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| REMEMBER THE DAYS.... by Jim Leiner |
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Remember the days? NOV /05 Nyack's Five and Dime Stores .... You don't see them very often nowadays, but most of us who are old enough to remember Nyack before the bridge remember them. Five-&-dime-stores were located on almost every Main Street in America, known by a variety of names. Nyack had two. They were the focal point of the area's shopping for decades. The stores were a delight when you had a shiny quarter in your pocket and for the adults, they were Nyack's favorite spots to shop for all the little things they needed. Opposite the old telephone building was the Ben Franklin Store, later called Scott's Five and Dime. It was always the little-five-and-dime to us, and down the block was the larger F.W. Woolworth's, the big five and dime. Woolworth's took over Harrison & Dailey's Department Store, a village fixture for decades around the turn of the century. Both stores had huge doors made of heavy glass, that were hard to pull open. Inside we could buy a small turtle or a gold fish for ten cents and carry it home in a small white carton. Teenagers gathered, when not down the block at Schmidt's Confectionary, trying on some neat sunglasses or giggling over the latest shade of lipstick. Do you recall the soda fountain at Woolworth's where you could have a Cherry Coke, a Black & White Ice Cream Soda or a Hot Fudge Sundae for only a quarter? It was on the right as you walked in the store with a long counter with a dozen stools where we were treated to a cheeseburger, fries and a chocolate shake while Mom & Pop did their shopping. The lunch counter featured daily specials for workers who walked from the Rockland Light & Power Company, Bell Telephone or from the Metropolitan Sewing Machine Company over on Cedar Hill Avenue. The waitresses wore starched white uniforms and aprons with their hair done up and covered neatly with a hairnet. The main attraction for both stores was the variety of things that were sold for such a small price. My mom would pore over the bolts of yard goods and then look through Butterick, Simplicity, and McCall's books looking for a new dress pattern while I spent my time on the left side of Woolworth's, at the rack with the latest magazines and dime novels. Fran Manning worked in the office with Helen Johnson and, for years, the store's manager was Rod Delphos. Josephine Doller, as floor supervisor, was in charge of hiring. Some of the people working as cashiers and out on the sales floor were Edna Orbine, Rose Dutcher, Sally Sarvent and Mrs. Vogel. There were also students of Nyack High School's business Teacher Fabian Englander, who worked afternoons at Woolworth's and Scott's in early release business programs. When Thanksgiving came there were harvest scenes with pilgrims, turkeys and pumpkins placed all around the store. Near the registers were big cartons for canned food donations so customers could remember those less fortunate. I don't think we ever saw Christmas decorations until the first week in December and we could hardly wait to see the new toys and start making out our Christmas lists. There was a manger scene with a bright star over it, and the Holy Family was set up as a welcome display. A Christmas tree would be placed in the center window of Woolworth's, covered with lights ten sizes larger than the ones we see today, sprinkled with strands of tinsel. An angel on top would complete the winter scene. On Friday nights, the stores stayed open to invite customers to shop a little longer, and the smell of freshly made popcorn, peanut brittle, hot chocolate and coffee would remind us that the time of year for being extra good was here. We'd look at a special pair of skates or see a train set with a whistle tooting, as it made stops along the tracks, while in the background a record would playing Gene Autry's rendition of Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer. My thoughts of Nyack during the holidays so many years ago are still strong in my memory and when I hear, "Hey, do you want to go over to the mall and look around?" from my grandchildren, I think of how much we've lost. My mind wanders back to distant times and memories of a jukebox playing White Christmas, and all the great things found at the five-&-dime-store. |
| Jim
Leiner can be reached via e-mail at >>e-mail - your Comments to the Nyack Villager |
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