Bring Back Wild Dogs or maybe wolves

From today's L.I. Advance, From the Archives of the Long Island Advance, 75 Years Ago:

" While motoring along South Country Road near Yaphank Avenue a short time ago, Norman F. Nelson Jr. saw a young deer emerge from the woods followed by two dogs, one of which was attacking the deer's haunches. Mr. Nelson left his car and advanced toward the dogs with a stick. To his surprise, the deer rushed towards him, to within 10 feet, apparently fearing him less than the dogs. Then it bounded across the road and escaped its pursuers. Deer used to be a common sight in the Southaven woods, but few have been reported recently."

There are two items of modern (2009) interest — deer are now plentiful and a nuisance; dogs running wild are rare. My contention is that one of the reasons for the proliferation of deer is that dogs are no longer allowed to run wild. 

A neighbor has suggested "It's wolves, not wild dogs, you want to bring back. They've been successfully reintroduced many places out west. Can you imagine the howling (from the public) if you suggested that for Wertheim [Wildlife Refuge]? "

1983 Brookhaven History Talk Rediscovered

Thanks again to Marty van Lith, a 1983 talk given by Janet Reddall and Alfred Nelson to the Brookhaven Free Library Association has been rediscovered and posted on the Brookhaven/South Haven web site.  In the talk, Janet and Al recall the community they knew in the early 20th century.  Their remembrances provide human faces to many of the families, residences and events of the time.

Janet Ewing Reddall was 82 at the time of the talk.  She died in 1995.  Alfred Nelson was 80; he died in 1988.

I have annotated the text with hyperlinks to pages about individuals and buildings where additional information may be found.

We are fortunate that the talk was transcribed for the Library Association by Regina David, a Library trustee and my neighbor.

Composition by Irene Hawkins dated January 20, 1880

Marty Van Lith found an interesting composition by then 15-year Irene Hawkins at the Post Morrow Foundation.  Neat handwriting, bright kid.  The last sentence of the composition on the second page is on top of the page.

Legend reads:

"Composition by Irene Hawkins dated January 20, 1880.  Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Cherrington to the Brookhaven Free Library in 1983.  They received it from Ernest Hawkins, nephew to Irene Hawkins.

"Irene Hawkins was born in 1865, became a teacher in the Brookhaven School, later married the principal, Jesse Johnson, and resided in her family home (now #311 Beaver Dam Road)."

The link is to Irene's data sheet in the site Hamlet People Database, where a link to the essay may be found.

Union Dime Club, Brookhaven, NY

Thanks to a collection of historic memorbelia from Barbara Kresse, we learn of the social life in Brookhaven Hamlet in the 1880s.  An article from the Patchogue Advance, February 7, 1952, reveals activities of a community social group called the Union Dime Club which held dances and other socials widely attended by community members.  Hyperlinks are provided within the article to people and residences mentioned.