The unpaved stretch of Carver Street from the railroad crossing to the bridge that separates Brandon and Pittsford can often be a depressing sight with debris scattered everywhere. It’s been an illegal dumping ground for years.

On a rainy Sunday afternoon, a bunch of middle-aged friends in Pittsford want to play some pick-up basketball. Or some older folks want to continue their daily exercise walks when the snow is knee deep outside in winter. Or some kids want to play volleyball but the school gyms are all closed. Where can they go?

On town or school rosters, the names Shackett and Shambo might have followed each other on an alphabetical list, but as you have come to expect in this column, neither of their original names started with the letter S.

If you dig around in local barns, garages, or antique shops, you’ll almost surely find a pair of vintage Vermont Tubbs snowshoes.