The upcoming closure of CVS is a difficult blow to our community. Many residents who rely on it for life-saving medications will now have to navigate different systems to maintain access. The stress of dealing with a complex healthcare system just to get approved for certain medications is already overwhelming; losing a trusted pharmacy only adds insult to injury.
On a broader level, this closure is yet another wound in a community that has seen too many businesses shutter over the last 20 years. Some were more than just stores—they were hubs of connection, places where families were raised, and anchors of our identity. Unfortunately, this pattern is not unique to Little Falls but reflects a larger trend in the Mohawk Valley, rural New York, and the country as a whole.
The Walmart Effect, a term popularized by journalist Charles Fishman in 2006, describes the economic and social impact of big-box retailers on local economies. While these corporations offer lower prices, they also undercut small businesses, drive down wages, and concentrate economic power in the hands of a few. It doesn’t take an economist to see how this has played out in our own community.
At times, we fall into a kind of exaggerated nostalgia for the Little Falls of the past—and that’s understandable. We were once a thriving community, with identities, families, and livelihoods deeply tied to the local economy. The loss we feel is not just economic; it is deeply personal and even traumatic. Yet, we are resilient—not simply because we’ve survived, but because we continue to strive for a community with something to offer.
Recent research defines resilience not as a single trait, but as a dynamic interplay of multiple factors that help us adapt to challenges. It is physical (our ability to recover from stress), mental (our cognitive flexibility and focus under pressure), emotional (our capacity to regulate and respond to adversity), and social (our ability to rely on strong community support systems).
This same framework applies to our city. Yes, Main Street has vacant buildings and crumbling infrastructure. But at the same time, local entrepreneurs are buying and restoring properties, bringing in new businesses like the outdoor gear store that help us engage with the beautiful landscape around us. Some amenities persist against the odds—Valley Cinema, for example, worked with the city and residents to create drive-in movies when the pandemic forced us apart.
I don’t want to minimize anyone’s pain, nor dismiss valid concerns about economic decline. The reality is, corporations have no issue abandoning communities and telling people to drive 50 miles for their prescriptions if the rent cuts into their bottom line.
But local businesses? They would skip their own dinner if it meant staying open so Deacon Joe could replace his garbage pail after a windstorm. (Forgive the hyperbole, but you get my point.)
As the years go by, our values and resilience will continue to be tested. What will happen to the Adirondack Bank Building? Will the city remain too broke to act? Will we watch bricks fall from scaffolding for years? Or will we mobilize to find solutions—because that’s what we do?
To put it plainly: Now, more than ever, we must focus on what we have and what we could build, rather than dwelling only on what’s lost. That’s easier said than done—I know. But there are places to find support, share ideas, and take action.
We just need to be committed to embracing all four corners of our resilience to make those solutions a reality.
This means working with local groups like Main Street First to explore public-private funding for capital improvement projects. It means engaging with local officials—even when we don’t always agree—to create sustainable yet adaptable policies for our future. It means acknowledging our frustrations and losses while still choosing to work together constructively toward solutions. And most importantly, it means never forgetting that our survival is deeply tied to the survival of our neighbors.
I don’t know what will happen to the bank, to Shoppers Square, or to Main Street—but I know we’ll find a way forward, because we have to.
Jordyan Mueller
Little Falls, NY
Great letter, Jordyan.
It really wasn’t the rent issue. The store was never busy. Most of the times when I was in there I was the only customer. You could tell they weren’t busy by how clean the store was and how there was never any stock in the aisles. Simply put, Little Falls isn’t big enough to support two pharmacies. And the CVS policy is if there isn’t a CVS within 6 miles, the customer can go to the nearest non-CVS without penalty. The city council needs to find businesses that will attract people to the city.
Rim,
While I don’t disagree with your assessment of CVS’s lack of patronage, I think that was caused, in large part to there being no other traffic generating stores adjacent to its location. Kinney’s has the advantage of being located near the Dollar General and Kelly’s Meat Market.
Sadly, the current configuration of retail space in the remnant of the old Shopper’s Square is not conducive to having multiple businesses generating traffic for each other. As a result, I suspect the CVS space will be vacant for some time to come.
Mike McCarthy
Great letter