Nikki Paris Knows Oyster Bay
When Nikki Paris, secretary to Bayville Mayor Douglas Watson was asked what the mystery picture in the Nov. 16 issue of the Enterprise Pilot was, answered, “It is a Sprint truck with a cell phone antenna parked near the Bayville Fire House on Bayville Avenue.”
She is absolutely correct. They were providing emergency cell phone service to customers after the storm. The mystery picture was taken by Gregory Druhak on Sunday, Nov. 4.
“It looks like a temporary communication tower,” said Carla Panetta and Jennifer Simone of Bladykis & Panetta, adding to the information. Ms. Panetta said about Hurricane Sandy, “Bayville was pretty wild on the sound side and we had neighbors staying with us. The next day the water receded pretty quickly on the sound side but the bay side always has more trouble with water dissipating, especially the east end. They were under water three to five feet for several days.”
On West Harbor Drive the water was being pumped out of the street areas and into the bay. There were giant hoses that ran across the road.
Ms. Panetta said, “People on the beach areas find that the water goes away quickly. Bayville in that area is like a soup bowl: if you are on the beach you are often four or five feet above your neighbors in the center of the area.
“The new drainage system that was put in by the village, seemed to be working. In the ‘92 storm the water was there for days. With this one, in two and a half days all the water was gone. There is a new drainage system that was put in by the village. It has big water drains that have baffles. They are like an envelope flap and the water can drain out. The mayor should be happy that taxpayers’ money was well spent on the program,” she added.
So there’s the story. Hopefully, it’s always informative to read the mystery picture answer.
— DFK
