Woodstock Early Birds may have noticed a reference in that every-scintillating piece of literature known as “Town of Woodstock Police Twitter” feed of WPD responding to two reports of panhandling and peddling in the Village over the weekend.
In any other place, a more urban setting, the presence of hitchhikers, panhandlers, homeless people, random protestors or those down on their luck would raise nary a brow. It might quietly call some to action.
However, when two female hitchikers with big signs “Praising Jesus” placed themselves at both the entrance and exits to Mac’s Market on Pleasant Street over the weekend locals couldn’t help but do a double-take.
Sure we have the Appalachian Trail through-hikers, but they head back up Rt. 12 normally get back on the trail after a good meal and a drink and don’t fuss with hanging out panhandling and parading their placards.
Woodstock Early Bird ran into these two ladies at the end of what had been their long day just as Mac’s asked Woodstock Police to come and check them out. When we arrived on scene (purely by happenstance), the two were carrying signs, smoking heavily and waving their placard — oh and YELLING just a bit — just as we turned into the grocery store.
Wow! What the heck is going on?
Police Officer Joe Swanson investigated and apparently found nothing criminal going on, although the ladies were probably asked to not picket in front of the store entrance.
We decided to ask one of the women what all was going on? One explained, with um, quite a bit of boozy breath, that unfortunately her car had broken down way over to Whitehall and that she was trying to get to White River Junction. She said she had picked up the other female hitchhiker and her accompanying sad-eyed hound along the way and THAT woman was trying to get over to Maine. No big deal, really.
According to a Mac’s cashier, at least one of the women had been kindly given some money by local Woodstock folks passing into or out of Mac’s earlier in the day. The ladies (obviously having a rougher day than anticipated) apparently purchased a bottle of wine and settled in for an afternoon of proselytizing.
We DO kinda’ hope they were able to get their rides somewhere and safely to their destinations.
And that is the story behind the police report.
Julia Carlisle
Woodstock Early Bird 