DECATUR, Indiana (Indiana's NewsCenter)--14 YEARS AGO WE WENT DOWN TO DECATUR, TO A SPOT FREQUENTED BY DECATURITES FOR 140 YEARS. NIBLICKS DEPARTMENT STORE HAD BEEN SELLING DRY GOODS SINCE THE CIVIL WAR, BUT 20th CENTURY BIG BOX STORES HAD DONE THEIR DAMAGE AND NIBLICKS WAS CLOSING ITS DOORS FOR GOOD. THAT WAS IN 1995. A LOT CAN CHANGE IN 14 YEARS.

John: It’s a gratifying feeling, it really is.

IF GRATIFYING WERE A PRODUCT THEY’D BE SELLING IT HERE AT THE NEXT PAGE BOOKSTORE. BECAUSE STORE OWNERS, RICK AND EMILY SOVINE, HAVE TURNED THE PAGE ON THE PAST AND ARE WRITING A NEW CHAPTER FOR THE OLD NIBLICK BUILDING. FIRST THEY RENNOVATED IT, A TALL ORDER FOR A STRUCTURE THAT SAT EMPTY FOR MORE THAN A DECADE. THEN THEY FILLED IT WITH BOOKSHELVES AND ALL SORTS OF BOOKS, NEW AND USED. GIFTS AND KNICKNACKS, TOO..AND THEY FILLED THE AIR WITH THE AROMA OF FRESH COFFEE…AND THE SMELL OF BREAKFAST AND LUNCH OFFERINGS FROM A FULL MENU. THE ONCE EMPTY DERELICT IS NOW FILLED WITH FOLKS PASSING THE TIME IN PLEASANT SURROUNDINGS. AND THE TOWN IS VERY GRATEFUL.

John: To reconstruct an old building that was here that was vacant and hasn’t been used and they resurrected that and made something very usable for our community. It’s just nice.

IT’S MORE THAN NICE. RECYCLING OLD BUILDINGS FOR NEW USES IS ENVIRONMENTALLY SOUND, AND WE’LL BE SEEING MORE OF IT NOW THAT RECYCLE AND REUSE ARE A MATTER OF THE COUNTRY’S SURVIVAL. AND IF ANYONE NEEDS ANY POINTERS IN HOW TO DO IT, WE KNOW A DELIGHTFUL OLD NEW SPOT, TO SEND THEM TO. ERIC OLSON OUT IN YOUR COUNTRY.