oddly enough

oddly enough

Rural Maine couple lives in two shipping containers

ELLSWORTH, Maine

A rural Maine couple calls home a pair of former shipping containers bought online for $1,500.

Trevor Seip and Jennifer Sansosti have spent a year modifying the containers on their 63-acre property in Ellsworth, where they hope eventually to build a conventional home.

Each container measures 20 feet long, 8 feet high and 8 feet wide. One is insulated, plumbed and wired.

It boasts a bed and table that fold against the wall, a sink, a camp stove, a propane heater, a shower and a composting toilet.

The other has a closet and a folding futon.

Sansosti tells the Bangor Daily News in Monday’s editions that every inch of the 160 square feet of floor space is used.

Seip lived in Stroudsburg, Pa. Sansosti is from New York City.

They say Maine is more tolerant of their unconventional housing choice.

Bakery strike endangers Philly cheesesteak supply

PHILADELPHIA

The foundation of Philadelphia’s signature sandwich was harder to come by Monday.

Drivers for a nearly century-old bakery that supplies sandwich rolls for many Philadelphia-area cheesesteak joints and delis went on strike Monday in a dispute over the company’s efforts to make them independent distributors.

Teamsters picketed outside Amoroso’s bakery in west Philadelphia, saying they would be forced to buy their routes and pay their own vehicle and health-care costs if the company gets its way.

The picket line came down around midday after federal marshals arrived at the bakery to serve a federal injunction enforcing a no-strike clause in the workers’ contract, said Christine Reimert, a company spokeswoman. Drivers were expected to be back at work Monday night, Reimert said.

Amoroso’s Baking Co. supplies rolls and bread to numerous delis, grocery-store chains, convenience stores and restaurants, including Jim’s Steaks on tourist haven South Street.

Jim’s Steaks’ general manager, Elie Rosenblatt, said he had enough rolls to last a day or two, including some that he keeps in a freezer.

But starting today, if the strike is not resolved, he said he would have to start going elsewhere to look for fresh rolls.

“We are going to have to go out and look for rolls,” Rosenblatt said, adding that he’d already been approached by other bakeries, especially since his shop is so well-known. “Tomorrow, we’re going to have to scramble for rolls.”

Associated Press