JUNE 2019 • LONGISLANDPRESS.COM 13
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him. He would regale me with tales of
training and his missions. As a young
boy growing up this was all fabulous
and it was inevitable that as soon as
I could I would fly an airplane and I
did. I will go out to the airport when I
the itch. I take an instructor pilot with
me because I don’t fly often enough to
feel safe. Flight is fairly unforgiving.
You can’t pull over on the side of the
road if you forgot to do something.
How have stories changed with
social media? Everyone has a camera
now. We get all sorts of material
we never would have gotten. That
has opened up more possibilities
for us to expand our coverage. Our
own reporters can whip out their
phones in an emergency; if they
see something happening they can
start recording.
What can you share that our
readers may not know? My mother
lived in East Hampton and moved
to Southampton and then went to
Peconic Landing. She spent the final
years of her life there. And I have a
home on the East End of Long Island.
I spend a lot of time out there. It is
a wonderful place to go. After 9/11
when I could finally get away after
that horrible day I went out to the East
End. It was so peaceful after the chaos
and to spend time there was some sort
of touchstone. Long Island saved me
that day.
You’ve managed to look good. What’s
your secret? When I hit the age of 60
I decided I needed to be a little more
serious about taking care of myself. I
couldn't coast along on my previous
youthful conditioning. That is when I
got a little more disciplined about my
exercise and diet. I like eating dessert
but stopped eating it. It took one tough
year. And I do cardio at least three days
a week and some weight training to
keep muscle tone. I will throw something
out from the Air Force on days
you don’t feel like exercising: "Defeat
the urge to skip a day."
I know you are an animal lover. We
have two female mixed-breed shelter
dogs named Phoebe and Emma. Phoebe
was found on a roadside in Texas.
The senior of the two is Emma. She
was from South Carolina and was
living in the woods. We also have a
black-and-white male tuxedo cat.
What are some initiatives you support?
My wife Ellen is involved in
three different animal organizations
and shelters. She chairs the fundraiser
for the Emily Alexander Wildlife
Rescue Center. It is the only place
you can go to on the East End of Long
Island if you stumble on an injured
furry or a feathered creature. It is a
struggle every year to raise the funds
necessary to keep the center going.
The Animal Rescue Fund of the
Hamptons is another. Ellen is on the
board. And a marvelous little shelter
called Gimme Shelter. This is where
we got two of our little black dogs.
Many of our readers are passionate
about animals. What can they
do? I would like people to be aware
these are vital resources and we can
do something to help. The Get Wild
Benefit at the Wildlife Rescue Center
is the first thing coming up, on June
29 and that really needs support.
We have crowded animals out to
a great extent on Long Island with
development and we do share the
environment with these creatures
and they do enrich our lives.
Will our readers get to see you? I
will be there.
Chuck Scarborough at home in the cockpit.
Chuck Scarborough circa 1978 preparing for a newscast at WNBC.
Courtesy of WNBC.
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