Free Rides To Oyster Festival And Back

John J. Harvey has room for 60 people as it goes and comes from the Oyster Festival

Huntley Gill, captain and part owner of the John J. Harvey is offering free rides to the Oyster Festival for 60 people. The only catch is you leave early, on Friday, Oct. 12 at 7 a.m. and will leave late, on Monday, Oct. 15 at 11 a.m. The Oyster Fest is on Oct. 13 and 14. Check their website for reservations and details for the voyage. Last year Dan and Tanya Walker took the trip back from the Oyster Festival as did Philip Blocklyn, Oyster Bay Historical Society executive director and Elizabeth Roosevelt, who runs the OBHS gift shop. Mr. Gill said it’s a great trip through the Long Island Sound back to Manhattan and its hi-rise bordered waterfront.

The John J. Harvey is returning to the Oyster Festival for the second time. Last year from wherever you were on the waterfront you could see the Harvey doing water displays on the hour. They will be doing that again. Mr. Gill said, “Last year thousands of people visited the boat, it was great. This year again we will be offering tours of the wheel house, the engine house, we will be giving out printed guides and the pilot will be there to explain what we do.”

Taste Of Back To The Future At The Festival

The Ida May Project, an organization re-creating to 2012 standards an historic 1925 Oyster Boat built in Bayville, will be host to members of the DeLorean club at the Oyster Festival. At least two  DeLoreans will be present, one a second-owner production vehicle, another once one of the fastest electric DeLoreans in the country. A total of six to eight of these rare vehicles may all be in one place at one time at the J-Building depending upon weather and club participation. Event location is the J-building, on West End Avenue, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Rain date Sunday.

Presidential Politics Circa 1912 On Exhibit At the Koenig Center

Theodore Roosevelt’s Bull Moose Party run for president documented

A visit to the TR in ’12 exhibit at the Koenig Center will not only inform you as to the presidential election campaign of Theodore Roosevelt, but it will illuminate the drama of the assassination attempt he survived. An exhibit case at the Koenig Center brings together — for the first time in his hometown — the revolver, the metal eye glass case from Meyerowitz with a bullet hole through it, the speech that took some of the bullet’s impact and a digital image of the X-ray (which belongs to the Library of Congress) showing where the bullet remained throughout TR’s life. Only the bloodied shirt is missing.

John Jay Harvey Rescues Oyster Festival Tall Ships

Plans in flux for the Amistad, Oct. 13, 14, but Emancipation Proclamation will be on LI Oct. 15, 16

The fireboat John Jay Harvey is coming back to Oyster Bay for Oyster Festival 2012. She is taking the berth of the Amistad, the recreated freedom schooner that was built at Mystic Seaport’s Henry B. duPont Preservation Shipyard. The switching of ships, the Harvey rescuing the Oyster Festival planners, is because the Amistad is not in good working order. Kerry Gillick-Goldberg, festival promoter said, “We can’t count on her and the fireboat is coming back. It happened yesterday, Sunday, Sept. 30.  It was the thing I wanted most. They want to come. They are going to New York after the repairs so if by some miracle they might drop in to the Oyster Festival.”

Fredrica Gray, Amistad America board chair, said the Amistad is in Maine at present where some repairs are being made.  She said, “We do plan to be at the Oyster Bay festival.”

Nassau County Legislature Presiding Officer Peter Schmitt Dies

Nassau County Legislature Presiding Officer Peter Schmitt died suddenly on the morning of Oct. 3. According to Ed Ward, spokesperson from the legislator’s office, Schmitt, 62, collapsed while in a budget meeting with Nassau County Executive Ed Mangano in the Theodore Roosevelt Executive and Legislative Building and was rushed to Winthrop Hospital. He died at 11:55 a.m.

“Nassau County has lost a dedicated public servant,” said Mangano in a statement. “My wife Linda and I lost a friend of over 20 years. Presiding Officer Peter Schmitt served the residents of Nassau County with great integrity and pride. I had the privilege of serving closely with Peter in the legislature since its creation in 1996, where he distinguished himself as an outspoken advocate for the residents of the 12th Legislative District.”

History’s Alive In The Hamlet Of Oyster Bay

Oyster Bay’s Civil War history has many stories to tell

History is always just one step away in Oyster Bay. This year is one of five, from the 2011 to 2015, dedicated to celebrating the sesquicentennial — 150th anniversary of the American Civil War.  The Oyster Bay Historical Society did that earlier this year with a lecture by Oyster Bay Town Historical John Hammond.

Mr. Hammond spoke about Oyster Bay and the Civil War and six local residents attended whose relatives served in that war, Linda Mohlenhoff Bruder, Edward Mohlenhoff, Peg Wanser, Leslie Wheeler Nielson, David Layton and Elizabeth Roosevelt. They are by no means the only local families who have been here long enough to have participated in the Civil War and the Revolutionary War. 

NYS DOT Approves New Entrance For TR Park At Audrey Avenue

Work needs DOT and LIRR approval with a June 2015 deadline

The Town of Oyster Bay received approval from the NYS DOT in an Aug. 28 letter, to relocate the existing at-grade pedestrian crossing over the Oyster Bay Branch of the LIRR from Maxwell Avenue to Audrey Avenue. The move will make the entrance to Theodore Roosevelt Park visible from the Audrey Avenue bandstand crossroads.

Bill Bell, Oyster Bay Railroad Museum development director said, “The letter of approval from the NYS DOT brought smiles to a lot of faces this week. The relocation of the TR Park pedestrian entrance has been a long held goal of the Oyster Bay Railroad Museum and our community organization partners. This will mark a truly transformative step in the revitalization of the Audrey Ave. extension, as well as the rest of the downtown. 

Oyster Bay Does Remember 9/11

Annual ceremony held at 9/11 Memorial Garden on the Western Waterfront

There is no escaping the reality that September 11 in America is a special day of mourning. This year, again it fell on a blue-skied Tuesday. NYS Senator Carl Marcellino, speaking at the 9/11 Memorial Garden at the Western Waterfront remembered that day in 2001. He said he was in his office watching what he at first thought was a re-run of a plane hitting a tower when he realized that the televised picture included the first tower in flames and then he knew they were seeing history happen live.

“We knew it was live and we clearly understood it was an act of terrorism and an act of evil,” said the senator. Shortly after, in Shanksville, Pennsylvania and at the Pentagon people died. “There were many victims,” he said. “But many who died, were not victims, they were heroes.”

TOB’s Waiting For Union’s Negotiation Call

With layoffs on the table, Supervisor Venditto leaves the door open for union negotiations

Town of Oyster Bay Supervisor John Venditto is still struggling to solve the town’s cash flow problems. To solve the TOB budget problems he needs union concessions or the town workers will experience layoffs.

Finding a solution began with a retirement offer which included $1,000 for each year of service which was accepted by 89 employees whose last day with the town was Aug. 30. They will receive the funds in a single payment at the end of October. It will be paid with a $7.5 million 10-year bond. The payment included any unused or sick days owed. The workers are guaranteed health care for life and for a surviving spouse, for five years (this is not a reduction or increase, but the same as the current contract).

OB-EN Traffic Talk And Success Story

Town traffic resolution aims to solve problems

Flashing yellow lights are now up and working on Route 106 alerting drivers to the 30 mph speed limit around the Vernon School. The lights are the result of the work of the traffic committee of the joint civic associations of East Norwich and Oyster Bay working with NYS Senator Carl Marcellino, the Town of Oyster Bay and joined by the school district.

Oyster Bay-East Norwich (OB-EN) Superintendent of Schools Dr. Phyllis Harrington said at the first meeting of the new school year, on Sept. 4, that at the Oct. 2 meeting she would invite the committee and the senator to come and be publicly thanked for their work. Senior citizen Bob Martin’s accident several years ago at Johnson Court and Route 106 pushed him into his safety campaign for the road. He was joined by both Dr. Scott Cavagnuolo who has had experiences with cars driving onto his lawn on the corner of Coral Court and Route 106; and Rob Brusca, Oyster Bay Civic Association (OBCA) counsel and East Norwich Civic Association (ENCA) director, to search for ways to make the road safer. The men held meetings with Senator Marcellino and the Town of Oyster Bay officials and Mr. Martin spoke before the school board on the issues, getting them all on board.