The IGA supermarket on the corner of Fairfield Woods Road and Stratfield Road closed its doors for the last time today. The market, formerly known as Gran Central, and a staple in the community for 56 years, was where noted singer and songwriter John Mayer got his start.
"My first job ever was at Gran Central," admitted one of the more famous graduates of our high school. Mayer worked at the market as a bagger, shelf-stocker, and cart-jockey at the age of 17. "They should probably fight to make it a historic site," added Mayer, who is preparing to tour with Sheryl Crow and wrapped up a photo shoot with Rolling Stone recently.
Mayer waxed nostalgic about the market, and offered an opinion as to what a marker might read several years down the road. "Here on this site, a young John Mayer, all of 17 years, collected carts and wrote songs in his head in the snow."
Do you remember your first job? I worked as a 16-year-old at Jimmie's of Savin Rock on Black Rock Turnpike while attending Andrew Warde High School. Thirty years later, I bring my son to Duchess, which used to be Jimmie's, and many of the young cashiers and cooks recognize me from television. Several of them are now attending Warde or Ludlowe high schools. I've told them many times that I used to work in the very same building as a junior and senior at Andrew Warde High School. They find it hard to believe. "You worked here?" they always ask.
Tim Kelly and Sue Hart were quick to point out that their first jobs were at Kentucky Fried Chicken on Black Rock Turnpike. Sue didn't care much for the manager and made it plainly clear during our conversation Sunday afternoon at Lake Hills during the Family Reunion Social at the beach. Tim offered that he made $1.85 an hour, the exact same amount I did while at Jimmie's. He told me it was the worst job he's ever experienced. Sue echoed those words, too.
The hours were long, the pay wasn't good, and the work was hard. However, the jobs we held in high school taught us valuable lessons, and we acquired a strong work ethic along the way. I distictly remember walking home from Warde Friday afternoon, washing up and having a quick snack, and then walking up to Jimmie's for a seven-hour shift from 3 to 10 p.m. My hours Saturday and Sunday were from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. I didn't enjoy much of a weekend, aside fom "cutting fries," cutting the heads off live crabs, and washing the floors.
I don't see many kids walking to and from school or to and from their jobs today. That's why our generation worked for everything we got and learned the value of hard work.
Kentucky Fried Chicken, Jimmie's of Savin Rock, and Gran Central/IGA market are no longer with us, but the memories of those stores will remain forever.
I'd like to know where you worked when you attended Andrew Warde High School. Did you make more than $1.85 an hour? Were the hours long? Was the work hard? Feel free to post a comment below. I'm sure others would enjoy reading all about it.
Paul
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