By this stage in her career, Emerson-LaMay Cleaners owner Helen Campbell has become accustomed to moving, with haste. Early last week, Campbell was told that the five-year lease on her space at 15333 Sunset was up and would not be renewed. Back in February 2003, she lost her lease at 1045 Swarthmore (where clothiers Andana and Tabitha are now located). On both occasions, she had to scramble to land on her feet. While Campbell speculated that Wilshire Fireplace, Inc., which sublets from her in the same building, would take over her space, manager Patrick Maxwell told the Palisadian-Post there were no plans to do so. Wilshire will stay put, he said. Meanwhile, Campbell was invited to move her Emerson-LaMay inventory of customer clothing to Regal Cleaners on Via de la Paz (corner of Antioch), where she will be employed ‘until further notice.’ Regal owners Antonio and Cira Flores have put Campbell on the payroll along with her longtime tailor Filemon Zamudio, who also makes home deliveries and pickups. ’Customers have been so wonderful, there are no words to describe them,’ said a grateful Campbell, who added that when she moved from Swarthmore to Sunset, ‘We didn’t lose a day of work.’ Campbell worked for nearly 18 years as manager of Emerson-LaMay, which opened on Swarthmore in 1952. She bought the business in 1996 after Emerson and his wife died in a Topanga Canyon car crash while driving home from work.
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