DAN’S PAPERS
October 12, 2012 Page 23
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Another Hampton East Hampton Became a Slick, Starstruck, Tinseltown Hamptons By Dan Rattiner
S
ome years ago, I spent two hours in the middle of the night walking up and down Main Street in Sag Harbor over and over again—from what was then the Sandbar to the American Hotel, a distance of about 200 feet. A man would yell, “sound, camera, action,” and my girlfriend at that time and I would walk this exact same route over and over again. We were extras in a movie. The movie was called Sweet Liberty, and as we walked and walked on Main Street at 2 a.m. that morning, maybe 10 times, actors Alan Alda and Michael Caine walked down the middle of the deserted street talking to one another sort of drunkenly, also over and over again. The Village of Sag Harbor had leased Main Street to the movie producers for that one night and that one scene. It was a fairyland
of bright floodlights, actors, film people and scenery. They’d even oiled the blacktop of Main Street to reflect light, as if a summer shower had just passed through, leaving these shiny puddles. That night, the Sag Harbor I knew was something else entirely. It was as if I were on vacation in some new place, but it was right there in a very familiar hometown. What a wonderful feeling that was. I felt the same feeling this weekend in East Hampton as the town was being taken over to become something else for a time. It was the Hamptons International Film Festival, and though in some ways the town remained the same, in others, it was completely upside down. About 18,000 people saw 140 films during the five days of the festival this year. Most were shown on one of seven stages in town—six at the UA theater and one at Guild Hall. About a dozen more films would be shown during those
five days in Southampton, Sag Harbor and Montauk. So what do you choose? I asked around. I read up on things. I circled in the program a total of nine films I wanted to see. It was possible to buy a package of tickets for about $125, which included a panel discussion and a filmmaker’s party. You could choose from 40 in a day. But truthfully, how many hours did I want to spend in a theater watching movies on such a beautiful day? Well, maybe a dozen over the five days. I thought this package would give me the full experience. And it sure did. What a huge scene in the middle of town. Beautiful starlets, intense-looking directors, producers, cinematographers, publicity people and distributors, reporters, photographers, celebrities, all were here socializing, watching screenings and doing whatever those in the film business do. (Cont’d on next page)
Big Changes Coming for Police in Sag Harbor By oliver peterson
W
ith police department contract negotiations at a standstill, the Sag Harbor Village Board is looking more closely at a Suffolk County Sheriff’s Department proposal that could eliminate at least half of the officers currently employed by the Village. Mayor Brian Gilbride said the Village Police Department has done an excellent job, but the costs of retirement and medical benefits are soaring, so something has to change, even if department salaries remained exactly the same. “This has gone beyond that,” Gilbride said of Police Benevolent Association demands for a 4.5% raise and fewer workdays. “This is an argument that has to take place,” he said,
noting that with recent increases to retirement, the average salary on the force is $182,000, including $19,000 in annual medical benefits. “Sag Harbor is a great little community that doesn’t have a lot of growth left in it,” Gilbride said, describing a village budget stretched to its limit. In their search for a solution, the Village Board looked at sharing police services with both East Hampton and Southampton Towns, but the Sheriff’s Department gave the best quote, Gilbride said. The mayor said he met with the Sheriff twice and had a few phone conversations, which led to a proposal that could cut costs and offer Sag Harbor similar police protection to what is currently in place. Ideally, Gilbride said he’d like Sag Harbor
PD to share policing responsibilities with the Sheriff’s Department, but the Sheriff’s proposal doesn’t call for any local cops to remain. Instead, the proposal suggests having two Sheriff’s Department cars patrolling the village daily from 8 a.m. to midnight, just a single car from midnight to 8 a.m. Sunday–Thursday, and two cars from midnight to 8 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. The Sheriff would provide the cars and bill additional services, such as detectives and marine patrol, provided on an hourly basis as needed. When two cars are on duty, Gilbride said one of them could park in town so the Sheriff’s people could patrol Main Street on foot and introduce themselves to local businesses. The Sheriff could also provide (Continued on page 30)