Check the expiration date on the silicone tube before you buy it. I grabbed some that was already old stock once and it was a nightmare to work with, almost like trying to spread glue. That's a solid find from @danielhenderson about the silicone lasting, because the real test is how it handles the big temperature swings here. I've had good luck with the GE brand stuff from Home Depot, but only if you get it on a dry week and let it cure fully.

That line about the fountain being the literal center of community life got me. I had that same feeling in the old Sears at the Ridgeway Mall. I walked through the dead auto center and saw faded ads for tire rotations, and it just hit me that this grimy bay was where everyone came to get their car ready for winter. It wasn't just a store, it was a whole thing for the town. Makes the quiet feel way heavier now.