Welcoming shoppers across the bridge

    PENN YAN—Businesses always appreciate the business of customers. And this year with the bridge detour traffic in Penn Yan, merchants are especially active in welcoming shoppers to the village.
    On Saturday, Penn Yan stores hosted an Open House. Long’s Cards and Books and Nest Egg were just two of the stores that were busy with shoppers for the day. The punch bowl at Long’s was a popular stopping point.
    Businesses in the village also have put together the promotional campaign, “Bridge Buster Bargains,” to help shoppers realize some of the values that are just available in Penn Yan.
    Nest Egg owner Joan Hansen-Eldred said she thinks the program has already helped. Next door at Longs’ Cards and Books, Jim Long said one thing the owners need to do is to get people to know what the bargains are. Long said when the planning group met last, they also assembled some ideas about changing the timing on traffic lights or even changing some to blinking lights to help move traffic move more smoothly.
    Elizabeth Hoover, owner of Pennsylvania Yankee Mercantile is pleased about the new promotion. She plans to have soft pretzels as the first Bridge Buster bargain at her business.
    Pinckney Hardware’s Mike Clancy said the program is exciting. He and co-owner Jack Payne will pair store based bargains with Ace Hardware deals. Clancy said they will not have any problem finding items for bargains. The store has virtually thousands of items available.
    Lake Street Wine and Spirits owner Ray Spencer said, “We are trying to get people’s minds adjusted. We are trying to put a positive spin on the situation.”
The detour through the village made necessary by construction of the new Liberty Street bridge. The bridge was closed in early September and won’t re-open until Memorial Day in 2012.