Vic Giangrant, who has operated the Westside Car Wash since 1981, figures his business is so sensitive to changes in the economy he is among the very first to sense what is happening.
As far as the current economic downturn is concerned, for example, he says he felt the first tremors of the decline as early as November 2006. When people are making a decision to have their car washed or not they are dealing with something worth doing but also something which can be delayed.
Also, he says, when times are good and jobs are plentiful, it’s tough to find the people he needs to operate his business.
“But when times are bad,” he says, “everyone wants a job.”
Vic understands the need to adjust to the times and his operation continues to weather the ups and downs. His business savvy was recognized some years back when his fellow members of the Central Delaware Chamber of Commerce chose him as the Outstanding Small Businessperson of the Year. He has a good crew and he appreciates his employees.
Perhaps Vic should take notes and offer to share his estimation of economic conditions with other businesses. Imagine if you had the knack of spotting trends in the economy before anyone else.
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As far as the central Delaware economy is concerned, the heavy traffic and crowded retail stores would seem to indicate that things are picking up. We do have Dover Air Force Base and state government offices as backstops to local economic conditions.
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I have mentioned before that occasionally Mary and I hear snatches of conversation at a nearby table in a restaurant. It’s not that we are deliberately eavesdropping, you understand. Not really deliberately. Well, maybe once in a while.
Anyway, we have noticed it is more often women at a restaurant who will end the meal with a discussion, sometimes lengthy, about how much each will be contributing to the check. Men more often bluff one another about who will take care of the whole bill when it is just two, or perhaps three, at the table.
We did hear a new twist the other day to the practice of women splitting up the check. One woman among four at the table mentioned that a lady of her acquaintance always tried to be the last person to put money on the table because she then could use the tips others had left to help make up her share.
“A piece of work” is how one woman described this person.
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In past years, the annual “Songs of the Season — Carolling on The Green” evening in mid-December has seen participants and listeners shivering from the cold. Not this year. I noted last Wednesday the temperature on The Green was 57 degrees, certainly toasty in comparison to most past events.
Again the crowd was heavily sprinkled with young parents and their active small offspring. Those who came also brought food in various containers for later distribution to families who need help.
What is particularly impressive on The Green is the very large and illuminated one-word message which all people of good will can ascribe to at this time of year, and the rest of the year as well. That word is “PEACE.”
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In going to Oslo to pick up his Nobel Peace Prize just after committing 30,000 more troops to the war in Afghanistan, President Obama obviously had a delicate assignment.
He met it squarely, referring to the Afghanistan situation as calling for armed might in a “just war” and noting that “evil” exists in the world.
“We must begin by acknowledging the hard truth that we will not eradicate violent conflict in our lifetimes,” he said.
The president also referred to his hard duty of sending young men and women into war, and his very serious demeanor showed how difficult that duty is.
In Dover, we can hear the transport planes going and coming with the military personnel directly involved. We pray for their safety and quick return.
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Managed to cut down my own Christmas tree again this year, but instead of wandering into a woods in Maine, as I did as a boy, it was going to a place where there were literally thousands of good-looking trees to choose from. And it didn’t take long to find the right one. That was probably because I did the hunting on my own. If you have more than one person along the search is bound to be longer.
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Yes, the ladybug is the official Delaware state bug but that doesn’t mean the creatures have automatic free entry into our homes. We have found several over the past two weeks. Because of their special status, and the fact that they are peaceful and don’t bite, we pick them up and throw them outside, a courtesy we don’t extend to other bugs on the premises.
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Bill Vaughn, a well-known Dover lawyer and businessman, died last week at age 74. Bill was one of the original investors in the Dover Post Company and I will always be grateful he was kind enough to loan me money when the company was faltering and not everyone would have been willing to take such a chance.
My condolences to his wife Sherie, someone else we have been privileged to know for many years.
*****
A driver tucked this note under the windshield wiper of his automobile:
“I’ve circled this block for 20 minutes trying to find a parking space. I’m late for an important appointment and if I don’t park here I’ll lose my job. Forgive us our trespasses.”
When the driver came back to his car a little later he found a parking ticket under his windshield wiper with this message:
“I’ve circled this block for the last 20 years and if I don’t give you a ticket I’ll lose my job. Lead us not into temptation!”
