Sign of the Times

The former Stockburger's lot

  This is a picture I took back in June.  The abandoned building and lot belong to the former Stockburger Chevrolet dealership in Newtown, Pa.  When I zoomed in on the façade on the right side of the photo, I saw what looked like the Stockburger name on the façade.  I guess that’s about all that’s left of it.  And, of course, this isn't the only one, as there are a few dealerships I can think of that closed recently.  Stores go out of business all the time, but lately, with the economy being what it is, I have been seeing a lot of retailers closing their doors.  Borders bookstore comes to mind, although it may be more than just the economy that led to their folding.  I may do an entry on the Oxford Valley Borders, which used to be my favorite bookstore, but right now, I’ll focus on what is seen in this picture.

  I remember Stockburger used to do radio and television ads, making sure to identify their location as beautiful downtown Newtown.  It sat on the corner of Sycamore Street and Richboro Road, across from the 7-11.  Just a block or two away is Bill Marsh Ford, which was Stockburger’s biggest competitor, or at least the nearest one.  In the same way that Newtown is celebrated for its antiquity, the rivalry between Ford and GM is an old American tradition in and of itself.  Now, at least within the small corporate limits of Newtown Borough, it looks like Marsh will have no competition for the time being.

  Maybe things will turn around, and scenes like this will become less frequent.  I don’t know how, but hopefully the economy will bounce back, and with it business and hiring will pick up again, too.  I normally don’t watch president’s speeches, and I didn’t watch Obama’s address on Thursday night, either.  However, I do check the recap online, usually on NPR.  I have a general idea what his proposals are, and I just hope whatever is done, the end result will be fewer scenes like the one pictured here. 

The Ship Has Arrived

The UBC Mariel

...and the tugboat

                                     

  I’m going back to the archives for my entry today.  I’m going back to April, when I took a ride to the Bristol (PA) waterfront.  It’s one of my favorite nearby places to visit, just a nice little historic town on the Delaware River, although some of the neighborhoods surrounding the town are notoriously rough.  But I love the antiquity of Bristol Borough along the Delaware.  On top of that, it was a beautiful day, and I finally had my camera with me when a ship came by.

  After parking in the municipal parking lot and getting out of my car, I heard a faint siren, which was coming from the Burlington Bristol Bridge.  That meant it was about to open.  I left my camera in the car, so I had to run back and get it, and then hurry along the walkway to the riverfront and get into position.  I made it in time, and I was ready to go as I looked up the river and saw the ship coming, accompanied by a tugboat. 

  After I returned home, and uploading the pictures, I was able to zoom in on the name of the ship, and then look it up online.  It was the UBC Mariel, and its homeport is St John’s, Antigua.  I haven’t researched Antigua much, and don’t know much about it other than its location in the Carribean.  I assume the ship just sailed up the east coast to get there.  I didn’t look into what kind of cargo the ship might have been carrying or unloading.  I think there was much more ship traffic on the river when the US Steel Fairless Works was in operation.