Hellava Traffic Hullabaloo in Fowlerville

“May your blessings outnumber the shamrocks that grow.”

 
Getting to where you want to go can be a hellava time, now that construction zones are everywhere across the state and country. My local community, Fowlerville, MI, is having one traffic hullabaloo right now.  And, it’s not the kind of party where you’d love to make an appearance.


I tried. All I wanted to do was get to the chiropractor the other day.  I knew the road construction on the south end of town, where I travel from, was a mess. But that day it looked impossible. I needed some exercise, anyway, so I parked (asking the manager first) in the Sunoco parking area and walked across all the other parking lots until I reached the chiropractor’s office.


I asked Dr. Tim (Tersigni) if the traffic construction zone had affected business. Definitely, no picnic. In fact, he informed me, the wonderful Irish store, owned by Don and Maureen Call across his parking lot, is wondering if they can hold out until the end of December when the construction is supposed to be done. He hinted that I should blog about it.



After my appointment, I walked across to see if they were open. Not. The sign greeting customers said hours until Oct. 2 are Friday (10-6) and Saturday (10-4). Wow, closed Sunday through Thursday. Of course that was the day I was in town, or trying to be.


“Call Mary Kay for tour information 517-248-8125,”   followed the store hours.  ‘Hopefully, the tours to Ireland are going well,’ I thought. A sign on the door instructed delivery persons leave packages at Dr. Tim’s. “So, no favorite Irish tea for me to pick up today,” I said to myself. “ Good thing I bought a large box last time.”

Traffic construction closes doors at Bridget Gallagher's Irish Store

Walking back to my car at Sunoco, I went in to talk to store manager Sandy Lorenz, who can observe the whole picture from the main counter. Lorenz predicted that things will only get worse. She fully expects an accident to occur in the area, which she describes as “too chaotic.”  “There’s no sense of organization,” added Lorenz. She suggested a local policeman could be there to guide traffic perhaps.


Dr. Tim said that the fast food places next to him have been affected, with only a handful of customers getting there, daily. The construction is already beginning to affect Sunoco. It will definitely be no picnic when the work gets to them. As Lorenz noted, “Some truckers won’t want to come through.”


The next day, when I was to join my friend Clayton Klein for a walk (we often walk in the park on the north side of town), it seemed easier from my direction to just go to Webberville and walk. So, we did. In conversing about it, Klein said he’d had trouble getting to his bank, which is in the middle of the construction zone.


Dr. Tim got me to thinking about the whole crazy mess. I had a feeling that Buddy Moorehouse of Livingston Talk and Community Journal would blog about it, if anyone would. Sure enough, in the Sept. 21^st issue of Community Journal, Moorehouse calls this “the summer of traffic Hell.” Seems there’s lots of traffic fun going on all around the county.


As for Fowlerville, Moorehouse gives the following advice, which applies to me, since both of us live south of town. “Seriously, if you live in South Fowlerville (or SoFo, as we call it), like I do, and you have to drive to Downtown Fowlerville (DoFo), you better leave the house with plenty of time to spare.”


I don’t know about SoFo and DoFo  (cute…I like it…and better get with it!), but it seems that he aptly calls the organizing entities “The Traffic Hell Committee.” Sounds like we, of SoFo, may not see much of DoFo for the next three months.
To end this on a kinder, gentler note: Please everyone read the words on the beautiful garden decoration by Bridget Gallagher’s.

“May your blessings outnumber the shamrocks that grow.”

We can keep our fingers crossed that the blessings will outnumber the traffic obstacles that grow…and grow…and grow, and find ways to keep business traffic — and public spirit — flowing smoothly through the upcoming holiday season.”

(Pub. Sept. 26, 2010 LivingstonTalk.com)