*Fans Of FocusLard for 2001, not 20on �i and Literary
Stoutenburgh
is honored
Focus on Nature author Paul
Stoutenburgh was the recipi-
ent of the 2000 Art and
Literary Award given by the
New York State Outdoor
Education Association at its
conference this week. The
honor recognized Mr.
Stoutenburgh's "outstanding
literary /creative arts abilities
through publications, schol-
arly pursuits and creative
arts achievements related to
outdoor education." Jean
Craighead George, author of
such popular children's
books as "My Side of the
Mountain" and "Julie of the
Wolves," received the award
last year and was this year's
main speaker.
i6144611t
the Riverhead area since 1868
ell ew
Thursday, July 19, 2001
VOL XCIX No. 44
New column debuts:
Paul Stoutenburgh's
`Focus on Nature'
to appear weekly.
Page 5A
I
School
days
A look back at
Mattituck s old
schoolhouses
By Norman Wamback
Barbara and Paul Stoutenburgh's
excellent series about the early history
of the Cutchogue schools and
Cutchogue Village that appeared
recently in The Suffolk Times was
very interesting reading. As one who
grew up in Mattituck and from an
early age was interested in local histo-
ry, I have taken the Stoutenburghs'
suggestion that people in other local
villages, knowledgeable of the history
of their schools,
do what they First in
have done, and
write an article. a series
The following is
an account of
the early schools in Mattituck.
The Story of the Gustaysons
Jeff Miller
Headlines started kickin' cans,
LILCO plants and master plans.
Unwrappin' the baloney,
Rev. Rocco and MASCONY.
Makin' friends from A to Z,
Murdock, Prusinowski,
Janoski, Nickles, Harris,,
Penny, Stark and where is Forbes?
Did you know what you were up against?
Ninety -nine percent Republicans.
Thank God for your brilliant crew,
Chen and Gould to name a few,
Campbell, Ried and Curtis,
And one day, even, Myrtis.
All of them were cutting edge,
Like Jochum and his pigeon wedge,
Twelve hundred Times /Reviews* that
printed all the news that fit.
Now a quarter century
has gone by at Great Neck speed,
So where did Troy and Joan go right?
Seems the answer's here, tonight.
Journalists, put your pens down on the table
and listen up 'cause I've just begun
to tell you all a most peculiar fable,
the story of the Gustaysons:
Way way back in Hackensack,
two kids made some eye contact.
While Miss Bidell imparted
Troy and Joan got started
On a dharma carnival,
college, marriage, kids and all,
then runnin' on a fast track,
woikin' as a Schweicker flack.
Where did they go wrong?
Seemed they had it goin' on.
Way way out past Stony Brook,
someplace no one else would look,
they found a little bidniz,
if that's, in fact, what this is,
Full of friendly characters,
Otters, Garrells, Stoutenburghs.
Look out, they're all behind you.
Welcome to the Times /Review.
Wood and Willmott were your competitors,
(but you got your)
hat knocked off by your own editor.
September 5, 2002 • The Suffolk Times
Meanwhile, let me say this: Rob White's weekly
contributions to these pages have tickled the North
Fork's collective funny bone, and stimulated its col-
lective conscience, for nearly two decades. Along
with Judy Ahrens's photos and Paul and Barbara
Stoutenburgh's "Focus on Nature" columns,-his car-
toons have helped forge this newspaper's soul. And
that's not something that will be easily replaced.
It should be fun getting together
with some of our fellow `old- timers,"
including a number of others still
associated with the paper after all
these years. Barbara Stoutenburgh
was a typesetter and proofreader back
in those days, and she's been helping
her husband, Paul, with his "Focus on
Nature" column for some 40 years.
Ronnie Wacker was The Suffolk
Times' principal staff reporter back in
the early and mid '70s, and she's still
contributing monthly personality pro-
files to the paper. Marty Garrell start-
ed writing his "North Fork Outdoors"
column at about that same time, and
he's still going strong, too. And then,
of course, there's staff photographer
Judy Ahrens, who began working here
about a month before we arrived. In
many ways, Judy's name has become
synonymous with The Suffolk Times.