A steady downpour fittingly worked its way to a roaring deluge and pounded on the roof of the Ark House on Millstone Road in Bridgehampton as Novanoah (once known as Mihai Popa) expounded on his philosophy and the art that springs from it.

Nova, as he calls himself, is convinced humanity, ready or not, is embarking on the second and "most formidable step in our evolution" - "a long and mysterious trip into the future" that will take it into space and make it one with the cosmos.

"We must evolve to save the planet; and get into space," Novanoah said. "We must get ready and we can't stop."

But time is short. "We're playing our last cards," he said. "If the population bomb is not stopped . . . it might be too late." Noting that the earth has been poisoned by humans, Novanoah noted, "The planet will survive the shock. We won't."

Art And Nature

Considering that the first major evolutionary step occurred, according to Novanoah, when life "came out of the ocean and inhabited land," it became abundantly clear he is thinking about the big picture here. "The new hope is one species, one race, one brain united," he said.

Like his Biblical namesake, Novanoah has been preparing. As an artist, he believes his job is to help "direct the human species into the next century."

To do that, he works at a frenetic pace, painting, sculpting, practicing architecture and design, and perfecting his vision of "integral art," which aims to fuse "the old with the new, the spiritual with the technological, the abstract with the realistic."

At his Bridgehampton home - dubbed the Ark House when it was under construction in 1989 because its beams resembled the ribs of a boat - and at the former Tiska farm next door, Novanoah is busy putting his philosophy into practice by integrating his art with nature.

Ark Project

The house, studios, work spaces, and sculpture gardens make up the Ark Project, which Novanoah and his companion, Tundra Wolf, see as a future center for the arts, where artists can come to discuss their work, and, possibly in the future, display it in galleries as well.

"Art is the mirror of the time in which you live," he said. "You have to make the art credible and useful."

A native of Rumania - who escaped in the mid-1960s under harrowing circumstances, according to Ms. Wolf - Novanoah began to form his world view as a child. "I saw the bitter consequences of World War II," he said. "I couldn't believe it."

The horrors of the war left a deep impression on Novanoah and "how to counter this destructive time" became an "obsession," he said. "This species can't fight. We have to get together. If we are united, we can expand into the cosmos."

Huge Spheres

In Rumania, Novanoah studied art and served as a cultural ambassador to Russia and China before escaping to the west. He settled for a time in New Orleans before moving to New York, where, he said, he worked in "isolation" on his integral art.

With the future of the species in mind, Novanoah has painted his vision of the city of the future, which could exist on earth or in space.

Of his earthly version, Novanoah said, "I want to build a city like nature builds a tree." Activities like education, art, and celebration would take place in huge spheres. "Sports and entertainment would be the biggest," he said with a chuckle. People would live in apartments in ring-like structures surrounding the spheres. Factories and mechanical systems would be buried in root-like spheres.

House With Soul

To help relieve the earth of overcrowding, he has also proposed futuristic skyscraper-like buildings, also based on spheres, that would hold a variety of "subsidiary buildings."

Although Novanoah's cities and buildings are conceptual, his contacts in architecture and engineering tell him "everything is constructible," he said. "If I won't be able to construct it physically, I'd like to put it in people's minds."

While his vision of the future is toward the heavens, Novanoah's own home is well grounded. His barrel-shaped house is designed "to give back the terrain" with a minimal footprint, while providing maximum interior space within its bulging walls.

The house began as "a garage-shack with girlie calendars and two potato trucks," said Ms. Wolf. Novanoah and a number of helpers used mostly old wood, "noble wood because it has a history," Novanoah said. "I wanted to make this house have a soul."

Traffic Lighting

It has been furnished with rough-hewn tables, chairs, and counters. Bedrooms, work rooms, and storage areas arrayed along the outer walls have the feel of ship's cabins with the exposed ribs and porthole windows.

Novanoah has sculpted wood dinosaurs on one wall, like prehistoric caves. A Japanese gate of rough timbers and enormous welded steel hinges closes off the kitchen. "Hinges are such beautiful things, and they are always hidden," said Novanoah. Other uses of metal include an awning over a bank vault-like door and the sharply angled stairway banister that is suspended from the ceiling.

Traffic lights, which Novanoah favors because when the red, amber, and green lights are turned on at once they give a warm light "like the sun," provide much of the lighting.

"Whoever lives in such a house is lucky man," he said. "You never get bored."

Concrete Sculpture

An adjoining potato barn has been converted into a studio, with sculptures and paintings on display.

The Species, a series of 15 brightly painted, concrete sculptures of a futuristic Noah, his wife, a tree of life, and an assortment of creatures, meant to reflect a reconciliation between man and nature, is on display in the side yard.

At the former Tiska farm, which Novanoah and Ms. Wolf recently acquired, a 30-foot-tall steel abstract sculpture, Orion, looms over nearby Millstone Road from the front lawn. "Orion is the closest constellation," Novanoah said. "It's in the same village in the cosmos."

The main barn, once white, has been repainted black. Surrounding sheds and outbuildings have been painted red, green, yellow, and purple.

Like Stonehenge

Inside, the barn has been transformed into galleries, studios, and workspace. A team of assistants, Min Lee, Adam Brent, Gil McManus, John Bayley, and Joe Imbriano, work on Novanoah's projects and their own art. Another assistant, John Sherman, works on the farm, which is planted with corn and beans and includes horses, sheep, ducks, and sections set aside for wildlife.

The main body of the barn itself looks like a medieval banquet hall with a huge table and heavy timber benches serving as a centerpiece. The barn door has been replaced with large sliding glass doors, which look out over a field.

A steel A-frame abstract sculpture frames the vista. Arrayed in a meadow are five abstract steel sculptures, "The Astronauts." The figures look as if they are in prayer in Novanoah's "natural temple." The artist wants the installation to remind the viewer of Easter Island or Stonehenge. It does.

Retrospective Planned

Novanoah is currently preparing a retrospective of his art, with over 120 pieces, which he wants to display at the Ark Project this summer.

Work is under way on a series of pieces that combine painting and soft and steel sculpture to depict some of the wonders of nature that have been endangered by man. Serengeti will be of lions under a brilliant sun; The Shore will depict swimmers, muscle men, and bathing beauties in an abstract melding of the ocean and beach. The Amazon and Mount Kilimanjaro will be other subjects.

"Remember humans, remember the beauty that you have," said Novanoah.

"The human species is the consciousness of the universe," he said. "The universe sees itself through us. It is a species that deserves to survive."

Mary Cleere Haran, who has proved a favorite at the Bay Street Theatre in Sag Harbor, will bring her holiday cabaret act, "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas," to the theater on Saturday at 7 p.m. She will be accompanied by Richard Rodney Bennett, a composer and arranger, at the piano.

Ms. Haran, who is noted for a witty and musically sophisticated style, has been compared to Ella Fitzgerald, Peggy Lee, Doris Day, and Rosemary Clooney by critics. In 1993, she received great praise for her one-woman show, "You Might as Well Live," a celebration of Dorothy Parker at the Algonquin Hotel.

She was in the original Broadway cast of "The 1940s Radio Hour" and in San Francisco's longest-running musical hit, "Beach Blanket Babylon," but her first love is said to be club singing. She has appeared at such venues as Rainbow and Stars, the Ballroom, and the Russian Tea Room in Manhattan.

New Year's Party

On Tuesday, New Year's Eve, Bay Street will party into the small hours. Taking its cue from the past two years' sold-out celebrations, the entire benefit event will be held at the theater.

The evening will begin with a champagne reception, followed by a cabaret of Bay Street stars and surprise guests. There will then be a buffet dinner and music, and dancing will continue into the small hours of the new year.

Revelers can pay $65 for the reception and cabaret or $150 for the full evening. Tickets can be reserved through the box office.

Matt White, who plays for the fabled Bridgehampton Killer Bees basketball team, said one day last summer that the time had come for Bridgehampton's girls to play the game that has brought such renown over the years to the boys - the "Hoosiers" of New York State basketball.

In just two days, Matt collected about a third of the 168 signatures on a petition to the School Board that has resulted in the first girls basketball team at Bridgehampton since 1985.

Cheerleading was all right, said Matt, "but if you add sports to your academics, you've got another shot at a scholarship."

The governing body of Suffolk's public high school sports, however, almost forgot the Honey (Lady Killer) Bees when it came time to draw up the junior varsity schedules, an oversight that prevented the team's coach, Otto Marracello, from setting up four of five allotted nonleague games.

The Honey Bees already have been heard from, in a 39-38 nonleague win over Sayville in their recent debut at the Beehive. Next year, a varsity schedule beckons, and, perhaps, in the not too distant future Final-Four trips upstate. We doubt that anyone will overlook the team again.

Matt had observed that summer day that girls of 10, 11, and 12 were able to beat "the boys in basketball camp . . . but something happens at around that age. The boys tease them, they get self-conscious, and a lot of them shy away from sports."

Judging from the large turnout for girls basketball, it seems that the transition from self-consciousness to self-confidence in Bridgehampton is well under way. We're rooting for the Honey Bees.

Should the East Hampton Town Board hold evening meetings, in the hope that more people will be able to attend? If so, how often? Some of the time? On a regular schedule? Only in certain circumstances? All the time?

The Town Board had disagreed over just about all the particulars - when, which, what, and even why - but then reached a compromise last week, which has yet to be enacted.

Disagreement among board members is no great surprise; there isn't much on which this uncommonly politicized board does agree. It was misguided, though, for Supervisor Cathy Lester and Councilman Peter Hammerle, the Democrats on the board, not to acknowledge from the first that the idea, put forth by the Republican members, might be a good one. Any proposal aimed at making government more accountable and accessible is worth a second look, as all would agree, and evenings seem to be the best time for the board to reach out to the largest number of constituents.

Councilman Len Bernard originally suggested that the board's twice-a-month voting sessions, now held on Friday mornings, be moved to Friday nights. Last week's tentative compromise is to hold just one session a month at night - on Fridays.

Friday night may seem a good idea for those homeowners who spend the workweek elsewhere, but it is one of least likely nights on which to expect many people to show an interest in zoning, taxes, easements, land preservation, water mains, road improvements, and other heavy-duty matters. No, Friday nights are for unwinding - dinner out or a movie - especially during the resort season, when Saturday nights out are too crowded.

Councilman Hammerle joked about the Friday night proposal. "Let's drive to the Hamptons and go to a meeting," he said. "I can see the traffic backed up already."

Councilman Thomas Knobel and Councilwoman Nancy McCaffrey instead proposed holding some of the board's twice-a-month Tuesday work sessions at night. That doesn't seem entirely satisfactory either. These meetings can be newsworthy on occasion, but more often than not they are characterized by extended debate on bureaucratic minutiae or issues on which consensus seems impossible. Neither provides the best forums for public participation. Nor, for that matter, do the usual Friday-morning voting sessions, which are devoted largely to the rubber stamp.

The time to make itself most accessible is when the board has a final proposal ready for public hearing that is apt to be controversial. Beyond that, holding one Tuesday work session and one formal Friday session at night in the next few months would split the difference and be a good test of whether night meetings achieve their purpose.

Have some last-minute shopping to do for some pets and their people? Have no fear: Local pet stores and tack shops carry a wide range of gifts sure to meet all needs and budgets.

One Stop Pet Shop in Amagansett certainly lives up to its name. Shoppers playing Santa to a variety of species will find One Stop an invaluable help. The store carries Christmas stockings filled with toys and treats for cats, dogs, ferrets, and birds.

Pet Hampton in Wainscott also carries stockings for the furred and feathered, and if you need a stocking for an unrepresented species the shop will gladly create a custom-made one.

Hottest Seller

The "Tickle Me Elmo" of the canine set is the fleece squeaky toy. "They are the hottest sellers," said Sue Leonardo of One Stop Pet Shop. "They sell well year round, but the ones made especially for Christmas with Santa heads, snowman heads, and the red and green ones with Happy Holidays printed on them do incredibly well."

Marla Gagnum of East Hampton has a Christmas tradition of giving stuffed animals to her three dogs. She used to buy stuffed animals made for people, but she's discovered that the plush toys made especially for dogs stand up better to the rough treatment they often receive.

"They can take a lot of punishment," she said. "They get left out in the rain and get frozen over. Then they thaw out in the spring and are as good as ever. And the dogs still love them."

Contradictory Cats

Paws and Claws of East Hampton sells plush toys in the shapes of barnyard animals that when squeezed make the appropriate sound of the animal they represent. Aren't dogs startled by this? "When my Labrador retriever first heard the pig toy oink at him he was afraid of it, but he carries it around in his mouth all the time now," said Kim Levins, a customer in Paws and Claws.

The toys available for cats reflect the contradictory nature of the beast. On the one hand, there are the high-action wand toys that stimulate the predatory instincts of cats, inciting them to feats of acrobatics. On the other hand, there are the catnip toys, which appeal to the more voluptuary tendencies of the animal.

Paws and Claws, One Stop Pet Shop, and Pet Hampton all sell wand toys or their variant, cat ticklers. Cats, with few exceptions, love them and they help provide exercise for the animal, but they do require human participation. The Turbo Scratcher toy is a good substitute for cats whose owners can't stop and play. However, my panel of feline judges gave the wand toys a much higher rating.

A Perennial Favorite

Catnip toys are a perennial favorite. One Stop Pet Shop carries a dizzying array of catnip toys with Christmas motifs. Catnip leaves contain nepetalactone, a hallucinogen pleasurable to cats. It is entirely harmless and can be given in any amount, says Dr. Mark Davis of the South Fork Animal Hospital, for the animals will self-limit their intake.

But, owners should beware, for catnip stimulates play-fighting behaviors. Handle a kitty under the influence with care; her inhibitions may be lessened but her scratching aim will still be true.

Mary Shefferman, editor-in-chief of Modern Ferret Magazine and author of "The Ferret: An Owners Guide to a Happy and Healthy Pet," recently published by Howell Books, said the Ferret Freeway toy is a huge success with Sabrina, Ralph, Marshmallow, and Knuks, her resident ferrets. And, if there's a hamster on your list, the Speed Track Racer available at One Stop Pet Shop may be just the thing.

Gift Guidelines

Certain guidelines should be followed in choosing toys for pets. Always buy toys made specifically for the species of pet. No cat toys for dogs, for example. If the toys come in a range of sizes it is best to buy one that's too large rather than too small. Animals, dogs in particular, can swallow a small toy and choke.

People should choose the most durable toy. Some of the softer squeaky toys are easy for the dogs to rip apart. They can swallow the metal squeaker, which then has to be surgically removed, said Dr. Davis.

There is some controversy about rawhide chews choking dogs, but Dr. Davis said, "Rawhide is okay, but I'd advise people to buy the bigger bones and remove the rawhide from the dog when he's chewed it down to a very small size."

Made In The U.S.A.

Many experts advise only buying rawhide chews manufactured in the United States, since they are processed by a standardized method that generally prevents the treats from breaking into large chunks on which the dogs can choke.

Ms. Shefferman said that no toys made of latex rubber or foam should be given to a ferret. "Many toys sold as ferret toys are really just repackaged cat toys and sometimes they are not safe," she said. A good rule of thumb when toy shopping for a ferret: if they can sink their teeth into it, don't buy it.

Horses and their people require so much equipment they have stores devoted exclusively to their needs. However, Horse Haven in Southampton also carries some of the higher-end dog equipment and apparel. "We have a line of unique handwoven collars and leads in a Southwestern motif. They're one of a kind and very special," said Lisa Kot, owner of the store.

If Horses Could Talk . . .

From blankets to bridles and leadlines to halters, local tack stores carry many gifts possibilities, but if horses could talk they'd doubtless make a request for one (if not all!) of the several types of horse cookie treats available, such as the Apple Oaties carried by the Tack Trunk in Amagansett.

If you are shopping for the rider rather than the horse, all the local tack stores carry lines of mid-priced, easy-care, casual wear that's fashionable on the street as well as in the saddle.

There are many lovely gifts available for young riders. The Tack Trunk carries the Kerrits line of clothing - fun, great looking, and very durable. And its owner, Lee Bistrian Keyes, reported that the book "Pony Talk" by Judy Richter is very popular with budding equestrians.

Books And Tapes

Brennan's Bit and Bridle in Bridgehampton carries an extensive line of Breyer horses. These horse models have been a leading item on the wish lists of young riders for several decades now and are still well made with great attention to detail.

Riders, adults as well as juniors, are always seeking to learn, so instructional books are appreciated gifts. Ms. Keyes says the Tack Trunk has been selling a great many copies of "Ann Kursinki's Clinic," while Kelly Bailey of Brennan's Bit and Bridle says the book "In the Irons" by Gary Benson has been a big seller.

And, if you wish to give a gift that will inspire as well as instruct, Brennan's Bit and Bridle is carrying video tapes of the equestrian events from this past summer's Olympic Games.

Animal Behavior

An excellent choice for the dog owner yearning to know just what is going on behind thoses soft brown eyes would be Dr. Nicholas Dodman's illuminating book "The Dog Who Loved Too Much." Dr. Dodman is the director of the Animal Behavior Clinic at Tufts University School of Veterinary Medicine and an internationally known expert in domestic-animal behavioral research.

Dr. Dodman details his experiences with "problem dogs" in an engaging and engrossing manner and his suggested treatments are refreshingly practical. Cat lovers will have to wait for Christmas '97, when Dr. Dodman's book on cat psychology and behavior will be available.

A book that will fascinate all animal lovers is "A Perfect Harmony" by Roger Caras, a former East Hampton resident. The auther examines an aspect of human history that is too often overlooked: the contribution that domestic animals have made to civilization.

Species by species, some commonplace, others more exotic, Mr. Caras describes the origins, development, and vital role each has played in our cultural evolution. The comforts and conveniences we enjoy today are possible because of domestic animals, and that is reason enough to include them in our holiday gift-giving.

AMAGANSETT

Dubin to Michael and Helen Levy, Pond Park Place, $175,000.

BRIDGEHAMPTON

Franchise Stores Realty to Ripco Real Estate III Corp., Montauk Highway $425,000.

Deering to Geoffrey Blatt and Peter Marengi, Topping's Path, $290,000.

Bet-Tov Constructs Ltd. to Richard and Lois Freeman, Aelfie's Way, $319,000.

Second Narrow Lane Corp. to Eurexpag Inc., Narrow Lane, $224,000.

White to 1616 Realty Co., Summerfield Road, $735,000.

EAST HAMPTON

Country Living East Inc. to Jeffrey Glickman and Pamela Carlton, Grape Arbor Lane, $595,000.

White to Marilyn Reis and Jack Small, Two Holes of Water Road, $175,000.

Trojan Dev. Inc. to Richard Anderman (trustee), Further Lane, $2,125,000.

MONTAUK

O'Rourke (referee) to Republic National Bank, South Flagler Street, $230,000.

NORTH HAVEN

Faust to Thomas and Donna Fischer, Hawthorne Avenue, $156,000.

NORTHWEST

Forst & Silverblank Inc. to Liana Mouzakis, Bull Path, $755,000.

Hand's Creek Road to Forst & Silverblank Inc., Long Hill Road, $265,000.

Duval to Alfred Salsano, Bull Path, $410,000.

NOYAC

Aaronson to Russell Robinson and Theodore Chichak, Deerfield Road, $575,000.

SAG HARBOR

Weber to Elizabeth and Herman Martin Jr., Meredith Avenue, $267,000.

DeCicco to James and Kathleen McGovern, Ridge Drive, $165,000.

Rosetti to Christina Zacharia, Henry Street, $830,000.

Chervin to Edward Shank, Laurel Lane, $169,000.

SPRINGS

Levy to Daniel and Noemi Messing, Wolf Way, $321,500.

Fithian to Arlene Hinkemeyer, Woodbine Drive, $159,000.

Gavin to Edward and Theresa Kalbacher, Rutland Road, $190,000.

WAINSCOTT

Camp estate to Janice Young, Bathgate Road, $200,000.

WATER MILL

Fowler to Fernanda Niven, Head of the Pond Road, $475,000.

Ferrante to Ronald and Carol Buchter, Flying Point Road, $565,000.

First it was a music festival, then a film festival, and now it has been announced that the East End will have its own professional garden show.

The Hampton Garden Festival will be held at Dune Alpin Farm in East Hampton from June 21 through June 29. The event will benefit the Harbor for Girls and Boys, the inner-city program whose summer camp is on Three Mile Harbor. The Harbor will be celebrating its 60th anniversary next year.

This is the first time a professional gardening show of this type has been held on the South Fork, and it will be a community event involving local growers, landscape companies, nursery gardens, and related operations from the East End and elsewhere.

The plan is to have at least 12 individual gardens designed by prestigious landscape gardeners on display.

Charlotte Moss and Luly Duke will be co-chairwomen of the event, Barry Friedberg will be the corporate chairman, and David Murbach will be the on-site manager. Dale Booher and Lisa Stamm of Shelter Island have agreed to serve as architectural consultants and Marjorie Rosen will be a garden consultant.

There will be an opening-night dinner dance on June 21, under a tent at Dune Alpin.

The public relations the firm of Uffland Jannes at 400 East 52nd Street in Manhattan can give more information.

Unlike shoppers at the supermarket in Old Peking, customers at the Wainscott Village complex and its neighboring specialty shops and services won't find "seaweed soup, poodle soup, moonbeam cakes, lizard cakes, a teapot early Ming, a frog who loves to sing," or even a "maid for a nice but naughty fling."

And certainly not a "pill to kill a mother-in-law."

But they can buy "fish delicious when it's raw," a "painting slightly indiscreet," noodle soup, and, yes, the crafts to make "a fancy fan."

Not to mention Chinese food, health and dental care, holiday decorations, summer patio furniture, all imaginable delicatessen delights, wines and spirits, newspapers, piano lessons, bagels, bialys, fresh bread, beer, and sandwiches and hamburgers. There is even a store for packing and mailing.

Wainscott is the rare hamlet whose Main Street contains not a single store but whose main thoroughfare, Montauk Highway, has for two decades been dotted with restaurants, nightclubs, antiques stores, a golf course, real estate and insurance offices, car dealers, and sundry other businesses.

Homes, farms, fields, snatches of woods, and a vineyard separate the 40 or so businesses, mainly on the north edge, along the two-mile stretch of road from Sapore Di Mare west to Allison's at the Beach.

Smack in the middle of that stretch, across from the Wainscott Post Office, is the Wainscott Village Center, a clutch of businesses whose lookalike facades all sport what the center's developer and principal owner, Philip Young, called the "New England, cedar-shingle look."

The Brothers Young

Mr. Young, who manages the complex with his brother, Lincoln, as Wainscott Village Associates, bought part of the two-acre property more than 10 years ago. Once, it was the site of the Attic, a gay nightclub. Down came the Attic and, in 1987, up went the two buildings which now house the Panda Garden restaurant, the Wainscott Country Deli, and Hampton Medical.

In 1990, Mr. Young acquired the land in front, closer to the highway. There he built two more buildings, connected by a short walkway. Today, that section of Wainscott Village houses an art gallery, the Hampton Mailing Company, and Wainscott Wines and Spirits.

The center's wraparound driveway is surrounded by ample parking. Cars can enter from the highway or from the rear, just off Wainscott Northwest Road. Pleasant landscaping - adequate but not lush - is beginning to mature, and a gazebo, more or less in the center of things, lends a rustic look.

Panda Garden Is 10

Tenants lease their space from Wainscott Village Associates for what Mr. Young said "averages between $21 and $27 per square foot, probably half that of rents in East Hampton Village."

Panda Garden, about to celebrate its 10th anniversary, is the only original tenant. While its chef doesn't make moonbeam soup, he does prepare bean curd soup, among a host of other Chinese dishes. Indeed, the menu lists nearly 200 possibilities for dining in or taking out, few priced at over $12. (Peking duck, $29, is an exception.)

Business, said Sherry Chan, a receptionist-manager, "has been steady since we opened in 1987," though far better in the summer months than the off-season. Most of the center's occupants echoed that comment.

New Deli Arrives

The newcomer on the block is the Wainscott Country Deli, opened on Dec. 1 by Bob and Barbara Baugh, who also own the Sagg Main Store in Sagaponack.

The Baughs have refurbished the morning-coffee and lunchtime-sandwich stop as a sleeker, more upscale version. The deli opens at 6 a.m. (7 on Sundays) with bacon and eggs and pancake breakfasts for the going-to-work traffic and serves every imaginable sandwich - roasted chicken, ham, turkey, roast beef, kielbasa, olive loaf, meatloaf - and soups and salad for lunch or later. Eat there or take it out.

Because Mr. Baugh found "you couldn't get a hamburger in this immediate area," he grills them at noontime and for dinner, along with hot dogs and french fries.

Christmas Treasures

The Baughs cater, too, taking orders in Wainscott and preparing most of the food in Sagaponack, "where the kitchen is bigger."

Treasure Island is the Wainscott Village Center's largest store. Right now it is filled, except for a small, permanent section of crafts and stationery, to a fare-thee-well with Christmas: Christmas trees, Christmas lights, ribbon, wrapping papers, stockings (for dogs and cats, too), wreaths, tree decorations, dolls, mangers, presents, and indoor and outdoor holiday displays with almost-life-sized angels, singers, Santas, and animals.

Its trees are not real ones; they are "permanent," which, according to the store manager, Kathryn Stanton, is the "politically correct term for artificial trees." She can sell you a tiny one for a few dollars or a nine-foot, already-lighted number for $729. It will fold right up for storage until next Christmas.

Ms. Stanton's store is one of 16 Treasure Islands in New York and New Jersey. Like the others, its inventory changes from February through September, to patio furniture.

Wainscott Gallery

For that painting slightly indiscreet, shoppers with an expendable $2,500 to $18,000 can go to the Wainscott Gallery, where Maggie Nolan is currently showing a number of provocative canvases from the hand of Jim Gingerich, and sculptures by Dorothy Frankel.

Ms. Nolan, who also shows work by the Sagaponack artist Robert Dash, will be closed from mid-January until April.

The biggest news at Wainscott Wines and Spirits, just down the brick walk from the gallery, is the recent arrival of le Beaujolais nouveau. James McHale, who opened this liquor store more than three years ago, stocks nearly 1,000 different wine labels, and offers a 20-percent mix-and-match discount on cases.

Wainscott Wines delivers, free, from the East End to Manhattan.

Two Vacancies

Separating the liquor store from the Hampton Mailing Company is a vacant store, one of two in the complex. Both, predicted Mr. Young, "will be rented by spring." He has had a dozen inquiries about the space, he reported, "eight of them seeking office, rather than retail, locations."

The landlord said he was looking for "a good mix" to fill out the center, tenants whose businesses will be both suitable to the location and useful to the public - "retail merchandise, services, real estate, or an attorney's office."

The complex has had its share of comings and goings. Mr. Young attributed the failure of several businesses not to customer base or location, but to an inability to plan, to remain financially stable during the off-season, or to have anticipated the curiosities of doing business in the Hamptons.

The addition of a turning lane on Route 27 has definitely helped business, Mr. Young added, although not all his tenants agreed.

Pack And Mail

Margit Beck singlehandedly - except at Christmastime - handles the packing and mailing at her Hampton Mailing Company. With great efficiency, she sends packages safely out the door, via United Parcel Service or Federal Express. She fills out forms and wraps and packs boxes with flair and few words.

"Bring in your boxes early in the day," she advises.

One business that sees a relatively steady flow of people - and which neighbors say brings them business as well - is Hampton Medical.

Both medical and dental care are available here. Dr. Beth T. Rosner has been Hampton Medical's dentist in residence for nearly five years. She and her staff, which includes a dental hygienist two days a week, are continually busy, she said.

"Teeth problems don't differentiate between summer and winter," said Dr. Rosner, "so we are not particularly seasonal," although, she noted, summertime brings more emergencies. Dr. Rosner works five days a week and every other Saturday morning.

Hampton Medical

Dr. Gary T. Purcell, an orthopedic surgeon who heads the medical arm of Hampton Medical, spends two or more days a week at the facility seeing patients. The practice is currently without a full-time doctor, but Dr. Purcell said several physicians were "under consideration for the position" and that he hoped "the situation is resolved by the first of the year."

Just across Wainscott Northwest Road from Wainscott Village Associates is a second medical facility, Wainscott Walk-In Medical Service, owned by Dr. Blake Kerr, a general practitioner who is its on-site physician.

Dr. Kerr opened the practice less than a year ago and said it is "busier than I ever imagined." He and his staff, which includes a nurse and a nurse-practitioner, see "some 40 patients every day, some scheduled, some emergencies."

Music Studios

Dr. Kerr owns the two-story building that houses his practice. On the second floor is Wainscott Music Studios, a compact arrangement of musical accessories, a sound stage, recording equipment, and dozens of instruments.

Owned by Andrew Baker, a past president of the Sag Harbor Chamber of Commerce, Wainscott Music arranges, by appointment, instruction on any - that means any - musical instrument. On one wall hangs Billy Joel's "River of Dreams" platinum album, on which Mr. Baker has a credit.

Separating the Wainscott Village Center from its neighbors to the west are three stores which, although independent of the others, are very much a part of the overall space. Two were opened just this year, and the other, John Haessler's Seafood Shop, has been busy in all seasons for 27 years.

Seafood Shop

While parking has not been a problem for the center or for Dr. Kerr's patients, it has been for the Seafood Shop and Once-Upon-A-Bagel, next door.

Drivers know all too well the traffic snarls that occur when more than a few customers stop at the Seafood Shop for the fresh fish, lobsters, and other seafood for which the store is known. Mr. Haessler has an application before the East Hampton Town Planning Board to turn a vacant half-acre he owns on Wainscott Northwest Road into a 27-space parking lot.

At Once-Upon-A-Bagel, opened in May by Carmine Speranza, bagel lovers will find 30 varieties, including spinach, sourdough, and Russian pumpernickel. To go with them, there are cases of unusual salads and 12 varieties of cream cheese, as well as breads and other baked goods.

Mr. Speranza prepares breakfasts and lunches and stocks fresh produce when it is available. Everything is made on-site, said the owner, and the first seven months of business have been good.

Breadzilla

Also doing good business, according to its owners, Nancy and Brad Thompson, is Breadzilla, a sizable bakery behind the Seafood Shop with an entrance on Wainscott Northwest Road.

Breadzilla - "Zilla" was Ms. Thompson's nickname as a child - opened on the Fourth of July. Once the home of Walker's Upholstery and Asiantique, it has several tables for breakfast and lunch customers, or for a spot of tea or coffee and a sweet.

"Everything - our soups, stews, pot pies, the foccacia - is made from scratch," said Ms. Thompson, who has been busy lately making Christmas cookies and gingerbread tree ornaments in the store's spacious kitchen. She does the baking, and Paul DePalma, formerly of Nick & Toni's restaurant, assists her as chief chef.

Breadzilla is closed on Mondays.

Handicapped-Accessible

Breadzilla, Wainscott Walk-In Medical Service, and all the stores in the Wainscott Village Center are handicapped-accessible, and there are numerous blue-lined parking spaces available in front of these establishments.

The stores' hours of operation vary according to days of the week and time of the year. Credit policies vary with each shop, and patients new to the medical facilities might check the clearly posted insurance carriers before requesting treatment.

Two longtime East Hampton insurance agencies with deep local roots, which have been doing business quietly on Main Street for decades, just as quietly joined forces earlier this year.

The Osborne Agency, which was founded by Joseph S. Osborne in 1875, and E.T. Dayton, founded in 1906, merged as Dayton & Osborne in September. However, the merger was not publicly announced until last week.

George Yates, who came to East Hampton in 1976, became partners with Ernie Clark, the owner of E.T. Dayton, in 1980, and acquired the rest of the firm when Mr. Clark retired in 1990, is the new company's president. Charles Osborne, the owner of the Osborne Agency, is its vice president.

Expanded Offerings

The new company will continue to serve its primary market, providing property and casualty insurance for homeowners and businesses, but will also expand its offerings of life and health insurance and estate planning.

"By joining together, we'll be able to work much more efficiently and expand our staff," said Mr. Yates. The firm currently has 27 employees.

Dayton and Osborne has moved into the E.T. Dayton building at 78 Main Street, which is undergoing renovation. It shares the building with Dayton-Halstead, a separate real estate company owned by Mr. Yates and Diane Saatchi.

The building once housed The East Hampton Star. During remodeling, contractors discovered a badly sagging floor in the rear of the building, where the newspaper's presses were once located.

"Enough Boutiques"

Mr. Osborne said he would rent the Osborne Agency's building at 35 Main Street, preferably to a business that will serve East Hampton's year-round community. "I think we have enough boutiques," he said.

One of the biggest problems facing property and casualty brokers in today's markets, according to Mr. Yates, is securing insurance for homeowners near the water.

"It was an exposure that was long ignored until Hurricane Andrew hit Florida in 1992," said Mr. Yates. When claims reached the billions of dollars, insurance companies took note. "Suddenly, everybody got very interested," he said. "But it was a little like closing the barn door after the horses are out."

Times Have Changed

While today insurance companies are abandoning the market in areas that are vulnerable, Mr. Osborne said he could recall no such concern when the hurricane of 1938 devastated the area.

"That was long before the days of people being frightened by hurricanes," he said. But, at the time, he added, "most people didn't insure against hurricanes or wind, just fire and lightning."

Although insurance carriers now use computer models to analyze their risk in hurricane-prone areas, Mr. Osborne believes current restrictions will be relaxed at some point. "In time, the companies are going to recognize that Long Island isn't going to sink," he said.

Broker, Not Insurer

Unlike the Cook Agency, which recently launched its own insurance-writing wing, Mr. Yates said, "I see myself as a broker, not an insurance company."

Because both the Osborne Agency and E.T. Dayton had established "highly profitable relationships with carriers, " Mr. Yates believes the new firm will be able to meet its customers' needs.

The company represents a number of major carriers, including Hartford Insurance, Royal Insurance, Hanover Insurance, and Travelers Insurance.

Family Business

The merger brings together "two of the longest running shows on Main Street," according to Mr. Yates.

Mr. Osborne, who joined the family business "as an insurance peddler" after returning from World War II -- when his B-24 bomber was shot down over Italy, and "we had to walk home" -- concurred. Only White's Pharmacy has been around longer, he said.

The Osborne Agency was founded by Mr. Osborne's grandfather. Its original office was in a house at 135 Main Street now occupied by the law firm Osborne & McGowan.

Nelson C. Osborne, once an East Hampton Town Supervisor and Charles Osborne's father, took over the business before passing it on to his nephew, Edward M. Osborne. Charles Osborne later took over from his cousin.

Merger Of Locals

E.T. Dayton, a life insurance salesman, founded his own firm in 1906. Robert Reutershan took over the business in the 1950s. When Mr. Reutershan was killed in an auto accident in 1964, Ernest Clark bought the business.

Mr. Clark, who is now retired and spends his winters in Naples, Fla., said, "I'm glad to see the merger was able to take place. I think it will be to the benefit of both companies."

He was also happy to see a local merger. "I would have advised George against a merger with an outside firm," he said. "I knew the people I did business with, and they knew me. There was a great deal of trust between us. An outside firm probably wouldn't do business the same way."

Still Active At 74

Over the years, said Mr. Osborne, who stills works every day at age 74, the business has seen some "unbelievable" changes. "It was all done by hand," he said. Today, the firm has what Mr. Yates calls a "state-of-the art" computer network.

But Mr. Osborne, in a typically self-deprecating manner, said, "I don't know how to use the doggone things. I can look up information, but I don't know how to put anything in them."

The Swamp, the night club in Wainscott, may be in a bog over several structures built onto it and the adjoining Annex restaurant.

The owners of the complex have added a new deck, a dumbwaiter, and a shed roof overhang without approval from the town. The additions could add new parking requirements to the complex's already inadequate parking lot.

A site plan application for the structures was submitted to the East Hampton Town Planning Board in July, but was never followed through. The additions were.

The Planning Board decided to take the matter into its own hands last week and put the application back on the agenda.

"We should really send the applicant a letter saying, 'You haven't done anything yet. Let's get going here and clean up your act,'" said Jim Mangano, the board's Wainscott liaison. Treating the application as if it were for structures not yet built, the Town Planning Department offered its comments on the proposal.

A second-story deck, planners said, depending on the use, could increase the club's seating capacity, and thus require more parking. The dumbwaiter enclosure, meanwhile, juts out into the parking lot, possibly eliminating a space or aisle width.

The lot only contains about 45 to 50 legal parking spaces. When the Annex was approved in 1978, the Planning Board required 72 spaces. Cars regularly spill out along Montauk Highway on summer weekends.

The Planning Board agreed to contact the owners and ask for a revised application.