Rumor and "innundo"*

I had some time to kill today before a meeting so I just wandered about, talking to people.

I heard that new leases have gone out from Newburyport Development to downtown businesses whose leases are up for renewal. It is alleged that they new leases are like "mall leases," as in, dictating hours.

I don't want to be a fuss budget, but yesterday (Sunday) I said I was going to go to Ballotin to try and get bon bons for my mother. It was closed for Mother's Day.

Because of that, I went to Grand Trunk and got mom a nice bottle of wine and some cheese and crackers to enjoy while reading the slim book of poetry by Rhina Espaillat I bought for her at the Literary Festival. She loved the cheese, so that worked out well.

Former Piper Properties office on State St. is up for lease (saw the sign), and Valerie's is moving up the street, nearer to Pleasant St., I heard.

The owner of Black Cow, Joseph Leone, and Chuck Lagasse last year got into a huge argument, audible to diners in the main restaurant, when Lagasse demanded that the eatery open for lunch, 7 days a week. Leone ended up 'asking' Lagasse to leave the establishment - but the Black Cow is open for lunch.

Now the Black Cow is opening a third location in Beverly (where the McDonald's was, next to the bridge! I loved that McDonald's!) and a long-time bartender at the Newburyport location (wife of Karp business associate Butch Frangipane) left there and went over to 10 Center Street.

A coincidence or an ominous sign? Well, how ominous is it? The Black Cow is also a chain, after all.

So "everyone" believes the Black Cow is on its way out to make room for a more prominent chain. Legal Sea Foods is the name most bandied about.

Or, it could be that someone at 10 Center Street offered Mrs. Frangipane more money and she made the move. I don't think that's entirely unheard of in the restaurant biz.

Either way, the discontented muttering is out there.

* Pronunciation used by younger daughter in "The Philadelphia Story."