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July 07, 2005 - Bully over Block Island12A • The Suffolk Times • July 7, 2005 Suffolk Times photos by Paul Stoulmlourgh Left: This old photograph of the Block Island Southeast lighthouse shows Its precarious position above the famous Mohegan Bluffs before it was moved back 270 feet to a more secure location. Right: Block Island is noted for Its sailboat races and boaters in general, who find the island a delightful place to rendezvous. Here we see a typical race, with the colorful spinnakers filled by a brisk southwest wind. Bully over Block Island OUR THREE -DAY adventure starts in New London, Conn. This is the jump- ing -off place for a few days at Block Island, where we'll stay aboard our son's boat. It's a place we've visited before, both on our own sailboat and as weekend vacationers who come to this unique island to do nothing but relax. New London is a busy port, with the huge subma- rine complex on the east side of the Thames River. ON Here, in New London, all the talk is about the pr dent's idea of closing down the gigantic operation that turns out the latest in atom- _ ic submarines It makes you wonder about the connection between the military and the economy. Enough of this; we're under way and as I look toward one of the huge General Dynamics Quonset but -like buildings, I can make out a section of a submarine being worked on. Farther along is one of the ominous black sub- marines, apparently in for updating, as there's always something new coming along. We're now heading out into open water. A cormorant takes off in a run- ning retreat, wings flapping. The high- speed ferry we are on is now revving its engines and the whole ferry moves up on what amounts to glorified water skis We're actually riding above the water, we're hydroplaning. We charge past the red brick lighthouse at the entrance of the river. Lobster buoys are sprinkled all around the lighthouse; common terns drop out of the sky as they plunge into the sparkling water below in pursuit of their prey. Off in the distance I see a tiny tugboat towing a large barge. Glistening white spray flies past our window from the hydrofoil below. Our high -speed ferry is now well off shore as we swing toward Block Island. Waves that could have made our trip a bit uncomfortable pass below us I'm told we travel an average of 37 knots The drone of the engine plays with my eyelids and I find myself dozing now and then. In little over an hour we're at Block, tying up in what is known as Old Harbor. Fishermen and farmers founded Block Island in 1661 and, needless to say, they must have been pretty rugged individuals The island lies a mere 12 miles south of its home state of Rhode Is- land. Like most islands that had to rely on boat transportation, it developed slowly, but by the 1960s the island started to realize its potential. Then by the '80s real estate started to take off, so much so that many of the people on the island began to worry about what was ahead and vigorously opposed the so-called progress These staunch locals, along with a new breed of conservation groups, spoke up and had changes made in their zoning codes that put a whole new slant on what could and could not be done on the island. You can see the positive results of this zoning as you drive around the island, with its wind- swept vistas, stone walls and rural atmosphere. There's much open space on the is- land, making it one of the most attrac- tive birding areas you can find. During the spring and fall migration literally hundreds of people come to Block to see of the wide variety of birds that use the island as a stopping -off place on the spring migration to their nest- ing sights in the north, and again in the fall, when they pass through on their way to their wintering quarters in the Caribbean and South America. But this was no time for birds; it was Block Island Race Week, and boats from all over had come to participate in this biennial evenL There were boats from Maine, Delaware, Florida, Focus NATURE by Paul Stoutenburgh Catch Paul Stoutenburgh every week in TIMES/REVIEW NEWSPAPERS. eta The race was expected to draw over 200 entrants, all anxious to partic- ipate in this gala occasion. It is one of the most popular sailboat race weeks in America. Barbara and I just had to walk through the dock area where many of the boats were rafted together, form- ing a block of shining white fiberglass. How the chrome did sparkle! There was even a trailer on the dock with a complete line of sailing hardware; plus it had the capability to make any part of the rigging that might be needed. One could feel the excitement as crews worked on their boats to make sure everything was in its proper place and ready for any emergency that might come along. Yes, Block Island Race Week is an exciting time for many, but we'd only be able to capture a small hint of what was going on. To do more than that, you would have to be aboard one of the sleek white boats, trying your best to beat the armada of rivals who had the same idea of win- ning as you. We'd have to leave the sailing excitement to others We'd spend the rest of the day enjoying the 25- to 30- mph winding roadways with their con- tingency of bikers. Many bring their bikes with them on the ferry ($3), or You can rent one at one of the many rental places around town. You can also rent mopeds and kayaks or go for a day sail or just go to the beach and lap up the sun. Bloch Island is known for its miles and miles of unspoiled beaches, all open to the public. It's hard to find a decent -size tree on this windswept island, but there is lots and lots of dense maritime scru- bland that makes ideal habitat for birds and small animals What you see mostly as you ride along are clean - cut gray cottages with white trial and meadows contained by Block Island's famous stone walls. On one of our excursions our winding road took us to the historic North light. It was built of granite in 1867. In those early days this was a most important navigation aid, for it warned mariners to steer clear of the treacherous shoals that lie off the northernmost tip of the island. The lighthouse is surrounded by dunes, beach grass and wild roses and is open to the public daily during the summer months, but be prepared to walk a bit to get there. There are two harbors on Block Island. The largest is New Harbor (Great Salt Pond), where most boaters head since there are 90 town -owned moorings that can be rented for $30 per night. But watch out — it's first come, first served. "Old Harbor" was created to at- tract the flourishing steamer trade that plied the waters nearby. The federal government came to their aid by building a rock jetty that created a safe, deepwater port, and within 20 years large Victorian hotels sprang up, capturing the steamer -boat trade that brought vacationing families and friends to the island to enjoy the cool breezes and carefree atmosphere that only Block Island can offer. Our days passed too quickly, but I had to make one more trip to my favorite lighthouse on the south end of the island. It was once perched on the edge of the fa- mous Mohegan Bluffs, which rise 150 feet above the mighty Atlantic Ocean. It at one time sat in a precarious posi- tion that would sooner or later seal its fate as the sea nibbled away at the clay cliffs Again the people of Block Island rallied, and through much negotiat- ing and after many setbacks, finally got the powers that be to take action to save the historic brick lighthouse. This was a massive structure and only a few companies in the country would dare to tackle the job of moving this 120 - year -old, four - million -pound light- house back to a safe distance. It was moved 270 feet and today stands as an example of what orga- nized citizens can do, even if the task before them seems impossible to over- come. By the 19605 the Island started to realize Its potential. The Suffolk Times • July 7, 2005 Bull over Block Isl n wonder about the connection between the military and the economy. Enough of this; we're under way and as I look toward one of the huge General Dynamics Quonset but -like buildings, I can make out a section of a submarine being worked on. Farther along is one of the ominous black sub- marines, apparently in for updating, as there's always something new coming along. We're now heading out into open water. A cormorant takes off in a run- ning retreat, wings flapping. The high- speed ferry we are on is now revving its engines and the whole ferry moves up on what amounts to glorified water skis. We're actually riding above the water; we're hydroplaning. We charge past the red brick lighthouse at the entrance of the river. Lobster buoys are sprinkled all around the lighthouse; common terns drop out of the sky as they plunge into the sparkling water below in pursuit of their prey. Off in the distance I see a tinv tugboat towine a large baree. r] OUR THREE -DAY adventure starts in New London, Conn. This is the jump- ing -off place for a few days at Block Island, where we'll stay aboard our son's boat. It's a place we've visited before, both on our own sailboat and as weekend vacationers who come to this unique island to do nothing but relax. New London is a busy (port, with the huge subma- rine complex on the east side of the Thames River. Here, in New London, all the talk is about the presi- dent's idea of closing down the gigantic operation that turns out the latest in atom- ic submarines. It makes you N = Y U) .0 o 'C N O = 0 o E � N O p fa ++ N 3 0 E *= cog m c y Y U) W _ _ t fa � o s 0 a o = E� ,E o dL � 3 a � 0 0 c o N i O 41 ao 0 0 .2-o _ _ v0v lWc Q 0 3 +N'R(D (a 3: o N.O O N N O 1 Y o Q s° R wo � 0 u = 0 a0i L w L �p y N M � Y = _ � C ado o� ca CL _0 3 .cc0 ai 3 0 0 R 4. 0 0 ca ay0 o c o E ,1 Ncam r 0 _J 3 Focus ON NATURE by Paul Stoutenburgh Glistening white spray flies past our window from the hydrofoil below. Our high -speed ferry is now well off shore as we swing toward Block Island. Waves that could have made our trip a bit uncomfortable pass below us. I'm told we travel an average of 37 knots. The drone of the engine plays with my eyelids and I find myself dozing now and then. In little over an hour we're at Block, tying up in what is known as Old Harbor. Fishermen and farmers founded Block Island in 1661 and, needless to say, they must have been pretty rugged individuals. The island lies a mere 12 miles sout of its home state of Rhode Is- land. Like most islands that had to rely on boat transportation, it developed slowly, but by the 1960s the island started to realize its potential. Then by the '80s real estate started to take off, so much so that many of the people on the island began to worry about what was ahead and vigorously opposed the so -called progress. These staunch locals, along with a new breed of conservation groups, spoke up and had changes made in their zoning codes that put a whole new slant on what could and could not be done on the island. You can see the positive results of this zoning as you drive around the island, with its wind- swept vistas, stone walls and rural There's much open space on the is- land, making it one of the most attrac- tive birding areas you can find. During the spring and fall migration literally hundreds of people come to Block to see of the wide variety of birds that use the island as a stopping -off place on the spring migration to their nest- ing sights in the north, and again in the fall, when they pass through on their way to their wintering quarters in the Caribbean and South America. But this was no time for birds; it was Block Island Race Week, and boats from all over had come to participate in this biennial event. There were boats from Maine, Delaware, Florida, etc. 1 ne race was expected to draw over 200 entrants, all anxious to partic ipate in this gala occasion. It is one of the most popular sailboat race weeks in America. Barbara and I just had to walk through the dock area where many of the boats were rafted together, form- ing a block of shining white fiberglass. How the chrome did sparkle! There was even a trailer on the dock with a complete line of sailing hardware; plus it had the capability to make any part of the rigging that might be needed. One could feel the excitement as crews worked on their boats to make sure everything was in its proper place and ready for any emergency that might come along. Yes, Block Island Race Week is an exciting time for many, but we'd only be able to capture a small hint of what was going on. To do more than .that, you would have to be aboard one of the sleek white boats, trying your best to beat the armada of rivals who had the same idea of win- ning as you. We'd have to leave the sailing excitement to others. We'd spend the rest of the day enjoying the 25- to 30 mph winding roadways with their con- tingency of bikers. Many bring their bikes with them on the ferry ($3), or you can rent one at one of the many rental places around town. You can also rent mopeds and kayaks or go for a day sail or just go to the beach and lap up the sun. Block Island is known for its miles and miles of unspoiled beaches, all open to the public. It's hard to find a decent -size tree on this windswept island, but there is lots and lots of dense maritime scru- bland that makes ideal habitat for birds and small animals. What you see mostly as you ride along are clean - cut gray cottages with white trim and meadows contained by Block Island's famous stone walls. On one of our excursions our winding road took us to the historic North Light. It was built of granite in 1867. In those early days this was a most important navigation aid, for it warned mariners to steer clear of the treacherous shoals that lie off the northernmost tip of the island. The lighthouse is surrounded by dunes, beach grass and wild roses and is open to the public daily during the summer months, but be prepared to walk a bit to get there. There are two harbors on Block Island. The largest is New Harbor (Great Salt Pond), where most boaters head since there are 90 town -owned moorings that can be rented for $30 per night. But watch out — it's first come, first served. "Old Harbor" was created to at- tract the flourishing steamer trade that plied the waters nearby. The federal government came to their aid by building a rock jetty that created a safe, deepwater port, and within 20 years large Victorian hotels sprang up, capturing the steamer -boat trade that brought vacationing families and friends to the island to enjoy the cool breezes and carefree atmosphere that only Block Island can offer. Our days passed too quickly, but I had to make one more trip to my favorite lighthouse on the south end of the island. It was once perched on the edge of the fa-- ous Mohegan Bluffs, which rise 150 feet above the mighty Atlantic Ocean. It at one time sat in a precarious posi- tion that would sooner or later seal its fate as the sea nibbled away at the clay cliffs. Again the people of Block Island rallied, and through much negotiat- ing and after many setbacks, finally got the powers that be to take action to save the historic brick lighthouse. This was a massive structure and only a few companies in the country would dare to tackle the job of moving this 120 - year -old, four - million -pound light- house back to a safe distance. It was moved 270 feet and today stands as an example of what orga- nized citizens can do, even if the task before them seems impossible to over- come. By the 1960s the island started to realize its potential.