By Kate E. Salute
A reporter for Fisherman magazine asked Terowsky if he minded a couple of reporters and photographers poking around and interviewing people in the near future. With a wave of the hand, a shrug and a nonchalant nod, Terowsky accepted. ³People have been stopping in and saying, ŒOh Herb, don¹t go, we need you and we¹re going to miss you,¹² he said.
But Terowsky isn¹t really going anywhere, though, he said, he is going into semi-retirement after the closing of one of his three Hempstead locations, which are all within a block of one another. ³Yeah ... I¹ll only work five days a week,² the 75-year-old entrepreneur joked.
The large building at the intersection of Front Street and Franklin Avenue that houses the sporting goods, camping, fishing, hunting, archery and boating goods is wallpapered with fluorescent pink and green signs advertising the store-closing sales. The location is closing its doors because of high real estate taxes, Terowsky said, along with the heating bills and exorbitant insurance premiums due to the sale of guns in the hunting department that were just getting to be too much. ³The economics of having the third store is just not there anymore,² he said.
Herb and his son, Lewis, who manages Trailer City¹s two Suffolk County locations, will miss selling the outdoor equipment that is linked to so many fond memories ‹ Herb of hunting birds and sailing, Lewis of fishing and camping. ³It¹s like the shoemaker not having shoes,² Herb said, explaining that you can¹t sell camping and fishing equipment without having experiences with it yourself.
Lewis said he started working in the stores when he was 2. ³They had me stamping literature,² he said, ³and then I worked up through the ranks...²
³And now he¹s back to stamping!² a voice from the back of the shop chimed in. Lewis laughed.
Herb attributed his success to his associates and their hard work and dedication. Some members of his staff have been with him for 25 years, making for a family feel in the store, especially when 9-year-old Sasha, a hunting dog, heads over to customers for a rub.
The Terowskys emphasize the fact that the business isn¹t disappearing, just dropping its sporting goods department as Sports Authority and other chains have cut into Tent City¹s sales. ³We¹re still going to carry Boy Scout apparel, camping gear and propane tanks,² Herb explained. ³They¹ll just be at the location around the corner from here.²
Comments about this story? Ksalute@liherald.com or (516)569-4000 ext. 205
