Dan's Papers - February 22, 2008 - Hampton Tradition XXV

For more than 24 years George Heine has been going to work at 3495 Noyac Road, which is his Whalebone General Store, in Sag Harbor. He is 90 years old and still goes in at least 3-4 days a week. A tradition at Whalebone is Heine giving free candy to the children who come in to the store.

Whalebone has been a general store since the 1940s and was first called Philip's General Store. After that it was called Kana's for many years. In 1978, Ed Wozniak bought it from the Kana family and renamed the business Whalebone General Store. When Heine, retired, bought the store in 1985 at the age of 67, he kept the name.

"Heck, Ed Wozniak had just put up a three thousand dollar sign that read 'WHALEBONE GENERAL STORE.' There's three thousand reasons not to change the name," recalled Heine.

Now his daughter-in-law Linda, son George J. Heine and daughter Kathy help out. In 1995, Linda started selling custom chocolate candy in the store and recently redesigned its west wing. Until last summer, when a broken hip slowed him down just a touch, Heine had worked seven days a week for 23 years. "It wasn't for the money. I just needed something to do. Then everybody became my friends and I went in every day just to see them," he explained.

When Heine bought the business from Wozniak he also bought the building from Jim and Bill Shaw. That started Heine's relationship with his customers. "There are so many wonderful people, really all my friends," he said.

While I was in the store, Linda was dealing with the Valentine's Day crowd who were buying cards, flowers, candy and balloons. In the section of the store that she recently redesigned, she showed me aisles of Whalebone custom-made candles along with picture frames, birdhouses, seashells and other neat gifts.

Then we all turned our eyes to the gourmet chocolate candy counter. A tradition for many is to order custom made Easter chocolate bunnies from Whalebone that Linda has created. When I was offered a few of the choice chocolates I could not refuse. The taste of the fresh chocolate candy and the homemade cremes was quite nice.

George Jr. is proud of the fact that when his father retired from working as an executive at the Celanese Corporation in Manhattan, a firm that manufactured manmade yarn, he came out to the East End to retire, but instead built a house and a business. He added that his dad has run a family business, giving candy to three generations of children in Sag Harbor.

Besides fishing and taking care of his extended family, Heine is also active in the Noyac Civic Association as a Trustee and also serving four years as treasurer.

Stop by and visit the Heine family. Order some custom chocolate, or buy lottery tickets, flowers, gifts, greeting cards, or just pick up a Dan's Papers. Once you get a feel for the friendliness of Whalebone you will understand why the tradition there is strong. When I finished talking to Heine he smiled and asked me if I wanted a piece of candy. It made my day.

The Whalebone General Store is located at 3495 Noyac Road in Sag Harbor. Opens Monday through Saturday from 7 a.m.-7 p.m., Sundays 7 a.m.-6 p.m. Call (631) 725-2277 for more information.