Chaumont store closure ends era

CHAUMONT — For 37 years, Dick's Neighborhood Market was the place where a teenager could find a first job. It was the lunchtime spot for a hungry villager. It was one of the last gas stops for a tourist headed north.

On Saturday, the store closed, ending the Wiseman family's three-decades-old affiliation with the grocery business.

"I'm really going to miss the community," said owner William E. Wiseman, who bought the Route 12E store from his father, Richard, and mother, Nancy, two years ago. "I really thank them a lot for all the past support. I'm sorry to leave, but financially it isn't going to work for me."

The owner cited several factors for his decision, including competition from area supermarkets and a nearby convenience store as well as a downturn in the economy.

"People's habits have changed over the last few years," Mr. Wiseman said. "You can't really blame them, but it's tough to compete against the big guy with the way things are."

The store employed 18 people, including part-time help. Mr. Wiseman said many were high school students; some others were workers who had started at the market as teenagers and stayed on.

"They've been an excellent crew," he said. "They know the ins and outs of the business."

Mr. Wiseman said there are a few people interested in buying the store and reopening it, so he has hope for his employees and loyal customers.

The owner said Saturday he hadn't thought a lot about the effect the store's closing will have on him.

"I guess it will really hit me when I go in and there won't be any customers coming in," he said.

While Dick's was the first, Mr. Wiseman's father also owned Sackets Harbor Midstate Supermarket and the Dexter Midstate market at one time. Mr. Wiseman said he and his four siblings "all grew up in the business."

"There's a lot of memories," he said.

Dick's became a refuge for locals needing emergency supplies and gasoline after the 1998 ice storm, Mr. Wiseman said.

"We kept it open for the people," he said.

The market also earned a reputation for its pizza roll, an amalgam of meat, sauce and cheese that looked more like a sandwich than a traditional pie.

"A lot of people were saying how they were going to miss them," Mr. Wiseman said.

The owner said he plans to stay in Chaumont and has one immediate priority after selling the store.

"I'm going to be looking for a job real soon," he said.