The people who stay

Hampton runs on volunteers — the fire company, the rescue squad, the people who string the lights and run the summer concerts in the park.

The calendar is small-town perfect: a holiday tree lighting, Memorial Day remembrances, community yard sales, and evenings when the whole borough seems to end up in the same field with folding chairs.

It's the kind of place where the mayor knows your dog's name and the post office is a social institution. That isn't nostalgia — it's Tuesday.