Myers Costumes now Cassandrah's Costumes

The old Myers Variety sign has been unveiled with the removal of the Myers Costumes banner sign. I'm sure that'll be gone soon too. I'm going to miss the old gal. Not the sign, the lady.

Of course she wasn't always an old gal, in fact in her day she was like a rock star of her time, a famous world wide performing opera singer whose family business in Newmarket helped keep the town fed during the war and through hard times. The proprietor of Newmarket's longest running one family owned business, Jenny Myers, has quietly retired, with the inventory stock being taken over by her long time manager, Cassandrah, and re-launched as Cassandrah's Costumes. No media story, no announcement, no parade.

On occasion I'd pop in and often Jenny would relay through spurts of outbursts in bit and pieces about the past, almost seemingly wanting to tell it all at once, as if she might forget if she didn't. Myers was  more of a grocery store in the early days, and, during the war, people would line up down the street on payday to pay them back for items given on credit. In fact, there are many stories of the generosity of the family to members in need in the community over the years and 'young" Jenny carried on the tradition until she could no longer.

Customer Glenn gets a ' comb-over"

In turn I'd relay stories to her that when kids we used to ride our bikes from Aurora just to get their candies and batman cards, the back cat gum, wax lips, 3 stooges cards etc, you name they had the best and got them first before anyone else. Just like the costumes, likely a spinoff connection from the opera singer days.

Recently it officially became Cassandrah's Costumes, although if truth be known she's been running it for Jenny for many years now, having been with her over 10 years, and helping bring the now costume only business into the 21st century by adding an online precense and getting into costume rentals which previously they'd been strictly sales.

Her replacement is no slouch either and a hard working mom who just wants to make it all work and continue doing business as best she can until the lease is up in December. From there she's not sure, but hopes to find a location on south Main St. by that time, and continue the Myers' legacy by keeping the store exactly the same. Heck, she'd have kept the name if in changing ownerships it was allowed. Who knows, maybe she'll add some sweets in a corner spot in memory and call it Myers Corner Variety...

MYER'S VARIETY, Gifts, Costumes, we thank you for your years of service to the citizens of the town of Newmarket and to your contributions to making it what it is today! Bye Jenny!

..Oh..and Cassandrah, He-eelo!...& Good Luck!

Later,
TP