Years ago, when camping with my family every summer in a cottage at a former Boy Scout camp on Newfound Lake in New Hampshire, my brothers and I looked forward to the announcement made over the public address system like clockwork every day at 10 a.m. and 3 p.m.:

“The store is open. The store will be open for the next 15 minutes. We have newspapers, candy, and ice cream. If you want anything, please come now. The store is open.”

That’s all I could think of this week when we got the news that “The General” is back. The much-anticipated opening of the store in the center of town has finally happened. Adam and Lyn Horowitz, who purchased the General Store from Joyce Garrick in April 2007, have been working diligently for a year to bring the building back to life. With newly polished floors, brightly painted walls, a serious coffee center, and shelves stocked with locally made breads, pastries, and jams; earth-friendly cleaning products, gourmet goodies, and more, the store beckons to those who have longed for a cozy place to visit and shop in the center of town.

In an interview with the Press last February, Garrick commented, “I hope the town supports what they do.”

We hope so too.

The store is open.