Market News - October 7, 2008
From the Market Manager
Last week I was only a shopper as I took the day off due to it being the beginning of the Jewish New Year. It was odd driving into the parking lot, parking and going around to the different stands saying hello and purchasing what I needed. I was pleased to see how busy it was.This has been a terrific season. Every week (just about) was busy. Thanks! Some of you are beginning to whine about the market ending in a few weeks. I’m not sure you’ll get much sympathy from our vendors because I’m sure they’re exhausted.
A sad note—one of our very regular shoppers, Melissa Mulcahy, died a few weeks ago. She came just about every week with her twin daughters Clementine and Florine. I remember her telling me that Florine Stettheimer was an artist, and that’s where her daughter’s name came from. I was at the Smith Museum of Art this summer, saw a painting by that artist, and mentioned that to Melissa one day. She was a delightful young woman who will be missed by many.Interesting Places to Visit
I mentioned the Smith College Art Museum. Make sure you check out the men’s and women’s restrooms in the basement, as they are works of art themselves. Mt. Holyoke also has an art museum and it’s free. The New Britain Museum of American Art is lovely; Saturday mornings between 10-12 you don’t have to pay a fee to enter. Then of course, don’t forget our Museum of Fine Arts in Springfield. If you have a Springfield library card, the entry fee is waived. Worcester has an art museum as does Williams College, and the Sterling and Francine Clark Art Museum also in Williamstown is always a treat. All of these museums are small enough to easily get through within two hours or less.Springfield Preservation Trust House Tour—October 19th
Save October 19th from 4-7PM for SPT’s McKnight Twilight Tour. McKnight is one of the largest late 19th century wood framed neighborhoods in New England. The tour is focusing on the area within a few blocks of the Thompson Street Triangle. Look for additional tour information at their website, springfieldpreservationtrust.org.Voting, Where and When
If you live in Springfield, go to springfieldcityhall.com/elections/index.php to make sure that you are listed on the voting list. This isn’t necessary if you haven’t moved, or if you recently voted in the primary election, but you should double-check. This website can also tell you where you should vote. The polls are open in the City from 7AM to 8PM. You may be inactive if you didn’t return the census form that you received last spring.This ‘n’ That
When the traffic light turns to yellow, and you have time to stop, do you? Or, are you one of the many who think that the yellow light means that you are supposed to go through at a high rate of speed? Do you go through red lights? Do you know that thousands of people each year are killed because of that behavior?How much time do you really save by not stopping? One of our neighborhood residents who rides her bike and walks a lot said that she was at the corner of Forest Park and Sumner Avenues and 3 cars went through completely red lights one day when she was waiting to cross.
Make a vow to yourself that you will stop this dangerous behavior so that you won’t be one of the people who kills someone. It’s that serious.Have you purchased numbers for the front of your house that can be seen from the street? Drive around your own neighborhood and see how difficult it is to read house numbers on most homes.
If you use the driveway that goes behind the church to exit, you will end up facing Sumner Avenue. When ALL of the traffic on Sumner is stopped, check what the traffic on Oakland is doing, and then move out onto the street. This is especially helpful if you want to make a left turn during rush hour.Blue Moon Coffee Roasters can keep you supplied with coffee year-round. Dan will make home deliveries, so get his card, and stay caffeinated, or non if that’s your preference.
This is the time of year to stock up on some vegetables that keep well for several months. Squash, potatoes, carrots, parsnips, and onions, stay very well. I would put the parsnips and carrots in the ‘fridge, but the others don’t need to be refrigerated.Cook potatoes and carrots and mash them together with milk, butter, and a little salt. It’s pretty and tasty.
EBT, Debit, Credit Cards The wireless transfer machine is working properly now. It took about 45 minutes on the phone one day with a technical person to get it fixed. Sorry for any inconvenience a couple of weeks ago.
If you use your debit or credit card we will charge you a $1 fee to help defray our costs. For EBT there is no charge.
We use the token system which means that we give you tokens worth $2.50 each that you use like cash. The EBT is a different color from the others as those can only be used for food, while the others can be used for anything. If you don’t use all your tokens by the end of the season, they’ll be fine next year.
