|
| Saying Goodbye to One to the Last, True GentlemenHalf Moon Bay Review / June 9, 2000 Published/Last Modified on Thursday, June 8, 2000 10:00 PM PDT Cunha's Country Store is open all but four days a year - no more, no less. As the sign in the window says, "We are closed New Years, Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas." But this year, Cunha's closed on a fifth day. Main Street's venerable 75-year- old market shut its doors on Friday to honor Glenn Ashcraft, co-owner with his wife Bev Ashcraft, and a person whose constant presence in the store made him a downtown fixture. In today's fast-paced, high-tech world, Cunha's market is a treasure. You'll hear no canned elevator music here, but instead, Frank Sinatra and music from the 1940s, some of Bev and Glenn's old favorites. The aisles are narrow, the hardwood floors well-worn, and if you need something on a top shelf, you'll have to ask for help. But help is always around, whether you want fresh basil from the storeroom or need to know how to make polenta or even what kind of oil is best to season a cutting board. But what really makes Cunha's stand out from the rest is the people - the people who work there and the people who shop there. You can't run in and out quickly because you will always bump into (literally, in those narrow aisles) at least three people you know. The women at the checkout counter are quick and efficient, but always have the time to ask how you are and really care about the answer. A trip to Cunha's feels like a small personal encounter in a world that is becoming increasingly impersonal. And when you left Cunha's, there at the front door was Glenn. He was always there to hold the door if your arms were full, to help you to your car if needed and to deliver groceries to people who could no longer make it into the store. He didn't say a lot, but always had a kind smile that reflected the spirit of one of the last, true gentlemen. As the procession of cars passed by the closed store on Friday on the way to the cemetery, one couldn't help but think that we were saying more than just goodbye to a very special man. Glenn Ashcraft was a link to a way of life that seems to be slowly slipping away from us. Let's hope enough of us remember what makes a town special and carry on in his memory. |