Town Focus: Day 5 in Bay Shore

It’s my last day in Bay Shore.

Today, you’ll find stories that will show off the wealth of knowledge and the level of pride I’ve found in Bay Shore’s residents all week.

We’ll post a story and video on Bay Shore’s history. The land was signed over from the Queen of England in 1708 and at its peak, Bay Shore was a summer community for the wealthy and famous.

But it didn’t stay that way forever, though remnants of its splendor remain in mansions that still stand. Beginning in the 1960s, a series of events turned Bay Shore into the kind of place where “you couldn’t walk down Main Street,” according to Priscilla Hancock, first vice president of the historical society.

By the late 1980s and early 1990s, the community was ready to take a stand for a better quality of life.

In 1994, the Community Summit council met for the first time, representing various organizations in Bay Shore, including the chamber of commerce, the school district and elected officials. That group, which now represents about 40 community organizations, has met every month since then and holds a Community Summit every spring.

This year’s summit will be held April 19 at the Bay Shore High School. We’ll post more about this year’s summit and how it all began later today.

If you’re in Bay Shore this weekend, check out the Bay Shore-Brightwaters Little League Opening Day parade on Saturday, beginning at 9 a.m. and followed by a ceremony. Games will go on throughout the day. The fields are located behind the Target shopping center on Penataquit Drive.

Thank you for all of your emails, comments, and tweets. They have helped guide me through Bay Shore this week. Feel free to send others today and in the future. I’m sure there will be plenty more to report on in Bay Shore as the community continues to grow.