Newburyport Today is pleased to be able to bring our reader’s the comments and observations of Newburyport Pedicab driver Paul Kelly. This is Paul’s 3rd season pedaling, and he has been kind enough to agree to share his experiences with us.
Where is ….? This past weekend was the Labor Day weekend, and with lots of sunshine, temperatures reaching near 80 on Saturday, and it being the last long weekend for the summer, I expected Newburyportto be empty. So I was pleasantly surprised at how crowded it was, people in Market Square drifting in and out of the shops and restaurants or strolling along the waterfront. However I quickly realized that, yeah, maybe Newburyport’ers were away for the holiday, but so did others leave their towns and head toNewburyport. It seems there were more first-time visitors and more questions than usual directed our way: Is there a sandwich shop nearby? Where can I get ice cream? Which way to the Visitor Center? How far do you go? And the most urgent question, Where is the closest public restroom? As always, answers served with a smile, glad to help make your Newburyport visit an enjoyable experience!
One last question – How late are the pedicabs out? OK, we do tend to drive until late at night to service the tavern crowd, but that’s not quite the sense of the question asked. Even though the sun was out you could start to feel a chill in the air. And with this weekend looking to be a washout, we have probably reached the end of the regular season for the pedicabs. It’s a matter of both a change in temperature and weather which make the difference in passenger comfort or discomfort, and that people have other interests drawing them away – school, sports, apple picking, harvest festivals, fall chores – therefore fewer potential passengers. It’s been a paradoxical season, almost like the season that just never took off. Even the Yankee Homecoming week seems to have had less of a spark than memory serves. There are some festivals and merchants events that we get out for in the fall, but pretty much Labor Day marks the end of my regular driving this season, and this the last of my regular blog posts. I have been asked to drop in now and then over the fall and winter, we’ll see.
I do want to put in one more plug before pulling my plug. Most people know by now that the White Hen Pantry on Pond Street is slated to close during the spring of 2010. The adjacent CVS is expanding not only into the space that was vacated by Express Video but also into the space where the White Hen is currently located; a similar CVS-expansion situation is happening in Chatham. While White Hens are a franchise of the same holding company that franchises 7-11 stores, the Pond Street White Hen is a very popular and sometimes essential local service. Many are protesting its closing, and local store owner Liz Frame (Fancy Schmancy on Pleasant Street) and others are spearheading a drive to keep the Hen open. Check out their web site SaveTheHen.com (www.savethehen.com ), contact Liz Frame at lframe22@netscape.net to find out what the group’s needs are, and join the rally in support of the Hen on Sunday, September 20.
Take care, and take care of those important to you. See you around.
Paul
Paul Kelly spends some of his free time pedaling at Newburyport Pedicab where all profits are donated to the Pan-Mass Challenge. To schedule a ride with Paul, call 978-225-0009.
