Page 34 August 17, 2012
DAN’S PAPERS
danshamptons.com
Wolf (Continued from previous page) “How did it get to be Old Sag Harbor he wore a small replica necklace that Road?” had a millstone on it. He also killed “I’ll have to look into that too.” and ate deer that were in the fields “You did tell me that some of these there. old roads go back to early times and This werewolf stalked the good nobody knows how they got their citizens of that place for many years, names, so you just use what people but he never killed any of them, just call them—their legendary names.” scared them. Hunters came and shot “That is true.” the werewolf, but each time he was “Well isn’t Werewolf Path a legendary shot he fell down dead but then rose name?” again to be bigger and more terrible On your iPhone “You named it in 1969. That’s modern than he was before. After awhile, his fangs began glowing green. times. We landed on the moon in 1969.” Finally, in 1712, a woman named Goodwife “Oh,” I said. “Well I’m sorry that I mentioned this.” Conscience came and cast a spell on the werewolf. As a result, he froze to the spot for “Well maybe you shouldn’t have.” We said our goodbyes. I don’t think that two months and never moved even an inch Mr. Havemeyer appreciated what a terrific because it was wintertime and the ice was blow this was to me, having named something strong and it was necessary if you wanted and then having the name accepted and then to talk to the werewolf to cut him out of his having it officially rescinded. I thought of Shea block of ice with a chisel, which nobody ever Stadium, named after a well-respected lawyer did, because, sadly, he was a werewolf. Today, on Long Island, now torn down and gone. I Mr. Werewolf is still around, available for bar thought of Idlewild airport, named after a man mitzvahs and weddings in the Hamptons. He named Idlewild, but now renamed Kennedy lives, some say, either on Scuttlehole Road to the west of Noyac Path, or up on Uncle Ed’s Airport. Poor Mr. Idlewild, now long forgotten. And I thought that 200 years from now, the Romp, but he only comes out at night. I think considering the earlier legend, and definition of a “legendary” road could mean not only say 1712 but 2012. All of that was in the old then adding this new legend in 2012 where I tell this story and then get a big crowd of people days. Who would know the difference? Here’s the legend of Werewolf Path. Many down to Town Hall to stage a protest thus years ago, a werewolf roamed in the woods adding even more to the legend, they might between Deerfield Road and Millstone Road. decide not to remove its name. I’m hoping so, Millstone Road was named after him because anyway. SAVE WEREWOLF PATH. GoogleMaps
An hour later, he called back. He was unable to find the file on Werewolf Path. He would have to dig deeper, perhaps into the early records of the town to see what he could see. At this point, I felt sorry for Mr. Havemeyer, who is somebody I know and like. I told him he shouldn’t have to go through all that trouble. I then made an absolutely disastrous mistake. I told him that it was me who had named the road, and I told him the whole story about 1969, about the map, the dotted lines, everything. He said he still wanted to look into it. It was their road. Just because I put that name on the map doesn’t explain how it came to be accepted by the town. “It’s not necessary,” I said. I was trying to hold him off. An hour later he called back again to say he had found the answer. “I called Squires and Holden, the longtime surveyors for the town. I spoke to Bob Smith there and he told me that he spoke to John Holden who is now retired and that he remembered way back then you had just for fun named a lot of roads with your map and one was Werewolf Path. He liked the name, so they started using it on surveys.” “Good,” I said. “Well,” Havemeyer said, “I think this now has to be straightened out. So on Monday, August 20, I am going to make a proposal that from now on this road be officially called…” “Werewolf Path?” “Old Sag Harbor Road.”