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July 19, 1984 - A Wet Walk on Shelter IslandJuly 19, 1984 The Suffolk Times A Wet ' Walk on Shelter Island By PAULSTOUTENBURGH "When it rains, it pours ". I'll bet you've heard that before and surely we've all seen it happen in the last couple of weeks. Monday was to have been a day in the field with friends finishing our last block of bird breeding census on Shelter Island. The area was West Creek and it still had work to be done so we got off bright and early with clouds hanging overhead. The weather forecasters spoke only of It showers" and I'm sure you know the rest. We were birding all morning long but around 11 o'clock had to quit because we were almost washed away. It couldn't have rained harder. We took advantage of the break and ate so we could get back at it when it let up. Surprisingly Shelter Island still has much open space but no matter where you go, they, too, are having growing pains. Our plan of attack was to stop at a woods, walk and listen, walk and listen. We'd do this for about 10 or 20 minutes and then move on. It's surprising how many birds can be picked up by their song alone. Once located, we'd then try to find out if there were young about or if the bird was carrying food, giving it a positive identification as a nesting bird. On one long beach walk, we were gone over a half an hour for we wanted to check on the marsh in back for sharp - tailed sparrows. Once we found the species, we'd move on and not look again for all we had to do was record its nesting status. Shore Birds Seen Along the beach we found spotted sandpipers, piping plover with eggs, green herons and others. It was sort of a game. We'd let one person off, then the ofl other, and then 20 minutes later I'd swing back and pick them up and we'd move on to another area. All the time we were doing this, way off to the northwest we heard thunder playing about. If we were on the North Shore, we would have all said the storm is going to go down the Sound but here on Shelter island we knew differently. In one broad stretch of a creek, a flock of large shore birds headed through. I'd seen smaller flocks last week while out sailing in Peconic Bay. They were all early and it had to mean they had already been up id the tundra county to nest and were now heading south on their annual migration. South America is their destination. These looked like dunlins for they were larger than the tiny peeps I'd seen earlier in the week. It was an unpleasant reminder that fall is bound to be upon us in the not too distant future. Even the yellow false foxglove I found blossoming along the road side reminded me of fall. Thoughts of fall in mid -July should not even be allowed to enter our minds. Summer's what the program calls for, so let's stick to it. What really brought us back to summer was the young birds we were seeing. A family of flickers were feeding on what seemed to be a colony of ants on Summer Sale ! Thurs., Fri., Sat. only Christmas is coming we must make room! 30% off Cottons 40% off Discontinued Mohair and Bulky Yarns Sale ends Come in and Register on our Drawing of a July 21st. f;,� Hand crocheted Summer Shell Top. m. Drawing July 25th. �t Register with each purchase receipt. f =.. - ^ Southold Stitch Sho'ppe COLONIAL CORNERS MAIN ROAD, SOUTHOLD 765 -3133 Island Gourmet Ltd. '9 At THE They �o0 1 Stabp �O� "el�,sdaya Carer 84 Luncheon • Dinner a Sunday Brunch Full Menu & Late Dinner till 2 a.m. Seafood a Steak a Lamb Chops DAILY BLACKBOARD SPECIALS Listen to the Jazz Sound of TREVOR DAVISON on Piano and RAY WILLIAMS on Bass AT OUR SUNDAY BRUNCH Reservations Suggested 477.0056 Third St, Greenport T Page 27 BABY SPOTTED SANDPIPER - -As soon as they Photo by hatch, tlhe uyoung spotted sandpipers are off and running. Look for the parent, whose tail is always bobbing up and down as it runs along our inner beaches and marsh edges. someone's front lawn. A cardinal had a mouthful of green worms and I'm sure was heading for young awaiting lunch. Young piping plovers froze in a depression in the sand along the beach, hoping our sweeping binoculars would not reveal them. Young cowbirds in a field had already turned their backs on their adopted parents and were feeding for themselves. Young mourning doves looked almost like their adults who were probably already nesting for the second time. Mourning doves are one of our earliest nesters. Stopped to Check on Terns On our way home we made a few stops at least tern colonies. These are the endangered terns that are having such a tough time surviving today. I had to report on these also. We found good news and bad news. In one colony the area was devastated by wheel tracks. This is the third colony that has been wiped out by vehicles. The good news was that a previously- checked colony now is doing well. It was an isolated area where the birds were not molested. The young had already hatched and learned to fly. You could tell their fluttering was faster and not as graceful as their parents and, of course, their short - tailed, grey bodies gave them away. There was no comparison to the (continued on next page) "Olive Twigs and Pits Traveling Medicine Show" An old -time "medicine show troupe" comes from Ohio to bring fun, good thoughts and a new look at Peace. They will appear in three churches the last week in July. Don't miss the One Megaton Apple Pie, A Five Foot Cockroach and the Master of the Galaxy War Toy, Characters in One Show. Friday, July 27 - Southold Univer- salist Church - 8:00p.m. Saturday, July 28 - Orient Congrega- tional - 7:30p.m. Sunday, July 29 - Old Steeple, Aquebogue - 7:30p.m. Free will offering OPEN YEAR -ROUND CELEBRATING ITS 36th YEAR ON PECONIC BAY COMPLETE SPECIAL Catch of the Day, LOBSTER DINNER DINNER $6.95 $9 95 Noon - 10PM Mon. - Fri. 4.10 PM Daily • SALAD BAR • FULL COURSE SHORE DINNERS • LUNCHEON & 1 D NNER SPECIALS OF THE DAY L12Noon-IOPM N DAILY MAIN ROAD, SOUTHOLD 7�_,� r Credit Cards RESERVATIONS Page 28 The Suffolk Times July 19, 1984 Point /Counterpoint,,, (continued from page 2) consider alternate sites for the project in spite of the fact that suitable sites do exist within the village. Mr. Hubbard: Three alternate sites (all suggested by Mr. Kapell) have surfaced in the last few days. All three are unsuitable. Site 1: Cablevision tower area. Surrounded by residential neighborhoods. Adjacent property owners are vehemently opposed to any use of this property by a commercial user. Use of this site for an industrial use would constitute spot zoning. Site 2: Old village dumpsite. Unsuitable for construction, based on test borings conducted in 1972. Site 3: Monsell Trail. This is a state Environmental Conservation protected FOCUS... (continued from previous page) adults, with their orange- beaked sleek little bodies that were constantly on the lookout for killies and minnows along the shore. And, of course, continual screams from the adults overhead let us know they were complaining bitterly about our intrusion. Some dove on us, trying to drive us away. Our visit lasted only a few minutes as we gathered the information we needed and departed. As soon as we left, they'd settle again on "their land." As we headed back we discussed the problem of the pressures moving in on all of us no matter where we were. Whether it be the North Shore, the South Shore or Shelter Island, we all are experiencing growing pains. What will it be like 10 or 20 years from now? Is there any hope of holding the growing tide of population from overcoming us? WHAT DO YOU AND THIS MAN HAVE IN COMMON? 9ROUND SOUND STUDIO 8 Track Recording 298 -5372 or 289 -0054 wetland area. The state DEC has indicated its disapproval of any intensive use of this area. A majority of this site is not in the village, is under covenants against its development, or is owned by the school district. As far as the majority of the Board of Trustees is concerned, there are no alternative sites in the Village of Greenport suitable for this project. Further, it must be restated that this site was endorsed during the summer of 1983 as a site for projects such as the Mills project long before the Mills Co. approached the board. Some Tax Considerations Mr. Kapell: The Greenport School Board voted unanimously to request that the village not entertain the real estate tax abatement elements of the project due to the school's weak financial condition and the abnormally high tax rate burdening school district taxpayers. Mr. Hubbard: This parcel of land in question is not now on the tax rolls. Under the proposal submitted to HUD in the UDAG application, the district will receive taxes on an upwardly sliding scale over the first 10 -year period. During the last 10 years of the UDAG grant, taxes will be paid on 100 percent of the assessed valuation as determined by the Suffolk County Industrial Development Agency. Mr. Kapell: The sales price for the property of $58,300 was established on the strength of only one appraisal and was not tested by an open bid offering. Mr. Hubbard: The sales price of this land was established by John Glander of Cutchogue, an appraiser regarded at the top of his field on Long Island. Mr. Glander was hired by unanimous resolution of the Village Board on Jan. 11, 1984. This project has received considerable publicity during the last six months; to date not one other company has come forward wishing to purchase this property. In 1963 the Village of Greenport sold a portion of this property to the N.Y. Telephone Co. through a private sale. The village is now under contract to sell another portion of Moores Woods to the State of New York Dept. of Transporta- tion on the basis of one appraisal. Mr. Kapell: Hundreds of taxpayers and residents have signed petitions in opposition to the project. Hubbard: Not Villagers Mr. Hubbard: A total of 225 persons have signed petitions opposing the tax abatement aspects of this project. Another 46 persons returned newspaper coupons from an advertisement in opposition to this project. A majority of the 271 persons do not reside within the limits of the incorporated Village of Greenport. A newspaper advertisement paid for by Mills and Co. employees garnered 479 responses in support of the Mills and Co. relocation to Moores Woods. Mr. Kapell: In spite of repeated requests the UDAG application was never made available for public inspection prior to its submission. Mr. Hubbard: The content of this UDAG was debated for over four months, both at Village Board meetings and in the local newspapers. The village had intended to submit this application by Feb. 29, 1984. During the months of February, March, April and May, all aspects of this application were reported in the local papers. Due largely to the stalling tactics of Mr. Kapell, the contract of sale for this land was only signed in late May, thus the final figures reflected in this application could not be completed until hours before the May 31st deadline. In fact, Mr. Mills and Mr. Gillooly had to hand deliver the application in order to meet the deadline. Since June 1, 1984, the UDAG application has been available for public review at the Village Clerk's office. To date only two persons have come in to review the application. Mr. Kapell: The Department should be aware that the Mills project is very unpopular locally. I respectfully ask that you make a thorough investigation of the environmental and economic conse- quences of this project and then deny funding for the project as now constituted. Mr. Hubbard: As to Mr. Kapell's contention that "the Mills project is very unpopular locally": we can only assume that he overestimates his support and underestimates the intelligence of the residents of the Village of Greenport. Industrial b Fartn Equipment soo ROLLS BROS. 4, ROUTE 58, P.O. BOX 368 RIVERHEAD, NEW YORK - Phone 7274383 Your Authorized Sperry-New Holland dealer. • PERUGINA CHOCOLATES — WATCHES BY SEIKO Police.. (continued from page 19) damaged the vehicle by kicking the rear driver's side window. The youth was released on a $25 appearance ticket pending a court appearance. Three burglaries also were reported to Southold police this week. A Route 25, East Marion, man reported the theft of a portable radio (value $163), a 12 -gauge shotgun (value $365) and a glass jar filled with $50 in change, a $20 bill and a $10 bill. A Mattituck retailer told police that $80 had been taken from his establishment sometime July 14. The thieves might have gained entry through the front door, which was unlocked, the complainant told police. A Cutchogue gas station was burglarized of $100 cash sometime overnight Friday, the manager told police. The thieves apparently broke a side window to gain entry. Graveyard... (continued from page 26) not. "It's a big process," said Mrs. Clark, explaining that the ground has to be dug and a new cement base laid. With an operating budget from endowments of a little over $3,000, the association simply cannot afford to take on the task. Plots are the responsibility of the families that own them. Overturned stones are turned face up by the association, though, so the inscriptions can always be read, she said. Mr. Nichols hopes that the person or persons who damaged the venerable graveyard will be caught, especially because of the senselessness of their crime and the pain they have caused. "It's one thing to fool with the living," he reflected. "Maybe you've got a reason for it. But when you fool with the dead -- what reason ?" Dancing in the Gold Room every Saturday Night 9.1 Don Lee at the Piano Bar Thursday, Friday, Saturday & Sunday Nights ioundview Summer Theater Presents "THE OWL and the PUSSYCAT" Curtain 9:00 p.m.- Every Wednesday in July. Monday thru Saturday LUNCH 12 -3 • DINNER 3 -10.' FOR YOUR CATERING NEEDS • 477 -0666 • ASK FOR RACHEL ALL MAJOR CREDIT CARDS ACCEPTED • OPEN 7 DAYS =P- stern Long island Largest Audio Visual Specialists 28 Cameron Street Southampton , N . Y. Hours: 10 -6 Daily (516)283 -4428 BEAUTIFUL WEDDINGS, CORSAGES, SUMMER PARTY CENTERPIECES, FRUIT BASKETS, SILK FLOWERS, CUT FLOWERS, HOUSE PLANTS, FUNERAL DESIGN. NOW OPEN Greenport Branch Of cF7I 7 crOW/1(E`FL kIST 423 Main St. 477.2245 `FIW 70WA�E `FLORIST A UNIQUE, COMPLETE FULL SERVICE FLOWER SHOP Main Road, Southold 765 - 2299