ROANOKE TIMES 
                      Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times

DATE: Saturday, January 4, 1997              TAG: 9701060005
SECTION: CURRENT                  PAGE: NRV-3 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY 
DATELINE: BLACKSBURG 
SOURCE: TERESA McCOY SPECIAL TO THE ROANOKE TIMES 

'I ALWAYS ASSUMED THE DOOR WOULD BE OPEN ...'

When my life gets hurried and work takes me out of the New River Valley, I always return in search of familiar faces and places.

A walk down College Avenue past the Lyric Theatre brings back Saturday morning matinees, the smell of popcorn and giggling with my friends as we walked toward the theater.

Down the street is another old friend. I always assumed the door would be open at Corner Drug Store as it was when I was growing up. I would drop in to talk about a local event or for medicine when I wasn't feeling well. I never imagined my community without it.

Corner Drug was a friend to Blacksburg residents for many years. I remember walking down a two-lane North Main Street lined with oak trees and wrought iron fences to buy greeting cards or magazines or to pick up my grandmother's prescriptions. Once there, I would spend the last of my allowance on a grilled cheese sandwich, french fries and coke float at the fountain. As I'd leave one of the staff would always say, "Tell your mom and grandmother hello, and be careful walking home."

Other times I'd buy a candy bar and magazine and lie on the grass on Henderson Lawn across the street and thumb through the pages of Redbook while dreaming of leaving Blacksburg forever!

The Corner Drug was the gathering place where town and Tech employees met to find good food and conversation at lunch - a place where you were always called by name.

The pharmacists for many years knew who you were when you walked in the door. It seemed the staff had your prescription ready by the time you got to the counter. They delivered prescriptions to your home - even up to the last few years before closing the store.

Although the store's mix of merchandise changed over the years and the soda fountain disappeared, the friendly faces held fast to the credo of any hometown store: "Serve the people of the community to the best of your ability!" This was the character of The Corner Drug Store.

The days when I wanted to leave Blacksburg forever are gone. And so are other things I thought would remain unfailing. One by one, Centre Drug, Dickerson's Jewelry and Pete's Drive-in have disappeared from our community. While I recognize the need to move forward, it's hard to let go of another familiar place.

As with the passing of other friends, I am left with their memory. I can still come to this corner of College and Main to visit those friends once again in my thoughts.

Teresa McCoy is a native of Blacksburg who works at Virginia Tech as special events coordinator at University Unions and Student Activities.

LENGTH: Medium:   56 lines
ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO:  (headshot) McCoy. color.