Text size:

Beyond the Boom

TRANSFORMATION: 1973-1998

For Long Island, 1973 marked the end of the post-war suburban explosion -- and the beginning of a quarter-century when the Island became defined less by its promise than by its limitations.

The Shoreham fiasco, the decline and sale of Grumman, the infamous Garbage Barge -- all pointed to a region grappling with post-boom reality. There were plenty of other events to hold our interest along the way, of course: The ``Amityville Horror'' and Hurricane Gloria, the trial of Joe Margiotta and the death of Harry Chapin, the triumph of the Islanders, even the poignant tale of Physty the Whale. All were part of an era of transformation marking the end of Long Island as a boundless frontier.

"Beyond the Boom," the final chapter of "Long Island: Our Story,'' brings history up to date with a dozen stories that reflect these last 25 years of life on Long Island.

ABOUT THIS SECTION:

In addition to those whose bylines and credits appear with the stories, several others had key roles in the preparation of Chapter 9:

Richard Firstman, editor; Georgina Martorella, research; Jeff Schamberry, photo editing; Kathryn Sweeney and Susan King, photo research; Larry Striegel and Richard L. Wiltamuth, news editing; Tim Drachlis, graphics editing; and Moná Crawford, Linda Maleski and Connie Mango, Internet site production.