Nearly 30 years ago Enterprise reporter Kathleen Scott wrote a story about the changing face of Broadway. (Thursday, October 10, 1991.) My dear readers will have to figure out the business locations being discussed in the story. However, if one does not recognize the business by name then try talking to some old-timers in town; if any of that breed is still around.

Try this on for size — excerpts will follow the lead paragraph in Ms. Scott’s story: “What was Murray’s Pot of Gold is now Authentic Adirondack; Barkeater’s Bicycle’s moved down the road to make room for Saranac Lake News; Montgomery Ward’s became Sears and then moved down the street so that A Novel Experience could take over.

“Historically, businesses on Broadway have changed hands or names frequently. But in the past few years Broadway has been the site of a flurry of activity.

“The famous Dew Drop Inn, which was in business for 44 years, will not run as a restaurant again; there has been some interest by Double Jay’s Pizza moving the business into the bottom floor; directly across the street (the George L. Starks Hardware, 29 Broadway) from Dew Drop’s some folks wanted a dine-in restaurant but it is prohibited by village law because there are apartments above. The Moose Club, now located on Broadway has inquired about renting the lower floor of Dew Drop’s while they build a new lodge.

“The Prime Time Restaurant closed and so did Quacker’s Pub which was located on the lower level of the site.

“Just across the street from Prime Time, the building where Cinderella’s is now located used to be Marks’ Bar and Grill; (the genial owner and quiet storyteller, with a shy smile, was Vinnie Pelletieri; Vinnie was the opposite personality of his friend at the other end of the Broadway Bridge, Dew Drop Morgan. Dew Drop would pace up and down behind the bar, arms waving; speaking so all could hear and sometimes quoting Socrates — “I do not agree with what you say but I will defend with my life your right to say it” or something like that. Damn, I miss those guys.) “Ruth Effenbach almost wishes her property would change hands. She inherited the Oxford Market from her father in 1973, the property has been in the family since 1923. She owns the building which now houses the Tri-Lakes Home Medical Supply, Tri-Lakes Federal Credit Union, Broadway Video, Oxford Ventures, which she operates, and the barren piece of property on the corner of Bloomingdale Avenue.”

Several other businesses were mentioned on Upper Broadway. Where the Tri-Lakes Federal Union is today, 197 Broadway, was for many years a Blue Sunoco Service Station owned by Bert Yorkey, Sr., of 16 Marshall Street, grandfather to Saranac Lake ace Fireman Rick Yorkey. Many businesses received a facelift thanks to a grant from the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Dave’s Deli and the Currier Press were two businesses dressed up with a new facade.

—

Former publisher in the news

—

It seems fitting that after our long goodbye to Enterprise Publisher Cathy Moore that this story pops up about her mentor and predecessor.

“Cape Coral, Fla. — William M. Doolittle Jr., a journalist for 40 years, has been named editor of the Cape Coral Daily Breeze.

“Doolittle, who has been an editor and publisher with the Ogden Newspapers Inc., since 1978 has been serving as Editor of Gulf Coast weeklies in Fort Myers and Sanibel for the past two years.

“He was publisher and editor of the Adirondack Enterprise in Saranac Lake which he sold to Ogden Newspapers, Inc., 13 years ago.

“Doolittle started his newspaper career at age 15 in Middletown. After graduating from Harvard in 1959, he was a reporter for the Boston Globe and the New York Post.

“In 1963 he moved to New Jersey and was a reporter for The Trentonian in Trenton, New Jersey. In 1965 he moved to the Newark Evening News, and while there he won a grant from the Carnegie Corporation to research and write a book-length series of articles on the lack of educational opportunities in juvenile prisons.

“In 1970 Doolittle purchased the Adirondack Daily Enterprise and the Lake Placid News. The Enterprise won numerous awards for excellence through the years, including four for the best editorials in the state–a record.

“In Saranac Lake he was a founder of the Saranac Lake Rugby Club, The Saranac Lake Civic Center, president of the Saranac Lake Chamber of Commerce and served on numerous community athletic and hospital fund-raising boards.”

—

You know what else?

—

My friend and colleague Bob Seidenstein appeared in the Enterprise 25 years ago. I love his column, which I have to read with a dictionary by my side. He is a wordsmith, a retired college professor holding various degrees. He is featured with a full page in my book, with photo, but what I enjoy most is his B.S. degree. He once accused me of being a BS’er so I did write this in my book: “Comparing him and me in that department would be like comparing a debate between Billy Graham (him) and Marcel Marceau [me]. His parents knew what they were doing when they gave him the initials B.S.”

(Enterprise photo)