Business Notebook: Looking back . . .

Warwick — Mother Nature was a close runner up for Time Magazine’s “Person of the Year,” but could have taken first place in Warwick. And, since most local merchants hope for bright sunny weekends, the weather this past year was not very cooperative. On January 22, the National Weather Service issued this ominous warning: “This is a life-threatening winter situation.” The severe weather alert forecast heavy snow accompanied by winds in excess of 35 mph. The agency later described the blizzard of 2005 as one of the 10 worst recorded. The storm’s impact, however, was more severe in areas to the north and east. It was also less of a problem because it occurred on the weekend. That was good news for commuters but bad news for shops. Eventually, the snow was cleared and business returned to normal. Early in February, for example, Frazzleberries hosted its first “Cabin Fever Reliever Weekend.” Greetings & Salutations teamed up with Warwick Valley Racquet Sports to present “The Style of Spring” garden party and fashion show for the benefit of the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. Skiers at Mount Peter Ski Area enjoyed an extra five inches of snow that fell on March 11 but, nevertheless, the Merchants Guild began preparing for Springfest, scheduled April 30. And, on March 26, Pennings hosted its annual Easter Egg hunt. Spring was in the air and soon, local residents and day-trippers would be out shopping in the Village of Warwick. But by Sunday, April 3, relentless heavy rainfall and flooding had forced Warwick Superintendent Michael Sweeton to declare an emergency. Mayor Michael Newhard followed suit as Wawayanda Creek overflowed its banks, flooding the cellars of business along lower Main St. Valuable merchandise, stored in basements, was destroyed. And as if that wasn’t bad enough, no electrical power forced several shops to close for the weekend. Once again, most things returned to normal. The water subsided and the shop owners licked their wounds, cleaned out their basements and reopened for business. Although weather caused a postponement of the celebration of “Springfest,” the event was held the following day, a scheduled rain date, under clear skies. The following month, local restaurants showcased their specialties at the first annual St. Stephen’s Taste of the Town. Michael McDermott, owner of The Bookstore, a shop that had suffered severe flooding, began planning for the upcoming release of the long awaited “Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince.” In June, Warwick business owners attended an important meeting, marking the formation of the Warwick Independent Business Alliance (WIBA). Other events, including the annual “Sidewalk Sale,” “Ladies Night Out,” and “A Taste of Warwick,” were held on schedule. On October 2, record crowds enjoyed near perfect weather for the 17th annual celebration of Applefest. All was going well until mid-October when there were seven straight days of rain. As Wawayanda Creek rose, the waters spilled into the same basements that had been flooded in April. And there was a good chance the electrical power would have to be shut off again. But the rain stopped and the water in the lower Main St. basements leveled off just a few inches below the main power supply. Breathing a sigh of relief, the merchants geared up for what became a successful “Home for the Holidays” Christmas shopping season, interrupted by only one major snowstorm. And for the record . . . At the risk of failing to mention everyone, we can report that there were many more openings than closings in 2005. Sadly, Deep Sea Warwick, Traditions, Samaya and Lou’s Restaurant closed their doors. But the good news was that Warwick celebrated the grand openings of the Pioneer Restaurant, Prudental Rand, Penning’s new Meat and Fish market, LID Interiors and Antiques, Who’s on First Antiques, Ashford Cottage B&B, Spring Street Market, Meadowcrest Shopping Plaza, Village Music, Ultimate PC, Halligans Grill and Graziella’s Italian Café.