Town's Hot Spots

Aside from the common and the Adirondack Club, town offers countless amenities to fulfill your life. Take a stroll to Beaver Pond, also known as "The Beav," and hear the obnoxious screams and whistles coming from fans cheering on town's teams as they battle for the Hockomock Championship. Mosey on over to the town Public Library, and bury your face in a novel you cannot put down. Meander your way to the very center of town, and smell the sizzling hot pizza that lures you into the Rome Restaurant.

All of these exciting places are unforgettable, however, each place is only worth what you make of it. To some people, Beaver Pond could be the most insignificant, unappealing, childish place they have ever set foot. To others, it could be the place where they scored their first goal, or went to their first summer camp. Each place is only worth the memories put into it. Thus, one place cannot be labeled as "appealing" or "unappealing," because through each pair of eyes is a different light.

Adirondack Club- Where Fun, Fitness, and Family Come Together!

Fun, fitness, and family really do come together here at the Adirondack Club! Whether moms are gossiping together in an exciting hydropower class, children are splashing their way down the slippery slide into the crystal clear pool, or tennis players are battling it out in the third match, the A-Club is the ideal place to experience town. Everyone needs to workout and stay healthy, so what better way than to have a fabulous time in the process?

A day at the A-Club begins by pushing through the heavy glass doors and seeing a number of energetic faces greeting you. You look across the entrance and notice teenagers chatting by the snack bar, parents hunting down their little ones, and young adults reaching their tenth mile on the treadmills. Appealing to all ages and sizes, the A-Club is an ideal place to develop character and build self pride, which can be accomplished through the numerous workout options offered.

You pace your way down the stairs, and instantly your nose senses the chlorinated air traveling through the hallways. Your instincts tell you it is time to take a dip! That is, in one of the Adirondack's three swimming pools. You glide through the double set of doors, hear children laughing and playing, and listen to the coaches encouraging the swim team. The voices become muffled into a blur as you envision yourself relaxing in the steaming hot tub. You double guess yourself when you also notice a group of young adults peacefully sunbathing on lawn chairs and sipping ice cold lemonade. You envision yourself puckering as the sour lemon hits your tongue, and instantly you know the first thing you will do once you join the Adirondack Club.

The Adirondack is very special to me personally, as it accounts for a large portion of my life. It was not just where I learned to swim without floaties, or where I developed a love for tennis, or even where I trained for a triathlon. The Adirondack is also where I am employed as a lifeguard. I truthfully love working, for the sole reason that my job is at the most enjoyable place with the most enjoyable people. Sometimes when I am on break, I will sit back and peer around the pool deck. Doing so, I encounter over a hundred smiling, energetic, happy faces of all ages. To my left, mothers and daughters are bonding by signing up for the Annual Mother-Daughter Triathlon. To my right, a young boy's eyes are widening as he approaches the edge of the diving board for the first time. Splash! It wasn't as bad as he thought.

The Adirondack Club is a place to form friendships, build character, and develop yourself physically and mentally. Although some people shy away at the pricey membership, the cost of admission is worth every penny! Whether you want to stretch your horizons in a yoga class or take out some anger on the tennis courts, the Adirondack is your place!

The Common: Everything but Ordinary

My first memory stems back nearly eleven years ago. I was an eager, open-minded, naive six year old yearning to explore every aspect of the fair: the smell of warm fried dough swirling through the air, ponies' hooves stomping the hard ground, trumbones and drums coming together to emit a beautiful sound, and my anxious self impatiently waiting to soar through the skies on a carnival ride. I distinctly recall my excitement as I stood in line, nervously wondering if I would reach the top of the yellow measuring stick that would enable me aboard the space ship ride. Before I knew it, I was flying in circles on an experience of a lifetime.

A moment like this can only be experienced at the center of town. Since as long as I can remember, I have spent every steaming hot fourth of July day at the common's fireworks and carnival. With overwhelming amounts of red, white, and blue banners, the common comes to life every year. You will see a plethora of families celebrating the patriotic day with pride, dads taking off work, moms releasing their stress by sharing cotton candy with their children. As you walk the outer pathway, you will have sweet talker's persuade you into competing in a squirt gun fight to win a giant teddy bear, which you will proceed to proudly carry with you the remainder of the day. You will bob for apples at the apple stand, listen intently to the concert at the gazebo, and throw darts at water balloons. Most likely, you will miss every time, but you will enjoy the challenge. After an exhausting day at the fair, you and your family will set up blankets, munch on pretzels, and gaze up at the stars, wondering when those stars will be taken over by numerous colors and sparks of brightness. You will smell the fireworks come to life and soon swell up in the sky, just as the entire crowd sinks to silence. All you can hear is the boom boom crackle as each firework sizzles its way into the sky and pops. In awe, you applaud, along with hundreds of other hands clapping together in unity.

Summer is not the only time when families and townies gather on the Common. Christmas is also popular, when you can walk along the snowy paths of the common down a brightly lit archway, leaving footprints with every step you take. You can look up at Santa's reindeer skimming the trees, as you cIasp to your hot chocolate to keep from shivering. The chilling air enters your nose and you smell the sharp breeze of a winter night.

I think I'll stop there...Christmas at the common is an experience you must endure yourself in order to truly grasp its significance. The common is a place where memories are stored in hearts and minds forever. It is where you will bite into your first warm, sugary fried dough. It is where you will belt out your first Christmas carol. It is where you will bravely overcome your fear of carnival rides. These memories are what draws the town's people back each year. The only downside is that the holidays are few and far apart. On ordinary days, the common can appear "unappealing" because it is merely a casual place for walks, picnics, and small summer concerts. However, those who truly know the town know the common is everything but "unappealing." It is everything but ordinary.