Little Chapel on the River

..."It is with much regret that I learn of Guinan's closing. I'm sorry I never made the short trip tovisit. Your words paint a clear picture of a magical place and a wonderful group of souls. I'm a West Point Classmate of COL Tom, joining him and almost 1500 other new cadets in the summer of '76 at West Point. I've known of Tom's trip across the river for years, it was, and is, one of the enduring legends of our Class lore. I haven't spoken to Tom in years but reading of him, and the special bond that existed between him and Jim, and with the Chapel moved me, and reminded me of similar ties we all formed during those intense, packed years as cadets. Like I said, I never made the short trip to Garrison. I was part of the"Head to Newburgh" crowd to escape the 20 kilometer no drinking rule as a cadet. On my second trip there I would up at a party in a dorm at Mt. St. Mary College and met the young woman who I married almost 28 yearsago and whom...

Last night, in honor of the late Mike Mihalik ("Old Mike" in Little Chapel), a group of us gathered privately at the chapel to toast his life. Around 10 p.m., we stood just outside the bar where he made us all laugh with his booming voice and wide grin, and with Ed Preusser leading the way, hoisted cans of Coors Light -- Mike's drink of choice once Schaefer wasn't available -- to our friend's memory and his family. Guinan's is nearly empty of product now; the once-overflowing candy counter barren and the Coca-Cola beer cooler down to the final few bottles. There's an echo when you speak in the store. But there was nothing forlorn about last night. With the fire glowing, Margaret's cooking in the oven, Kelly's laugh and two dogs scurrying underfoot, we were transported home again, if for a brief while. Things will change soon. But last night it seemed clear that Guinan's can be immortal so long as we never forget the people like Mike Mihalik ...

Jack McAndrew wrote a short thank you essay about his time at Guinan's Irish Night music sessions. You can still get copies of recordings of some of the last Irish Nights; details are posted here . Meantime, a CD called "Long Time Coming" featuring Jim Guinan is out with five songs and it's fantastic. The folks behind this venture are making another run of the CDs, and I'll post here with details on how to buy when they are ready. Photo by Christine Ashburn.

I'm leaving the house in a few minutes for the last round of drinks at Guinan's. Tomorrow, the store will be closed. We went down this morning to say good-bye to commuters. Lots of them lingered in the doorway so long, they almost missed the train. One or two actually did miss the train. We all seemed to be taking mental snapshots of what mattered most to us inside. The view of the Hudson from the bar; the red clock, wooden floors, candy counter, fire burning in the pub. Fitz was down yesterday evening with two of his daughters. He says he refuses to say good-bye. I think he's probably right about that. You never really say good-bye to someone you truly love. It's more just, until we meet again ...

Beth Montgomery Coursen , Supervisor Town of Pawling, N.Y. , recently recalled her "chapel lessons." When she's not helping run the town, or hold peace in the bar, you can find her in the middle of a roller hockey match... * * * Buying the Sunday paper after mass in the 60's. Regular lunches of Peggy's grilled cheese sandwiches. Having a pint and hot peppers with the John Guinan and fellow grounds crew members after work in the 70's. Years later dancing to Irish Music at The Rising. Finding out while trading stories there with another "Irish Night" regular that reason I find him interesting could be that we share relatives in Dylan, Ireland. Guinan's has long been a constant in my life. Had it not been for the lessons taught over 4 decades, like others I would be feeling the loss at Guinan's closing. Even if you have only been there a time or two, you were given a lesson. Each lesson will unravel in a different way to each ear that he...

Last night I finished writing my farewell piece to Guinan's for The Wall Street Journal. It was published today and you can read it here. The story notes how Guinan's is a statistical wonder: only about 12% of family businesses make it to the third generation. But we all know Guinan's is a wonder well beyond that. Hope to see many of you at some of the upcoming "lasts..." -- Last Irish Night this Thursday, last Friday night, last commuting morning on the 31st.

For those who know Ed Preusser, one of two brothers who regularly frequent Guinan's, you might recall how in Little Chapel he talked about never bringing his girlfriends to the pub. "They wouldn't understand it," he said. "The woman I bring to Guinan's, is the woman I'll marry." Well, he did one better than that. He's marrying a Guinan -- Kelly Guinan, John Guinan's daughter, to be exact. They got engaged Christmas Eve after dating since early fall of 2005. Their wedding will be held in Garrison on August 16, 2008. Appropriately, it'll be a full moon. Congratulations to them both. As one era ends with Guinan's, another one begins. Photo Credit: Christine Ashburn

I'm in the midst of a kitchen renovation that's taken more than a year because I decided to see just how easy (or hard) it was to do everything eco-friendly. I'll be writing more about it soon, but right now, I want to address something more pressing: Nail pops. For those of you who remember my thrifty neighbor Walter from Little Chapel on the River, you might recall the part where he teaches me how to fix all the little unsightly bulges in my walls where the nails fastening the drywall are pushing out of the studs. (Chapter 21, page 240 for anyone wanting a refresher course...) That was almost five years ago, and back then Walter pushed me not to cut corners, to make sure I screwed down every nail and put three coats of joint compound on each blemish. "It's the RIGHT way to do it," he said. I fixed hundreds after his lesson. Time-consuming, yes. But the payoff was super-smooth walls. Friday, Walter dropped by while I was priming my kitchen walls. He stalked ...

This letter from the Guinan family appeared in The Putnam County News & Recorder yesterday: GUINAN'S CLOSING In 1957, Jim and Peg Guinan came to America with nothing but a dream of "making things better for their family." They bought a business in the Depot in Garrison in 1959 and the community welcomed them and their children with open arms. And we Guinan's have made many friends who became a "part of our family"... We were open on all the holidays for our "family of friends" ... We watched children grow to be married and have their own children who still patronize the store. In 1988, Peg passed away and Jim continued with the business until his children began to take over. Their children "grew up" in the business as well. And now it is time for us to say "Thank You" to all who became a "part of our family" and afforded us the opportunity of having "that dream." To those of you who have helped us over t...

The better question, perhaps, is why is Guinan's still alive? If Guinan's had followed the path of most mom and pop joints across America, when mom or pop died, the business would have soon followed. Peg Guinan died in 1988. No matter how great a man or presence Jim Guinan is, he and Peg were a team. They needed each other. The store needed both. Yet a miraculous things in the annals of commerce happened: into the void left by a parent, stepped the children, and then the grandchildren. At first it was Jim's youngest, Christine , and her husband Mike . They upgraded fixtures, expanded inventory, doubled the store's business and gave hope. Later it was the oldest, John who sacrificed every early morning in recent years to be there for the 5 a.m. commuters, handing them umbrellas and tossing smiles and quips long before light hit the Hudson. After John got sick , came his daughter Kelly , who has put in long hours after her regular graphic design job, giving up week...

Over Thanksgiving, I stopped at a sprawling gas station convenience store on my way to Rhode Island. I was juggling snacks and my wallet while trying, with difficulty, to get lids on two cups of super hot coffee. Problem was, all the lids were stuck together. So I was dropping everything else on the sticky floor trying to get them separated. It reminded me of one of the first lessons John Guinan taught me about the inner workings of his family's store: "You've got to pull apart lids for the coffee cups so they aren't all stuck together because people are already juggling briefcases and umbrellas and whatever else they're lugging around so they don't have time to fumble for a lid." When was the last time someone gave you their seat on the subway or bus? Or stopped to let you into a lane of traffic? Or another tiny gesture of courtesy that made an ordinary day just a little easier?