Whatchamacolumn: Businesses may close, but memories aren't lost

Change is inevitable. Businesses come and go. Entire industries fade from memory, from typewriters to phone booths, pagers to print encyclopedias, film photography to VHS tapes.

While we embrace changes in tools and technologies that increase capabilities and efficiencies, we don’t much like changes in services and personal relationships that have become valued threads in the fabric of our lives. That’s why you could almost feel the spread of disappointments this week from stories about the closure of Alpine Cleaners in McMinnville and pending closure of Bernards Farm south of town.

“Bernards Farm,” our story said, “has been a popular stop for both local people and passersby on Highway 18 for decades. It has sold locally grown produce, Oregon sea salt, local meat and farm-grown or made hazelnuts and hazelnut brittle, granola, honey, U-cut flowers and all kind of vegetables. A pumpkin patch drew visits to a fall festival every year.”

There are other sources for all of those things. But there aren’t other Bernards Farms.

People who took clothes to Alpine Cleaners over the past 45 years can find other quality dry cleaning services. But it will take time to rebuild the common memories and feelings of familiarity.

It was easy for me to take that for granted with Allan Wright at Alpine, with memories going back many decades, to when he helped us shoppers at Combs’ Grocery.

Change may be inevitable, but I didn’t like it when Combs’ Grocery closed in 1983, after a 40-year run that covered my life to age 36. I didn’t like losing the hands-on services at Taylor-Dale Hardware 10 years later, or the more recent closures of the Mack Theater, J.C. Penney store and the original Nick’s Italian Café.

Those memories of old-time businesses run deep in McMinnville: the Palm Café, the Lark Theatre, Rutherford’s Variety Store and A&W Grocery, to name a few. And a few more: Lynn’s for Men, Thrifty Drug, Miller’s Department Store, Cameron and Price Grocery, Hamblin-Wheeler and the A&W Restaurant.

For that matter, I’m still stung by long-ago closure of Kienle Music Co., seller of records and sheet music on Third Street for 68 years. I found good company in memories from this online comment by Nancy Mahi:

“We used to go into the little soundproof rooms and listen to records to see if we liked them enough to buy them. Mr. Kienle and his father were so incredibly patient with us!”

That small list could expand into many dozens — long-time companies of all kinds that filled the lives of local people with personal touches of great services.

There’s nothing wrong in looking back with a bit of nostalgia. But we also recognize and appreciate that a great many new businesses and new people have taken local root and are building their own brands of local familiarity.

To them I’d say, stick around; keep serving; become part of great local memories for new generations. And just maybe, put in a small cubicle where we could listen to music before buying the record.

Jeb Bladine can be reached at jbladine@newsregister.com or 503-687-1223.