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gcAbbey dispenses advice on a wide variety of subjects, some with authority, some without. Got a question you'd like answered? Need advice? Need a laugh? Send it along to info@graftoncommon.com. Sooner or later, we'll answer it. Dear gcAbbey : What's up with all the snow? I thought this global warming stuff was happening. Frosty Dearest Frosty: Many who used to work at The Mart claimed that the weather got messed up after we landed men on the moon....we're a little bit skeptical about that. If you really want snow, check this out. Hugs, gcAbbey Dear gcAbbey : Great website, I've really enjoyed it. Even tho I'm an SUV drivin' Mom (sans cell phone, I never mastered that skill), I'm hoping you'll take my question quasi-seriously. What's happening with the former Lake Ripple Restaurant? Sale Pending was there, then it went away, now it's back? Fingers crossed for a good rib/steak joint, Grafton Mom of Future Townies Dearest Townie Breeder: Our spies had informed us that we were destined for a bit of Asian cuisine on the shores of lake Ripple...but that could be old info. We'll put our nose to the groud, ears to the grindstone, mix a few metaphors and see what we can dig up for new scoop. Stay tuned! Sincerely, gcAbbey Dear gcAbbey : I basically just have a question. About 2 months ago I found a cat with no collar just wandering around the dangerous 4 corner (used to be 5) intersection where Elmwood St is. I asked around and was told this cat has been wandering around here for months walking in front of traffic and nearly avioiding being hit. So I took the cat, brought it to the vet and found out it was badly infested with parisites, and the nails were so overgrown they were growing into the feet. I took care of this cat, got its shots, flea control, etc. About a month later I hear from someone (word travels in small towns). That the cat has an owner and they actually live in the apartment building right off of the intersection and that it was thier "outdoor cat", that they didn't even bother to put a collar on. I haven't given her back and to be honest I really don't think I will because not only was the cat in bad condition but they never even put out any flyers. What's your advice? Dear Feline Friend: There is a pet population explosion going on in our country that is so serious that one almost needs to pay attention to the whack jobs from PETA. There are many, many neglected pets yearning for a good home. Take the cat to the vet (Rich Rodgers is the best in town), get it fixed, debugged, etc. and give it a good home. Sincerely, gcAbbey Dear gcAbbey, What's up with the Mustang parked at the municipal center? It hasn't moved in months. By the way, bombin' site! Best, Wondering Dear Wondering, We cruised through our town directory and landed at the Grafton Police Department. Lieutenant Tripp informed us that it is a registered vehicle and is used, at times, for police purposes. The lieutenant also told us that abandoning a vehicle on town property would be a bad idea. Sincerely, gcAbbey Dear gcAbbey, We keep hearing about the light show at the new elementary school. What's up with that? Can they turn a few lights out and maybe buy some new books, or hire a teacher or two? Incensed, Sparky Dear Sparky, We're getting tired of hearing about this light thing, too. Unfortunately, we are absolutely sure the issue is not simple. First, the school was built with a significant amount of funding from the Commonwealth, possibly as much as two-thirds. This funding carries standards regarding most aspects of the structure, including lighting, we would assume. Secondly, lighting standards will probably be found in the liability policy that protects the town in the event of accidents at the school. Here at gc.com we sincerely doubt that the quantity of lights was made up out of thin air. We assume that the lighting plan was developed based upon state and insurance requirements as well as best practices in the school construction trade. Now, what do the lights cost? We're not sure, but we offer some resources that would help some intrepid reader to figure it out. The Massachusetts Electric tariff declaration defines the published electric rates. Also, we located a wonderful electric use calculator that will allow you to determine electric charges based on multiple variables. Now, we invite our avid readers to use these tools to introduce some facts into what has become yet another negative assault from the nattering nabobs of negativism. Sincerely, gcAbbey Dear gcAbbey, As a Grafton resident currently attending the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, I was wondering if you could help me out with a confusing situation, since i don't have the privilege of having an 'amherstcommon.com'. Today, while my mom was visiting me at school, I was driving around campus, trying to avoid the Kamikaze students running in front of my car and trying to stay on the road. My mom and I noticed something out of the ordinary. The fire hydrants in Amherst are pink!! At least the ones down near Southwest. now, I understand, since they are near southwest (party central and residential area containing 5500 students) that the fire hydrants might have been painted by some very drunk students. However, curiosity has the best of me, and I was wondering if you could shed some light on this peculiar situation. Thanks a bunch, I don't want these abnormal occurrences impeding on my edumacation and my ability to gradgiate. Thanks, Perplexed at zoomass :) Dear Perplexed, Thank you for a great question! We do not have a definitive response to your query, but offer deductive reasoning instead. First, we know that the Southwest dorm complex ranks in the top tier for population per square foot, worldwide. Secondly, anecdotal evidence suggests that the alcohol consumption in the Southwest dorm complex is massive, possibly exceeding the ranking in population density. Realizing that alcoholic beverages exit the body rather rapidly, we assume that the odd color of the fire hydrants is a direct result of the reaction between the paint and uric acid. We suggest you take this matter up with the Chemistry department to validate our theory. Scholl, gcAbbey Dear gcAbbey, There's just too much change! Too many traffic lights, too much traffic, too many republicans, too much political turmoil, and Spag's is now Spag's 19. HELP! Scared in Shrewsbury Dear Scared, Well Scared, change is the only constant in the universe, so we think you need to improve your coping mechanisms. But we do, wholeheartedly, agree that we need some consistency to help ground our existence amid the turmoil that surrounds us. We can offer you some happy, consistent news, however. Spag's 19 will, once again, be giving away tomato plants on May 20. It's good to see that the new owners are working hard to preserve as much of the spirit of Spag's as possible. Sincerely, gcAbbey Dear gcAbbey, I'm really confused about the local Blackstone Valley news coverage in the Worcester T&G. One day I get Grafton, one day I get Whitinsville, one day I get Southborough....since when did they gain admission to the valley? What's up? Sincerely, Stumped in Uxbridge Dear Stumpy, We've noticed the same thing. We called the T&G Blackstone valley office and got a recording that we couldn't understand. All we can assume is that they've got one reporter who lives in a converted school bus. This bus makes a weekly route through the towns southeast of Wormtown, snapping pictures through the open door and narrating what the driver sees into a tape machine. gcAbbey can only assume that the NYTimes company, parent of the T&G, places a low priority on Worcester County news. That's why you need to make gc.com your home page. Sincerely, gaAbbey Hey gcAbbey: What's up with the poles sticking up out of Worcester Street across from Roney's? I am just afraid that some poor young mother, drinking her Dunkin Donuts coffee and talking on her cell phone in her SUV may run into one of them! Curiosity is killing me, Pole Watcher Extraordinaire Dear Pole Pal, We have been wondering the same thing and worried about the same results. Rumor has it that Grafton's getting yet another traffic light! Pretty soon there will be more traffic lights than hair stylists in town. DUDE! Since we're using the state's money to put these things in, we need to build the road to their specs. And their specs are designed to make the road wide enough to accommodate the aforementioned moms and their SUVs. Sincerely, gcAbbey Dear gcAbbey: Will winter ever end? Desperately, Sunlover Dear Sunlover, Here at gc.com we are unabashed, eternal optimists. While the celestial calendar guarantees that the suns rays rise from the equator to the Tropic of Cancer over the next few months, we can only hope that warmth follows. Our direct answer to your question is; We're not sure. Sincerely, gcAbbey Dear gcAbbey: Great question from "Law abiding but confused" regarding traffic details. The problem is much greater in Boston where I'm certain millions of dollars have been paid out to police officers on Big Dig detail for doing nothing more than sitting inside their cruiser reading the paper and in some cases taking a snooze. Most police officers make a fairly good wage each week and we all know they put their lives on the line to protect the safety of the citizens, but some of these paid details are simply not necessary. Enough said. Anyway, here's my question. Is it true that the Managing Editor of the National Enquirer is a Grafton native? If so, can you gather any information on the individual? I heard that on the street the other day and totally enjoy picking the paper up each week at S&S to see stories about bloated celebrities cheating on their spouses. My all time favorite though was the 400 lb. baby born in China a few years back. That must have been extremely painful delivery for that poor mother. May God Bless America, our President and the U.S. soldiers and servicemen currently serving in our military. Best, Bill in N. Grafton Dear Bill: Thanks for asking. Steve Coz, Editor of the ubiquitous point of sale grocery store tabloid rag grew up on South Street. He attended Portsmouth Priory, an all-male, Benedictine-run, prep school in Portsmouth, Rhode Island. At Harvard (class of 1979) he concentrated in English and once wrote for the Independent. After college he traveled for a couple of years, doing some freelance writing. In 1981, the Enquirer invited him south (its headquarters are in Lantana, Florida) to interview for a reporter's job. The Enquirer's founding publisher, Generoso Pope, had bought a small New York newspaper, the New York Enquirer, in 1952 and transformed it into the National Enquirer, whose circulation reached an all-time high of 6 million for a 1977 issue featuring a picture of Elvis in his coffin. In the 1970s, many of the reporters were Britons who had learned the tabloid trade in its capital, London's Fleet Street. In the 1980s, however, Pope started hiring more Americans, often young college graduates. "America was getting more tabloidized in the 1980s, so Americans could fit in more easily," Coz says, recalling that, "when I arrived, there were four other people from Harvard on the staff." Coz's rookie reporting year put him on the road for 11 months, doing what the paper calls "noncelebrity" journalism. "It was fabulous--just an extension of the travel I had been doing, but now the Enquirer was footing the bill," he says. "I saw slices of Americana, like a Texas town of 300 where the major focus of life was cockfighting. I met an 80-year-old man who lived in a ramshackle house with a 12-foot alligator." After only one year Coz became an editor and has remained with the paper ever since. In 1997 Time named Coz one of the "25 most influential people in America." Despite such accolades and a job with proximity to an army of celebrities, he retains the common touch. He is married to the Enquirer's head photo editor, Valerie Virga, and for fun likes to go boogie-boarding with their three young children. As a youth, perhaps the only sign of his future career was that during prep school and college, he subscribed to the tabloid New York Daily News. When asked about his journalistic heroes, Coz mentions only one, a choice that could not be more mainstream. "Walter Cronkite," he says, "for his straightforward manner." For more insight, visit: Sincerely, Dear gcAbbey: How come every time I pass a work crew on the road, the cop is talking to the crew instead of directing traffic? Thanks, Law abiding but confused. Dear Law Abiding: Wonderful question. Frankly we're not sure. We also don't know why we don't pay our police a good enough wage so they don't have to risk their lives on paid details. You never know when some evil young woman, doing her nails while talking on her cell phone and driving her SUV will mow down one of Grafton's finest. Sincerely, Dear gcAbbey: I've always been interested in knowing which former Grafton H.S. athletes both male and female in the last 50 years went onto compete in Division 1 or 1-AA sports and has anyone played pro ball? Best, Dear Junkie: Wow! You certainly flatter Grafton Athletics. To the best of our knowledge, we have no pro athletes (in the major sports, that is), but that does not mean we haven't had our share of stellar athletes. Mike Santora, Class of 1967 played 1-AA football quite successfully, and was asked to try out for the Dallas Cowboys, though he never played at the pro level. From that same class, Steve McKeon, quarterback of the SWCL championship team received a scholarship to play in Canada. Grafton women have had notable success at the collegiate level. Jen Mena and Trisha Brennan, from the 1996 state champion women's soccer team played for Syracuse and Providence, respectively. One young man whose name escapes us, is an Olympic hopeful in fencing. And, the editor of this site was invited to try out for the University of Hawaii football team. Why that opportunity was never pursued is a mystery for the ages. Sincerely, Dear GC Abby: What is the history of the gazebo on Grafton Common? I was told that it was first used for a '40's film starring Mickey Rooney and that the production company left it behind after filming concluded. Is this true? Please provide pertinent details if you can uncover them. Best, Dear Bill: Great question! It never hurts to review the genesis of some of the things that make our little town so special. Our common is so charming that it's on Hollywood producers' list of quaint places in New England to shoot. In fact, in the late 1980's Alamo Car Rental featured scenes from around Grafton, including the common in their "Alamo Country" ad series. Directly responding to your question, the spot was "discovered" in the 1930s when Hollywood producers used it as a backdrop in the movie, "Ah Wilderness," starring Mickey Rooney. The only thing the producers thought was missing was a gazebo, so they built one and left it here for us to enjoy. We don't know of any "Mickey Rooney slept here" stories, but we should note that Paul Baptiste, long-time owner of Paul's Fruit Stand on Worcester Street, was an extra in several of the scenes. Sincerely, Dear Readers, Yesterday gcAbbey received a query from Wondering regarding the emphasis on Tofu in our Cooking with Tasha column. Here, we publish Tasha's rationale for this emphasis: Dear Respondant, About Tofu: one reason I feature it in the column is that it is so nutritious as well as so inexpensive compared to other high quality protein. If we live exclusively on hamburger and pizza we get lots of fat clogging up our arteries and suffer ill health and possibly worse. Soy has benefits for men as well as for women, and many folk do not know how to use it, so I am trying to help people be healthier as well as happier by informing them. Personally, Both Stephen and I are lactose intolerant and we can't eat regular pizza anyway, however, I am aware that many do and I wish them well. The firm kind of tofu is wonderful for a stirfry dish. It is even better if you freeze it first, then thaw it, which gives it a different texture and makes it more absorbent of the flavors you cook it with. The squishy kind is better for sauces and puddings and such, though many like it in stir fry also; it's all a matter of taste. Sometime I'll send in the tofu chocolate pudding and you can try it out on your non-tofu eating friends and see if they're fooled. Blessings and Best Regards, Dear GC Abby: I noticed your website has a cooking section. And that if features tofu a lot. What is UP with that? Who EATS that stuff? While vegetarian cooking is certainly not my prime interest, I sometimes do feel obliged to provide a course at my dinner table for the occasional wayward, non-meat-eating guest. Which brings me to a question. Do those people prefer squiglly tofu or the firmer, pressed kind? What's the difference? Does it really matter what they like? And why can't they just shut up and eat hamburg or takeout pizza like the rest of us? Just Wondering Up on the Hilltop. Dear Wondering, We are obviously doing something wrong, as you are using a formal, instead of familiar, salutation. We'll work on that, and do hope that we'll be less intimidating in the future In answer to your direct question, we'll go right to the expert, Tasha Halpert. We will forward this query to her and solicit a response. Keep coming back...you'll never know when it will show up! Sincerely, Dear gcAbby, What is the tallest structure in Grafton? PC - Petersham Dear PC, Unlike our city brethren, topics such as this have little interest to gc.com. We're more interested in "Who's got the most horses?", or "How many stoplights have been installed today?" However, we are terminally curious, so while we are researching a factual answer, we will offer some opinions. The highest structure measured from sea level is the radio tower on Potter Hill near the Elvidge farm. We believe that the tallest structure is the rock crusher thingy at Aggregate Industries (formerly E.L. Dauphanais') on Worcester street. But, a new structure in the works at Centech park will be the tallest when completed. And then there's the cell tower debate... We'll get back to you on this. Sincerely, I see you're promoting the Grafton News on your homepage. I think that's great, but what is it? When I click on the link, nothing happens. Sincerely, Dear Frustrated, gcAbbey apologizes for setting false expectations. The Grafton News is a print newspaper that has served as the lifeblood of this community since 1966 or so. Edited by Charlie Bolack, it has always been a good source of the news and events that touch our lives here in Grafton. Unfortunately, TGN is not an on-line enterprise. We have the promotion image there because we believe in the paper and its publisher. Maybe, someday, graftoncommon.com can become as informative and valued to our community as The Grafton News. Well see... Sincerely, I just heard an exciting rumor. I've heard that they're going to make another film in Grafton. Do your many good contacts tell you the same? Sincerely, Dear Hopeful, While the filming of another feature film in Grafton would surely be the most exciting thing that happened here since Ah Wilderness, the rumor is, alas, just that. But we do understand the source of your rumor. It has come to our attention that a remake of Deliverance is in the works. Our spies in flick-land tell us that the producer is going to cast Drew Carey in the role made famous by George Kennedy. And instead of Burt Reynolds, Pierce Brosnan will star as the earthy bowman. We're unsure what they'll do about the accent, but ol' Burt just grunted through that film, anyway. For location, they've settled on Petersham, north of the Quabbin reservoir. It's really the perfect location, you see...lot's of hills, lot's of water, and we've heard that it's a center for banjo players. We can't wait! Sincerely, Dear gcAbbey, Sincerely, Dear gcAbbey: My husband is transferring into the are from the mid-west. We've been looking for a place to raise our family, and Grafton appears to be the charming New England village in which we would like to live. The problem is, I have been reading the local paper, and people seem really angry. Are your town officials that bad? Are your drivers that rude? Should we look elsewhere? Sincerely, Dear Confused: We understand your confusion and your trepidation. We are blessed with an active local media. The Grafton News and our local cable affiliate are vibrant outlets of expression for all in the area. Unfortunately, there are some very bitter people out there. Here at gc.com, we take the view that people who are passionate get angry, and that passion is directed toward the good of the community, even though it may appear, at times, to be misguided. Grafton is changing...it is growing as the inevitable expansion westward from Boston brings new people to our little village on the hill. Fortunately, we have many, many wonderful residents, new and not so new, who work in all aspects of our town, trying to make it the best town they know how. So rest assured, some may shine a negative light on our town, and that is a shame, because it is a great place to live and bring up a family. Sincerely, |
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