A revitalized Oyster Bay Chamber of Commerce met on Feb. 1. It was like a homecoming dinner, with long absent members present and a feeling of bonhomie filling the room. The Oyster Festival was on the agenda and past presidents and past festival chairs were there in numbers. Joe McLaughlin, Tom Reardon, Robbie Hallock, Michael Corssen, Barbara Hadel, and the 2000 chair, Scott Davis.

After a probing discussion, Scott Davis, made a motion that the board begin planning the year 2002 Oyster Festival and that they by-pass the 2001 Oyster Festival, as well as trademark the festival name. Daria Lamb asked that the press not report on this part of the discussion as members offered pros and cons in an off the record exchange.

The final vote was eight for not having a 2001 festival and planning a better 2002 event. Tom Reardon said, "with great reluctance, I will abstain." Chamber President Les Marbles also abstained.

When asked how the change would affect the Frank M. Flower & Sons, Inc. business, Dave Relyea said, "We'll be ready for it when it comes back." They are after all, the main oyster seed supplier on Long Island.

Tom Reardon, wears several hats: as a chamber member, the originator of the Oyster Festival and a member of Rotary. When Mr. Reardon was asked how "no festival in 2001 would affect Rotary's fund raising, he said, "It's going to affect all the non-profits who take part in the Oyster Festival, as well as those who (just) sold parking spaces." Last year the Oyster Bay High School PTSA sold parking spaces for $5 each and St. Dominic Girls Basketball Team raised money by selling $10 parking spaces in the Uwe's lot on South Street in the heart of the festival.

"We'll knock on a few more doors," said Barbara Hadel, executive director of the Doubleday Babcock Senior Center. "It's not implied that the chamber won't find another local event that will utilize the seniors. We survived before the Oyster Festival, it just makes us have to be more creative," she added.

As the meeting, held for the first time at the Book Mark Café, ended, over coffee and chocolate fudge cake, the members reminisced about past festivals. Robbie Hallock recalled riding around in front of the bicyclists at the Oyster Festival Cycling Classic. "You had to keep ahead of the racers so the exhaust fumes didn't hit them; not too far ahead, to catch the end of the crowd; and watch out for the sprinters. Once, Eric Hayden was going along at 25 miles an hour and suddenly he accelerated to 35 mph."

"That was when they called out the money prizes," said Michael Corssen who drove a white BMW convertible the years he led the race.

"Remember the first contest when the oyster eaters ate the oysters the shuckers shucked," said Robbie. They fast learned that wasn't a good idea!

But Robbie said, "It was more fun when we did it ourselves. I remember cleaning up silly string at 11 p.m. I really loved coming down the Monday after the festival and seeing the streets all cleaned up."

When asked what would happen if there is a giant uproar from the non-profits saying they want and need the Oyster Festival, Tom Reardon said "We'll have to revisit it and see what happens."

The general spirit was that it was time to rethink the festival, and that some good ideas could be generated to improve it. "The Oyster Festival is such a way of life," said Mr. Hallock.

As they talked about the decision Joe McLaughlin said the crux of the issue was "the booze." The festival was intended to be a family event, but has turned out to give the appearance of a bar-hopping event.

The chamber has been trying to fashion the drinking down to an acceptable level. They invited all those groups selling beer to come down and discuss the issues, but the response was poor. In fact, the Boys & Girls Club of Oyster Bay-East Norwich wrote the chamber a letter saying they were not going to participate in Oyster Festival 2001 because they felt the drinking made it a poor choice of event to bring their members to.

Chamber Office

As part of their new reorganization process, the chamber is looking for a person who would work part time, three hours a week, Monday to Friday, on a regular hourly basis of 9 a.m. to noon, to make it easy for people to contact the chamber on a regular basis. The salary is $11 per hour. Please contact David Lamb at 922-7000 if you are interested in the job.

The chamber has the maps ready to be distributed. If you are one of the advertisers and would like your copies, please call Les Marbles at 624-3234 and he will arrange to meet you at the chamber office to give you your copies.

Chamber Board Member John Specce, said the group is taking a look at itself, in an effort to expand - "to get outside the envelope and start thinking in a different path." The chamber has a new vitality and momentum.

Karen DeVine said she was pleased with the way members were already showing greater interest and a willingness to be involved in running the chamber.

Thank You:

The Town of Oyster Bay was thanked for taking down the chamber's Christmas trees. They were completely frozen in the soil. Someone quipped that therefore there were no more thefts of trees. Three were stolen at the beginning of the season.

Tom Golon of Wonderland Trees is taking the wreaths down and the town will take care of the disposal. They thanked Frank Mantegari of the Town's Lake Avenue yard for his help in the cleanup.

Les Marbles announced that Kathy Wilson has a new job with NYS Senator Carl Marcellino. 'We wish her the best of luck," said Mr. Marbles.

Tom Reardon will be the new chamber representative to the Quality Communities Steering Committee with Sue Manno and Daria Lamb as his alternatives.

David Lamb, a member of the QCSC said "There are some initiatives that are going to be right down our alley! We need a representative there to take on what needs to be done."

Lorenza Fong, the new supervisor of Sagamore Hill National Park and Sandy Brue attended the meeting. "We are looking forward to having a greater interaction with the chamber and village," said Sandy.

Dave Relyea gave a rundown on the western waterfront, suggesting members read the article in the Feb. 1 issue of the Oyster Bay Enterprise Pilot for the full details. With $3 million in funding being finalized, the designers are working on the details including the closing of Bayside Avenue and lengthening West End Avenue to meet with Larrabee Avenue.