Sad news from Noho, where Dave Warren is closing the doors to Dave’s
Pioneer Sporting Center on the south side of Damon Road.
Tell me, is there a less likely location for a successful gun and tackle
shop than Northampton, the politically correct capital of our Happy
Valley? No sir. But that’s not what killed Pioneer. It was the economy,
stupid; you know, the one the Fed says has recovered.
Well, Warren couldn’t disagree more.
“My fly-tying and archery business is what always kept me going,” Warren
said, “but they just died in this economy. First, a slow spring and summer, now this. I should be selling a lot of archery stuff now, but nothing’s moving. What can you do? I’m closing Saturday, going hunting and then I’ll figure out what’s next.”
Bargain hunters should check out the inventory for the closeout sale through Saturday (Oct. 11, 2009) afternoon.
Asked if Wal-Mart had a hand in his demise, Warren chuckled and confidently said, “No, Wal-Mart never hurt me. They sell junk.”
What a hoot? Have you ever in your life heard Wal-Mart associated with junk? Oh my. All I can say is: Thank you, Dave. You made my day.
As for the folks aware of my negative predisposition toward a Wal-Mart in
Greenfield, I didn’t say it, Dave Warren did. And there’ll be many in Greenfield who’ll love hearing it; and, of course, many who’ll scream bloody murder, want my scalp, friends among them. They may even start hurling the hated “Normanite” tag my way (to me supreme praise), that and NIMBY, another compliment in my book. Heaven forbid I’d ever be associated with the Penrick gang. No sir. Not me. My roots go far too deep for that shallow lot.
But, let us not digress; back to the sport-shop closing in Noho, sad indeed. I have stopped there to chew the fat for many years dating back to before my Recorder days. It all started t’other side the road as Pioneer Sporting Center, owned by Bill Krinsky, now long gone to Texas, where, if he’s still in the business, it’s likely booming. But he can have Texas. I wouldn’t go there for fortune or frolic, too conservative for my liking. Hell, you’re liable to be put to sleep there for delinquent parking tickets, if of the wrong hue or accent. So, yeah, I guess a man of my proud heritage may have a chance of escaping that
dreadful fate — maybe being the key word. But that could change fast once they understood I’m one of those who think our demise began with the Sixties assassinations, glorious days in that Loon Star State.
Anyway, Krinsky sold Pioneer to Hadley taxidermist Bill Van, who stayed
at the original site on the north side of Damon Road until he and partner Warren moved across the road to a smaller space. Ultimately, Van went back to taxidermy, Warren bought him out and will soon head for the Hamptons in the western Hampshire hills.
Not a bad place to “retire.” Not bad a’tall.