the need for developing best financial practices in the future.

Trustee Patrick Parcells reported that an ongoing state audit was in its risk assessment phase. The list of topics on which they would focus had been narrowed down from 11 to seven. Mr. Parcells also reported on the water system.

The newly installed tank is working and the old one has been drained. He will be meeting shortly with Suffolk County Water to discuss a plan for a long-term agreement.

Mr. Parcells said the transition from Richie Surozenski to Chris Johnson for grounds maintenance was going well. Mr. Johnson will also be responsible for snow plowing side roads. Mr. Parcells is in discussions with Shelter Island Town officials regarding plowing of the village’s main roads as needed.

He also reported that the village’s oil tank needs to be replaced and has an agreement with a contractor to do the replacement; the contractor will give a double-walled tank to the village.

Now that the village has reduced some of the maintenance functions for which it was responsible, Mr. Parcells proposed selling equipment no longer needed, specifically a truck and attached plow. “We will also save money on the insurance,” he said.

The board adopted a sexual harassment policy covering all board members and employees to comply with New York State requirements. Interactive training will be provided for those included.

The board authorized the mayor to contract with General Code for the codification of all village laws at a cost not to exceed $10,600.

A schedule of board meetings for the coming year was set at the second Saturday of every month except February, at 9 a.m. Mayor Morgan said they would also look into changing the date of the village’s election from a Tuesday to a Saturday and possibly to Memorial Day weekend.

Village Clerk Vicki Weslek reported on a records management meeting to which she had been invited by Shelter Island Town Deputy Supervisor Amber Brach-Williams. Ms. Weslek said she would meet with the town’s clerk to review their policies and procedures in order to update the village’s own policies.

The post Google finds street in Dering Harbor appeared first on Shelter Island Reporter.

KARA JACKSON PHOTO
Home in Southold after a flight of fancy that took her from Southold to Shelter Island, Duckie is back where she belongs.

Kara Jackson calls it “a Christmas miracle,” talking about the return of Duckie, her pet Muscovy duck, who left Southold about a month ago.

Ms. Jackson was in despair, thinking she’d never see Duckie again. “I felt completely awful,” she said. During the time Duckie had flown the coop, there were several major storms and she worried her duck was lost, out in the cold, unprotected and unfed. But she now says her prayers have been answered, with some help from the kindness of strangers and social media.

Every day she looked out her windows, hoping Duckie might find her way home. But day after day, no Duckie. She posted to social media and put up signs, hoping someone might spot Duckie, but the silence was deafening.

But the wayward duck had some luck. She had found her way from Southold across Peconic Bay and settled in Shelter Island’s Dering Harbor. Camille Anglin, who owns and operates Bridge Street’s Jack’s Marine on the harbor, spotted an unusual sight — a white duck with a red face.

Duckie made a home in the harbor for a few days and then Ms. Anglin saw she had moved to the wide waters of nearby Chase Creek.

She was true to form for her breed. According to the The Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Muscovy ducks “are wary birds that feed by dabbling in shallow wetlands.” (How the unusual-looking fowl gained it’s name is in dispute, with some saying “Muscovy” comes from the bird’s voracious appetite for mosquitoes, while other say Muscovites, natives of Moscow, were the first to import the birds from Russia.)

Calm and peaceful Chase Creek was a safe haven for Duckie, but the intrepid duck next move was to an Island roadway where she might have perished beneath the wheels of a passing vehicle.

Enter daughter Kim Anglin Feierstein who spotted the duck and lured her away from the road with Rice Krispies Treats.

She subsequently brought her to the North Fork Animal Hospital in Southold where Dr. Daniel D’Amato recognized Duckie as a former patient. He was able to make the connection with Ms. Jackson’s social media posts that led to Duckie being reunited with her human family.

Duckie and her sister were once pets belonging to former neighbors of Ms. Jackson.

The two ducks would frequently visit Ms. Jackson to swim in a pond on her property.

When the neighbors moved to North Carolina a few years ago, it was only fitting that Ms. Jackson would become their new caretakers, a role she said she happily embraced.

But Duckie’s sister met a gruesome fate from a raccoon, leaving Duckie alone with the family. After her sister’s demise, Ms. Jackson thought Duckie might be happier with other ducks. She knew the Old Field Vineyards in Southold had ducks, so she brought her pet there.

But she hadn’t counted on Duckie’s homesickness.

Duckie soon took flight, but apparently took a wrong turn, ending up not with the Jackson family in Southold, but in the waters around Shelter Island.

Thanks to the Anglins, Dr. D’Amato and social media, Duckie is now back sitting in the sunshine on the deck of Ms. Jackson’s home. She’s enjoying regular meals, and contributes to the family by providing “beautiful eggs” that Ms. Jackson said make the fluffiest pancakes.

The post Everything is just ‘Duckie’ — Pet returned after a month’s sojourn appeared first on Shelter Island Reporter.

BEVERLEA WALZ PHOTO High winds threatened to topple poles on Ram Island Road during Saturday’s storm.

Shelter Island was battered by a quick moving no’easter on Saturday that flooded  — among other spots — Bridge Street, the North and South ferry landings, and closed some roads and cut power to some residents.

Here are a few shots by Beverlea Walz and Eleanor P. Labrozzi, who braved the storm.

ELEANOR P. LABROZZI PHOTO North Ferry suspended service for a short time due to flooding on the Shelter Island side.

BEVERLEA WALZ PHOTO South Ferry at the height of the storm.

ELEANOR P. LABROZZI PHOTO Kissing Rock seemed afloat.

BEVERLEA WALZ PHOTO
PSEG crews were hard at work restoring power.

ELEANOR P. LABROZZI PHOTO Dering Harbor came to Bridge Street.

ELEANOR P. LABROZZI PHOTO Crescent Beach Saturday morning.

The post Scenes from Saturday’s nor’easter appeared first on Shelter Island Reporter.

COURTESY ILLUSTRATION

One of America’s top companies is narrowing down the search for a location for its new headquarters — a choice that could bring 50,000 jobs and $5 billion of construction investment to some lucky place in North America. How about here?

Amazon, the company that generates 43 percent of U.S. online sales, is in the final stages of the search, and even though they would not consider it, and we would not allow it, I enjoy thinking about what would happen if they chose an Island with ferry-only access, 100 miles east of New York, as an East Coast bookend for their current Seattle digs.

It would be the largest company to locate on Shelter Island since the Lima Bean Farmers Cooperative began to grow and process frozen beans in 1951.

Come to think of it, that Lima Bean Cooperative didn’t end well. Bad weather caused crop failures, the picking, packing and flash-freezing jobs went away, and the local farmers who established the cooperative lost their money. So maybe we don’t mention that whole saga, especially since the problem was really just climate-related, and beyond the intervention of humans.

The competition to be Amazon’s new home has given the company an excuse to detail its hopes, dreams and values like a contestant on The Bachelor. The wish list for Amazon’s new headquarters includes population, (over one million should be enough) a well-educated populace, access to recreation, (a lot is good) and proximity to universities. This list closely reflects my own process when choosing a place to live, what kind of car to drive, or a mate; do a lot of research, and find something outdoorsy and smart.

Although the last census put the population within commuting distance of Shelter Island at under half a million, we all know those figures are suspect. Like the lima bean thing, we don’t need to get too specific. Besides, Amazon currently supplements its human workforce with 45,000 robots in its warehouses, and will undoubtedly be hiring some to work in HQ2.

If Amazon did come here, we’d have new words to learn. It is said there are no workers or bosses at Amazon, only associates, and those associates are never fired, they are released like undersize porgy. Like many American companies, they refer to their warehouses as fulfillment centers. This moniker is a little confusing to me, since I think of a fulfillment center as place where happiness is attained, and in this case it’s a place where happiness is temporarily stored, packaged and sent out for delivery.

Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos said in an interview with Washington Business Journal that he likes to putter around in the morning, and he doesn’t have meetings before 10 a.m., a practice entirely in keeping with the pace of life on Shelter Island, where pretty much everyone is either taking their kids to school, working around the house (theirs or someone else’s) or engrossed in sweeping, mulching, and dump-visiting early in the day.

Amazon loves to brag about its scrappy, thrifty corporate culture as reflected in their celebration of the door desk, a staple of office furniture that, according to legend, Bezos invented when he visited Home Depot and realized he could save some money. He bought a door, attached some 4X4s, and christened it a door desk. It was by all accounts, very wobbly. On Shelter Island, we just call it a desk, and thanks to the skills of our populace, ours don’t usually wobble.

One of the suggestions in Amazon’s request for site proposals is a place that will think creatively about real estate. Finding imaginative solutions to housing problems is in our DNA, as our many citizens who have lived for extended periods on a boat moored in Dering Harbor can tell you.

Another carrot of opportunity that Amazon is dangling before the noses of civic leaders is a $15 an hour minimum wage, which sounds like a lot except the New York State minimum wage for Long Island is set to rise to $15 an hour by 2021.

It’s true that Shelter Island didn’t even make the short list for the 2024 Summer Olympic Games, but that shouldn’t stop us from dreaming big. All it would take Jeff Bezos to fall in love with Shelter Island is a 15-minute ferry ride, and everyone knows that a person in love can do irrational things.

The post Charity’s column: Amazon HQ2 on Shelter Island – A modest proposal appeared first on Shelter Island Reporter.

REPORTER FILE ART

Islanders will have no trouble identifying the familiar locations visited by Gail Newman’s protagonist, Kate, as she returns to Shelter Island at the beginning of this novel.

The young lawyer is seeking salve for her wounds after a professional crisis. While not of her making, it left her needing to make a fresh start. So like countless others before her, she takes refuge on Shelter Island, returning to the beautiful Dering Harbor mansion where her aunt lives, as did her late grandmother.

As Kate revisits the Island beaches and gathering spots she knows from her youth, the reader will catch on quickly to the inspiration for many of them, such as the cozy bar with a patio behind, overlooking the water. In the book, it becomes “The Seagull,” the setting for some of the encounters that give the book its plot twists and turns.

“The characters are loosely based on my wife Elise’s family,” said Ms. Newman. “Her aunt was a well-known Shelter Island artist, Louise Schaefer. Her family had a home in Montclair Colony on the Island. The cottage is ours now. We just moved from a house in the Chesapeake area to an apartment in Norfolk. Now the Shelter Island home is the house we can concentrate on. We plan to get there for Thanksgiving and Christmas. I’m a country girl at heart.”

The book’s title, “Sunlight in the Shadows,” refers to a painting that has special significance for three of the characters; it’s also a nod to Ms. Schaefer, who was important in Elise’s life on the Island.

Like Kate, Elise grew closer to her aunt after her grandmother’s death. Since the book is fiction, though, the family not only has the mansion in Dering Harbor, but gorgeous cars and a yacht, complete with captain. A seemingly endless supply of money fuels their lifestyle. “These characters deserve it,” laughed Ms. Newman.

While the story is essentially a love triangle involving Kate and two other women, there is a delightful Greek chorus throughout the book. Her grandmother and aunt had developed a coterie of close women friends – a funny, boozy, intrepid bunch of broads who tend to pop champagne corks to celebrate good news, or lift sad spirits, or just because it’s Tuesday.

These become Kate’s supportive circle as she navigates her life crises. One straight-shooting, take-charge type, is Patsy. “She’s my favorite,” Ms. Newman acknowledged. “I based her on Elaine Stritch.”

Although she discovered Shelter Island many years ago, Ms. Newman said she still feels excitement to get off the ferry and drive around the Island. “That’s why Shelter Island attracts so many artists and writers,” Ms. Newman said. “It brings out the magic in you.”

The post Island Bookshelf: Seeking shelter and a new life appeared first on Shelter Island Reporter.

COURTESY PHOTO

Shelter Island events and activities for the week of November 8, 2018.

50+ drop-in basketball, Sundays, noon to 2 p.m., school gym. No charge.

Adult coed drop-in basketball, Mondays and Thursdays, 7 to 8:30 p.m., school gym. No charge.

Adult coed drop-in soccer, Tuesdays, 8:30 to 10 p.m., school gym. No charge.

Adult coed drop-in volleyball, Wednesdays, 7 to 10 p.m., school gym. No charge.

Alcoholics Anonymous, Fridays, beginners meeting, 7:30 p.m., Presbyterian Church. Open discussion Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. St. Mary’s; Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Saturdays, 7:30 p.m.

Al-Anon, Saturdays, 10 a.m., St. Mary’s.

Alignment & Base Exercise, Wednesdays with Callie Atkins, 5:30 p.m., Youth Center, Legion Hall, $5.

Art/Rich Poetry Roundtable, Tuesdays, 4 p.m., library.

Artist’s Way, a spiritual path to higher creativity with June Shatken. Wednesdays, 4:30, library.

English as a Second Language, Thursdays, 5:30 to 6:30 p.m., library. For adults, free, with Teri Piccozzi.

Essentrics, low impact workout with Laury Dowd, Tuesdays at 9:30 a.m., Thursdays at 8:30 a.m. American Legion/Youth Center. $5/class.

Functional Fitness, with Maggie Davis. Tuesdays and Saturdays at 8 a.m. American Legion/Youth Center. $5/class.

Knitting and crocheting club, Mondays, 7 to 8:30 p.m., Senior Activity Center. (631) 749-1059.

Knitting club, Thursdays, 4:30 p.m., library.

Mah jongg club, Monday at 10:30 a.m., library lower level. Instruction available. Stephanie Zinger (631) 749-8805.

Open gym, for grades 6 through 12, Fridays and Saturdays, 7 to 10 p.m., sign in by 8. School. (631) 749-0309.

Pickle ball, at the school courts, Wednesdays at 7 p.m. and Sundays at 4 p.m.

PiYo, Pilates/yoga based exercise with Julia Weisenberg. Thursdays, 6:30 p.m., Tuesdays, 6 p.m. American Legion/Youth Center. $5. (516) 659-9155.

Poker table, Thursdays, 1:30 to 5 p.m., Senior Activity Center. (631) 749-1059.

Senior Mah jongg, Fridays and Mondays, 1:30 to 5 p.m., Senior Activity Center. (631) 749-1059.

Senior yoga, Fridays and Mondays, 10 a.m., Senior Activity Center. (631) 749-1059.

Sensory exploration, young children play at multiple stations. Wednesdays, 11:15 a.m., library. Call (631) 749-0042 for dates.

Shelter Island All-Faith Youth Group, grades 8 to 12. Wednesdays 6 to 7:30 p.m., Camp Quinipet’s welcome center.

Silver Circle Social Club, Wednesdays, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Senior Activity Center. Call (631) 749-1059 for details.

Sylvester Manor farm stand, Open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, November 10, 17 and 24; Wednesday, November 21; Friday, November 23; and Saturday, November 24. 21 Manwaring Road.

Watercolor class, with June Shatken. Tuesdays, 9:30 to 10:45 a.m., Senior Activity Center. Call (631) 749-1059 for details.

Yoga, gentle flow with Dawn Hedberg. Thursdays, 5 p.m. American Legion/Youth Center. $5/class.

Yoga, hatha flow with Lila Piccozzi. Saturdays, 10:30 a.m. All levels. American Legion/Youth Center. $5/class.

Yoga story time, for children. One Saturday per month, 11 a.m., library. Call (631) 749-0042 for dates.

Youth Yoga, for ages 6 to 12 with Kelci McIntosh. Thursdays, 2:45 to 3:45 p.m. American Legion/Youth Center. $5/class.

Zumba, with Susan Binder and Melanie Matz. Mondays, 5:30 p.m., Tuesdays and Thursdays at 7 a.m. and Saturdays at 9:15 a.m. American Legion/Youth Center. $5/class.

Zumba Gold, with Susan Binder. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 9 a.m. American Legion/Youth Center. $5/class.

EVENTS

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 10

Coffee and coloring, the Shelter Island Library offers coffee and coloring for adults at 1 p.m. Coffee, tea and refreshments are provided while guests color their stress away. The library will provide coloring templates and colored pencils.

Shakespeare, the Shelter Island Library hosts a Shakespeare Discussion Group to discuss “The Merchant of Venice” at 12:30 p.m.

Owl prowl, adults and children ages 12 and up are welcome to visit Mashomack Preserve to learn about owls and hear, and possibly see, screech owls from 4:30 to 6 p.m. Reservations requested. Bring binoculars and a flashlight. For details call (631) 749-4219 or email mashomackpreserve@tnc.org.

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 15

Life transitions, the Shelter Island Library hosts “Navigating Life Transitions: Visioning and Values” with Jeanne Marie Merkel at 6:30 p.m. Ms. Merkel is a Certified Life and Transition Coach and will share time-proven insights and exercises that will empower you to confidently navigate any life transition. She will guide participants through visioning exercises to clarify values, strengths and dreams and outline the first steps toward creating the desired changes. Registration required.

MEETINGS

(At Town Hall unless otherwise noted)

November 9: Town board, meeting, 4:30 p.m.

November 10: Dering Harbor board, Village Hall. 9 a.m.

November 12: Conservation Advisory Council, 7:30 p.m.

November 13: Town board, work session, 1 p.m.

November 13: Planning board, 7 p.m.

November 14: ZBA hearing, 7:30 p.m.

November 19: Community Preservation Fund Advisory Board, 8:30 a.m.

November 26: Fire Commissioners, 7:30 p.m., Center firehouse

November 27: Town board, work session, 1 p.m.

November 30: Town board, meeting, 4:30 p.m.

The post Island calendar: November 8, 2018 appeared first on Shelter Island Reporter.

MARTIN BURKE PHOTO
Dawn view of Dering Harbor.

Village of Dering Harbor Mayor Betsy Morgan announced on the village website that Google Maps has changed Shore Road to Harbor Lane, following the Board of Trustees approval of the name change.

Trustee Clora Kelly had been working to get Google Maps and Waze to accept the change. “As Waze is owned by Google we’re confident that they will make the change soon as well,” said the mayor.

At the November 10 meeting of the village board, a public hearing was set for December 8 on proposed clarifications to the construction law. In order to limit excessive noise, the current law banning construction on weekends in the summer and Sundays the rest of the year would be amended to include activities such as leaf and snow removal.

Vicki Weslek was unanimously approved as the village clerk. Three laws approved at the October 13 meeting have been officially filed with the state, Mayor Morgan reported.

A committee comprising Ari Benicerraf and Karen Kelsey was appointed to meet with the village’s accountant to discuss outlining the need for developing best financial practices in the future.

Trustee Patrick Parcells reported that an ongoing state audit was in its risk assessment phase. The list of topics on which they would focus had been narrowed down from 11 to seven. Mr. Parcells also reported on the water system.

The newly installed tank is working and the old one has been drained. He will be meeting shortly with Suffolk County Water to discuss a plan for a long-term agreement.

Mr. Parcells said the transition from Richie Surozenski to Chris Johnson for grounds maintenance was going well. Mr. Johnson will also be responsible for snow plowing side roads. Mr. Parcells is in discussions with Shelter Island Town officials regarding plowing of the village’s main roads as needed.

He also reported that the village’s oil tank needs to be replaced and has an agreement with a contractor to do the replacement; the contractor will give a double-walled tank to the village.

Now that the village has reduced some of the maintenance functions for which it was responsible, Mr. Parcells proposed selling equipment no longer needed, specifically a truck and attached plow. “We will also save money on the insurance,” he said.

The board adopted a sexual harassment policy covering all board members and employees to comply with New York State requirements. Interactive training will be provided for those included.

The board authorized the mayor to contract with General Code for the codification of all village laws at a cost not to exceed $10,600.

A schedule of board meetings for the coming year was set at the second Saturday of every month except February, at 9 a.m. Mayor Morgan said they would also look into changing the date of the village’s election from a Tuesday to a Saturday and possibly to Memorial Day weekend.

Village Clerk Vicki Weslek reported on a records management meeting to which she had been invited by Shelter Island Town Deputy Supervisor Amber Brach-Williams. Ms. Weslek said she would meet with the town’s clerk to review their policies and procedures in order to update the village’s own policies.

The post Google finds street in Dering Harbor appeared first on Shelter Island Reporter.

KARA JACKSON PHOTO
Home in Southold after a flight of fancy that took her from Southold to Shelter Island, Duckie is back where she belongs.

Kara Jackson calls it “a Christmas miracle,” talking about the return of Duckie, her pet Muscovy duck, who left Southold about a month ago.

Ms. Jackson was in despair, thinking she’d never see Duckie again. “I felt completely awful,” she said. During the time Duckie had flown the coop, there were several major storms and she worried her duck was lost, out in the cold, unprotected and unfed. But she now says her prayers have been answered, with some help from the kindness of strangers and social media.

Every day she looked out her windows, hoping Duckie might find her way home. But day after day, no Duckie. She posted to social media and put up signs, hoping someone might spot Duckie, but the silence was deafening.

But the wayward duck had some luck. She had found her way from Southold across Peconic Bay and settled in Shelter Island’s Dering Harbor. Camille Anglin, who owns and operates Bridge Street’s Jack’s Marine on the harbor, spotted an unusual sight — a white duck with a red face.

Duckie made a home in the harbor for a few days and then Ms. Anglin saw she had moved to the wide waters of nearby Chase Creek.

She was true to form for her breed. According to the The Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Muscovy ducks “are wary birds that feed by dabbling in shallow wetlands.” (How the unusual-looking fowl gained it’s name is in dispute, with some saying “Muscovy” comes from the bird’s voracious appetite for mosquitoes, while other say Muscovites, natives of Moscow, were the first to import the birds from Russia.)

Calm and peaceful Chase Creek was a safe haven for Duckie, but the intrepid duck next move was to an Island roadway where she might have perished beneath the wheels of a passing vehicle.

Enter daughter Kim Anglin Feierstein who spotted the duck and lured her away from the road with Rice Krispies Treats.

She subsequently brought her to the North Fork Animal Hospital in Southold where Dr. Daniel D’Amato recognized Duckie as a former patient. He was able to make the connection with Ms. Jackson’s social media posts that led to Duckie being reunited with her human family.

Duckie and her sister were once pets belonging to former neighbors of Ms. Jackson.

The two ducks would frequently visit Ms. Jackson to swim in a pond on her property.

When the neighbors moved to North Carolina a few years ago, it was only fitting that Ms. Jackson would become their new caretakers, a role she said she happily embraced.

But Duckie’s sister met a gruesome fate from a raccoon, leaving Duckie alone with the family. After her sister’s demise, Ms. Jackson thought Duckie might be happier with other ducks. She knew the Old Field Vineyards in Southold had ducks, so she brought her pet there.

But she hadn’t counted on Duckie’s homesickness.

Duckie soon took flight, but apparently took a wrong turn, ending up not with the Jackson family in Southold, but in the waters around Shelter Island.

Thanks to the Anglins, Dr. D’Amato and social media, Duckie is now back sitting in the sunshine on the deck of Ms. Jackson’s home. She’s enjoying regular meals, and contributes to the family by providing “beautiful eggs” that Ms. Jackson said make the fluffiest pancakes.

The post Everything is just ‘Duckie’ — Pet returned after a month’s sojourn appeared first on Shelter Island Reporter.