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Some sun this morning with increasing clouds this afternoon. High 46F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph..
A few clouds. Low 34F. Winds light and variable.
Updated: January 28, 2023 @ 10:43 am
Burch Drug Store, Elysburg, is shown Friday. The longtime business recently closed its doors.
Burch Drug Store, Elysburg, is shown Friday. The longtime business recently closed its doors.
ELYSBURG — Burch Drug Store, which has been open for more than 60 years, has closed.
On Friday, shelves inside the business, located at the intersection of Routes 487 and 54, were bare of products and signs on the main door advise customers to pick up prescriptions at the Rite Aid in Shamokin.
Karen and Leonard Boltinghouse, pharmacists at Burch Drug Store, reserved comment on Friday.
Frank Berger, president of the Ralpho Township Business Association, said the closure is a sad moment for the community.
“It’s been a mainstay in the community for decades,” Berger said on behalf of the association. “We wish them well in their retirement.”
What set the family business apart from most chain stores and online companies was the personalized service, Berger added.
“That’s what’s going to be missed. You can’t get that from the internet,” Berger stated. “Speaking from my family, they knew my mom and dad, and brothers and sisters. When you needed a pharmacist, they were the ones we turned to.”
Dan Williams, chairman of the Ralpho Township Board of Supervisors, echoed Berger’s sentiments, stating that the community is losing a trusted business.
“She (Karen) was more than just a pharmacist, she was a friend who took care of us,” stated Williams, a customer of the business for many years. “We are going to miss the personal touch of a local pharmacy that cared for patrons of the township and knew us by name.”
Williams added, “We wish them the best of luck in retirement. They both worked hard and deserve this.”
Burch Drug Store opened in Elysburg on Aug. 2, 1956. At the time, it was a branch of another Burch store in Mount Carmel and for many years was owned by Karen’s father, Andrew Kovalovich.
Larry Deklinski can be reached at 570-644-6397 ext. 1353 or larry_d@newsitem.com.
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