Thursday night, July 1, we thought there was an Oyster Bay Chamber of Commerce meeting, so we dashed downtown and started to try to find out where it was being held. We assumed (isn't that the wrong thing to do) it was being held at Il Piatto, formerly the location of the Homestead restaurant. Well, the gracious waiter in the warm and welcoming restaurant said, no they were not there. We visited Fiddleheads, being sure if there was a meeting, that Eileen O'Leary would be at it and we could find the location. Her friendly, attractive staff assured us she was not at a chamber meeting.

Just to confirm that, we visited Bob Leobold's Gooseberry Grove Ice Cream emporium and was told he was at home, not at a chamber meeting. Well, being out and about we visited Teens for a Better Oyster Bay. There, members of the First Presbyterian Church were helping Matt Wildes and Mary DiSario. There was a blown up boxing ring set up and kids took turns standing on a round "table" holding giant paddles and tried to knock each other onto the padded surface, off the stand.

It was a balmy night and we headed over to the WaterFront Center to see their free Thursday Community Night in action. The lightship Nantucket was decked out with its holiday lights. It was dark by then, so we called the WFC for a report on Friday. Lynne Basnight said, 'There were a lot of kayakers here last night. It's becoming more and more popular each week. We had to turn away a few kids who wanted to go out in Sunfishes because of the wind, they would have flipped over."

In the out door backyard of the South Street Café there was a karaoke night going on. There were people strolling along on the streets. Canterbury Ales and Wild Honey looked inviting. The lights were on upstairs at the Stevenson Art School.

And all this, and it was not yet the holiday weekend. (We are going to press on Friday, July 2 because of the holiday on Monday.) So it looks as if things are going well in Oyster Bay. People seem to be finding out what a wonderful place it is to relax and enjoy. What could be better!

- DFK