True Value in CNY

Quintessential small town Central California store in Lone Pine, CA

 True Value Hardware have entered administration being unable to compete with Lowes, Home Depot, Menards and Runnings. Many franchises converted to Ace over the years, including in CNY in recent years. True Value were the epitome of the mom and pop hardware store, which isn't entirely dead outside small towns. Another competitor Do It Best bought True Value. DIB are available at Valu (no relation), while DIB have had affiliates in East Syracuse and Fulton. True Value in CNY remain on Syracuses west side, Manlius and Cazenovia to name a few. Here's what I can gather from memory of where one could get tools and such with personal service without the big box behemoth in the old days.

Syracuse (Eastwood) (1) - NY 290 & Marlborough Rd; later dollar store and Pomco; now United HealthCare

Syracuse (Eastwood) (2) - NY 290 between North Ave & Eastwood Rd; Nightingales; former Rite Aid; demolished for Walgreens in 2006

Syracuse (Eastwood) (3) - NY 290; Eastwood Plaza; half of Sacred Melody; later Hooches, soon to be liquor store

Marcellus - NY 174?; Nightingales; now Ace

Syracuse (south side) - NY 173 & US 11; now Ace 

Fursuit Pursuit

My attempt at a tuxie honeyness fursuit

 Furries are a misunderstood community, and I have been spending the past couple months learning about them. For me, it's more about finding a place to belong, only to find like anything, there's baggage there too. I also want to pack mine and go to a convention in the tri-state over the extended Halloween weekend (which is why I put the zip code for the location). I don't necessarily believe in labels, but I learned that only a portion of furries actually own a fursuit. With the economy these days, it's no wonder, and in my case, that goes double. However, I always have had that FOMO bit, and I tried finding places to buy something. Experienced furries say to buy from actual makers or DIY (not in the Home Depot sense). Many original designs have been nicked and sold on amazon, eBay (which also has a couple real things I want), and sites with ties to mainland China like AliExpress or (fill in the blank) Mascot. Etsy has both real and fake. Facebook Marketplace has most of their offerings out of state and pickup only. I wonder if the bin store would even have anything since they get amazon returns. If Switz's still existed, they would probably have some version of these or at least the materials for one to make them from scratch. These pseudo-suits and sites get slated and it's oftentimes fur-gins and younger ones that may make this rookie mistake. In fairness, they're lucky to afford even that. It's not an Armani from Harrods, mind. At least I'd have something for the holiday. Had less trouble finding a place to go on the night back in town this year if going two hundred miles away after fifteen years' time is a long shot. If comic-con events are in town, that would be the closest thing I would be able to do this, while a group are in the area. Even the co-op had a small drawing. I could go to cons in the boys' area, Albany and Allegheny (PA) Counties in future. I just want to have an original cat fursuit so I don't let the side down. If a miracle happens in time, I could just send the other things I ordered back and go all in for the do as well as a show or two. One seller on the app wound up having a dolly (kitty) in my price range that wasn't too effeminate, twee, cheap or exotic looking (a black cat, while my real one's a girl), since I settled on a husky dog character (safer than last years cliché with his "cousin"!). If you're also exploring, do your homework before getting carried away. I wound up with a doggo knockoff one of a fur who shall remain nameless (we even share a birthday), but I will dress him up SU style with a wig to boot since I would rather layer up a cheap fursuit with charity shop finds than tear into one since I'm not at that level at this stage and I wouldn't ruin anything like that. Say hello to Novek, which is an anagram of who this is a clone of and a Serbian word after coding the name in Cyrillic letters. Other people bought similar copies and made them their own, so this is my sona now.

Dedicated to the memory of Dragoneer, founder of FurAffinity.

Doggy incognito at the Dome!

What the knockoff doggy would look like

"Novek" has the hoodie sorted.so far.

Such a happy good boy who needs hugs!

Still getting used to this. Give us a kiss!

Byrne Dairy Bottlenecked

The last one with milk for a while.

 In a rare move, Byrne Dairy became the latest retailer to be short of something. This time, it's their glass bottles, but rather being able to get milk into them. I went to my two usual locations on Thompson Road (NY 635) and in East Syracuse (NY 290) and they were all out. Even if I went all the way to Gates, Endicott, Central Square or North Utica, it'd be no different. Corporate said the equipment had to undergo maintenance and would not have everything back to normal until the end of the month at best. I enquired as a customer rather than a journalist going into a right panic. We've all learnt the hard way the past five years that things just don't replenish overnight. Pittsford Farms in Monroe County, Stew Leonards (which we just covered), and several others around the country still offer glass. In other areas, people may assume it went away generations ago. Milkmen were even in business in the UK as recently as thirty years ago with the smaller glass bottles that the over-60s grew up with. Also, glass is naturally BPA-free, reusable, washable (dishwasher safe in the bottom rack), and keeps plastic and waxed paper out of the ecosystem, which is Gretas way. I'll have to settle for plastic until it comes back, and maybe even get it at other stores. No one else is reporting this nor are the company themselves. It's up to me.

Stew Leonard's

Newington, CT store (former Caldor); courtesy Mike Mozart (he's a hard act to follow!)

 I heard of Stew Leonards from Inside Edition. It is exclusively in the tri-state. They make it seem like a destination, giving Wegmans, which have few stores in the region compared to back Upstate, a run for their money. Even in the NYC area, there are some spots for Leonards to open. It would mean having to do up or even replace a competitors store into or with respectively into a barn like the one shown here, yet the Paramus, NJ one is in a plaza, so it doesn't have to look so rural. Clifton, NJ is the newest one so far. I can copy some of the Pathmark/Stop & Shop list and leave out towns with existing stores, Upstate, and the city proper (it won't really work there, of course, and too much competition to boot). If it's not a closing Stop & Shop, then I'll put that down. I just wish I could get to Stamford in October and a Leonards could open there by the time I'd be in town since I would only have so long to get around a big area with two or more events and being dependent on mass transit at home and in the metro like most of the locals. I might not have enough suggestions on New York soil, which is letting the side down. It's just easier to retrofit than to scramble in a region you rarely visit or have never even been. Turns out that Stew Leonard Jnr went to Ithaca College of all places (small town). Despite his alma maters location, he might not open past the Palisades, but he may have connections at Cornells east campus across town from IC (an alum once explained). Let's just see what he could do up near home.

Ansonia, CT - Division St

Milford, CT - US 1 & CT 162

Stamford, CT - US 1

Torrington, CT - High St near JCPenney

Carlstadt, NJ - Paterson Ave

Ansonia, CT - Division St

Edison, NJ - Inman Grove Shopping Ctr

Piscataway, NJ - Stelton Rd

Greenvale - NY 25A; Wheatley Plaza

West Haverstraw - US 202; Samsondale Plaza

Coram - NY 25 & 112

Mt Vernon - E Sandford Blvd

Hempstead - NY 102

Wayne, NJ - former ShopRite

West Nyack - former Grand Union/Stop & Shop/MetFresh or ShopRite, NY 59

West Babylon - former ShopRite; NY 109

Montague, NJ - former ShopRite; NJ 23

Cortlandt Manor - former ShopRite; US 9

Ringwood, NJ - CR 692

CNY Hall of Fame

Tom Cruise on the red carpet last year

 Now for something different. Destiny USA are close to entering administration due to a default and getting anchors as well as smaller stores to fill in vacancies is not uncommon across the country these days, so for one anchor that's single level on the first floor, let's get creative and put a museum in there! At least a hundred people who are household names around the world have personal ties to CNY. Some of them are listed on our sister blogs (only SU girl Vanessa Williams appears on both). Celebrities who went to uni, were born, lived, and/or grew up within a 75 mile radius of Syracuse will qualify for the gallery. Since A-lister Tom Cruise has been strictly films for over forty years time, yet left town when he was very young, I could only have him here. When I was the one who was away, I would sometimes tell others that he was born here. Rosie O'Donnell knew just as well (you had to have been around in the mid-to-late '90s). Richard Gere moved to North Syracuse when he was a little older, even though he did some TV in recent memory. We would showcase dozens of notables. Grace Jones's hula hoop can be an exhibit. There's a Walk of Fame downtown in front of the Landmark Theatre, but it's not enough and focuses more on the immediate area, and isn't like the ones back in Hollywood. We don't want it to be another Studio 54 of halls of fame like the one in Cuyahoga County or even Otsego County, so we'd get as many people profiled as possible.

There's a small Sports Hall of Fame inside Drivers Village (former Penn Can Mall) in Cicero, even though many athletes like Breanna Stewart and Dorsey Levens also got their start in our backyard. SU has a NYS Broadcasters Hall of Fame at Dick Clark Studios inside SI Newhouse School of Public Communications (which includes alums Ted Koppel, Marv Albert, Bob Costas and Jeff Glor along with the late Rod Wood and Ron Curtis to name a few). Having this new museum at Destiny brings something original and unique and may be less expensive than trying to convince another chain to come when the economy is up and down.

Orange Julius

Allegany County location with Dairy Queen, other takeaways and Dollar General

Jim.Henderson, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

 Orange Julius is a one-of-a-kind drink no one has ever copied. They used to be in Shoppingtown Mall in deWitt, where I've heard of them in the old days, but I don't think I ever had one. Dairy Queen, who now own Orange Julius through Warren Buffets Berkshire Hathaway, now only have a franchise in my area in Cicero, which is too far for me and does not carry Orange Julius (same with many DQs, since some don't even have Brazier for hot foods). The closest area to have it is WNY with fourteen locations. Some people may assume it doesn't exist anymore since so many have closed over the past few decades as standalones. Because corporate only offer the two chains as a package deal today, we'll have to put the pair of them together and come up with food courts, vacant competitors or even college neighborhoods to satisfy our sweet tooth (don't tell my doctor or dentist, mind!).

Syracuse (east side) - former Hungry Chucks et al; Marshall St (other chains past present have been on SU Hill)

Syracuse (north side) - former Dunkin'; Regional Transportation Center (Destiny USA around the corner has no room right now and have other things to deal with)

Cortland - former Naples Pizza; Riverside Plaza, NY 13

Liverpool - former Arbys; CR 57

Oneida - former KFC?; NY 5

Fairmount - former TJs Big Boy/Good Buddys Pub; W Genesee St

Albany (Delaware Area) former Friendlys; US 9W & NY 443

Binghamton - Broome County Transportation Center; Chenango St

Ithaca - former Starbucks; Collegetown

New Hartford - former Boil Shack; NY 5

Albany (Central Ave) - former Grandmas; NY 5

Auburn - Fingerlakes Mall; NY 5 & US 20

Rochester - former Calios; NY 252

Quality Markets

Flagship Jamestown/Celeron store near Lucys old house

 Quality Markets were P&Cs sister chain in WNY and NW PA. They were originally from Jamestown, so the legendary Lucille Ball would have remembered them from growing up (although she also lived in Montana for a period). Quality were founded in 1913 and sold to Penn Traffic in 1979. They reached Buffalo when they acquired Bells in 1993, a onetime IGA franchise (some Bells became other things, and none in Niagara County became Quality). Most of the Quality chain however went to Tops in 2010, but like P&C, some fell through the cracks, mostly because of overlap with existing stores which was inevitable in the region. There was once a row in Cattaraugus County when Tops wanted to come in on their own, but if you can't beat 'em, join 'em! (Tops won out, but read on).

Now Tops unless indicated

Sheffield, PA - US 6 (borough [PA term] recently profiled in the Washington Post)

Celeron/Jamestown - now construction company near Lucille Balls childhood home (original Tops around the corner; closed store pictured)

Buffalo (Lackawanna) - 1234 Abbott Rd; previously Loblaws and Bells; now Save-a-Lot

Buffalo (Bryant) - 250 Lakewood Ave; previously Loblaws and Bells; later Latinas; now PriceRite

Buffalo (1) - 257 W Ferry St; previously Star Discount Foods, Loblaws and Bells; now Bartons Home Outlet

Buffalo (2) - 499 W Klein Rd; previously Bells, now Dash's (last local only non-regional indie chain)

Cheektowaga - 540 Dick Rd; now Crunch Fitness

Williamsville - NY 5

Erie, PA (1) - 838 E 6th St; previously Loblaws; now closed

Erie, PA (2) - 3712 W 12th St; same as above

Erie, PA (3) - US 20; previously Rudys Super Duper; now Champion Ford

Erie, PA (4) - 712 W 38th St; now Tops

Erie, PA (5) - US 20; now Giant Eagle and Valu King

Erie, PA (6) - PA 8; now vacant

Erie, PA (7) - US 20 & 2708 Legion Rd; now vacant

Erie, PA (8) - US 20; now Walmart

Erie, PA (9) - US 20; Harborcreek; now Pet Supplies Plus

Dunkirk (1) - 3955 Vineyard Dr & NY 60

Dunkirk (2) - 166 E 4th St & NY 60; now Save-a-Lot

Ellicottville - US 219

Lockport - NY 31 & 77; previously Bells (IGA and indie); now Tops

Falconer (1) - NY 394

Falconer (2) - 10 S Work St (NY 394); now CVS

Frewsburg - 20 Center St & US 62

Attica - NY 98 & Prospect St (one of the last new stores opened)

Mayville - NY 394

Olean - NY 417

Silver Creek - NY 5

Tonawanda (Kenmore NW) - NY 324 & 384; closed 2003 (Tops now around the corner, although this was several years before the sale)

Williamsville - NY 5

Cambridge Springs, PA - US 19 & PA 409; TBD

Corry, PA (1) - PA 426; now Sanders Markets

Corry, PA (2) - 100 W South St; now vacant

Corry, PA (3) - 124 W Smith St; now Snap Fitness

Kane, PA - US 6

Lakewood - NY 394; now Michaels

Warren, PA - Business US 6

Union City, PA - US 6

Westfield, PA - PA 49

Youngsville, PA - US 6

Titusville, PA - 110 S Martin St; now Giant Eagle

Waterford, PA - US 19

Meadville, PA (1) - US 6 & 19

Meadville, PA (2) - PA 27; now Walgreens

Jamestown (1) - NY 394; now Salvation Army Family Store

Jamestown (2) - NY 394; now Geer-Dunn (around the corner from Lucys museums)

Jamestown (3) - NY 430; now New Flyer of America

Jamestown (4) - NY 60; previously Loblaws; now Tops

Jamestown (5) - 214 E 3rd St; demolished decades ago; one of the earliest

Jamestown (6) - 703 W 3rd St; previously Nu-Way; now Farm Fresh

Jamestown (7) - 18 S Main St; opened 1942; long gone

Sherman - Church St; now Macks Markets

Randolph - NY 394

Hazeltine - TBD (may just be Jamestown)

Stores dating back from before WWI to the Depression may require some additional research. The WWII-era one is the oldest I could dig up. Since Lucy and I have the same birthday, I dedicate this post to her memory.