If You Ask Me / By Martha Knight

The Fair on the Square was a success, to all appearances. Some organizations recruited members, some just joined in to keep a high profile, some were raising funds for projects or to help their treasuries.

Folks seemed to be having fun. The weather was about ideal: not too hot and humid, not too breezy most of the time, just pleasant.

Seldom was heard a discouraging word. But one person, with quite an eye for things horticultural, noticed that the weeding at the Gazebo has fallen behind. Weeks ago Peggy Kallenborn scheduled various groups to take turns keeping things neat there all through the growing season. Must be the weeds grew faster than the weeders could weed. Mrs. K. may be a retired school teacher, but I bet she still insists that assignments be completed!

Someone commented that lawns have to be mowed every five or six days, still. Usually the growth rate has slowed way down by this point in the summer. But usually we have had a dry spell.

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Conversations at the Fair and around the community and online have included much speculation about the fate of the grocery store. Rumors have been many and varied.

The community will not be without places to buy food, during the time when the new owners will be making changes in the building and getting ready to open the business. (And some of us can be working down our pantry inventory!)

As I eavesdropped I heard some people expressing longing for the mom-and-pop stores of an earlier time. Yes, it used to be a person could take a little stroll within a neighborhood, in town, and find a nice selection of groceries, and maybe a meat department. In the country there would be a little general store not far away, maybe combined with the post office and a “filling station.”

But, I was thinking, now we have convenience stores and those with extended hours, which we did not have back in the day. There were no 7-11s, no 24-7s, no drug stores that also had broad selections of other merchandise like those in Rite Aid and Port Pharmacy—some with a few of the most basic foods as well— and no Sheetz and no Dollar General.

We’ll have to go farther to find fresh produce and meat and frozen stuff, for a little while. But meanwhile, gardens are producing, gardeners are sharing, our area sweet corn will be at stands, and blueberries can be picked.

If food supplies get really low we can eat out. If worst comes to worst, I can live on pizza, philly cheese sandwiches, soft serve and ice cream for a while. And keep the coffee coming.

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The “engine show” enjoyed good weather for the most part, and was enjoyable. I didn’t see quite as much in the way of flea markets and tractors as sometimes, but there were also some innovations.

It is amazing how much the Allegheny Mountain Engine and Implement Association has accomplished in about 35 years. When it first began to hold its annual events they were at the McKean County Fairgrounds. Then it acquired its own grounds off Route 155 south of Port, and has worked steadily at improving them, meanwhile holding some of its membership meetings in the United Methodist social rooms down the street from me.

AMEIA kept adding buildings and “roads” and the public address and the food stand and more. Events for children and youth have helped round out the family outing aspects.

One thing I missed this year was live music. I was told that neighbors had objected to the music last year. Well, I suppose those living close by might become annoyed that Saturday. But would the music be more annoying than the chugging of the Buffalo engine and occasional steam whistles and blasts from drilling and agricultural equipment?

When I mentioned to organizers that I missed the country and blue grass music, they said there was talk of booking some “female barber shoppers” or something on that order, for next year. Maybe there is a Sweet Adelines group in the area. That would be nice. I don’t quite see a string quartet cutting it at the engine show.

Another attraction I missed was inveterate quilt maven Ilene Altenhein, usually in the spinning-weaving quilting building. She wasn’t there this year. Word was she had injured a hip in a fall. The rest of the organization averred that it wasn’t the same without her, and wished her a speedy return to her usual spry and energetic state.

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Speaking of sound levels, I was touched by comments made to me at the ABATE motorcycle enthusiasts’ booth at the Square Fair. Folks there said they had taken to heart comments in my column referring to motorcycle noise along Main Street. They had quoted it in a publication, posted it where they meet, and appreciated the “viewpoint.”

That was good to hear. ABATE does charitable work, much of it for child-related and veterans’ causes. I noticed that there is an ongoing campaign aimed at bikers being safe on the highways, where they can be at more risk than people inside motor vehicles; and sometimes they are hard to see, unless other motorists keep them in mind.

Me, I’d love it if all the motorcycles were practically silent, electric models, zoom with no Vroom, traveling mysteriously along! But only if there were some (quiet) technology making them very noticeable to other motorists, so they would be safe.

It was kind of the ABATE members to be concerned about my sporadic loss of sound-involved adaptive technology and Talking Book use due to grouped biker sound levels where I live.

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Good to hear of improvements to Cady Hollow Road, by the Liberty Township highway department. The flourishing Cady Hollow Campground is quite a community in the summer season, and there are other residents and families out there year-round. I believe the bridge is still scheduled for a major overhaul this season.

Peace.