Life in the Finger Lakes Fall 2010

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Pizza Anyone? • Queenly Book Highlights Freeville

The Region’s Premier Magazine

Fall 2010

Awesome Autumn Inspiring Places to Visit

How to Find Gravesites Red (Wine) Revolution Shop the Windmill

LifeintheFingerLakes.com $3.95 US/$4.95 CAN

DISPLAY THROUGH DEC ’10

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Volume 10, Number 3 • Fall 2010

F E A T U R E S

34 40

AUTUMN – A SECOND SPRING French philosopher Albert Camus described autumn as “a second spring when every leaf is a flower”

By Bill Banaszewski

“MIGHTY QUEENS” MAKING A BIG IMPACT ON READERS Syndicated advice columnist Amy Dickinson’s best-selling memoir highlights Freeville

By Bill Wingell

50

“IT’S A BUTTERFLIES-IN-YOUR-STOMACH FEELING” Come and explore the Bahar Nature Preserve and Carpenter's Falls Unique Area, but be careful on the treacherous trails

By Phillip Bonn

58

SAMPLE THE WARES, SAVOR THE TASTES AT THE WINDMILL The farm and craft market between Penn Yan and Dundee is becoming a tourism destination

By Jim Hughes

Below: Autumn colors surround this pretty rural scene in Owego.

Photo by Cindy Ruggieri

Cover: Letchworth State Park on the western edge of Livingston County has many dramatic vistas, especially in early morning light and fog. Photo by Joe LeFevre

D E P A R T M E N T S 2 3 4 5 6 8 10 14 22

MY OWN WORDS LETTERS FINGER LAKES MAP CONTRIBUTORS OFFBEAT NEWSBITS OUTDOORS You don’t have to go to the Adirondacks to find river otters No “fracking” way say some Finger Lakes residents IN THE KITCHEN Pizza time all the time

26

DAY TRIP On the right path – the Catharine Valley Trail

29

FRUIT OF THE VINE A red revolution! Finger Lakes wineries make the case

48

WILDLIFE PROFILE Bushy tail – the gray squirrel

64 68 73

LIFESTYLE The legacy of Canandaigua’s Cobblestone Cottage The Cato Hardware HISTORY Secrets of a successful cemetery sleuth

78

A PROUD COMMUNITY Picturesque Branchport, a tiny hamlet steeped in tradition

80 87

FINGER LAKES SCRAPBOOK

91 97 104

FOOD Normal Bread and The Red Dove Tavern CALENDAR: FESTIVALS & EVENTS FAST FACTS AD INFO OFF THE EASEL The Keuka Lake Stone Mosaic Lady

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M Y

O W N

W O R D S

What Makes Us Tick

P

Serving lunch, dinner, late night and Sunday Brunch too.

Located downtown on the Ithaca Commons corner of Tioga/Seneca Streets

607-216-4343 www.kilpatrickspub.com

art of the mission of Life in the Finger Lakes magazine is to publish stories about things in the area that even lifelong residents may not be aware of. I think that’s what makes this publication unique. Let’s just say that we may have a template for success, yet we stretch and bend that template frequently for the purpose of originality.

One such unique story in this issue deals with the Cato Hardware, a great little store in northern Cayuga County. Many of you may have never been to Cato or visited the hardware store, but I’ll bet you have a similar store in your area. Visiting a Home Depot or Lowes has its advantages with the wide variety of tools and hardware available. Heck, they even sell plants and pool chemicals. But if you were to walk onto the well used hardwood floor of a local establishment like Cato Hardware, you can ask a question about plumbing, carpentry or electrical work and the proprietor and his staff will be able to tell you exactly what supplies and tools you need for the job, because they truly have the experience. There is still a need for niche businesses like this, especially when the closest big box hardware store is 40 miles away.

Did you ever wake up one day and say, “I think I’ll go to the local cemetery to see what famous people are buried there.” Well, you’re in luck because we have an article that covers just that. “Secrets of a Successful Cemetery Sleuth” on page 73 is a good primer for terminology and ways to research cemeteries. I really had no idea how many famous people are laid to rest in the Finger Lakes. There may even be one at a small village ceme-

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tery near you. If you like history, this is a great way to learn more about this interesting area.

I recently read The Mighty Queens of Freeville, a memoir by Amy Dickinson. A number of years ago Amy became a syndicated advice columnist, the successor to Ann Landers. In her best-selling book Amy offers an honest and very personal view into her life and the village of Freeville. In this issue, Bill Wingell writes about Amy and her family and provides us with some background information. See page 40. I hope after reading the article you’ll be encouraged to go out and purchase Mighty Queens, or check it out of the nearest library.

You wouldn’t have a copy of our magazine in your hands without at least one story about exploring the great outdoors. Flip through this issue to read about a great spot to explore on the southwestern shore of Skaneateles Lake called the Bahar Nature Preserve and Carpenter’s Falls Unique Area. You can also get more information on a beautiful trail that runs from Watkins Glen to Millport.

The Catharine Valley Trail will eventually go all the way to Horseheads when completed. Another great story in this issue deals with the West River at the south end of Canandaigua Lake.

Putting in a kayak or canoe there enables you to see wildlife as rare as the river otter.

We like to bring a variety of stories to you every issue. I hope you continue to enjoy our magazine, a unique and interesting perspective of the Finger Lakes.

mark@lifeinthefingerlakes.com

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L E T T E R S My wife and I really enjoyed Kimberly Price’s article “To Witness the World from the Water” (Summer 2010). We did a similar trip from our summer cottage near Ticonderoga to Watkins Glen.

Three of us (my wife and I and our best friend, all 67 years old at the time) travelled 350 miles through 38 locks for six days in the summer of 2009, all in a 21-foot boat.

The New York State Canal System is a real underutilized jewel and unknown to most people in the state.

Dale and Nancy Bryant, Elmira Thank you for including our Wine Country/Boy Scout skiff project in your Summer 2010 issue. The scouts have named the boat the Reginald Wood in honor of an Eagle Scout from Hammondsport who died in Europe during WWII. They have also decided to donate the proceeds of the raffle to the Finger Lakes Boating Museum. Ed Wightman was not only an instructor for our skiff project but also the pilot of the sail boat pictured on page 83 of your Summer 2010 issue.

Terry Holland, Phelps I read the wonderful article “Horses in my Dreams” in the Summer 2010 issue.

However, as I went to your site for more information regarding the National Forest’s Backbone Horse Campground there is nothing to be found. As an avid equestrian, always looking for new places to ride with my friends, the National Forest sounds great, but when I go to the National Forest Site I can’t locate the Backbone Campground. I’m an avid reader of your publication and have gone to many locations you have recommended, or referenced, from food establishments to vacation locations to overnight accomodations.

JR Booth, Scottsville I located a website which has the information you have requested. http://www.fs.fed.us/r9/forests/green mountain/htm/fingerlakes/links/ recreation/camping.htm Editor FAST FACTS INFO PAGE 97

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The Finger Lakes Regional Map From Oswego

Sterling Hamlin

Fair Haven

Hilton

From Watertown

MONROE

Sodus Point Sodus

Greece

Red Creek

Wolcott

Oneida Lake

Webster

Brockport

Williamson

Baldwinsville

Rochester

Spencerport

Cato

North Syracuse

Rose Marion

E. Rochester

Walworth

WAYNE

Churchville

Fairport

Spring Lake

Clyde

Macedon Palmyra

From Buffalo

Savannah

From Utica

Jordan

Lyons

Syracuse

Farmington Scottsville Rush

Caledonia

Montezuma

Honeoye Mendon Falls

Victor Clifton Springs

Holcomb Canandaigua

Phelps

Auburn

Cayuga

Waterloo

ONTARIO

Lima

Manlius Skaneateles Marcellus

Seneca Falls

Manchester

Avon

Otisco

Owasco

SENECA

Union Springs

Stanley

Cheshire

Lafayette

ONONDAGA

Niles

Gorham

Hemlock Honeoye

Geneseo

Pompey

Geneva

Bloomfield Livonia

Piffard

Fayetteville

Camillus

Weedsport

Newark

New Hope

Bristol Center

Tully

Hall

CAYUGA

Romulus Rushville

Aurora

Scott Cuyler Truxton

Conesus

Mt. Morris

Middlesex

Bristol Springs

Moravia Dresden King Ferry

Springwater

YATES

Naples

LIVINGSTON

Italy

Nunda

Homer

Summer Hill

CORTLAND

Interlaken

Keuka Park

Wayland

Portageville

Genoa

Ovid

Penn Yan Lodi

Solon

Cortland

Branchport

Himrod

McGraw

Groton Ludlowville

Dansville Trumansburg

Ossian

Freeville

Dundee

Prattsburg

Lansing Hector

Cohocton

Virgil

Dryden

Wayne Mecklenburg

Marathon

Ithaca Hammondsport Arkport

Haskinville

Weston

Avoca

Watkins Glen

Bradford

Hornell

SCHUYLER

Montour Falls

Canisteo

From Binghamton

Caroline

Danby Berkshire

Odessa Cayuta

Millport

STEUBEN Hartsville

Horseheads Painted Post

CHEMUNG

Corning

Jasper

Big Flats

Flemingville

Halsey Valley

TIOGA Owego

Chemung Center

Elmira

Addison

Rexville

Newark Valley

Van Etten

Breesport

Elmira Heights

Greenwood

Candor

Spencer

Pine Valley

Cameron Mills

The Finger Lakes Region of New York State

Harford Mills

TOMPKINS

Newfield

Monterey Beaver Dams

From Jamestown

NEW YORK S TAT E

Bath

Besemer

Burdett

Woodhull Barton Caton

Waverly

Pine City

Apalachin NIchols

Areas of interest in this magazine issue:

• Branchport • Canandaigua • Cato

EDITORIAL & PRODUCTION EDITOR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mark Stash mark@lifeinthefingerlakes.com SENIOR GRAPHIC ARTIST . . . . . . . Jennifer Srmack GRAPHIC ARTIST . . . . . . . . . . . Lindsey Williamson ASSOCIATE EDITOR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Tina Manzer ASSISTANT EDITORS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . J. Kevin Fahy

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Anya Harris . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Kim Price . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Carol C. Stash

• Dundee • Elmira • Freeville

• Hector • Hemlock • Ithaca

• Mendon • Millport • Montour Falls

• Naples • New Hope • Penn Yan

• Rochester • Syracuse • Watkins Glen

CONTRIBUTORS . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bill Banaszewski

EDITORIAL OFFICE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 315-789-0458

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Phillip Bonn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mary Jane Bowman . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jason Feulner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Rich Finzer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . William Ganis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Susan Peterson Gateley . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Kevin Graham . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . James P. Hughes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bill Kinsman . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Nancy E. McCarthy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Chef Eric K. Smith . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bill Wingell

DIRECTOR

OF

ADVERTISING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Tim Braden tim@lifeinthefingerlakes.com

FOR ADVERTISING INQUIRIES Jason Hagerman . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 800-344-0559 jason@lifeinthefingerlakes.com Rhonda Trainor. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 800-344-0559 rhonda@lifeinthefingerlakes.com

FOR SUBSCRIPTIONS Tricia McKenna . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 315-789-0458 subscribe@lifeinthefingerlakes.com BUSINESS OFFICE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 315-789-0458

800-344-0559 Life in the Finger Lakes is published by Fahy-Williams Publishing, Inc. and owned by Eleven Lakes Publishing, Inc. Coowners: Mark S. Stash; Timothy J. Braden. Copyright© 2010 by Eleven Lakes Publishing, Inc. No part of this publication may be reprinted or otherwise reproduced without written permission from the publisher.

TO SUBSCRIBE, RENEW OR CHANGE ADDRESS: write to Life in the Finger Lakes, P.O. Box 1080, Geneva, NY 14456, or call 315-789-0458. Subscription rates: $13.95 for one year. Canada add $15 per year. Outside North America, add $30 per year. For renewal or change of address, include the address label from your most recent issue of Life in the Finger Lakes. For gift subscriptions, include your own name and address as well as those of gift recipients.

BUSINESS FAX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 315-789-4263

Life in the Finger Lakes 171 Reed St. • P.O. Box 1080 • Geneva, NY 14456 www.LifeintheFingerLakes.com Serving the 14 counties of the Finger Lakes Region Printed by Vanguard Printing LLC, Ithaca, New York

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C O N T R I B U T O R S Susan Peterson Gateley is a native upstate New Yorker, former teacher, and icthyoplankton taxonomist, who single handed the wooden sloop Ariel in search of stories for 17 years. In 1996 she acquired a different boat and partner and added Gateley to her name. Her articles have run in numerous local and national publications including the Buffalo News, Rochester Democrat & Chronicle, Heartland USA, Sailing, Lakeland Boating, Countryside and others. She has a master’s degree in fisheries science and has worked in Massachusetts and on the Chesapeake Bay. She currently sails aboard a 32-foot Chris Craft sloop, Titania and on a 38-foot Tancook schooner Sara B. Her latest book, Twinkle Toes and the Riddle of the Lake, is a blend of fiction and fact about Lake Ontario. To meet Twinkle Toes and the gang visit ww.silverwaters.com/Riddleshow/index.html.

3907 West Lake Rd Canandaigua, NY

www.germanbrothers.com

585-394-4000

Phillip Bonn has been a nature photographer since the mid-’70s. He is skilled in both blackand-white and color photography. After working many years in film, he now works totally digital.

In 2007, Phillip branched into photojournalism to fully share his enjoyment of the outdoors with others. His initial article in this dual role was published in the Spring 2008 issue of Life in the Finger Lakes. Phillip’s unique perspective presents compelling images in which the landscape takes on a palpable presence. One can virtually hear the falling water, smell the flowers and feel the evening air embedded in his pictures. His photos invite the viewer to enter another world of heightened senses and a deeper relationship with nature. For more information about the photographer, please contact him at philbo5678@gmail.com, or to view more of his work visit philbosphotos.com

Mary Jane Bowman, her husband Mike and

their beloved lab mix Tasha live just a quarter of a mile from beautiful Hemlock Lake, the second western-most of the “little lakes.” The Bowmans moved to Hemlock in 1996 and they appreciate the many diverse features of the Finger Lakes Region. Mary Jane is a Chautauqua County native who has also lived in Olean, Rochester and the Mojave Desert and Southern Sierra Mountain regions of California. Since she grew up with a cemetery in the neighborhood she has always been comfortable with the serenity of graveyards, and a passion for genealogy research has generated a lot of good old-fashioned “cemetery sleuthing.”

Mary Jane also enjoys antiquing, all kinds of handcrafts, and walking in any season near the peaceful undeveloped shores of Hemlock Lake.

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O F F B E A T O F F B E A T O F F B E A T

Blind Student Is a Winner in Art Contest Watkins Glen Elementary student Gaetono “Guy” Williams won third

From Solid Ground to Forever Wild In the Winter 2007 issue, Life in the Finger Lakes magazine published an article entitled “Solid Ground,” by John Adamski, which examined the past, present, and future of the 7,000acre forested watersheds that surround Hemlock and Canadice Lakes – the only two of 11 Finger Lakes that remain undeveloped. The lakes have served as the water supply for the city of Rochester and much of Monroe County for over 130 years. The article advocated that the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) take over ownership to preserve the tract and prevent any potential subdivision.

At a ceremony Rochester Mayor Bob Duffy, held at Hemlock left, and DEC Commissioner Park on July 23, govPete Grannis signing the ernment officials proclamation of transfer. gathered together to do exactly that. Rochester Mayor Bob Duffy and DEC Commissioner Pete Grannis signed a proclamation of transfer, which was presented

by Jim Howe from The Nature Conservancy, in front of about 200 supporters. The new HemlockCanadice State Forest, which was paid for with $13.7 million from the state’s Environmental Protection Fund, will remain wild forever. In his remarks, Commissioner Grannis said, “Every now and then, government gets it right.”

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place in the Preschool/Kindergarten division of the 19th Annual Juried Competition and Exhibition for Blind and Visually Impaired Artists, sponsored by the American Printing House for the Blind (APH) in Louisville, Kentucky.

His untitled artwork, which depicts diagonal lines and a repeating pattern in clay, was chosen out of a pool of nearly 400 entries. Williams and his family travel to Louisville to accept the award at the annual meeting of the APH on October 15.

To learn more, and see the award-winning piece, as well as other examples of the young artist’s work, visit www.lifeinthefingerlakes.com.

North Sea Gas Appearing at Dundee Festival The first-ever Dundee Scottish Festival will be featuring one of the biggest bands in the Celtic world – North Sea Gas, on September 18.

The festival starts off with a parade at 10 a.m. at Dundee Central School and travels to the Black Rock Speedway just off Route 14A south of the village where the festival will be held until 7 p.m.

The festival has a definite purpose and goal according to Chairperson Fran Willis. “We wanted an event that would attract locals and tourists alike to our community and gather residents together to enhance pride in our community,” said Willis. “We also want to educate our youth in the Scottish culture and emphasize the connection with our sister city, Dundee, Scotland.”

The avenue of craft and food booths will mostly be based on Scottish culture. Clan booths will educate the public about their genealogy, along with the Kirtin’ of the Tartans traditional Scottish ceremony.

For more information call Willis at 315-729-2124 or check out DundeeScottishFestival.com.

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N E W S B I T S

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Offered by the Spa Apartments The Spa Apartments has put together a package of services and amenities most seniors are looking for.

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Meal Program Transportation Cable TV Nursing Service Activities Elevators Individual Heat Control Large Gracious Lobbies

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Front Door Intercom Laundry Room Laundry Service Arts & Crafts Emergency Call System Housekeeping Room Service Emergency Maintenance

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Fire Systems Library Trips Entertainment Large Porches Walk Areas Picnic Areas Full Kitchen and Bath

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Downtown shopping is only steps away.

Call today for a tour.

315-462-3080 www.spaapartments.com FAST FACTS INFO PAGE 97

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Finger Lakes Museum Launches Founders’ Campaign The Finger Lakes Museum has launched its first fundraising effort, which is being called the “History in the Making Founders’ Campaign.”

Since Keuka Lake State Park near Branchport was selected as the preferred site to build the museum, raising funds has become the top priority of project organizers, according to Board of Trustees President and Executive Director John Adamski.

Donors can become a Founder at levels ranging from $100 to $1,000 or more, and will receive a Founder’s Certificate, a decal, and have their names permanently inscribed on a Founders’ Wall in the lobby of the museum’s main building.

The objective of the Founders’ Campaign is to raise $1 million to hire staff, purchase computers and office equipment, and furnish the museum’s new offices at the Branchport School.

The school building, which has been vacant for two years, was purchased by the Finger Lakes Visitors Association for the museum’s use during the startup of operations. Funds from this effort will also pay consultants that will design and develop exhibits and museum programs at the state park campus.

A second fundraising campaign to raise the capital that will pay for the actual construction and operation of the museum project will also begin soon. The goal for that drive will be to raise $40 million.

The Finger Lakes Museum is an initiative to create a world-class educational institution to showcase the cultural heritage and ecological evolution of the 9,000-square-mile Finger Lakes Region of New York State. Doors are scheduled to open in 2014 if the capital fundraising goal is successful.

A Founders’ Campaign donation card can be found as in insert in this issue, or contributions can be made online at www.fingerlakesmuseum.org.

Life in the Finger Lakes magazine became the Finger Lakes Museum’s very first partner when the project was first proposed in the Spring 2008 issue.

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N E W S B I T S The British Are Back and Coming to the 2010 Mendon Station Festival The village of Mendon is putting on another festival this year, and the British are the guests of honor. Visitors can see a British Colonial Village with re-enactments and play 18th-century children’s games. Demonstrations by the 64th Regiment of Foot Horses can also be seen. Horses will be everywhere, with exhibitions and riding demonstrations.

The festival will be held on September 11 from noon to 7 p.m. and on September 12 from noon to 5 p.m. at Mendon Station Park in the Hamlet of Mendon, Routes 64 and 251. Music, artists and the Honeoye Falls-Lima School Scholastic Art Show highlight this year’s annual festival. There will also be pony rides, miniature train rides, horse drawn wagon rides, and the popular music of the Bob Squad, the Pittsford Fireman’s Band, the Black Diamond Express and a special Jazz performance along with other musical entertainment.

Visit www.mendonfoundation.com for information.

Drayton Jones’s watercolor of the boat “Seneca”

The Erie Canal as Seen Through Artists’ Eyes Lovers of canals and new fans won’t want to miss “Re-Inspired, An Artistic Navigation of the Erie Canal,” a travelling art and history exhibition opening at the World Canals Conference at The Rochester Plaza in Rochester, from Sunday, September 19

to Thursday, September 24, 2010.

“Re-Inspired” connects the imagination of the visual arts to the creativity of the engineers who created the Erie Canal, lifting New York and the nation’s economic prospects in the 19th and 20th centuries. Curator Douglas Lazarus carefully chose regional and international artists with a knowledge and flair for color, drama and light. Along with the paintings celebrating the canal is a sculpture by Dennis Sparling dedicated to Leonardo da Vinci, who in the 15th century invented the canal lock as we know it today. Many immigrants helped build the canal so it is fitting that Cormac O’Leary of Ireland and Vincent Crotty were among the artists invited to show.

Eminent historian and author Gerard Koeppel (Bond of Union) contributes texts for illustrated panels that guide us through the development of the canal.

I.D. Booth Celebrates 135 Years Only 2 percent of all businesses survive 100 years or more, and I.D. Booth, a local wholesaler of plumbing, heating, industrial, steel and electrical supplies, is among them.

Founded in 1875 by Irving Denman Booth (18431914), the Elmira-based company continues to prosper after 135 years, thanks to the capable leadership of five generations of Booths and the hard work and dedication of their loyal employees. Special recognition goes to Dan Murphy who has been with the company through four generations of Booths.

A celebration marking this milestone was held on August 18 at its home facility on William Street in Elmira. The funfilled event featured a pig roast, live entertainment and vendors.

I.D. Booth supplies contractors and retailers throughout central New York and the northern tier of Pennsylvania.

For more information, visit www.idbooth.com.

Some of the more than 30 local artist-members

David Kingsbury

who own Handwork are potters...

Marjory Martin

Stop by - they may be working!

Renata Wadsworth

HANDWORK Ithaca’s Cooperative Craft Store

102 West State Street The Commons, Ithaca www.handwork.coop 607-273-9400 FAST FACTS INFO PAGE 97

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O U T D O O R S

You Don’t Have to Go To the Adirondacks to Find River Otters story by Kevin Graham, illustration by Mark Stash

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I

t was Columbus Day weekend 2009 and my wife and I were trying to decide where to go for a quick getaway with our kayaks. After some discussion, we decided one of our favorite destinations, the Adirondacks, was not practical. Time and money dictated a different plan – one that more and more people are opting for as well – the stay-cation! But where could we go that could match our expectations? After all, years of mountain vacations had spoiled us for scenery and wildlife and now we longed for a similar unforgettable experience – just closer to home.

A logical choice seemed to be somewhere that held equally significant memories. It was the place my father took me and my brothers to hunt our first deer. It was where I’d wait anxiously to return each year: High Tor Wildlife Management Area. Little did we know how fully it would meet our “mountain needs.” Although I had not been back to High Tor in years, I knew it would be a great way to spend our day. Located southeast of Canandaigua Lake and four-and-one-half miles north

The New York River Otter Project I recently attended a lecture by Dennis Money, who served as president of the New York River Otter Project. During 1995 and 2000, in cooperation with Cornell University, the ROP trapped otters from other higher otter populations in New York State and relocated 286 otters to 16 different sites – West River being one of them. Prior to the project, there were none in the Finger Lakes. They had disappeared from Central and Western New York State over 100 years ago due to habitat loss, water pollution, and unregulated hunting and trapping. The New York ROP was developed in partnership between the private community and New York State Department of Environmental Conservation to bring otters back to this part of the state. The New York ROP is considered one of the most successful otter restoration projects ever.

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WHAT WILL YOUR LIFE LOOK LIKE? With an investment portfolio analyzed and managed by Anchor Capital Management be on your way to a financially independent, secure and comfortable future.

315 Taughannock Blvd.

Ithaca, NY 14850 607. 272.0004 www. anchorcapmanagement . com Anne C. Chernish, Managing Member

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O U T D O O R S of the Village of Naples, it was close enough to enjoy all it had to offer during the day while having plenty of time to return home at night. And since we’ve recently become empty nesters, it seemed like the perfect time to re-discover High Tor together – to start a new tradition from a time gone by.

With the picturesque West River in our sights, we drove through Geneva and headed south on Route 245. Just a few miles past Middlesex, we found the small state-access boat launch where we put our kayaks in the water. It was a chilly autumn morning as we paddled north, then rounded the horseshoe shape of the river toward Canandaigua Lake. The fall foliage on South Hill was a beautiful mixture of green, yellow, orange and red, reflecting off the water of West River. It was as if we’d been transported to a small Adirondack mountain stream. As we continued north toward the lake, ducks and geese

flew above and swam beside us on that crisp morning.

Our chilly noses and hands reminded us that it was almost time to head back. Roughly 300 yards later, we saw what appeared to be a few muskrats off to our left. I peered through my camera’s telephoto lens to take a closer look. We were thrilled to realize they were not muskrats at all but a family of six river otters. They pondered our movements and began to voice the whistling, chirps and chuckles typical of the species. Three of them hid on the bank quickly while the others stayed in the water, allowing us to watch their slippery, playful antics for only a couple of minutes. They then disappeared in the brush up over the shore, chattering back at us as we drifted by. I was fortunate to snap a couple of pictures before they all disappeared.

We looked at each other in awe. Who knew we would find such a treat this

far southwest of the Adirondacks.

Not knowing how the rare river otter came to be in the Finger Lakes Region, I began my research in the 2009-2010 New York Hunting & Trapping Guide. I remembered seeing a sidebar in the guide that read: “Have you seen an otter?” I found that river otters were released in Central and Western New York between 1995 and 2000. Current efforts to restore this species focus on documenting the distribution and abundance of otters in those areas. I reported our sighting by calling Region 8 headquarters in Avon.

The DEC officer was very happy to hear of our sighting story.

With all of the efforts taken to protect and restore river otters throughout New York State, my wife and I feel privileged to have had such a unique experience. We will definitely plan to kayak the West River again soon in hopes of another otter sighting.

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O U T D O O R S

“No Fracking Way” Say Some Finger Lakes Residents

by Susan Peterson Gateley

H

ydraulic fracturing, “fracking” of gas wells, is new to the Northeast. In this process millions of gallons of water and chemicals are injected into a horizontally drilled well shaft under pressure to break up the rock formations and release gas.

Yvonne Taylor, who summers on Seneca Lake on property that has been in her family for several generations, has learned enough about fracking to

join the growing “No Fracking Way” chorus. Among the concerns is that as the gas comes to the surface, so, too, does some of the water, laced with brine, radioactivity and the chemicals used by the well driller. The rest of the contaminated water stays underground.

Taylor wrote in an e-mail: “We have the gas and oil industry perched on the edge of their seats, ready to come in and frack the heck out of the

Since Life in the Finger Lakes first ran an article last summer on drilling for shale gas, we’ve learned quite a lot about this particular area of energy policy. Much of it comes from nearby Pennsylvania, where hydraulic fracturing of natural gas wells has been underway for a couple of years.

shale beneath us. They claim it’s safe and no water contamination has occurred from fracking. They are promising landowners lots of money from leasing, and many jobs. But there is strong evidence to the contrary on all those points.”

Yvonne and others, worried about potential long-term damage to the environment resulting from the short-term shale gas gold rush, have organized into dozens of grassroots groups in southern New York and Pennsylvania.

Organizations like River Keeper, Gas Drilling Awareness for Cortland County and the Tompkins County Planning Department are issuing warnings about heavy truck traffic and ruined roads, the potential for lower local property tax revenues, permanent pollution of drinking water wells, and clear-running trout streams being sucked dry or contaminated by well drillers.

What happened elsewhere?

Gas wells in Mount Pleasant Township, Washington County, Pennsylvania. Photo by Robert Donnan

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Their concerns appear to be well founded, as illustrated by events in Pennsylvania, Colorado, Texas, and Wyoming where shale gas drilling has been underway for years. Last winter the mayor of Dish, Texas, Calvin Tillman, traveled at his own expense to Upstate New York to speak to groups about his town’s experiences with gas drillers. His small town is home to 11 natural gas compressor stations and miles of pipelines. Residents deal every day with noise pollution, air pollution and respiratory ailments caused by gas leaks and vapors. His message to the Finger Lakes area is “Take your time and do it right.”

While efforts to put a moratorium on fracking for shale gas are underway

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O U T D O O R S

Production pit at a drilling pad located in Canton Township, Washington County, Pennsylvania.

Photo by Robert Donnan

in New York State, there is still tremendous pressure to get the gas as fast as it can be gotten. The amounts of money involved are staggering – New York State could realize gas well royalties of up to a billion dollars each year.

However, some say that the costs of cleanup, road repair, reduced property value, water treatment and other longterm remediation are likely to eat up that revenue.

Keeping watch over water

Not everyone is willing to risk losing clean water and air. New York City lobbied successfully for stricter case-bycase well-drilling permits for gas wells within the Catskills watershed, the source of its unfiltered supply. Syracuse received a similar level of protection for Skaneateles Lake. (The New York State Department of Health has jurisdiction over unfiltered public water supplies, and so can override DEC gas-well regulations.) The rest of us don’t have the same increased oversight of our public water supplies and private drinking water wells, which has prompted a number of counties, towns and cities to issue resolutions calling for a moratorium on shale gas drilling and fracking. The “tacit admission” of problems implied by the increased regulation of drilling in FAST FACTS INFO PAGE 97

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New York City’s water supply has energized those opposed to the current regulatory regime and the gas rush may be slowing a bit for now.

Shale gas fracking uses a lot of water, so concern centers on pollution of that water. We really don’t know a lot about the actual geology and science of fracking and what happens after it’s been done. However, some experts suggest that when the shales are fractured to release gas deep below the surface, some of the cracks in the rock intersect with faults. The natural faults allow gas and or chemical-laced frack fluid to travel. Sometimes gas and chemicals can travel for miles to reach an aquifer near the surface to pollute a well or surfacewater stream or river. In Bainbridge, Ohio, a few years ago, gas seeped into a basement of a house, where it collected and exploded. While no one can prove the source of the gas, a well nearby had been hydrofracked and the incident fits the pattern of similar effects. In January 2009, a water well exploded in Dimock, Pennsylvania, because of methane intrusion. At least eight other wells were found to be contaminated from gas wells drilled nearby.

What do they do with frack water?

The Marcellus shale is a “tight”

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O U T D O O R S

In April 2009 this rig was as work in Pennsylvania. It is currently drilling one of three Marcellus Shale horizontal gas wells for Range Resources Appalachia LLC. Photo by Robert Donnan

FAST FACTS INFO PAGE 97

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FAST FACTS INFO PAGE 97

shale and the same characteristics that make it reluctant to yield its gas also cause it to retain much of the polluted water used in the fracking process.

Ideally the polluted water would be recovered and processed to remove radionuclides and chemicals and then reused. Currently, such processing is not yet widely available in our area. To dispose of frack water out West, it is injected into a deep storage well drilled in a stable impermeable rock formation. Very few wells for disposal of contaminants exist in the Northeast. In Pennsylvania, the used water is being treated by municipal sewage treatment plants, which are not equipped to handle brines, fracking chemicals and radioactivity.

Leaving the fluid in place deep underground raises enough questions to justify a moratorium on it in New York State, say many people. In May, Tompkins County passed its own gas drilling resolution. It called on the governor and the legislature of the State of New York “to ban hydrofracking pending further independent scientific assessments to determine the risks, greenhouse gas emissions, and

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O U T D O O R S social and economic costs associated with the practice.” Onondaga and Cortland County have also called for a moratorium.

Appropriate environmental safeguards

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In 2005, Congress passed the Energy Policy Act that contains a loophole removing much of the federal government’s authority to monitor and regulate hydraulic fracturing’s impact on the environment. By default, that responsibility fell to the states with their limited resources and abilities to inspect and monitor the thousands of new wells being drilled. New York, according to the independent journalism project Pro Publica, had just 19 inspectors to monitor 13,684 gas wells in 2008. The number of wells being drilled and the need for inspections is expected to increase dramatically as hydraulic fracturing begins. According to Pro Publica, in Pennsylvania gas wells are visited once every 10 years by inspectors.

Legislation has been introduced in congress to close the shale gas regulatory loophole. The federal legislation called the FRAC act (S 1215 and HR 2766) to restore regulatory authority had been sitting in committee for over a year. In June 2010, legislation calling for a oneyear moratorium on fracking within New York State had gotten through committee in Albany, but had not yet been passed.

With appropriate environmental safeguards, natural gas from Upstate New York wells could be a “bridge” to a more sustainable energy policy. But monitoring, proper cleanup and containment of spills and fracking chemicals are essential. Though the individual environmental impacts of a single well might seem manageable, the cumulative impacts of thousands of wells, plus the associated traffic and other industry associated with them, and the potential pollution of groundwater are worth careful thought and oversight. Going slow, as advised by others who have watched their own ranches, cities and farms impacted seems prudent. Perhaps some areas should just be off limits.

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T H E

K I T C H E N

Pizza Time All the Time

by Chef Eric K. Smith, New York Wine & Culinary Center photos by Mark Stash

N

ot only is pizza one of my favorite meals by far, creating pizza was among my first experiences as a professional cook. I started tossing and flipping dough at the tender age of 15 in my father’s pizza shop here in the Finger Lakes. Since then, I’ve cooked in several upscale restaurants in Rochester, New York City and Paris. Now I teach pizza and calzone classes (among other tasty dishes) at the New York Wine & Culinary Center in Canandaigua.

Use bread flour for pizza. It has the most gluten – 12 to 13 percent compared to 7 to 8 percent in cake flour and 11 to 12 percent in all-purpose flour. Gluten helps keep the dough elastic, and causes it to rise before it is baked by keeping in the gases that are released during fermentation.

The dough can be rolled, spread or tossed, then baked in an oven with sauces, cheeses and more on top. Bake Seasonal Chef Demo and Wine Pairing With Chef Instructor Eric Smith The New York State Wine and Culinary Center, Canandaigua September 25, 1:30-2:30 p.m. $30 per person To register: www.nywcc.com or call 585-394-7070

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FAST FACTS INFO PAGE 97

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it on a pizza stone, but be sure to heat the stone before using.

Pizzas may also be grilled so that a flavorful char forms a crust on each side. After a grilled pizza is topped, it’s placed in the oven to melt the cheese.

Here’s a grilling trick I use to avoid also having to use the oven: I turn only half the grill on, and heat one side of the pizza there. I then flip the dough over and place on the “off” side of the grill. To avoid burning the crust while still cooking the dough I put on the toppings and close the lid.

Basic Pizza Crust (4 to 6 servings) • 1 package (about one tablespoon) dry active yeast • 3/4-cup warm water, divided • 1 teaspoon sugar • 2 cups flour, plus a few tablespoons for rolling out the dough

K I T C H E N

• 1 teaspoon salt • 1 tablespoon vegetable or olive oil Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

In small cup dissolve yeast in 1/4cup warm water with sugar. Set aside until yeast foams. Place 2 cups of flour in a bowl. Add salt and stir to mix. Add yeast mixture, the remaining warm water, and vegetable oil. Stir to make stiff dough. Flour a board with the remaining flour and turn dough out. Knead until smooth, about five minutes. Place in an oiled bowl, turning the dough to oil all sides. Cover with towel. Place bowl in a warm spot and allow dough to rise for 30 minutes or until doubled in bulk. Roll, spread or toss the dough and spread sauce on top and cover with toppings of your choice. Bake for 16 to 20 minutes in preheated oven.

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topped with olive oil and seasonings enjoyed by Babylonians, Israelites, Egyptians and other middle-eastern cultures. During the 16th century in Naples, Italy, bakers used dough as a tool to determine the temperatures of their ovens. They sold the resulting baked “pizza” on the streets. Pizza first appeared in the U.S. with the arrival of Italian immigrants in the late 19th century. In the cities with big Italian populations, like Philadelphia, New York, Chicago and San Francisco, it was sold on the streets in the Italian neighborhoods. Gennaro Lombardi claims to have opened America’s first pizzeria in New York City’s Little Italy in the very early 1900s.

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Quick Pizza Sauce (1-1/2 cups) • 1 cup onion, diced • 1 to 2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced • 1 teaspoon olive oil • 1/4-cup tomato paste • 1 cup of your favorite New York State red wine (see article on page 29) • 1 cup whole peeled tomatoes • 1 teaspoon fresh basil, chopped • 2 teaspoons fresh oregano, chopped • Kosher salt • Fresh black pepper to taste

Over low heat, sauté onion and garlic in olive oil until they’re soft but not brown. Toss in the tomato paste and cook for about three minutes until soft and the onion and garlic are coated.

Add the red wine and simmer until it gets thick. Pour in the whole peeled tomatoes along with the fresh herbs.

Simmer, covered, over very low heat for 30 minutes to an hour. Use a stick blender to purée. (A regular blender can be used, but hot food has been known to blow the top off the blender’s pitcher.)

Season to taste with Kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper.

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D A Y

T R I P

On the Right Path Trail “friends” help preserve region’s history

by Kimberly Price

W

hen Michelle Benjamin got involved with the Catharine Valley Trail more than 10 years ago, she had no idea the joy she’d experience while watching it grow.

From concept to reality, Benjamin has been with the project from the start, and is now president of the Friends of the Catharine Valley Trail.

“I’m one of the lucky ones who has been with the project from the beginning,” said Benjamin. “I’ve been so excited to see it develop and all the pieces come together.”

Originally the idea of the late Elmira lawyer Ed Hoffman, the trail, when completed, will connect Watkins Glen with Mark Twain State Park in Horseheads. Hoffman started develop-

ing plans for the trail in the mid-to-late ’90s and began talking with New York State Office of Parks Recreation and Historic Preservation to find funding.

“When completed, the Catharine Valley Trail will be a 12-mile, multi-use pathway,” Hoffman. “Most of the trail is on portions of abandoned Northern Central Railroad and Chemung Canal towpath corridors in New York’s Finger Lakes Region. The trail spans Schuyler and Chemung counties, passing through the communities of Watkins Glen, Montour Falls, Millport and Pine Valley to Horseheads.”

Although Hoffman passed away just before the first section of trail was completed, his

Information kiosks are spaced periodically on the trail, along with convenient public restrooms.

Photo by Mark Stash

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vision lives on and is enjoyed by many people. “The trail certainly would not have happened without Ed’s dedication and the groundwork he laid,” said Benjamin. Hoffman’s widow, Joy, is still very involved in trail efforts, as she attends every ribbon cutting and opening event, Benjamin said.

While the trail is owned and maintained by New York State Parks, Friends of the Catharine Valley Trail is a citizen group that advocates getting the trail done and lets people know about it. “We publicize the trail,” said Benjamin. “We have events on the trail, make brochures, write newsletters and maintain the website.”

What makes it work

Made with crushed limestone, the trail is ADA wheelchair accessible, so it’s wide and perfect for biking, walking, and running, said Benjamin. Because the ground is level, it is ideal for wintertime activities like cross country skiing and snowshoeing.

“There are wooded sections, and then there are sections where you’re walking along creeks and creek beds,” said Benjamin. “Some sections are a little close to the road, but a lot of times, it veers away from the road so it’s quite serene and peaceful.”

Every year, New York State Parks tries to finish at least one section of the trail. In 2008, a section entering into the village of Watkins Glen was completed, with the trail reaching the lakefront. At the annual meeting for the Friends of the trail, “dedicated Trail Stewards” had the opportunity to walk the path from Seneca Harbor

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Trumansburg Dundee Hector Mecklenburg ak e Seneca L

Park on Harbor Drive down Decatur Street to the Watkins Glen High School.

In 2009, New York State Parks worked on the section from Millport to Mark Twain State Park.

Although she has yet to walk the entire trail, Benjamin has walked certain sections. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve walked a few miles at a time,â&#x20AC;? she said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;If youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re going to walk, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s going to take a while. I see more and more bikes on the trail.â&#x20AC;?

Watkins Glen

Catharine Valley Trail

Burdett

Montour Falls

Odessa

Beaver â&#x20AC;&#x201C;â&#x20AC;&#x201C;â&#x20AC;&#x201C;â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Dams Developed

â&#x20AC;&#x201C;â&#x20AC;&#x201C;â&#x20AC;&#x201C;â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Future

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Millport

Education on the go

Whether walking, biking, riding in a wheelchair or snowshoeing, the trail can serve as more than just a fun afternoon â&#x20AC;&#x201C; it can also be extremely educational. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Every completed section has a kiosk which has maps and some historical information,â&#x20AC;? said Benjamin.

In Millport, for example, the information in the kiosk covers the

Pine Valley

Horseheads Breesport

Corning

Elmira Heights

Big Flats

Elmira Caton

Pine City

mills that used to be there. It also informs the public about the history of the railroads and canals that used to be in the area. To complement the kiosks, the Friends have published a brochure series, which is available on its website, www.cvtfriends. elmirampo.org. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We have a general brochure,â&#x20AC;? said Benjamin. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We have a transportation brochure that tells how weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve gone from canal to horses to railroad to cars, and we also have a geology brochure,â&#x20AC;? which discusses the history of the region and how it came to be.â&#x20AC;?

While kids may not appreciate the history aspect of the trail quite as much as their parents might, there is a brochure made especially for youth that will help them learn in a fun way. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We have a little checklist of the animals you might see along the trail. The plants, the trees â&#x20AC;&#x201C; you just check them off as youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re going along,â&#x20AC;? said Benjamin.

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D A Y Many contribute to completion

As far as funding goes, New York State Parks provides most of the money needed to make the Catharine Valley Trail project a reality. “A lot of that has come through state funding with federal funding,” said David Peterson, a representative of State Parks. “So, they’ve matched part of that. Some of the construction we’ve had has come through federal transportation dollars as well.” Although the money from Parks pays for the construction in terms of materials and staffing to physically build miles, a lot of the completion of the trail is a community effort.

“There are a lot of towns and villages and even two counties involved because of the way the trail runs from Schuyler County down through Chemung County,” said Benjamin.

“There have really been a lot of inter-

T R I P

governmental efforts to get things done on the trail as well. If there was a mowing project or a cleaning project or guardrails needed to be installed, a lot of different towns and villages have chipped in as well.”

Although both history and nature walks are regularly scheduled, special events draw large numbers of people, especially runners. Every June, the Live Like Liz 5K run/walk for ovarian cancer awareness brings roughly 400 people. And last August, the Finger Lakes Runners Club sponsored the first-ever path marathon there. The local district of the Lions Club also puts the trail to good use for its fundraising events each year.

“We’re seeing more and more groups utilizing the trail as well,” said Benjamin, “whether in a formal aspect like with a public event or even just tourist groups coming through.”

Facing the Future

The Catharine Valley Trail is always searching for new “Friends” to advocate for its completion and continued presence in the region. “Trail Stewards” help improve the quality of the experience for all visitors.

According to the website, “Their principal roles are to use their local knowledge to assist others in emergency situations, to recognize and report problems with the Trail, and to offer visitors information about the Trail, local services, activities and attractions.”

If you are interested in becoming a “Trail Steward” or member of the Catharine Valley Trail, visit www.cvtfriends.elmirampo.org for information.

Or if you simply want to relax, get back to nature, and explore the historical beauty of the Finger Lakes Region, take a stroll down the trail. It will surely become a lifelong “Friend.”

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A Red Revolution!

Finger Lakes wineries make the case

by Jason Feulner

D

espite its expanding reputation for quality, the Finger Lakes wine region continues to carry the stigma of producing red wines unworthy of serious attention. While some critical accolades have softened this strict interpretation, many visitors and consumers who otherwise purchase and enjoy Finger Lakes whites continue to avoid reds. Crafting Finger Lakes reds of the highest quality is an expensive and laborious process that not all wineries embrace; yet there are some producers who face the challenge head-on.

On the eastern shore of Seneca Lake, for instance, lies a winery that not only deals with reds, it purposely avoids

whites. Shalestone Vineyards, founded in 1995, has never made a white wine.

Owner and winemaker Rob Thomas arrived at his stance not because he lacked white wine experience – he cut his winemaking teeth making all kinds of wines at other wineries – but because he’s dedicated to doing something different. “I wanted Shalestone to be known for making red wines,” he noted.

Thomas can cite many practical considerations supporting his decision, including the shallow soil composition on his vineyard site that he believes stresses the vines in favor of producing flavorful red grapes.

Visitors to the Shalestone tasting

Rob Thomas, owner and winemaker of Shalestone Vineyards, with his aging red wines in the winery’s underground cellar. Photo by Jason Feulner FAST FACTS INFO PAGE 97

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WINERIES F R U I T

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room are treated to a selection of red blends and varieties such as Pinot Noir, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.

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Suited to small wineries

The underlying premise of Shalestone’s business plan is to stay small. Thomas has no plans to expand beyond the modest 1,500 cases he currently produces, preferring to build a loyal customer base through word-ofmouth. “I imagine that it’s possible to get bigger and still maintain quality,” he muses, “although it’s difficult to sell that much red wine.”

Most of the other Finger Lakes producers who focus on quality red wine are by definition small, producing only a few thousand cases of red wine annually.

Ravines Wine Cellars, one of the larger boutique wineries, produces all of the major red varieties plus a rosé wine made strictly with red grapes in the traditional fashion. Owner and winemaker Morten Hallgren, a European-educated winemaker who has worked extensively in France’s storied red wine regions, is adamant that red wines are suited to the Finger Lakes.

“Yes, people often question whether we should produce red wines here, but we have a unique potential to make red wines. The balance we can achieve in our reds – alcohol, acidity, tannin and fresh fruit – makes the Finger Lakes the ultimate region to grow cool climate grapes. Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot: in Europe these are considered cool-climate red grapes.”

German native Johannes Reinhardt, head winemaker at Anthony Road, is open-minded about reds but cautious in his approach. “To me, consistent good red wine means living with inconsistency, expecting that not every year can bring an exciting red wine.

Even our Cabernet Franc-Lemberger blend is only bottled seven out of 10 years, which is what I would call consistency,” Reinhardt states. “It is important to look at the total size of the winery and vineyard on an acreage basis to see how much risk we should put into the

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WINERIES more challenging red varieties for the Finger Lakes climate. In the end, we all do have to pay our bills.â&#x20AC;?

In a similar vein, Steve Shaw, owner and winemaker at Shaw Vineyards, believes that small wineries are well suited to avoiding the pitfalls of red wines in the Finger Lakes. â&#x20AC;&#x153;You need some flexibility to make good reds,â&#x20AC;?

Shaw admits. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve let my red grapes hang until November to get the qualities I want, which means a more expensive harvest. I age my reds as long as I can before release, delaying a return on investment. The more overhead you have, the harder it is to do these things.

No one can say that making good red wine in the Finger Lakes is an easy business decision.â&#x20AC;?

Phil Davis, co-owner and grower for Damiani, a winery that makes mostly red wine by volume, maintains that rethinking the expenses associated with the cultivation of red grapes is the key to profitability. In the past, most independent growers who would contract with wineries would receive compensation by the ton, and therefore would avoid thinning red grapes throughout the growing season. â&#x20AC;&#x153;In our climate, low yields are the key to consistency in reds,â&#x20AC;? Davis says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve worked with growers to contract by the acre, so we can thin the fruit down to where we want it.â&#x20AC;?

The per-acre contract system, used

by Damiani and several other wineries, compensates growers at an appropriate level while allowing wineries to adjust yields from year to year based on growing conditions. The desired outcome is consistency in red wine quality coupled with predictable annual expenses.

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Nearly all Finger Lakes wineries that specialize in quality red wines charge between $20 and $40 per bottle, including even their most exclusive reds. Mass-produced reds from California and elsewhere can sell for under $20, while high-quality red wines from relatively small wineries in California and Europe can sell for hundreds of dollars per bottle. Finger Lakes

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Seneca Lake Wine Trail ... A Tasteful Experience

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9 7O K = 7 B 7A; M?D; JH7?B '+ M_d[h_[i ' 9_Z[ho * :_ij_bb[h_[i F R U I T

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reds find themselves in an odd pricing niche, perhaps too expensive for some consumers to try and not nearly available in enough quantity to win over those who are inclined to associate price with quality. Many Finger Lakes producers admit difficulty in marketing their reds outside of Upstate New York, relying heavily on tasting-room sales.

Critical attention, however, is beginning to change the equation. The 2007 Ravines Meritage (a Bordeaux style blend of Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot) recently received from Wine Spectator the highest score for a red wine in recent Finger Lakes’ history. Damiani and Shaw have also recently received high scores for their reds from the same publication.

While Shalestone does not submit wines for scores on a regular basis, it has seen its fair share of good scores in the recent past. “I care about making nice wine, not receiving accolades,” Rob Thomas states lightheartedly, referring to the long-standing perceptions that haunt Finger Lakes reds. All of these wineries point to a general increase in demand for their red wines in the past few years.

When one speaks with a Finger Lakes winemaker who is dedicated to red wine, there is a sense of excitement that permeates the conversation.

Morten Hallgren speaks of the potential of “balance and harmony.” Phil Davis refers to the “love and passion” involved in making red wine in the Finger Lakes.

Steve Shaw stresses the “satisfaction” of making good reds under difficult conditions. Rob Thomas, wholly dedicated to the production of red wine in the Finger Lakes, summarizes his pursuit succinctly: “If red grapes grow well eight years out of 10, why not make red wine?”

The economics of red wine production in the Finger Lakes are complex, and the leading question as to whether the region can enhance quality in conjunction with demand is still a sound one. With the presence of passionate red wine proponents, however, there is little doubt that an interested consumer can evaluate the potential of Finger Lakes red wine simply by seeking out and sampling those wineries that are actively making the case.

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A U T U M N a second spring

French philosopher Albert Camus described autumn as “a second spring when every leaf is a flower.”

text and photos by Bill Banaszewski

Spring places no bounds on the coloring of its flowers, while the leaves of autumn are usually limited to the spectrum of yellow, red and orange.

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Leaves change color somewhat differently every year. The timing of the color change is triggered by decreasing light in fall and by a combination of other factors â&#x20AC;&#x201C; temperature, rainfall and food supply.

Contrary to the stories of our childhood, least important is the handiwork of old Jack Frost.

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A

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Left: As summer wanes and daylight decreases, so too does the production of chlorophyll. Called the green blood of the world, it provides leaves with food and colors them green throughout the summer. Red and yellow pigments are present in leaves all summer but are masked by the chlorophyll-induced green. Slowly but surely, come fall, the green fades and the reds and yellows emerge. Yellows blending with reds create orange.

Bottom: The color of sugar maple leaves can vary from year to year. If our autumn days are sunny, nights are chilly and we have ample rainfall, sugar production is increased, which intensifies the color of maple leaves to vivid scarlet and crimson.

Below: If fall days are cloudy and dry, the leaves of sugar maples will be yellow instead of shades of red.

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spring

Right: The leaves of shagbark hickory often wither and turn brown, but in years when there has been sufficient rain, their leaves of brilliant yellow and gold are quite a sight to behold against a bluebird sky.

Bottom: The color, shape, and pattern of these staghorn sumac leaves reminded me of Native Americans in war paint.

Below: During a gentle fall rain, the color of almost any leaf can be rich and vibrant, but here, an early snow provides a stunning contrast to the dark bark and radiant colors of the leaves, still on the trees.

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A

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As the season progresses, the rural roads of the Finger Lakes become colorful carpets of fallen autumn leaves, reminding us that our “second spring” is about to end.

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spring

The beauty that is autumn is essentially the result of death. However, as leaves succumb – turning from green to yellow, red or orange, before falling by the millions – they paint broad, bright strokes across the landscapes of the Finger Lakes. As the days turn colder, our memories of our “second spring” help us take pleasure in autumns yet to come.

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“Mighty Queens” Making a

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Jeffrey Lewis and his 13-year-old son, William, greet author and syndicated columnist Amy Dickinson during her appearance at the Barnes & Noble bookstore in Ithaca.

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story and photos by Bill Wingell

effrey Lewis of Lansing, an oral surgeon with a practice in Ithaca, bought a copy of syndicated advice columnist Amy Dickinson’s bestselling memoir, The Mighty Queens of Freeville, shortly after it was published. Lewis, who describes himself as a voracious reader, said that in the last few years he has found memoirs especially appealing. He believed Dickinson’s book would be the perfect bedtime read. It was, Lewis said, but there was a problem: “I couldn’t put it down.”

Lewis said he sat in an easy chair in the bedroom at home reading the Dickinson memoir as his wife, Kristin, fell asleep. “Hours later, the light is still on, and I’m sitting in the chair reading the book,” he related. “My wife wakes up and asks, ‘My God, when are you going to put that book down?’ and I say, ‘When I finish it.’” Lewis said he did put out the light and go to bed a short time later, but he repeated his marathon

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Freeville, population about 500; of her diffireading session the next night. He cult teenage years after her father ran off with finished the book in just a little a truck-stop waitress and then abruptly sold more than two days. the farm’s herd of cows; of another painful “It was driving me crazy,” period when her husband, a television netKristin said with a laugh. “Jeff was work foreign correspondent, renounced their so taken with the book he sat up marriage and left her in a London apartment with the light on into the wee with a baby to care for; of her determined hours of the morning.” But then she effort to raise her daughter Emily and achieve admitted that a few nights later, she success in the extremely competitive world of picked up the book herself, “and I American media, and finally, of her storybook pretty much turned around and did romance and marriage two years ago to a the same thing to him. It was just childhood acquaintance. Bruno Schickel, a such an incredibly engaging and farm boy who went on to become a successful delightful book.”

Among the mix of homes along tiny Words like “engaging” and Freeville’s Main Street is this house with Tompkins County building contractor, at one a colorful assortment of plants, flags, point refused to renovate Amy’s small, aging “delightful” only partially describe house on Freeville’s Main Street. Not long the enthusiasm many readers – espe- pottery and baskets on the front steps. afterwards he did agree to, “renovate my life cially women – seem to have for instead,” said Dickinson.

Dickinson’s memoir. In cities and villages around the country, and especially across Upstate New York, scores of them have been turning out to hear her “A family of women who have a lot to say” read from her book and elaborate on the charming and canNot far into her memoir, Dickinson asserts, “I come did story of The Mighty Queens of Freeville. from a family of women who have a lot to say.” That is an The book tells of the author’s upbringing on a small understatement. As the successor to the late advice columdairy farm in the tiny Tompkins County village of nist Ann Landers, Dickinson writes a daily “Ask Amy” col-

Dickinson sisters Amy, left, and Rachel, both successful writers, stroll on Main Street in Freeville.

Their family roots in the area go back 200 years.

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umn read by about 20 million readers of some 200 newspapers across the country.

She also makes monthly appearances on National Public Radio’s popular news quiz, “Wait, Wait ... Don’t Tell Me!” and is a frequent contributor to the network’s other news shows.

Amy’s sister, Rachel Dickinson, lives in Freeville in a classic Victorian home a short distance down Main Street from the house Amy now uses as an office. Rachel is a widely published travel writer. Her articles have appeared in The Atlantic, Audubon, the Columbia Journalism Review and the Christian Science Monitor. She is also the author of a well-received book, Falconer on the Edge – a portrait of legendary falconer Steve Chindgren, a descendent of Mormon pioneers who lives in Utah and hunts with his birds in the sage grouse country of Wyoming.

Rachel’s book examines the deepening conflict between the traditional sport of falconry and the current rush by gas drillers to tap into the resources below the surface of the environmentally sensitive grouse habitat. Rachel’s husband, Tim Gallagher, is himself a falconer and author, and serves as editor-in-chief of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s quarterly Living Bird magazine.

Reflecting on the effort that went into writing her book, Rachel said, “There are times when I look at that book and I can’t believe I actually wrote it. When you think about the amount of time that goes into writing and researching a book, it’s monumental.

“Amy’s book was based on her life, and they were like personal essays,” Rachel said. “Mine was based on someone else’s life, so I couldn’t just go back into my thoughts about when Steve was 18. I actually had to ask him about it.”

Then, she added, there were questions of, “How much do you reveal? Where do you draw the line?

“There are things he told me I didn’t put in the book because he said, ‘If you do, it will kill my mother.’ So, you know, I respected that. I didn’t want to kill his mother – I really didn’t,” she said.

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‘No one understands the budget,’ Adding to the difficulty of they said. producing and then selling the “I said, ‘Oh my God, figure it book was the revelation that out,’ but I went back anyway.” because of the recession and hard “Freeville is one mile square,” times for publishers, Houghton she noted, “and it’s very interestMifflin Harcourt wasn’t going to ing how much things don’t put up any money toward promotOn the way to the Post Office Amy Dickinson meets her change. That’s what I love about ing her book. it; that’s what keeps me here. It’s a “You think writing the book is brother-in-law, Tim Gallagher, walking his dog, Skeeter.

Gallagher and his wife, Rachel Dickinson, live a short place that seems stuck in time, hard? Wait until you’re selling it distance from Amy’s office. and that’s fine with me.” As for out of the trunk of your car – the major issues facing the that’s hard,” she said. Eventually, the company did help with promotion – after Rachel initiat- trustees, Rachel explained that the water table is very high in Freeville. “So that’s the big deal – where the water’s going ed things by lining up her own readings and radio and teleto show up next,” she said, with a laugh. vision appearances around the country.

A third sister, Anne Dickinson, serves as assistant dean Despite her need to travel for work, such as earlier this for grants and contracts at the University of Rochester year when she visited Ireland for several weeks on assignment for the The Atlantic, Rachel has served for more than Medical Center.

The paperback version of Amy’s book was published 20 years in one position or another in Freeville village last spring with a new subhead: “A Story of Surprising government. Lately, she has been a village trustee, “I just Second Chances.” The book describes how, like Amy, many kind of rotate through. I’ve either been on planning or of the women in her family went through divorces, raised zoning or a village trustee for the entire time I’ve lived kids as single parents and later went on to successful careers. here as an adult.

The Dickinson sisters’ mother, Jane Dickinson, provides “I tried to quit a few years ago,” explained Rachel. “I one of the best examples of that perseverance and success. said, ‘I can’t do this anymore. I travel too much.’

After her husband abandoned the family and their farm “They begged me to come back after three months.

Amy Dickinson writes her nationally-syndicated, seven-day-a-week advice column in this bright and airy office on Main Street in Freeville. “If I were taken away to Oz, this is where I would want to come back to,” she says. “Freeville is my Kansas. I’ve lived everywhere, and this is my choice.”

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failed, Jane Dickinson got a job typing at Cornell University, then earned a Master of Fine Arts degree. She went on to teach creative writing for 15 years, first at Cornell and later at Ithaca College.

Amy’s daughter Emily Mason, 21, is a senior majoring in English at the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia. She hopes to pursue a career in writing. Amy Dickinson said she named her daughter after nineteenth-century poet Emily Dickinson, a distant relative.

The family traces its roots back to Nathaniel Dickinson, a Puritan who emigrated from England to Massachusetts in 1630 and eventually settled in Hadley in the western part of the state. On her mother’s side, Amy said, the family has roots in Freeville that go back 200 years. Amy related that her siblings were named after relatives but her mother named her after Ray Bolger’s Broadway tune, “Once in Love with Amy.”

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“Continuing a lifelong conversation”

In her book, Amy Dickinson tells how for years the family has gathered at a diner on Wednesday mornings to “continue our lifelong conversation.”

The weekly breakfast gathering began at Toad’s in Freeville and, when that establishment closed, adjourned to the Dryden Queen Diner.

At one of the recent breakfasts, Amy, Rachel and two aunts, Millie Sherwood and Jean Pearson, both of Freeville, showed up at the Queen. Over eggs, French toast and a steady flow of coffee, the “Mighty Queens” – so named

by Amy’s daughter Emily – caught up on recent family activities and some broader issues. “It’s our window on the real world,” Aunt Millie commented.

Amy mentioned that she “just got this great letter” for her column. (On average, she gets 500 e-mails and a couple hundred letters each week.) “I like to run the letters past the gang here,” she said. She went on to explain that a woman wrote that she and her husband had thrown a housewarming party and

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est endeavor – spending two 10received beautiful gifts. hour days in Washington, D.C., “I wrote ‘thank you’ notes interviewing a woman who had promptly,” the reader related, started a national organization “and I gave my husband a pile of devoted to helping feral cats. the notes to pass around to his “You get off the elevator in this colleagues at work who had come office building and they have the to the party.” Two years later, whole floor. There are 30 people according to the letter, the Amy Dickinson sidles up to the sign for the Freeville in this office for feral cats.” woman discovered the undelivUnited Methodist Church’s weekly summertime barbecue made notable by its inclusion in Dickinson’s memoir. Fans Rachel said that as she was ered notes in her husband’s desk of the book say they travel to Freeville looking for the interviewing the organization’s at work. “I don’t know what to barbecue pit, among other “Amy” landmarks. founder in a conference room do,” she wrote. with an elegant table, “a white Amy said she suggested that cat whose name escapes me – Jezebel or something – leaps the reader have her husband help her write each guest a new note and this time “put a stamp on it and put it in the onto the table, flops down between us and proceeds to completely clean herself while we’re talking. mail.” The other “Queens” at the breakfast agreed with “I’m wearing black,” Rachel relates, “and I look down Amy. and I say, ‘Next time you need to give me the dress code, “Two years later it’s not too late. You just back-date like khaki – is that what you’re supposed to wear here?’” them,” Rachel advised with a laugh.

Rachel then noted that there are about 240 local feral cat “Put a little water on them like they’ve been stained,” groups around the country. an aunt added.

“Are feral cats a problem?” Aunt Jean asked.

“You know what?” Amy exclaimed, “I’m going to “Well, if you’re a bird person, yeah,” Rachel replied totally revise my answer. I love that!” with a laugh.

At that point, Rachel caught the group up on her lat-

Amy Dickinson, center, holds forth at one of the weekly breakfasts of “the mighty queens of Freeville” at the Queen Diner in Dryden. Enjoying the moment are Amy’s aunt, Jean Pearson, left, and sister, Rachel Dickinson.

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Inspiring literary pilgrims

Not long ago, a group of Amy Dickinson’s book fans made a pilgrimage to Dryden and Freeville from the small Oswego County village of Mexico along Lake Ontario to visit the sites made landmarks by the best-selling memoir.

Dickinson had conducted via Skype a meeting with readers of her book (sponsored by the village’s library).

“It was a lot of fun. I’d never done anything like that before,” said Madelyn Schmidt, a retired farmer.

Afterwards, Schmidt and five other participants in the meeting got together and drove a van the almost 90 miles to Dryden on a Wednesday to check out the weekly meeting of the Freeville “Queens.” The “literary pilgrims” met Amy’s mother, an aunt and another relative and “had a good little visit,” Schmidt related.

“And then, of course, we did the tour of Main Street in Freeville and figured out which house was probably Amy’s and also saw the Methodist Church and the chicken barbecue pit that she mentions in her book,” Schmidt added. “It was a good road trip, I should say.”

As it happens, readers’ tours of Amy-related sites in Dryden and Freeville have become something of a regular occurrence. In fact, Jeffrey and Kristin Lewis, the Lansing couple who each spent a considerable number of late-night hours reading The Mighty Queens of Freeville, related that afterwards, they got in a car and visited Freeville to see Amy’s house and the church.

Madelyn Schmidt, who said she enjoyed Amy’s book so much she read it three times, had a suggestion: “They probably should put up one of those historical signs – you know, those blue and gold signs that tell where somebody lived.”

Schmidt added, “We’re all anxiously awaiting Amy’s second book, too.”

That much-anticipated next book is bound to add to the steady stream of out-of-town cars and vans slowly cruising by Amy Dickinson’s little white house on Main Street in Freeville.

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P R O F I L E

Bushy Tail – The Gray Squirrel story and photos by Bill Banaszewski

E

Melanism (blackness) in gray squirrels is fairly common in the Finger Lakes Region.

In addition to a wide variety of seeds and nuts, gray squirrels also feed on insects, grubs, an occasional bird egg and even small frogs.

Red-tail hawks are one of the most effective aerial predators of squirrels.

48 ~

very year, my wife’s extended family comes to our place for a holiday celebration. The younger members of the tribe quickly get bored with the indoor festivities and convince good ol’ Uncle Bill to head outside for some winter fun. For the past several years, however, the weather has been anything but winter-like. So, instead of snowball fights, we have hiked into the woods for a wildlife adventure.

Two years ago, after I promised we could see all kinds of animals, we returned from our adventure, and Sam – then 3 years old – was asked what he saw. He emphatically replied, “Nothin’!”

This past year, I was determined to produce. However, with youngsters ranging in age from 4 to 10, we sounded like a herd of elephants tromping through the woods, even though I stressed the importance of walking quietly “like Indians.” After 15 minutes, the questions started: “Where are the fox, turkey and deer, Uncle Bill?”

Just as I was about to offer a litany of excuses, I enthusiastically pointed to a gray squirrel that scurried across the trail in front of us. My buddy, Sam – then 4 – looked at me and rather incredulously said, “We got a million of those things in our yard,” as he stomped back to the house.

Sam’s exaggeration was only minor; gray squirrels are indeed abundant. Originally, the Finger Lakes Region was a hardwood forest wilderness, teeming with gray squirrels.

Millions were believed to inhabit the forests of New York in the early 1800s.

They were an absolute plague to pioneers who had established farmsteads in forest clearings – only to have the

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squirrels destroy their corn and other food crops. Because they were so destructive and abundant, bounties were established, and hunters easily harvested a hundred squirrels a day.

Sixty-six different members of the squirrel family live across the United States. Here in the Finger Lakes they include gray, red and flying squirrels; chipmunks; and – to the surprise of many people – woodchucks. Although they are fairly common, flying squirrels are seldom seen because they are nocturnal. By the way, they don’t fly but glide from tree to tree.

Gray squirrels are so named for obvious reasons. However, their color ranges from gray with yellow to reddish brown tints, to white (albino) and black. Distinct populations of black squirrels can be found across the region, which some mistake for a different species. They are simply gray squirrels with two recessive genes that give them their black coats.

Gray squirrels feed on insects, occasionally bird eggs, and a wide variety of seeds and tree buds. In the spring, I’ve watched them nip the buds of maple trees and then, in apparent pleasure, lap up the sweet sap. Their main source of food is acorns, walnuts and hickory nuts. In autumn, they carry fallen acorns and nuts quite a distance and then bury them in the ground for their winter food supply.

Studies have determined that although they find and consume 75 percent of the cached nuts, those that are not found germinate in the spring, thus, regenerating the forest. Some have suggested that gray squirrels planted almost every hickory tree in America

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In autumn gray squirrels seek white oak acorns which contain essential fats and protein to sustain them through winter.

today. (However, even Sam might say that’s an exaggeration.)

Not only a problem to pioneer farmers, gray squirrels remain the subject of much complaint because they dominate bird feeders, dig up flower bulbs, and nip off the new growth of vegetables in backyard gardens.

Bushy tails, another name for gray squirrels, typically produce litters of three or four young in the spring and again late summer. During their winter courtship, I have observed several wild mating chases. On one occasion, nine males pursued a single female as she scrambled up and down and back and forth between two hickory trees. When she reached the end of a branch with no escape, she turned to face the onslaught, bared her teeth and screamed like a hawk. A dominant male joined the wild scramble and chased off the other would-be suitors.

Even when not engaged in mating chases, gray squirrels can be quite mouthy. When alarmed, their call is a rapid chucking

sound, which is often accompanied by a fore and aft waving and fluttering of their tail. Once I watched a gray squirrel bark at a red fox that was walking through the forest, and later, it hysterically scolded a hawk that was perched in a nearby tree.

Fox prey on squirrels, but they must catch them on the ground, and that is quite a feat. Red tail hawks, sometimes called squirrel hawks, are more successful. Nesting red tails effectively hunt squirrels as a team. The squirrel I observed staring down and scolding the red tail was unaware of the hawk’s mate as it quietly flew in undetected, and captured the mouthy squirrel.

After observing that encounter between predator and prey, I remembered my father’s warning when I was young and mouthy, “If you keep jibber-jabbering all the time, you’re eventually going to get yourself into trouble.” So too, it must be with squirrels.

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“it’s a

butterflies-in-your-stomach

feeling”

Come and explore the Bahar Nature Preserve and Carpenter's Falls Unique Area, but be careful on the treacherous trails. story and photos by Phillip Bonn

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Left: A stairway leads to a stony beach owned by the Land Trust Previous Pages: Bear Swamp Creek as it journeys through the gorge.

he walk up from the parking area was pretty – oaks, maples, hemlocks, and beech trees ablaze with fall colors. Before long my brother Jim, nephew Matt and I came around a bend in the trail and caught our first glimpse of a long ribbon of white water plunging over a stone ledge into a deep ravine – an amazing waterfall.

This day trip came about after picking up a brochure on the Finger Lakes Land Trust’s Campaign for Carpenter’s Falls and the Skaneateles Highlands. The photo of the falls caught my eye and after reading about it, we decided a day trip was in order. Instead of vacationing in faraway places, we like to explore central New York’s interesting and diverse natural areas. Day tripping for us means driving to an area of interest and hiking, climbing, exploring and photographing it until we are thoroughly exhausted.

Getting there The falls are located about 20 minutes south of the village of Skaneateles. Travel south on West Lake Road (New York State Route 41A) for 12 miles, then take a left onto Apple Tree Point Road. The parking area is located at the

intersection of Apple Tree Point Road and Carver Road.

There is a small kiosk not far from the parking area with information about the park and maps showing the trails leading to the different falls.

For the adventuresome with a GPS, the falls can be found at: N 42.81174 / W 76.34305.

The beginning After taking several photos of the falls through the colorful foliage, we proceeded further up the trail to get a better look. We were presented with an awesome display of nature.

The water of Bear Swamp Creek is channeled through a notch in the thick, overhanging limestone ledge, plummeting straight down for 80-plus feet. This was a fantastic sight well worth the long drive from Fayetteville.

Here, the trail continued up to the road to a place where it was possible to climb down into the stream and follow it to the plunging point. It’s a butterflies-in-your-stomach feeling to stand at the edge and look over into the abyss.

The ravine that Bear Swamp Creek carved is deep and well-enclosed by the surrounding trees. After spending a bit of time taking photos, we went back down to where we saw a

Many smaller falls have a simple beauty just as nice as their larger brethren.

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View from the trail to the backside of Carpenterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Falls.

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This is the first good view of Angel Falls coming up the stream.

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branch trail that seemed to wind closer to the falls.

The softer limestone below the harder capstone of the falls has eroded, leaving an amphitheater-like hollow, making it possible to walk behind the falling water. When done with caution, you get an impressive sensation standing behind the plunging ribbon of water and looking out over the ravine. We spent time taking photos and looking for fossils here before heading back up the trail.

We decided to go all the way to the bottom of the falls to get a different perspective. Fortunately, there were several paths headed down to the bottom. The trail entailed navigating down a fairly steep, stone-covered series of switch backs, as we grabbed any convenient tree we could to keep from sliding down uncontrollably. After the experience, I can say that only experienced hikers in peak physical condition should take on this trail. The trails going down into the gorge are informal, unmaintained, and treacherous. The Finger Lakes Land Trust does work with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) to maintain the upper trail along the top of the gorge, but not the informal trails down into it.

Once we reached the bottom, we realized the trek was well worth the effort. Envision an 80-foot ribbon of white water free falling over a rock shelf, fanning out near the bottom before splashing into the pool. It’s framed by the limestone bowl which is surrounded by colorful fall trees.

The gorge At this point, we decided to follow the stream’s downward run over the flat, sloping limestone through the ravine. It was a wet and sometimes slippery walk down the creek with loose shale, wet rocks and downed debris making the journey rather difficult. I don’t recommend this route for the average hiker.

We chose it because it was certainly off the beaten track and the chance for great photo opportunities was high.

The gorge was markedly cooler and very shady with the tall trees arching overhead, blocking most of the sky

FAST FACTS INFO PAGE 97

FAST FACTS INFO PAGE 97

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except a small glimpse of blue. There were plenty of ferns and mosses covering the banks of fractured limestone, which gave everything a very lush look.

Our decision to walk the gorge was well-rewarded with the discovery of another waterfall. This was a cascading type, nearly 20 feet in height, flowing into a pool surrounded by shale beaches. Jim decided to head up the slope to the main trail we figured was above us while Matt and I explored further. We came across two more falls thereafter, each unique in its own way.

The best was saved for last. The horizon line visible from the last of the smaller falls promised a great vista. As I walked to the edge and peered over, my butterflies fluttered again as I gazed at an amazing view.

Angel Falls Matt and I were looking over the top of a vast limestone bowl with a shear drop of roughly 100 feet to the pools below. This was Angel Falls with a 60-foot overhanging drop, followed by a 20-foot cascade into a deep pool. Far below we could see Jim making his way up the stream – how he got there was a guess! Matt and I followed a steep trail up to the main trail where we looked for a way down to Angel Falls.

We were met with a challenge – an even steeper descent than the one we just came up. A hike up the rocky streambed brought us to the base of the towering falls with its large main pool.

This area is perhaps a favorite swimming spot if the amount of trash on the ground was any indication. We spent a fair amount of time taking photos, wading in the pool and checking out all the fossils Jim had spotted.

There are plenty of Rugosa or horn coral fossils present in the limestone.

Headed out We headed downstream again in attempt to follow the creek, which allowed us to bypass a very steep climb out. The going was fairly easy with one small cascade waterfall along the way.

We came upon a road leading to some summer camps along the lake. The trek through the gorge ends at a little crescent-shaped beach which is part of the Bahar Preserve owned by the Finger

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Bahar Nature Preserve and Carpenter's Falls Unique Area is located 20 minutes south of Skaneateles.

Lakes Land Trust.

Our trek through the gorge was not far as the creek corridor is only a mile long. This protected area was completed only two years after the purchase of Carpenterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Falls in the acquisition of a 30-acre parcel bought from Steven Nemec in April of 2007. With this purchase, the Land Trust had a mile-long unbroken corridor of protected lands from the falls to the lake shore of Bahar Preserve. Recently the Land Trust transferred management of a portion of the site, which includes the high waterfalls, to NYSDEC and plans to work cooperatively with the state to develop a joint management plan, providing both protection and public access. Currently the Land Trust still owns approximately two-thirds of the site and the area remains a work-in-progress.

The creek is an important tributary to Skaneateles Lake, which in turn supplies drinking water to many communities, including the city of Syracuse.

My thanks go out to Scott Winkelman, a Land Trust Volunteer of the Year who was the driving force behind getting protection of Bear Swamp Creek and in obtaining the Nemec property for the corridor. With his efforts, this picturesque area will be preserved for generations of explorers like us.

FAST FACTS INFO PAGE 97

Phillip Bonn is an avid hiker and freelance photographer/writer. Check out his website at www.philbosphotos.com.

FAST FACTS INFO PAGE 97

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Stoltzfus fresh baked goods

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Sample the Wares, Savor the Tastes at The Windmill story and photos by Jim Hughes

Music is a staple at The Windmill.

Here Emilio Benitez entertains visitors.

Glenora Winery display

This mural celebrates the 20-year anniversary

58 ~

“T

here are two places in the Finger Lakes I always visit with out-of-town guests,” exclaims Debbie Hilton of Pulteney.

“Wineries and The Windmill.”

More than a century has passed since a timeworn barn served as a relay station along the Penn Yan-Dundee Road. The barn is long gone, and the open piece of ground where wagoners once watered and changed their horses is now home to The Windmill Farm & Craft Market, a sprawling enterprise in the rolling hills along State Route 14A. “I make regular trips to The Windmill. It’s a pleasant, friendly and relaxing country experience – fun for kids, adults, everyone,” Debbie continues enthusiastically.

Folks who knew Bill Gunderman, the driving force behind the market, still allude to “Bill’s Dream” whenever The Windmill is mentioned. In 1978, Gunderman and his wife Ruth paid a visit to the decades-old Green Dragon farm market in Pennsylvania and were

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soon convinced that Yates County could be the perfect home for a similar undertaking.

A mix of interested local people, including Amish and Mennonite farmers and craftspeople, assembled to discuss the matter and soon agreed that such a market could – and should – become a reality. A cooperative was established, a plot of land was purchased, and on June 27, 1987, The Windmill opened for business with 64 exuberant vendors and its first crowd of eager shoppers.

From those somewhat humble beginnings, The Windmill has grown steadily. In just over 20 years it has become a complex of multiple sheds and buildings, a complete “Street of Shops” with picnic areas and more than 200 vendors. Open only on Saturdays from April until just before Christmas, with a few selected holidays thrown in, the Windmill’s grounds host as many as 10,000 visitors on a given day. Parking and

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Ethel Hughes of Syracuse looks over merchandise at Gifts from the Heart.

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Cari Taft lifts piping hot pretzels from the oven at Auntie Anne’s Soft Pretzels.

Fresh vegetables are a common sight.

Gramma’s Butterflyed Potatoes

Philip Ferland from Laflin, Pennsylvania, is happy that dogs on a leash are always welcome.

Shoppers stroll the Street of Shops.

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The shop of John Finnan, Woodworker

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admission are always free.

Many of the merchants go way back, but many newcomers can also be found. For example, the Stoltzfus family has provided a wide range of homemade pies, sticky buns, cookies, apple dumplings and breads almost since The Windmill’s inception. One taste will tell you why. In only her second year at The Windmill, LeeAnn Aubin loves the atmosphere. Her business, “Knot So Board,” creates hand-painted signage for homes and businesses. “So many things are special here – crafted by hand and unique,” she says. “Our signs are cut from slab wood, washed, and sanded. Then comes the artwork and a protective coat.”

A person really can experience “one-stop shopping” at The Windmill – snacks, a bottle of wine, clothing, glassware, fresh flowers and produce, fabrics, spice rubs, antiques, specialty foods, wrought iron pie stackers, folk art and furniture, bejeweled Finger Lakes blossoms, an atlas for any state in the union. All are available, and that’s only the beginning.

You can visit an on site chiropractor, get your shoes re-stitched, have a saw blade sharpened, and pick up a bottle of emu oil. Yes, emu oil, “a penetrating anti-bacterial product for skin enhancement, moisturizing, and healing,” says Janet Young, a Windmill vendor for a dozen years. Janet states with confidence, “I know emus inside and out.” She should. She’s raised the large, gawky birds for more than 40 years on her farm in Arkport.

Emus are not the only unusual creatures represented at The Windmill.

Leslie and Jeff Jorritsma raise and shear alpacas, then create distinctive products from the fiber. Leslie’s mom, Sandy Strong, who helps with the family business, says Leslie’s five daughters and 55 alpacas keep her and Jeff pretty busy at their Autumn Mist Alpaca & Fiber Mill in nearby Prattsburgh. Sweaters, hats, gloves, scarves and baby items are among the articles they have available.

The Windmill saga really began when Sherry and Tom Morse bought a 96-acre parcel of land in the early ’80s.

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“We bought it because Tom likes to hunt,” says the outgoing Sherry who grew up on Long Island. They soon sold 26 acres of it to the Windmill cooperative and the Morses built a home on their remaining 70 acres where Tom still hunts. Meanwhile, Sherry’s business Pantry Pleasures offers dozens of coffees, teas and spices. It has become a staple of the market “and is just a short walk from my front door,” she says with a grin.

One busy shopper told me The

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Windmill to her is “a mecca for gift hunters.” It is an opinion apparently shared by others, including the Everett family from the Binghamton area. They travel through about twice a year to visit friends in Buffalo, traditionally stopping by the market to pick up a special gift for their hosts. This time, they were leaving with a set of wine glasses hand painted by Beverly Miller of Elmira to be arranged in a basket from D & L Wicker with several bottles of Finger Lake wine. “Since tast-

Tom and Patti Allen of Macedon take a rest break from shopping. They visit The Windmill several times a year.

The Windmill sometimes hosts 10,000 visitors for a Saturday of shopping and eating.

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ings are available, we’re choosing each bottle from a different display,” Bob Everett added. “Why buy from just one winery when you can stretch the enjoyment by sampling from several?”

The Windmill is first and foremost about shopping, but eating runs a close second. Vendors and early arrivals can find hot coffee and pastries or enjoy a full home-cooked breakfast. Picnic tables are scattered everywhere and fill up quickly at lunchtime with people devouring

Flowers are a highlight for many visitors.

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everything from Phinn’s hot dogs smothered with mustard, relish, and onions to deep-fried, ribbon cut Gramma’s Butterflyed Potatoes. Beth Whipple’s potato creations (with toppings such as nacho cheese, sour cream, and salsa) passed with flying colors, said Charles and Blanche Sones of Ontario, after trying one for the first time.

There’s something for every taste at The Windmill – kielbasa with sauerkraut, calzones, shrimp and clams, chicken, ribs, pulled pork sandwiches, spaghetti and salads. And to snack on as you stroll the grounds (or to munch on the way home after a hard day’s shopping) there’s candy, pretzels, cheese and crackers, caramel corn, fresh roasted peanuts, frozen custard, kettle corn and homemade fudge.

In addition to shopping and food, The Windmill provides live music and buggy rides, and features special events, like the spring and fall Custom & Classic Car Shows. Market offerings change from month to month and year to year. New vendors and products are often added, each carefully juried by The Windmill’s membership committee. “While no one has a product exclusive,” says co-op secretary Juanita Dombroski, “we try to emphasize a wide variety of goods and avoid excessive repetition. The membership committee also enforces rules and regulations to keep standards and quality high.”

Regulars have their own reasons for visiting The Windmill again and again, and for restocking their favorite items of all sorts. Judy and Dick Morey of Lyons stop by three or four times a year. “I always look at the handmade wooden crafts, printed T-shirts, flags, outdoor furniture, house wares, and seasonal produce,” said Judy.

Dick thought for a second about what brings him back. Then, a smile crossed his face, and he said, “Pretzels.

Lots of warm, soft, flavored pretzels.”

For information about The Windmill Farm & Craft Market, check their website at www.thewindmill.com

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FAST FACTS INFO PAGE 97

E n j o y i n g

G o d ’ s

C r e a t i o n

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L I F E S T Y L E

If Walls Could Talk The Legacy of Canandaigua’s Cobblestone Cottage

by Nancy E. McCarthy, illustration and photos by Kathy Connor

K

athy and Mike Connor of Canandaigua started making their retirement plans in 2001.

The couple dreamed of buying an inn in Cape Cod but they were in no hurry.

Two of their three children lived at home and Kathy, an art teacher, was still working. Mike planned to sell his Kentucky Fried Chicken franchise, and their grand, restored Victorian home on Howell Street would be put on the market. Mike thought they should look for a modest home in Canandaigua to use for visits and as a home base for the kids.

“It was definitely a long-range plan,” Kathy Connor recalls with a smile. “We had a lot to tidy up before we could start scouting locations in Massachusetts.”

This year, Kathy did become an

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innkeeper, but her plans came to fruition in a very different way than she had imagined. Today, she sits on the welcoming front porch of her home, the Cobblestone Cottage Bed & Breakfast on West Lake Road in Canandaigua, to tell her tale. How it all began and ended is complicated, but so, too, is the history of the house.

The Parrish family homestead

“I’ve always loved this house,” Connor says. “My mother grew up in Canandaigua and admired it as well.”

Called the Cobblestone Farm, it was built in 1837 for Isaac Parrish and his family. Most cobblestone architecture in the United States can be found in the Rochester area because of the abundance of naturally round stones

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indigenous to this region. Industrious masons who helped build the Erie Canal and settled here used the stones to construct buildings and homes of great beauty. The Ontario County Historical Society reports that about 100 of these unique structures of varying sizes and uses exist in Ontario County.

The Parrish family was prominent, both locally and nationally. They were “an exciting and important family,” affirms Dr. Preston Pierce, Ontario County Historian. Isaac’s father, Jasper Parrish, was captured by the Iroquois at the tender age of 11, and held captive from 1778 until 1784. He became fluent in the language of the Iroquois tribes, and was consequently hired to be an interpreter for talks between the

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L I F E S T Y L E United States government and the Six Nations. His role began under President George Washington’s administration and lasted through part of President Andrew Jackson’s second term.

Jasper and his accomplishments are well documented, while little is written about his son, Isaac. We know he became a wealthy and distinguished landowner. The first steamboat on Canandaigua Lake, Lady of the Lake, was Cobblestone Farm as it appears present day built and launched from his farm in 1827 with Isaac as her captain.

Historian Dr. Pierce surmises that Isaac In addition, Isaac’s name appears in an was an abolitionist and would have 1856 newspaper notices as an organizer been sympathetic to the Underground of a political club promoting the new Railroad. anti-slavery Republican Party. Four years later, Abraham Lincoln would Conductor on the railroad? become the first Republican president.

In fact, many believe that the

Parrish farm was a “station” on one of the numerous routes of the Underground Railroad. If walls could talk, this lovely cobblestone farmhouse might have many tales to tell. The folklore, passed down from its owners, is compelling.

Underground Railroad Tales With Routes Through the Finger Lakes Region by Emerson Klees maps out credible routes leading fleeing slaves to freedom in Canada. Klees lists the Cobblestone Farm as a stop on two routes that passed through Canandaigua. He notes in his book, “It is equally difficult to verify that a house wasn’t a station on the Underground Railroad as it is to prove that it was.” The stations were kept secret; it was the key to the success of the Underground Railroad. Those who

THE GREAT CORTLAND PUMPKINFEST Celebrate historic downtown Cortland's cultural heritage on October 2nd and 3rd in Courthouse Park. Enjoy crafters, children's games, entertainment, food, micro brew tasting, exhibits and displays, a 5K Race or Walk, antique tractors, hay rides, and tons of pumpkins! www.historicdowntowncortland.com This material is based upon work assisted by a grant from the Department of the Interior, National Park Service. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Department of the Interior.

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helped fugitives risked fines and jail time if they were discovered.

The Rochester Museum & Science Center includes the Parrish farm as a possible station in its exhibit, “Flight to Freedom: Rochester’s Underground Railroad.” Kathryn Murano, the museum’s registrar, says that even though there are few primary source accounts to authenticate Underground Railroad stops, the criteria developed for the exhibit lends great credibility to the Cobblestone Farm claim. Stories passed down from homeowners disclose that some freedom seekers en route to Canada were hidden in a small secret room behind the chimney in the second-floor attic of the Parrish farm. A crude ladder extended from the basement through a ground floor china closet to the ceiling above. A missing floor joist and loose floorboards concealed

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access to the attic. The room still exists today.

The main entry

The hidden ladder The Connors visited Cobblestone Farm when it went up for sale in 2004.

They had a buyer for their home on Howell Street and were scrambling to find the smaller place they had discussed a few years earlier. The Cobblestone Farm did not fit their original plan, but Kathy Connor wanted to take a look anyway. “I basically fell in love with it,” she admits. “Mike made an offer and we bought it.”

The old farmhouse needed updating but the Connors, who had painstakingly renovated their previous house, were undaunted. Their first priority was to install a ground-floor kitchen with modern conveniences.

During renovations, which included tearing down a walk-in closet to create (Continued on page 84)

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L I F E S T Y L E

1

The Cato Hardware story and photos by Rich Finzer

I

2

3

4

n 1994, a conglomerate purchased our local phone company. Shortly thereafter, a customer relations drone called, asking me to rate their service. After only 72 hours as their customer, I countered that it was probably premature to form an opinion. But then I asked, “Well okay, if I were running late coming in to the office to pay my bill, and called and asked you to stay open, would you?”

“No, that’s against our policy,” was the answer.

Then I asked, “Okay, if I managed to get there on time and found I was a dollar short, would you trust me till Saturday?”

“No, we couldn’t do that either.”

Exasperated, I remarked, “Well, Mister, if you won’t stay open a few extra minutes, and you won’t trust me till Saturday, then I guess your customer service stinks, because they do that stuff at the Cato Hardware already, and they don’t waste their customer’s time on stupid surveys either!” That was 16 years ago, and mercifully, those yo-yos have never called back to ask me anything. Yep, give me the Cato Hardware any day.

Now, if your idea of a hardware store is some home improvement mega-mart staffed by personnel who wouldn’t know a #000 offset Philips from a crowbar, then an old-style, stand-alone country hardware store isn’t going to be your mug of Swiss latte. On the other hand, if your idea of a hardware store is a place with wooden floors and bins of loose nails, then maybe you’re in luck. For in Cato, there is just such a place – a retail dinosaur in a world of prepackaged wood screws.

And one guy, Johnny Bramble, runs the whole shebang. For the record, I’ve traded at the Cato Hardware for over 20 years and count Johnny Bramble as a friend, but during your first visit, I wouldn’t call

1.The Cato Hardware storefront 2. Scale for measuring weight of quanties of nails 3. Old-fashioned cash register still makes change for customers 4. If you need it, chances are Johnny’s got it.

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him “Johnny” – that’s for us regulars.

Newcomers should simply call him Mr. Bramble. But rest assured, whatever you call him, you’ll be standing in a real hardware store – where quality still predominates. “We stock as many U.S.manufactured items as possible and try to avoid anything from China.

Generally, the stuff is so poorly made, that it’s not worth the bother,” said Johnny, continuing, “We used to carry Chinese-made deck screws, but nearly 50 percent of them would snap in two when you drove them. We told our supplier that if he wanted to keep our business, he’d better start bringing us better merchandise.”

From hotel to hardware

In 1960, when he was six years old, Johnny’s parents, Richard and Marion Bramble, moved to Cato and purchased the store. After graduating from CatoMeridian High School in 1971, John spent the next four years attending the Cornell School of Hotel Administration. Upon graduation in 1975, he embarked on a career in the hospitality industry as both a caterer and hotelier.

But, he told me, he grew tired of 75hour workweeks, and in 1990 returned to help his mother and father run the family business explaining, “Putting in only 60 hours a week sounded easy.”

That was 20-plus years ago, and he’s been at it ever since.

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Glenn H.

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Museum

8419 State Rte 54 Hammondsport, NY 14840 Ph: (607)569-2160 www.glennhcurtissmuseum.org

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The cut marks

When you step inside and make your way to the counter, you may notice a series of cuts in the floor.

They’re spaced one foot apart. If a customer buys rope or chain, Johnny measures it out right there. Funny thing – every year, an inspector from Weights and Measures drops by, checks the cuts and re-measures the floor, just to be certain Mr. Bramble hasn’t tampered with them. Yeah, like after 50 years, the Cato Hardware is all of a sudden going to start cheating people – absurd!

The inventory maven

In 1998, during the height of the

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L I F E S T Y L E sailboat racing season, one of my crew was badly cut by the exposed end of a bolt. Wishing to avoid a reprise of this mishap, I realized I needed cap nuts on every exposed bolt end in the cockpit, so I made a hasty visit to the Cato Hardware. I asked if they carried stainless cap nuts, and Johnny assured me that he did. “How many do you need?” he asked.

“Six,” was my reply.

To which Johnny said, “I think I’ve got seven.” And sure enough, the hardware did have seven. Somewhat amazed, I asked Johnny how many individual items the store carried, and what PC-based software they used to keep track of the inventory. He replied, “We don’t have a PC, I keep track of everything in my head.” (So much for modern technology!)

What makes this even more impressive is that by his own reckoning, the store’s inventory numbers some 50,000 separate items. And, despite the somewhat unorganized appearance of the place, Johnny knows precisely where everything is, the lack of a computerized inventory system notwithstanding. After a fashion, the Cato Hardware seems to eschew high-tech devices altogether, as their rotary phone and antique cash register bear testament.

On the counter, right 3 next to the nail scale, is a brass and oak monster, a 1910 Class 900 National Cash Register. It’s completely operational and in pristine condition. In fact, Johnny even has the original operator’s manual! However, unlike modern models, the cash drawer contains six separate coin compartments, because when it was built, silver dollars and halfdollars were still widely circulated. The small marble slab, mounted below the register keys, was used to test for counterfeit coins. During the early part of the twentieth century, coin FAST FACTS INFO PAGE 97

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counterfeiting was rampant, but if dropped on that marble slab, only silver-content coins would produce their characteristic ringing sound – pretty clever if you ask me. That marble slab contributes a few more pounds of weight to the machine, which is

1

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1.1920’s vintage, DuPont Blasting Machine, the original “boom box.”

2. Dutton “Easy Draft” plow sits on top of a shelf in the store, along with many other antique tools.

3. Columbia Rope measuring meter

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already quite heavy.

It takes two strong men to even lift, much less carry the thing, said Johnny. It’s decidedly old fashioned, much like the 1920s building the hardware is housed in, as well as Johnny’s general attitude about customer service in a small town business. And, it’s not the only antique in the place either.

The antiques

Lining the shelves atop the counters and displayed on the wall space above is an incredible collection of antique tools and memorabilia. Oldstyle wrenches, hand augers, whiskey barrels, ice tongs – and stuff I don’t even know the names of – fill the place. One of the hardware’s most prized possessions is an original Dutton “Easy Draft” plow.

According to a history of the town published in 1879, E.Q. Dutton began manufacturing plows in Cato around 1875. Johnny noted, “We used to take the plow down and put it in the front window to mark the beginning of spring planting, but we stopped. As we got older, it seemed to be getting heavier.”

Other oddities include an antique all-glass chicken waterer, ice harvesting saws, a wooden wheelbarrow, drawknives, a wooden butter churn and a polished wooden wheel hub fashioned from American chestnut, which, as the chestnut blight arrived in America around 1920, is at least 90 years old. In addition to his extensive knowledge of local history, Johnny is an avid collector of such items, and where better to display them than in the hardware where he can enjoy them six days a week? Another curiosity is an original Columbia Rope measuring meter. It was used to measure lengths of manila rope (hemp), which Columbia no longer manufacturers in the U.S. Johnny says it’s one of only a handful of intact units left in existence.

As I walked around the store snapping photos, Johnny called out, “Hey Rich, wanna blow something up?”

With that, I turned and gazed at perhaps the most unique antique in the establishment – a DuPont Blasting

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L I F E S T Y L E Machine, sometimes referred to as a â&#x20AC;&#x153;dynamite plunger.â&#x20AC;? Long ago, when farmers still blasted their own stumps and explosives werenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t tightly regulated, the hardware sold both dynamite and the means to make it go â&#x20AC;&#x153;Kaboom!â&#x20AC;? The unit, a DuPont Model 20, dates from the 1920s, and the plunger and internal magneto still work. I think of the device as the ultimate â&#x20AC;&#x153;boom box.â&#x20AC;?

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Carved from the northern reaches of the Town of Aurelius, Cato was founded in 1802 as a military township, on a segment of the original Revolutionary Tracts. At that time, it became the northernmost town in Cayuga County. Eventually, the towns of Sterling, Ira, Victory and Conquest were carved from its original boundaries. So it is perhaps ironic that the Cato Hardware isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t in the Town of Cato at all. You see, the centerline of Route 370W is the dividing line between the towns of Cato and Ira. So while approximately half the Village of Cato is in Cato, the rest of the village, including the hardware, is in Ira. And for those of you who werenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t aware, Cato takes its name from the Roman Senator â&#x20AC;&#x153;Cato the Elderâ&#x20AC;? who gained oratory fame for concluding every speech with the same three words, Cartago delenda est â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Carthage must be destroyed.

On July 17, the Civic Heritage Historical Association, comprised of the historical societies of Cato, Ira, Victory and Conquest, dedicated their new combined museum and archive. In conjunction with that event, Johnny Bramble threw a one-hundredth-birthday party for his cash register, and a whole bunch of folks came to celebrate.

Getting there

Rt. 89, Taughannock Falls State Park, Trumansburg

(607) 387-7711

www.t-farms.com FAST FACTS INFO PAGE 97

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The Cato Hardware is located almost smack-dab in the center of the Village of Cato, near the crossroads of NY Rte 34N and Rte 370W. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s open Monday through Saturday 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. If you need directions, call 315-626-6577. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not far away, but when you step inside, it is long ago.

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H I S T O R Y

Secrets of a Successful Cemetery Sleuth

by Mary Jane Bowman

S

eeking out the gravesites of the world’s most notable people is a versatile pastime with a variety of different approaches. Whether you want to visit just one or two gravesites or develop a full-blown gravesite-hunting hobby, you’ll need some help getting started. Here are some general guidelines.

First, graveyard terminology, especially the unusual Greekand Latin-derived words, can be puzzling. I’ve listed a few of the more common ones.

• Cenotaph: A monument or other memorial that honors someone not interred in that location.

• Columbarium: A structure for aboveground interment of cremated remains (ashes). Instead of incorporating large chambers, as in a mausoleum, it has slots known as “niches.”

• Epitaph: The inscription on a gravestone, niche or crypt.

• Mausoleum: Another structure for aboveground interment with full-size chambers (crypts).

Next, every organized cemetery, columbarium and mausoleum uses a grid system for interments. Some gravesite directions may include references to landmarks and geographical features, but most citations for above- and below-ground interments are just a multipart designation by section, row and plot (or similar words).

Before visiting a cemetery, try to determine the layout in advance. It greatly expedites onsite searching. Large and historic cemeteries often feature charts and maps on their websites, but if not, check the grounds for a chart upon your arrival. They’re usually posted near an entrance or caretaker’s building.

Don’t assume a cemetery will have 24-hour access. Most large cemeteries are fenced and gated, and gate times could vary by season.

Remember your cemetery etiquette. Keep your pets on a leash and clean up after them. If you’re part of a group, keep your voices and activities low key. Use care around the markers; older ones are quite fragile. Obey restrictions regarding tributes, and don’t engage in souvenir hunting.

Despite the rules of etiquette and the structure of

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H I S T O R Y advanced planning, there’s still plenty of room for spontaneity and serendipity in cemetery sleuthing. Investigating the circle of life we’ll all make eventually is actually quite inspiring – definitely not a “grave” matter!

Famous Finger Lakes Burials • Susan B. Anthony, social crusader, Rochester • Louise Brooks, early-Hollywood-era actress, Rochester • Frederick Douglas, abolitionist, Rochester • George Eastman, Kodak founder and philanthropist, Rochester • Hal Roach, Sr., producer of the “Our Gang/Little Rascals” comic shorts and other films, Elmira • Harriet Tubman, Underground Railroad heroine, Auburn • Carl Sagan, scientist and author, Ithaca • Rod Serling, “Twilight Zone” creator/writer/host, Interlaken • Francis Tumblety (a.k.a. Francis Tumuelty), Jack the Ripper suspect, Rochester • Mark Twain, humorist and author, Elmira

Frederick Douglas gravesite

Susan B. Anthony gravesite Photos by Mary Jane Bowman

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Searching the Internet A wealth of information can be found at the premier website for online gravesite searching: www.findagrave.com.

It offers many free search options, and although it depends on user contributions for information, the site has a “checks and balances” system to regulate accuracy and mischief. The biographical information there is often more extensive than guidebook citations, and you can even leave virtual “flowers and notes” at a subject’s online record.

The quickest way to find the gravesites of famous people buried right here in the Finger Lakes is to search by

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name. From the homepage’s options list, select “Famous Grave Search.” The next page has an entry field: type the full name (order doesn’t matter) and submit.

A list of records will appear on the next page. A “hit” usually appears at the top.

While gravesite information may appear on this screen, don’t stop there.

Click on either the subject’s name, or the “read more” (if available) to bring up the full record, which contains the entire biographical sketch and often photos of the notable and/or gravesite.

At the bottom left of the full record is the entire gravesite citation. Clicking on the cemetery’s name brings up further information and search options, including a map feature and access to records for other interments of note in the same cemetery (options subject to availability by case).

Registration at the site isn’t required for searches, but you must regis-

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Good books Despite their drawbacks, books sometimes have an edge over the Internet because not all gravesites are cited online. Books are certainly interesting and complementary sources, and if you don’t have Internet access, searching can be done with books alone.

Here is a list of titles I have found helpful.

• Buried Treasures in Mount Hope Cemetery Rochester, New York A Pictorial Field Guide by Richard O. Reisem and Frank A. Gillespie This well organized gravesite guide chronicles our nation’s first municipal Victorian cemetery. It’s available for purchase at the cemetery’s website, www.fomh.org.

• Tombstones: Seventy-Five Famous People and Their Final Resting Places

by Gregg Felsen.

Brief passages of thoughtful text

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accompany artfully composed large, fullcolor photos. Out of print, but worth finding.

• Where Are They Buried?

How Did They Die?

by Tod Benoit.

An astounding 450 profiles of notables, from all walks, interred worldwide.

Benoit is an experienced “privacy buster.” I don’t condone the advice, but his bold methods and adventures are interesting!

• Final Curtain: Deaths of Noted Movie and TV Personalities by Everett G. Jarvis.

Still available for purchase online, but not updated since 1998. Why reference it? Before Find A Grave and many fancier guides, you couldn’t find a celebrity’s grave easily without Final Curtain. If you enjoy notable gravesite searching today, thank the visionary who compiled this.

It’s the granddaddy of all the guides.

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ƚĞŵ ͟ Ěŝ ŽŽ ƚŚĞ ŝĞŶĐĞĞ Ĩ ůĞ ŝŶ ƌ Ő Ăď ǁ ƉĞ ŬĂ ƐŚ Ğ ƚŽ Ŷ dž WĂĐ ŝ ƌ Ğ ͲƉĞ ĂŶĐ ƌĞĂ ƌŝnj ŽŶ ƌ ĐŚ ƉŝĐƵ ĂLJ W Ŷ Ă ŽƵ ǁ ŝŶŐ ƌ LJ ĞƐ ƚĂ ƌ ĨŽ ƌ >ĂŬ Ě 'Ğ Ğ Ŷ ŶŐ ŬĞ ͞&ŝ tĞĞ

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K dK Z ϮϮ Θ Ϯϯ ͮ >Kdd & ZD^ ͮ ^ E & >>^

H I S T O R Y

Whd d, &/E' Z > < ^͛ ^d KE zKhZ d > Eat, drink and explore the best of the Finger Lakes’ harvest all in one place. Friday night is “Partners & Pairings,” a VIP event with live jazz, tapas & wine pairings from area chefs. Saturday, more than 50 local farms, food producers, wineries and restaurants will be sampling and selling from 10am to 5pm. Pick up wines, produce, products and gift certificates to take home with you. Stock up with wine clubs clubs, freezer fills and CSAs. Fill up on new ideas at the team cooking demonstrations.

ϭ͘ϴϴϴ͘ϳϭ͘d/ < d^ ͮ ĨŝŶŐĞƌůĂŬĞƐĐŽƌŬĂŶĚĨŽƌŬ͘ĐŽŵ

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ter (it’s free) to contribute information and use some other features. For the “adadverse” there is some site sponsorship, but it’s relatively mild.

To launch a new search, or to double-check citations, first do a broad Internet search because the information may be there, just not in a gravesite-tracking database. Next, try these sources: offices at cemeteries and houses of worship, funeral homes, libraries, newspaper offices, historical/genealogical societies and municipal offices (city or town clerk, etc.). You may need to contact multiple sources in multiple communities. Also, don’t expect to make instant or direct contact every time, especially in small or rural locations. While phone or e-mail access usually applies, sometimes it’s snail-mail only.

Pitfalls to avoid You may have noticed that I’ve never used the phrase “final resting place” in this article. That’s because they aren’t always final! In 2002, the remains of comedy legend Lucille Ball were moved from California to her hometown and mine, Jamestown, and re-interred. I would not have known if my mother, who still lives there, hadn’t forwarded a newspaper clipping to me about the event. Some guidebooks still cite the original gravesite location.

Internet gravesite tracking should minimize “the re-interment problem” because Web records are easy to add and correct. Indeed, “Lucy’s” citation at Find A Grave is updated. Books aren’t as timely as Internet sources, but the Internet isn’t 100-percent foolproof either. I strongly recommend double checking any source of gravesite information. Book citations can be confirmed online; online citations can be confirmed by checking other online sources, if available.

As you continue pursuing this pastime, you may find that even though someone had a traditional interment, there’s no gravesite information. Or, a record may exist, but gravesite access is controlled.

Someday you may need advanced strategies for finding interment records

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Monument to George Eastman

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A Taste of Something Special a short drive from Canandaigua Lake

and gravesites. Encountering restrictions can lead to a judgment call. Many argue that death and gravesite information is public record, which should have no restrictions. I understand this, but also have empathy for the surviving family members. Hereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s my opinion on restricted gravesites: Respect the wishes in place and find another, more accessible visitation site like the personâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s birthplace or workplace. However, if you really want to find a gravesite, refer to Where Are They Buried? How Did They Die? It provides detailed suggestions for skirting many restrictions.

Beyond the grave Sometimes an entire cemetery is worthy of study, like Rochesterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Mount Hope. Free guided walking tours are held on weekend afternoons from May through October; special expanded twilight and various theme tours are also conducted regularly, even in winter, for a modest fee. Visit www.fomh.org or call 585-461-3494.

Some communities devote entire museums â&#x20AC;&#x201C; often a former residence â&#x20AC;&#x201C; to the deceased. The Rochester area offers two: the George Eastman House International Museum of Photography and Film (www.eastmanhouse.org, 585-2713361), and the Susan B. Anthony House (www.susanbanthonyhouse.org, 585-235-6124).

If you canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t find a dedicated location, look for a regional museum that might have an exhibit pertaining to a notable dead person. Call in advance to confirm hours of operation.

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FAST FACTS INFO PAGE 97

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A

The view of Keuka Lake from Esperanza Mansion is spectacular.

P R O U D

C O M M U N I T Y

Picturesque Branchport, A Tiny Hamlet Steeped in Tradition story and photos by James P. Hughes

Y Town of Jerusalem War Memorial Gazebo

Banner at Camp Good Days and Special Times

Crooked Lake Mercantile at Branchport’s four corners A view through the trees of Branchport at Keuka’s northwest corner

-shaped Keuka Lake, roughly translated “canoe landing” from the Seneca tongue, received its name from local vintners in 1887. Early settlers to the region simply called it Crooked Lake, and nowhere does Keuka appear more crooked than from the hillsides surrounding Branchport.

Vince Bedient has long resided along the lakeshore in Branchport, the tiny hamlet of 300 or so folks that stretches around Keuka’s northwest corner in the Town of Jerusalem. “Lake scenery from here is like an artist’s canvas,” observed Vince. “Every day provides a different look, a colorful new picture.”

The long view of Keuka’s west branch from the grounds at Esperanza Mansion is one of the most stunning in the Finger Lakes. The John N. Rose family of Virginia chose a lush hillside just to the east of Branchport to build their Greek Revival estate in 1838. They raised sheep, ran extensive farming operations and were instrumental in the construction of St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in the village.

Following the death of John Rose in 1870, the mansion continued as a private residence, served as the Yates County Poorhouse from 1922 to 1948, became a winery for a short period, and, at times, sat vacant. In 2003 a restored Esperanza reopened to the public, offering charming rooms and fine dining.

A store built at a country crossroads in 1831 and a small cluster of homes around it grew to become Branchport. The Burtch brothers constructed the present building at the corners in 1901 and ran a thriving business there for decades. Crooked Lake Mercantile occupies the site today, carrying on many “old general store” traditions – food staples, baked goods, clothes, newspapers and magazines.

Until paved roads connected Branchport to its neighbors in the 1920s, grapes and other produce were brought by horse and buggy to town in baskets, then sent by boat on Keuka to Penn Yan and Hammondsport where they could be shipped by rail.

Branchport remains a village of classic Victorian and traditional buildings, but hard work and the foresight of its residents have created new additions. A War Memorial gazebo was completed in 2004 to stage events and concerts, and adjacent to it, a new viewer’s overlook to the Verdi Burtch Wildlife Sanctuary.

In 2006 a ribbon was cut for the Modeste Bedient Memorial Library, continuing a Branchport tradition that’s existed since the village opened its first library in 1913. Inside the brick building, with its vaulted ceilings and oak bookcases, a visitor can curl up in a leather easy chair and enjoy a panoramic view of Keuka Lake.

The Bedient family donated land and funds to make library construction possible, receiving help and donations from residents, friends and library offi-

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cials. “We used 100 grape boxes and a couple of pickup trucks to haul the old library’s contents to the new building,” said Vince. “It took several days with everyone pitching in.”

Like so many communities, Branchport enjoys time-honored celebrations. “Anything and everything shows up for our annual Fourth of July parade – floats, bands, antique cars, tractors and fire trucks,” noted a local resident. “And of course, there’s plenty of food and entertainment.” After dark, a dazzling fireworks display explodes from the hills, its bursts sparkling like so many fireflies on Keuka’s waters.

At Christmastime, a large tree is hauled into the center of town and decorated. Sleigh rides, seasonal activities, and treats of chili, hot coffee and donuts make this event a true community celebration.

The residential camping and recreational facility of Camp Good Days and Special Times, nestled on the shore of Keuka Lake, is a presence that brings community pride to Branchport and joy to those children who visit. Camp Good Days is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to improving the quality of life for children and families whose lives have been touched by cancer and other life challenges. Campers participate in everything from music and drama to arts and crafts to sports and swimming.

Now the long-anticipated $40 million Finger Lakes Cultural and Natural History Museum is poised to emerge on the edge of Branchport at Keuka Lake State Park. “This site should perfectly fit our plan to underscore the natural history, cultural roots, wildlife and native plants of the Finger Lakes region,” said John Adamski, a driving force behind the venture. The museum facility and rustic 53-acre expanse of lakefront, hills, ravines and woods will capture the essence of the region and could be open to the public as soon as 2014.

But please, don’t wait until then to take a drive through Branchport!

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F I N G E R

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L A K E S

S C R A P B O O K

Readers show us their favorite Finger Lakes photographs Please send photos to: Finger Lakes Scrapbook P.O. Box 1080 • Geneva, NY 14456 e-mail: Mark@LifeintheFingerLakes.com View more Finger Lakes Scrapbook photos on our website: www.LifeintheFingerLakes.com

“A beautiful sunset on Keuka Lake.”

– Jake Blawski, Victor

“A male bald eagle brings a largemouth bass to a female eagle and three eaglets at Montezuma Wildlife Refuge.”

– Betsy Teufel, Geneva

“This old boat in the fog gives the photo a mysterious quality.”

– David Stafford, Rochester

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“A doe along the Canisteo River.”

– Janie L. Ferguson, Cameron Mills

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“A young raccoon poses for the camera.”

– Erin Alexander, Geneva Allison Caves, CKD Certified Kitchen Designer

Cabinetry built in Clifton Springs, NY

~ Kitchens and Built-in Cabinetry ~

www.cavesmillwork.com (585) 478-4636

FAST FACTS INFO PAGE 97

Cash Management Services “A train on the main line near the thruway in Weedsport.”

– Pearl Becker, Weedsport

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“A hummingbird is attracted to the butterfly bush outside our kitchen window.”

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MEMBER FDIC

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L A K E S

S C R A P B O O K

Readers show us their favorite Finger Lakes photographs

“Esperanza Road overlooking Keuka Lake.”

– Shirley Whyman, Penn Yan

“A dramtic winter scene above Pine Lake near Friend Road in Yates County.”

– Denise Johncox, Penn Yan

“Ashley and Mark Abraham show off their Father’s Day catch on Seneca Lake.”

– Lindsey Williamson, Geneva

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“Grapes in the vineyard ready for the harvest.”

– Cathy Zimdahl, King Ferry Winery

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2010 Photo Contest Deadline: Sept. 30, 2010 Categories: 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place prizes plus publication in Winter 2010 magazine issue: * Best Color * Best Black-and-White * Grand prize to best overall photograph * Photographs may also be selected for honorable mention and for photo illustration

Sponsored by

Requirements on how to submit photographs.

Submit photos as prints, slides or digital images. Please do not send color negatives.

Entries are limited to five for Black-and-White and five for Color for a total of ten entries.

The minimum size of a digital image should be 2304 x 1536 pixels.

Include the photographer's name, address, phone, e-mail address and identification of the image on each slide or photo print. Also include a list of each image and where it was taken. All photographs must be taken in the Finger Lakes Region.

Photographs may not have been published elsewhere and must belong to the entrant, and photographer can not be a paid freelance photographer who has already had worked published in "Life in the Finger Lakes" magazine in the past 2 years.

Send entries with a sturdy self-addressed stamped envelope for return. Only entries with a self-addressed stamped envelope will be returned. Also include a stamped, selfaddressed postcard for acknowledging receipt of your material.

Only winners will be notified before Winter 2010 issue is published. Please refer to that issue to see the results of the photo contest. Life in the Finger Lakes magazine reserves the right to publish any entry, both online and in print, for both magazine publishing and magazine promotional items.

When sending digital images, please burn to CD and send through U.S. postal mail.

Send submissions postmarked no later than September 30, 2010 to:

Life in the Finger Lakes Photo Contest â&#x20AC;˘ P.O. Box 1080 â&#x20AC;˘ Geneva, NY 14456

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L I F E S T Y L E (Continued from page 67)

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Dr. Sue DeBruyne Janet Takats, MS

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Casual Fine Dining with City Style Ambiance ~ Featuring a Wood Fired Oven for our Entrees, Pizza and freshly Baked Breads ~ We use fresh, local ingredients ~ Extensive Wine List including many from the Finger Lakes Region ~ Join us for Happy Hour Sun, Tues, Weds, Thurs 4:30-6:30 ~ Halsey's is also available for Special Events Serving Dinner Daily (closed Mondays) 106 Seneca St, Geneva, NY 315-789-4070 Reservations Recommended

www.Halseysgeneva.com Our Friendly and Engaging Staff looks forward to serving you.

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Interior views during renovation

a hallway, workers uncovered a piece of old ladder nailed behind a wall.

Connor said the ladder remnant was affixed near the ceiling, right below the loose floorboard in the attic, close to the secret room. She had heard the tale about the ladder. She presumed that the slaves were transported to the basement doors and they climbed this ladder that passed through the closet to safety, above.

“It was referred to as a ‘china closet,’” explains Connor, “but it was actually a big walk-in closet in which they stored china.”

The Connors didn’t purchase the cobblestone as a bed-and-breakfast

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Visit

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Theaters, Wineries, Artists and More

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154 N. Main Street, Naples 585-374-6719 Come visit our first class B&B and enjoy our luxury accommodations and amenities.

Bruce & Donna Scott

Special Packages Available Wine Tour Packages ❧ Romance Packages In Room Massage ❧ Golfers’ Packages

Phone: (585)374-2080 103-107 South Main St., Naples, NY 14512

www.MonierManor.com Quality Fresh Fruits & Veggies of the Season • The Largest open air produce market in the Finger Lakes • Breads, Pies & Cookies Baked Fresh Daily • 100’s Of Kinds of Jam’s ‘N’ Jellies...

(Visit our Sampling Area) • N.Y.S. Honey & Maple Syrup • N.Y.S. Cheddar Cheese • In Store Bakery • Browse Our Gift Shop...Handcrafted Gifts From Across the U.S. • Handmade Amish Lawn Furniture Open May - Nov Daily 8am-7pm

S. Main Street, Naples • 585-374-2380 www.josephs-market.com

MONICA’S PIES Famous for our Grape Pies Available Year Round

Local fruits to luscious creams we have your favorite!

Call to order yours!

A variety of pies available daily also chicken pot pies, quiche, jams, jellies & gifts.

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ld’s Woratest Gre pe Pie a r G ontest C

Naples Grape Festival September 25 & 26th 10am-5pm Rain or Shine Rte 21 in Naples Village on the grounds of Memorial Town Hall and the Naples High School.

Featuring a Wine Tasting Tent, local and regional music, art from the Finger Lakes and fabulous food.

Parking at Lake Niagara Lane 2 blocks from site.

Commercial sponsors wishing to market their organization to Thousands of guests should contact Donna Scott at 585-490-1339

HOT ANYTHING & EVERYTHING SAUCE The original sauce with a multitude of uses. Use it as a marinade, topping or an additon to recipes.

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Produced by K & S Foods Naples, NY 585-534-9257 FALL 2010 ~

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L I F E S T Y L E

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venture. In fact, Kathy Connor thinks her husband suspected he was very sick and simply wanted to buy her the house she was always drawn to. They moved into their newly renovated home in September 2004. Soon after, Mike Connor was diagnosed with an advanced cancer and passed away.

The difficult time period following her husband’s death brought Connor to a crossroads. The home was a lot for her to maintain alone, so she purchased a small place in Cape Cod near her older son and his family. The cobblestone went up for sale, but Connor was unable to sell it for a fair price. “I started to think that it would make a great bed & breakfast, which might be a sensible plan for me,” she says.

Connor was accustomed to people slowing down as they drove by, or walking up to the porch to talk with her about the Underground Railroad.

Complete strangers asked for house tours. She realized how appealing it would be for prospective guests to spend the night in such an historic home.

Plans for the Cobblestone Cottage Bed & Breakfast started to take shape.

With two of her three grown children nearby to help, Connor commenced with some cosmetic alterations and a marketing plan. Her updated guest rooms were named keeping in mind the allure of the Parrish Family and their connection to the Underground Railroad. The Isaac Parrish Suite is a nod to the gentleman farmer who started it all, and the Honeymoon Cottage Suite pays homage to a turn-of-thecentury addition to the house. The Attic Quilt Suite, located on the second floor adjacent to the secret room, is the most appealing to history buffs.

Kathy opened the doors to her first guests at the Cobblestone Cottage Bed & Breakfast in January 2010. Many guests later, she is enthusiastically embracing her new direction in life and her role as innkeeper. Her house has had plenty of practice – if the accounts are true, the old Parrish farm already welcomed many, many travelers seeking refuge on a long and thrilling journey.

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F O O D

Bakery and Bistro Simplicity is at the core of two Geneva food providers: Normal Bread and The Red Dove Tavern story by William Ganis, photos by Mark Stash

Rune Hilt and Giulietta Racciatti, owners of Red Dove Tavern

D

ustin Cutler awakens at 4 a.m. three days each week to fire up the ovens and mix dough at Normal Bread, his two-and-a-half-yearold artisanal bakery on Washington Street in Geneva. The “Normal” in the name reflects the simplicity of the product, explains Cutler – organic flour, yeast, salt, water. Bread as it ought to be.

Three hours earlier, the Red Dove Tavern on Castle Street in Geneva closed for the night. Proprietors Rune

Hilt and Giulietta Racciatti like that their business is what most other area eateries are not. Their kitchen stays open until midnight serving foods that are far more compelling than the typical fried fare you’d find at other “taverns.”

In addition to tavern, they also call their place a “bistro” and “gastropub.” All describe a place that weds food with drink in a simple way, a bar that serves appealing and engaging food but is decidedly not about fine dining.

Whether the etymological idea that the word “bistro” comes from Russian troops occupying Paris in the 19th century is true or not, an anachronistic imagination envisions cold-war soldiers attracted to the “Red” Dove shouting, “Bistrot!” (“Quickly!” in Russian). Rune notes that the real inspiration for his restaurant is Johnny Brenda’s in Philadelphia, where he was sous-chef. “It was a dive bar with awesome food.”

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F O O D

Dustin Cutler, owner of Normal Bread

The Red Dove would certainly not classify as a dive, but Rune and Giulietta retain Brenda’s chalkboard menu, fresh and local sourcing, and laid-back atmosphere.

Variety is the spice of life

In addition to daily ciabatta and baguettes, Dustin Cutler mixes up his offerings by making different loaves each day. His lineup this spring featured three-seed, cheddar, and apricot loaves on Wednesdays and seven-grain, raisin, and spelt on Saturdays. These specialty breads typically take levain de pâte, a sourdough, as their base. Because of this simplicity, the specialty flavors explode – the pumpkin, sunflower and golden flax of the three-seed bread each register as distinct flavors.

With its “baked” browns and integration of natural wood, Normal’s storefront reflects this wholesomeness. The

88 ~

ovens and mixing areas are visible from the retail space so that customers can connect the product to the process.

Satisfying in their own right, the salt, yeast and fermented flour in the Normal Bread ciabatta become ideal flavorintensifying media – perfect for sandwiches served at The Red Dove.

Rune recalls, “I met Dustin before Normal or The Dove opened. I was walking by and stopped in to say hello.

We became friendly, and once we tasted Dustin’s bread we knew we had to use Normal Bread as our supplier.”

On each baking day, Dustin puts the dough in the oven at 10:30 a.m. Rune swings by after 11 to pick up the loaves and transport them three blocks to The Dove. They remain warm from the bakery’s ovens for the first lunch orders of the day. The wide, short ciabatta loaf slices into perfect sandwiches, a lunch mainstay served with fresh

W W W. L I F E I N T H E F I N G E R L A K E S . C O M

shoestring fries.

The Dove’s sandwich lineup includes portobello accompanied by roasted peppers, caramelized onion, and provolone; as well as flank steak with grilled red onion and Brie. A cider-marinated pork sandwich enhanced by sautéed spinach, provolone and harissa mayonnaise is always on the menu, and remains one of The Dove’s most popular dishes. It’s not your typical BLT. Still, the ingredients remain uncomplicated.

Dustin’s just-fresh bread, local pork, and cider from Red Jacket Orchards contribute to a flavor combination that is complex and satisfying, with notes ranging from the reduced cider’s tartness to the cool heat of Moroccan mayo.

Cider from Red Jacket, also a Geneva-based company, is part of a greater relationship the Red Dove has with this upstate produce grower and juice maker. The Orchards’ Tart Cherry

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Dustin checks the baking bread in his oven.

and Strawberry Apple Juices, among other seasonals, are typically mixed with one or two liquors at The Dove. These simple ingredients used in surprising combinations end up as signature drinks.

Bartenders pour rye with Red Jacket Orchards’ Blueberry Stomp to create “The Betty Blue,” for instance.

Expanding the menu

The bistro concept extends well beyond lunch, sandwiches and drink specials. Midday pasta dishes include linguine tossed with bacon and ramps, and tapas dishes that feature grilled octopus, steamers or Maytag blue cheese with honeycomb. Dinners become a bit more complex, but emphasize seasonal ingredients that are more juxtaposed than blended. A standout from a winter menu is the Hunter’s Plate – pheasant and venison sausages with apple cider-braised green

cabbage and buttermilk mash.

While Rune and Giulietta admit it took a while for brunch to catch on, it is now a busy meal full of students and parents from nearby Hobart and William Smith Colleges. Normal Bread brioche is the cornerstone of The Red Dove’s crème brûlée French toast with strawberries – a perennial Sunday sellout.

At the restaurant’s two-year anniversary last year, Giulietta and Rune showed photographs of the raw space they transformed from a former deli. While they hand-remodeled the location by adding wooden floors, and skillfully created a bar by deconstructing a 19th-century wooden armoire, everything seems original. The couple kept the original deli’s red neon sign to mark the restaurant in the nighttime streetscape and provide space-defining ambience. It was to become the “Red” in their eatery’s name. “Dove” is an

KIDDERS LANDING :OYSaWRS 2W\W\U 4cZZ 0 O`

0]Ob 2]QY 7930 County Rd. 153 Interlaken, NY 14847

(607)

532

3446

www.kidderslanding.com

FAST FACTS INFO PAGE 97

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Crafts of Distinction

F O O D

EAST HILL GALLERY OPEN MAY 28 OCT. 11 Fri., Sun., & Mon. 1-5, Sat. 11-5 or by appt.

FALL OPEN HOUSE SEPT. 18 & 19 1-5 p.m.

Giulietta makes some quick menu changes on Red Dove’s blackboards.

585-554-3539 • 1445 Upper Hill Rd., Middlesex

visit us at www.rfag.org FAST FACTS INFO PAGE 97

FAST FACTS INFO PAGE 97

FAST FACTS INFO PAGE 97

Now on Newsstands!

Includes map

The second annual issue of Explore the Finger Lakes.com magazine.

• Calendar of events • Day trips • Listing of tourism related companies

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homage to Arthur Dove, the formidable American modernist painter raised in Geneva.

The blackboard menus may foster a casual atmosphere, but as Giulietta and Rune point out, blackboards are actually quite practical when your menu changes almost daily depending on foods available from Regional Access and other local suppliers. Their beer selection is curated as a set of complementary ales, wheats, darks; and local, national and international brews, but these change often as fresh offerings by Sly Fox, Otter Creek, Brooklyn and other regional breweries are readily introduced.

Customers are so interested in the new experiences that some even ask to kick one keg to force setting up a new offering. Rune and Giulietta cite these moments of discovery as the most rewarding – this culinary couple is most satisfied when the person in flip-flops eating cevice, and the suited city hall lawyer with a sandwich, both become immersed in The Dove’s mission, to “expand palettes.”

Information on Normal Bread and the Red Dove Tavern is available at www.normalbread.com and www.red dovetavern.com.

William Ganis is an Assistant Professor of Art History at Wells College and resides and writes in Scipio Center.

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C A L E N D A R

SEPTEMBER 10-12...Race Back in Time One of the largest vintage racing events in North America. Catch the race re-enactment on Friday night in the streets of Watkins Glen. See race cars of every era take on one of the most historic tracks in the nation. All-access all weekend to the garage and paddock area. See the Chemung Canal Trust Co. Antique Auto Show on Saturday.

866-461-RACE www.theglen.com 11…Antiques Show on Rose Hill Grounds Antiques dealers will offer their wares for sale on Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on the grounds of Rose Hill Mansion, Geneva, with September 12 as the rain date. Rose Hill Mansion is located at 3373 Route 96A, Geneva. Anchoring the show will be Swansdown Antiques, a selective antiques shop on the grounds of Rose Hill. Fifteen dealers are expected to offer their wares.

315-871-9769 skboothe21st@yahoo.com 11-12…2010 Mendon Station Festival Visit a British Colonial Village with re-enactments and demonstrations by the 64th Regiment of Foot Horses, horses everywhere with exhibitions, riding and demonstrations at Mendon Station Park.

Music, Irish dancers, artists, Honeoye Falls-Lima School Scholastic Art Show, highlight this year’s annual Mendon Station Festival.

585-624-3182 www.mendonfoundation.com 11…Some Like It Hot/25th Anniversary Hosmer Winery in Ovid is celebrating their 25th anniversary this year. The festivities will have a basil pesto taste off, live entertainment, local cuisine available á la carte, wine by the glass or bottle, great wine specials and more. Several local artisans will be showcasing their hand-crafted specialties including quilts, pottery, and hot pepper jellies. The event starts at noon. Admission is free.

607-869-3393 www.hosmerwinery.com 11-12...Whingblinger Heritage Festival Held at the Benjamin Patterson Inn Museum, 59 W. Pulteney Street, Corning. Saturday - 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday - 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Traditional pioneer craft demonstrators, colonial re-enactors, working blacksmith shop, country store. Saturday flea market; Sunday auction. Food and musical entertainment both days. Pancake breakfast on Sunday from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Church service Sunday morning in 1878 one-room school.

607 937-5281 www.pattersoninnmuseum.org 12…Cornell Concert Series – Maria Schneider, Orchestra Acclaimed by critics as “evocative, majestic, heartstoppingly gorgeous and beyond categorization,” two-time Grammy-winning composer and band leader Maria Schneider takes the orchestral jazz tradition to new artistic heights. 8 p.m. at Cornell University.

607-273-4497 www.cornellconcertseries.com

17…Geneseo Art Stroll Come stroll along Geneseo’s historic Main Street, listen to local musicians, and visit with local artists. Watch artists as they demonstrate their skills.

585-243-5290 www.geneseony.com 17-26...23rd Annual Oktoberfest in Irondequoit A celebration of German culture, cuisine and music at Camp Eastman in Irondequoit. September 17-19 and September 24-26. See musical acts such as Saxons, Genesee Valley Alpine Band, Hohberg Buam, Richard Brandl, Joe Maloy and more.

585-336-6070 www.irondequoit.org/oktoberfest2010 18-19…Finger Lakes Fiber Arts Festival Celebrates the fiber arts in all forms, with a special focus on handspinning yarn. Other disciplines include weaving, felting, knitting, rug hooking, crochet and others. Classes, demos, exhibits, competitions, and vendors of everything from raw fiber to finished goods, including equipment, books, kits, patterns, buttons and beads, dyes, videos and more. Most activities held inside at the Hemlock Fairgrounds.

607-522-4374 www.gvhg.org/fest.html 18…Springwater Fiddlers Fair and American Crafts Show Whether you prefer to sit and enjoy the music on stage or hike surrounding scenic trails to experience “fiddling-in-the-woods,” the show guarantees an eclectic music mix. Lively jam sessions will get feet stomping and hands clapping. The fair will also highlight local artisans who will showcase their handmade wares. Food vendors are renowned restaurateurs whose fares will feature locally grown fresh produce and seasonal products. Held at Sugarbush Hollow Farm in Springwater. www.springwaterfiddlersfair.net 18…Fall Arts Festival at King Ferry Winery Local artists and crafts people offering free wine tastings throughout the day from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Featured this year is The Skaneateles Artisans Guild.

800-439-5271 www.treleavenwines.com 18…Charity Antique Flea Market Antiques, collectibles and handmade arts & crafts market to benefit local charities. Food and music available. Attendance is free. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Located 12 miles south of Skaneateles on Rte 41A, on the west side of the lake, on the lawn of New Hope Antiques.

315-497-2688 www.newhopeantiques.com 18-19...Folk Art Guild Harvest Festival and Open House Daily 1 to 5 p.m. The Rochester Folk Art Guild in Middlesex will be hosting the annual open house.

We invite the local community to join us in touring our craft studios, farm, and enjoying homemade and organic food. Freshly baked sourdough bread will also be available for sale.

585 554-3539 www.rfag.org

FAST FACTS INFO PAGE 97

ake it a day in the country. From fine furniture, gifts and collectibles to casually elegant luncheon dining, our shops offer a unique shopping experience. Relax and enjoy the country.

The Loomis Barn - Fine home furnishings and accessories Corn House Cafe - Open for lunch specialty sandwiches, homemade soups Susan’s Shop - 20th century collectibles. Fun and functional The Back Room - Unique accessories, gifts and accent items Store Hours Tues-Sat 10-5, Sun 12 -4, Cafe open for lunch, Both store and café closed Mon Just a 10-15 minute drive from Canandaigua, Penn Yan or Geneva. Call for directions.

4942 Loomis Road • Rushville

www.loomisbarn.com 800-716-2276 • 585-554-3154 FAST FACTS INFO PAGE 97

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C A L E N D A R 24...Moon Viewing Party at Sonnenberg Gardens A weekend celebration of Japanese art and culture at Sonnenberg Gardens in Canandaigua to support Sonnenberg's Japanese Tea House Renovation Project. www.sonnenberg.org

home accessories • notable finds • unusual accents

24…Finger Lakes Produce Auction Pumpkins and squash starting at 9 a.m. Held at 3691 State Route 14A (Penn Yan-Dundee Road) 315-531-8446 www.pirrunginc.com/FLPA.htm 25-26...Naples Grape Festival Enjoy wine, food, arts, crafts and local/regional music. Bake a pie for the World's Greatest Grape Pie Contest and sample everything grape that the Naples Valley has to offer.

585 374-2240 www.naplesgrapefest.org

22 CASTLE STREET IN GENEVA, NEW YORK

26…Erie Canal Cloggers Traditional dance performance of Erie Canal cloggers in full costume with period music. Held at Ward O’Hara Agricultural Museum in Auburn.

315-252-7644 www.cayuganet.org/agmuseum

TUESDAY THRU SATURDAY • 10:00 A.M. – 5:00 P.M.

OCTOBER

WWW.ANNIEWALKERS.COM

FAST FACTS INFO PAGE 97

FAST FACTS INFO PAGE 97

THE CHESHIRE UNION

2...Harvest Fest in Sodus Family fun with lots of good food, arts and crafts, demostrations from all types of business and organizations. Large farmer’s market. See Pumpkin Chuckin, prize winning pumpkins (over 100 lbs) are dropped or catapulted. And it all starts off with a noisey parade. Located at the Sodus Central School soccer field.

315-576-3818 www.sodusny.org

Gift Shop & Antique Center

3…Walk Now for Autism Join Walk Now for Autism at Long Branch Park in Liverpool. Start a corporate, school or family team.

Walk Now for Autism offers everyone a fun-filled experience with entertainment, refreshments, an autism community resource fair and more. www.walknowforautism.org/centralny

Located along the

Canandaigua Wine Trail.

The classrooms in our 1915 schoolhouse are filled with a mix of unique merchandise to meet all your gift-giving and decorating needs.

• • • • • •

Lang Center Webkinz Jewelry Candles Books Framed Prints

• Crystal Wine Glasses • We Feature Local Products & Artwork

VISIT OUR SCHOOLHOUSE DELI

…

bubbling over with art that’s sublime and things that tell time, whimsical crocks, frippery and frocks, bushels of books, some even for cooks, jewelry and posies, quilts that are cozy, fabrics and notions, soaps, herbs and potions, amusements and toys for girls and for boys!

4244 Rt. 21 So., 5 miles South of Canandaigua

The Kitschen Sink

Open 7 days 10-5

210 Elmira Rd • Ithaca,NY 14850

585-394-5530

(607)277-4914 www.kitschensinkithaca.com

www.cugifts.com FAST FACTS INFO PAGE 97

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9…Genesee Valley Hunt Races on Nations Road in Geneseo Featuring the 82nd running of the Genesee Valley Hunt Cup to benefit Golisano Children’s Hospital at Strong and the Genesee Rotary. 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The purpose of the Genesee Valley Hunt is to foster and promote the sport of fox hunting, to preserve and care for wildlife, and to conserve open spaces.

585-243-3949 www.geneseevalleyhunt.org 16…SESC Habitat for Humanity Hammer it Home Event is held from 7:30 p.m. to midnight at Corning Community College. Features live music from a variety of local bands, tapas stations from local restaurants, and tastings from area wineries, breweries and distilleries. Proceeds will benefit the local chapter of Habitat for Humanity.

607-329-8020 awolfe@elmira.edu

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C A L E N D A R 18-19...Fashion Show in Aurora Held at Aurora Inn. The sale room at Jane Morgan’s Little House is brimming with bargains.

315-364-8888 www.janemorganslittlehouse.com 22…The Haunted Jail What is hiding around the corner, is it a mannequin or a real monster? Come through the haunted jail and see for yourself, if you dare. The haunted jail runs from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Museum of Wayne County History in Lyons.

315 946 4943 www.waynehistory.org 22-23...The Finger Lakes Cork & Fork Showcases the offerings of more than 50 Finger Lakes farms, food producers, wineries and restaurants at beautiful Lott Farms on Route 414 in Seneca Falls. The main event is Saturday, October 23 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., where you can sample and buy local wines, locally grown and produced foods, and dishes prepared by area chefs featuring local products – along with gift certificates to their restaurants. You can also sign up for wine clubs, CSAs and freezer fills. Live jazz, a variety of tapas created from local ingredients and local wines.

315-568-2906 info@senecachamber.org 23…Strength in Numbers Annual Walkathon and 5K Run Held at Cass Park in Ithaca at 9 a.m. Benefits the Cancer Resource Center of the Finger Lakes. Free pancake breakfast to follow.

607-277-0960 www.crcfl.net

FAST FACTS INFO PAGE 97

5624 East Avon Lima Rd Rts 5&20, Avon, NY

24…Penn Yan Art Guild Annual Show Opening reception from 1-3 p.m. Features the art work of members of the Penn Yan Art Guild. The reception is free and open to the public. Exhibit rus through November 15 during gallery hours: Tuesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Yates Gallery, 119 East Elm Street, Penn Yan. 315-536-8226 www.ycac.org

585-226-3430 www.avonstoveandfireplace.com avonstove@frontiernet.net

NOVEMBER 11…Canandaigua Treaty Day 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. Celebrate the 1794 Canandaigua Treaty between the Six Nations (Iroquois) and the U.S. with a parade down Main Street in Canandaigua, a historic commemoration ceremony followed by a potluck dinner.

585-742-1690 www.ganondagan.org 13-14, 20-21…Keuka Holidays on Keuka Lake Wine Trail Ring in the holiday season in vintage form. Each winery offers delicious hearty winter foods along with their finest wines. Ticket holders receive a handmade grapevine wreath at their starting winery and collect a Christmas ornament at each winery. The wineries will be alive with holiday decorations and cheer, and gift shops stocked with unique and local items perfect for almost everyone on your shopping list.

800-440-4898 www.keukawinetrail.com

Full service hearth retail showroom, including all alternative heat sources: • Masonry fireplace re-construction • Hearth accessories, pipe and maintenance products • Custom fireplace with tile or decorative stone • Gas, Wood, Pellet Coal, Corn, Etc. • Take Advantage of tax credit (30%) up to $1500 • Financing Available FAST FACTS INFO PAGE 97

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(Continued on page 98) FALL 2010 ~

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REAL ESTATE

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I

magine having the house of your dreams in one of the

most beautiful places in the country. The Finger Lakes boasts unparalleled views and opportunities for homeowners.

Take advantage of these real estate opportunities today!

FINGER LAKES UPSTATE NEW YORK 131â&#x20AC;&#x2122; Cayugaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s west shore on 18 Acres. Professional dock, 3-boatlifts, boathouse, driving range & putting green all lakeside. 3BR, 3.5BA home w/ screened Mel Russo Lic. Real Estate Broker/Owner porch. Tennis & other sportsman courts. Bunk 315-568-9404 house, 3-car garage, & Much More! $995,000 senecayuga@aol.com For this & more Lake and Farm land call www.senecayuga.com 315-568-9404

ATTENTION SAVVY BUSINESS PEOPLE!!

If you haven't seen this one yet, a short tour is all it takes to see why this is your opportunity to own a unique and lucrative ice cream business in the village of Groton. The "Ice Cream Caboose" includes business, inventory, real estate, caboose, storage trailer and everything you need to get started making money immediately. Have fun operating this popular summertime establishment, then take the rest of the year off! Financing concerns? Owner says "let's talk!" Contact Jeff Trescot, Broker for appointment. 315-730-1446

Jeff Trescot, Broker 315- 497-3700 www.jefftrescot.com jefflcre@aol.com

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Upgraded 6BR home, 100ft developed lakefront.

Dock, hoist, cabana. Porch, FP, new garage, public utils. Move-in condition!

Call today for a private viewing.

Since 1975!

$645,000

Nick & Marty Mendola • Edelweiss Properties www.CanandaiguaLake.com • (585) 394-0270

Keuka Lake - 493' of ALL NATURAL SHORELINE! You can drive down into the family complex, and get-a-way from the rest of the world on "YOUR PERSONAL LAKE". There is no one around, except you and your guests. 4200sq.ft., 4 bedrooms, 3 baths, enclosed hot tub room, fireplace, decks, master suite. IT HAS IT ALL... come see, and you too will understand what is meant by NIRVANA... Offered at $1,750,000.

Keuka Lake - Lovely year-round 3 bedroom, 3 bath home, on 163' of "dead-level" frontage. Attached garage, boathouse, fireplace, treed setting, gorgeous views, grassy areas, large kitchen. It's soooooo wonderful! Offered at $775,000.

REAL ESTATE

www.CanandaiguaLake.com

Keuka Lake "frontage to die for"... drive into your garage, walk into your lake home, and walkout to the shore.

Quality built, wood stove, 4 bedrooms, boathouse, permanent dock, master suite, full walk-out lower level.

Its a GEM! Offered at $799,000.

Mark Malcolm II “Keuka Lake’s Top Agent” 315-536-6163 Direct

markmalcolm.com

Advertise Your Finger Lakes Property in the Winter Issue.

Deadline: October 1, 2010

CAYUGA LAKE - HEART OF THE FINGER LAKES Amazing year-round ranch on large lot with gentle slope to level shoreline, this home has been totally updated, new kitchen w/Corian counters, hwrd floors, frpl, wrap around deck, 2BD plus family room can accommodate family and friends, all public utilities, a must see, enjoy wonderful sunsets! $310,000

For more details and photos go to www.LakeCountryRealEstateNY.com Jason@LifeintheFingerLakes.com Rhonda@LifeintheFingerLakes.com

View all waterfront listings on our website.

Contact Midge Fricano, Broker, GRI. CRS. cell: 315-729-0985 email: lakcountry@aol.com

800-344-0559 • LifeintheFingerLakes.com

Lake Country Real Estate, Inc. 121 North St., Auburn, NY • 315-258-9147 x201

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ACCOMMODATIONS

Paradise is this secluded year-round countryside Grouse Haven on Scott Road near Keuka Lake. 120 acres of private woods & open land.

For more info please call 315-536-8475

P

eaceful country home that compliments the Finger Lakes.

Yale Manor Bed & Breakfast

563 Yale Farm Road Romulus, NY 14541 315 585 2208 www.yalemanor.com

â&#x20AC;˘ Authentic Log Cabin with cozy loft & jacuzzi tub. â&#x20AC;˘ Sleeps 6 â&#x20AC;˘ Enjoy spectacular sunsets! â&#x20AC;˘ Close to wine trails, golf. Hiking, mountain biking, birdwatching on Hi-Tor State Land. â&#x20AC;˘ Located between Keuka & Canandaigua Lakes.

Call 585.944.6301 www.hi-torhideaway.com

Bristol Views Bed & Breakfast 6932 County Rd. 12 Naples, NY 14512

585-374-8875 www.bristolviews.com Henry and Barb Owens

A beautiful wedding venue, located high above Canandaigua Lake with breathtaking views. Our seven landscaped acres offer access to hiking trails, waterfalls and relaxation. A recent letter noted â&#x20AC;&#x153;20 years of B&Bâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ing and we finally found the BEST.â&#x20AC;?

Fisherman Welcome

Private Cottage Lodging Along Catharine Creek

Where Life Is Good 607.535.0000 www.catharinecottages.com

Finger Lakes Mill Creek Cabins

4343 Rts 5 & 20, Canandaigua, NY 800-727-2775

www.fingerlakesinn.com

2382 Parmenter Road Lodi, NY 14860

Let us do a pig roast for your group!

Call 585-396-5500

Comfortable Affordable & Centrally Located

607-582-7673 Two, fully furnished, pet friendly cabins nestled on 42 secluded acres near the national forest and wine trails. Available year round.

www.fingerlakescabins.com

Glen Motor Inn

6 ,"

/

Motel and Restaurant

Breathtaking View From Every Room Exceptional Service and Outstanding Food Casual Comfort â&#x20AC;˘ Centrally Located Franzese Family Owned and Operated since 1937 1 mile north of Watkins Glen on State Route 14 607-535-2706 www.glenmotorinn.com â&#x20AC;&#x153;The only thing we overlook is Seneca Lake!â&#x20AC;?

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*Â?i>Ă&#x192;i V>Â?Â? vÂ&#x153;Ă&#x20AC; Ă&#x20AC;iĂ&#x192;iĂ&#x20AC;Ă&#x203A;>Ă&#x152;Â&#x2C6;Â&#x153;Â&#x2DC;Ă&#x192; Â&#x153;Ă&#x20AC; Ă&#x152;Â&#x153; Ă&#x20AC;iViÂ&#x2C6;Ă&#x203A;i > vĂ&#x20AC;ii LĂ&#x20AC;Â&#x153;VÂ&#x2026;Ă&#x2022;Ă&#x20AC;i°

,AKEFRONT $R 'ENEVA .9

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FAST FACTS AD INFO FALL 2010 COMPANY

PAGE

PHONE

WEBSITE / E-MAIL

COMPANY

PAGE

PHONE

WEBSITE / E-MAIL

Anchor Capital Management..........11 ......607-272-0004 ......anchorcapmanagement.com

Inn at the Finger Lakes ..................55 ......315-253-5000 ......innatthefingerlakes.com

Annie Walker's ..............................92 ......315-781-0348 ......anniewalkers.com

The Inn on the Lake ......................63 ......585-394-7800 ......theinnonthelake.com

Antique Revival..............................81 ......800-780-7330 ......antiquerevival.com

The Jewelbox ................................90 ......800-711-7279 ......ithacajewelbox.com

Avon Stove & Fireplace ................93 ......585-226-3430 ......www.avonstoveandfireplace.com

Kendal at Ithaca ............................13 ......800-253-6325 ......kai.kendal.org

Belhurst ........................................7 ........315-781-0201 ......belhurst.com

Keuka Family Dentistry ..................24 ......607-776-7656 ......gls@keukafamilydentistry.com

Best Western Vineyard Inn ............11 ......800-823-0612 ......vineyardinnandsuites.com

Kidders Landing ............................89 ......607-532-3446 ......kidderslanding.com

Brawdy Marine Construction ........15 ......315-536-0546 ......brawdymarine.com

King Ferry Winery..........................33 ......800-439-5271 ......treleavenwines.com

Bristol Builders ..............................61 ......585-586-8370 ......bristolbuilders.com

The Kitschen Sink..........................92 ......607-277-4914 ......kitschensinkithaca.com

Bristol Harbour ..............................74 ......800-288-8248 ......bristolharbour.com

Lady of the Lakes Suites ..............71 ......888-414-LAKE ......ladyofthelakessuites.com

Bristol Mountain ............................70 ......585-374-6000 ......bristolmountain.com

Lake Home Valet............................20 ......607-569-3675 ......lakehomevalet.com

Casowasco ....................................76 ......315-364-8756 ......casowasco.org

Livingston County Tourism............21 ....................................fingerlakeswest.com

Caves Millwork ..............................81 ......585-478-4636 ......cavesmillwork.com

The Loomis Barn ..........................91 ......800-716-2276 ......loomisbarn.com

Cayuga County Tourism ................21 ....................................tourcayuga.com

Lyons National Bank ......................C3......888-946-0100 ......lyonsbank.com

Cayuga Wine Trail..........................33 ......800-684-5217 ......cayugawinetrail.com

Marvin Windows & Doors ............19 ......888-537-7828 ......mymarvin.com

Chateau Layfayette Reneau............84 ......800-4-NYWINE......clrwine@aol.com

New Energy Works ........................16 ......585-924-3860 ......newenergyworks.com

Chemung Canal Trust ....................75 ......800-836-3711 ......chemungcanal.com

New York Land Quest ....................18 ......877-257-0617 ......nylandquest.com

Cheshire Union Gift Shop ..............92 ......585-394-5530 ......cugifts.com

Niles Gourmet................................18 ......315-784-5015 ......nilesgourmet.com

Clark Meadows at Ferris Hills ........61 ......585-393-4330 ......ferrishills.com

Phelps, NY ....................................C4......315-548-8900 ......phelpsny.com/visitors

Clifton Springs Hearing Center ......56 ......877-394-6775 ......cliftonhearing.com

Quality Wine Tours ........................79 ......877-424-7004 ......qualitywinetours.com

Cobtree ..........................................55 ......866-573-6322 ......cobtree.com

Red Jacket Orchards ....................90 ......800-828-9410 ......redjacketorchards.com

Community Bank ..........................79 ......800-835-2993 ......communitybankna.com

Ridge Road Station........................27 ......585-638-6000 ......ridgeroadstation.com

Conifer Village at Eastview ............43 ......585-223-2673 ......coniferliving.com

Rochester Folk Art Guild................90 ......585-554-3539 ......rfag.org

Cork & Fork ..................................76 ......888-71-TICKETS ..fingerlakescorkandfork.com

Seneca Lake Wine Trail..................33 ......877-536-2717 ......senecalakewine.com

Corning's Gaffer District ................25 ......607-937-6292 ......gafferdistrict.com

The Shops at Ithaca Mall ..............84 ......607-257-5337 ......theshopsatithacamall.com

Cortland Downtown Partnership....66 ......607-753-4928 ......historicdowntowncortland.com

SignLanguage Inc..........................57 ......585-237-2620 ......signlanguageinc.com

Dr. Frank's Vinifera Wine Cellars ..29 ......800-320-0735 ......drfrankwines.com

Skaneateles Artisans......................20 ......315-685-8580 ......skaneatelesartisans.com

Earle Estates Meadery ..................32 ......315-536-1210 ......meadery.com

Sonnenberg Gardens & Mansion ..91 ......585-394-4922 ......sonnenberg.org

Elizabeth Brewster House ..............71 ......607-749-2442 ......tobuck.brewsterhouse @cnymail.com

Southern Tier Plastic Surgery........86 ......607-734-2067 ......stpsa.com

Elm Croft Manor ............................C2......800-506-3071 ......elmcroftmanor.com

Spa Apartments ............................8 ........315-462-3080 ......spaapartments.com

Esperanza ......................................24 ......800-927-4400 ......esperanzamansion.com

Taughannock Farms ......................72 ......607-387-7711 ......t-farms.com

Finger Lakes Community College ..72 ......585-394-3500 ......www.flcc.edu

Timber Frames ..............................56 ......585-374-6405 ......timberframesinc.com

Finger Lakes Premier Properties ..8 ........888-414-LAKE ......flpplake.com

Timberpeg ....................................43 ......800-636-2424 ......timberpeg.com

Finger Lakes Tram ........................63 ......315-986-1937 ......fingerlakestram.com

Torrey Ridge Winery......................32 ......315-536-1210 ......torreyridgewinery.com

Finger Lakes Visitors Connection ..21 ....................................visitfingerlakes.com

Warfield's Restaurant ....................77 ......315-462-7184 ......warfields.com

Five Star Bank................................81 ......877-226-5578 ......five-starbank.com

Waterloo Premium Outlets ............3 ........315-539-1100 ......premiumoutlets.com

The Furniture Doctor ....................47 ......585-657-6941 ......thefurnituredoctoronline.com

Watkins Glen Harbor Hotel ............23 ......607-535-6116 ......watkinsglenharborhotel.com

Genesee Valley Hunt Races ..........93 ......585-243-2606 ......GVHRaces.com

Watkins Glen International ............57 ......866-461-7223 ......TheGlen.com

Geneva on the Lake ......................92 ......315-789-7190 ......genevaonthelake.com

Wayne County Tourism ................21 ....................................waynecountytourism.com

German Brothers Marina ..............5 ........585-394-4000 ......germanbrothers.com

Yates County Arts Center ..............89 ......315-536-8226 ......ycac.org

Southside Hearing Center..............84 ......585-243-7690 ......ksbrady2003@yahoo.com

Geva Theatre..................................45 ......585-232-GEVA ......gevatheatre.org Gleason Geothermal ......................17 ......866-898-9029 ......gleasonheating.com

MARKETPLACE ADVERTISING

Great Cortland Pumpkin Fest ........18 ......607-753-8463 ......www.cortlandpumpkinfest.org

Accommodations ..................................................................Pgs.96, 98

Halsey's ........................................84 ......315-789-4070 ......halseysgeneva.com

Attractions..............................................................................Pgs. 99-100

Handwork ......................................9 ........607-243-9400 ......handwork.coop

Campgrounds ........................................................................Pg. 12

Herendeen Brothers ......................93 ......585-289-4020 ......herendeens.com

Canandaigua ..........................................................................Pg. 65

Hilton Garden Inn ..........................2 ........877-STAY-HGI ......ithaca.hgi.com

Hammondsport ......................................................................Pg. 69

Holiday Inn - Ithaca ......................55 ......607-272-1000 ......hiithaca.com

Naples ....................................................................................Pg. 85

Homewood Suites Ithaca ..............47 ......607-266-0000 ......ithaca.homewoodsuites.com

Real Estate for Sale ................................................................Pgs. 94-95

Hope Lake Lodge ..........................67 ......607-835-6300 ......greekpeakmtnresort.com

Seneca Lake Wine Trail ..........................................................Pgs. 32-33

Hotel Clarence ..............................86 ......315-712-4000 ......hotelclarence.com

Shop Here! Retail & Business................................................Pgs. 101-103

I.D. Booth ......................................28 ......888-432-6684 ......idbooth.com

Wineries ................................................................................Pgs. 30-31

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ACCOMMODATIONS Glass Magnolia

Tudor Hall Bed & Breakfast on Keuka Lake

Bed & Breakfast Open all year

Historic early 1800’s country estate nestled in the peaceful rural charm of the Finger Lakes Wine region

WEDDINGS HORSE TRAIL RIDES AVAILABLE Call For Reservations

8339 N. Main St. • Interlaken, NY 14847 607-330-2809 www.glassmagnolia.com

Experience romantic elegance and personal pampering as you enjoy panoramic views on our decks or in the spa/hot tub before falling asleep to the soothing sounds of the lake lapping just outside your window.

315-536-9962 tudorhall@hotmail.com • www.p-port.com/tudorhallbb

C A L E N D A R 14...7th Annual Wayne County Bed & Breakfast Open House Tour Explore apple country bed & breakfast homes in Wayne County from noon to 5 p.m. Enjoy a variety of delicious specialty foods. Learn the history of these homes. Step back in time and visit unique homes built in the 1800s or Victorian style homes, while other B & Bs are located on farms in rural settings with animals and wild flowers.

888-997-1998 www.waynecountybandb.com 18…Historic Palmyra’s Holiday Bazaar Luncheon, special gifts, antiques and crafts. No charge for admittance at the Alling Coverlet Museum, 122 William Street, Palmyra. Thursday and Friday - 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. with luncheon at 11:30 a.m. Saturday - 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

315-597-6981 www.historicpalmyrany.com 19-21… Deck the Halls on the Seneca Lake Wine Trail Ticket to event includes a grapevine wreath and recipe book to be picked up at your starting winery, then enjoy decorating your Christmas wreath with a unique ornament from each winery you visit (couple's ticket share). Each person receives a food and wine pairing at each participating winery.

877-536-2717 www.senecalakewine.com

The Hound & Hare Bed and Breakfast Recapture the Romance Jacuzzi • AC Fireplace Antiques

Shetland Meadows B&B

Romantic Breakfast by Candlelight

(607) 257-2821 1031 Hanshaw Road, Ithaca, NY 14850 AAA Approved

www.HoundandHare.com

Our contemporary home features beautiful lake views, a large outdoor deck, spacious rooms and wide screen TV. Wake up to a country-style breakfast served in a comfortable dining room where, in addition to great food, you can enjoy amazing views of Keuka Lake and the surrounding hillsides. Small pet friendly.

15096 State Route 54 Dundee, NY 14837

607-292-6861 www.shetlandmeadowsbb.com

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Great Gift!

Great Price!

3 years - 12 issues for only $28.95

19-21… Cayuga Wine Trail Holiday Shopping Spree Take home a souvenir wineglass, a grapevine wreath, a collectible Cayuga Lake Wine Trail ornament from each winery, plus holiday recipes. In addition we are offering to our ticket holders our event weekend Shopper’s Card so you’ll be able to shop till you drop.

800-684-5217 www.cayugawinetrail.com 26…A Christmas Carol A new production of the classic tale, that is sure to create a new holiday tradition. The famous tale of redemption for the most despised man in London will awaken your heart at the Geva Theatre Center in Rochester.

585-232-GEVA (4382) www.gevatheatre.org 26-28…Holiday Lights Illuminated light displays highlight Emerson Park in Auburn grounds from 5 to 9 p.m.

315-253-5611 www.co.cayuga.ny.us/parks/emerson/events.html 27…Parade of Lights An evening parade in which all participants are covered in lights…from top to bottom! Corning’s Gaffer District puts a unique spin on the traditional “March Down Main Street.”

607-937-6292 info@gafferdistrict.com

W E B

Call 800-344-0559 Today or visit LifeintheFingerLakes.com

W W W. L I F E I N T H E F I N G E R L A K E S . C O M

E X T R A

For more events, explore our online calendar at www.LifeintheFingerLakes.com.

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ATTRACTIONS

Patterson Inn Museum 59 W. Pulteney St., Corning, NY 607-937-5281 Open Mon-Fri 10am-4pm Museum complex features a tavern c1796, log house c1850, schoolhouse c1878, agricultural barn and blacksmith.

www.PattersonInnMuseum.org

National Memorial Day Museum Waterloo, NY Open Tue-Sat 10A.M. - 5P.M. April 8 - December 15 TH

(315) 539-0533

TH

And by appointment

The National Memorial Day Museum commemorates the founding of Memorial Day through period rooms (1866) and exhibits that highlight the service and sacrifice of our Veterans.

Rose Hill Mansion is a National Historic Landmark and considered one of the finest examples of Greek Revival Architecture in the United States.

Located in the 1829 ProutyChew House, the Geneva History Museum explores the history of Geneva and its diverse people and enterprises. The Museum features local history exhibitions, period rooms, and a library and archive.

(315)789-5151 www.genevahistoricalsociety.com

Y

1

543 South Main St., Geneva, NY 14456

almyra 6P N 82

GHOST HUNTS ALL YEAR. Call 315-597-6981 www.historicpalmyrany.com Tours by day.

Ghost Hunts by night.

Saturdays & Sundays Noon-5pm Sept. 18th – Oct. 31st

The four museums of Historic Palmyra await you!

Family Fun stuff, bounce house, pumpkin painting, hay rides, corn maze and more!

Sibyl’s Birthday Oct. 10th, Cemetery Walk, Oct. 15-16, Holiday Bazar Nov. 18-20.

864 Gravel Rd. Seneca Falls, NY • 315-568-2379 At the north end of the Cayuga Wine Trail

www.meadevillefarm.com

Reserve now by phone or e-mail bjfhpinc@rochester.rr.com

Wayne County 17th Annual

Bed & Breakfast Open House Tour Sunday November 14, 2010 12 Noon-5PM www.waynecountybandb.com

$10.00 advance sale ticket price • $13.00 Nov. 12-14, 2010 Information–Call Wayne County Tourism (800) 527-6510

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ATTRACTIONS PhG Tours

Wayland Historical Museum

Exploring the History of New York's Finger Lakes Region

Jennifer Cleland, Ph.D.

Schuyler County Historical Society Historic 1828 brick tavern, eleven exhibit rooms.

Summer Hours

Open Daily 1-5pm July & Aug. 10-5pm

585-728-3610 or 728-5108

333 Spencer Road, Ithaca, NY 14850 www.phgtours.com • jc@phgtours.com • (607) 319-4951

607-535-9741 • 108 N. Catharine St. • Montour Falls, NY 14865

Historic Maritime District

Cr. S. Main & Washington Sts. Wayland, NY

Open Sun 2-4PM Mon 10AM-Noon By appointment

West 1st Street Pier, Oswego 315-342-0480 Since 1982

www.hleewhitemarinemuseum.com

Seward House We invite you to visit Seward House, the historic home of statesman William H. Seward and his family.

Tuesday-Friday: 10am-4pm Saturdays: Call Museum closed (Dec 20 - April 1)

www.schuylerhistory.org

Seneca Falls Historical Society We maintain a 23-room Queen Anne Style Victorian Mansion circa 1890, as a home of a wealthy Victorian family.

55 Cayuga St., Seneca Falls (315)568-8412 • www.sfhistoricalsociety.org

Seward House features an extensive collection of Civil War memorabilia and early Alaskan artifacts.

33 South Street Auburn (315)252-1283 www.sewardhouse.org

Colonial Belle Cruising The Historic Erie Canal bout Us A ruises Ask C e Them Our

Fun Enti for the re F ami ly

“The Attic Trunk” Exhibit runs from August 27-November 20

“The Haunted Jail” Oct. 22 & 23 - 7pm $3 per person Museum Hours: Tues.- Fri. 10am-4pm (Saturdays April - Nov. 10am-4pm )

Closed Sun. & Mon. Admission Adults $4, Students $2, Members free!

ers hart te C le a iv r P ab Avail Enjoy a 11/2 to 3 Hour Narrated Cruise on the Most Picturesque Section of the Waterway ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• Season from May thru October 3 Cruises Daily Tues thru Sat • 2 Cruises on Sunday Lunch, Dinner and Full Service Bar Available •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

Call for Reservations 585-223-9470 • www.colonialbelle.com 400 Packett’s Landing • Fairport, NY

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Retail & Business SHOP

Folks from the beautiful Finger Lakes Region have enjoyed millions of cups of coffee from Finger Lakes Coffee Roasters for over twelve years. Our travels and roasting experience allow us to locate the highest quality beans from all over the globe. Freshness is guaranteed. Please visit us or purchase a bag of beans online!

www.fingerlakescoffee.com 800-420-6154

Visit our locations.

Farmington Corner of Routes 96 & 332 (CVS Plaza) 585-742-6218

Pittsford Plaza Monroe Ave. (Next to Michael’s) 585-385-0750

THE CHRISTMAS HOUSE

HERE!

Quality Antiques & Collectibles Bought & Sold, Worth the Drive!

Not Just For Christmas Any More!

361 Maple Avenue • Elmira, NY 14904

Antique Yard Sales, June – September

(Rt. 17/I86, Exit 56, Left on Madison, Left on Maple)

(315) 497-2688 www.newhopeantiques.com

Visit our 2nd location at the Arnot Mall, Exit 51A

www.christmas-house.com • (607) 734-9547 www.facebook.com/ChristmasHouse

Visit our online store!

Rte. 41A, 12 miles south of Skaneateles

Strong Memorial Hospital Thompson Hospital

C ORNELL S HEEP P ROGRAM

Finger Lakes Images

BLANKETS Created from the wool of Cornell Dorset and Finnsheep breeds and their crosses, these blankets are ideal for football games and cold nights, and as gifts for graduation, wedding, birthday, Christmas and other occasions. Red stripes near each end and red binding accent the 100% virgin wool. Your purchase of blankets helps to support the Cornell Sheep Program, and $10 from each sale goes to an undergraduate scholarship fund. Each blanket is individually serial-numbered on the Cornell Sheep Program logo label and comes with a certificate of authenticity.

Lap robe (60 x 48 inches, 1 stripe) $85 Single (60 x 90 inches, 3 stripes) $119 Double (72 x 90 inches, 3 stripes) $129 Queen (76 x 104 inches, 3 stripes) $155

Bill Banaszewski Specializing in Outdoor Photography Over 200,000 Stock Photos Custom Photo Shoots

Add 8% New York State sales tax & shipping ($10 for Lap robes & $15 for all other sizes)

Additional information about the blankets is available at: www.sheep.cornell.edu (click on “blankets”) Purchase at the Cornell Orchards, the Cornell Dairy Store, or from the Department of Animal Science in 114 Morrison Hall, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853-4801 or by telephone (607-255-7712), fax (607-255-8929), or email cspblankets@cornell.edu.

315-536-1004 www.thefingerlakesimages.com P.O. Box 196, Penn Yan, NY 14527

LW EMPORIUM CO-OP Gifts, Antiques & Home Décor and

WHISTLE STOP ANTIQUE CENTER

10am-5pm Tues thru Sun • Closed Mon

6355 Knickerbocker Road off 104 in Ontario 315-524-8841 • www.lwemporium.com FALL 2010 ~

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Retail & Business

MAKE YOUR OWN WINE

www.fallbright.com Secure online shopping Winemaking Information Fall Bright, The Winemakers Shoppe • Keuka Lake 10110 Hyatt Hill, Dundee, NY • 607-292-3995

Copper Beacons Herb Shop

Our specialty is organic culinary and decorative herbs Fresh herbs / Dried herbs and spices Specialty teas / tea accessories Herbal products / crafts One-of-a-kind theme gift baskets Plus much more Come visit the Farm

3883 County Rd. 143, Trumansburg, NY 14886 Thu.-Sat. 11-5, Sun. 1-5 • 607-387-5240 ecollins@FLTG.net • www.copperbeacons.com

• Alex Evening • Ursula • Brighton •

Fashion Show–Aurora Inn: Oct. 18 & 19 Res. begin Sept 1 @ (315) 364-8888 Monday–Saturday 10 am–6 pm, Sunday 12–4 pm 378 Main St., Aurora, NY 13026 • (315) 364-7715

• Vera Bradley • Andria Lieu • Pleats •

• 600 West • Planet • Elliott Lauren • Cartise •

• Fat Hat • Maggie London • Spanner •

North of the village of Trumansburg, left off Rt. 96

Discover...

Two Floors of Distinctive Gifts, Including Our Year ’Round Seasonal Shops Normal Business Hours Mon-Sat Closed Sundays 2 West Main Street, Clifton Springs 315-548-4438

The Finger Lakes from Space

POSTER

Take the Finger Lakes home with you with this stunning poster of the Finger Lakes Region from Space! The photograph, taken by satellite, consists of high-detail satellite imagery with overlaid map information.

The map detail consists of cities, towns, main and secondary highways as well as airports, the Erie Canal, state parks and many other features of interest. There is no other poster of the Finger Lakes as beautiful and informative as this one. Poster size - 25˝ x 39˝.

Call 1-800-331-7323 to order, or visit Paper Poster: $22.95 • Laminated Poster: $29.95

www.atwatervineyards.com Dealer inquires invited.

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7531 County Rt. 13, Bath, NY 14810 • 607-776-3737 Email@FingerLakesWellness.com

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Retail & Business SHOP

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Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Christmas Year Round at Ridge Road Station! s A unique Shopping Experience s Offering over 25,000 ornaments s Model Trains, Unique Toys & Gifts Galore!

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Annual Open House Event )RQWDQLQL 6LJQLQJ (YHQW )ULGD\ 1RYHPEHU WK

16131 Ridge Road W. Holley, NY 14470 585-638-6000

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Open Tues-Fri 10-7, Sat 10-5, Sun 12-5

www.ridgeroadstation.com

Over 700 REAL LOG HOMES Built in the Finger Lakes Area Since 1971.

Call for Monthly OPEN HOUSES www.loghomeguy.com www.realloghomes.com

Call Ed Schoen â&#x20AC;¢ 315-946-4360

The Wildflower Café at

We serve fresh, natural foods including local pasture raised organic beef and chicken and sustainable sea foods and of course Rooster Fish Ales!

223-301 N. Franklin Street

607.535.9797 www.rooste rfish b rewi n g.co m

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T H E

E A S E L

The Keuka Lake Stone Mosaic Lady

by Bill Kinsman

Y

ears ago, when my wife Betty was spending most of her summers on the beach of Keuka Lake watching our five children swim, she began to notice the many shapes and colors of the beach stones around her. With a little imagination she could combine them to look like fish, children, trees and more. By embedding the stones in a cement mix in redwood frames, she began to create mosaics. Eventually, Betty started selling her work at art & craft shows in the Finger Lakes Region.

As she became more serious about her art, her collection of stones began to grow.

Betty sorted her carefully selected pieces of beach shale into cardboard milk cartons split lengthwise. Soon the shelves in her workshop were filled with boxes labeled “mushrooms,” “children’s heads,” “fish heads,” “tree branches,” “arms and legs,” and “too good to be true!” Most of her rocks are from the Finger Lakes and Lake Ontario, but a few are from Maine, where long straight pieces of slate can be found.

In addition to exhibiting her art at the Clothesline Show in Rochester and smaller local shows, she sold her work at The Three Crowns in Pittsford. Currently, Betty displays her work at Artizanns in Naples, and she continues to sell her mosaics at the Hammondsport Craft Show each August. I help by making the redwood frames and by cleaning sink drains that mysteriously become plugged with concrete.

Creating her stone mosaics has been a fun hobby. She no longer has to watch swimmers (except for grandchildren now and then), but watching for the just right rock has led to many nice walks on Finger Lakes beaches.

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Clyde | Geneva | Jordan | Lyons | Macedon | Newark | Ontario | Penn Yan | Wolcott | And now Seneca County!

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FAST FACTS INFO PAGE 97

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Come home to Phelps Howe House Museum

66 Main Street, Phelps, NY 14532 (315) 548-4940

2 Story Outhouse Exhibits Programs Group Tours School Programs Open: Tues- Fri 10:00 a.m. - 4 p.m.

The Historic Phelps Hotel Restaurant 90 Main Street, Phelps, NY 14532 (315) 548-5200 www.phelpshotelrestaurant.com

www.phelpsny.com/phelpsfun

BRISTOL MOUNTAIN BLUEGRASS

Halco Renewable Energy Serving the entire Finger Lakes region.

Offering Solar, Wind & Geothermal Systems. www.halcoheating.com • (800) 533-3367

Bluegrass, Country, Old Style Acoustic, Americana, Songs of the Civil War, Blues, Gospel, Folk and more.... www.bristolmountainbluegrass.com

(315) 521-3245 or (315) 719-2163

Limited Edition Paintings for sale plus gift items

91-93 Main Street Phelps, NY 14532

Riverbend Farm 1996©

3 Church Street, Phelps, NY 14532 (315) 548-8544 • (315) 734-8048 www.kinkadegalleryofthefingerlakes.com

(315) 777-5131 (315) 777-5657

For information about the Town and Village of Phelps

PhelpsNY.com Visit “You Gotta Love Phelps, New York” www.fingerlakesartstrail.org

Phelps Business Development and Tourism Council • (315) 548-8900

It’s time to feel good again!

Our small friendly community is nestled in the beautiful Finger Lakes region of upstate New York.

Centrally located on State Route 96 between Rochester and Syracuse.

Take a walk down our tree-lined streets, enjoy our stunning architecture, or listen to the water gliding over falls and rocks as Flint Creek and Canandaigua Outlet flow through the heart of the Village. In Phelps you’ll find a full range of services, from shops to restaurants and bakeries, arts and community centers to museums, banking, library and churches and business enterprises.

FAST FACTS INFO PAGE 97