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Published: Tuesday, Jun. 22, 2010 / Updated: Tuesday, Jun. 22, 2010 11:13 AM

Savor the memories

Last week’s announcement that The River Rat will be closing June 26 rocked the Lake Wylie community.

After the news began to spread Friday, the 31-year-old restaurant was flooded with patrons on Saturday. So much in fact that they nearly ran out of food.

Perhaps River Rat Al Powell’s neighbor Rick Bullins said it best: “Nobody thought this place would end.”

The same sentiment came from Powell’s son, John Currence, when he said: “It was always something I thought would be here forever.”

Perhaps that’s how our community felt, too. The River Rat has stood the test of time in what is already considered a tumultuous industry. Plus, it was synonymous with Lake Wylie, having been one of the first businesses ever on Charlotte Highway. The steaks were mouth-watering, seafood tasty and service welcoming.

Unfortunately, the spiraling economy has been touching Lake Wylie’s long-standing businesses for the past couple of years, likely compounded by “new” Lake Wylie with more businesses and restaurants dotting Charlotte Highway.

Next door to Lowe’s Home Improvement, Walmart is scheduled to open in October and is likely to bring more business parcels into the shopping center. At Anchor Shops Place, more businesses, including a Mexican restaurant, have signed on.

Like life itself, naturally Lake Wylie is ever changing. But it is sad to know we’ll be without some of the businesses that built the community.

Within less than two years, we’ve seen Mike Grubb Landscape & Nursery close after 10 years. Lake Wylie Hardware at Lake Wylie Plaza closed after about 25 years in business. Jac-Lynn’s Hallmark store closed earlier this month after three decades of business, like The River Rat.

We have been hearing “times are tough,” but it’s made ever more apparent when the foundations of a community struggle.

But in Lake Wylie, many businesses also are thriving, such as “Traditions Good Buys,” also known as The Estate Boys, having moved within the past month from the smaller location next to The Knothole into the former hardware store at Lake Wylie Plaza. In the past couple of years, we have seen many new businesses and restaurants open, too, along Charlotte Highway. The future for business is definitely bright here at Lake Wylie.

Powell said he’s “not negative, I’m positive.” We are, too, it’s just as the face of Lake Wylie changes, we’ll be missing a part of who we were.

In the words of Dean Martin’s “Memories are Made of This,” “stir carefully through the days, see how the flavor stays, these are the dreams you’ll savor.”

Wed like to say thanks to folks like Jack Allen of Jac-Lyn’s Hallmark and The River Rat family for building us up and giving us sweet memories.