A few local observations. One neighbor cut back to 4 days a week, state worker. Another neighbor, single mom/ healthcare worker, cut back to about 2/3 time.
I live about 1/4 mile from two major rail lines, a Norfolk Southern Intermodal line and Conrail. Rail traffic is almost dead at night and greatly reduced during the day. Maybe off by 30-40%. No auto cars and very few piggyback cars. They are still moving coal to the great lakes terminal on lake Erie.
Strip malls are dying but we had too many to start with.
A neighbor just sold his house after about 6 months on the market. Three or four years ago it would have been gone in 30 days. He's 92, moving to an assisted living facility. He's been retired about 30 years, a LBYM type. He was asking $180k, he could have gotten $210k easily a few years ago.
House construction is dead and building supply businesses aren't selling much these days.
The city stopped free yard waste collection, if you want it it's $49.95 for April through October.
Other news on the home front, about 15 people have been laid off at the old salt mine since I retired two years ago. They removed the early retirement incentive form the pension plan. Now you have to stick around to 65 to get what I got at 62. It's progressive so the oldtimers didn't get hit but the newbies are whining.
The best CD rate I can find locally is 3%/5 years.
Other than that things are just ducky.
