The Curse Of Lake Ronkonkoma
(Self-published; November 2002)
This spiral-bound text chronicles the historical myths and legends
of Lake Ronkonkoma,
which is Long Island's largest lake.
In the mid 1990s, Ebert became interested in the lake after a classmate
drowned there. Years later, he scoured local libraries and historical societies for
articles and records dating back to the early 1900s. The text recounts in
an organized way all information that had been published on the lake.
Many superstitions involve Indian legends passed down through the generations.
Some depict the murky waters as being bottomless or having underground connections to other waterways, while others describe
the lake as having an uncanny tendency to rise and fall in cyclical patterns.
Perhaps the most fascinating myth concerns an Indian princess killed
in the lake who returns annually to claim the life of a young male.
