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<P>Emily</P>
<P>Thanks for the history. I don't think many of our readers are aware of what's been happening at the Town Center over the years. A little dose of reality is good.</P>
<P>Bruce<BR><BR><BR></P>
<BLOCKQUOTE style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-LEFT: #0000ff 2px solid">-----Original Message----- <BR>From: OurDollMom@aol.com <BR>Sent: Sep 11, 2007 8:39 AM <BR>To: towntalk@riverdale-park.org <BR>Subject: [RP TownTalk] Town Center Businesses <BR><BR><ZZZHTML><ZZZHEAD><ZZZMETA content="text/html; charset=US-ASCII" http-equiv="Content-Type"><ZZZMETA content="MSHTML 6.00.6000.16525" name="GENERATOR"></ZZZHEAD><ZZZBODY id=role_body style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: #000000; FONT-FAMILY: Arial" rightMargin="7" topMargin="7" leftMargin="7" bottomMargin="7"><FONT id=role_document face=Arial color=#000000 size=2>
<DIV>Since I have been in the Gordon Wells Bldg,</DIV>
<DIV>I saw a woman professional dancer with established</DIV>
<DIV>base of customers & dance store wanting to buy</DIV>
<DIV>the bldg (she grew up here). Jemel wanted too</DIV>
<DIV>much for the condition - SBA would not fund her.</DIV>
<DIV>She left in tears. This was her dream here.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>The Thrift Shop from Rt 1 did fine for many</DIV>
<DIV>years moved to Town Center and she never</DIV>
<DIV>could get her business volume back up. She</DIV>
<DIV>sold it to her friend who could not get it up &</DIV>
<DIV>running again either. But it was successful </DIV>
<DIV>on Rt 1. She said women/students did not</DIV>
<DIV>like coming to empty bldg. - scary. She also</DIV>
<DIV>asked why didn't we have murals in the</DIV>
<DIV>empty windows & hold lots of functions in</DIV>
<DIV>the Town Center. Plant flowers, hanging</DIV>
<DIV>baskets. Make it look inviting & safe.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>A dollar store came and went. No foot traffic.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>A beauty shop left for better location. She </DIV>
<DIV>told me ladies are afraid -the empty bldgs looked</DIV>
<DIV>bad. Why didn't we mural the windows. Have</DIV>
<DIV>activities in the Town Center. Flowers, etc.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Our furniture man got evicted for something</DIV>
<DIV>that should not have happened & he was</DIV>
<DIV>successful here for many many years.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>The book store got put out - for what???</DIV>
<DIV>It was alive and hopping - maybe no money -</DIV>
<DIV>but a fun place that we all loved - ALL LOVED.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>My customers say we have charm/history, </DIV>
<DIV>cute out of the way shangrila - mural up the</DIV>
<DIV>windows, plants loads of flowers, have lots</DIV>
<DIV>of functions - MAKE THE PLACE ALIVE - </DIV>
<DIV>LIKE WE EXIST.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>CANT ANYBODY HEAR? It is still going to</DIV>
<DIV>take time to figure out how to get Jemel</DIV>
<DIV>moving BUT UNTIL THEN - PUT UP THE</DIV>
<DIV>MURALS, PLANT ALL THOSE FLOWERS</DIV>
<DIV>& MAINTAIN THEM - MAKE TOWN CENTER</DIV>
<DIV>LOOK LIKE WE ARE ALIVE & CARE. KEEP</DIV>
<DIV>THE GUTTERS CLEAN & LEAVES PICKED</DIV>
<DIV>UP. LETS HAVE MORE ACTIVITIES.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Customers have been talking - nobody is</DIV>
<DIV>listening.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Emily</DIV></FONT><BR><BR><BR>
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