Being A Bit Lazy; Still In Vacation Mode

While away I received an email from concerned.commuter@hotmail.com with suggestions for me to follow up on since he had not seen anything written as of late.  I didn't address them then, because vacation takes precedence.  Naturally.

I've annotated my responses to the email in red.  It's a lazy mans way of responding, I know, but until I walk back into that building, I'm still on vacation.

Hello Wally. I haven't seen much posted lately, and I though I'd throw out a couple of tidbits for you.

Great! 
FIrstly, did you see the equipment a couple of week ago at New Boston Road and Rt. 20?  There was a Ditch Witch along with some other equipment.  They left an additional pipe on either side of the road to add to the one that has been there since late last year.  Surely the town knows what's going on there, but I haven't seen a thing in the papers.

We all thought it may be traffic lights, but nowI think it is just a telcom link to the state police barracks, or something less exciting. 
Did you notice that the Mobil station at Rt. 20 and Rt.131 has closed?  I never would patronize the place  as I found the gas was way overpriced.  I believe the corporation that owned it was called Sladdin and Daughter.  I recall my wife telling me that "Sladdin" passed away last year.  Anyway, perhap a more reasonably priced station will re-occupy that location like Stop 'N Shop gas did.

I haven't bought a full tank of gas there in years.  35-50 cents over the cheapest gas in town was nothing more than gouging the residents, and tourists.  We have enough gas stations in town.  They should close it for good, tear it down, and turn it in to a park. 
Have you noticed that the Kiwi Yogut place has yet to open?  If they don't open soon, it'll be Fall and people will be looking for hot chocolate.  Regardless, I hate to be a prophet of doom, but I don't believe it will ever make it in our town.  I often wonder what possesses people to invest perhaps their life savings into a business that the public would take one look at, and say "forget it!".  Have you seen the store openings and closings along Main Street in just the past year?  Advertise people, advertise!

In some ways we are like the Cape.  LIttle businesses open, and close.  They try the waters, some make it, some don't.  Others don't intend to make it more than a season.  The frozen yogurt store may not open, or last longer than a month or two, but it's nothing new around here.  I did notice that the sign was not put in permanently.  It is attached to a platform and covered with mulch.  That does not have the ring of permanence to it. 
I took my visiting family to the beach at Lake Quacumquasit, aka. South Pond over the Forth of July weekend to get relief from the heat.  OK, it's not technically Sturbridge or Fiskdale but what the heck.  Clean, warm water, lots of people, but I suspect few residents.

South Pond is shared by both Brookfield and Sturbridge.  The shoreline of South Pond is 80% developed with ear round homes, and cottages.  It has more than a few residents.  http://www.lakefrontliving.com/lakeInfo.asp?id=101.  It is a great place to go to beat the heat.  Streeter Point Beach is also a great place to bring the family, too.  
 
 FInally, I wish your column ( as I have said before) had more town gossip in it.  I'd love to see tidbits of news that don't make the paper or town news that the administration doesn't want to feed us.

I don't go ferreting around looking for news.  I stumble on it as I'm out and about town, someone may offer me a tip  (which happens a lot) , or I read something in the local papers.   Gossip is something I don't do.  I may venture a guess as to what may happen, what is being built, or how folks will react, but I don't gossip. That you can get from reading the comments posted in the Telegram.

Now, I still have twelve more hours of vacation left.  It's hammock time.