Dan's Papers - July 13, 2007 -

Dear Dan,
My husband and I live on West 58th St off 6th Avenue. We are also building in Southampton. We have been reading Dan's Papers for years, but now that we are on the west side of NYC we are having a problem finding an outlet to get them.
I called and the office there said to go to Hertz rent a car on 55th and the Dollar rental on 52nd. I went today and neither had any papers. WHERE CAN WE GET THE PAPERS? We used to have a subscription but we travel a lot so it didn't work out, so now we have to pick them up each week. Thank you for your help. We are looking forward to our house being ready so then we wont have any problem getting our favorite paper! I look forward to hearing from you. I am willing to go over to the East side of Manhattan if I have to - so let me know.

We have a street box on the Northwest corner of 55th and 6th. Nearly all distribution points are on the Upper West Side. There's one just across the park at 86th and Fifth, Southeast corner. - DR

Dear Dan,
First let me say how much I enjoy your fine paper. Having summered in the Hamptons for twenty years, I look forward to each new edition every weekend!
My letter is simply a thank you. Specifically, as a summer guest of the East End, I want to thank all the fine people who work and live in the Hamptons and surrounding areas.
From the great staff at The Stephen Talk House to those who manage and operate the Meeting House (both in Amagansett as you know), I wish to tip my hat. These folks are unfailingly kind and really are like a second family for those of us who visit on the weekends. Let's not forget the lifeguards, the terrific college kids who work in the restaurants, those who manage family businesses and on and on... Coming to the Hamptons is not only for the beach, it's also about meeting the wonderful people who call the area home!

On behalf of all the clammers, the farmers, the newspaper publishers, the mayors and the police department, we welcome you to the East End. - DR

Dear Dan,
You were absolutely correct in your story titled, "The On Ramp." You have a problem with Bi-County Construction Corp. Unfortunately that is about all you have correct.
So Dan, here are the facts. Our company entered into a contract with Suffolk County the first week of January 2007 (not November), to construct a new bridge (not an entrance ramp), on County Road 39 over St. Andrews Road. The contract duration was five months (okay, you got that one right). This put our completion date in the first week of June. Dan, we did not agree to stop construction between Memorial Day and Labor Day. We finished our job! Early!
During those five months we constructed a new bridge on County Road 39, widening the roadway from 39 feet to the new 62-foot width. This will enable the County to proceed with the next phase of the plan, widening County Road 39 from the merge to North Sea Road. We did this while maintaining the existing traffic lanes during peak hours.
I can see why you're impressed with C.C. Myers. I have long been an advocate of closing a road to all traffic around the clock to do our work. However, in this case Dan, I think you would have written a much different story if we had tried that approach.
We have worked hard to establish our reputation and were shocked and offended by your representation of our company. The next time you feel like giving us some print, please have the decency to get the facts right.

Still would be nice to have a C.C. Myers. - DR

Dear Dan,
I live in upstate New York and was visiting a friend in Montauk when another guest at the house I was staying at locked his keys inside his car. I am related to a locksmith upstate and my first thought was that he would call some local guy to come out and open up the car.
But someone suggested calling the police because they did that sort of thing for free. Sure enough they sent a patrol car up to the house and after having the car's owner sign some sort of form they spent about fifteen minutes of struggling and opened the car. They used some kind of blood pressure thingy to pry open the door, enough to stick a long stick down into the car. One of the cops said he "does a couple of these a day and lots more in the summer." I'm just wondering how and why it is that they do this sort of thing. It really doesn't seem like police work at all. After all, the car was quietly parked in someone's driveway. Don't the local locksmiths if there are any, lose a lot of business because of this? Do the local taxpayers care that they are footing the bill for out of towner's who come from far away?
After all, if the cop spent thirty minutes and does several a day, isn't that a lot of police man hours?
I wonder if they'd have cops come un-stuff the toilet so I don't have to pay a plumber. Or if it's winter, maybe they'll come shovel the driveway? Hmm...just curious. Is there no crime in Montauk?
Oh and by the way, the car door was all scratched up and doesn't close all the way now. I guess you get what you pay for.
I'm writing this because I thought the whole thing was ridiculous and my relative who's a locksmith said they don't do this sort of thing in her area, if they did she'd be hard pressed to make a living.
Maybe the folks who pay tax would like to know where their money is going.
I certainly hope the police department doesn't ever complain they're resources are stretched too thin. Maybe you're newspaper should investigate and find out just how much this is costing, local citizens might be alarmed.