News

Town Focus: Orient

Sitting on the dock at the Orient Yacht Club with a sweeping view of Gardiners Bay, it’s easy to understand why members there might not want to share it. 
 “It's a terrible place,” joked Walter Strohmeyer, 83, as he enjoyed the setting sun and the company of friends at the club on Thursday night. “No one wants to come here.” 
 But actually, many people do. The club, founded in 1933, currently has a wait list of people who would like to join - and a waiting period of about two years, said Barbara Friedman, of Manhattan, who has been summering in Orient for 18 years and is on the yacht club’s social committee. 
 “People come here for the access to the waterfront and for the community,” Friedman said. “It’s great for the kids, especially if they are into sailing.” 
 “We are not sailors,” she added, though her 17-year-old son took lessons there and is now an instructor. “We just come for the social activities.” 
 Sailing was the main event on Thursday night during the club’s weekly Lightning Race, when a few teams of adult members raced the 19-foot sailboats within viewing distance of the club. 
 But only three boats were in the water at start time, and one was disqualified from the race for a late start. So many in attendance were there for what followed: a weekly community dinner for members of the club. 
 Paula Thorp, a club member who organizes the dinners, said they started about 10 years ago, picking up from an old tradition at the club. 
 Her husband, Frank, said the dinners started long before his wife got involved. 
 “Sixty years ago, the kids raced on Thursday nights,” said Frank Thorp, of East Marion. “The moms would all come and bring us dinner. That’s how Thursday-night dinners got started. I was a teenager then.” 
 Paula Thorp said about 115 people attend every Thursday and each pays $5. Thorp supplies the main dish - some kind of meat she picks up from the grocery store that is marinated and grilled up on the dock - and guests are required to bring a covered dish for as many as 10 people. 
 Peter McGreevy, the Orient Yacht Club commodore, said the Thursday night dinner brings many of the 175 member families together to enjoy the perks of the club and each other. 
 “It’s a very diverse group of people,” said McGreevy, 45, of Mattituck, adding that the club is probably half year-rounders and half summer residents, and the majority have houses in Orient. “This is what brings them all together.” 
 He said the club gives out trophies for the Thursday night races at the end of the season. 
 Kevin Gallagher, 73, of Southold, sat around a table Thursday with his wife, Dee, Strohmeyer, and another Orient resident, Betty Rowe, 81. 
 The Gallaghers, also members without a boat, joined the club to enjoy everything the Thursday night dinners embody. 
 “This is fantastic,” he said. “What could be better than this?”

Orient Yacht Club is more than just sailing

HLSAIL03

In a community with such rich history as Orient, many things continue on as they’ve always been. 
 A tree on Main Road is adorned with a plaque announcing it was there on July 4, 1776. Some steps away, the village cemetery contains many of the same names found in a current phone book — families who have stayed in the community for a millennium. 
 But some things have changed; for instance, the brand of coffee served at the Orient Country Store. 
 “They always had Maxwell House,” said Miriam Foster, 25, who bought the country store with her husband, Grayson Murphy, 26, last year. “They told us, ‘Don’t change the coffee,’ but we brought in some roasters that we know from Massachusetts, and everyone loves it.” 
 The coffee, of course, is secondary to the people that brought it there. Foster and Murphy not only took over from Linton Duell, who owned the country store for more than 30 years, but they’re “from away,” as people in Orient call people not from Orient. 
 The couple, who bought the store in April 2011 and were married in September, had been living in Massachusetts, where they both attended college. Foster was working at a bakery and Murphy at a chocolatier. They wanted to move on and find a way to work for themselves. 
 “We wanted a project,” said Murphy, originally from Texas. “We were looking for a farm on the North Fork and we ran into this place.” 
 They are the fourth owners of the pre-Revolutionary building since the turn of the last century. 
 If the newcomers were a shock to the regulars, then the precious Village Lane business district experienced another one this spring when 19-year-old Rosy Brown started scooping ice cream at the storefront two doors down from the country store. 
 She called her ice cream parlor The Idle Hour, a throwback to the ice cream and soda shop that was there more than 50 years ago. Brown, who shares a last name with one of Orient’s founding families but is not related, took a year off between high school and college and decided to pursue her culinary interest, particularly in sweets. 
 Brown, who is from Manhattan but spent summers in Orient since she was a child, said she has been overwhelmed by the positive reception. 
 “There are actually tons of people here, and tons of people eating ice cream,” the cheery redhead said. “I’ve been surprised by how many people there are here and how wonderful they’ve all been.” 
 Brown said through her time spent in Orient, she could appreciate the fact that the community has been so willing to accept the new business owners, though she said her shop has typically changed hands every three or four years. 
 “I guess that’s what everyone is talking about,” she said of herself and the country store owners. “Miriam and Grayson, that’s a big change.” 
 But in less than two years, Foster and Murphy are as ingrained into the community as the store owners before them. 
 When a customer requested pineapple juice, Foster said she ordered a case of 12 cans. It took her almost a full year to sell them all, but the important thing was the relationship she’s developing with the customers. 
 “They ask me for something and I’ll have it by next Thursday,” she said. “I would really do almost anything for my customers.” 
 Murphy said he and Foster, whose parents help out at the store every day, didn’t realize the full impact of their purchase until after they started getting to know the community. 
 “I realize now what a big deal it was for news to drop that Linton was selling this place,” he said. “People rely on this place for more than merchandise.” 
 Joseph Soito, 75, who was born and raised in Orient, said over the years, he has seen plenty of things change. When he was young, he would buy bread for his mother at the country store but the young people would hang out at The Idle Hour. 
 Now, he and a group of comrades meet at the country store every day at 4 p.m. to sip on coffee, read the paper and catch up on the day’s events. Many days, they sit on the porch long after the store closes at 5 p.m. 
 “They’re doing fine,” Soito said of Foster and Murphy. “And I guess, really, things have not changed.” 
 Above: Miriam Foster and Grayson Murphy purchased the Orient Country Store last year. (Aug. 2, 2012)

Orient businesses undergo youthful changes

Orient business district undergoes youthful changes

HLORIENT03

The headstones at the Orient Village Cemetery on Main Road are disproportionately filled with seven surnames. The same names can be found carved into war memorials scattered throughout the hamlet, denoting generations of men that have fought for their country and the small community that has supported them. 
 Even today, descendants of these families can be found all over Orient. 
 “You can't swing a cat without hitting one of these families,” said Ellen Cone Busch, executive director of the Oysterponds Historical Society. “There's a real sense of walking through history here.” 
 The region on the eastern tip of <a href="/topics//Long_Island,_NY">Long Island</a>'s <a href="/topics//North_Fork,_NY">North Fork</a> was settled in the first half of the 17th century by a group of Puritan families from East Anglia, an eastern region of England. Ever since, the names of these families — Brown, Youngs, King, Horton, Tuthill, Terry and Vail — have maintained a prominent position in the small community. 
 Though the area became known for agriculture, the Native Americans that inhabited the land for hundreds of years before the Puritans settled were not farmers at all. They were what Cone Busch described as “sophisticated” hunters and gatherers with advanced technology such as atlatl spears, which are engineered for greater velocity when they’re thrown. 
 When the Puritans came, they changed all that, introducing farming and largely forcing the Native Americans out. Cone Busch said the community has retained much of the character that the early English settlers brought with them. 
 “For a very long time, Orient and <a href="/topics//East_Marion,_NY">East Marion</a> remained a very homogeneous community,” she said. 
 With their English roots came loyalty, and during the Revolutionary War, when the British occupied Orient, many of the settlers were still loyalists. 
 “There was an identity crisis locally,” said Cone Busch. “The thought was, ‘If we’re not English, what are we?’” 
 As British soldiers raided farms and took over boardinghouses, many of those who were not loyalists fled to places like <a href="/topics//Connecticut">Connecticut</a>, often leaving their farms and other livelihoods unattended. Some people did not return, and others felt unattached to the lives they lived before the war. 
 The Vail family, which before the war owned much of Orient Point, then all farmland, came back to Orient and sold its farm to Jonathan Fish Latham. 
 Latham came to Orient in 1803, and his family still owns one of the last remaining farms in Orient. 
 “My family has been farming here for 200 plus years,” said Danny Latham, who now owns and operates Latham's Farm. “When you're a farmer, you're a farmer.” 
 Much of what is known about the history of the area comes from the diary of Augustus Griffin, a resident who was born before the Revolutionary War and died after the Civil War at 99 years old. 
 Now published, his writings include entries spanning 60 years, from 1792 to 1852, and provide a firsthand account of the changing nature of Orient. 
 Griffin, who held many jobs including schoolteacher and store owner, also played a hand in the tourist economy after he built the Village House in 1798. It served as a public house for elections and trials, an inn and even a tavern until the temperance movement came to Oysterponds — the original name for the communities of Orient and <a href="/topics//East_Marion,_NY">East Marion</a> — around the 1830s. 
 Village House, which has been renovated several times over the years, still sits on Village Lane where it is currently being refurbished. 
 Cone Busch said the additions to the Village House over the years signified a change in the local economy toward a booming tourism business. It grew from an unheated, second-floor loft for travelers to 10 legitimate guest rooms and a restaurant. 
 When the railroad came to <a href="/topics//Greenport,_NY">Greenport</a> in 1844, it allowed more vacationers from the city to find Orient. The economic boom in the north after the Civil War brought more travelers. The leisure economy continued to grow throughout the 19th century until its peak in the 1870s and 1880s. 
 Since then, both agriculture and the travel economy have slowly declined as many of those who were previously tourists built or bought summer houses. Today, a large portion of the population of Orient — at least 50 percent according to an estimate by Cone Busch — is made up of these “second-home owners.” 
 Joseph Soito, 75, has lived in Orient for his entire life. His father came from Fayal, an island off <a href="/topics//Portugal_national_football_team">Portugal</a>, in 1915 and drove a team of horses for the Mount Pleasant Hotel, a popular boardinghouse. 
 Soito said he’s stayed in Orient all this time because he’s always loved the fishing, the clamming and all the other outdoor amenities the hamlet has offered. But although the community has retained much of its character, it has changed. 
 “Basically Orient used to be 36 family farms,” he said, and now there are just four. “The kids can’t come back and farm. The mothers and fathers sold their land and people have built houses on it. There are so many rich people here now, they build houses and only come back in the summer.” 
 Cone Busch said Oysterponds was always a community that welcomed waves of newcomers and adapted to the small changes they created. Now, is no different. 
 She said that through groups such as the Orient Association and the <a href="/topics//Peconic,_NY">Peconic</a> Land Trust, residents of Orient — even those who only live in the community part time — seem committed to preserving the bucolic feel of the town, a task that does not leave room for much economic development. 
 “If you get rid of this and build a <a href="/topics//Wal-Mart">Walmart</a>, you're killing something you're never going to get back,” she said.

Orient history

Orient retains character of early English settlers

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Joseph Soito, 75, a lifelong resident of Orient, meets friends to sit and talk at the Orient Country Store every afternoon. 
 How long have you lived here? Always. My whole life. Except I was in the Army for a couple of years. 
 When did your family come here? My father came here from the island Fayal, off Portugal, in 1915. 
 Why? To work. He worked in the big motel, the Mount Pleasant Hotel. He drove a team of horses to Greenport. And you know, they would do everything themselves then. There was a garden, he grew vegetables, milked cows, whatever he needed to do. There were no stores then, you didn’t go out and buy things. My mother came in 1920. She came from the same island. They knew each other, but they weren’t buddies or anything. They hooked up over here. I had a sister [born] in 1925 and I was born in 1937. 
 What was it like here growing up? It was -- it still is, I think -- a wonderful place. It was all farmland, fish trapping, baymen. There were some factories in Greenport. Basically, Orient was 36 family farms. I went to school right here, we used to play in the woods all the time, go ice skating in the winter. On Fridays, you’d go to the movies. On Saturday, you’d go roller skating. Everyone loved fishing, clamming, stuff like that. It was a good life for me. I started working as a truck driver delivering oil. Then I went to tech school to repair oil burners, and then I was like a hero all winter long. 
 Why did you decide to stay here as an adult? I just loved it. I love fishing, love clamming. There’s everything I like to do here. I go on trips and stuff to go see other things, but I always come back here. I’m happy to come back home always. I got married. I met a girl that worked at Orient Point. She was working at the marina, she came here with a girl whose father was renting the place for the summer. At 10 o’clock, all the girls would go to Orient Point Inn for a drink. My buddy was the bartender. She was a great dancer. She hated it out here, but lo and behold, at the end of the summer, she got a job at Plum Island and she stayed. That year was rough. She tried to get me to move to New York City and get a job, but I convinced her to stay. The first 20 years were rough, she’d say. We’ll be married going on 48 years now. 
 How has Orient changed? All the young folks that are here now. Farming was always going down. It was hard to make a buck. You had to be more or less a family farm because you couldn’t pay people. It was an easy, simple life. The ferry boat started in the '40s, then it stopped during World War II. It came back in 1952 -- different owners than it is now. We’ve never seen so much traffic on our roads. It just goes up every year. What’s changed is that the kids can’t come back and farm. The mothers and fathers sold their land and people have built houses on it. There are so many rich people here now, they build houses and only come back in the summer. It’s not crowded, but we’re small, we can only handle so many people. There are not too many originals left -- the Lathams, the Youngs, the Tuthills, they all have someone left but not many. 
 What has stayed the same? The bays have stayed pretty good. 
 How would you describe the character of Orient? Quiet. Relaxing.

Orient man repairing oil burners was ‘hero all winter long’

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Our focus on Orient is coming to an end, though not quite over yet. 
 Although I’ve crossed the Orient-East Marion Causeway for the last time (this week, at least), I still have plenty of stories to share from my time there. 
 Today, you’ll get a glimpse into life as a member of the Orient Yacht Club, which at the moment has about a two-year waiting list to become a member. The club itself is located on the historic Orient wharf, which once was the main portal for goods shipped to the area when Orient Point was just farmland. 
 Last night, I popped into the club’s weekly Thursday adult sailing races, followed by a potluck dinner. Look for photos and a story on the event today. 
 You’ll also finally see the history story and video we’ve been working on all week, which will provide you with one more opportunity to view scenes from the picturesque community and take a deeper look into how it has evolved. 
 Plus, read about Orient’s newest business owners and also meet a couple of “old-timers” who have lived in Orient for 70 years or more. 
 Keep your comments coming, and find more photos and tidbits from Orient on Twitter, Foursquare and Storify. Heading out to Orient soon? Ask me anything ... I’ve seen the whole place.

Town Focus: Day 5 in Orient

Dam Pond Maritime Reserve 

(30) Dam Pond Maritime Reserve/ nm

Walter Strohmeyer, 83, Orient, is a member of the Orient Yacht Club, where he was enjoying a weekly community dinner Thursday night with friends. Strohmeyer, like many people in Orient, says he likes to pretend there's nothing special about the place so no one else will move here. 
 How long have you lived here? All my life. Just summers I'd come out. After I retired I moved out [here] permanently. 
 Where did you live the rest of the year? I grew up in Little Neck, Queens, and I spent much of my life in Connecticut -- New Haven, Hartford, Madison. I was a CPA, I worked for Yale. 
 When did you retire and move out here? I retired in 1990 but I didn't move until 2000. 
 What made you want to move out here full time? I had a house that I inherited, what better reason is there? 
 What were your summers like here growing up? This was a potato house long before it was the yacht club. I used to work here grading potatoes. Sometimes I also brought the potatoes here from the farms. I worked for the Terry farm and the Lathams. I also worked as a lifeguard at the state park. It was always enjoyable for the whole family to come out here. 
 So, tell me what's changed about Orient? It hasn't changed that badly. The big change is there were 20 farms and now there are two. Some farmland is not being used at all. 
 How would you describe the character of Orient? I'm not going to, we'll have the whole world out here. 
 Really? OK, actually we do believe it's paradise, particularly in the summer.

Orient man recalls yacht club when it was potato house

Orient man remembers yacht club when it was potato house

Walter Strohmeyer

When Kathi Gemma thinks of Orient, she thinks of rushing to the Cross Sound Ferry dock in Orient Point with just seconds to spare before it leaves for New England without her. 
 Gemma, 63, of Providence, R.I., spends a week every summer with a friend on Fire Island. Her time away begins and ends on the ferry, and it plays as much of a role in her memories of vacationing as any other part of her week. 
 “I always get to the ferry with literally 30 seconds to spare,” she said as she rode back toward her home Tuesday. “Last year, they held the ferry for me, which was really very nice. There was a girl standing on the dock and she was literally holding the gates open.” 
 For many of the thousands of riders the Cross Sound Ferry&nbsp;has each day, it is the only connection they have to Orient and their portal to the scenic North Fork and beyond. 
 The Cross Sound Ferry is more than just a fleet of high-powered, high-capacity vessels, said Stanley Mickus, director of marketing and public affairs for the company. It is a way to connect one shore to another, businesses to their wares, and family and friends. 
 “It’s amazing how the service has evolved,” said Mickus, 44, who started working as a deckhand on the ferry when he was 15. “But the thing that’s stayed the same is that it has always been there.” 
 Ferry service began as an extension of the Long Island Rail Road in the mid-1800s, with steamboats from New York City to the East End of Long Island and Stonington, Conn. 
 In 1975, the Connecticut-based Wronoski family bought the business, calling it Cross Sound Ferry, and built it up to what the company is today. 
 Though based in Connecticut, Cross Sound Ferry has always been a part of the fabric of the Orient community, offering a large source of tax revenue in the small hamlet and as one of the largest employers, Mickus said. 
 Andy Binkowski, the Cross Sound Ferry manager based in Orient Point and also the president of the North Fork Chamber of Commerce, said all of his employees come from the North Fork, many starting while they are in high school and working for the ferry for years. 
 In addition, he said Cross Sound Ferry puts a lot back into the community. For example, every July, it operates a “Fireworks Cruise,” and all of the money raised from the event is dispersed to organizations on the North Fork, including student scholarships. 
 Binkowski, who lives in Orient, said the ferry is important not only to the economy of Orient, but to the entire North Fork -- though some&nbsp;say the ferry contributes to congestion on the roadways. 
 “The North Fork is a tourist attraction even if some people wish it weren’t,” he said. “We bring people to the North Fork and they spend their dollars at the local farm stands, restaurants and other shops. And we also allow a lot of people on the North Fork to leave without having to drive through the city and other places.” 
 Mickus said that throughout its history, the ferry -- and the steamboats before it -- have always been about more than just functionality, and ferry rider Gemma agreed. 
 She sat in a booth inside the ferry on Tuesday, and though her laptop was on the table in front of her, she kept it zipped tightly in its carrying case. 
 She’d rather look out the window and enjoy the last hour and 20 minutes of her vacation before docking on shore. 
 “For me, the ferry is a little buffer period when you get to decompress,” she said. “When you get on the ferry, you’ve got nothing to do but relax and look at the water.”

Ferry in Orient Point is portal for thousands

Ferry in Orient Point is portal for thousands each day

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Orient is surrounded by water, so on Day 4, I’ll check out how some of the community takes advantage of that at the Orient Yacht Club. 
 Throughout the week as I’ve walked by the yacht club, I’ve seen people going in and out, and there has always been a line of small, white sails trailing from the club out into the bay. 
 Every Thursday evening throughout the summer, the yacht club hosts a sailing race for adults followed by a dinner at the club. I’ll attend the weekly event to see how it brings members of the community together and how the importance of being near the water plays in each of their lives. 
 Today, you’ll also find my story on the injection of new, young business owners into the small Orient business district. Yesterday, I met Rosy Brown, who at 19 decided she wanted to rent a small shop on Village Lane and run her own ice cream parlor. 
 Look for a story today with more on Brown’s business, as well as how the relatively new owners of the Orient Country Store, Miriam Foster and Grayson Murphy (also newly married), have made out in their first year-and-a-half. 
 As the week starts to wind down, don’t forget to follow along on <a href="http://www.twitter.com/eringeismar">Twitter</a>, <a href="http://www.foursquare.com/eringeismar">Foursquare</a> and Storify. You can also share with me your thoughts and any experiences you might have had in Orient via <a href="mailto:erin.geismar@newsday.com">email</a> or in the comment section. 
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Town Focus: Day 4 in Orient

HLORIENT01

Rosy Brown, 19, is the owner of The Idle Hour ice cream shop. 
 I've learned that the Brown family goes back a very long time in Orient. Are you related? Oh, no. I'm not from around here. 
 Where are you from? I live in Manhattan, but I've been coming to the North Fork since I was a few weeks old and to Orient since I was 7 or 8. My family lives out here part time. 
 So you own this ice cream shop, how did that come about? The landlords told me it was free and it sounded like a fun thing to do. I love food and sweets and it seemed like a nice summer project. I signed a lease for three years, so I'll definitely be here for that long and then I'm not sure. 
 You're 19! That's a pretty big thing to take on. What about school? I took a year off between high school and college. I traveled for a while, I was in Africa and India and then I interned in the city at a magazine. This summer I knew I wanted to be around family before I went off to college — although I ended up not really seeing them all that much anyway. 
 What do you think about Orient? It's wonderful here. It's a really close community. There is nothing left like this anywhere else, at least not that I've seen. The kids run around here in packs, they come in here in their swimsuits and no shoes — which they're not supposed to do. It's still in the past. It's a bubble. 
 How were your summers out here growing up? I love it out here so much. I prefer it to the city. It's like the classic childhood every parent wants for their children. As a kid you have so much freedom out here. If you run down to the general store, your parents are not worried. There are always kids here without adults in giant packs and they all take care of each other. 
 Has the business been a success so far? It's wonderful. I've been blessed that it's been such good business. 
 Pictured above: Rosy Brown, 19, is the owner of The Idle Hour ice cream shop in Orient. (Aug. 1, 2012)

Orient biz owner, 19, recalls a ‘classic childhood’

Orient biz owner, 19, recalls a ‘classic childhood’ on North Fork

Rosy Brown

Danny Latham, 64, is the owner of the 160-acre Latham’s Farm in Orient. His family was among the earliest European settlers of the area during the first half of the 17th century. We caught up with him outside his farm stand on Main Road where he sells the fruits and vegetables he grows on the farm. 
 How long have you lived in Orient? 
 My entire life except when I went away to college. 
 What do you like about the community? 
 My farm has been here since 1806, my family has been farming here for 200 plus years. I studied to be a school teacher, but I thought that I would do better as a farmer. 
 Do you grow everything that you sell at your farm stand? 
 We raise about 90 percent of what they sell on the stand. I specialize in tomatoes. 
 What has changed about the town over the years? 
 It has gone from a rural community when I started farming back in 1971, back then there were 31 farmers. It has changed to a mostly suburban community. 
 What keeps you here? 
 At my age of 64, there’s not much that you’re going to do after you’ve spent your entire life farming. When you’re a farmer, you’re a farmer. I live here with my wife, I’ve been married for 44 years. I have two children, grandchildren. They come to visit every now and then. 
 How many grandchildren do you have? 
 Four. They live in New England. 
 What makes Orient a special place compared to other towns on Long Island? 
 Did you take a picture out there? It’s beautiful! The people are nice, the second homeowners. Most of them are retired, I’ve made friends with a lot of them. The community is nice.

Orient farming family among earliest settlers

Orient farming family among earliest settlers of area

Danny Latham

Sarah Michta, 28, of Orient, works at The Candyman, which is owned by her family. 
 Tell me about you and your family's history here. I grew up here. I'm the fourth generation to work at the store. My grandmother, Evelyn Heins, is still the owner. She lives in Florida now and my parents have taken over. 
 How long has the store been here? We've been in this location for more than 30 years. My great grandfather, William Heins, started it as a retirement project from his house after he left his candy shop in Huntington and moved out here. He came over straight from Germany so we still use all his old recipes, the same copper kettles. 
 What was it like growing up here? It's a small town. Everybody knows everybody, it's kind of nice. Going to school we all grew up together from elementary school to high school. 
 Do a lot of people stay after high school or come back after college? Some stay. Most leave, I guess. 
 What made you stay? This is my family business so I'm connected to it. I did leave for college. I went to Stony Brook and studied health sciences but it was hard to find a job out here with that. I'm going to Suffolk [County Community College] now for nursing. 
 What do you like about living here? It's a nice place. The regular convenience of businesses farther west up Suffolk is nice but this is something you get used to. 
 Has it changed since you were younger? Not really. It's stayed pretty much the same since I was younger. Greenport has changed a lot. It's become much more touristy.

4 generations have kept Orient store going

Michta

While stopping for gas en route to the Cross Sound Ferry in Orient, Tory Germann bought a Lotto ticket. 
 A resident of Westford, Mass., Germann is hoping to hit the big one, intending to get a summer house of her own in the area with her winnings. 
 “I love the North Fork,” Germann said. 
 During her stay on the East End with her husband Mark, Germann visited with family, made a trip to the beach and went on a fishing boat where her two sons -- Chet, 13, and Tom, 11 -- caught striped bass and bluefish. 
 On the way back to the ferry, the Germanns stopped at the Cider Mill farm stand to get food for the boat ride to New London, Conn. 
 Back home, Germann works as a photographer for the Lowell Sun. While driving through the bucolic town of Orient, she picked out a picturesque hamburger restaurant and ice cream parlor for her family to eat at during their visit next summer. With a little bit of luck, however, the Germanns could be returning sooner than expected. 
 Above: On a trip from their home in Westford, Mass., Tory Germann, her husband Mark and their two sons Tom, left, 11, and Chet, 13, travel homeward on the Cross Sound Ferry out of Orient. (July 31, 2012)

Daring to dream with Orient Lotto ticket

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On Day 3 in Orient, we’ll focus on the business district -- yes, there is one. 
 A turn off Main Road down Village Lane in Orient reveals a row of quaint shops that serve functions both commercial and social. 
 On the short span of sidewalk that stretches from the Orient Country Store to The Idle Hour ice cream shop, you can always find residents picking up lunch or something for the house, kids riding their bikes and people either on their way to or from the beach. 
 We’ll visit with business owners on and off Village Lane and spend some time in the Orient Country Store, getting to know owners Miriam and Grayson Murphy. The couple bought the store from longtime owner Linton Duell in the fall and have already become deeply ingrained members of the community. 
 Yesterday, we rode the ferry to and from New London, Conn., and talked with Stanley Mickus, director of marketing and public affairs for the Cross Sound Ferry, about the role it plays in the community. 
 Though the company is based in Connecticut, it has always played a huge role in the Orient community. Look for a story on the company’s history posted today. 
 Have we piqued your curiosity about Orient yet? Or do you know something we don’t? We want to hear from you either way. You can share your thoughts and comments through <a href="mailto:erin.geismar@newsday.com">email</a> or in the comments section below and keep following along on <a href="http://www.twitter.com/eringeismar">Twitter</a>, <a href="https://foursquare.com/eringeismar">Foursquare</a> and Storify. 
 Above: Village Lane in Orient 
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Town Focus: Day 3 in Orient

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Editor’s note: All week long, Erin Geismar is interviewing people around Orient, from community leaders to residents she bumps into around town. Ellen Cone Busch, 40, of Orient, is director of the Oysterponds Historical Society. Cone Busch moved to Orient about four years ago to take the job with the historical society. 
 Where did you live prior to coming to Orient? 
 I lived in Oyster Bay, In Locust Valley, and I was working at Planting Fields Arboretum. I grew up in Merrick. 
 Had you ever been to Orient before you started looking into the job? 
 Like many people, I came through to take the ferry. My husband's family lives in Southeast Connecticut. We would pass through Orient on our way to the ferry, and finally we stopped at one point and realized what a lovely place it is. And then when I came here to work and to the historical society, I realized what an amazing collection they had. 
 What has it been like to move to such a small community? 
 It's a very welcoming place. It's very much [like] New England. Coming from Southwest Nassau, it's a different culture. It's a great blend of sophistication and down to earth. 
 What stands out about the place? 
 I think it's that small-town feel. Everybody really is one community and everybody knows each other and cares. 
 Can you give me any examples? 
 I can't walk to the post office without seeing at least a half dozen people I know. I have committee meetings in the dairy aisle at the IGA. I can catch up with half of my neighbors there. 
 What are the winters like? 
 It's quiet. You can find a parking space. I think it's more like a family. It's like at Christmas when you have a house full of guests and then the guests go home and the family stays. It's a nice core. There is a center core of people that this is home to, and it's like a family. 
 What challenges does the community face? 
 In striking a balance between accepting the new and keeping the old. The younger generation can't afford to stay here. That is a problem when the new generation can't buy a house here. 
 Define the character of the community. 
 Lovely. Rare. Sophisticated. Down to earth.

Orient woman maintains area’s history

Editor’s note: All week long, Erin Geismar is interviewing people around Orient, from community leaders to residents she bumps into around town. Andy Binkowski, 45, of Orient, is Cross Sound Ferry manager and president of the North Fork Chamber of Commerce. 
 How long have you lived in Orient? 
 A year, but we’ve been on the North Fork since January ’03. Before that we lived in Stonington, Conn. 
 What brought you to Long Island initially, and then why move to Orient? 
 The Cross Sound Ferry offered me this position so we relocated. We lived in the Cutchogue/New Suffolk area. We came to Orient because it’s closer to work. Our daughter was in the school district in Cutchogue and we didn’t want to move her again because we had already moved her from Connecticut. So we waited and as soon as she finished high school, we moved. 
 How was your first year? 
 Excellent. We love it out here. It’s peaceful, it’s close to work for me and my wife -- she works at Eastern Long Island Hospital. She’s a secretary there. 
 What did you do before coming to work for the ferry? 
 I worked for them in Connecticut for a little over a year. Before that I was a part-owner of a taxi business, but I wanted a more stable lifestyle, so that’s when I got the job with Cross Sound Ferry. I was assistant manager in Connecticut for a year and three months, and then the offered for me to come here. 
 Tell me about your job. 
 When they offered this to me, they wanted me not just to come and be the manager of Cross Sound Ferry, but to get involved in the community and be the face of Cross Sound Ferry. I was a member of the Chamber of Commerce anyway, but I got more involved. I’m also involved with the fire department and the police department -- not a member but involved. And slowly I somehow ended up as president of the chamber this past January. 
 What is a day like on the dock? 
 That depends -- winter or summer? 
 In the winter, cold and very quiet. 
 In the summer, it’s controlled chaos. A lot of people more through here, thousands every day. We have a lot of first users and a lot of steady customers that we’ve gotten to know. 
 So what is life like in Orient? What do people do, what do you and your wife like to do? 
 We go out a lot. We go to the restaurant next door with all the locals and hang out. We take the ferry and go back and forth to Connecticut to visit our family there. 
 We just kind of enjoy Orient. We like sitting out on the back porch, we enjoy the quiet. We go to the wineries sometimes, but we did that more when we first moved here; now we leave it to the tourists. 
 It’s an enjoyable place, it really is. And we attend a lot of functions. The hospital functions and other organizations, the fire department, the police department. There’s always something going on. 
 So it’s not exactly an isolated life out here? 
 In the winter more so, but not really. There’s rarely a week that goes by that we don’t have something to attend. 
 What’s the biggest difference between your old stamping grounds and this side of the ferry? 
 For us, it’s the isolation from everything. And by everything, I mean the Dunkin’ Donuts, the Target, the Wal-Mart, the Stop &amp; Shop. We had all that at our fingertips and out here we have a lot of mom and pop stores that don’t necessarily have what you’re used to but they have what you need. 
 What’s the makeup of the community? 
 There are a good amount of year-rounders, but a lot of summer people. The locals are the locals, it’s their town, their community and they don’t like a lot of change. 
 They are all good people. Of all the people we’ve met and gotten to know, I could pick up the phone and call anyone of them and they would come and give me a hand if I needed it. 
 It doesn’t seem like there’s a variety of industry out here. How do people make a living? 
 Fishing is huge out here. A lot of people are self-employed. There are a couple of bed-and-breakfasts, small stores. But other than that, there’s not a lot in Orient. There’s the ferry also, and Plum Island, which employs a lot of people, but not necessarily all from Orient. 
 Describe the character of Orient. 
 Friendly. A very friendly community.

Ferry manager loving move to Orient

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On Day 2 in Orient, I’m joining the morning crowd at the Orient Country Store for a cup of coffee and then heading to the Oysterponds Historical Society to meet with director Ellen Cone Busch. 
 I first met Cone Busch earlier this month during the Oysterponds Heritage Day celebration, and her passion for the community and its traditions is one of the things that made me want to come to Orient for Town Focus. 
 Cone Busch and I will discuss the community’s beginnings and how it’s evolved. You can find a full story and video on the history of Orient later this week. 
 In the afternoon, I’m heading back to the Orient Point Ferry terminal, but this time I’m boarding a boat. Since thousands of people -- many from Orient -- ride the ferry every day, I’m going to join them. I’ll ride to New London and back, chat with riders and employees and, of course, be tweeting along the way. 
 Follow along on Twitter and via the Storify below. You can also send me your suggestions and thoughts on the Orient community by email or in the comments section. 
 Above: The Village House, built in 1798 originally as a one-story house for Augustus Griffin, is one of six buildings filled with history as part of The Oysterponds Historical Society in Orient. Griffin was an early town historian. (Sept. 19, 2010) 
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Town Focus: Day 2 in Orient

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Editor’s note: All week long, Erin Geismar is interviewing people around Orient, from community leaders to residents she bumps into around town. 
 Daniela DiStefano-Michkovits, 37, of Coram, served as Orient's postmaster for 10 years, before transferring to her new spot at the Water Mill Post Office last week. 
 We ran into her at the Orient Country Store last week where she visited with old customers on the day she was back in town to pack up her things. 
 So you came to work in Orient 10 years ago. Why stay so long? 
 It's beautiful out here, I mean, have you seen it? And it's a nice place, very family oriented. 
 What is it like to be the postmaster? 
 Part of it is integrating yourself into the community, finding out the family relations -- it's like being the governor! 
 How so? 
 Because there's only one or two places here where everyone goes. It's [the country store] and the post office. You know everyone. They communicate and they converse with you and you're like a line out. It's an intimate relationship. And the postmaster knows all the secrets - but I can't tell you about them. 
 Have you worked other places? 
 Pick a town -- mid-island, North Fork, South Fork. All over. 
 Is Orient different from other places you've worked? 
 It's extremely unique. It's like it's an island in its own. Once you get off the highway everything changes. 
 How do you feel about moving on? 
 I'm very sad. I'm going to miss everybody. But I'm not really gone. I'm just not working here anymore. They can come visit me at my other office. 
 So you really can't give away any of the secrets? 
 No, no. I can't do that. 
 How would you describe the character of Orient? 
 It's unique. That's it.

Orient postmaster bids farewell

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At the Orient Country Store, there’s a little bit of anything the mostly commercial-free community at the end of the North Fork might need. 
 As of this spring, that includes books, books on tape, DVDs and magazines, courtesy of the Floyd Memorial Library in Greenport. 
 Twice a month, assistant library director Poppy Johnson brings a curated selection from the Greenport library - about six miles away - to the country store. Thanks to a laptop, a portable bar code scanner and a digital library system, Johnson can do everything from her small corner of the country store that she could in the library. 
 “I can check in, check out, answer reference questions and just talk to people,” said Johnson, who has been a librarian in Greenport, where she’s lived for more than 20 years. “It’s a good way to remind people about everything we do.” 
 And while the outreach program is relatively new (and in a community that values things that stay the same), Johnson does more talking than checking out. 
 “People are still getting used to us being here,” she said, greeting the customers that walk into the store - many by name - and asking them about their days, their families and news around town. 
 But she’s committed to the project. As a young girl waits for her lunch at the deli counter, Johnson sizes her up: “What do you think we could tempt her with?” she asks her colleague, Stephanie Prato, an intern at the library, suggesting a children’s book with a unicorn on the cover. 
 Johnson also remembers that the owner of a nearby cafe does not have a library card. 
 “We could go get her to sign up,” Johnson said. 
 “Maybe I could go watch the counter for her,” Prato offered. “She’s there alone.” 
 Late in the shift (Johnson is there from 2 to 4 p.m.), Evan Ozolins, 13, who lives in East Marion, comes to the store for a drink and leaves with a book. 
 “I thought my brother would like it,” he said about the book he chose, “Shakespeare for Beginners.” 
 Ozolins said they don’t get to the library very often, and this was his first time checking out a book from the country store. This was more convenient, he said. 
 By the time Ozolins was checking out his book, his whole family had already been through to the store on separate occasions. He was in earlier, when he left his glasses there, then his brother came back to collect them. Just before Ozolins checked out the book, his parents were there to pick up a few things as they took a break from cleaning out their house in Orient, which recently burned down in a fire. 
 Johnson said the foot traffic and the camaraderie is what makes the country store the perfect spot for an impromptu library. 
 “The library is not the building,” she said. “The library is the people and the desire to share, and you can do that anywhere.” 
 Photo by Erin Geismar. Poppy Johnson, assistant library director at Floyd Memorial Library in Greenport, and library intern Stephanie Prato check out a book for East Marion resident Evan Ozolins at the Orient Country Store. (July 25, 2012)

Orient Country Store turns into library regularly

Orient Country Store turns into library twice a month

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It will be a long drive to get to Orient every day this week, but worth it to walk the picturesque streets, chat with the friendly residents and get to know what makes the small community unique. 
 On Day 1, I’ll meet with Andy Binkowski, who is the manager at the Orient Point dock of the Cross Sound Ferry - probably the most familiar part of the North Fork community for many Long Islanders who pass through Orient just to get there. 
 I’ll talk to Binkowski about working for the ferry company and life in Orient. He’s a resident here and also president of the Chamber of Commerce. 
 You’ll also find a story posted today about a library outreach program that takes place twice a month at the Orient Country Store. Poppy Johnson, assistant director at the Floyd Memorial Library in Greenport, brings a hand-picked selection of library materials to the community so they don’t have to leave Orient to be active members of the library. 
 I sat with Johnson for a couple of hours last week as she’s working to get the relatively new outreach program on its feet. 
 For the rest of the day, I’ll be wandering around town, taking photos and video and chatting with anyone I meet. You can follow along and include your thoughts by <a href="mailto:erin.geismar@newsday.com">email</a>, <a href="http://www.twitter.com/eringeismar">Twitter</a> and in the comments below. 
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Town Focus: Day 1 in Orient

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