OCEAN BAY PARKBy Barbara Gaby PacillaWe finished up the month of May with a flurry of activity. Steve and I were in Europe for several weeks, cruising through Scandinavia up to St. Petersburg, and the weather could not have been better. Only when we stayed in Amsterdam did we get a taste of what our friends back on Fire Island were experiencing. I hope the chilly, drizzly days of May are behind us and we are on our way to a summer of warm, sunny beach days.A few days after we got back from our trip, it was time for the annual Auxiliary plant sale. It was a “plantastic” success with every single plant and bag of potting soil sold by 11:40 a.m.! A big thanks and round of applause for all the Auxiliary members who work so hard to ensure that this event is successful. Special recognition goes to Pat, Lanny and Jeff Vannoni. When the plants arrived at the dock unexpectedly at 8 a.m., they helped Steve and I schlepp the 18 carts to the firehouse. Each year, my partner in plant crime, Ellie Mal and I say, “This is it!” We are getting too old. Who knows what next year will bring?
The day after the plant sale, my fellow Gemini, Mike Supple celebrated a very big birthday on May 22. Mickey you look great for an old man and still have your hair! Other Geminis celebrating this month are Joan Rubenstein who marks her own milestone birthday on June 10, “Carpenter Glenn,” who shares a June 13 birthday with Ellie Mal, me on Flag Day and my youngest grandson, Caleb Gaby on June 20. Happy Birthday all you Geminis and any I may have missed.
Ocean Bay Park Community Manager Bartley Horton has been busy putting up new signs around town and the Brookhaven Highway Department did some additional work on Erie. Over at the western “border” between M and L streets, Seaview Manager Lawrence Mattiasen put the finishing touches to what truly is a field of dreams. The official opening took place on Saturday, May 28 with a ribbon cutting ceremony. In honor of Memorial Day, Seaview Association President Tom Ruskin asked for a moment of silence. The ribbon was cut and the first pitch thrown by Fred Newman.Jacques Capsouto, who formerly owned a house on Ocean Bay Boulevard, came for his annual visit. Many of you may remember the wonderful French bistro, Capsouto Freres in Tribeca which Jacques and his brothers owned for many years. After Super Storm Sandy, Jacques sold his house in OBP, left the restaurant world (I hope only temporarily) and embarked on a new venture, a vineyard called Jacques Capsouto Vignobles in the Galilee region of Israel. Wine Spectator has rated the wines in the high 80s. I am personally holding “KK” aka Kenny Klein to his promise that I will get to taste Jacques’ wine very soon.We really are a family in Ocean Bay Park and it gives me such pleasure to see how the generations are advancing, even though it means I’m getting older. Jared DeSerio is now managing the restaurant at Schooner Inn. It seems like only yesterday that Jared, age 7, would sneak out of the house, go down to the Schooner wearing his SECURITY t-shirt and sit at the door with the late “Big Richie” Barnes. Jared told me he loves his job and is especially happy to be working with his good friend Danielle. They’ve been FI friends since they were nine and ran errands for Patty Loesch at the FI Hotel. The Schooner bartenders are having a mini-baby boom and ensuring there will be OBP’ers well into the future. Danielle and Billy are expecting their first child this fall, John DiGangi and his wife just welcomed their second daughter Violet Eghan while Lindsay and Nate Straut named their baby girl Harper. Musician J Haus and Alicia have a baby girl, also named Violet.In my last column I was remiss in acknowledging the passing of Barbara Stecher’s husband, David Entwhistle and Susan Abraham’s father, Jack Abrahams. Dave was a renter for over 30 years, and avid tennis player who always started his day down at the OBP courts regardless of the weather. How he and Ric Andersen played in 90 + degree weather is a mystery. I will remember Jack Abrahams as Ocean Bay Boulevard’s own “artist in residence”. Jack’s daughter, Susan gave him a 90th birthday party which we attended and I am grateful that we got to see him at his witty, charming self before he passed. Jack was an accomplished painter and I hope that Susan exhibits some of his work at the Fran Miller Schooner Inn Art Show on August 6. She told me that she is contemplating writing a book about her father detailing his exploits and their travels together. I think she should call it “Just Jack.”Memorial Day is the traditional kick off of the “season” on Fire Island; however the summer solstice, June 20 at 3:34 pm this year, is the astrological start of summer. Let’s all have a safe summer. Please check the batteries in your smoke and carbon dioxide detectors and if you are missing either/both, get them. Northwell Health, formerly North Shore/LIJ, Immediate Care clinic is open in Ocean Beach. The address is 504 Bayberry Walk, 631-583-8546, walk-in hours are 7 days a week 9:00 am-11: am and 4:00 pm-6:00 pm. Most insurance is accepted.Until next time, thanks for reading!Email Barbara with your Ocean Bay Park news and events at oceanbaypark@fireisland-news.com.
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