Matt Bentz, of Forest Hills, was the winner of the Oyster Festival Raffle that took place as the event ended at 6 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 19. He had a choice between winning a 2015 Chrysler 200 three-year lease or $15,000 in cash. He chose the cash. He is the “Perfect Oyster Festival Raffle winner.”
Bentz is a computer systems administrator with Spa Creek Software, a company that writes software for other software developers, and has been to the festival numerous times over the years; in fact, next year he is hoping to sail here on his 24 ft. sailboat. He got it “reasonably” from a friend who was buying up.
“It is currently in Liberty Harbor with damage from Hurricane Sandy. I’ll have to get through Hell Gate—it is a challenge and you need to time it. [For non-sailors, the current changes direction at that point and whirlpools are the result and are to be avoided.] But the idea of coming over Saturday and staying overnight, staying Sunday and sailing home afterwards is great. It’s a beautiful boat and being on the water with the wind in your hair is great.” A man of the sea, Bentz’s favorite way to eat oysters “is with a little horseradish and lemon juice to enjoy nature’s bounty as it is presented to me.”
Bentz is sharing his winnings with a friend. They went to the festival together and made a handshake pact that they would share if the ticket won. Bentz said he would give half of his share to charity.
Bentz’s view of the Oyster Festival might be next year’s best quote:
“I had a great time, it was a gorgeous day, I ate well, got to see the fireboat demonstration [It shoots up an impressive display with its water hoses], there was great food, great music, great people. As crowded as it is, it is surprisingly low key and nice: that’s Long Island: good people getting together,” and for a good cause.”
He said the Rotary Foundation has invited him to attend a Wednesday luncheon where he will be presented with his check.
In the other major contests of the festival: this year’s oyster shucking contest, was won by Seaford resident Louis Tuccillo. He came in ahead of last year’s winner Lynbrook resident Ralph Alarcon in a “squeeker” with 31-30.
The oyster eating “cup” winner was Harlem’s Nathaniel Cocca-Bates, who finished off 96 oysters, ahead of Lindenhurst’s Dan Gallo and Brooklyn’s Scott Keatley, who tied with 60 oysters each, a third less than the top gulper.
Visitors were able to get onboard the John J. Harvey fireboat, again this year, even to explore the boiler room. This is their third year at the festival and they are truly in need of the donations they receive. Loyal volunteers work at her preservation including Daphne Mosher, who retired as a reporter for Time Inc.’s Money magazine in 2007, where she began while attending college. She has been enjoying traveling. She learned sailing with Womanship on the Chesapeake Bay and the Virgin Islands. “I just love being on the water and I want to keep the John J. for the kids.”
When it turned out that visitors would not be able to board the Freedom Schooner Amistad, instead Oyster Festival promoter Kerry Gillick- Goldberg brought the crew to Oyster Bay High School for students to learn their story on Wednesday and Thursday.
The Amistad rides low in the water and the Coast Guard wanted them to have two gangplanks, explained Clint Smith of the WaterFront Center. They tried to arrange a floating dock to bring people over by launch, but couldn’t find an available launch: “it’s all about insurance,” he said.
Tom Schwind of Harry Whalley & Sons, who do the electrical connections for the Oyster Festival, was talking to Bob Hurley, Town of Oyster Bay Supervisor of Public Lighting and Mel Warren, who designs the festival set-up. They credited the great weather for being two days ahead of schedule.
“This was better than three years ago when it rained all week,” said Hurley. They credited Tom Reardon for looking down from heaven and helping. That and the fine-tuning they have been doing over the years to smooth over and problems, including that this year the Town of Oyster Bay put in a sample of the tent tie-down system they will put in place next year. It will save cleanup after the festival. The giant Arts and Crafts tent needs serious securing in case of gale force winds.
