Kid’s Cornhole Winners!
If you were crossing the bay Friday, Aug. 4, you may have noticed uniformed officers from the Town of Islip Harbormaster riding your ferry. This is not a new level of security. They were part of a multi-agency task force conducting a “High Visibility Security Deployment” exercise. The event was run by the U.S. Transportation Security Agency (TSA) and also included participants from Suffolk County PD, NYS DEC and the U.S. Coast Guard. According to Caroline Smith of the Town of Islip Public Information Office, these drills are conducted several times annually and consist of a briefing with current events related to maritime security, and a debrief at the end of the exercise.
Local sporting events took a couple of curve balls these last few weeks. The Sandbar’s first annual 5K Run to Remember went well. The weather cooperated and a good crowd came out to cheer the competitors who put up some impressive numbers. Two-hundred and twelve runners showed up at the event to support the Sept. 11 Tunnel to Towers Foundation. Top honors went to a pair of 18-year-old sprinters. Dylan Beggins of Bay Shore finished first in 15.44. First among the women and fourth overall was Cameron Coletti with a time of 20:05. It takes most of us that long to walk to Seaview Market. It was a stellar event for a great cause and will hopefully become an annual tradition.
The Rec Center’s first ever Cornhole tournament was just a bit off the mark. The event, which drew 21 teams, was slated to take place over two days on the tennis courts and on the dock next to police headquarters on Tuesday and Wednesday, Aug. 1 and 2. Spectators hoping to catch the finals on Wednesday from the porch of the watering hole across the street from the dock were disappointed to find that the whole event wrapped up in overtime on Tuesday due to unforeseen circumstances.
Nevertheless, the players had fun and the winners showed some real talent. Santino Riservato and Grayson Eddey took the podium for the kids and the adult team winners were Mitch Diamond and Craig Catanzaro. Diamond said, “It’s great to say you won the first year.” The event was sponsored by the Ocean Beach Association and prizes were donated by local businesses.
And then there was the ill-fated volleyball tournament between the OB lifeguards and their arch rivals, the lifeguards of Saltaire. The greatly anticipated event was a rain out. Aren’t lifeguards used to getting wet? But fret not! Chris Brahe promises a rain date in short order.
Now don’t tell me you didn’t make it to the Ocean Beach Community Fund’s Night on The Bay. If that’s the case, you missed a great party and impromptu limbo contest. The weather was cool and the music was hot with DJ Karin breakin’ it down. From sunset to fireworks, it was non-stop frivolity. You had to feel a little bad for Marvin Vipler though, stuck alone at the will call desk all night. But he said he was happy as long as the vodka and cranberry kept flowing his way.
