This is a possible duplicate of an identical eMail that I sent earlier but that has not yet showed up on either the Mailing List or the Suffolk County Rootsweb page. = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = An article in today's (October 9, 2003) NEWSDAY reports that a mass grave filled with human remains has been uncovered on Shelter Island, and experts say the unique way the bodies were positioned could open a new chapter in Long Island's American Indian history. The grave was discovered last week, as Walter Richards, 29, a Shelter Island police officer, was excavating his property on Osprey Road to build a barn. Police said workers, digging 3 to 4 feet into the earth, found scattered skeletal remains. So far, police said, skeletal remains from four to five humans have been removed from the site. An additional five bodies remain undisturbed, Police Chief James Read said. The full NEWSDAY article can be found at (copy and paste the entire URL, beginning with "http" and ending with "print"): http://www.newsday.com/news/printedition/ny-limass093487946oct09,0,6896342.sto ry?coll=ny-news-print The pertinent geography: Shelter Island is a hamlet (an unincorporated community) in the central and southeastern part of the Town of Shelter Island, Suffolk County. There is 1 village (incorporated municipality) and 2 hamlets (unincorporated community) in the Town of Shelter Island. There are no cities and 10 towns in Suffolk County. There are 2 Indian reservations in Suffolk County. (I'm including after my name a NYS Geographic Glossary with the NYS definitions of county, city, town, village, hamlet and postal zone.) Beginning on the north and moving in a clockwise direction, the Hamlet of Shelter Island in the Town of Shelter Island is bordered on the north and west by the Hamlet of Shelter Island Heights; on the east by Gardiners Bay; and, on the south by the Noyack Bay. For those who have their copy of the 2002 or earlier edition of the LI Population Survey or have already downloaded the report from the Long Island Power Authority web site (eMail me directly if you need instructions on how to access and download the report), you'll find the Hamlet of Shelter Island in the Town of Shelter Island, Suffolk County on pages 15 & 34 (map) and 35 (population estimate). I hope this information is useful or, at least, interesting. Walter Greenspan . Cities, Towns, Villages, Hamlets and Postal Zones in New York State New York State is divided into counties. County A county is a municipal corporation, a subdivision of the state, created to perform state functions; a "regional" government. All counties are divided into cities, towns and Indian reservations. City A city is a unique governmental entity with its own special charter. Cities are not sub-divided, except into neighborhoods, which are informal geographic areas. Town A town is a municipal corporation and encompasses all territory within the state except that within cities or Indian reservations. Towns can be sub-divided into villages and hamlets. Village A village is a general purpose municipal corporation formed voluntarily by the residents of an area in one or more towns to provide themselves with municipal services. The pattern of village organization is similar to those of a city. A village is divided into neighborhoods, which are informal geographic areas. Hamlet A hamlet is an unincorporated area in one or more towns that is governed at-large by the town(s) it is in. A hamlet is divided into neighborhoods, which are informal geographic areas. Postal Zone "City" and "Town" A postal zone "City" and "Town" is an administrative district established by the U.S. Postal Service to deliver the mail. Postal zone "City" and "Town" may not (but are encouraged to) conform to municipal or community borders. Thus, postal zone location does not always determine city, village or hamlet location. Please be aware: In many areas of New York State, the problem of non-conforming postal zones leads to a situation where the majority of places have a different community name in their mailing address than the community where that place is actually located.