125 Years Ago 1901
From The East Hampton Star, October 18
It is perhaps not generally known that most of the roads on Divinity Hill and in that vicinity are private thoroughfares. Although they are used as public highways and have all the appearance of being such, Lee avenue, Cottage avenue and Huntting road do not belong to the town.
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The East Hampton branch of the Needlework Guild of America held its annual meeting last week at the home of Mrs. F.A Cartwright, at which time the officers were re-elected as follows: President, Mrs. F.A Cartwright; vice presidents, Mrs. John D. Stokes and Miss Ella C. Osborne; treasurer, Mrs. Stafford Tillinghast; secretary, Mrs. John D. Hedges.
A goodly number of articles were contributed for the year 1900, thirty-four of which were applied to local charities, and eighty-nine articles, including sheets, pillowcases and undergarments, were sent to the relief of the sufferers in the terrible Jacksonville disaster. A kindly note from the mayor of that city expressed their appreciation thereof.
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The annual meeting of the Montauk District S.S. Association will be held in this place next Thursday, Oct. 24. The afternoon session will be held in the Methodist church, and the evening session in the Presbyterian church.
100 Years Ago 1926
From The East Hampton Star, October 15
The voters of East Hampton Township will be given an opportunity, on Nov. 10, to decide whether or not they wish to raise the sum of $30,000 to be used in the purchasing of a site for a Town building. At a special meeting on Wednesday night of the members of the Town Board, it was agreed that a need for a suitable Town building existed and, after listening to reports on several properties that have been offered to the Town as possible sites, the board decided to set a date when the Township could vote on the proposition.
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Radio played an important part in providing the public news of the progress of the World Series games played in New York and St. Louis. Stations WEAF and WJZ joined forces, and through the courtesy of Graham McNamee and Phillips Carlin at the microphone, gave to the eager public a play-by-play description of the games. Several of the stores here provided receivers and loud speakers for their customers’ enjoyment.
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The long-awaited Anniversary Book of East Hampton was presented to the public this week. The committee, Rev. Wm. Grainger, chairman; E.E. Bartlett, Mary P. Hamlin, Samuel Seabury, G.H. Buek, and Harry Sleight, who have completed this long labor of love, are receiving congratulations on the dignified green and cream volume, so beautifully printed and illustrated, whose 140 pages include an historical sketch of East Hampton, written by Judge Samuel Seabury, and the book of the pageant celebrating our two hundred and seventy-fifth anniversary of the founding of the town, which was written by Miss Abigail Halsey. The printing was done by the Bartlett-Orr Press.
75 Years Ago 1951
From The East Hampton Star, October 18
Work on the foundation of the new educational unit of the School of Nursing of the Southampton Hospital has been completed, and the building is expected to be finished and occupied by next spring. The general contract for the new building has been executed by Terry and DuFrane, Southampton contractors, at $53,863.
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How to make residents of East Hampton and vicinity fully aware of the social and educational opportunities available at Guild Hall during the winter was the chief topic of discussion at the Winter Committee meeting conducted by Ralph C. Frood at Guild Hall on Thursday, Oct. 11.
The committee, of which Mr. Frood and Ralph G. Reutershan are co-chairmen this year, felt that people often hesitated to enroll for some of the clubs and classes, not realizing that in all cases beginners are particularly welcome and that no advance knowledge of the subject is necessary.
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Henri de Kerillis, editor of French newspapers for 20 years, will speak on the subject of “Peace and War in the World” on Friday, Oct. 26, in St. Luke’s Parish House here. Mr. de Kerillis was a member of the French government and is an author and lecturer. He is now making his home in Bridgehampton.
50 Years Ago 1976
From The East Hampton Star, October 14
The East Hampton Town Trustees took a good look at the Town shellfish ordinance Tuesday night and found some of its language murkier than the waters it governs. That part of the ordinance recently amended to facilitate an equitable and ecologically sound scallop season was criticized as working at cross-purposes to its intent.
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An after-school program for children from six to 14 that would include tutoring, outdoor education, field trips, music, arts and crafts, and theater is being planned by East Hampton Year-Round Head Start, according to its director, David Giles.
Mr. Giles said this week that he was confident the program could get funding from the County Social Services Department, inasmuch as children from eligible families would be served, but added that its success would depend on volunteer instructors.
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It wasn’t President Ford’s doing. He vetoed the Public Works Act of 1976 twice. But, by a Congressional override, including the affirmative vote of the First Congressional District’s Otis G. Pike, the Act has put $3.7 billion into the job market, including $2 billion for State and local construction projects, and sent plans to build an addition to the Amagansett School back to the drawing board.
25 Years Ago 2001
From The East Hampton Star, October 18
Terrorist attacks, and threats of more, have put a damper on school trips scheduled for the coming months, although not all South Fork parents and school officials agree on how to handle the situation. At issue are a number of overseas and regional trips for elementary through high school students.
Public and private schools have canceled, or in some cases postponed, their plans for high schoolers to go abroad this year, pending the course of developments worldwide.
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It is almost 4 on Friday afternoon in the American Legion Hall in Amagansett. The bar is crowded. Shouts erupt when a reporter asks for the men’s opinions about the United States response to the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.
Everyone expresses support for the bombing, but few are willing to comment for publication.
One man, Milton Thomas, a World War II veteran who served in the Navy aboard amphibious landing crafts, seems to speak for the rest. “I’m glad we’re over there,” he said.
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The word is good for potato farmers this year, as increased market prices, an absence of pests, and an ample harvest contributed to the success of what is still Long Island’s biggest cash crop.
Up around $1.50 over last year’s, potato prices are now at $9 per hundredweight, said John Wesnofske, who, together with his brothers Michael and Rick and his father, Clyde, runs the Remi Wesnofske farm in Bridgehampton. For more than 50 years, his family has rotated potatoes and field corn over 500 acres of land.
“The year has been good. I can’t complain,” he said.
