Civic Affairs

In June, a seven-member planning board began its work under Chairman Scudder Griffing. Its mandate was to “plan every physical aspect of the Town of Shelter Island for the benefit, welfare and safety of the people.” At an August Town Board meeting, the supervisor was “authorized to draw an ordinance controlling solicitors, salesmen, vendors, carnivals and the like in the Town.” Throughout the summer and fall, rumors and then facts about the Long Island Lighting Company's plans to buy out the Shelter Island Light and Power Company abounded. The sale was closed effective December 31, 1959.

Maintenance and littering problems at Crescent Beach led to a “concerted effort to search the title of Louis' (Crescent) Beach ... to ascertain whether this popular summer spot  is actually owned by the Town, the County, or Charles Strobel.”

The town budget adopted for 1960 was reported to be $116, 249. It included $4,000 “to cover map-making costs for the newly-formed planning board.”

News and Business

Joseph “Jake” Piccozzi announced the installation of a 310,000 gallon storage tank for winter fuel oil supplies, increasing capacity 6-fold. The Reporter noted that he was “acting to ensure an ample supply of fuel oil, whether our harbor ‘freezes and stays fruzz or not.'” Two boats in the Shelter Island and Greenport Ferry Company fleet, Islander and Prospect, collided the last weekend in August in thick fog, visibility about 50 feet. According to the Reporter, “the same ferries, piloted by other crewmen, were in collision previously this summer.”

Navy Commander Harold Edson Shear, a 1937 graduate of the Shelter Island High School, was named in September to command the second Polaris submarine, Patrick Henry, on its launching in Groton, Connecticut.  The still-familiar name of Sid Beckwith was among those elected as directors of the Gardiner's Bay Country Club. Plans for a new post office in the Center showed “innovations hard to believe, especially for those who have spent many an uncomfortable year in the present quarters.” They included a private office, automatic heat and hot water, a storage closet and “rest rooms finished in ceramic tile.”

In 1959, the Long Island Expressway had not yet reached the Nassau-Suffolk County line. In the first issue of the Reporter, it was noted that the “$200,000,000 project” was started in 1940. Its then-present pace was “akin to a three-legged tortoise attempting to navigate Divinity Hill on rusty roller skates.” The writer (presumably editor Schumann) invited “those who would like to see this project hurried along” to write Assemblyman Price, Congressman Barrett and Governor Rockefeller. The invitation was taken up and acknowledged in the first letter to the editor, from Harvey Brandon, M.D., published 3 weeks later.

Politics

Republicans, 227 strong, gathered at American Legion Hall in September to nominate candidates for town offices. They were Evans Griffing, supervisor; Harry Bowditch, highway superintendent; Helen Smith, town clerk; Wilma Cartwright, receiver of taxes; Sylvan Tybaert, justice of the peace; Gilbert Clark, councilman; and Anthonio Labrozzi and Otis Dickerson, assessors. In what was described as a “quiet caucus,” Democrats named Louis Price for supervisor; Leo Urban for highway superintendent; James Wilson for town clerk; Joan Young for receiver of taxes, Lester Van Wicklen, justice of the peace; John Lamont, councilman; and Francis Smith and Joseph Marino, assessors.

Mr. Griffing had served continuously in elected office on the Island since 1941, first for 12 years as justice of the peace, and then 6 years as supervisor. He was also a leading voice in Suffolk County government, which at the time was a Board of Supervisors made up of the supervisors of the county's 10 towns. Contrary to expectations, however, the 1959 election turned out to be a cliff-hanger. When the initial tally of the polls was complete, Democrat Price appeared to have bucked the tide of incumbency and party dominance, leading 436 to 432. After 33 absentee ballots were tallied, the count was 451-450 in favor of Griffing. Fewer than a dozen military ballots were outstanding. When those returns were finally closed, the three military votes went for Mr. Griffing 2 to 1, the final result was 452-450 and Mr. Griffing held his seat. The turnout was about 90 percent of registered voters.

School

In 1939, Michael Chiaramonte was valedictorian of his class at Shelter Island High School. Twenty years later, Mr. Chiaramonte was named supervising principal of the Shelter Island Union Free School District. In addition to his principalship, Mr. Chiaramonte taught chemistry and physics, and directed the audio-visual aids program. The school budget adopted for 1959-1960 was $235,199.87.

In October, a staff of 28 students under student Editor-in-Chief Debora Bittner published the first issue of “Mains'l”, a 12-page monthly paper that “covers the activities of all grades, kindergarten through the senior year of high school. Included are by-lined stories, a sports quiz, an inquiring reporter column and the school's basketball schedule.”

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