113 years ago in The Hardwick Gazette
A PARK FOR HARDWICK?
Who Will Help? A Public Park Can Be Had Easily. -A Mountain Park Unlike That of any Other Village in Vermont.
Does Hardwick need a park?
The question almost answers itself. Where in Hardwick is there one piece of land, outside the school yard, that belongs to the people? Who among wouldn’t be proud to see municipal place afternoon strolls that the automobile dust could not spoil, for the enjoyment wild flowers and picking? A natural, unspoiled woodland, with winding paths and rustic benches. Not many of us are energetic enough to tramp a mile or two out of the village to find relief from the sun in summer weather, and the automobile dust has spoiled the roads for such leisurely travel.
On Buffalo mountain rests Hardwick’s main chance for a public park that would be inexpensive to acquire and maintain. Not the whole mountain at first, but a good-sized tract large enough for park purposes. Do you know that on Buffalo Mountain in the Spring grow the most wonderfully fragrant Canada violets, red and white trilliums, better known as “sweet Benjamins,” adder’s tongues, jack-in-the pulpit, anemone, rare lady-slippers, and an untold host of other forest flowers? A park on Buffalo Mountain would be unique. What other village in Vermont can boast of a mountain park, a forest preserve almost in its streets? It is true that to enjoy its beauties would mean a climb, but the good things in this world come only to those who make an effort. If there is any appeal in this idea of a park, now is the time to act.
None of us can look up at the green slopes of Buffalo day after day, or at the brilliant colors of its autumn leaves, and not feel that the village depends on Buffalo Mountain for much of the beauty of its environs. Under private ownership, the day will inevitably come when the lumber lust will strip the hill, and leave the rock ledges bare and unsightly, and Hardwick will lose much of its charm. The time to start a park is now, while the trees are too young to attract the lumberman or raise the price of acreage to excessive figures. At an acre apiece, lots of Hardwick’s citizens could make a public-spirited gift and not feel the cost. Is this idea worth taking up? Who’ll subscribe for an acre and start the movement for a public park in Hardwick?
35 years ago in The Hardwick Gazette
Cox Pharmacy Closes And Reopens; Brooks Plans Pharmacy In Hardwick
by Ross Connelly
HARDWICK- – The town’s residents appeared in need of a prescription Friday, but a remedy was found Monday and a second one is expected to follow later in the year. John and Claire Zaretzki, who bought Cox Pharmacy 16 years ago, closed the business Friday, with local residents facing the prospect of having their prescriptions filled by mail at the Johnson Pharmacy in Johnson, or starting anew with pharmacies in other locations. Monday, however, Don Paritz, who owns the Johnson Pharmacy, reopened the local store and said he will have a full-time pharmacist there in two weeks. In the meantime, Paritz was also open yesterday and will be open tomorrow. Next week, he will be there Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. Beginning April 22, the business will be open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays to Fridays and 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays.
The Zaretzki’s said they made the decision to close the business after they were approached earlier this winter by a representative of Brooks Drugs. They said the Rhode Island based business offered to buy them out and they told him they were willing to sell at the time. But, they said, an April 1 selling date never materialized. By that time, however, they made a substantial deposit on a Medicine Shop pharmacy in Springfield.
Fearing they would lose their money if they backed out, they felt they had no choice but to close their business here. Monday, Normand DeWolfe, who is a district manager and pharmacy supervisor for Brooks, said the corporation authorized him to approach the Zaretzkis this winter and tell them it wanted to buy them out and take the needed steps to open a pharmacy in its store in the Grand Union shopping center. He said, however, their decision to close the store ended his company’s interest in buying them out.
Despite the change in plans of the Zaretzkis and Brooks, DeWolfe said, the chain would continue with its plans to open a pharmacy in its Hardwick store. DeWolfe said it would take time to renovate the store and take the needed steps to open a pharmacy. He said it could take anywhere from two or three months to a year before customers could buy prescriptions there, but the company was firm in its commitment to expand its Hardwick business.
DeWolfe said Brooks would have moved more quickly with its plans had the company known the Zaretzkis planned to move so quickly. He said Brooks’ Morrisville store would offer discounts to Hardwick residents and mail prescriptions to them until it opened a pharmacy in its local store. The quick turn of events also had Paritz moving at a high rate of speed. He said state law requires pharmacists to give their records to another registered pharmacist when they close and the Zaretzkis only contacted him April 1 to ask if he would take their records. He said he would, but immediately set out to find another pharmacist to take over Cox as he recognized better service would be offered to the store’s customers if they didn’t have to use the mail between Hardwick and Johnson.
