AMAGANSETT

Potter to Joseph and Lucy Kazickas, Hamlin Lane, $700,000.

BRIDGEHAMPTON

Loesser (trustee) to Jonathan Molin, New Loper's Path, $200,000.

Powell to Robert Browne, Butter Lane, $150,500.

Jackson to Barbara Slifka, Lumber Lane, $240,000.

EAST HAMPTON

Boondocks Assoc. to Todd and Vicki Elliott, Talkhouse Walk, $269,500.

Wilford to Alda L.L.C., Jones Creek Lane, $800,000.

MONTAUK

McCarthy to Pamela Clinkard, Kettle Hole Road, $322,000.

Greene to Paul and Edward Simon, Cliff Drive, $1,500,000.

Agresti to Jean and Norma Teitel, Benson Drive, $210,000.

NORTH HAVEN

Laskowski estate to Patrick Garelle, Sunset Beach Road, $220,000.

Reina to Victoria Samuels, South Drive, $295,000.

NORTHWEST

Marks to John Narvesen and Mary Wolk, Hand's Creek Road, $321,000.

Cedar Woods Ltd. to the Leisure Tech Group, Owls Nest Lane, $175,000.

NOYAC

Farnsworth to Matthew Willock, Deerfield Road, $260,000.

SAG HARBOR

Black to Lawrence Siegel and Kent Fritzel, Wildwood Road, $210,000.

52 Redwood Rd. Corp. to Gayle Pickering, Redwood Road, $1,227,000.

SAGAPONACK

Shepard to Margarita Bailey and William Easton, Greenleaf Lane, $557,500.

SPRINGS

Epstein to Katherine Peabody, Renee's Way, $190,000.

Lewis to Martin Atkin, Louse Point Road, $625,000.

Mackin to Conrad Marsicano, Bryant Street, $160,000.

Gassett to Ian and Carolina Irving, Old Stone Highway, $347,000.

WATER MILL

Smith (referee) to Citibank, Halsey Avenue, $440,000.

Turtle Cove Realty Corp. to Quincetree Landings Ltd., private road, $160,000.

Solomon to Robert and Mary Sculthorpe, Holly Lane, $1,308,500.

All should be peaceful on the Georgica Association front, now that Faith Popcorn and her Wainscott neighbors have agreed on modified additions to the trend watcher's house.

The East Hampton Town Zoning Board of Appeals approved Ms. Popcorn's application in June, despite objections by her neighbors, but last week the board received a request for a modification.

In an Aug. 12 letter from William Fleming, an East Hampton attorney representing the owners of three neighboring properties, the board was told that the neighbors and the Georgica Association approve of the changes. The board approved the changes unanimously Tuesday night, noting that it required no greater variances.

Garage To Go

The most significant change is the elimination of an existing garage, which Ms. Popcorn had initially hoped to convert to living space. The bulk of new construction also has been moved away from the association's private road, Ms. Popcorn's attorney, Christopher Kelley of East Hampton, told the board, and the square footage of the plan is now slightly less than had been approved originally. The "footprint" of the house will be slightly smaller, though the second story will be larger.

Mr. Kelley told the board his client had decided to accept the modified plan to avoid a lawsuit, though he added that he felt confidant the board's decision would have been upheld by the courts.

"A Nice Thing"

Heather Anderson, the board member who alone wanted to deny Ms. Popcorn's earlier application because she thought it asked for more than the minimum variances necessary, said Tuesday night the modified plan better addressed the neighbors concerns. The agreement was "a very nice thing to have happened," she said.

Mr. Kelley also sought to clarify the requirements of a scenic easement his client is to place over land at the edge of Georgica Pond. While the area is now mowed lawn, the standard language of a scenic easement requires the protected land to remain in its "current natural state," which, in fact, is far from natural.

The board and Ms. Popcorn agreed that she could replace the lawn with low-growing native plants, subject to the board's approval. Once the planting is complete, the scenic easement will not be able to be disturbed.

A "For Sale" sign went up in front of a five-acre parcel south of Accabonac Highway and Town Lane, Easy Hampton, and it took just two days for residents to organize an effort to preserve the land.

Owned by the Dominy family, descendants of the expert clock and furniture makers of East Hampton, the acreage includes a small cemetery with about 20 graves, including that of Felix Dominy, a Montauk Lighthouse keeper who died in 1936, of at least three persons named Nathaniel Dominy, and a Mary Dominy, whose grave is surrounded by those of her young children. It is being offered at $250,000.

When he saw the sign from the Amaden-Gay Agency go up, Jona than Yuska, who lives on Accabonac Highway and played on the land as a child, called Randall Parsons, a private land planner who lives nearby, and asked whether there was any chance of saving the land from development.

Mr. Parsons, in turn, got in touch with Richard Lupoletti of the East Hampton Trails Preservation Society, helped start a petition drive, and asked for a six-month option - long enough, the men hoped, to find some money to acquire it. The petition calls the property Lily Hill Park and Cemetery.

Mr. Lupoletti said his group was interested in preserving a part of a trail used by hikers and horseback riders that runs eastward through the property to Spring Close Highway along the railroad tracks. He also has solicited the support of the Town Open Space Committee and plan, with others, to ask the Town Board on Sept. 18 about public acquisition.

Readers' Questions On Gardening And Nature

Dear Mole:

My gardening ardor fell away rather quickly last fall, and I'm afraid that, of several tasks ignored, I left my pruning shears untouched. Is it wise to take them up again now?

To tell you the truth, I am intimidated by the task, having harsh memories of my mother attempting to cut my hair in a straight line across the bangs and clipping crookedly ever closer and closer to the crown of my head. What if I mangle my plants? They'll be out there for all to see. On the other hand, there are a couple of shrubs that are clearly in want of a shape and a snip.

What shrubs can I safely prune now? And how?

Just Call Me.... No Edward Scissorhands

Dear Scissy:

Toughen up and grab those snips. Though there are tomes on the subject of pruning, which can get rather fussy when roses, espaliers, and topiaries are involved, you can safely prune shrubs and vines if you keep just a few points in mind.

A pruner's objective is to rejuvenate a plant, encouraging bushier growth or increased bloom. Think in terms of "opening out the center" of the plant, removing old, weak or diseased growth as well as any branches growing inward or down, or that rub on other branches. Lower branches, which receive less light, tend to die or become diseased more easily, and should be easy to see now, before leaves obscure them. On climbing plants, cut back side shoots, leaving five or six buds, which will encourage strong, new shoots and keep the plant well-shaped.

Up to a fifth of older wood can be cut from a shrub, to within a few inches of the ground. Keep your eye on the big picture, and remember, it's not nice to mess with Mother Nature. Follow the basic shape of the plant as you cut, and err on the side of caution.

As for the pruning schedule, by rule of thumb the time is when plants are dormant. Pruning time for flowering plants is dictated by whether they form blooms on new wood, grown this season, or on stems from the last growing season.

Shrubs that flower on old wood, such as lilac, forsythia, quince, azaleas, rhododendron, weigela, and climbing roses, should be pruned just after flowering, before new buds begin their growth. (As for mountain laurel, also an old-wood flowerer, Mole bets the deer will do your pruning.)

Rose of Sharon, trumpet creeper, abelia, clethra, buddleia, and viburnum, to name just a few that flower on the current season's growth, can be pruned in very early spring or now, provided the buds that produce new stems have not yet begun to swell. Check carefully your particular variety of hydrangea and clematis; both have members of each of the above categories.

Don't be afraid: hard pruning can result in fewer flowers but they will be bigger, and the plant's overall health will increase. Hard pruning of plants with vibrant-colored stems, such as the red-twigged dogwood, will bring more of those colorful young stems that spark up your winter yard.

Have you got a question for Mole? If so, send it to Mole's Corner at The Star and she'll do her best to answer it.

A team from the Environmental Protection Agency came to Sag Harbor on Monday to unveil the Government's clean-up plan for the Rowe Industries Superfund site and found itself under a blistering attack from residents.

The E.P.A. officials agreed with a request by Scott Strough, chairman of the Southampton Town Trustees, to reconvene a task force of local officials that last met to discuss the plan in the early 1990s, but they offered no promises the clean-up effort, slated to begin next month, would be widened.

Mr. Strough issued his call after listening to Paul Stewart of Advanced Cleanup Technologies of Farmingdale, who was hired by residents to monitor the effort, roundly criticize the E.P.A. Mr. Stewart accused the agency of producing a shoddy plan that would not adequately clean the site and surrounding neighborhood.

Wary Residents

"Where is the contamination?" Mr. Stewart asked, claiming the extent of the polluted soil and groundwater had never been properly mapped. "We can't design a plan that doesn't know."

"Mr. Stewart blew me away tonight," said Mr. Strough. As a public official, he said, he would not be able to "sign off" on any proposed plan "when all of a sudden out of left field this much information comes in and puts doubt in my mind."

Mr. Strough told the E.P.A. "the trust is gone," which he blamed on the agency's unwillingness to keep the community fully informed of its plans. "This is a form meeting," he said. "I know this game. You need to commit to us that you'll communicate."

Forbes Joins Criticism

The sentiment was echoed by Linda DiStefano. "We don't trust you," she told the E.P.A. "We don't believe you are looking out for our best interests. That's the truth."

And Congressman Michael P. Forbes, who had called a community meeting in June to address progress at the site and was represented by his chief of staff, Diana Weir, on Monday, joined the fray.

"I had hoped the E.P.A. would fulfill its promise to work with residents of Sag Harbor and include their input in a final plan," he said in a release. "Now the E.P.A. is pushing through a plan that does not sufficiently address the legitimate concerns of the residents."

"Do you know what the issue is?" asked John DiStefano of Carroll Street. "The issue is, you people have been doing nothing for 12 years. The issues are when my neighbors die of cancer. I've got grandchildren growing up."

Mr. DiStefano, who is Linda Di Stefano's father-in-law, heads Carroll Street Remediation Inc., a neighborhood group. It has filed a $200 million lawsuit against the Nabisco Corporation, which used to own the property and has agreed to fund the cleanup.

The Rowe factory manufactured electric motors from the 1950s to the 1970s. Toxic degreasers and other solvents used in the manufacturing process were dumped down drains, stored in barrels, and possibly buried at the site.

Nabisco's Plan

In 1983, contamination of the groundwater surrounding the plant was discovered. Homes above a toxic plume moving northwest from the property were connected to public water in 1985, but the property was put on the Federal Superfund site in 1987.

As part of its agreement to clean the site, Nabisco has hired a consulting firm, Leggette, Brashears & Graham of Connecticut, to devise a plan. Robert Lamonica of that firm summarized its proposal at Monday's meeting.

The plan is essentially the same one the E.P.A. informally aired in June. Because ongoing studies of the site revealed that the level of contamination was higher than suspected earlier, affecting almost 1,700 cubic yards of soil as compared to 230 yards, a plan to truck the soil off-site has been curtailed.

The original plan called for excavation to a depth of 20 feet. "It would be very noisy, very disruptive," said Mr. Lamonica. "They were going to have a huge crater" at the site.

Excavation

Instead, the firm is recommending the removal of about 200 yards of soil, located in a former drum storage area and on neighboring property, to a depth of four feet. The soil would be cleaned on-site before being trucked away to a hazardous-materials landfill near Niagara Falls, Mr. Lamonica said.

During the excavation, the area would be monitored to insure airborne toxins did not spread to neighboring homes, he said.

The digging would be followed by the installation of up to 15 soil-vapor extraction wells and an "air sparging" system. An air sparger works by injecting air into the groundwater, forcing the contaminants to "volatilize." They are then drawn through the vapor-extraction system to a carbon filter.

Ground Zero? Never

Although the system could be in place for 10 years or longer and pump more than one million gallons of water a day that would be piped to Sag Harbor Cove, Mr. Lamonica conceded the cleanup would probably never be complete.

"I don't think we can get to zero parts per billion," he said. "What we hope to get is drinking-water standards, and I'm not sure this is feasible."

Mr. Lamonica said the system would "get the biggest bang for its buck" in its first year of operation. He estimated it could remove up to 48 percent of the contaminants in the first year.

The level would increase to approximately 99 percent after nine years and then hover in that range, he said.

He said the pumping was likely to draw down the level of Lily Pond and other nearby ponds by about five inches. Monitoring of the water levels conducted in conjunction with the Nature Conservancy showed their levels change by four feet or more in any given year, he added. In dry years, the system can be slowed or shut down to limit the impact on the ecosystem.

Mr. Lamonica also said studies done by both his firm and the Cornell Cooperative Extension showed that the water pumped into Sag Harbor Cove would decrease its salinity "by less than 1 percent" and not cause any harm.

"We understand what's wrong with the plan and what can be done to make it right. It's not rocket science," countered Mr. Stewart. "Whether you pump a million gallons a day or 10,000 gallons a day, it's not going to be cleaned up."

More Samples

As Mr. Stewart borrowed Mr. Lamonica's graphs and charts and began fielding questions from the floor, Cecilia Echols, an E.P.A. community affairs officer, asked that questions be directed toward Pamela Tames, the E.P.A.'s project manager, or Joel Singerman, head of the agency's central New York remediation department.

Ms. Echols was ignored. "Why are you people not working with [Mr. Stewart]?" asked one woman. "He seems to know a lot."

"He's our savior," said Mr. DiStefano. "We look to you people. You're not the A team."

Mr. Stewart faulted LB&G for what he said was lax testing of the site and said it would be wise to do far more test borings, in a tighter pattern and at multiple depths, to better determine the extent of the contamination.

Where Does It End?

"It's just a matter of collecting samples," he said. "Sand is the easiest thing to drill through."

"I don't think the E.P.A. knows where the bottom of the solvents is," continued Mr. Stewart. The chemicals sink and "at a certain level it will form a layer like oil. There could be a very large blob down there that no one knows about."

He said LB&G had also overlooked potential high concentrations of contaminants by not properly testing around a broken sewer pipe leading to a dry well, or by testing directly under the building, where the chemicals were dumped in a "dirt-lined trench."

"I don't feel too comfortable with the concept of 'it might have leaked,' " Mr. Stewart said. Solvents that could have flowed from the pipe represent a "mass load that needs to be pulled out," he added.

Toxic Gases

But Mr. Singerman said Mr. Stewart's concerns about solvents under the building were unfounded because there was no evidence the contamination was spreading.

"Just because it is sitting under the building, there is no need to address that contamination," he said.

Mr. Stewart also said the cleanup effort should be widely extended to include the placement of soil-vapor extraction wells and air spargers in all areas of the plume.

The possibility that toxic gases are seeping into the basements of private homes located over the plume should also be addressed, by venting systems similar to those used to remove radon, he said.

"Ignorance"?

"That's kind of overkill," responded Ms. Tames, but she added that the E.P.A.'s plan was still in the draft stage and could be revised.

"There seems to be absolute blissful ignorance among this group," said David Heller, the attorney for the Carroll Street group. "It appears the E.P.A. is prepared to act on something it is not prepared to give us."

He called on the agency to revise its plan so "an informed decision" could be made. "I call that due diligence," he said.

A less-than-full-strength East Hampton Village Board, William Heppenheimer and Elbert Edwards being absent, dispensed with its monthly business in less than half an hour Friday. Most matters had to do with receiving and spending money.

The village expects to begin collecting soon on a recently established paid-parking scheme that is now in force. A machine that takes drivers' money and dispenses receipts was installed at the end of July at the westernmost long-term Lumber Lane parking lot. A computer glitch delayed its operation for a couple of weeks, reported Larry Cantwell, the Village Administrator, but all systems are now go and village police are on the alert.

Nonvillage residents, those whose cars lack a village beach sticker, must pay $5 a day to park more than 23 hours in the lot. Permits cost $250 for the year, but have been reduced to $165 through Dec. 31. They can be purchased at Village Hall.

Shuttle Business

Short-term parking in the lot, as elsewhere in the village, is free.

Meanwhile, the village shuttle bus is gaining in popularity, with ridership "increasing each week," Mr. Cantwell said, although it only has about 10 days to go. The service will end on Labor Day.

Between 30 and 50 patrons ride the bus on an average day, he reported, with a peak of 120 on Aug. 5. It was raining that day, Mr. Cantwell noted.

Mayor Paul F. Rickenbach Jr. accepted a $1,000 check from Eileen Fisher, who owns the Newtown Lane clothing store that bears her name, and the store manager, Nancy Goell, saying he "applauded" it. The funds are a contribution toward the Gardiner Windmill restoration, set for completion in time for East Hampton's 350th anniversary next year.

On the spending side, the village has received six bids since Aug. 8 on the largest of its planned projects: renovating the bathrooms at the Main Beach pavilion. The lowest, $197,512, was from Versandi Construction Corporation of Eastport and Centereach.

Mr. Cantwell will review the company's credentials and make a recommendation on the bid at the board's meeting next month.

Yellow Pine Fence

In an earlier bidding, only one firm responded, with an estimate of more than $300,000. "We made the right decision by rebidding" the job, said Mr. Cantwell.

In other action, the board:

- Agreed to pay Martin Mahar of Amagansett $3,884 to replace an 18-foot portion of the Gardiner brown house fence on village property. The Ladies Village Improvement Society, which owns the house, will be responsible for the 173 feet of fencing on its property and will pay just over $25,000 to have it replaced. The fence will be of Spanish cedar, with support posts of yellow pine.

- Approved a $25-per-hour pay rate for Kevin Miller, Tim Tyler, Frank Dext, and L.J. Arceri, who are removing widgeon grass and other marine growth from the bottom of Town Pond. The village has obtained a State Department of Environmental Conservation permit allowing it to dredge the pond, a freshwater wetland.

- Accepted a low bid from W.F. McCoy Petroleum Products for number two fuel oil.

Airport Procedures

The board also:

- Confirmed Michael Clemence of East Hampton as the village's representative on an East Hampton Town Recreation Commission to run the RECenter. The commission is in process of being formed.

- Noticed for bid a variety of Fire Department equipment, and

- Approved the draft of an agreement letter, to be co-signed by East Hampton Town, outlining procedures to be followed in the event of an accident or emergency at East Hampton Town Airport.

The Ross School has been offering a progressive curriculum to students since 1991 in its classrooms at East Hampton's Goodfriend Park. But the soon-to-grow school still lacks formal site-plan approval from the town.

The school has finally submitted plans to the East Hampton Town Planning Board to correct that. Meanwhile work is progressing on another Goodfriend Park building that will become the Ross School's new high-school facility.

The existing classrooms share a building with several other businesses. The building has a certificate of occupancy that allows "light industrial" uses and offices. A school, however requires a special permit with additional requirements from the town.

Crosswalk Urged

A site-plan and special-permit application, submitted last month for the existing school, adds a formal parking area the school has been without.

To provide the parking, the 7,200-square-foot school, which falls short of required parking, has purchased a vacant lot across Goodfriend Drive, on which it proposes to build a 39-space parking lot. The proposed parking lot would serve the high school and middle school.

Planning Board members had no objections to the plan, but urged the school to build a formal sidewalk and a crosswalk for students' safety.

As more development occurs in Goodfriend Park, the other, more recently approved industrial park on Route 114, Turnpike Commercial Center, is also beginning to see activity.

The Planning Board last week reviewed the second application to build in the eight-lot industrial park - a plan by Bernard Kiembock, the subdivision's owner, to construct a warehouse to serve his hardware store in East Hampton Village.

The 7,200-square-foot building would be 23 feet high, according to the building plans. An office and restrooms are also proposed.

Moratorium Nearby

Planners had no objection to the concept, but noted the Town Board was considering a moratorium on new applications for development on a roughly 600-acre block of woodlands between the railroad tracks in Wainscott and Route 114. The Town Board is considering upzoning much of the commercially zoned land within the block to residential property to protect groundwater resources below.

"To me, this is a pretty benign use," said Gary Swanander a board member. Other board members, including the chairwoman, Pat Mansir, had something to say about the upzoning plan itself.

"A use like this is less detrimental than a house, pool, septic system, and tennis court," she said.

The board asked for more details, including what types of materials will be stored.

Two live bands playing at a Saturday party in honor of the 80th birthday of Raymond Perelman of Philadelphia, the father of the cosmetics magnate and owner of the Creeks on Georgica Pond in East Hampton, caused neighbors to complain of loud music to village police.

It also led police to issue not one but two summonses to the host, Ronald O. Perelman, for allegedly violating the Village Code's restrictions on noise.

The first summons was issued at 12:37 a.m. Sunday, an hour and a half after the code prohibits music and other sounds that affect involuntary listeners between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m. The summons was handed to a security guard at the gate to Mr. Perelman's estate, since police were not allowed on the property, according to Police Chief Glen Stonemetz.

Warning

When the first summons did not have the desired effect and complaints continued, the second summons was issued. Again, the chief said, security guards would not allow Police Department officers beyond the gate. The second time around, Chief Stonemetz added, police warned the multi-billionaire's em ployees that if they had to return a third time they "without question [were] going to speak to the person responsible for the party and there could be an arrest."

Then the music stopped.

Chief Stonemetz said the wind blew the music into earshot of such Wainscott residents as Anita Wien of Wainscott Stone Road, who made the first complaint at 3:15 Saturday afternoon, though police found the objection at that early hour unfounded.

Unhappy Neighbors

Three more complaints from Ms. Wien, one from B.H. Friedman of Georgica Close Road in East Hampton, a fifth from Alfred Ross of Cove Hollow Road in East Hampton, and a sixth from Peter Wolf of Briar Patch Road, East Hampton, followed, beginning at 11:12 p.m.

Some 300 persons had been invited to the party, including a big contingent from Philadelpia and a number of East Hamptoners. And, while several photographers were reported to be at the party, no celebrity pictures have appeared in the press so far.

Several other noise related complaints were logged with village police Saturday night and early Sunday morning, including one from Hilton Rosen of Ruxton Road, another from Robert Marcus of Cottage Avenue, and yet another from Tally Jerome in the area of the Village Townhouses on Toilsome Lane.

Loud Library

Two David's Lane residents, Lisa Dortch and Mark Zimmerman, found the music from the East Hampton Library centennial gala too much, but in all these cases police either said the reports were baseless or spoke to those responsible who assured them the volume would be turned down.

A noise-related Village Code summons was issued at 6:21 a.m. Saturday to Volk's Montauk disposal, for allegedly picking up trash at the yet-to-open Peconic Coast restaurant on Montauk Highway before 7 a.m. Again in this case, a neighbor, Ann Colonomos of Cove Hollow Road, complained.

Life Saved

Amagansett

August 14, 1997

Dear Helen Rattray,

The following is a public expression of gratitude to the Amagansett Volunteer Ambulance Squad and especially to Htun Han for the assistance given following an accident I had while body surfing at Indian Wells Beach. This experience also leads me to provide a note of caution regarding body surfing.

The accident occurred on a sizzling July day. I had biked to the ocean to cool off and, to my delight, found an active surf left over from Hurricane Danny. I plunged in, had three good rides into shore, and was positioning myself for another. When a large wave welled up, I went for it. A slight miscalculation on my part led to no slight consequences.

The wave heaved me up and dashed me down to the bottom head first. The force of the impact left me disoriented. When I finally emerged from the churning water, I felt I had done some serious harm to myself. Somehow, I was able to stagger up to my bike and pedal the few blocks to home with my head in a frozen forward-only position. As I washed off in the outdoor shower, I became aware that something was really not right, and that I might have injured myself more seriously than I had suspected.

I called Mr. Han, a partner in Garnham and Han Real Estate, because I knew he was an active member of the Amagansett Volunteer Ambulance Squad. Upon hearing me relate my experience, he told me not to move, that he would be over in two minutes. He arrived with his "tool kit" and immediately retrieved a collar to limit my head movement and called an ambulance.

In the ambulance on the way to Southampton Hospital were Bill Lusty and Peter Garnham, also volunteers of the ambulance corps. This volunteer job represents a huge commitment. In 1996, by the midyear time of my accident, they had already made approximately 145 ambulance trips - rather disruptive to their business schedules, but they do it. In addition, and above and beyond the call of duty, Mr. Han picked up my daughter in East Hampton and drove her to the hospital, and, later, Mr. Lusty drove back to our house and locked it up for us. Since that time, both of these men have made calls and visits and offered assistance of whatever kind was needed.

At Southampton Hospital, after my many X-rays and scans were examined, two fractures were spotted in the C-1 vertebrae, the one directly below the brain. I was then quickly helicoptered to the University Medical Center at Stony Brook, where more neurological expertise was available to help me. The final result is that I am wearing a "halo," a large apparatus encircling my head and supported by metal rods attached to a rigid vest with a sheepskin liner (pretty lousy summer attire), and I will be so clad for 12 weeks or more. It's not fun, not my style at all, but I have been told by many in the medical profession that I'm very lucky to be here; most people incurring this injury are killed instantly.

Even now, in my encumbered and sometimes painful state, the ocean still beckons me. I long to swim and play in the ocean, but I now know that body surfing is too dangerous a sport. I have gained new respect for the ocean; it does not forgive a little mistake. Against its power, even youth and fitness are of little consequence.

The fact that I'm still here and functioning remarkably well I feel is due in large part to the fast, expert, and cautious efforts of Mr. Han. He essentially saved my life. I, in particular, and we, as residents and vacationers in the Amagansett area, are so lucky to have people like Htun Han and the other dedicated members of the ambulance corps here for us. I have long loved Amagansett for its beauty and charm, the water and all the fun activities and adventures to be enjoyed; more recently I have come to love Amagansett for the wonderful people that make up the backbone of this community. I thank them.

BILL THORSON

Lack Of Housing

Shoreham

August 15, 1997

To The Editor:

I am astounded by the response to the ad I placed in your paper, which appeared only yesterday. The ad simply read "Montauk - two-bedroom house $800" (under the year-round section). Within a 12-hour period, there were 36 responses. Of the 22 persons who came to see it today, many expressed apprehension at renting a home with electric heat. All but four wanted it nonetheless.

Many went so far as to offer to make repairs at their own expense; one even offered to entirely renovate the bathroom with a bathtub in place of the existing shower!

As is, the home is comfortable, in a nice, quiet area, but it isn't particularly a "great" bargain considering the old windows and heating source. This really says a lot about the lack of year-round housing in the area. I'm really shocked by it.

MARIANNE BLYTON

Gave Meaning To Life

Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

August 10, 1997

To The Editor:

I accessed The Star's web site hoping to find an obituary, but found none.

The obituary that I was seeking was for my very beloved Jonathan Spanierman. I know that no matter what it contained it could not have adequately described his smile, nor how it lit my heart, infused sunshine into my soul, and displayed his mature innocence. I hope that it mentioned his love for others and his ability to make one feel "worthwhile." Jon gave meaning to my life, and in his name, many, many people were helped to have a better, more meaningful life.

These past few years, Jonathan may have appeared weak, yet he had the courage of a warrior and strength to belie the entire medical community's woesome forecasts while continuing to give love and understanding to those privileged to be a part of his struggle.

Jonathan was a golden boy, too beautiful inside and out for description or comparison. Jonathan was a musician! I have been honored to know and to love him as a boy and then as a man.

As a boy, he honored me; and when he became a man, I learned to honor him. With some deaths, I grieve for the one who is gone; with Jonathan's death, I grieve for myself, his family, and his friends.

Thanks Jon, I love you very much. (Sorry, I just needed someone to talk to.)

Sincerely,

GRETCHEN L. HASSELKUS

Please address correspondence to [email protected]

Please include your full name, address and daytime telephone number for purposes of verification.

An annual bicycle "Tour of the Hamptons" stretched like a slow-moving snake along roadsides from Southampton to Montauk on Sunday. While the scenery might have pleased the 1,000 participating cyclists, the organizers at the Massapequa Park Bicycle Club had failed to alert East Hampton Town authorities and apparently misrepresented their numbers to Southampton Town officials. The resultant traffic snarls had motorists and police hopping mad.

"It was an absolute disaster. We had to pull officers off pre-existing assignments to get it to be a palatable situation. There was no coordination with us prior or during the event," said Capt. Todd Sarris of the East Hampton Town Police Department. Captain Sarris said members of the bike club who were trying, not very successfully, to direct traffic were ordered off the street.

Impassable Roads

"It's a liability to have them directing traffic," he said, adding that organizers of all such events, most of them far smaller than Sunday's tour, were required to apply to the town for a gathering permit. There was no application in this case. Police were able to track down one of the organizers before the end of the day to register their protest.

Glen Stonemetz, East Hampton Village Police Chief, was still angry on Tuesday afternoon. He said the roads had become so impassable by midday that traffic was stalled from Main Street, Bridgehampton, "almost to the traffic light at Newtown Lane" in East Hampton.

Mr. Stonemetz said the worst jam was caused when cyclists were traveling west. "They crossed over Woods Lane (Route 27) to the east end of Georgica Road (to tour the Georgica area), then crossed over 27 again at the west end of Georgica Road, and again at Wainscott Stone Road by the Sapore di Mare restaurant. We had no idea this was going to happen, by phone or by letter."

Never Again

"It's not only inconvenient, it's dangerous," he continued. "There are four ambulance services east of [the traffic jam]. They call me Mr. Mean from the land of No, but Route 27 is the only way to the nearest hospital. I feel very strongly about this. It's not going to happen again, I'll tell you right now," vowed the chief.

The bike club did apply for and receive a permit to pedal through Southampton Town with the stipulation that riders stay in single file. A spokeswoman for Supervisor Vincent Cannuscio said on Tuesday that while there appeared to have been no accidents on Southampton roads, there were traffic jams caused by the bikers, whose numbers might have been misrepresented on the permit application. "They said between 500 and 600. They might have needed a special events permit," she said.

Southampton Town Police reported relatively minor problems attributed to the tour this year compared with the past. Only one complaint was registered - by a motorist who had words with one of the club's traffic directors.

Tour Route

"It's a beautiful route," said Mike Bottini, an East Hampton resident who has helped organize the tour in past years, although a broken foot prevented his participation this time around. Twelve hundred participated last year, and about 1,000 the year before.Mr. Bottoni is a planner with the Group for the South Fork.

The tour begins early at South ampton High School and participants can choose a 25-mile, 50-mile, 65-mile, or 100-mile "loop." Bikers first pedal through the estate area, across Route 39 to the Tuckahoe School. The tour then winds through North Sea, Noyac, Sag Harbor, Northwest, Barnes Landing, Napeague, and Montauk.

Mr. Bottini said one stretch that has posed a problem in the past is the narrow and windy Noyac Road, which cyclists must use all the way east to Long Beach.

The return portion of all four loops explores the farmland south of the highway, passing along Bluff Road in Amagansett to East Hampton, back onto Montauk Highway (Route 27) through Wainscott and Sag a pon ack.

Perry Perakakis was this year's chairman of the tour, which benefits the Make a Wish Foundation and the purchase of bikes for needy families. He said a change in policy probably was responsible for the trouble in this sixth year of the event.

More Traffic

"We have had close calls and minor injuries in the past and to help prevent them the club assigned 'monitors' to stop traffic in places," he said. "Maybe some of our people got overzealous, I don't know."

Mr. Perakakis said the event has been held at about the same time each year, but this year the car traffic was much heavier. He said he had arranged to meet with Chief Stonemetz to plan future events. That is, if there is one.

East Hampton Town Councilman Tom Knobel, who is in charge of special events permits for the town, said, "They made no effort to orchestrate this in advance. I'm going to make it clear they really screwed up."

Mr. Knobel's counterpart in Southampton, Councilman Steven Halsey, said that if his board had known there were going to be a thousand participants, "we might have had them in to answer questions."