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April 28, 2009

Signatures build on petition for hardware store

By LUCAS BLAISE

AUSABLE FORKS — Nearly 800 people have shown their support for a hardware store since Aubuchon Hardware abruptly closed in December 2008.

For a few weeks now, signatures have been piling onto a petition circulated by Bryan Deyoe and Joe Labombard, who hope to open their own store here.

“In the first day, we had 600,” Deyoe said.

Within a week, it had grown to more than 700 signatures.

Without a hardware store, residents have to travel to Jay, Keeseville, Peru or Lake Placid — drive of anywhere from six to 25 miles — just for simple necessities.

“As a small community, there is no place to go,” said Charles “Chuck” Deyoe, owner of ANCO Heating Services, based in AuSable Forks. “We used to go Aubuchon for all our furnace parts.”

When he had a surplus, he’d also provide supplies for other contractors who might run low during a job.

Now he has to buy more supplies himself, just to save time and money.

“You can’t drive into Peru just for a $2 part,” Deyoe said.

Contractors aren’t the only ones missing a local hardware store.

“It’s sort of the heartbeat of a town,” said Susan Pulitzer, chairwoman of AuSable Forks Revitalization Group.

The small community hasn’t been without a hardware store for more than 30 years.

Not since Aubuchon Hardware came into town 35 years ago, putting a hardware store owned by Deyoe’s father out of business.

“A hardware store is direly needed in the town,” Jay Town Supervisor Randy Douglas said.

“We, the town, had used Aubuchon Hardware on a daily basis. We’d stop by there for the nuts and bolts, you know, small stuff.”

And, with summer approaching, seasonal residents who used to rely on a local store are going to be disappointed.

“With the nice weather, travelers that come up for the summer need to go down there,” Pulitzer said.

It’s to all of these people that Deyoe and Labombard, a former manager of the AuSable Forks Aubuchon Hardware, are trying to cater.

“We want to do something to help the town,” Deyoe said. “It’s not about me. It’s about filling a need that we have here.”

And the timing seems to be right.

“Our (town) board just made the decision to buy local, whenever it’s feasible,” Douglas said.

The closest store offering plumbing, paint, pine and similar supplies is Ward Lumber in Jay.

While Deyoe and LaBombard have the support of the community, they’re next trying to find the means to move forward.

“I can’t do it by myself,” Deyoe said. “I hope the signatures will let some investors, or the banks, see that this is going to work.”

“There’s no reason why a hardware store shouldn’t work in AuSable Forks,” Pulitzer said. “I think everyone would like to see a local person do well.”

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