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Two More Months of Roundabout Work

Two More Months of Roundabout Work

By
Jamie Bufalino

The roundabout being constructed at the intersection of Route 114 and Buell and Toilsome Lanes in East Hampton Village will not be finished until early fall, Becky Molinaro Hansen, the village administrator, said last week.   “Each day they work, they get more done and they take more cones away,” she said, referring to the road crews and the orange markers delineating areas still under construction. 

The final phase of the project, which entails the installation of the center island, curbs, sidewalks, light poles, signs, and fixtures, began in early March and was expected to be finished before Memorial Day weekend, but on May 9, Drew Bennett, the engineer overseeing the construction, informed the village board that bad and wintry weather lasting well into spring had delayed that timetable.

Mr. Bennett estimated at the time that the remainder of the work, including the installation of curbs and sidewalks, would be done prior to June 21, but added “this will be a challenging deadline for this piece of work. Therefore, this target completion date could shift out.” 

Plans for the roundabout first began to take shape in 2014, after the village received a $700,000 New York State Community Capital Assistance program grant to fund the project. Since part of the work is on property controlled by the state’s Department of Transportation, the D.O.T. needed to grant a work permit before construction could begin. The permit was issued in September, and excavation and drainage structure installation began on Oct. 19. The village originally hoped to have the roundabout finished by the end of last year, but that was undone by a series of unexpected delays during the first phase of construction. 

The removal of a utility pole on Toilsome Lane was completed by PSEG Long Island in October, one month behind schedule. The Suffolk County Water Authority’s installation of several hundred feet of new main at the intersection also finished a month later than expected. National Grid replaced a gas main by Labor Day 2017, but house connections to the new main and the abandonment of the old one were not completed until Nov. 17. Potholes resulting from that work worsened the delay as the road then required interim repairs.

Phase two of the project occurred off- site over the winter with the fabrication of granite and concrete curbs for the circle and its splitter islands.

While crews and safety barrels are still prevalent on the site, Ms. Hansen said the village is being vigilant to reduce construction’s impact on the flow of vehicles through the intersection. “Week to week, we make decisions about the amount of work that can be done given the traffic situation,” she said.

Maidstone Park Memories

Maidstone Park Memories

Once known as Franklin Farm, Maidstone Park, already called that in a 1916 Suffolk atlas, above, was a gift to the people of East Hampton from the Gallatin family.
Once known as Franklin Farm, Maidstone Park, already called that in a 1916 Suffolk atlas, above, was a gift to the people of East Hampton from the Gallatin family.
Item of the Week From the East Hampton Library Long Island Collection
By
Andrea Meyer

Born in 1898 at Franklin Farm, now known as Maidstone Park or Maidstone Beach, Abigail Edwards Field, before her death in 2006 at age 108, wrote a history of the property where she grew up. By her account, her Edwards family relatives lived on the land, with only a few brief interruptions, going back to Isaac Edwards, a Revolutionary War veteran. 

For today’s visitors enjoying the magnificent views of Gardiner’s Bay and the beachfront, it’s hard to envision a working farm with oxen grazing in the middle of the dunes or parking areas, but that’s how Maidstone Park was when Abigail was a little girl in Springs.

Abigail’s childhood memories of family reunions at Maidstone Beach recall the men digging for clams to be cooked in a stone fire pit and the women swimming in stockings and long dresses, the bathing suits of the day. Her description of the house at Franklin Farm being moved from the property to Amagansett indicates that her notes were written after 1949, but there’s no other way to date these recollections. 

Abigail’s father sold the land she knew as the family ox pasture to Frederic and Albert Gallatin. The Gallatins already owned houses on Georgica Pond, but Abigail remembered that they were attracted to the land overlooking Gardiner’s Bay for the same reason many young families prefer the spot today — the quiet waters were better for swimming. 

In 1911, the Gallatins gave that land to the Town of East Hampton with the provision that no concessions be allowed in Maidstone Park. An adjoining section of the Edwards family property overlooking Gardiner’s Bay would be sold to the Girl Scout Council of Nassau County, becoming Camp Blue Bay beginning in 1947.

Today, Maidstone Park lends its name to the surrounding neighborhoods. While Franklin Farm no longer operates, families can still be seen relaxing as the Edwards family once did — swimming, clamming, and picnicking at Maidstone Beach.

Andrea Meyer is a librarian and archivist in the East Hampton Library’s Long Island Collection.

Benefit Builds Tech Chops

Benefit Builds Tech Chops

By
Christopher Walsh

The fifth annual benefit for All Star Code, an organization that helps African-American and Latino boys attain the skills, networks, and mind-sets to succeed in computer science and coding, happens on Saturday evening at the East Hampton residence of Loida Lewis.

To date, around 300 boys have gone through All Star Code’s six-week “summer intensive” boot camp program, hosted by tech companies, financial institutions, and other entities, such as Facebook, Cisco, Bond Collective, J.P. Morgan, Goldman Sachs, Oath, and MLB Advanced Media. 

The program introduces them to essential web development skills while cultivating an entrepreneurial mind-set and a network of peers. Ninety-five percent of participants have matriculated to four-year colleges, more than one-third of which are universities ranked in the top 100. Most of the students ultimately major in computer science or a related field. 

The organization recently expanded to Pittsburgh and will soon expand farther, said Christina Lewis, All Star Code’s founder and director. “It’s really about inspiring people,” she said this week. Ms. Lewis is the daughter of Loida and the late Reginald Lewis, the first African-American to build a billion-dollar company, as chairman and chief executive of TLC Beatrice International Holdings.

“Getting, keeping, and getting promoted in that first job, there are challenges in each stage in the pipeline,” Ms. Lewis said. “Success is not assured.” Fifty-five percent of All Star Code participants, she said, are the first of their family to attend college, and African-American and Latinos are dramatically underrepresented in the tech sector.

As in years past, Saturday’s fund-raiser will feature demonstrations of products and programs created by All Star Code students. The evening will also feature a cocktail hour, dinner catered by the chef Marcus Samuelsson’s Red Rooster Harlem, an auction, and a “fireside chat.” 

Honorees at this year’s benefit include Van Jones, the CNN correspondent, author, and founder and president of the nonprofit organization Dream Corps, one initiative of which is called #YesWeCode. “I was really thrilled when he agreed to be honored,” Ms. Lewis said. 

Also to be honored is Reshma Saujani, the founder and chief executive officer of Girls Who Code, a nonprofit organization working to close the gender gap in technology. The journalist and author Soledad O’Brien, who co-founded the PowHERful Foundation, which helps young women attend and graduate from college, will serve as master of ceremonies. 

Mr. Samuelsson, an honorary co-chairman of the benefit, will also be honored. David Dinkins, former mayor of New York City, is expected to attend.

Tickets to the benefit are still available and can be purchased at allstarcodebenefit.org.

Let Us Now Praise Ferrymen

Let Us Now Praise Ferrymen

Shelter Island's South Ferry, circa 1901
Shelter Island's South Ferry, circa 1901
Item of the Week From the East Hampton Library Long Island Collection
By
Gina Piastuck

Do you commute back and forth to work every day? How far do you travel? Whether it’s 5 or 50 miles, the importance of transportation can’t be denied, especially on Long Island. While many rely on cars, trains, or buses to get them where they need to be, ferryboats are also a popular option, and sometimes they are the only one. Such is the case with Shelter Island, as there are no bridges connecting it to the North or South Fork.

There is very little information about the accompanying photograph, other than that it depicts a couple and possibly their driver waiting to cross at Shelter Island’s South Ferry, which would take them across Shelter Island Sound to North Haven on the South Fork. The car, positioned on a raft or scow, would then be pulled across the water by a sailboat. This was known as a “sail ferry,” and part of the boat can actually be seen at the left-hand side of the image. Named the Elloine, this 32-foot catboat operated between 1888 and 1905.

The South Ferry as we know it today has a long history. Shortly after his arrival on Shelter Island in 1700, Jonathan Havens (1680-1748) operated a sail ferry between his farm and Sag Harbor. This continued until 1827, when Joseph Havens, the last Havens ferryman to own the farm, died. The 60-acre estate was eventually sold to Samuel Gibbs Clark in the 1830s for $1,350. 

Clark kept the Havens ferry going, but chose a shorter route to North Haven, using a 16-foot rowboat to carry passengers and goods across. He did this until his death in 1875. His sons, Samuel Jr. and David Youngs Clark, became ferrymen themselves. 

Interestingly, the Clark brothers married two Havens sisters, Elizabeth and Adelaide, making their descendants directly related to the original Havens family ferrymen. The Clark family still operates the ferry today.

Gina Piastuck is the department head of the East Hampton Library’s Long Island Collection.

Watchcase Factory Is Ticking

Watchcase Factory Is Ticking

The living and dining area of penthouse 406 at the Watchcase Condominiums complex
The living and dining area of penthouse 406 at the Watchcase Condominiums complex
Deborah Srb
New broker and new look to push sales
By
Jamie Bufalino

When Watchcase Condominiums, a 64-unit luxury residential complex, began to emerge from the crumbling shell of the former Bulova Watchcase Factory in Sag Harbor in 2013, the real estate market reacted with exuberance. “We sold the first 20 units out of a trailer on the site,” Cee Scott Brown, one of the Corcoran Group brokers assigned to the property, said. “There was nothing to even go look at, so we were showing people samples of the materials.” 

Sales success continued through December of 2016, Mr. Brown said, at which point more than 80 percent of the residences had been sold. Just 12 remained available — a loft apartment, three penthouses, and eight townhouses — each of which has yet to attract a buyer. In a renewed effort to sell the remaining inventory, Cape Advisors, the real estate development firm behind the project, has now been making improvements and lowering some prices.

By the time the residences were move-in ready in 2015, Cape Advisors had spent more than $40 million restoring and retrofitting the 1881 factory and building townhouses on neighboring lots on Church Street and Sage Street. The complex’s amenities include an outdoor pool, a fitness studio, and a spa treatment room, among others. 

One of the first finished units in the former factory debuted in June 2013. It was a two-bedroom penthouse model featuring marble countertops, custom oak cabinets, high ceilings with exposed beams, and an abundance of seven-and-a-half-foot-high windows. The Cape Advisors team was so enthusiastic about the results, it hired seaplanes to bring out journalists from Manhattan for a first-hand look. 

At the time, the lofts ranged in price from just over $1 million to $2.7 million, with penthouses from nearly $3 million to $10.2 million. The townhouses started at $3.5 million and went up to $6.5 million. Sales were brisk, with many buyers eager to own a high-end condo rather than a house, Mr. Brown said. “I was amazed at how desirable they were to people.” 

Mr. Brown was so taken with the results that he bought a unit, which he rents out year-round. “We dealt with everyone who’s purchased there,” he said. “They’re interesting, quirky folks. Many of them downsized from Amagansett or Southampton or East Hampton to get into something that was turnkey. When they leave, the building’s concierge helps them with their bags, and they come back in a week or two or whenever.” 

One resident who is particularly fond of the concierge services is Barbara Toll, an art adviser, who bought her apartment in the old factory early,  when “it was still a hole in the ground,” she said.  Ms. Toll, who lives alone, had been faced with either renovating her Sag Harbor house or moving, and chose to decamp to the Watchcase. “Now I know someone will come help me if I fall off a ladder. It’s also terrific because you’re right in the village, but that means I don’t cook as much as I used to.” 

Mr. Brown and his colleagues at the Corcoran Group continue to handle apartments they previously sold, but last year executives at Cape Advisors gave exclusive listings of the 12 never-sold units to Water Mill-based Bespoke Real Estate. They continued to linger on the market. 

Earlier this year, representatives of Cape Advisors conducted interviews with several real estate agents, looking for someone else to take over the account, according Deborah Srb, an associate broker at Sotheby’s International Realty, who landed the listings. “They wanted a price opinion and an experienced real estate opinion,” she said. “I love the product. It’s so unusual and so special to Sag Harbor, I’ve always wanted to be attached to this building.” 

Ms. Srb said she convinced the developers that the price had to come down on some of the units and presented them with “a punch list of design flaws” that had to be corrected in others. 

The penthouses, which have rooftop terraces complete with fire pits and expansive water views, are among the units for which prices have been reduced. Penthouse 406, for example, had been listed at $5.5 million in March 2016 and is now under $4.8 million, Ms. Srb said. Penthouse 418 is for sale at under $5.5 million, compared to $7.5 million in 2015. The prices, she said, are now more in line with comparable residences that have sold recently as well as with the existing inventory of houses for sale. 

One of the developers’ most glaring oversights, according to Ms. Srb, was the lack of elevators in the two-story townhouses, which are on a steep incline. Nine were built, but only one has sold. 

“The townhouses had plans and approvals for elevators that were never installed,” Ms. Srb said. “I don’t care how old or young you are, nobody wants to be carrying groceries up two flights of stairs.” Elevators, she said, are now to be in place by the end of the month.  

Ms. Srb, who is a co-cofounder of Blue Ocean Design, an interior design firm based in Sag Harbor, said she had been allowed to suggest enhancements. They include the addition of privacy walls and doors in units whose bedrooms were a bit too loft-like, she said, and a walk-in closet in Penthouse 314, where a master bedroom lacked storage space.

Other renovations under Ms. Srb’s direction range from “a light facelift,” or coat of fresh paint, to plumbing repair. “The few water leaks I noticed were traced back to their origin, not just spackled over and painted,” she said. 

Ms. Srb is confident that the “refreshed and reimagined” units, as they are described on Sotheby’s website, will finally move the residences into the sold category. “It’s all about the details,” she said. She’s especially optimistic about the improved penthouses. “They’re gorgeous now and, oh, those rooftop terrace views. There’s nothing like them anywhere.”

History Unearthed at Havens

History Unearthed at Havens

The pieces of history that turned up on Havens Beach included a musket ball, an oil lamp, and a coin minted in 1875.
The pieces of history that turned up on Havens Beach included a musket ball, an oil lamp, and a coin minted in 1875.
Jean Held
Musket balls, oil lamp found amid spoils in Sag
By
Jamie Bufalino

Havens Beach in Sag Harbor has been inadvertently transformed into an active archaeological site following last November’s dredging of a section of the bay off Long Wharf. Along with the estimated 10,000 cubic yards of sand that were pumped from the bottom of the bay onto the beach came such historical artifacts as musket balls, an oil lamp, shards of pottery and porcelain, and coins that date as far back as 1875. 

Jean Held, a trustee of the Sag Harbor Historical Society, has been overseeing a collection of the discovered objects since the fall and is in the process of researching their provenances.

“It’s amazing that all this history was being dredged up,” said Ms. Held, who, having spotted the large deposits of muddy sand soon after they arrived, asked David Cosgrove — a friend who owns a metal detector — to immediately begin canvassing the area. “I had no idea where all this was going to go, not a clue,” she said.

Ms. Held happened to be with Mr. Cosgrove on the day he found musket balls, remnants of Sag Harbor’s distant past, which includes two major historical attles. During the Revolutionary War, Lt. Col. Return Jonathan Meigs led a band of soldiers from the Continental Army in a raid to retake the village, which had been seized by British forces. “Meigs came over and captured all the British soldiers who were quartered at the Howell Inn, which is where the American Hotel is today,” said Jack Youngs, the president of the historical society. “They came in whaleboats and burned all the supplies and left with captive British soldiers. Not one patriot was killed.” The second battle came during the War of 1812 when, Mr. Youngs said, the British tried to invade Sag Harbor but were repelled by soldiers stationed at a fort on Turkey Hill. “At that time, you could see the whole bay area from there,” he said.

“The story will be, why is all this stuff around the wharf?” asked Ms. Held. 

To begin the process of answering that question and pinpointing the histories of the items, she has filled more than 20 containers with a diverse assortment of objects — including what, to her eye, look to be a pig’s bone and a cow’s tooth — that have been found by Mr. Cosgrove and others. “We have a giant collection of big rusty nails,” she said, pointing to two jars, one of which contains square-cut nails, which likely date to the 1800s. A wick turner from an oil lamp has its manufacturer’s name marked on it, which allowed Ms. Held, in a preliminary review, to trace it back to the late 1800s or early 1900s. Some of the items, such as a battered walkie-talkie, and a tiny Tonka truck that had fused with a rock, had been lost at sea more recently. By visiting the Tonka company’s website, she deduced that the toy was made between the 1950s and the 1970s. One treasure that got away: a cannonball that Ms. Held heard had been retrieved by a fellow scavenger.

“Most of the things David found were metal, but he also found pieces of pottery,” said Ms. Held. To gauge the historical significance of the pottery shards, she consulted with Dorothy Zaykowski, a fourth-generation resident who is the author of “Sag Harbor: The Story of an American Beauty.” According to Ms. Zaykowski, the most fascinating finds are what’s known as “redware,” utilitarian pottery made from red clay, which, according to her research books, also dated to the 1800s. “It was something Americans could make so they didn’t have to buy from the British,” said Ms. Held. “It was cheap to make, you didn’t have to fire it at such a high temperature, it was made with local clay, and they painted them very primitively.” 

Other potentially historical discoveries include a Queen Anne-style spoon that features a ridge known as a “rat’s tail” along the length of its underside, and a jagged center section of a porcelain plate emblazoned with the Great Seal of the United States.

Earlier this year, after receiving complaints about baseball-size rocks that had accumulated on the beach following the dredging, the village hired a company to sift the sand. As part of that process, “they dumped all the rocks into one place near the beach, which was a godsend,” said Ms. Held. Among the pieces retrieved from that rock pile, Ms. Zaykowski found a portion of a Whistle soda bottle, the container of an orange soft drink made by the Sag Harbor-based Wilson Bottling company between 1895 and 1897. 

As recently as last week, Ms. Held discovered a piece of glass in the sand that she believes was made in the early-20th century. She added it to her extensive collection of sea glass. In an attempt to uncover the backstory of one particular piece of black sea glass, she consulted with George Fisher, a bottle expert, who thought it might date to the 1700s. “The beauty of black sea glass is not only its color, it’s also its rarity and its historical significance,” said Ms. Held. “Most black shards are found in the Caribbean and other sites where the liquor trade was common during the 18th and 19th centuries.”

“I’m learning as I go along,” said Ms. Held, who, once she’s past the discovery stage, plans to enlist the aid of local historians in the research process. She is also seeking help from residents both in identifying found items and scrutinizing the beach for those yet to be unearthed. “Low tide is approaching,” she said.

Dead Whale Washes Up on Napeague

Dead Whale Washes Up on Napeague

Coast Guard Station Montauk called in the Atlantic Marine Conservation Society to inspect a dead humpback whale that washed up near the Hermitage at Napeague on Thursday morning.
Coast Guard Station Montauk called in the Atlantic Marine Conservation Society to inspect a dead humpback whale that washed up near the Hermitage at Napeague on Thursday morning.
Atlantic Marine Conservation Society
By
Taylor K. Vecsey

Update, 4:52 p.m.: The Atlantic Marine Conservation Society said Thursday afternoon that a necropsy on a humpback whale that washed up on Napeague earlier that day will be performed Friday morning. 

The necropsy will allow the team to collect data and help determine a cause of death. It may take several hours to complete. 

The whale is about 30 to 35 feet in length. Its exact measurements could not be taken because it is in the surf, according to the conservation society. 

"Because the animal is in the surf it is dangerous for the public to get closer. We strongly urge people to keep a minimum distance of the recommended 150 feet at all times," the society said in a press release. 

The society said this is the sixth humpback whale it has responded to this year. "There is an ongoing unusual mortality event in effect along the Atlantic Coast that has impacted more than 75 humpback whales since 2016," the statement said. 

Originally: A deceased humpback whale washed up on Napeague on Thursday morning, and officials are trying to determine how best to remove it. 

The Atlantic Marine Conservation Society said it received a report of the dead whale from United States Coast Guard Montauk Station around 8:30 a.m. 

A team from the conservation society responded around 1:30 p.m. and will come up with a response plan.

Joanne Pilgrim, a spokeswoman for the Town of East Hampton, said that first thing Friday morning a necropsy will be performed. The carcass will then be cut up into small pieces and disposed of, she said. 

This article has been updated with more information since it was first posted. 

15th Soldier Ride Mobilizes Saturday

15th Soldier Ride Mobilizes Saturday

Carrie Salvi
By
Christopher Walsh

Some 800 cyclists are expected to take part in Soldier Ride the Hamptons, which takes place on Saturday on roads across the South Fork.

The annual Soldier Ride, a cycling and rehabilitative event benefiting the Wounded Warrior Project, was established in 2004 by owners and staff of the Stephen Talkhouse in Amagansett. This year’s ride starts at 8:30 a.m. at the field at 555 Montauk Highway. 

Riders will head from Amagansett to East Hampton Village and on to Sag Harbor before returning to Amagansett. No road closures have been scheduled in East Hampton Town, but drivers “should expect significant delays” on Stephen Hand’s Path, Route 114, and other roads leading into Sag Harbor on Saturday morning, police said.  

Saturday’s ride will follow one happening today in Brooklyn and another tomorrow in Lindenhurst and Babylon, proceeds of which also benefit the Wounded Warrior Project.

Individuals participating in Saturday’s event can register for a 25 or 60-mile cycle for a pledge of $35, $30 for those 12 and under. A community walk in Sag Harbor is also offered for a $35 pledge. Groups can also participate as a team, or individuals can join an existing team.

Registration begins at 7 a.m., with an opening ceremony planned for 8:30. the ride sets out from Amagansett at 9 a.m. A Lap of Heroes will begin in Sag Harbor at 11 a.m., and the community walk is to follow after cyclists depart. 

The ride is expected to conclude around 12:30 p.m. with a community picnic at 555 Montauk Highway.

All of the money Soldier Ride raises is allocated to aid military veterans to address stress recovery, job training, and counseling, and adaptive sports programs, among other initiatives. 

“For 15 years, Soldier Ride has empowered injured veterans to push themselves physically and mentally,” according to a release issued by Nick Kraus, a co-founder of Soldier Ride. “The rides aren’t just exercise, they’re a way to manage the visible and invisible wounds of war. And warriors don’t ride alone — they move forward together, as a unit, just like during their military service.” 

Donations to Soldier Ride can be made online.

Montauk Postal Service at Low Ebb

Montauk Postal Service at Low Ebb

Packages have piled up outside the Montauk Post Office, as the Postal Service works to "align resources" to assist the office with the massive seasonal increase in package volume.
Packages have piled up outside the Montauk Post Office, as the Postal Service works to "align resources" to assist the office with the massive seasonal increase in package volume.
By
Johnette Howard

Montauk advertises itself as “The End,” but it’s not literally at the end of the world although it felt that way recently for residents frustrated with their post office’s inability to deliver their packages and daily mail on time, if they could be located at all.

“All you’ve got to do is go down there one morning and watch the people come out the door madder than hell,” said Marshall Prado, a Montauk native who visits the Euclid Avenue branch at least twice a day for his service station and plumbing, heating, and fuel businesses. “There’s a lot of screaming and yelling in there.”

A recent visit to the Montauk branch provided reasons why complaints abound. Backed-up Amazon deliveries and other boxes overflowed inside the building and so many Amazon boxes had accumulated outdoors that the post office hired a guard. 

Some residents, who have home delivery, say their daily mail used to arrive before noon and doesn’t arrive till 7 or 8 p.m. now, if at all. Still others report being told by the overwhelmed counter staff that their deliveries can’t be located or they don’t have time to look for them. 

One patron, who asked that her name not be used, said she had lived in Montauk for 54 years and the post office sent a package she was waiting for back to the sender three times, claiming her address didn’t exist.

And Mr. Prado was told on two recent visits that the branch had run out of stamps. “What kind of post office can be out of stamps?” Mr. Prado asked. “We rely heavily on the post office to keep our business going. Now? I order repair parts with overnight delivery and they never arrive overnight.”

Paula Baldrian, another longtime Montauk resident, echoes something every customer interviewed said: Some of the problems seem related to personnel turnover and the fact the United States Postal Service delivers for Amazon.

In addition, three longtime and well-known employees are no longer employed there, while the new personnel haven’t had time to learn all the ropes. New post office employees, residents say, often seem unfamiliar with the territory or daunted by the workload, particularly now that it is summer.

“It’s gotten very, very bad in the last month, especially,” Ms. Baldrian said. “My newspaper is four days late. I just came home from a friend’s house today and they said they’ve been waiting for a check since June 26, and it still hasn’t arrived. I was sitting here at home the other night and I saw this mail truck riding up and down the street, up and down the street. Finally he pulled over and was looking at a map. He seemed to be lost.”

Montauk’s new postmaster, who didn’t want to reveal his full name, referred questions about the branch’s performance to Christine Dugas, a U.S. Postal Service spokeswoman in Providence, R.I.

The statement she provided on Tuesday read: “The Montauk Post Office is a seasonal office. During the summer season they are extremely busy and their package volume continues to grow. The district had to align resources to assist them with this increase. These volumes are being monitored and the district will continue to support the office with added resources as needed to ensure customer satisfaction.”

Ms. Baldrian said, “I don’t get it, I just don’t get it. We just want our mail. Nobody here knows what to do.”

William Barber's Fiery Call to Moral Action

William Barber's Fiery Call to Moral Action

By
Helen S. Rattray

The marches and rallies that have sprung up since Donald J. Trump was elected president have brought together disaffected Americans who in the past would have been called liberal thinkers and who for the most part have supported movements for marriage equality, women’s rights, gay rights, and L.G.B.T.Q. rights.

In East Hampton on Saturday a lesser-known movement for a Third Reconstruction was advocated by the Rev. Dr. William J. Barber of North Carolina, who in impassioned oratory called for “an understandable moral agenda” fusing with the Poor People’s Campaign, which the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. initiated in 1968. 

“The Third Reconstruction: How a Moral Movement Is Overcoming the Politics of Division and Fear” is the title of Dr. Barber’s book, copies of which were sold on Saturday at a political gathering in Northwest Woods during a program that included upbeat singing by the Thunderbird Singers of the Shinnecock Indian Nation and a talk and performance by Peter Yarrow, of Peter, Paul, and Mary fame. Before the afternoon was over, partygoers joined him, singing “If I Had a Hammer.”

Dr. Barber is an activist preacher who is said to be walking in Dr. King’s shoes; his speech made that clear. He spoke with passion and at times anger, modulating his emotional voice from soft to loud as he called health care a right and decried poverty and war. His overall message was that right and left, black and white had to come together to create another Reconstruction.

Dr. Barber had a wide focus on this country’s ills and pulled no punches about what he said was “systemic racism.” Every country the United States has fought in the last decades is brown, black, and Muslim, he said. As for the federal policy that separated children from parents, which he called “hijacking,” he said, “Those are not children. They are brown children.”

Given that the First Reconstruction followed the Civil War and that the civil rights movement of the 1960s and ’70s is considered the Second Reconstruction, announcing that a Third Reconstruction is already underway seemed to be news, although in Washington, at the National Museum of African-American History and Culture, a new exhibition is titled “City of Hope: Reconstruction City and the 1968 Poor People’s Campaign.” 

In East Hampton, Dr. Barber, a religious man, said there was no messiah. “We have to do it ourselves. Get your boots on.”

Barbara Layton, the East Hampton woman who put Saturday’s program together, had brought Dr. Barber here. She drew a local and second-home crowd by reaching out to various churches and groups and Lucius Ware of the eastern Long Island branch of the N.A.A.C.P. She also called on Julie Ratner to be host. Ms. Layton had worked for a number of causes in the past, she said, but would now concentrate on bringing people together. 

“We have to step out of all our individual distinct silos,” she said. “The work is just beginning. It’s time for a brand-new story.”