Oyster Bay Chamber President Karen DeVine-Minicozzi presented Jack Williams, the president of Friends of the Bay with a check for $10,000 from Oyster Festival proceeds at the Oct. 7 meeting of the business group. FOB is the lead agency that will create the new Marine Education Center slated to be built at the Jakobson Shipyard on the Western Waterfront.

Jack Williams thanked the chamber and said that while their's was the first major donation for the MEC, "What was really impressive wasn't the donation - which was very welcome - but that the FOB and the chamber are on the same page and have the same vision of what's right for the waterfront."

He said, "The Marine Education Center will be privately financed and run by a non-profit corporation."

Mr. Williams added, "And it's good to have the support from the entire Oyster Bay business community."

Robbie Hallock said that the FOB and the chamber were not always in agreement - but are now.

The chamber funds for the MEC have been joined by $500,000 from local resident Fritz Coudert. He, as president and Judy Hershon of Centre Island as secretary, will run the nonprofit corporation that will run the Marine Education Center.

The Oyster Festival will take place on Saturday, Oct. 16 and Sunday, Oct. 17 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. This year local merchants plan to put out items for sale to the visitors to the village. Raffle tickets are available at the chamber office, at Oyster Bay Dodge, at DBSC. Just call 922-6464 for more information. There are still tickets available for the Car Raffle. At $20 each, the winner gets either a Dodge Durango 2000 or $20,000. Tickets are available at the chamber office, Oyster Bay Dodge, the Doubleday Babcock Senior Center. Call the chamber at 922-6464 for more information.

Fleet Bank will sponsor this year's complimentary Shuttle Bus Service for the 16th Annual Oyster Festival. The event will be held Saturday, Oct. 16 and Sunday Oct. 17 in the hamlet of Oyster Bay from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

The festival is presented by the Oyster Bay Chamber of Commerce and sponsored by Newsday, draws over 200,000 people each year. The need for quick hassle-free transportation is of the utmost importance to visitors who attend.

"Fleet Bank is delighted to be part of this top event while providing an assistance to the community," said Peter Sarantos, vice president of Fleet Bank. He presented Karen DeVine, festival chairperson with a check for $9,000 in order to provide this worthwhile service.

The Fleet Bank Shuttle Bus will run continuously from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., one hour prior to the festival opening and one hour after it closes. It will make regular stops at designated areas including the LIRR Station parking field in Syosset; at the Vernon School on Route 106 in East Norwich; at Mill-Max Manufacturing Corp. on Pine Hollow Road/Route 106; in the festival area on South Street and Orchard Street and at the Oyster Bay Marine Center on the waterfront.

Signs will be posted along the route directing motorists to free parking where they can change to the shuttle buses. Signs will also show where to board buses when leaving the festival.

The Oyster Festival offers something for everyone: good food including oysters and clams in various ways - chicken, shrimp and more; games for children and adults; free musical performances; historic boats including tours of the Ernestina and the Christeen oyster sloop and harbor tours ($10 for adults) aboard the Thomas Jefferson paddle wheeler.

For more information please call 624-8082.

The chamber of commerce will be moving to its new offices at 68 East Main Street, on Spring Street on Nov. 1. Their new landlord is Robert Gabor.

The chamber's holiday season events will be chaired by Susan Manno of Fleet Bank and co-chaired by Rebecca Rhodes Weinreich of Rebecca's Confections.

Rebecca is happy in her new business working on gingerbread houses. She will be selling gingerbread ornaments and tiny, tiny gingerbread houses stuffed with candy next to Pleasant Valley Gallery and Gifts, on South Street, during the Oyster Festival. Her houses are sold year-round at PVG and G.

There will be a tree lighting ceremony in December. Great plans are in the works for a wonderful holiday season - with reasons for shoppers to return to the village.

For more Oyster Festival information please see the Oyster Festival 5-K Run story in this week's sports and this week's editorial. For more coverage read our Oct. 1 issue in our archives. The Oct. 21 issue of the Pilot, on the newstands will cover the Oyster Eating and Shucking Contests and give some festival overviews.