June 2008
Community Paper
copyright ©2008 by Community Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved.

Good Bye College Park Video

After 23 years of serving College Park, College Park Video will be closing its doors on July 1st. Contrary to the article in the Orlando Sentinel on May 14th, the family owned video store is NOT closing due to economic reasons. The building where College Park Video has its lease is owned by the Demetree family, and the corporation has given all the tenants in the building their “end of lease” notice. Demetree’s plans for the building are unknown at this time, but the vacating of the building will also close the doors of Planet Smoothie, Rosa’s Alterations, and the Brother’s Keeper Thrift Store that feeds the hungry and helps the needy.

College Park Video owner Randy Parsley, along with the staff (come on, EVERYBODY knows Michael, Crystal, Crosby, Peter, Gary, Lauren and Tom, who has worked at CPV for 19 years!) have been the “Go To” people when anyone wanted personal service and sought out advice on their movie choices. It was nice. You became family.

Unlike the big chain stores or online rental sites, the staff remembered your name, the types of movies you like, and were friendly and caring. College Park Video has been the Hometown source for new and harder-to-find and often ignored video rentals, game rentals, comic books, action figures and more.They were winners several times of the Orlando Weekly’s Best Of for Best Place to Rent A Movie.

College Park Video is special. In 23 years, the number of clerks who have come and gone could be counted on one hand. The people at CPV have been great friends and residents of the community, it's not just work for them, it's a way of life.

A long time College Park Video employee, Michael, who began trying to get a job at College Park Video when he was just 9 years old, finally landed his dream job when he turned 18. It wasn’t the pay. It wasn’t that he wanted to work in just ANY video store, only College Park Video. He met his wife, Crystal behind the counter. He was quoted as saying, “I’ll leave when the joint is rocks and dust.” Sorry, Michael, that time has come.

So.... What’s the big deal??? One of College Park’s businesses is closing. The big deal is that College Park is known for being a HOMETOWN, not filled with chain stores, but a place where people can shop where they know the staff, family owned businesses, we can walk to our shopping areas, meet and greet old and new friends. We are a community that cares.

The big deal is... I overheard a man talking at the Easter Egg Hunt. The Easter Bunny was wondering how to get the costume cleaned. The man said, “there is a good dry cleaner on Forest City Road.” WAIT! My brain screamed! We have THREE very good, reliable dry cleaners right here in College Park! Keep OUR businesses alive by patronizing them!!!!” We should be eating in OUR restaurants FIRST, shopping in OUR boutiques FIRST, getting our hardware in OUR hardware store FIRST. Keeping our money IN College Park is the way to keep it our home town.

As far as College Park Video goes, go by and grab some movies at their huge sale until July 1st. Good bye, Old Friend. You’ll be missed.