Recommend

Comment

Email this article

Print this article

Get news alerts

RSS Feeds

Share Digg Mixx Linked In Facebook Twitter Delicious

Alfred Bianco returns the 1978 World Series ring to James M. Nederlander.
Photo by Gordan M. Grant

A tremendous amount of planning goes into the annual Scavenger Hunt organized by the Water Mill Community Club, and this year, the committee’s efforts paid off. As one committee member, Eileen Noonan, pointed out, it is a challenge to make this type of event, well, a challenge, given the amount of technology we all drive around with. GPS devices are not uncommon and every team has access to the internet on some sort of portable device. But this year, the committee was up to the task, even to the point that some participants said the hunt was too difficult.

A job well done by the committee that included Eileen and her husband Tom, Tim and Cyndi Maran, Mary Maran, Bob and Donna Liehr, and John and Faye Andreasen.

Eileen provided a synopsis of how it all worked. Here’s the skinny:

“After finding their first clues at specific street signs, it was a cruise back in the local history. We had 14 teams who had to unscramble letter tiles to locate the Water Mill Museum, and once there had to count the 10 Toni and Ray Maloney bricks, as well as find up to four team member names on the bricks, count the spokes of the waterwheel and note the info on the state sign. A jumble of windmill related words led them to the Beebe Mill in Bridgehampton, and they got a task sheet that sent them on to the Sagg Bridge, Bridgehampton Little League field, and then to their next spot. Morse code led them to the Early Ship to Shore Radio Station—namely ITT or Mackay radio—but many people went to the Western Union or WLNG by mistake.

“Solving a ‘fallen phrase’ puzzle, Dizzie Lizzie led many to Conscience Point for a quick photo op at the nearby historical spot. A plastic bag containing a jumble puzzle including a rose, Oh! Henry bar, a ring and an Ace paint chip, led teams to the parking lot behind Main Street, where they got their tasks of listing as many village mayors as they could come up with, and finding the three buildings with the dates 1842 (Hildreth’s), 1865 (Herrick’s), and 1911 (Village Hall). They also had to remember a list of 10 businesses where markets such as Bohacks, McLarens, Katrinkas, and others were once located. Take 2 photo ops at the Silversmith and C. Edwin Dimon near the whipping post at the Southampton Historical Museum, and a poem with old info about the hurricane of ’38 would lead them to Dune Church where their task would be to list the proper names of the churches in the village.”

The winning team was Jill, Karen and Emily Raynor, and sisters Jamie White Wilson and Kristin White Wilson. Second went to Dave Corwith, Jim and Erin Frankenbach, and Ted and Kirsten Squires. First-place prizes were gas cards donated by Dave Hawke of Strong Oil, and second and third prizes were gift cards to Hampton Coffee Company and Panera Bread.

Be prepared for next year’s hunt because the first-place team has volunteered to be on next year’s committee. There could be some payback for the difficult clues this year.

On another note, special thanks are due Charlton Halsey for his most generous donation to the Water Mill Village Improvement Association for windmill repairs. Mr. Halsey is a former Water Mill resident now living in Greenport. You can take the man out of Water Mill, but you can’t take Water Mill out of ...

Next week is Thanksgiving. If you’ve got something you are particularly thankful for, please share it with Grist by e-mailing the address above.