Dan’s Papers December 17, 2010 danshamptons.com Page 44
In This Election, Your Vote Really Counted By T.J. Clemente On Wednesday, December 8, 2010 at 8:45 a.m., the extremely close election for the First Congressional District came to an end as Republican challenger Randy Altschuler called the East End’s longtime Congressman Tim Bishop to concede. Bishop said he was pleased at the “gracious and honorable” tone that Altschuler used in congratulating him. The Congressman and I had a chat while walking to the windmill lighting on Friday night at the Southampton College campus. Bishop, who served as Provost there until 2002, told me he raised $480,000 in case he had to wage a protracted legal battle concerning about 1,000 write-in votes contested by Altschuler. Altschuler’s legal team, led by attorney Vincent J. Messina, made this challenge on the grounds of possible double voting or improper residency issues. However, it was soon decided that the battle wouldn’t be won in State Supreme Court Justice Peter H. Mayer’s courtroom, because even if Altschuler won a vast majority of his challenges, Bishop still would’ve received more total votes. As it turns out, the final tally will forever read: Tim Bishop 98,316 votes, 50.15%; Randy Altschuler 97,723 votes, 49.85%—a difference of 593 votes. Bishop remembered how he felt on the day after the election, when he was informed that his 3,400 vote lead was actually an approximately 300 vote deficit—there had been an error in the reporting. “It made for a tough night,” he said, adding that his daughter played an instrumental
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role in crafting the winning strategy to have a count of the 11,000 absentee and proxy votes. Bishop said that he felt stronger as the results came in. “We gained ground every day,” he said, “and my confidence rose.” Bishop said that, even as a member of the Democratic minority, he plans to move ahead with filing legislation. He talked of his relationship with incoming Republican Speaker of the House John Boehner that developed during their service together on the House Education Committee. Bishop also mentioned that, as a senior member of the Higher Education Sub Committee, he’ll focus on extending the Perkins Student Loans Program beyond 2012. The Congressman also plans to fight for exemption of estate taxes for family farms, and against any legislation that hurts “middle class families.” “I’ll pick my spots,” he said, referring to issues where he’ll co-operate with the Republicans, but he added that when he perceives any legislation from any party to be “hurtful to the middle class families in the district,” that he “will resist it.” Bishop explained that his mandate lies in two major areas. First is service to his district, helping “everyone” who has a problem with the federal government and welcoming anyone to contact his district or Washington office to ask for support. Second is with national legislation, both for the country and for the district. Bishop pointed to his work protecting our troops in both Iraq and Afghanistan from toxic waste fires, as well as to local farm legislation. Asked point blank why he was glad he won the
election instead of Altschuler, Bishop said, “I know every inch of the district. I was born in it, I went to high school in it, I worked in the district for 30 years before I became a Congressman and I plan on living here after I am a Congressman.” His point was that Altschuler had lived in the district for less than 10 years. The election also raised issues pertaining to residency for voters with two homes. It seems Republicans and Democrats have opposing views on residency issues, as Altschuler spokesman Rob Ryan pointed to CountryVote.org—a website that Ryan said was established by Democratic lawyers to encourage wealthy New York City Democrats with second homes in the Hamptons to register to vote in the district of those second homes. Suffolk County Democratic Chairman Gordon Herr took the opposite view, saying that a homeowner can vote in the district of any his homes if he registers there, but also reiterating the one man one vote rule. Herr invites all to check out the wisdom of CountryVote.org. Before going to the windmill lighting, Bishop attended the annual Jr. ROTC in Greenport. He was still making appearances everywhere he could around the 1st Congressional District—a trademark of his service. Bishop asked me to convey his heartfelt thanks to the voters, volunteers and supporters who helped finance the victory both before and after the election, as well as his staff both in the district and in Washington. Bishop also wanted to thank Randy Altschuler for a “clean, honorable, election”—even when the going got rough.
year old company, like Gloria Gaynor, will survive. Over the century, they’ve learned how to get along. Rumor has it there are plans afoot to open a Citarella store in Southampton, putting them in prime real estate in three golden locations, Southampton, Bridgehampton and East Hampton. But the upscale food store will have some friendly competition to the east. The former Plitt Ford building in Wainscott is getting nearer and nearer to a plan for a high-end food store, and everyone out here is chanting “Trader Joe’s! Trader Joe’s!” Last June, Gregg Saunders of Sagaponack bought the property during a two-day auction. His plan is to make it a Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s, or Wild by Nature. East Hampton Town’s first review of the plan, in September, was favorable. It’s now going before the various review boards. Finally, another high-end chain, this one in the home décor arena, is coming our way. The news hit the streets earlier this month, and has recently been confirmed that Restoration Hardware will open at 69 Main Street in East Hampton, where Tommy Hilfiger was most recently. Construction has already begun on the interior, with a plan that the store will open in early Spring. It will be another jewel in the crown of East Hampton, already home to Tiffany, many Ralph Lauren stores (but no Ralph Lauren Home), BCBG and J. Crew, to name just a few. Hamptonites are torn about
such developments—we bemoan the loss of the mom & pops and the feeling they gives to our unique, historic towns, yet we like the convenience and choice that comes with having these kinds of businesses nearby. But the local color won’t be stripped from the Hamptons. Outside of the retail arena, expansive properties continue to be saved, or semisaved. Just last week, Deep Hollow Ranch in Montauk, home to horse trail rides and benefit concerts over the years, was sold by Dianne and Rusty Leaver to J. Crew CEO Mickey Drexler for around $11.4 million. Drexler plans to keep the Leavers on board for at least five years to run the ranch as usual, thus preserving both the tradition of this working horse farm and the gorgeous vista it gives us. (See article, page 23.) And it looks as though another farm will be saved in perpetuity—the Iacono Farm on Long Lane in East Hampton, sought out for decades for its prized free-range chickens and eggs. The East Hampton Town board plans to use CPF monies to purchase the rights to the 7.7 acre farm. The Iaconos are pleased with the deal, plan to keep raising chickens and perhaps lease some land to other farmers for crops. Things come, things go. And this year, more of that is happening than it has in recent years. While some of the losses are disappointing, the gains are a sign of a vitality and promise for a new year in the Hamptons.
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And last week, the East Hampton flagship store was no more, despite a last ditch effort to bring on investors. Calvo’s pharmacies were right on the mark with their small town U.S.A. feel—a real boon to Hampton’s Main streets—particularly North Main in East Hampton, which greatly benefited from the much needed charm. Frank Calvo and his apothecaries will be missed. Another private business that had several Hamptons locations experienced both comings and goings this year—Citarella, which opened its first two stores on the East End in 1997, in East Hampton and Watermill. Living for 20 years on the Upper West Side, just six blocks from the Citarella institution on W. 75th Street and Broadway, I was happy to have the stores meet me in the Hamptons on the weekends. Not that I stopped going to the great farmers markets and specialty stores out here— Citarella simply added to the wealth of choices. In 2005, Tutto Italiano by Citarella opened in the Red Horse Market, with a pizza oven, fresh mozzarella maker, and myriad Italian delicacies. The Bridgehampton Citarella, right next to Dan’s Papers, followed in the Spring of 2009. But this past October, within the span of about a week, both Tutto and the Watermill Citarella closed. One of the reasons the company gave for closing Tutto was that their plan to create a pizzeria, requiring indoor seating, was denied by East Hampton Village. But this almost 100-