Who can make memories? The candy man can
A variety of candy, old and new, by the front counter sparked fond memories for essayist Jim Lauter at New Beginnings Cardtique on Route 25A in Northport. Credit: Jim Lauter
Finding out that a TV series was featuring a segment on favorite candies whetted this longtime candy consumer’s appetite. “History’s Greatest of All Time” (GOAT) series on the History Channel was all I needed.
The candy appeal dated back to my childhood in South Huntington with regular visits to the Melville Whitman Pharmacy during those carefree days of devouring mass quantities of sugar-laden products. The ones that I marvel at now, as an adult, are those pure sugar offerings like Pixie Sticks and SweeTARTS, a sure favorite for a dentist looking to build a clientele.
Over the years, I thankfully outgrew my candy obsessions and developed the attitude that it’s better to give candy than to receive it.
As a young, naïve fourth-grade teacher at Huntington Elementary School, teaching all subjects, I gave out Tootsie Roll Pops every Friday afternoon at the week’s dismissal. My instructions: “Don’t eat these until you get home!”
I realized their potential choking hazard when I saw students wave goodbye to me from their seats on the bus, with pops entrenched in their cheeks. I knew: It was time to switch from Tootsie Pops to Kit Kat wafer bars. The worst-case scenario there? Chocolate-covered seat belts.
As years passed, the “Lauter Law” came into effect. I decided that candy was no longer allowed to be distributed in my classrooms. Legitimate concerns had surfaced based on the number of children diagnosed with food allergies.
I recently took a nostalgic ride down memory lane or, rather, Route 25A in Northport, to a greeting card and stationery store that I frequent. During a recent visit to New Beginnings Cardtique, owned by Patricia and Joe Labita, my eyes were quickly drawn to strategically placed candies at the front counter. I spotted an old favorite, Bonomo Turkish Taffy, but resisted the impulse to buy a package. I debated if consuming the strawberry-flavored delicacy was worth what I’d pay my dentist for the additional work needed for an already crown-crowded mouth. The answer was no. There were, however, safer choices.
When it comes to classic candy, Joe Labita eagerly shares his knowledge of candy culture and the effort made to locate candy distributors, both locally and as far away as France and Ireland.
Sure, the Labitas have all the usual candy fare -- M&Ms, Milky Way, Butterfinger and their second-biggest seller, Snickers. What makes their store special, though, are the hard-to-find treats, including Oh Henry! bars, Chuckles, Jujy Fruits, Chunkys, Necco Wafers, Candy Buttons and Black Jack gum.
When I told Patricia Labita about the History Channel’s top candy choice being awarded to Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, she shared the couple’s favorite. “It’s a 100-year-old confection called Goldenberg’s Peanut Chews,” she said. “As Joe is quick to remind me, there’s a history here, a heritage story behind every candy we have.”
Who are their biggest candy customers? They aren’t kids. They’re (perhaps nostalgic) adults.
It’s said that “youth is wasted on the young.” But to the young at heart, favorite childhood confections can often stir up the cherished memories lasting an entire lifetime. Now, isn’t that a sweet thought?
Reader Jim Lauter lives in Huntington.
