Way to Go!: Brittany Browner, of Oyster Bay
Brittany Browner has created a self-guided tour pamphlet that features 13 historical highlights in Oyster Bay tied to President Theodore Roosevelt. Credit: Oyster Bay School District
An Oyster Bay High School senior has created a self-guided tour pamphlet promoting the area’s historical ties to President Theodore Roosevelt.
The “Teddy’s Tour” pamphlet, crafted by Brittany Browner, includes 13 historical highlights, including Sagamore Hill, known as the “Summer White House;” the Theodore Roosevelt Sanctuary and Audubon Center; and Youngs Memorial Cemetery, where the 26th president and his wife, Edith, are buried.
Browner’s effort was the community service component of her Gold Award, the highest honor that can be earned by a Girl Scout. She is a member of Girl Scout Troop 138.
The pamphlet also encourages people to post their photos on social media using the hashtags #teddystourob and #visitoysterbay.
“I always knew I wanted to target something in my town,” said Browner, 17. “Oyster Bay is a very small town, and I figured this would help attract people from the outside and help businesses make more money.”
She said she handed out 1,500 pamphlets last fall at Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Park during the hamlet’s 34th annual Oyster Festival. She plans to ask local stores and restaurants to display the pamphlets and hopes to make a printable version available through the Oyster Bay-East Norwich Chamber of Commerce’s website.
Browner is a member of her school’s badminton team, National Honor Society and Science Honor Society.— Michael R. Ebert
Michael R. Ebert is an education researcher and has worked for Newsday in various capacities since 2003. He was part of an 11-person team named as 2008 Pulitzer Prize finalists for investigative coverage of the LIRR's platform safety issues.
