By Greg Reedy

Record Sports Editor

WILCOX – Elk County Commissioner and Wilcox resident Daniel R. Freeburg is enjoying the growth and revitalization in Wilcox and sees it continuing with the addition of a candy case brought in from what was known as Mugsy’s store.
“That was pretty much a landmark decades ago until the early 1980s,” Freeburg said. “It’s a survivor and a lot of older people in Wilcox, middle-aged and up recall going into Mugsy’s and buying penny candy. It’s kind of something that was lost and has resurfaced. It really adds to the flavor of what’s going on in Wilcox with the revitalization and with this library. The library has really become a focal point of downtown right there. It’s a great piece of nostalgia and history for older residents and it’s something totally new for the young kids who haven’t had an opportunity like this in Wilcox or anywhere in this area where they can go in with a couple cents and buy a handful of candy.”
Freeburg said his family has personal experience with going into the Wilcox Public Library, where the case is stored, and being able to purchase candy.
“I can say my two boys are nine and five and they make regular trips in there,” Freeburg said. “Talk about a small-town life amenity. It’s neat and old-fashioned and a really nice thing that they’ve done.”
Freeburg said the restoration of the candy case was part of community growth which is still going on in Wilcox.
“Just like the whole effort going on with the village of Wilcox, this candy case is a community effort,” Freeburg said. “It was salvaged when Mugsy’s was closed. The building was torn down after fire but someone had the foresight to save this piece of antique furniture.”
Freeburg said the case went to the Jones Township Senior Center which in turn voted to have it used downtown for the public.
“They stored it in the senior center and the senior center, the members voted that it be moved downtown to be used by the community for the public,” Freeburg said. “I think the actual vote was  to give it to the historical society who is housed in the library. You have this really nice, combined effort of many groups looking out to better the community and add to the atmosphere of this great, little small town that everyone’s working on.”
Freeburg said the candy case along with the entire growth of Wilcox is done for the next generation.
“I believe the whole revitalization is seeing very positive results and it’s really for the kids,” Freeburg said. “It’s for our future generations that this is going on. It’s just a great thing to see.”