A Stark County whodunit. Who put 'Ames open soon' on closed Rite Aid sign in Canton?
The "Stark, actually" featurettes are about people, places and things in Stark County. Prior examples have included everything from a place where elephants once roamed to a baseball bat left by a New Yorker on the Jackson Township grave of Thurman Munson.
WHAT: Business sign at a recently closed Rite Aid in Canton indicates Ames will open soon. Ames was a popular discount department store chain before it went out of business more than 20 years ago.
WHERE: Building is at 4332 Cleveland Ave. NW in Canton.
WHEN: This photo was taken on Feb. 29.
THE STORY: The mystery is who placed "Ames open soon" on the sign — and exactly what does it mean?
NAI Spring has the 11,694-square-foot building listed for lease. Agent Sean Sanford said he has no idea who placed the announcement on the sign. In fact, his company had photographed the sign days prior — and it was blank. Sanford said he contacted the property's out-of-state owners who said they didn't do it.
Family Circus comic strip 'Ida know' and 'Not me' references aside, it's clear someone placed the message.
Why?
And what does it mean?
Perhaps it's part of what's become an ongoing promise, or ruse, that Ames stores will make a comeback.
In the last couple years, someone has operated a website and an X account under the defunct company's name. They've used them to issue statements about the imminent return of Ames.
Media outlets, primarily in the northeast part of the country, have written and broadcast many stories on the subject. At one point, Ames was to be back in business as early as last year. That didn't occur, which has left some to wonder if it's simply an elaborate hoax
The most recent information on the website states:
"Ames formally announced on their (X) page that June 2026 is the new scheduled opening date for brick & mortar Ames locations. There are currently 35 locations planned to open across the United States by late 2027, with plans to add more locations during 2028."
Reach Tim at 330-580-8333 or tim.botos@cantonrep.com.On X: @tbotosREP
This article originally appeared on The Repository: Ames store mystery hits closed Rite Aid store in Canton
