The beloved little store on Main Street between 3rd and 4th Street is sadly about to shutter its doors for the last time. Cheryl’s Hobby Shop, owned by local Emerson Valley resident Cheryl Fenster, had been closed temporarily numerous times over the last two years. Now, however, the closing is permanent. At the end of this month, Cheryl will lock the front door one final time, and Emerson Valley will be down yet another independently-run business.

“I just can’t compete with the big chains,” said Cheryl during an interview about her store’s closing. “They can sell the same items for cheaper, but somehow still make a larger profit. I’m devastated, cause this shop has been in the family for years. My grandfather opened it as Hiram’s Hobby Shop all the way back in 1926, before the Great Depression hit. He managed to keep it going, though, and when he died, it passed to my mom.

“She ran it under its original name for a few years before changing it to Beverly’s Hobby Shop. After she retired, it passed to me, and I renamed it to maintain the tradition. But that’ll be the last time it happened. I was hoping to pass it down to my oldest son, but it looks like that’s not going to happen now.”

Emerson Valley has been suffering from the City Council’s decision to allow several large retail chains to open in town last year. Many of the mom and pop stores have been forced to close, as they simply can’t compete. Cheryl’s Hobby Shop seemed like one of the last holdouts, but now even it has fallen victim to the massive conglomerates that threaten to ruin the charm this town once had. If this trend continues, there may not be much left to set it apart from every other generic suburban area in the country.

When asked about the situation, Councilman Craig Norton insisted that this move was for the good of the town. “Emerson Valley needs to stay economically competitive if we want to be able to keep the place in as good of a shape as it used to be. All that maintenance costs money—money our current budget can’t afford. The infusion of cash and commerce by allowing big retailers into our town will allow us to do everything that needs to be done without putting extra pressure on the taxpayers’ wallets.”

Whether Councilman Norton’s words will prove true is yet to be seen. So far, the only tangible result of these changes is losing family owned and operated businesses by the dozens. If commerce is so important to the City Council, forcing so many stores to close seems counterproductive. However, in the long run, maybe it will benefit Emerson Valley. But sacrificing the little guy to do so leaves a sour taste in many people’s mouths.

There must be a better way to stoke the embers of the town’s economy without resorting to a deal with gigantic retail outlet chains. It’s too late for Cheryl’s Hobby Shop, but if the few remaining stores are supported by the citizenry, there’s a chance to save them from a similar fate.

-Sarah Donovan, Editor & Local News, Emerson Valley Gazette