BACK WHEN

50 YEARS AGO


Dredge Shinnecock at West Neck Harbor


For eons Mother Nature has given us starlit skies, calm waters and a cool breeze to whisper through the leaves on a hot summer night. She has also sent storms of torrential rains and winds, high tides and occasionally a hurricane to these shores. The result of the latter has been erosion — the gradual disappearance of land into the sea. But Mother Nature early last week felt the fury with which man has learned to combat this violence when the county dredge Shinnecock made its appearance at the entrance to West Neck Harbor to rebuild the barrier reef Shell Beach, which has all but disappeared through erosion. • JANUARY 30, 1960


25 YEARS AGO


Police help rescue dog from frigid waters


On Wednesday [it was]reported to police that a dog had fallen through the ice on Menantic Creek. Chief of Police George Ferrer and patrolman Ricky Mitchell sped to the scene and requested Assistant Center Fire Chief, Wayne Moritz, to respond to the scene with a truck. Moritz, accompanied by the dog’s owner — James Eklund of South Midway Road — using the boat and pike pole, crossed the ice to reach the animal whose head and front paws were still above water and plucked the helpless animal out of the frigid water … at which point the ice on which Moritz was standing gave way, sending him into the creek. Both Moritz and the dog survived the ordeal. • JANUARY 31, 1985


10 YEARS AGO


From Crab Creek to London


Write a message, seal it into a bottle, toss it into the sea, then wait for an answer from some distant shore half a world away. It’s such a romantic notion that people make movies about it. But for third-grader Justin Reilly, it’s more than a great idea for a movie, it’s turned out to be real life … About two weeks ago Justin’s mother, Kim, handed him a letter addressed to him and in an envelope marked “By air mail.” It came from a family that lives on Jack Straw’s Lane. In England. Oxford, England to be more precise. … “Dear Justin, Happy New Year! Your bottle was found! A friend of our aunt’s found your bottle on Long Island, New York. Our aunt came to visit for Christmas and brought it to our house.” • JANUARY 27, 2000