The Old Hometown Looks The Same - Sure!

 

This is a street view from Google Earth of the old homestead in Batavia, New York.  It looks the same as when we lived there in the 1930’s, except there was a Spirea bush next to the porch, instead of what looks like a Lilac bush.  The fourth house down the street to the right belonged to my Grandfather, but his barn is gone now.  And down Miller Avenue, to the left, there is a four-car garage; my father converted it from the original five-car structure sometime in the 1950’s, when I was in college.  When we visited about ten years ago, everything looked smaller than I remembered.





 

The Old Hometown Looks the Same - NOT!

It’s been years since I walked the streets of downtown Rochester, New York, but I have checked out parts of it on Google Earth.  At the corner of Main and Clinton many changes have taken place, including Midtown Plaza having been replaced; I wonder what happened to the “magical” Clock of the Nations.  Across the street, the Sibley Building has been enclosed by construction fencing, presuming some major changes there.  The building held the Sibley, Lindsay and Curr Company, a major department store back in the day.  The big treat was to visit the toy department on the fourth floor just before Christmas to see the tremendous display of marvelous toys, dolls, electric trains, games, bicycles – all the goodies we wrote Santa about.  The elevator took us up, or rather, the elevator operator took us up.  He was responsible to make sure we were clear of the doors he manually opened and closed, then worked the lever to take us up, all the while singing out the floors we approached and the merchandise contained therein; second floor, ladies dresses coats and hats; third floor, men’s and boy’s clothes; fourth floor, housewares and toys.  That was the one we waited anxiously to hear.  And then the rush out the door to the Christmas Wonderland!  Great memory!

Lectric Shave, Customer Response and Me

Lately, I’ve been reading the ingredients on stuff I use, and was interested to note that Lectric Shave contains Fragrance, plus Green 5, Yellow 10 and Orange 4 dyes.  I use the product just before I go into the shower, so thought it didn’t make since to have those things in a product I washed off within minutes.  I looked up Lectric Shave and found it’s a product of Combe Incorporated and sent off a letter to Mr. Christopher B. Combe, President, suggesting those items be removed.  I told him about allergic reactions to dyes and fragrances and mentioned a reduction in production costs could be realized.  Their current brands are “category leaders in feminine health and intimate skin care, men’s hair color and grooming, and oral device care.” It took several weeks, but I did receive a response.  Not from Mr. Combe, but from someone in his customer response organization.  In a few short sentences, she wrote that, if I didn’t like their product, I shouldn’t buy it.

            That sent me off to wonder about other of their products I shouldn’t buy, so I did some research and here’s what I found I shouldn’t buy, besides Lectric Shave: Vagisil, Just For Men, Aqua Velva, Brylcreem, Johnson’s Foot Powder and Sea.Bond.  So they are now on my “No Shopping” list, not that I’d ever need Vagisil.