How Strange!

Saturday was one of the lazy, hazy days of Summer that began with early rain and then simply turned steamy.

It was already hot when we first drove "uptown," at around nine: hot and quiet! Main Street was almost completely deserted! The orange and white barrels and pylons were still in place along the sides of the road, but there was no familiar flagman telling me when it was safe to proceed or pointing me to the lane I should follow; a few cars were already parked behind Mac's Diner, in front of Morgan's Hardware and up near the Post Office. A bicyclist sped past and an elderly man slowly crossed the street. It was almost too static, too quiet. It was almost ... normal!



Daring to proceed without the discipline of weekday prompting, we pulled cautiously onto Main Street, turned right and cruised slowly 'round the Park and back through the center of the village. Two, three cars moving slowly, smoothly, quietly. How strange!



Around the "triangle" and back along Main Street. Is this how it will look three months from now? Add in trees and Victorian lamp posts, a few more cars, bikes and people ----- it's a nice picture!

But before the image of the sleepy little village makes everyone drowsy, here are some of the things that REALLY went on, yesterday! The Memorial Bandstand Committee showed off Toby Karram's plans of the proposed structure to some of the original designers and a numbers of villagers who own property facing the Park - where the bandstand will be built. There were No negative remarks and, rather, enthusiastic approval of the design and applause for Mr. Philip Eastman's 3-D video tour of the building as presented by committee-member Dale Meszler on his high-powered computer. Everyone was also able to look at landscape architect Teresa Lutoborski's proposed plan for the Park showing the location of the Bandstand, the cleverly designed handicap access, and future park plantings and walkways.

At the same time that the Bandstand Committee was meeting inside the Municipal Hall, a continual line of cars circled through the parkinglot aiming for the back of the Fire House where Boy Scouts and Girls Scouts were having what certainly appeared to be a very popular Car Wash and successful Bottle Drive. (Unfortunately, they had closed up shop by the time the meeting was concluded.)

There were ballgames, family picnics and shoppers discovered that they could park all along Main Street. North and Southbound traffic picked up, too; so many vehicles with canoes and kayaks aiming towards The Swamp and those with luggage carriers and bike racks, probably heading for vacations in the Adirondacks.



It was the first time in
many weeks that
the only line of
"bumper-to-bumper traffic"
wasn't IN town -
but out on Brennan Road,
instead.












Out on Route 20, at the American Legion, an all-afternoon and evening Benefit for seven-year-old Miranda Hadlock started at noon. Once again, as at last weekend's benefit for Sheila Pasiak, the generosity of the entire community shone most brightly. Eleanor Martin said it best, one day last week: "Give me a small town, any time!" It's a place where people really care!