newarking

The intersection of Hillside Road and West Main Street (273) is almost done.  While the improvements look minimal from this drivers perspective, I imagine the engineers have done more behind the scenes.  In fact, the new traffic signal system is scheduled to be implemented on Saturday, April 7th.

Some in City Council have been looking at revamping the traffic pattern in the whole area.  If you are interested or affected by traffic in this area it would be a good idea to show up at meetings of the City Council to make your views heard.

In response to Bill’s post I am including a link to the traffic calming committee report that includes traffic circles, red light cameras and tightening up some intersections to slow traffic.

It’s a beautiful day in Newark, and I decided to journey down Main Street for lunch. It ended with tears, and I usually don’t tear up easily. I had an agenda for the trip.

I read an article this morning in the News Journal - Newark Bert’s moving, Caffe Gelato expanding, so I figured that I would walk past, and take a couple of photos.

I’m pretty sad to hear that Bert’s Compact Discs will be moving. They’re one of my favorite stores in town, and carry an incredible selection of independent and local music. Their absence will be severly noticed. I’m happy to hear that they will only be moving, and not closing. There’s no real indication of when or where they will move, but I hope that it isn’t too far away. There are some nice locations on Main Street that are vacant (I can wish, can’t I?).

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A little surprising to hear that Avon will be revamping their delivery processes, and closing down the distribution plant located on Route 273, out towards Ogletown.

The plan calls for the plant to close sometime in 2009, so that may help ease the lose of jobs a little, or at least give workers a good chance at finding new jobs.

Sometime this summer, I remember seeing a for sale sign on the only gas station on Main Street in Newark. I only got gas at this gas station once, though it’s been around for years.

I had always thought that gas stations were required to prominently exhibit their prices for gas on a sign clearly visible from the street, yet I had never seen a sign like that on this gas station, and I’ve always wondered why. Especially since, in poorer days, when I had an empty tank, and a near empty wallet, I pulled in to this station and paid for five dollars worth of gas. I wasn’t happy.

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If you haven’t guessed, I’m a big fan of local history. Sometimes that means traveling outside of Newark, and exploring other towns and cities. I met a friend down in Chestertown, Maryland yesterday, and got to do a little reconnaissance of a pretty neat place.

Chestertown is about 45 miles or so from Newark, and the straightest path there involves traveling down Elkton Road into Maryland (it turns into Newark Avenue on the Maryland side), turning left at the City Pharmacy on North Bridge Street (which is also route 213), and following the Route 213 signs until you arrive in Chestertown about 30 some miles later.

It’s a great historic town, and one of the things I really enjoyed was a short stop at a ship building school:

Chapel Street Motors, formerly at 25 S. Chapel St., seemed like an institution in Newark. It had been there for a few decades, and was the smallest and most affordable place to buy a used car in the area.

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This post could be a continuation of Bill’s earlier post on coffee houses in Newark. Which ones offer free Wi-Fi ? Most of them do, including Panera, Brew-Ha-Ha, and the Central Perk. Starbucks, on the other hand, does not. They have a “corporate” agreement with T-Mobile that makes you pay for their Wi-Fi, which is a load of B.S. if you ask me. No need to fret, however, as you can actually tap into Panera’s hotspot if you grab a window seat at Starbucks. Considerate a way of sticking it to the large coffee giant. Anybody else have a favorite hotspot in Newark?