Update: Wainscott Sign Turns Up, After CAC Reports It Missing

Thursday, March 6, 2 p.m.:

The “Welcome to Wainscott” sign reported missing by the Wainscott Citizens Advisory Committee has turned up with the Buildings and Grounds Department – not the Highway Department.

East Hampton Town Councilman David Lys noticed the sign had blown over on February 21 and contacted the Buildings and Grounds Department to conduct maintenance and repairs.

Original Story:

A “dastardly crime” struck Wainscott last week.

Recently, Wainscott Citizens Advisory Committee Chairman Hersey Egginton noticed that the westbound “Welcome to Wainscott” sign on Montauk Highway had been knocked down by the wind. When he returned to the scene two hours later, the sign was gone, seemingly stolen.

Deputy Supervisor Cate Rogers, who serves as the East Hampton Town Board liaison to the CAC, pointed out that the sign might have been collected by the Highway Department after the wind knocked it down.

Egginton concurred, stating that he had already checked with them, but he said the department did not have the sign, leading him to believe it was stolen.

The board entered a discussion on how to replace it — “It was a nice sign,” Egginton said — and the chairman suggested that the members could each contribute a set amount of money, totaling around $1,500, which would equate to some $100 to $200 each.

“He’s become a dictator, three months,” joked Barry Raebeck, a committee member, referencing Egginton having taken over as chairman earlier this year, in January.

In the end, the committee decided to use a separate fund to pay for the sign replacement. “Maybe we need a camera, too,” another committee member joked.