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Yes of course $top & $hop rhymes with Tasty Top! Quite ironic, isn't it? Someone should write a little poem or a limerick or some other rhyming thing.
Maybe someone will.
Maybe you will! I'm challenging you to write a poem about the Tasty Top and $top & $hop Saga. The best one will be published in my next newsletter and its author will receive a $50.00 custom framing Gift Certificate. Please submit by December 31, 2008 midnight. Sharp.
So grab a pen and get those rusty braincells going. It shouldn't be that difficult: after all there is plenty of material you can draw inspiration from: lots of articles in the local newspapers, board meetings, conversations and gossips that abound around town, letters to the editors. And I already gave you one rhyme - I know, I know, that was the easy one!
Talking about letters to the editor, I had to chuckle while reading one of them the other day: a lady was writing that she would welcome a $ & $ in Easthampton so she wouldn't have to waste time and gas to go to Holyoke or Northampton to do her shopping. It sounded like there was no alternative. $top & $hop or Stop & Starve! Never heard of the Big E or Big Y, Madam? You are obviously misled by this tenacious myth that the bigger the box the smaller the price. Not true, Madam, not always true. You should read my June newsletter!
I have a naive side but even I understand that Tasty Top's days are counted: the owners of that land want to sell, and they have all the rights in the world to do so. But unfortunately, unless some rich Ice Cream Loving Philantropist and Tasty Top Nostalgic comes along with a few millions to spare, the buyer can only be of the Big Box kind.
But a food store? Why a food store! We have what we need within walking or short driving distance. The choice may be a tad more limited at the Big E, but it's size is just right, manageable, you or your kids don't get lost in the aisles. I actually know people who come to the Big E BECAUSE it's smaller than the others. And who needs 75 different types of cereals anyway?
The sad thing is, another food store is only going to take customers away from the existing ones. If the $top & $hop people claim otherwise, the only other alternative will be an incredibly unbearable increase in traffic. Either way you look, a food store doesn't seem to be the right choice.
What about a clothing store? Can't buy clothes in Easthampton, not even used ones. I have to travel dozens of miles just to buy a pair of underwear. I certainly would welcome a clothing store, and it would not take a single customer away from other local businesses.
Maybe I should open one. I'll name it
"Tasty Tops, and Bottoms Too".
Happy Shopping!
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As he mentions on his website, Marty Klein has been an amateur nature photographer for most of his life. But one day his camera broke down. So, instead of taking his camera out for a walk into the wild, he brought the wild home. And scanned it.
And a new passion was born!
Since 2006, Klein has experimented using his flatbed scanner as a way to create images of plants and other natural objects. Those resulting images revealed details in an exciting way, different than what he could achieve with a camera. He has since then worked to develop and refine this technique. Following a scan, he may spend up to 20 hours refining the image in his "digital darkroom", cleaning up the dust, pollen, flotsam and creepy crawlies that invariably accompany his subjects. Or digitally (and painstakingly) "painting" in the background, while the image is enlarged to 200%.
I took the above almost verbatim from Klein's website (well OK, I made the broken camera part up) Check it out to view his art and learn more about his new passion.
"Tulips and Callas" - Scanography - Marty Klein
And don't miss his latest exhibition at the ECA Gallery in Eashtampton's Old Town Hall, starting this Saturday with a Reception during the monthly Art Walk Easthampton.
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Now you're going to ask me why Marty gets to be mentioned so often in my newsletters.
The answer is simple:
BRIBE. He pays me.
He pays me in a way that very few people can.
With wild mushrooms. That gives me a double pleasure: Firstly I love wild mushrooms: the way they smell, the way they look, the way they taste and even the way they are called; but mostly because every time I put my nose in the bag that Marty just brought in I can smell the forest and that always brings back memories of my late Dad, an experienced mycologist himself with whom I have spent countless hours roaming the woods of Switzerland, and shared many a succulent mushroom dinner.
Papa et moi, Summer of 2006
Thank You Marty.
Now you know what you have to do to have a spot in this newsletter.
(Wine works too) |
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We make it easy for the art lover here in Easthampton!
When you're done admiring Marty Klein's work, all you have to do is cross the hall to get to
The Elusie Gallery's current exhibit displays artwork by past and present members of the Coordinating Committee of Easthampton City Arts. It is our way to recognize and honor the dedication and talent of these artists who spend a good part of their free time promoting other Easthampton Artists
This exhibition features a great selection of framed
and unframed artwork at prices very suitable for gift giving.
Photography by Denise Riggs
Mixed Media on Canvas and Prints by Briana Taylor
Photography by John Polack
Photography by Ellen Koteen
Watercolors by Cyndy Chamberland
Acrylic on Canvas by Bronwen Hodgkinson
B/W Photography and Mixed Media by Jill Lewis
Limited Edition Prints by Elizabeth Solomon
Oil on Canvas and L/E prints by Barbara Johnson
Reception this Saturday December 13, 5-8PM
Part of Art Walk Easthampton
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The Bagshare Project
Bag Sewing Marathon
Come one, come all and help 'The Bagshare Project' sew as many bags as possible at The Eastworks Holiday Sale
December 13 and 14 from 10-4:00
at Studio # 145 on the ground floor of the Eastworks Building in Easthampton
Sign up sew at marathon anytime between 10-4,
Saturday or Sunday.
The space has been generously donated to 'The Bagshare Project' by Eastworks owner Will Bundy!
What is The Bagshare Project?
The brainchild of Cummington Artist Leni Fried, it was debuted at The Old Creamery Grocery in Cummington in 2007.
Volunteers sew bags from scrap fabric and donate them to participating stores. The bags have a "use and return" tag sewn on the front. Customers borrow them when they
forgot their own bag and return them to nearest bagshare location the next time they shop. This avoids the unnecessary waste caused by using disposable bags.
 image courtesy of the bagsahre.wordpress.com
The end goal of 'The Bagshare Project' is for stores to use it to transition to becoming "disposable bag free". Florence Hardware and The Old Creamery have accomplished this and only offer boxes and bagshare bags to their customers.
The small community stores listed below have ongoing Bagshares or will be launching them soon and need your help! Thousands of bags are needed. Stop by the new sewing center during the holiday sale and learn to sew our new 'Jiffy Bag ' pattern. It takes no more than 8 minutes to make. No prior sewing experience is necessary.
Sew at home and drop off your bags at the holiday sale.
Donate fabric, sewing supplies , pre-made totes and sewing machines at the sale.
To donate tables and shelf units for fabric storage for The new sewing Center call Leni : 634-5591 or leni@titaniumarts.com . To help fix donated sewing machines, call Leni!
To sign up for a 2 hour (or more!) time slot to sew at The Marathon, call or e-mail Leni Fried: leni@titaniumarts.com or 634-5591.
The goal for the weekend is 1000 bags.
A running total will be posted at Space # 145!
The bags will be divided up between the following Bagshare venues: The Old Creamery in Cummington
Serios Market in Northampton
Cornucopia Foods in Northampton
The Millstone in Sunderland
Florence Hardware in Florence
Coopers Corner in Florence
A2Z in Northampton
Emily Williston Public Library in Easthampton.
Help support your local smaller stores and venues and green up your shopping. experience.
The Bagshare Project needs YOU!
And the World doesn't need more plastic bags. 
image courtesy of thebagshare.wordpress.com
Art by Leni Fried and other artisans will also
be shown and refreshments will be provided.
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The Eastmont Art Fund
will be launching its 2009 Fundraiser after the Holidays.
More details in the January Newsletter.
In the mean time, if you are looking for a thoughtful gift or want to contribute to the Eastmont Art Fund's beneficiaries,
please click here, and thank you!
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Thank you for reading and remember:
The Bears are coming to Easthampton! | |
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