2008 Woodie Awards
A Local Piece of Vermont
Beth Pantzer
Issue date: 2/14/07 Section: News
Two pairs of golashes. Two pairs of work boots. Three pairs of snow boots. One pair of sneakers. Back to golashes, work boots, and snow boots.
Sneakers trudging through the single glass door into Castleton Corners Deli and Citgo are a rare sight. The family-run business is a hub for locals who are looking for some conversation in the early winter mornings before heading out onto the ice, snowmobiling or to work.
Muffins and Coffee
Forget the gas. It's all about the coffee and muffins.
Quickly entering, the "regulars" go straight ahead from the door to the coffee, their faces bright red showing that it "certainly is cold enough". A "Hey, how are you today" personally welcomes each chilly customer, whether Lorraine Keller yells it from the back or speaks it quietly up front.
Moving to the cash register, few can pass up a freshly baked muffin tantalizingly sitting right next to it. Within 10 minutes, five have vanished. Meanwhile, the muffins' neighbors, the pastries, are ignored.
The Men in Her Life
Lorraine, the only one working this Sunday morning, is the wife of owner Timothy Keller. But, the void of not having her husband around is filled with all the men hanging out. Never alone, there is always at least one male presence.
With shoulder length black hair and glasses, Lorraine strikes up a conversation with everyone who enters. It could be about the news, the kids, or the inevitable, the weather. Easily, she finds out that the three snowmobilers that just gassed up are headed out onto Bomoseen.
As the Coca-Cola clock ticks away, the gathering inside briefly grows. With coffees in hands, 15 minutes pass, 20 minutes…
Still, the chatting continues.
While the men talk, Lorraine tries to sneak in an odd job between customers. But, it isn't long before the glass door swings open again. This time, she can't pass up stopping to talk to the man in the "True American Grandpa" baby blue sweatshirt.
"Bring that baby. Bundle her up," Lorraine tells him, although adding that if it is too cold, not to bring her out. One of the centers of conversation is the kids and grandkids. And the proof is in the photos on the wall behind the counter.
Sneakers trudging through the single glass door into Castleton Corners Deli and Citgo are a rare sight. The family-run business is a hub for locals who are looking for some conversation in the early winter mornings before heading out onto the ice, snowmobiling or to work.
Muffins and Coffee
Forget the gas. It's all about the coffee and muffins.
Quickly entering, the "regulars" go straight ahead from the door to the coffee, their faces bright red showing that it "certainly is cold enough". A "Hey, how are you today" personally welcomes each chilly customer, whether Lorraine Keller yells it from the back or speaks it quietly up front.
Moving to the cash register, few can pass up a freshly baked muffin tantalizingly sitting right next to it. Within 10 minutes, five have vanished. Meanwhile, the muffins' neighbors, the pastries, are ignored.
The Men in Her Life
Lorraine, the only one working this Sunday morning, is the wife of owner Timothy Keller. But, the void of not having her husband around is filled with all the men hanging out. Never alone, there is always at least one male presence.
With shoulder length black hair and glasses, Lorraine strikes up a conversation with everyone who enters. It could be about the news, the kids, or the inevitable, the weather. Easily, she finds out that the three snowmobilers that just gassed up are headed out onto Bomoseen.
As the Coca-Cola clock ticks away, the gathering inside briefly grows. With coffees in hands, 15 minutes pass, 20 minutes…
Still, the chatting continues.
While the men talk, Lorraine tries to sneak in an odd job between customers. But, it isn't long before the glass door swings open again. This time, she can't pass up stopping to talk to the man in the "True American Grandpa" baby blue sweatshirt.
"Bring that baby. Bundle her up," Lorraine tells him, although adding that if it is too cold, not to bring her out. One of the centers of conversation is the kids and grandkids. And the proof is in the photos on the wall behind the counter.
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