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Pharmacy celebrates 50 years of service

By ERNEST HOOPER
Published March 3, 2006

It was December 1998, and a lot on the corner of Brandon Boulevard and Parsons Avenue was being cleared for a new Walgreens.

Next to it, Bill's Prescription Center was scrambling. It was bad enough that a major pharmacy was opening up next to Brandon's most venerable drugstore. On top of that, the family-owned operation was trying to recover from a $300,000 fire that swept through the building, leaving employees in tears and the Noriega family fearful they wouldn't overcome the setback.

"Was I scared? Sure I was," said John Noriega, who has helped his father, Bill, run the shop since 1980. "The fire couldn't have happened at a worse time, but God makes things work out."

In a matter of days, the pharmacy reopened in a portable behind the damaged structure. Loyal customers made their way up the stairs, even those who were disabled. Somehow, Bill's survived.

Since 1956, Bill's has always survived, and a lot of people in this community are grateful. The store celebrates its 50th anniversary with a health fair celebration Saturday starting at 10 a.m., and the scope of the event keeps growing because people keep offering to help out.

Two outlets, Brass Bell Catering and Crawfton & Sons, heard about the fair and offered to serve free food. The YMCA has stepped up to offer activities kids played back in the '50s: Hula Hoops, hopscotch and jacks. Music Showcase is coming in with its karaoke machine.

The Shriners Clowns will attend with balloons and funny car rides. WMXT-FM 100.7 will have a live remote and WXPX-Ch. 66 personality Haywood Henson will attend with his Bill's Prescription race car.

Those activities will be on top of the health fair, which will include cholesterol, blood pressure and skin cancer screenings.

It all adds up to a salute to Bill Noriega, who borrowed $1,000 to start this pharmacy with his father back when Brandon was more pastures than asphalt. Bill and his father used an old ironing board as a template to create wood shelves for the store.

"It is amazing that people don't realize how long the pharmacy has been there," said Ellany Noriega, John's wife and one of the driving forces behind Saturday's event.

How old is Bill's? It's so old that in its early days, the store phone number had only six digits.

It's so old that in newspaper ads from the 1960s, the address was listed as the "stoplight and Highway 60." That's right, back then, Brandon had only one traffic light.

Much has changed since those days, but the store's trademarks of service and hard work remain. Bill's is one of those throwback pharmacies that still makes deliveries, and we're not just talking about in the Brandon area. The company vans have traveled as far as Sun City Center, New Tampa, St. Petersburg and Polk County.

"If you look at our business, as it evolved, it became more than just giving pills out to people," John Noriega said. "It's about giving people a good feeling as they come in."

That attitude, handed down by Bill, now rests with all five of his children. John and his sister Mary Louise work in the pharmacy. Brothers Bill and Albert work next door at Brandon Brace, which supplies clients with wheelchairs, walkers and other supplies. Sister Felicia runs LifeShapes Boutiques, which provides mastectomy prosthetics, comfort clothing and other supplies.

"It's genes," John said. "I think there's something in our genes that makes us want to give people something they need."

The siblings are sure to be on hand Saturday, and the elder Noriega will be there, too, probably working. The founder of Bill's Prescription shies away from the spotlight and isn't much for celebrating occasions.

But the sons and daughters and grandchildren will join in thanking Bill Noriega for establishing a community tradition that continues to thrive today in this world of Walgreens and CVS dominance. When someone provides care with a helpful hand, the community always will reach back.

That's all I'm saying.

- Ernest Hooper also writes a column for the Tampa & State section of the St. Petersburg Times. He can be reached at 225-3506 or hooper@sptimes.com

[Last modified March 2, 2006, 13:56:08]