Hours Are Short

Sales of 350th anniversary products have not been as brisk as they might, was the report this week from the volunteers at anniversary headquarters.

The East Hampton railroad station is headquarters command central, which is part of the problem. The stationhouse is well located and its price was right - the Long Island Rail Road rented the empty building to the anniversary committee for $1 - but the hours leave something to be desired.

The office opens daily at 10 a.m., but at 1:45 sharp an alarm goes off and those inside know they must be out in 15 minutes or risk being immured for the night. (All L.I.R.R. stations close automatically at 2.)

Persons who manage to get over to the stationhouse while the four-hour window is open will find a dozen or more high-grade commemorative items for sale.

They include aprons, tote bags, mugs, decals, and T-shirts bearing the official anniversary seal; posters of and tickets for the celebration quilt, which will be awarded in October; illustrated wall calendars listing the year's events; birdhouses crafted for the occasion by East Hampton Town Trustees; the new compilation of the graves of colonial soldiers by the East Hampton Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution; reprints of 19th-century etchings of local landmarks; the Streetwise foldout map "Historic East Hampton," and more.