Break in the action; Midweek holiday unsettling.

• Jurisdiction: United States
• Date: 02 July 2012

Byline: Linda Bock

Travelers, employees, businesses and retailers are working their schedules around the Fourth of July this year, because the holiday falls smack in the middle of the week. Most people don't mind though, because the most American of all holidays falls in summer.

"A lot of the girls here (at the Lunenburg Town Hall), and the Ritter Building, asked for vacation time," said Linda Douglas, administrative assistant to the town manager, so the decision was made to close Town Hall this week. Wednesday is the holiday, so Town Hall was scheduled to be closed, and Town Hall is closed on Fridays. "It just made a lot of sense."

The gorgeous weather over the weekend set a nice summer holiday vibe in New England.

An estimated 42.3 million Americans will journey 50 miles or more from home during the Independence Day holiday weekend, AAA projects, a 4.9 percent increase over the 40.3 million people who traveled last year. The expected holiday travel volume would tie the past decade's previous high mark set in 2007, and would represent a near 42 percent increase from 2009, according to AAA. The Independence Day holiday travel period is defined...