On 12/03/2015 04:31 PM, Don Y wrote:
Springfield was our "late night opportunity" (to purchase packaged liquors;
bars stayed open late but you couldn't buy anything at retail, incl beer,
after 8PM, IIRC)

Springfield MA? I lived in East Longmeadow for a while. Fortunately
Gentile's Package Store was a quick romp through the backyard and across
the parking lot. Or maybe unfortunately.

State police used to hang out just inside the border to catch folks
bringing liquor into the state without appropriate "tax stamp".

I'd heard that. by then I was living in Dover, NH so MA state police
were the least of my worries.


When I lived in MA my out of state jaunts were to Somers, CT. I worked
six days
a week and the stores were all closed for the sabbath in the Puritan
state so
if i need groceries it was off to CT or Abe's Kosher Market. Abe's was
closer
but he didn't have much in the way of bacon or pork chops.

UConn?

I thought that was Storrs? Somers was just the closest place to E.
Longmeadow. iirc it was only about 10 miles.

Alcohol was not sold at retail, IIRC, on Sunday. But, grocers were open
(though not other retail establishments).

As I remember MA in the early '70s major grocery stores were closed on
Sunday but some of the convenience stores were open. My most memorable
Christmas dinner was frozen deep fried chicken from a 7-11. MA wasn't
too unique in that. It took me a while to figure out you could starve to
death on Christmas Day but all the restaurants were open on Easter.

Oddly the bucket of blood down the street was open so I stopped there
for a little cheer. Got home, threw the frozen stuff in the oven ad
forgot about it until the smoke started pouring out. Great dinner!