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October 5, 2009
Published by Baltimore Student Media for the Towson University Community
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ASHLEY RABE
Senior Editor
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Empty storefronts in
central Towson worry
business community
Walking along the streets of central Towson, window
shoppers do not have to look far to see a "for rent” or "for
lease" sign hanging in an empty retail space. Vacancies and
business turnovers persist in the area, totaling about 18.
“The truth is if you think about the economic downturn
now, we are pretty much holding our own compared to
other areas. We are not the best, but we are far, far, far
from the worst," Nancy Hafford, executive director for the
Towson Chamber of Commerce, said.
Hafford describes herself as, “an old lady Towson cheer¬
leader," encouraging people that how they see the status
of central Towson is all in their perception.
"I want more here. I don’t want one vacancy in Towson,"
she said. "But you have to build on the positive. We have to
look at what we have and what we can do to enhance it.”
While Hafford continues to urge that Towson is doing
well against other areas, some local business owners have
a different outlook.
Jason Cerato, owner of The Other Side, a shop special¬
izing in 1970s merchandise, broke down what his business
has seen on Chesapeake Avenue.
"In the last five years I’ve lost Kinko’s, I’ve lost the
bakery Wolfords, I’ve lost Taste of Philly, the pretzel place,
[and] Frisco Burrito, which turned into an Italian place,
which also closed," Cerato said. "I lost Sunny’s Surplus
which turned into Blue Grotto which also closed. So my
street has been pretty dismal for the last seven years or
so.”
Despite this, he said the Chamber of Commerce does
what they can. They have festivals and other events to try
and bring out the community.
"They are trying to make people happy," Cerato said.
"They try to do stuff. But to me, on my street, it’s the street
they forgot. I’ve had empty businesses on my street since
before the economy was bad."
According to Chili Man Weiners owner Joe Koenig, see¬
ing vacancies and businesses close worries him.
Koenig is located on Allegheny Avenue and is celebrat¬
ing his business’ one-year anniversary this week.
"I don’t know [if it’s a good location for my business],"
Koenig said. "We’ll have to see. Come see if I’m here next
year and then I’ll let you know."
See EMPTY, page 8
Towson defensive end,
Brady Smith
Photo by
Casey Prather/
The Towerlight
Towson turnovers lead to
record -setting defeat, 57-7
KEVIN HESS
Associate Sports Editor
The New Hampshire Wildcats
jumped to a 30-0 lead within the first
eight minutes of the first quarter and
handed Towson their worst lost in
Unitas Stadium history Saturday, blow¬
ing away the Tigers, 57-7, on Family
Weekend. Towson is now 1-3 (0-1 in
the CAA) this season.
"When you’re not as deep as every¬
body else and you are playing a lot of
youth, every mistake gets magnified,"
Towson head coach Rob Ambrose said.
“I’m not a patient soul. Is there any¬
thing positive? Yeah, nobody died.”
Freshman receiver Alex Blake had
easily the most memorable day of his
career, but it didn’t start out the way
he had hoped. Blake dropped two key
passes early in the game, including a
pivotal drop early in the second quarter
on a third down.
“He will remember that play in his
career as the bad one,” Ambrose said
of the drop. "Those series of plays are
going to be a conversation piece in
about three years when he’s [Randy]
Moss-ing people. I don’t want to blow
him up because he’s still a puppy, but
he is a big wide out who can run."
On the ensuing pimt, the New
Hampshire returner fumbled and the
ball was recovered by Towson’s Jeremy
Gardner. Ambrose put Blake back on
the field for the next play from scrim¬
mage, and he responded by catching
a 24-yard touchdown pass from class¬
mate Peter Athens. It was Blake’s first
career touchdown.
See UNH, page 24