Labor Day promised to be a fitting finale to an exceptionally beautiful beach season. The water was warm with moderate waves. The weather report had forecast an afternoon thunderstorm, but it seemed unlikely on this balmy, sunny day. The breeze lured swimmers, sailors and all types of boaters to take advantage of this last summer holiday.

Alan Orr (of Soundview Motors), a passionate, competitive, trophy-gathering sailor, is not one to miss such an opportunity to take his sailboat out of West Harbor Mooring Field for an excursion, accompanied by Monica, his wife.

Fred Mei (prosecuting attorney for the Village of Bayville and deputy attorney for the Town of Oyster Bay) had the same idea and asked his neighbor, Fred Garriel, to join him on his 12-foot Sunfish for an afternoon sail.

In mid-afternoon, storm clouds gathered without much warning and Alan decided to turn back. He has great respect for the caprices of Long Island weather patterns and their potential dangers. As he was heading toward shore, the storm broke and he took down his sails before he reached his mooring.

After securing his boat he looked back and spotted the Sunfish with two men struggling against the waves, unable to control the light craft. Power boats were blowing past them, creating even more waves while ignoring the boat in trouble. Alan told Monica to stay below deck as he untied his dinghy to reach the Sunfish. Halfway there, a sudden wall of air capsized the Sunfish.

As Alan approached the two men in the water, a power boat passed near the Sunfish and asked the men whether they needed help. "Yes, we do," was the answer, but the power boat went by without stopping. Alan reached the men as they were holding onto the floundering Sunfish and asked "Do you want to abandon your boat and come with me, or do you want to hang onto your boat?"

The men (Fred Mei and his neighbor) decided it was safer to get into Alan's dinghy which, by this time, was half-filled with water from crashing waves. He got them safely back to his mooring. They joined Monica, who had been anxiously watching the scene from below.

The storm stopped almost as abruptly as it had started and the good news is that on the following day Fred Mei's Sunfish had washed ashore and was found by a local boy.

All's well that ends well!

Garvan Communications, Inc., has named Elizabeth Zanghi of Bayville to the newly-created position of Operations/Client Services Manager of its Presentation Graphics Group. The announcement was made by Gary Andersen, president and CEO of Garvan, a marketing communications, public relations and interactive media agency with offices in Hicksville and Manhattan.

Zanghi, 32, will be responsible for the day-to-day operations and client support services of the PGG, Garvan's graphic design and production center specializing in corporate presentation and display materials. She brings to Garvan a broad experience in the graphic arts industry having spent the last five years as traffic/studio manager and account executive at the advertising from Welch Nehlen Groome.

"We are extremely pleased to have a person of Elizabeth's experience and abilities on the Garvan team," Andersen said. "We believe she will improve both our internal operation as well as enhance the service to our growing client base."

Bayville's Zanghi is an active member of the Episcopal Diocese of Long Island and sits on the board of Your Parish Future Retreat Ministries, a self-supporting organization dedicated to serving youths within the diocese. She also is a music minister, Sunday school teacher and youth group leader at St. John's Episcopal Church in Lattingtown.

Frank Celauro of Bayville recently participated in the Boston University Theatre Institute, an intensive six-week theatre training program held this summer at Boston University.

Celauro, a junior at Portledge Preparatory School, is the son of John and Roseann Celauro.

The Boston University Theatre Institute is designed to provide professional training and enhance creative development for individuals in the arts. Participants study voice, drama, acting, singing, script analysis, improvisation, mime and character development in classes taught by professional performing artists. The program is available each summer to qualified high school students, collage students and interested adults.