I read in the paper today that the Ben Franklin store in Peoria Heights is closing. The owners want to retire and travel. The old store front will be turned into a restaurant when it closes on September 30.

I’m disappointed. Ben Franklin carried a lot of hard-to-find items, and the warm, “general store” atmosphere was a welcome contrast to huge, sterile box stores. I loved going birthday and Christmas shopping for my kids there. And they had a good selection of office supplies; prices on them were cheap without having to buy in bulk. I wish someone could have bought the store and kept it going.

They will be missed, but at least we get a chance to say good-bye and shop there one more time. They didn’t just close down unannounced like Hunt’s Restaurant did.

It’s always sad to see a landmark fade away.