Dan's Papers - May 30, 2008

Dear Dan,
To read Ms. Cooper's review of this book is troubling because she has just obviously accepted what she has read as the truth, and therefore by just repeating it, is not unlike so many talking head pundits do on TV these days.
As someone who is a recognized historian and former resident of the Shirley area, I was truly looking forward to the arrival of this book. Ms. McMasters contacted me several years ago for both information and potential people to interview for it.
After reading it, I have to say about the only thing I can agree with is that what happened to the Shirley area is indeed a sad tale. But I am also saddened that Ms. McMaster's, who is a talented writer, would use her talent to distort history to support a thesis. There are just too many factual errors and half-truths here about the basic history of the town to be dismissed as just sloppy work. Because of that I can only say that her far bigger picture of the environmental dangers both real and imaginary of having a nuclear facility looming in Shirley's back yard is greatly diminished. If you are interested in an in depth review of many of the books errors pointed out in detail just go to "The Knapps Lived Here" website (spooncentral.com/knapp.shtml) and look on the left side of the main page in the green area.

Dear Dan,
We may have cursed them under our breath in the past over a parking violation on a holiday weekend, but I can honestly say that as soon as I leave Manorville and get onto the Sunrise Highway, I feel safe and at peace. At least I used to. The Hamptons' various police departments used to do a great job executing the balance between keeping a safe environment and letting people know with a gentle warning when they may be driving a little fast to get to that event they are late to, but something has changed. Perhaps the war hungry Bush era has trickled down to local weekend-home towns, but strolling around the Hamptons is starting to feel less like a walk through old New England towns and more like a walk through Nazi-Germany.
It began with the blatant speed limit change to 35 on all major roads. All of a sudden, we are forced to drive like the little old lady we silently condemn. What's more, because people did not follow the ridiculous alteration, they posted the most horrifying sign upon entering Southampton featuring a life-sized cop car with a life-sized cop dramatically lunging with a speed gun, reading "SPEED LIMIT 35 AND HEAVILY PATROLLED." Okay guys, we get it... you're on a power trip. May I point out the speed limit is actually faster on the back roads than it is on the highway? A young gentlemen I spoke with yesterday named Sebastian, who grew up in Southampton, told us that his father was pulled over for doing 2 MPH over the speed limit commenting that he has never seen the police department act this unreasonable in his entire life.
I could deal with slower traffic...fine. But last night, the most atrocious display of power glutton took place all over East Hampton Village. While enjoying a glass of wine and picking out a piece of artwork shot by our friend Steven Klein at his show opening at Vered Gallery, chanting ensued from the front room: "LEAVE HER ALONE! LEAVE HER ALONE! LEAVE HER ALONE!" Well, you get the point. It turns out, the police began hassling the gallery owner for serving wine and liquor without a proper liquor license. First of all, wine and cheese gallery openings and book signings have been a staple of Hamptons' life ever since Jackson Pollock. So how dare they come in with bullet proof vests and humiliate shop owners (I am not exaggerating with the vests.) And instead of simply fining the gallery owner, which would have gotten the point across fantastically, especially after creating such a scene, they arrested her! Families with their young children gathered around in the parking lot behind Waldbaum's watching as they threw well-dressed innocent middle-aged women into the back of barred police cars. Guilty of nothing more than pouring a glass of wine to consenting adults looking to buy some art. Unfortunately this took place at more than one gallery last night.
What next? I predict (or shall I go far enough to say that I recommend) a backlash. I think it is up the citizens of the Hamptons to write to their towns' offices and tell them how appalled we are with this sudden change of police mentality. We need to reclaim Hamptons living for the citizen. After all, this is where we have our summer homes. Where we go to relax. Can that be done when they can literally arrest you (to quote Edie Beale) "for wearing red shoes on a Thursday?"