Suburban Leisure Center to Close

, which sells all things needed for an enviable backyard, will close in mid-September. 

The store has begun marking down merchandise. Most prices have been cut by 50 percent, manager Tom Dimmercurio said.

This year was the store's 50th anniversary.

"We've been in business a long time. But the economy's tough nowadays," said Dimmercurio, who has worked at the store for 10 years. "A lot of people are doing this same thing."

The decision to close was made a few months ago, Dimmercurio said. Neon-lettered signs announcing the closure and advertising the sale paper the windows, letting passersby know of the store's fate.

The store hopes to sell everything by the time it shuts its doors on Sept. 11, Dimmercurio said. Merchandise will gradually be discounted more and more until that date. Anything that might be left will be sold at auction or might be taken back by the manufacturer.