Notes taken along the trail, while waiting to see how efforts to speed up the game of professional baseball play out in the major leagues and at Polar Park—and in anticipation of the Worcester Bravehearts’ season opener against the Norwich Sea Unicorns at 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday, May 24th .

The expression “can’t find the chips!” and others like it are commonly heard at the Hannaford supermarket these days, as the store undergoes an extensive renovation and redesign—its first, customers say, in many years. 

Along with this, there is widespread speculation that a Big Y is going to be setting up shop in the near future just down the road, at the former site of sand pits in South Uxbridge. 

Google “Big Y in Uxbridge?” and the result is an “offering memorandum” from Horvath & Tremblay for space to lease in what appears to be a listing for a new-construction plaza just north of the towns of Blackstone and Millville that will apparently be anchored by a Big Y. “Nothing yet,” however, by way of commitments, according to Bob Horvath, executive vice president of Horvath & Tremblay.

The arrival of a Big Y would of course mean serious competition for Hannaford—the former Victory. Victory stores were started by the DiGeronimo family of Leominster in 1923 and sold to Hannaford in 2004.

Springfield-based Big Y boasts more than eighty locations in Massachusetts and Connecticut, and employs over 72,000 people.

Horvath & Tremblay notes that 222,000-plus individuals live within ten miles of the prospective grounds of a Big Y, with an average household income of $115,889.

Caitlin Cortelyou, external communications manager for Hannaford Supermarkets, gave me the following statement about improvements being made to the company’s North Main Street, Uxbridge store:

“We anticipate the upgrades currently underway at our Uxbridge store to be complete in mid-June. Designed to enhance the overall shopping experience, the remodeled store will feature a fresh look, as well as new products and services to make shopping as easy and convenient as possible for our customers.

“We’re excited to introduce a greater variety of grab-and-go meal options to our already expansive selection of fresh, quality items, including hot soups, chef-crafted sushi, hot and boneless wings, ready-to-heat and ready-to-eat entrees and flatbread pizza, freshly made sandwiches and salads, and pasta and taco meal kits.

“An enhanced selection of organic and natural products and dairy and frozen items will be available, as well as a greater variety of local products storewide.

“Customers will also enjoy more fine cheeses.

“As a thank you to customers, the Uxbridge store will offer a variety of special giveaways, coupons and offers for shoppers in June and July.”

Ms. Cortelyou (she/her) told me anything to do with the rumors about a Big Y would have to come from Big Y, a hard outfit to get in touch with.

Meanwhile, Hannaford’s Uxbridge store is looking better by the week, as a familiar market gets a new look and feel.

■ Speaking of the Bravehearts, the team has sold out their June 6 and June 7 games, for the earliest sellouts in the Futures Collegiate Baseball League perennial contender’s ten-year history.

■ Looking forward to the Blackstone Valley Education Foundation’s annual Business & Education Forum at the Grand View in Mendon on April 13th…more later.

■ The Blackstone Valley Chamber of Commerce is touting a ribbon-cutting ceremony on May 11th at 12:00 noon at Manchaug Mills, 9 Main St., Sutton, for the new Heirloom Emporium. Heirloom Emporium is a unique consumer experience, offering a wide variety of handcrafted, authentic and natural creations transformed from lonely heirlooms into one-of-a-kind modern antiques.

Contact Rod Lee at [email protected] or 774-232-2999.