(Author’s Note: I try to be a easy going, loving, down to earth person. While I take many things seriously; this column is not. It is written in the spirit of fun. You should NOT take any of the below too seriously!)
New year. New decade. New hat?! Well maybe not; I won my first hat 10 years ago when the “Where In Verona Is It?” contest first came to light. I was OBSESSED with it. It took me 12 weeks before I was able to get bragging rights. I won again in week 44! I was feeling pretty awesome about that.
People thought then that I was stalking Fred Goode. It’s pretty hard to stalk someone you don’t know or haven’t seen in person. I don’t know if I’ve ever even seen a photo of Fred. (Are there any of him out there or is he like the masked avenger going from place to place in town with his mask and cape?) How could I stalk him if I don’t even know what he looks like? Sure I could be on the look out for a man with a camera roaming around town, but that’s taking it a bit far, even for me!
When I heard “Where In Verona” was coming back for a limited engagement, it was like a call to arms! You must NOT fail Beth! You MUST win!
And now that I have, I’m going to share my secret strategy (obsession) with you: FREE OF CHARGE. (Unless you are so inclined to leave dollar bills in my mailbox! I’m NOT stopping you.)
Step 1: I, and you, may have a slight advantage if you grew up in Verona or you’ve lived here for a long time. It helps if you KNOW Verona. If your history is it’s history. Get into that Verona mindset. That’s step one.
Step 2: You need to know where Fred has been before. If you weren’t around ten years ago, you need to go back and check out the archives. If Fred was there before, he won’t be there again. So you can automatically count out places like the schools, the library, Hillcrest Farms and Bunky’s. Sadly, some of the places Fred visited back then are no longer around. (Yes, I’m still missing you Hobcaw Cafe!)
Step 3: You need to look at things. I’d like to think I’m an expert at this as I walk around town just about every morning. (At least when the temperature is above 36 and the weather isn’t inclement.) It’s just about walking though, it’s about observing and being present. I was actually discussing this the other day with Judy O’Connor, the owner of Transformative Healing, about how this contest not only encourages me (and all of us) to get out and walk, but to really take a good look at things around our town. I decided to walk to her office on Grove because I wanted to take a closer look at things on Bloomfield Avenue in order to try and win. How did I know that the photos had been taken on Bloomfield Ave.? The majority of holiday wreathes are located on Bloomfield Avenue. The photo that was posted showed a wreath that was attached to a telephone pole (not unlike the one above). However, as you walk west on Bloomfield Avenue from the center of town, you’ll notice that most of the wreathes are attached to metal light poles. That narrows down the area of likelihood.
Step 4: You’ve got a real advantage if you shop local. For me, it also helped that I just ran out of olive oil and have been thinking that I need to pay a visit to Olive That! and More for bottle. It’s a place I’ve visited several times, it’s relatively new to Verona, and I knew Fred had not been there before so …
I can’t play the game anymore (well at least not publically) and I’m no Fred Goode, but before the new week and new challenge begins, can do you know where I went walking on the first day of 2020? Who knows … maybe I can stump Fred!
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Thank you Beth for the trip down memory lane! While I haven’t been in Verona in quite awhile it seems you took a stroll from Everett Field, across from Firehouse #2, to around Lakeside Avenue.
I grew up next to Prout Funeral Home so recognized the picture of that and of Espy Monument Works (your pic captured part of my childhood home next door).
John, for someone who hasn’t been in Verona for a while, you have a good eye!