| A sweet return to Easton: Carmelcorn Shop reopening
Sia Bassil and her father, Chafiq Melhem, hung metal shelves on the red-and-white striped walls at the Carmelcorn Shop in Easton's Centre Square and stocked them with bags of coffee beans, licorice and cherry lollipops.
Loyal customers such as Diane Dutt, who works at nearby Bixler's Jewelers, peeked and then walked inside the store to witness the renovation work and say the same phrase.
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Good food and sea air in Rye and Hastings
England's south coast towns of Rye and Hastings have plenty to offer travellers that have a taste for good food, sea air, rolling green countryside and historical attractions. Located in east Sussex, the towns are in the heart of 1066 country - famous for being the site of the Battle of Hastings that visitors can still trace the history of at the new 1066 centre. However, the towns and the surrounding area also offer holidaymakers a lot more than a chance to rediscover the Norman conquest, with modern attractions such as shopping, cafes, pubs and galleries - as well as walks through the countryside to nearby villages. An excellent starting point is the fantastically well-preserved medieval town of Rye. Located on a hill-top a few miles from the coast, holidaymakers can easily spend a few hours wandering the town's cobbled streets, taking in the timber-framed Tudor buildings, shop for antique jewellery and take in the views over the countryside from the ancient castle, the Ypres Tower.
How to ease downtown's parking pains?
When he and his wife moved here from California 22 years ago, they felt like they were back in 1950s Los Angeles, when going downtown was a neat thing to do. Eating steaks on the River Walk, shopping at stores that hadn't high-tailed it to suburban malls, browsing for antiques or just walking around drew the couple downtown several times a week. Paying to park back then was worth it, said Bricken, 63. "It was a great place to be." But over the years, the streets became more crowded and parking prices steadily increased. And between the pleasant surprises, such as bumping into and chatting with Henry Cisneros one night, came the shocks. Like the time about five years ago in a private lot, when drivers parked in the aisles behind and in front of his car, trapping him and his brother for hours.
Clocks get collector all wound up
DECATUR - Tom Williams makes plenty of time for his passion, but putting that love into words isn't so easy.He prefers to show you.So enter exhibit one, a stunning silver-cased pocket watch made by the Illinois Watch Co. headquartered, once upon a time, in our very own Springfield. It's the "A. Lincoln" model and made in 1919. The back of the watch is glass to better display the mechanism that pulses like a mechanical heart inside. Brass plates covered in elaborate damascened decoration hold tiny cogs turning on tinier axles that spin in holes lined with 21 ruby jewels.The deep red gems show up under the glass like blood vessels and were chosen not only because they look good, but their unyielding surfaces take countless lifetimes to show any wear. The result is a thing of beauty that is a joy forever and will keep reliable time for nearly as long."Does that help you?" asked Williams, 51, who had been asked what fascinates him about antique clocks and watches, the collecting passion of his life.
Griping about Luby's
Sorry, Luby's managers. Whiners agree with Marcille Magness, who complained recently about the cafeteria chain's new serving style. The restaurants have replaced institutional-looking metal steam tables with smaller ceramic dishes set under heat lamps. The change may have improved the food's appearance, but readers of this column say it isn't keeping it warm. Cool is not the new hot "Luby's food looks better" and "the quality is much improved in general," says Tom Schneider, but "the entrees ... are lukewarm to cool about 50 percent of the time." Customers would "much rather have tasty, warm food than a pretty display," says Judy Thompson. Henry Joseph Swartz has "stopped eating there after 15 years." Karen Zink says, "Bring back the old steam tables, and you'll bring back many customers!" And what's with the menu changes, asks Charles LeBlanc? He misses the cheese enchiladas, "one of the five best enchilada plates served in the Houston metropolitan area!" Champions in Champions Cindy Jones raves about the "not fancy" but "clean and cute" El Paisano Mexican Restaurant, "where the food is wonderful" and "the waiters are the most attentive we have experienced." Plus, it has "a great selection of beers." Paul Egner is "enthused about the change of ownership at StoneGate Prime Steaks & Seafood" on FM 1960 West.
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