Good weather, politics, and gasoline

www.townonline.com By Bill Thibeault / In My Opinion . . . Thursday, March 6, 2003

I'm glad to see that the windy month of March has finally arrived ... especially since Spring officially arrives on March 20, so maybe things will soon warm up a bit around here.

The temperature actually got up to the low 40's last Saturday, which was warm enough for an army of smiling and waving local political sign holders to post themselves downtown in support of their particular candidates who are seeking your vote in the upcoming town election.

All the candidates seeking contested seats had their dutiful supporters out there ... Selectman Avril Elkort ... as well as challengers Sal Salvatori and Bob MacDonald. And while a large number of Assessor Rocco DiGirolamo supporters toted his signs, the green and white signs of challenger Paul Alfano also seemed to be all over the place.

Speaking of political signs ... not that it means anything, I conducted another mini-survey last week of political signs in the windows of downtown merchants, and while I found no signs for Selectman Elkort, I counted 10 signs for Salvatori and three for MacDonald ... and for Assessor, I counted seven DiGirolamo signs and six for Alfano.

It won't be long before candidate nights will be held in various sections of town providing an opportunity for you to go and listen to these candidates ... and hopefully these informative nights will help you reach an informed decision about who to vote for.

Most of us who buy gasoline for our gas-guzzling chariots have become painfully aware of skyrocketing gasoline prices, and it won't surprise you to learn the national average for a gallon of 87 octane unleaded regular is now $1.66.9 which is 54 cents more than what it was a year ago ... and if that isn't bad enough, another round of increases, estimated at 4 to 8 cents per gallon may soon be inflicted on us, ostensibly because of Bush's imminent Iraqi war and the big oil-worker strike down there in oil-rich Venezuela.

Out of curiosity, I did a survey last Saturday of all gas stations in town to find out what they're charging for a gallon of 87 octane regular unleaded, and found the lowest everyday price in Canton was $1.65.9 at the full-service Getty station on Washington Street, and I also found the same price at the full-service Mutual Gas station out there on Route138 next to Dan Road.

However, for the lowest special price in town, you'll only have to pay $1.61.9 on Mondays at the Texaco station on Washington Street next to the railroad crossing because on that day of the week they knock off 8 cents a gallon from their current regular daily price of $169.9.

If you want to find the lowest daily price in the entire local area you'll have to drive over to Stoughton. Both the Cumberland Farms Gulf station on Washington Street (Rte. 138), and the Mutual Gas station further up Washington Street near the center of town, are selling it at $1.62.9.

I wasn't surprised to find the highest prices for the same type gas in Canton was at the two stations on Neponset Street ... $1.74.9 at the Citgo station, and $1.73.9 at the Sunoco station next to I-95.

There are four stations up on Rte. 138 on the other side of Rte. 128 near Big Blue Hill and Royall Street ... but I surprisingly found the prices only ranged from $1.67.9 to $1.69.9, apparently due to all the competition at that location.

Incidentally, both the Mobil and Shell stations just over the line in Stoughton at Cobb's Corner charged $1.71.9 ... and both deduct 8 cents a gallon on Mondays, which means your cost on that day of the week is $1.63.9.

And while you're digesting all this information, let me add that I found four existing stations in town that no longer sell gas. Crowell's station at the intersection of Washington Street and Turnpike Street is now boarded up ... and the Sunoco station on Washington Street, and I hear the property is not only up for sale, the underground storage tanks will also be removed shortly.

The Getty station on Chapman Street at the intersection with Neponset Street hasn't sold any gas for about three years ... and then there's that old run-down self-service station eyesore out there on Neponset Street that has been boarded up for the last several years with a "For Lease" sign on it.

Finally, things are very sad over in Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood ... long-time children's TV pioneer Fred Rogers died last week at age 74.

Former Canton Executive Secretary Bill Thibeault is a member of the Society of Professional Journalists and the National Society of Newspaper Columnists. You can e-mail him at OpinionColumn@WebTV.net