By Angela Marshall
Next door, construction workers tackled fire, water and smoke damage at the Silva Dance Academy.
The North Village Avenue businesses suffered damage during a late-night fire on Saturday, Aug. 10.
Since then, owners of both longtime establishments have dedicated themselves to rebuilding their businesses.
Speaking above the din of hammering and other construction work, Gwen Silva and Mark Barth, owners of Silva Dance, said they were in the building when the fire started about 11 p.m., but do not know what caused it.
Nassau County fire officials said the cause is still being investigated.
Working quickly, Rockville Centre firefighters were forced to break into Barry Athletic to stop the fire from gutting the store.
At about midnight, Joan Hoffman was awakened by a call from the Rockville Centre Police Department telling her there was a fire in the family business.
Hoffman's father, Harry Feingold, started the business more than 60 years ago and the family had just finished remodeling their new location just down the street from the old one.
Hoffman arrived to find soccer balls, which once filled the store's front windows, rolling in the streets. Glass and broken ceiling tiles were everywhere. Firefighters continued to battle the blaze.
The sight was overwhelming, Hoffman said. It was horrible. I'm standing there watching my whole world go...
More than dealing with the aftermath of the fire, Hoffman dreaded telling her father. He's seen it from a seed grow and grow.
He was away over the weekend and she broke the news early in the week. At 90, he still comes to the shop every day.
Despite the damage, Hoffman remains optimistic. The fire did not reach the business' factory so they are able to fill the many orders placed before and after the fire. It could have been a hell of a lot worse. We just need our friends and our customers to keep coming.
Barry's will remain open during the renovations.
In business for almost 40 years, Barth and Silva didn't even consider calling it quits after the fire. They immediately set to work to get the dance studio open as soon as possible.
We're shooting for Aug. 23, Silva said. Everything is going to be brand new and lovely.
The business owners all praised the fire department for their work. They did an amazing job, Hoffman said.
