What's Happening In The 'Dome on a Dog-Breath Hot Saturday?

Zeke Fiddler is selling his Super Beetle. Zeke says, "My stepmother, a grade school art teacher, has been hung up on this watermelon motif for the past twenty years or so. This car is just one (logical?) result. Before she owned the car, it belonged to a friend of ours who drove it off the showroom floor new back in '71. Both owners only drove the car around New Haven for as long as they owned it. The longest trip it has ever been on was likely the trek up to my place in Cummington when my folks handed it off to me a couple of years ago. It has around 90,000 miles. The odometer reads about 62,000, but the speedometer unit was replaced at 25,000 miles. Thus the 90k.

The engine has been rebuilt twice. The last rebuild was done about eight years ago. Last year I had the head gasket replaced to resolve a pesky oil leak that had been dogging us for a while. It now is bottled up nice and tight with plenty of pep. It climbs the hills like nobody's business and needs no oil top-offs between changes. The exhaust is a little over a year old. New heater boxes were put in last november. I had had a brand new clutch put in this past spring. There is some rust that will need attention, most notably along the left running board which can either be patched up or, if you are feeling adventurous, the rocker panel could be replaced. The heater conduits inside both rocker panels are still intact and keep the heat flowing to the front of the cabin and windshield whenever the heater boxes are turned on. There is also a spot of rust that has gone through the front right fender that begs attention soon. The interior is clean for a car this age. No tears in the upholstery. An AM/FM Cassette stereo with front and back speakers has been installed. Other small details. The front tires are worn. It still has the original wiper fluid delivery system which relies on the spare tire for pressure. I stopped using it because I prefer to have a full spare over a bug-free windshield. I have an electric replacement kit complete with low pressure reservoir however. I just haven't taken the time to install it, but I will throw it in with the vehicle at no extra cost!! I'm asking $3,ooo for the car, but I'm willing to entertain any reasonable offer. I'm not interested in trades unless they include a working 17" Mac Book Pro. Then we can talk. Otherwise I would prefer cash offers. Paypal is gladly accepted."


A citizen is on her way to a guitar lesson at Downtown Sounds.


As of noon today, Willis and Ronnie have opened the new Dynamite Records at 33 Main Street next to Lucky's Tattoo. It looks shiny and crisp...but there's still a lotta freight left to haul over or haul away from the old Thornes location before the Obama campaign headquarters takes over! Dynamite's MySpace Page.

The Dynamite logo is a stick of dynamite with a lit fuse which doubles as the i's dot. Why have I only now noticed this after all these years?


The first floor above, and one of the window displays below.
There will be a basement for used records as well.


There's a Robert Altman Film Festival in October including an appearance by New Jersey's reunited spaz-pop combo The Feelies, who owned college radio in the '80s and were a big influence on the young REM. They played Maxwell's in Hoboken a lot and like their neighbors Yo La Tengo have always kept the Velvet Underground's simple and hypnotic musical motif in the mix. The band appeared in Jonathan Demme's film "Something Wild," but I can't find evidence of a connection to Altman. Anybody know? The show is a benefit for the Northampton Arts Council who gives local artists grants in the range of about $1000 twice a year. You can apply here.


Just like lower Main Street near the railroad bridge, Market Street is hoppin' with change for the better. SUZ-ANNEX opened at 11 Market today next door to Jeanne Mulvey's also recently launched Retro Genie. Suzanne Vandyke has been keeping us guessing for many months as to what this odd storefront was trying to say or do. The window displays had recently included vintage bikes, odd furniture, paintings, sometimes with price tags, often without. Once I walked by and there was a dinner party goung on around a table in the middle of the space. Now the door is officially open, it is a store/gallery, and I snapped some photos of the situation. Suzanne didn' t want to have her picture taken but you can go see her for yourself. She seems like a very cool lady. The collages are her own and the quilt is her mother Evelyn Newton's handi-work.







Suzanne Vandyke's collage above, and her painting of same below.


A thought above the door as you leave:


Would someone please open a coffee shop here (below) on Market Street where Second Showing used to be? There's a lot of foot traffic from nearby residents and it would really complete the potential of this exciting block of book and antique stores, Joe's Pizza, Uncle Margaret's etc. I don't see a For Rent sign but I'm sure one could find out. In fact, I'll investigate.