A couple stories have caught my eye over the past few days as I slowly return to the land of the living (I would recommend a sinus infection only slightly more than root canal ... without an anesthetic).

In Gloversville, there's word that one of the bellwethers of downtown, Dave Gibson, is closing his two businesses, Fulton Computer Store and Fulton Book Store, ending a nearly 20-year run in the city. Meanwhile, in Cobleskill, the battle continues over the historic Newberry building and the replacement of three plate-glass windows that somehow were broken several weeks ago and have since been replaced by boards.

Both are representative of a battle that is almost as old as I am - the battle to keep downtown areas economically relevant, if not viable. It's a battle downtowns have been losing since the first suburban malls were built back in the 1950s and one that many towns continue to lose.

I vaguely remember as a young child shopping in the Newberry's store in downtown Cobleskill, and I later lived in one of the second-floor apartments above the former store for a time back in 1991 while working for The Daily Editor - the reduced rent being included as a perk of the job since my employer also owned the building at the time.

When I lived in the building, there were a few small businesses in sectioned-off portions of the building, but not much of note. Any business in the building was abruptly halted on Halloween night when a fire of dubious origin broke out in one of the other apartments on the second floor, causing fire, smoke and water damage - I wonder to this day whether it has been completely repaired.

Firefighters did a wonderful job of saving the building, but the question I've often asked myself over the past two decades is, saved it for what? A fire nearly 40 years ago took down Olsen's Department Store and a couple neighboring buildings on Main and Division streets and that hole remains.

Few businesses want to locate downtown, and of those that do, few last as long as Gibson's businesses did on North Main Street in Gloversville. If I were to walk through downtown Cobleskill today (and I honestly couldn't tell you the last time I even stopped in downtown Cobleskill, let along walked around it), I'll bet I would find no more than a handful of businesses that were in those same few blocks when I lived there.

The reason why, I think, is simple, and it's relevant to both stories. Most towns have continued to fight a losing battle to return their downtown to the downtown of old, and that simply will never happen.

I barely remember the day when people did all their shopping within a few blocks, when they got their groceries, their clothing, their medications, their furniture, etc., in one stretch of downtown buildings. First it was large supermarkets like P&C and Grand Union opening up on the edge of town, then it was Jamesway putting a department store right next to Grand Union to create Cobleskill's first strip mall. These stores offered not only lower prices in most cases, but also the convenience of being able to do the bulk of your shopping in one or two stops.

Meanwhile, larger malls like Mohawk Mall and Colonie Center were opening a reasonably short drive away, offering further convenience and more choice. Downtown Cobleskill was doomed, and gradually, longtime downtown fixtures like Hoagland's pharmacy, the Hodge & Aker men's clothing shop and Newberry's shut their doors.

As much as some won't admit it, these businesses closed for a reason, and those that tried unsuccessfully to take their places failed for the same reason: Retail business will never be able to compete with the Wal-Marts and Targets of the world. In businesses where service is secondary to the product, people are going to choose to go where they can get the best price, the best selection and the most convenient shopping experience.

Where most downtowns fail is in finding an identity that is attractive to residents. Downtown Cobleskill when I was a college student was attractive to me and my peers as an entertainment venue, with the historic Park Theatre showing first-run movies, several bars and eateries appealing to us and even a few niche shops.

Of course, when the drinking age was raised to 21, most of the bars were driven out of business, but the concept should not be forgotten. The businesses that have survived in downtown Cobleskill - and in downtowns everywhere - are ones that give the people what they want. In Cobleskill, it's much more service based, with attorneys, accountants and engineers taking up space once held by bars, restaurants and retail stores.

If that service theme can be further developed into a true niche, not only could more of these businesses open and thrive, but so can businesses that support these businesses, such as a place where people can grab a quick bite to eat. I could picture the Newberry building - with some investment - becoming a hub of professional services with apartments and perhaps supporting businesses such as a newsstand and a coffee shop.

In other communities - both large and small - downtown revival has focused on entertainment, with restaurants, clubs, theaters and similar venues taking over abandoned storefronts and bringing new life to the area.

It's OK to want to try to preserve the appearance of the area to harken back to the past, but it's disastrous to try to preserve a vision of the area that has no chance of success except in the receding memories of a distant past long since overtaken by malls and supercenters.