We had another great weekend in Oyster Bay. Friends of the Bay held their Launch the Season gala held Friday, May 7 in the gracious headquarters of DiSalvo Interiors at 255 South Street. Did you notice the white tent and the oars up against their sign?
The staff served the hors d’oeuvres as if you were a guest in their home. The offices were lovely and showed off their business in the best light.
Carol Silva was a magnificent auctioneer giving bidders enough time, and encouraging them to spend money on the great items including a Montauk fishing trip donated by Rich Appell and won by Chuck Panetta; a sailing lesson with Dawn Riley of Oak Cliff Sailing Center – which she translated into three lessons when bidders were too excited to stop; and a personal clamming lesson and a sunset cruise in Oyster Bay Harbor.
Miss Riley has great hopes of Oyster Bay being a noted center for boat racing, a perfect use of the harbor. It is especially great because it was the racing that brought the founding members of the Seawanhaka Yacht Club to Oyster Bay. They were ship owners who preferred to captain their own boats – a unique breed at the time.
Saturday, the Oyster Bay Railroad Museum dedicated their 1964 Worlds Fair Cab to a group of people, including 45 members of the Electric Railway Association (ERA) and the New York Rail Road Enthusiasts (RRE). They spent the day in Oyster Bay. John Speece, president of the OBRM, said it was an example of the economic impact of having the railroad museum in Oyster Bay.
Best of all, the rail yard is looking wonderful. The Worlds Fair Cab is complete and one caboose is almost finished. There is a lot of good news there as a result of its great volunteers.
All in all, it was a wonderful weekend in Oyster Bay.
Topping it all off, the Nantucket Lightship left the harbor Monday morning after 10 years of being here. It sailed out with the help of a tugboat at about 9 to 9:30 a.m.
The Nantucket had a great group of volunteers involved with it. We were told they had a farewell party over the weekend. At first we thought the boat was leaving on Saturday morning or evening at high tide. Because of a storm at sea on Saturday evening the date was changed and instead it sailed out on Monday.
It is going to a lighthouse museum in Boston.
While many were happy to see it leave, some said, “It served a purpose as a wind block for the pier.” “It was a shame no one could go on board.” And some commented they will miss seeing the “Big red ship” in the harbor.
