By Darren Johnson
Journal & Press
Let’s start off today’s newsletter with an opportunity.
An opportunity to hear a great band — for free — at the Greenwich gazebo, across from the Library. Here are the details:
All are invited to the second installment of this summer’s Music at the Library monthly summer music series, featuring Hungrytown at the Mowry Park gazebo across from the Greenwich Free Library on Monday, July 22 from 6:00 - 8:00 pm. Mexican restaurant Casa Reyes will once again be on hand for dinner and snacks. In the event of rain, this event will be held indoors in the library’s Community Room.
Hungrytown is a folk duo out of Vermont who tour extensively in the region and around the world. Rebecca Hall and Ken Anderson, through their years of worldwide touring and tireless devotion to many classic genres of music, have crafted Hungrytown into a true artistic hybrid, able to hold Celtic and Americana, ballads and psychedelia, sunshine and darkness, joy and despair--not only within the same album, but within the same song. Hungrytown’s music has received extensive radio airplay worldwide and has appeared on several television shows, including The Daily Show and Portlandia.
In addition to great food and music, the event features free children’s books for attendees wishing to participate in the library’s Summer Reading program.
Speaking of the Gazebo
I know you probably spot some typos in the print paper. It’s a lot of work throwing it together with no staff, so compromises sometimes have to be made.
But I try my best and do actually have training in copy editing. I had to take a copy-editing test at one point to work for a certain newspaper and scored quite well.
But with The Journal & Press, I can’t do all of the copy editing things I’d like to do — there just isn’t time. I don’t change PM or pm to the proper p.m. in the copy that’s sent to me, for example.
But sometimes decisions need to be made.
I really want to capitalize the word “gazebo” in regards to the Greenwich landmark where so much seems to happen.
It doesn’t have any other name. It’s just “the gazebo.”
Not the Glens Falls National Bank Gazebo, or even the Windy Hill C-B-D Gazebo … just “the gazebo.”
I know there’s a group that is hoping to raze and replace the gazebo. Or at the very least, refurbish it. But this committee may also want to consider naming the thing. Something I can capitalize. Because my copy-editing instincts want me to capitalize it.
What Will a Dispensary Look Like?
Speaking of … congrats to Windy Hill C-B-D and proprietor Holly Harris for getting state approval to turn her store into a pot dispensary. It should launch as a new business this fall.
It’s our current cover story.
While I’m no connoisseur of the green stuff, I am curious about business models and have observed the evolution of legalization across the country.
Here is Seattle in 2017…
Northampton, Mass., in 2020…
In general, they usually market “wellness” outside the building while there are some measures in place to control traffic into and out of the store. Usually the stores have a lot of woodwork as decor, like an Apple Store.
Staff usually have a mixed vibe of being a sort of cool Wolfman Jack herb advisor — budtender is a term I cringe at — while also being a bit PTSD and on edge, as if afraid of being robbed. Because they do get all kinds of customers; from strait-laced banker types to Cheech and Chongs to housewives/husbands to people more on the fringes of society.
Harris is a good choice as a licensee because she’s already proven she can run a safe, tasteful place with a down-home vibe, but also no nonsense.
New York kind of screwed up the launch of such stores, and now the state seems to be granting a lot of licenses. I see a building being renovated in Schuylerville, too, that is aiming to be a dispensary.
It will be important for these new licensees to get going fast and assuredly, to stave off competition and become established as the go-to sellers for those who partake while also being able to attract and educate new customers.
And Now for the Comics … a political cartoon by Dana Summers
And Last But Not Least … Dairy Princess Winners
The 60th Washington County Dairy Princess pageant was a great way to kick off June is Dairy Month and welcome July is Ice Cream Month with former NYS Alternate Dairy Princess, Erin Armitage, serving as mistress of ceremonies. The current Dairy Princess team consisting of Princess Anna Maxwell and Alternate Princesses Allison Chuhta, Lexus Reynolds, Serena Drost and Alyssa St. Mary were recognized for their outstanding year of promotion. Judges Brandon Aldous, Jane Luskin and Shawna Vander Wey had the difficult task of choosing the next team to represent the Washington County Dairy Farmers. After an interview, a prepared speech, and an impromptu question the judges chose Princess Kennedy McClenithan of Cambridge, Alternate Layla Baldwin also of Cambridge and Alternate Megan DePaul of Argyle. The new team has already participated in parades, visited elementary classrooms, spoke at the Washington County Board of Supervisors Meeting, handed out yogurt and ice cream at multiple farmer’s markets and is busy planning for the Washington County Fair.
Alt Layla Baldwin, Princess Kennedy McClenithan and Alt Megan DePaul
Layla Baldwin, Kennedy McClenithan, Megan DePaul with Ambassador Adolly Harsha at Cambridge Farmers Market. Photos courtesy Betsy Foote.
And that’s it for today. More tomorrow! Enjoy your week!