A sign in the window of Just-A-Buck reads “Thanks for the memories!” and is signed by the store’s employees. (Photo by Al Alexsa)
It was a model that seemed to fit the disparate values of New Paltz residents: a dollar store run specifically to provide jobs for disabled individuals who often struggle to find employment, despite being qualified. It addresses both cost-conscious concerns and the desire to help people with a disadvantage to get a leg up. Unfortunately, Just-a-Buck has resulted in a loss on the books of Ulster-Greene ARC ever since it was opened in 2014, and that’s a loss which has been determined not sustainable. The franchise agreement has been terminated, and the store was slated to be closed as of March 31. The sad news has hit employees and regular customers hard, and community members are now rallying to save the shop, but it appears it’s too late to revisit the decision. As jarring as the change may be, ARC officials are confirming that other job-training programs will continue, as that’s central to the organization’s mission.
The sign outside the store had a simple message this week: “Sadly the rumors are true, we are closing.” The dozen or so customers roaming the aisles searching for bargains for perhaps the last time may have carried themselves with a little less pep in their step than normal, despite the fact that employees are continuing to show the level of welcoming optimism which has come to characterize the place.
“We are all very upset,” said Wendy Axel, a customer for nearly the entire run of the store.
“It’s the best store in town,” said Paula Weinstein. “Everybody goes here and loves it, plus they hire the disabled.” Altogether, that makes the announced closure “a real loss” to the community. The only drawback to Just-a-Buck in her mind is the reconfigured layout of the parking lot, which she said was “really messed up.” While none of the customers were asked about parking, several raised the issue of their own accord.
Customer Sue Cox is, coincidentally, also an Ulster-Greene ARC employee. “It’s a shame,” she said of the decision, because of the work skills taught to employees, and because it’s a place to get items of “pretty good quality” and in a wide selection. She termed it a “true dollar store,” in that every item is priced at a dollar, which she said isn’t the case at similar businesses in New Paltz. She added, “The parking lot messed up a lot of things.”
Manager Krissy Vangor said that overall, costs of doing business have been on the rise. “It’s more than just rent,” she said; rising wages and the self-imposed profit limit of remaining a “true dollar store” have simply made it impossible to post a profit, and ARC leaders decided there are more cost-effective ways to deliver job training.
Vangor’s regret is that community members hadn’t had the occasion to express their support earlier. She’d heard rumors of a possible closure for some time, but word didn’t leak from within the organization. Had it, Vangor muses, perhaps the rally to save the store might have had an opportunity to gain traction before it was too late. Nevertheless, “I love how supportive they’ve been.” It’s a welcoming reflection of how Vangor and her employees feel about the store, which she said for her is a “second home,” in which everyone on the staff is considered family. “I can’t thank people enough for trying to save us.”
Josh Shaw was one of the store’s first employees, and said he’s sad to see it close. “The customers are nice,” and he said. “I like my job.”
Unemployment rates for people with disabilities is higher than for the general population. In 2018, eight percent of disabled persons seeking work were unemployed, while the rate was less than four percent overall. Lori McCabe, communications director at Ulster-Greene ARC, said that while there’s a plan in place to keep all these workers employed, she’d like to see the swell of support translate into more New Paltz business owners hiring employees with disabilities. There are already partnerships in place with SUNY Ulster and New Paltz, Hannaford, and other businesses, but “we serve 1,300 individuals” who are largely able to work and just need a chance to prove it. “They come to work with a smile on their face, they work hard, and it’s a win for both them and the business owners,” she said.
Even with the Just-a-Buck franchise being closed, there are also other job sites run through the ARC, including plant care and cleaning services.
Cutting the ribbon when the store opened was Catherine Court, and she was expecting to be on hand for the final day as well. “I’m very sad,” she said. “It stinks.” She spoke about how everyone from her bosses and job coach to coworkers and customers had a way of making her happy if she was ever “down in the dumps.” Tears in her eyes, she said of the farewell party scheduled for Sunday, “It’s gonna be a sad one.”
Before the parking lot changes, customers would drive up to the front door, park in the Fire Lane facing the wrong way, leave the motor running, and run into the store for a purchase. Once the parking lot was reconfigured, you couldn’t do that anymore. Totally unsafe and a hazard to any driver trying to get past.
The Baby Store closed months ago too, and the optician’s is gone as well.
No business can stay alive there for long, never has, never will.
Tear down that wing and add more parking for Shop Rite. That would reduce the taxes Shop Rite would have to pay.
Has anyone contacted President Donald Trump ?
As long as towns like New Paltz trip over themselves to glorify Illegal immigrants ,hiring of people with special needs will take a back seat .
The rent as well for this mall isn’t based in reality. Comparable space on Rt.9 from Poughkeepsie to Fish kil costs less.
People in New Paltz live to talk about how compassionate they are but their actions seldom back up their hollow words.
Hypocrisy reigns supreme.
We are all people of the planet earth, if You want to declare your private borders go find a corner to sit in, that can be your private bordered place alone by your self.
i enjoy meeting people from other cultures and i demand a 100% open usa border to mexico and canada.
USA remains a extremely dangerous violent society with mass shootings almost every week, how dare usa declare south america dangerous, when usa much worse.
impeach, and remove fascist insane racist trump, trump is a criminal and a very dangerous president.
FIrst and foremost:
For individuals who benefitted from the positives of employment there, I’m sad for them and hope that ALL
of our New Businesses would see themselves fit to hire not only these folks, but anyone in our community who lives with disabilities. Work and daily interaction feed the soul, the mind, the confidence and teach skills for everyone, even the most able among us.
As for the Parking Lot Comments:
I’m sorry, but reconfigured parking that eliminated illegal parking can not be the reason this store is closing. That’s just a fact. (That’s crazy, and a sign that the people shopping there who claim that’s an issue are really just lazy.) I use the lot daily and if you can’t figure it out there is something woefully wrong with you. Add to this, the new lot has only been in use for a couple of months…the losses date back to 2014 since the stores first day in business…that’s 5-years people!!! Not five months. So, lay the blame on something else, your choice.
Lastly:
The entire shopping center needs to be redesigned. Here’s how it would work in the 21st Century, not the 1950s as it is currently designed. One: Shoprite remains where it is, gets a facelift. Two: The East wing where the
adjacent shops, including Just A Buck, are located would be torn down. A new building capable of housing 4-5 businesses would be built fresh running along the Main Street facing side of the site, running behind the gas station and wrapping around toward the primary entranc off of Main Street. The footprint of the torn down wing would then be used for landscaped parking (this means planting mature trees to help improve cooling and runoff). Placing a new retail building adjacent to Main Street achieves two major goals that New Paltz planners keep saying they want but they never seem to enforce. One: it puts vast surface parking ‘out of view’ and
maintains the small-town community feeling. Two: It puts the new retail closer to pedestrian uses and the site closest to Main could even have an outdoor patio for dining in a new restaurant. It changes the perceived scale immensley, putting the businesses closer to sidewalks and fills in what is known in development as a “tooth gap”
where surface parking interrupts the continuity of a street-scape. Aside from that, the existing wing is ugly,
terribly outdated, and only encourages the least possible investment by any business that would move in there, which is why so many vacanies.
Let’s warm this place up, the town should be actively reaching out to ALL businesses and property owners
here who aren’t going above and beyond to keep their buildings modern, painted, in good shape, and adding
a postive to the town. Right now, we seem to operate on two different standards, which is why so many things look rag-tag run down.
Public Safety was the issue with cars parked the wrong way with their motors still running and left unattended. The nail salon at the end of the line of stores always has some car parked in a No Parking Zone, right between the end of the line of shopping carts and the sidewalk too.
If Shop-Rite had a rent-a-cop to save the lives of dogs left in hot cars on a summer’s day, that would be a boon to all.
Ever notice how many women, and I do mean women, leave their shopping carts next to the wall on the east side of the building so the carts can roll downhill onto south putt. They don’t care as long as its not their car that gets hit.
The signs in the windows of the already vacant stores all mention asbestos removal.
Put in a wal-Mart and get rid of this place for good.
The town was always shaking shop rite down for fireworks money, but since Hillary lost, they quit doing that.
Make your own fireworks.