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Community Corner

Will Your Family Travel this Summer?

Gas prices might keep many at home this summer.

Now is the time to book or you‘ll lose out on prime weeks. Landlords want leases signed and hotels are starting to book up for the fourth of July and into August. But think about the possible cost to get to your favorite destination this summer.

Will you be driving to Myrtle Beach or taking a trip to Niagara Falls?  Do you have an eight-cylinder car that needs premium gas?  You might have to think again. With gas prices rising and predictions for the summer looking even worse, families are unsure about renting a house in another state or driving out West to see Yellowstone Park

Instability in the Middle East is largely to blame for the rise of oil prices.  As of this past weekend, oil prices had come down a bit to $101 a barrel, mostly due to the earthquake in Japan. 

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Our gas prices have increased now for the past 17 days in a row since Friday and have risen almost 37 cents in that time. Experts predict that the price will keep rising. The highest average price for gas is in California where it is very hard to find gas at under $3.90 a gallon  The national average is $3.503. But how about in Branford?

According to Motottrend.com, the cheapest gas in town as of this past weekend was at 323 E. Main St. where regular is $3.59 and premium is $3.79. The highest gas has historically ever been is $4.11 a gallon back in 2008. 

Find out what's happening in Branfordwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

A recent popular email, requests that people stop buying gas from the two most popular gas stations, Exxon and Mobil, (now one company) so that they will be forced to lower their prices.  Or maybe not, but it is appearing in most inboxes. 

With the facts in hand and the predictions possibly worse, will you and your family be driving to your summer destination?  Or are you going to make other, more local plans?

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