Middletown Daily Photo: Going Down

Tuesday, September 2, 2008

Going Down

In mid-July, regular gas at this station climbed to over $4 per gallon. By the end of July it had dropped to $3.91.

I took this picture on Sunday (8/31). Do you think it'll drop some more or will the effects of Hurricane Gustav send prices soaring again?

2 comments:

Janet Kincaid said...: I think this dip in prices is temporary. They'll stay low until the elections and then they'll go right back up.

Geez, can you tell I've lived in Washington too long? I'm becoming jaded and reading political motives into everything these days. Sad.; September 3, 2008 at 11:45 PM
Bernie said...: I'm thinking the same thing - right after the election, no matter who wins, the price goes up again.; September 4, 2008 at 8:12 AM

About Middletown

Middletown, Maryland was founded in 1767 and is said to be named either for its position midway between South Mountain and the Catoctin Mountains or its central location between the larger Maryland cities of Frederick and Hagerstown. A few years earlier, a visiting surveyor and future “Father of our Country” George Washington referred to Middletown Valley as one of the most beautiful places he had ever seen.

The town was incorporated in 1833. After the Civil War battles of South Mountain and Antietam, Middletown churches served as hospitals for both Union and Confederate soldiers.

Today Middletown boasts a delicate balance of old and new. Instead of a Mayor, the town leader is a Burgess. Some of the buildings were built in the 1700s and 1800s. There are large Victorian homes as well as the typical cookie-cutter subdivisions that dot the edge of the Washington DC commuter exurbs.

The only franchise restaurant in town is a Subway; the only Starbucks is inside the Safeway.

If you really want to understand what small-town America feels like, visit Middletown during the Independence Day festivities and fireworks at Middletown Park, the Volunteer Fire Department’s annual mid-July Carnival or the Middletown Heritage Festival held in the fall.