Community Corner

Top 10 Headlines from the Summer of 2012

Take a look back at some of the top stories of this past summer.

Summer – it’s “over,” now that school busses are delaying traffic once again every morning, Labor Day has come and gone and local fields will soon be crawling with pumpkin pickers and corn maze seekers.

This summer was like most summers out here when the tourists saturate the North Fork, and the news gets a little crazy in all departments — police and fire, government and business, festivals and other events.

Here a few notable stories to come out of the summer of 2012. Remember the times — thanks for reading, and we look forward to covering next summer.

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1. Amanda Clark Represents the U.S., Shelter Island in the Olympics

If any local news was awe-inspiring this year, it was this coverage of Shelter Island native Amanda Clark’s road to the London Olympics in the women’s 470 sailing competition in August. Though she and her partner did not win a medal, they made it to the medal race and had all of the North Fork cheering. Patch covered a local pre-game fundraiser, talked to her husband and followed the London event play-by-play to bring the world back home.

Find out what's happening in North Forkwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

 

2. Swimming Pool Drownings Leave Community Heartbroken

Two were fatal, one was near-fatal. The month of July into early August was marred by three drowning incidents in local swimming pools. Walter Jose Gomez, 18, of Cutchogue, and 23-year-old Heather Domino, the daughter of Southold Town Trustee and local environmental activist Michael Domino, died after drowning in July. An 11-year-old Brooklyn boy was saved from a near drowning on Aug. 4.

 

 

 

3.  

An Orient man was one of two people who died when a plane crashed and burned in Shirley during the morning of Aug. 19. Police identified David McElroy, 53, shortly after 3 p.m. on Monday after previously identifying a woman from upstate New York, 60-year-old Goshen resident Jane Unhjem, as the crash's other victim. 

4. Tall Ships Bring A Dramatic, Historic Flare — and Lots of People — to Greenport  

From the opening 10 a.m. ceremony onward, crowds flowed into downtown Greenport via train, boat and automobile for the Tall Ships festival over Memorial Day Weekend. The festival coincided with the 200th anniversary of the War of 1812 this year.

 

A civil court case between a Mattituck woman and the family of Joseph Marino ended on Aug. 9, when the two sides formally agreed to a financial restitution settlement and Caroline Goss admitting in an open courtroom that driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol led to the death of the 15-year-old Hampton Bays teen in August of 2009.

 

After 20 years under the same law and now litigation, Southold Town Board members said on July 17 that they will try to change requirements for dumping garbage in town. Since 1993, residents of have had to buy special yellow bags from the town in order to throw their garbage away at the in Cutchogue. The law was enacted in order to encourage residents to recycle instead of throw everything away and to comply with state-mandated recycling goals, according to Southold Town Supervisor Scott Russell.

But with the option of paying a private carter — and more private carters now trying to do business in town — residents have become more confused by the yellow bag requirement.

7. People Like the New Greenport-Sag Harbor Ferry Service  

Since its approval from both villages this spring, the new people passenger ferry connecting Greenport and Sag Harbor really took off this past summer.

 

 

 

8.  

Beginning in June, the Puppy Experience in Aquebogue has been experiencing regular protestors outside of their front window — with waggily-tailed dogs looking outside of it. The animal advocates are protesting what they call an inhumane puppy mill, but the store’s owner recently told Patch that  

 

After a Mattituck man claimed he was attacked by a loose dog on Bailie Beach, he brought the dog’s owners to court and raised the issue of a town-wide leash law on all town beaches. But, as it turns out, – an antiquated law that Supervisor Scott Russell said needs to be changed.  

10. Business Change-Ups Take Place Across the North Fork  

Summer is the time for those looking to launch a new business or make a change usually take the plunge on the North Fork. Here are just a few notable business stories from the summer of 2012.  

 

 

 

 

 

What was the biggest story from this summer for you? Tell us in the comment boxes below.


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