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May 16, 1985 - A Step Back in Times Page 22 The Suffolk Times May 16, 1985 A Step Back iwn Time By PAUL STOUTENBURGH Change is good, especially when the world around you seems to be closing in with the busyness of today's pace. We try to live outside that bramble of meetings, reports and sometimes trivia, but it's pretty hard to do. So Barbara and I took off for a few days. We had some business in Massachusetts to take care of, and then it was straight across the state on the turnpike to central New York. Six hours later, and a bit tired out, we arrived at an old friend's farm- house about 11:30 that night. The house was "the last house outside of town -- where the sidewalk stops." Sure enough, we pulled into town, fol- lowed the sidewalk and there was this magnificent old farmhouse with its broad porches and barns and buildings spread about. After a few "hellos" we climbed into one of those old four - poster beds as the coolness of the night covered the valley below. We awoke to a sparkling day. All around us were hillsides of dairy farms, their fields blanketed with yellow from the profusion of dandelions. What a sight! Every once in a while a cluster of buildings and silos marked the home- stead of another farm. Grazing cows up on the hills mingled among the greens and yellows and newly plowed fields, giving the whole area a feeling of peace - fulcoexistence. The little town of 400, with its quaint buildings and stores, seemed to have been locked in time for the past 50 years. It was the way our town was in the early '30s. People moved about in no great rush, giving an occasional nod followed by "Howdy," in that simple but dignified way of country living. As we drove along Highway 26, an h s i 9 Focus on Nature occasional stainless steel milk truck would rumble by, or a truck loaded with logs from up in the backwoods. Things were going on, but the rush of life that's associated with our way of living just wasn't there. Time to Be Friendly Even the old farm pickup gave every car a wave. There was a friendliness about the place. In our 21 /2 days of traveling the backroads, we saw one "For Sale" sign on a piece of property and no billboards -- a most refreshing change. Our hostess, who knew everyone as aunt, uncle, nephew or neighbor, took us to one of the big dairy farms nearby where we looked down what seemed like endless rows of cows at milking time. Our guide was a grand old gentle- man whose life revolved around his ani- mals. He explained this one's and that one's pedigree, which one was sired by whom, how many pounds of milk it gave each year and, of course, the ribbons it won at the state fair. Up over the mountain in back we vi- sited a horse farm where they specialize in raising Morgans. This was the horse that helped pioneer America, for it worked all week in the field and on Sun- days took the family to church in the gilded surrey. They were handsome ani- mals, and again it was nice to see the excitement and pride these people have C N-7 R►■ Greenport 477 -2242 LOBSTERS ALWAYS AVAILABLE Visa and MasterCard accepted. Reservations welcome. Fri. and Sat. 11:30- 10 P.M. Sun. through Thurs. 11:30 - 9 p.m. Closed Mondays I mile east of the Traffic Circle, Rt. 25 av Daily Specials Include: • Fresh Swordfish /mustard dill sauce • Cioppino - lobster, clams, shrimp and crab in a thin, delicate red sauce • Veal Oscar - sauteed veal topped with crabmeat, fresh asparagus and hollandaise sauce WEDNESDAY - VEAL NIGHT Complete Veal Dinners from $10.95 SUNDAY - LOBSTER FEAST Complete 1% lb. Lobster Dinner $10.95 Other complete dinners available from $9.95 All complete dinners include soup or salad, steamers or baked clams, potato, vegetable, dessert and coffee. Owncr: A Bob Hcancy in their stock. In between visits to various places, Estelle took us to some of her favorite spots. One was a hillside woods that was white with trillium that literally blan- keted the area. We walked through acres upon acres of white, stopping here to examine a deep red trilliam or there to see the last of a spring beauty or trout lily. It was a place where we could have spent the whole day. On one side hill down by a wet area we found yellow violets, white violets, and, of course, blue violets. Bobolinks and Bluebirds Along the roadsides we would stop to look at the distant views. Once Bar- bara's eye caught the black and white of a bobolink, which drew us to a roaring halt as binoculars were passed back and forth so we each could view this hand- some resident of the area. In the early years of Long Island, bobolinks were common but now we only see them pass- ing through. We also saw the bobbing flight and yellow color of the goldfinch. They were still enjoying last year's dried -up thistles on the hillside, and I'm sure were eagerly awaiting the seeding dandelions that would soon be found in the non - yellow fields. Another special spot was a "creek" area that Estelle knew. Clear, sparkl- ing water and moss - covered rocks oz- zing with moisture made it'a glen one could just sit and enjoy. Here again we found wildflowers unknown to us here on the Island. It was a morning spent just exploring and enjoying. Estelle's husband, a busy dairyman, had put up 10 bluebird boxes, and one was occupied by a pair of bluebirds. The (continued on next page) Photo by Paul Stoutenburgh BLUEBIRD -- Here's a bird that everyone knows by name but few people ever see nowadays. This picture was taken in central New York this past week. QRIENT BY THE SEA MARINA AND RESTAURANT Orient Point • 323 -2424 (Just West of Orient New London Ferry.) Seafood au Gratin Shrimp Curry $11.95 $11.95 Seafood Scampi Chicken Cordon Bleu $11.95 $10.95 Includes soup, salad, vegetable, coffee and dessert. PLUS OUR REGULAR MENU Hours: Fri., Sat. and Sun. 11 - 9, Mon. - Thurs. 11 4 MANHANSSET AVENUE AT STIRLING HARBOR MARINA GREENPORT, NEW YORK 477 -1777 Spanish Continental Cuisine. OWn for Brunch Sunda y 12 - 2:30 $695 Includes a glass of champagne or Bloody Mary. HOURS: Lunch: Wednesday through Friday 12 - 2:30 Dinner: Sunday, Wednesday and Thursday 5 - 10 Friday and Saturday 5 - 11 Closed Mondays and Tuesdays May-16, 1985 The Suffolk Times Page 23 Water... (continued from page 3) significant advantages to a town, he said, in that the municipality doesn't have to put up any funds for the estab- lishment of the system. Of the rates charged customers in the district, 60 or 65 percent goes to the Water Authority serve any area of Suffolk County that is not covered by an existing water franchise. The probable reason the SCWA is talking with the two Southold developers, he said, is because the county Health Department requested it to do so. The "water supply district" has some Focus.,, (continued from previous page) rest were occupied by tree swallows. It brought me back to days when I, too, had boxes on every fence post, and how we used to attract tree swallows on Long Island. Like the handsome martin that lives in colonies in apartment boxes, they seem to have succumbed to man's intrusion. These were handsome birds, and it is a shame we no longer have them here. There was so much packed into those 21 /2 days that when we arrived home for Mother's Day, it seemed like we had been gone for weeks. Home still looked good to us, but as I looked back that night when things settled down, my mind couldn't escape the flashbacks of a yellow patch - quilted valley below with its green fields and herds of dairy cattle grazing in the distance. It is a place we'll never forget -- the vintage of a town we used to know many years ago here in Southold. It was good to take a step back in time. .y E i for the cost of operating and maintain- ing the system; the other 40 percent goes toward paying off the capital costs of its construction. The rest of the debt service is gathered through a tax on the residents of the district. The one major disadvantage is that the Water Authority is "obligated to serve everybody in the district" and can expand the system when it feels it's feasible. "That's exactly what we're concerned about," Mr. Stoutenburgh said. "We're worried about opening Pandora's Box ... If we do go to a water supply district, the Water Authority can make water available" for increased development. Using water as a tool to limit develop- ment is not as effective as it once was, Mr. Guerrera said. Because of rising land values, developers are increas- ingly willing to pay whatever it costs for sophisticated water treatment sys- tems: "Adding another $10,000 to the project doesn't matter very much." Asked how the town could keep a measure of control over its water sup- ply, Mr. Guerrera said: "My gut feeling is that the town should form its own water district. You can contract out the operation of it, if you don't want to get into the water business." He added, however, that "A town district could be a tough nut to crack. I don't know if (forming a district) puts you in a posi- tion to have to serve everybody. You may have to." After some discussion, the town offi- cials agreed that the best path to follow would be to set up water districts in the hamlet areas. Four Are Held in Shoplifting Spree Four Riverhead residents are in Suf- folk County jail today, the result of a larceny spree that covered the North Fork from Mattituck to Greenport on Tuesday. Police said that Marion Mills, 20; her brother, Darnell, 18; Gladys Arrington, 18; and Lisa Whitley, 25, were arrested in Mattituck after either stealing or il- legally charging about $1,400 worth of merchandise from stores in Mattituck, Southold and Greenport. According to Southold Town detec- tive Michael Burke, the group -- which was accompanied throughout the day's activities by two small children, the daughters of Arrington and Whitley -- began their work in Mattituck, where they stole clothing, perfume and cook - wear, as well as a purse that was left behind a counter in one of the six estab- lishments they visited. They removed a credit card from the wallet in the purse, and then went to another Mat - tituck store and used the stolen card to pick up some additional merchandise, police said. The four then traveled to Greenport, where they stole clothing and other items from a Front Street store, then went across the street and used the cre- FIsheraian s Rest. X tonf gd&d6 swuc &,Lz 104 FAMILY RESTAURANT MAIN ROAD, CUTCHOGUE, 734 -5155 Closed Mondays _L Open: 3:30 PM Tuesday — Friday 11:30 AM - 11 PM Saturday and Sunday THURSDAY --TONIGHT Pot Roast or Flounder (broiled or fried) $6.50 Whiskey Sours $1.15 SATURDAY AND SUNDAY Fresh Ham, Pot Roast or Flounder $6.95 Peconic Bay Scallops $7.95 Specials — 11:30 - 4 p.m. ALL ABOVE ITEMS INCLUDE SALAD, DESSERT AND COFFEE. i Opening May 24th Dinner 6 - 10. Fri. & Sat. 6 - 11 SHELTER ISLAND HEIGHTS "749 -2005 A Short Stroll from Greenport Ferry OVERLOOKING DERING HARBOR Seafood* Steaks •Salad Cocktails •Outdoor Patio Ilours: Fri. & Sal. 6 - 11, Sun. 1 - 10 Wed. & Thurs. 6 -111. Closed Mon. & Tues. 13 WINTHROP RD., SHELTER ISLAND 749 -0909 A Pleasant Walk from Greenport Ferry dit card for another bogus purchase, police allege. The group then headed west to Southold, Det. Burke said, and Marion Mills, Darnell Mills and Ar- rington allegedly stole a color television set and a stereo from an appliance store. As they were removing the merchan- dise, the three reportedly were spied by the storeowner; when they were con- fronted, they dropped the loot and fled to their auto, which was being driven by Whitley, according to police ac- counts. Police were notified, and the group was arrested in Mattituck by Southold Patrolman John Ship. Whitley was charged with one count of criminal facilitation (for driving the "getaway car ") and was also held on a Suffolk County arrest warrant for fail- ure to appear in court on another charge. Arrington was charged with two separate counts of petit larceny, and was held on two Suffolk County and one Nassau County arrest warrants. Darnell Mills was charged with one count of grand larceny and one count of petit larceny. Marion Mills was charged with criminal possession of sto- len property, criminal impersonation (for using the credit card), three counts of petit larceny and one count of grand larceny. About $800 worth of merchandise -- clothing, household items and trinkets -- was stolen from stores in Southold Town, Det. Burke said. Greenport de- tective John Schott said the quartet stole about $600 in goods from stores in the village. The four were to be charged on both the "use of the credit card and the larceny," Det. Schott said, but specific counts had not been deter- mined by presstime. The women were held overnight Tuesday in the Southold lockup; Dar- nell Mills spent the night in the Green- port jail. The two children were placed with relatives. The four were arraigned on the Southold charges Wednesday afternoon before Town Justice William Price Jr. Judge Price set a total of $4,000 in cash bail on the charges against Marion Mills; a total of $1,500 in bail on the charges against Darnell Mills; $500 in bail on the criminal impersonation count against Whitley; and $1,000 cash bail on the two counts against Ar- rington. All four were remanded to the county jail.