Columns

Column: That show was plum disappointing

TIM KELLY FILE PHOTO | A bird's eye view of Plum Island.

Charles Kuralt probably rolled over in his grave last weekend during the airing of the “CBS Sunday Morning” piece on Plum Island.

I tuned in with great anticipation to the report by correspondent John Miller, but it turned out to be a mushy rehash of old news — or should I say old wives’ tales — including the widely discredited theory that Lyme disease originated on Plum Island, author Michael C. Carroll and his spurious “Lab 257: The Disturbing Story of the Government’s Secret Plum Island Germ Laboratory” and even the daffy Montauk Monster conspiracy theory.

I kept waiting for some new news, but there wasn’t any. In fact, Mr. Miller didn’t even bother to mention the strong likelihood that Plum Island eventually will be auctioned off by the government and converted into a wind farm or a think tank or a golf resort or a town/county/state/national park.

Historically, “Sunday Morning” has been one of my favorite programs — particularly when the late Charles Kuralt was the host — but this past Sunday’s edition was uncharacteristically weak. Not only did the Plum Island story disappoint, but it seemed like several of the other segments were aired only to tout books just about to be released by CBS’s affiliated publishing house. It was shameless self-promotion, basically.

If you opted to watch the French Open Sunday morning, you can assess the Plum Island piece for yourself by watching it on our site. And if you end up disagreeing with my take on the program, please feel free to post a comment at the bottom of this column.

On Monday afternoon, I stopped in for a sandwich at Henry Bremer’s inviting little deli on Main Road in Mattituck. (Bologna and Muenster on a hard roll with lettuce, mayo and mustard.) Searching for a snack to accompany my healthful repast, I went looking for North Fork Potato Chips and was blown away by the variety of chips offered. And the quality, too. I opted for some chips flavored with, among other things, garlic — and they were delish.

And that got me to thinking about what a wonderful company the Sidor family has created and how amazing it is that a once-little enterprise from Mattituck, Long Island, New York, is not-so-slowly but surely going national. When I called them to confirm that fact, I was informed that they’re currently distributing their chips to such far-flung jurisdictions as Texas and Wisconsin. Surely it’s only a matter of time before they’re shipping chips to China.

And that got me to thinking (yes, scattered thoughts are a function of advanced age) about Sea Tow, the once-little Southold company that’s now truly international. And that got me wondering what other local companies have managed to forge national and/or international markets. I’m assuming some of our area vineyards fall into this category, but if you know of other candidates for this distinguished list, please share them by sending an e-mail to [email protected].


And speaking of Sea Tow, I actually got the big man himself, Captain Joe Frohnhoefer, on the phone Tuesday when I called to confirm something I’d heard via the grapevine: that he and his wife, Georgia, are being honored by San Simeon by the Sound Center for Nursing and Rehabilitation at a July 22 fundraiser at Founders Landing in Southold. (Yes, it’s true, Joe said.) For more information or tickets, contact Andrea Parks at 631-477-2110, ext. 252, or e-mail [email protected].

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