Village Green Bookstore started as a tiny bibliophile haven on Monroe Avenue that grew into a trendsetting regional chain before its demise The place started simply enough with a manager whose love of literature far outweighed his business acumen it had become one of the "main attractions" of funky Monroe and the unostentatious roots sprouted big-business branches stock offerings and multi-million-dollar sales figures Village Green opened in 1972 in a 600-square-foot basement at 766 Monroe Ave. The owners were high school friends and recent college graduates John Borek The locale was not yet the trendy district it has become "It wasn't the kind of area where people strolled around looking at shops," Meryl Gordon wrote in a 1977 Democrat and Chronicle story Borek said the place "catered to people who were hungry for books." Soon Village Green moved upstairs in its flagship building in 1975 and expanded in 1977 The increased visibility attracted more customers A 1980 expansion included the purchase and demolition of a Texaco gas station next door The newsstand end of the business exploded; the store that started by selling only the Sunday Democrat and Chronicle and New York Times and several magazines was now offering more than 100 newspapers and 2,400 magazines but they got shoved behind the rest of the similarly ballooning merchandise line Deborah Fineblum Raub outlined the multitude of miscellanea in a 1993 Democrat and Chronicle story strawberry tea … a freezer full of Haagen-Dazs (ice cream) pairs of cow earrings and an inflatable bagel," she wrote but no one puts it together in quite this package." Scrantom's, a local bookstore giant profiled in a previous "Whatever Happened To…" story Village Green had coffee bars before they became common in bookstores Investors took note of the innovative approach and proceeds from sales of stock fueled expansion to other markets first in Buffalo and then on West Ridge Road in Greece Village Green licensed the use of its name to "mini-stores" in Fairport and Canandaigua The popularity seemed to have no end in sight Phil Ebersole called Village Green "a place to go and spend time something like the old-time general store in a small town" in a 1986 news article Financing the growth had become troublesome the majority shareholder and company president sold half his stock in the company to a Rochester financial broker was soon indicted on (and eventually acquitted of) felony charges of swindling a North Carolina developer and using the money to buy the Village Green stock The Securities and Exchange Commission began investigating Adams resigned as president and CEO in 1993 but stayed on as a manager and parties insisted the moves were "not a takeover." said there was "not enough focus on making the business profitable." By then Barnes & Noble would soon similarly flex its corporate muscle here The company began closing "underperforming" stores and filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in 1998 the flagship Village Green on Monroe Avenue The last chapter of the venerated bookstore had been written A wine-and-spirits store and a pizza shop now occupy the space Morrell is a Rochester-based freelance writer "Whatever Happened To? ..." is a feature that explores favorite haunts of the past and revisits the headlines of yesteryear. It's a partnership between RocRoots.com and "Hometown Rochester" on Facebook Email us at roc-roots@DemocratandChronicle.com On November 7th the flash came late in the morning not from a cable network or a feed on the cellphone From windows open wide on that warm morning whoops and honking horns reached up to our fifth floor flat West Village residents crowded Abingdon Square Villagers gathered on that bright day to celebrate as a community The crowd erupted with glee as a cab driver passed I waded into the wave of revelers and shouted one word “Scranton,” and to my astonishment the crowd’s cheers erupted anew.  As a Scrantonian for half a century I felt gratified that morning and as a New Yorker I was excited to join the celebration in my adopted neighborhood I knew that for president-elect Biden Scranton was never a political prop or photo op Pennsylvania as a dysfunctional rust belt city depicted in TV’s The Office Scrantonians have always valued each other and have struggled to make their city a better place who once led the Village in its effort to stop the car-centered approach to urban planning and is credited with keeping this part of New York so vital Now the lessons Biden learned there growing up about the dignity of hard work and the power of community and possibility Joe Biden’s Scranton childhood looms large in his memory Take his visits to Scranton’s Hank’s Hoagies its stucco exterior covered with ivy; a Biden bobblehead is on display in the front window The tiny shop is in the Green Ridge section of the city Joe Biden walked here from his home nearby for a bottle of soda or a candy bar His many trips back to his childhood home nearly always include a stop at this hole-in-the-wall He has been joined in recent years by news crews and adoring locals vying for selfies and handshakes.  after visiting the graves of his late wife Neilia a 10-minute walk from my own Scranton residence sits on a street lined with mature trees and grand houses Joe’s was among the more modest houses in this part of town he inscribed a message on the wall with a sharpie with the grace of God.” As he stepped off the small front porch he was asked what was on his mind; Joe replied “My mother.” Around lunchtime he emerged from Hank’s Hoagies carrying a sandwich and waving to the crowd.  Four days later the West Village marked the scrappy Scranton boy’s victory A couple walking on Bank Street banged a tambourine and chanted “Nah Nah… Hey Goodbye,” an elderly man on Hudson Street wore a red white and blue cap and a button reading “ByeDon.” In the midst of this outpouring of joy and relief I felt an almost cosmic connection to Joe Biden that commonality reverberated in the cosmopolitan city of New York.  at the new president-elect’s ancestral home crowds gathered and posed for selfies with the house as a backdrop his own family homestead just a few blocks away “To know that a kid who grew up in Scranton is now elected president means every kid from Scranton cheers and hoots and cars beeping continued all day and well into the evening A group of musicians played “Don’t Stop Believing” on the corner of West 12th and West 4th Streets A small crowd gathered and quickly swelled (An NYPD cruiser passed slowly and continued on its way.)  and in so many other neighborhoods across the country and around the world the election of a Catholic schoolboy with a stutter from Scranton to the exalted position of “leader of the free world” brought light to one of the darkest times in modern history I felt the promise of that brighter day ahead and our next commander-in-chief’s hometown.  its citizens proud to claim the Biden bloodline (Joe’s 20 percent Irish) RTE Television ended their news broadcast with Biden’s final 2020 campaign ad in which the former vice president recites a Seamus Heany poem—The Cure of Troy: A Version of Sophocles’ Philoctetes Kieran Loughney lives in the West Village and Scranton PA His 40-year career in human services informs much of his writing.  -By Dana Jean Costantino   It is an oft-said expression “An apple a day keeps the doctor away” and whether there is or is not […] -By Tom Lamia The Medium Is The Message I was reminded of the practical effect of the changing seasons yesterday when I visited the very […] AIA Installed in 1967 as part of “Sculpture and the Environment” organized by the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs -By Roger Paradiso I am writing this not just to the readership of WestView News .st1{fill-rule:evenodd;clip-rule:evenodd;fill:#2a2a2a}By Daniel Urie | durie@pennlive.comGreen Ridge The renovations at Green Ridge Village's skilled nursing and rehabilitation center Green Ridge Village, a retirement community in West Pennsboro Twp., Cumberland County has completed 10 million in renovations. The renovations at Green Ridge's skilled nursing and rehabilitation center, the Swaim Health Center took about 18 months to complete The 48,000-square-foot project includes a newly renovated short stay rehabilitation unit a new private dining space connected to the dining room an on-site meal preparation area for residents in the memory support area a new meditation room in the secure memory support neighborhood a living room upgrade and other renovations The 48,000-square-foot project included a number of renovations including renovations to the dining room In addition, Green Ridge has a new private bariatric suite and spa. Dan Davis, a vice president with Presbyterian Senior Living which owns Green Ridge Village believes that the bariatric suite is one of the only such suites in the area The bariatric suite is designed for individuals up to 500 pounds requiring short stay rehabilitation following an illness or surgery Davis said that the contractors did a nice job working around the residents and staff some of the social spaces were closed and some residential rooms were left vacant With the renovations in the retirement community Davis says that Green Ridge will now be able to offer what they call "person-centered care" creating a homelike environment at Green Ridge Davis explained that with "person-centered care" Green Ridge will provide care when it comes to bathing dining and medications based on a resident's schedule Green Ridge will provide more food choices during open meal times in a restaurant-like setting Medications and bathing will also be provided around a person's schedule there will also be an emphasis on residential engagement doing things that are more meaningful in the lives of the residents and being able to go out into the community and take trips "It really takes into account a person's needs schedule and performing our jobs around their needs," Davis said A ribbon-cutting was held on Tuesday to celebrate the renovations Green Ridge Village located at 210 Big Spring Road provides senior living services that include independent living The Newville area facility is owned and operated by Presbyterian Senior Living which is based in Carroll Twp The nonprofit organization operates facilities throughout the state as well as well as Maryland Davis said that the facility upgrades have made it possible for the staff to provide "person-centered care" services "We wanted to enhance our environment to match our care of services to older adults," he said Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, (updated 8/1/2024) and acknowledgement of our Privacy Policy, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (updated 1/1/2025) © 2025 Advance Local Media LLC. All rights reserved (About Us) The material on this site may not be reproduced except with the prior written permission of Advance Local Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site YouTube's privacy policy is available here and YouTube's terms of service is available here Ad Choices Thank you for completing the form, here is your download: "+jQuery("body").attr("docName")+" Thank you for completing the form, here is the link to your on-demand webinar: On-Demand Webinar Link Newville spent the majority of last year wading through money struggles that surfaced after the discovery of financial discrepancies in December 2022 — Newville Police Officer Shawn Gutshall looked on as the votes rolled in to eliminate his position went up in smoke at the turn of the new year The council’s decision also furloughed the department’s secretary With the resignation of one officer early last year three officers and a secretary at the start of last year “The borough did what was necessary to balance the budget for 2024,” Newville Police Chief Todd Koser said Newville spent the majority of last year wading through money struggles that surfaced after the discovery of financial discrepancies in December 2022 The finding led to the firing of long-term Borough Manager Fred Potzer last January and the launch of an investigation through the Cumberland County District Attorney’s Office that remains ongoing After the approval of an earned income tax hike the council’s decision in December boiled down to a choice between property tax increases or police cuts Members ultimately settled on a combination of the two I tried to work with the citizens saying eliminate the police force,” Council Vice President Edward Sinkovitz said during the council’s Jan removing one [officer] trying to please this side of the table and this side of the table with our budget for all the citizens Koser said the department did what it could to alleviate funding issues He believes the drop down to two officers will have a “huge impact” on the remaining department “Good reasoning tells you that when you have less people you will be able to provide less services,” Koser said “Two people can provide at best 80 hours of coverage per week That does not take into account paid time off Any time spent away doing anything else affects the possible total hours of weekly coverage.” Pennsylvania State Police at Carlisle will supplement coverage around Newville’s department said state police are required by law to handle calls for service in municipalities without police coverage While Koser said PSP will be covering more calls in Newville state police coverage is not new to the borough; PSP has traditionally covered hours when Newville officers are off duty State police have taken on more “regular” hours in Newville since the departure of former Newville Police Officer Jason Brady early last year “Assuming an increased role in providing coverage to a municipality happens quite often throughout the Commonwealth,” Reed said “So we are prepared to adjust accordingly.” Newville’s police cuts have raised questions and discussions in recent meetings about how the change could affect response times Koser said the Newville Police Department’s average response time is less than two minutes and believes that will continue to be the case when an officer is on duty moving forward the department may have to prioritize calls if they are overloaded while the nearest station may seem far away Reed said troopers are assigned to patrol zones during their shifts and are self-sufficient in those zones “They have the capability to complete reports and respond to calls without having to return to station,” he said A shortened police staff has also led to questions regarding regular patrols through the borough who has been with the department since 2011 Newville has always had a working chief’s position however this has become more difficult throughout the past 10 years with increasing duties and requirements for the role “It is hard to split your time and complete each function as well as you want to do it,” he said “The loss of manpower exacerbates the condition Less people definitely doesn’t add up to more patrol time.” The department has also operated just outside the borough’s boundaries at Green Ridge Village a retirement community in West Pennsboro Township since early 2022 after ongoing mold issues prompted them to leave their previous station With the department’s lease of their Green Ridge Village space set to end next month borough officials have discussed moving the department into the new municipal building constructed at 103 S no decision has been made regarding when such a move could take place and council members have said the borough can continue the police department’s lease at Green Ridge Village on a month-to-month basis moving forward Shippensburg Borough Mayor Kathy Coy said her borough hired him as a part-time officer with Shippensburg’s police department The department plans to bring him on board full-time and the borough is in the process of developing a program to include K9 Lock Koser expressed hope that Newville might continue to utilize K9 Lock’s services in the future He described the whole situation as a “sad deal.” Looking ahead Koser said the department will press on and hopes community members can recognize the challenges it faces “We will continue to do what we have always done,” he said “We will do the best we can do under the circumstances that we are provided.” (c)2024 The Sentinel (Carlisle, Pa.)Visit The Sentinel (Carlisle, Pa.) at www.cumberlink.comDistributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Copyright © 2025 Lexipol. All rights reserved.Do Not Sell My Personal Information Dacia is a features reporter for northern markets in the Austin metro She joined Community Impact in June 2024 shortly after graduating from The University of Texas with a degree in journalism Dacia previously interned for Austin PBS and Voces Oral History Center practicing yoga and trying new restaurants in the city 2024 at 10:25 pm CT.css-79elbk{position:relative;}There will be some chances to catch jolly old St Nick in Oak Lawn and across Chicagoland this holiday season IL — Visits and pictures with Santa Claus are treasured traditions for many Oak Lawn families kids have several chances to see jolly old St Here are the details for Oak Lawn-area residents: Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts. Suburban families don't have to hit the city limits to get in on the action—many suburban park districts host free weekly outdoor concerts and shows near Chicago for kids of all ages The shows on this list are family-friendly but check the artists in advance to ensure your child(ren) will be interested enough in the music to sit through a whole set Consider sitting farther back or bringing earplugs for sound-sensitive kids Here are some great free concerts in Chicago this summer, and don't forget to check out our Ultimate Chicago Kids Summer Vacation Guide for more fun things to do 2010 at 5:33 pm CT.css-79elbk{position:relative;}For Burr Ridge residents needing a little retail therapy The Chicago-based independent bookseller held the grand opening Sept 11 of its newest location at 810 Village Center Dr The opening coincided with Burr Ridge's Art on the Green "We're really happy to be here," said co-manager Chip Gambill "People have been wanting a book store in this community for a long time." a bookstore was the second most requested business among Burr Ridge shoppers property manager of the Burr Ridge Village Center The Village Center is home to about 30 businesses Barbara's not only fills a niche for shoppers "I think it's a great idea," said Burr Ridge resident Tracy Izhaky Izhaky said she is looking forward to finding books to read with her baby And she'll find plenty of options at the new store The Burr Ridge location is catering to the many young families and grandparents living in the area who may want to buy books for young readers The store features a wide teen and children's selection a community room for book discussions and author signings is scheduled to open in December there are popular fiction and nonfiction books plenty of cookbooks and household items from retailer Casa Nova ready for browsing Barbara's is also the exclusive retailer of the French publisher Assouline which publishes high-end coffee table books Barbara's offers complimentary coffee from Wheaton-based coffee retailer I Have a Bean Getting cozy with a coffee on one of the leather couches by the fireplace is encouraged get a coffee and sit down and relax," said Gambill Barbara's Bookstore is open Monday-Saturday 10 a.m Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts. On a hillside of the southern coast of Italy, Govind Friedland has repurposed director Franco Zefferelli’s cliffside estate on the Amalfi Coast into a top-of-the-line boutique hotel and restaurant at Villa Treville, at one of Italy’s most renowned seaside resorts From that village of Positano, Friedland will draw on his vision to transform the Bedford Fire Department’s historic firehouse on the Village Green he closed on the $2 million purchase of the 1929 firehouse which he plans to transform into a destination for families and those looking for fine dining in one of Westchester County's most enchanting hamlets.  That will come once the department moves from its cramped quarters to its new firehouse a quarter-mile south on Route 22 sometime in 2022 Friedland's repurposed firehouse could open for customers sometime in 2023.  His vision would turn the firehouse into a restaurant serving breakfast with a couple of rooms upstairs for overnight guests External changes may include dismantling the external fire escape that descends by the Bedford Free Library and swapping out the single door across the firehouse façade with two doors as it was when the firehouse was opened in 1929 “We want to return the firehouse to its original glory,” said Friedland who lives on Guard Hill Road in Bedford with his son “And I’ll bring the experiences and lessons I’ve learned in Italy We’ll be able to have a little piece of Positano here in Bedford.” Defeat: Firehouse bond for $17 million  for Bedford FD defeated Victory: Firehouse bond for $14.8 million approved for Bedford firehouse  Bedford 234: Farm-to-table dining by the Bedford Village Green  The Journal News caught up with Friedland in late May on a day when Bedford Village Fire District Chairwoman Heather Feldman stopped by to give him a key to the firehouse He will serve as the district's landlord until the fire department moves to its new building down the road later next year Friedland sported a blue-button down shirt His long brown hair was tied in a bun.  Friedland, who said he considers himself a “real-estate junkie,” owns several homes, including ones in Bedford, Katonah and Pound Ridge. There’s a spin-off of the Treville brand in Phuket, Thailand, which attracts tourists from all over Asia, while his family is developing a small private hotel near Mount Fuji in Japan He’s also involved in a film production company, SK Global Entertainment, whose latest film, Palmer, starring Justin Timberlake, airs on Apple TV+ he’s considering a rooftop garden to provide fresh herbs for the kitchen He’s keeping the basement Art Deco bowling alley too which he thinks could be an attraction for families His concept would offer Italian pastries and coffee for morning commuters with tablecloths and all the accoutrements There could be outdoor dining in the area in front of the firehouse too “I’m grateful that the fire department put its faith in me,” said Friedland Friedland, a geologist by trade, is the son of Robert Friedland, a billionaire mining magnate, who has precious metal mines in southern Africa and now focuses on financing mining exploration for copper Friedland is in the family business as well with investments in the discovery of new lodes of strategic metals which are crucial for components of electric motors that propel the latest generation of electric vehicles Friedland found inspiration for his vision of what the Bedford firehouse can become from his favorite restaurant in London – the Chiltern Firehouse, a five-star hotel and restaurant in the city’s Marylebone neighborhood “The Chiltern has been a huge success and I’d like to do something similar here,” he said For Bedford, the proceeds of the firehouse sale will help defray the costs of the fire department's new structure, which will be funded from the sale of $14.8 million in bonds, following approval by voters in January 2020 Construction crews this spring began clearing the 10-acre site Friedland's purchase puts the property on the Bedford tax rolls He came upon the opportunity through a community liaison who said they were looking for someone with vision for the building Friedland paid the asking price of $2 million as part of a private deal that had its genesis in the parent’s network at Rippowan Cisqua School in Bedford where Friedland's son attended third grade Talks had begun long before the property went on the market at the end of March “I’d shown it to Govind before it was listed,” said Feldman His plan will contribute such vitality to the Village Green.” Friedland has already been in touch with Evelyne Ryan executive director of the Bedford Historical Society which has an office in the 1838 former general store across the Green She noted that the plan will have to pass muster with the town’s Historic District Review Commission Transformation of the firehouse would be the latest project around the Green the failing movie house on the next block reopened as the Bedford Playhouse and Clive Davis Arts Center named for the pop music mogul who made a substantial donation to reinvent the performance space a restaurant that’s become a favorite of Friedland’s since his arrival in town in 2018 He recalls recently crossing paths there with Katonah resident Martha Stewart the television personality and lifestyle guru “The Village Green is a triple prime location It’s that the town just doesn’t have enough of that.” Follow Tax Watch columnist David McKay Wilson on Facebook or Twitter @davidmckaywils1.