Since this column started last year many people have told me wonderful things about why they love Oyster Bay. The following is a snapshot of some of the things people say make the harbor so great.

"To me Oyster Bay Harbor is special for its beauty, serenity, and quietude. It is inspiring, renewing and nurturing. The Harbor is also a wonderful place to observe nature at her finest, and a great place to just 'be'. I've also enjoyed it as a place for walking and running (through the park, admiring the views with each step) and for refreshing swims.

- Kathryn Prinz, Co-Founder of Save the Jewel by the Bay

"As a Bayville resident, I delight in being surrounded by three totally different marine environments. I treasure the Sound's shore, with its glorious beaches. I enjoy the naturally protected harbor of Oyster Bay, which is so perfect for safely introducing both children and adults to the joys of sailing. Thirdly, I appreciate the more sheltered, shallow, peaceful reaches near the Bayville Bridge, where local wildlife can be seen in abundance."

- Mark Beaumont, Sailor

"I think the Oyster Bay/Cold Spring Harbor estuary is great because of a specific place: the landing at Oyster Bay Cove where Diamond Back Terrapins and Blue Herons share the quiet fragile landscape which is almost unchanged since colonial times."

- Caroline Dubois, Environmental Volunteer Extraordinaire

"I was brought up on the south shore of Long Island and feel landlocked now living in Roslyn Heights. The trip to the ocean is now wrought with traffic jams and road rage. Also, when I sit on the sand at Bar Beach I have to try not to look to the east at the old LILCO plant steam stacks. So, whenever I get an opportunity I look for open sky and cool breezes on my frequent visits to Oyster Bay to sip rum punch or beer at Sagamore Yacht Club or on my cousins' boat. I love the clean air, the birds that gracefully fly around, and the rhythm of the boats bobbing on the bay. Often the sunsets to the west are ablaze with color. Time can stand still here."

- Clare Barone Van Dyke, Powerboater

"Many rowing organizations must operate, unfortunately, in a "smokestack" environment, passing commercial establishments and factories on their practice runs. In this beautiful bay, we are free of such visual and health hazards. Further, the interesting daily change in the water surface, from dead smooth to choppy, gives us the ability to practice under varying conditions, an advantage in competitive rowing. We are pleased as well with the quality of the rowing talent which this area generates for us and the fact that the Town and State have cooperated to provide us with our boathouse facility."

- Spencer Ross, Commodore of the Sagamore Rowing Association

"I love seeing the brilliant boats on the water, the smell of the air, and remembering when I was little and used to drive in the car with my mom talking about how I could never leave this place. I love driving down Shore Road as I go to visit family and friends. The greatness is not just about the way this place looks but how it feels is very comforting."

- Jessica Bartling (Olson), Merrimack, NH and formerly of Locust Valley

"Oyster Bay Harbor is wonderful not just because of the beauty, but also because of the great people who work hard to make it a viable place to live, work, and recreate."

- Richard Werner, Commander of the Oyster Bay Coast Guard Auxiliary

"Oyster Bay Harbor reminds me of being on the Riviera with the water in front of you, the sand below and green hills dotted with houses behind. We have spent many wonderful hours swimming and sailing out of Beekman Beach in our sailboat."

- Dagmar Fors Karppi, Editor of the Oyster Bay Enterprise Pilot

"The best memories I have of Oyster Bay Harbor were from summers in the mid-'70s. My mother, my sisters, and I would clam and mussel right off Shore Road during low tide. Once a week we had a seafood dinner experimenting in different ways to cook and flavor our catch. Another great memory was taking swimming lessons at Centre Island Beach through the Town of Oyster Bay. When I was 14 I received my lifeguard training through that program."

- Leslie Hughes, President of the Locust Valley Neighborhood Watch

"The Oyster Bay/Cold Spring Harbor Complex is the cleanest estuary in western Long Island Sound. It is a vital ecological, economic and recreational resource."

- Kyle Rabin, Executive Director of Friends of the Bay

"Oyster Bay Harbor is great because there are many ways the public can access the harbor. I consider myself fortunate to reside in a town where I can walk outside my door and put my feet in the water within minutes. I am grateful that local politicians, community leaders, and residents also regard the importance of public access to the water."

- Catherine McConnell, Member of the Sagamore Rowing Association and volunteer for Friends of the Bay

"One of the reasons I love Oyster Bay (and there are many) is the water is deep. Growing up in Huntington I always had boats but as soon as I had a boat with a 6 foot draft I found out quickly how shallow Huntington and Northport Bays are. When I moved to Oyster Bay the wide open channels and forgiving shorelines have allowed me many carefree trips from West Harbor to Cold Spring Harbor and out to the Sound."

- Glenn LaMay, Racing Chair for Sagamore Yacht Club

"Oyster Bay Harbor is unique because of its privacy and the fact that it's not overdeveloped. But perhaps its best quality is the way it is bordered with some of the most beautiful homes on the east coast making it the gem of the North Shore."

- David J. Criblez, Editor of the Oyster Bay Guardian

"The greatest part of our harbor is that it is in our backyard so to speak. From where I live, high on Capitol Heights, I have fantastic winter views. I can see out to the "CA" area of the mooring field where I keep my boat. This almost makes the non-sailing months bearable. Also, there is usually something interesting going on throughout the year...whether it is with the clammers, oystermen, visiting boats of all kinds and sizes, rowers, kayakers, or skullers. We have it all."

- Rita Pecora, Co-Founder of Save the Jewel by the Bay

If you have questions or want to share a story or tidbit about the Oyster Bay Harbor area, boating, or environmental issues please contact me. I can be reached at (516) 922-0555 or JaimeVanDyke@gmail.com. Please also visit www.sagamoreyc.com or look up SagamoreRacing on Yahoo!Groups on the web.