Life in the Finger Lakes MayJun 2015

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HOW TO PHOTOGRAPH YOUR PETS • CMAC SUMMER EVENTS • UPDATED CORNING MUSEUM OF GLASS

The Magazine for People Who Love New York State’s Wine Region

Since

2001

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LIFE IN THE FINGER LAKES

CMAC Summer Events • Top 10 Perennials

May/June 2015

Fido’s

PHOTO

Tips for Taking Pictures of your Pets page 28

MAY/JUNE 2015 • VOL. 15, NO. 3

LifeintheFingerLakes.com GREAT PRICE! $3.95

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UPDATED Corning Museum of Glass, p. 23 • Peter Jemison, Artist, p. 104

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Arnot Ogden Medical Center was recognized by Premier, Inc. as one of only 10 hospitals in the U.S. that set and exceeded goals for the safety of our patients.

When you consider what’s at stake, why would you consider anywhere else?

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COME TO EXPECT THE BEST

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Since

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Volume 15, Number 3 • May/June 2015

It’s a great day for wakeboarding with the kids on Keuka Lake.

Photo by Kristian S. Reynolds

F E A T U R E S

38

44

Nature photography by the seat of your pants

by Bard V. Prentiss

Lady Long Rider treks through New York to celebrate the journey of Women’s Rights

by John Adamski

Shifting Focus

Happy Trails

50

56

Unique Area

by Chris Murray

Stacks are stunning but bales are better

by Derek Doeffinger

Sharing a Secret The Beauty of Labrador Hollow the Bale

Cover: Photographer Derek Doeffinger will go to almost any length to get a great photo of his pets.

Read how you can also capture your pet’s personality with the camera on page 28.

­­­­­­­­­­­­1­ Juuanre ery a n uEaarryl/M eSy bu/rmm yF a To Subscribe, visit LifeintheFingerLakes.com or call J800-344-0559

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Since

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Life in the

ON’S PR GI

D E P A R T M E N T S 4 My Own Words

64

thoughts from the editor

5 Letters

reader feedback

6 Finger Lakes Map

areas of interest in this issue

9

Happenings

news and events

16 Music

strike the right note George Thorogood at CMAC

16

64 A Proud Community

cities and villages

Ovid

Enterprising

in business

68 Ithaca emerges as

entrepreneurial hub

70 Finger Lakes Railway is picking up steam

76 Making a Difference

the important things

Purple Haze saves racehorses

79 History 20 Gardening

growing and landscaping

Top 10 perennials

23 Cultured

the better things in life

Corning Museum of Glass gets bigger

narrative of the past

The Newark-Arcadia Historical Society and Museum

82 Fruit of the Vine

wine, spirits and brews

Black Russian Red from McGregor Vineyard and Winery

104

28 How-to

be a better photographer

Taking pictures of your pets

31 Offbeat

fresh and unique

Finger Lakes Finns

34 Human Interest

stories about real people

A glimpse into the life of Dr. Konstantin Frank

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103 Index of Advertisers 104 Off the Easel

creating art Seeing nature through the art of Peter Jemison

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My Own Words

thoughts from the editor

Consider the

A

s an artist, I’m constantly on the lookout for interesting things to paint. I’ve always had an affinity for painting and drawing birds and other animals.

And I also like to paint from different life experiences.

Bale kinds of shapes. Small square bales and larger square bales are usually picked up right away and stored in a barn. But the much larger round bales are sometimes left in the fields for days, weeks and sometimes months.

The round bales, to me, are quite

“Fading Sun Hay Bales in the Finger Lakes,” acrylic painting by Mark Stash. Private collection

As a kid I explored a lot in the woods near my parent’s home, and I would draw what I saw. Now, I still like to paint what I see.

Every day on my way to the office I drive past some pretty incredible farm landscapes. The rolling fields reach back and disappear into a patchwork of woodlots and barn silos. Throughout the year, those fields change from bright white desolation in the winter to the brown and tan fields of spring before the grasses and crops start to grow. And then, sometime around the middle of April into May, the green colors explode throughout the landscape. The change in color from drab to bright and beautiful is astounding.

Then those green grasses grow and grow and become hay, and before you know it, a farmer is out there cutting it down into neat rows that run up and down and around the fields. Then those rows of cut hay are baled into all

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beautiful and really complement the rolling hills and fields of the Finger Lakes. The round geometric shapes of the bales act as a focal point in my paintings – a few round bales in the foreground leads the eye to more bales in the middle ground and then the background, and then the viewer sees the hills and trees in the distance, and maybe even a Finger Lake.

Derek Doeffinger’s article “The Beauty of the Bale” on page 56 helps us to learn a little more about hay bales and how to appreciate some common country sights that may have been taken for granted in the past. When you’re driving through the Finger Lakes this early summer, take notice of these farm fields and the round bales of hay with an artist’s eye.

mark@lifeinthefingerlakes.com

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Please direct your responses to mark@lifeinthefingerlakes. com or to Life in the Finger Lakes magazine letters, PO Box 1080, Geneva NY 14456.

We went to Sampson State Park recently to take a walk and enjoy the sunshine. While at the marina, we saw a group of red head ducks. This was a first for me.

– Mary Grasek

I appreciate your recent article on the “Lost Town of Williamsburgh” (January/February 2015). It has, I think, another little-known secret.

One of the tombstones in the cemetery bears the name of James Birney, who had married William Fitzhugh’s daughter. He was the candidate for

the U.S. presidency for the Liberty Party in 1844 (forerunner to the Republican Party). Because of him, New York’s electoral ballots went to James Polk, and the result was that the United States includes today’s great southwest, including California.

Also his son, David, is famous for his role at Gettysburg, replacing General Sickles in the peach orchard/wheatfield battles on the second day.

– Ted Juroe

Recently saw your magazine and thought I would drop you a note concerning your “human interest – stories about real people” section. I greatly enjoyed the article about Syracuse University men’s basketball coach Jim Boeheim (March/April 2015). He’s an interesting person indeed. It was a good read.

– Stanley Swan

reader feedback

Letters

Recently, for the first time in many years, I was surprised to see a woodcock, also known as a “timber doodle” while walking in my woods. This little 7-ounce bird is losing habitat and its numbers are spiraling downward. This is the time of year when they normally start their unique courtship, which you have to see to believe.

This bird is finding it tough looking for earthworms because the ground is cold and I dont think it is finding many.

– Dennis Money

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Finger Lakes Regional Map 1 Canandaigua (p. 16) 2 Corning (p. 23) 3 Dundee (p. 82)

4 Farmington (p. 76) 5 Geneseo (p. 45) 6 Geneva (p. 71)

areas of interest in this issue

7 Hammondsport (p. 34) 8 Ithaca (p. 68) 9 Newark (p. 79)

10 Ovid (p. 64) 11 Rochester (p. 45) 12 Seneca Falls (p. 45, 59) 104 04A 4A

Lake Ontario 255 250

E. Rochester

33 490 33A 3

383 833

38 386

ee

R.

Honeoye Lake

Conesus Lake 256 25 256

144

ka L ake

22 227

Hammondsport

4 415

144

81

221 22

Marathon

41 26

221

From Binghamton

96B 6B

T w a t s w i

79

TOMPKINS

38 38

224 24

eC Catharin

34 9966

r.

er Chemung

Horseheads

2233 22

Elmira Heights

River

352

96

CHEMUNG

Elmira 427 42 27

15

Van Etten

3 34

Candor nk Cr.

Pinnacle State Park

Spencer 3344

o tat Ca

225 22 25

Addison

22 224

133

k Cayuta Cree

36

38

366

Buttermilk Falls State Park

Mark Twain State Park

2

4177

215 15 13

Dryden

Cayuga Heights

8

Ithaca

414

Painted Post

Corning Rexville

1 13

Cayuta Lake

Montour 228 Falls Odessa

1 86 4415

366

4177

2488

Robert H. Treman State Park

Watkins Glen

144 17

The Finger Lakes Region of New York State

3666 366

79

Riv

STEUBEN

n cto

Canisteo Rive r

41 S C H U Y L E R 414

Coho

Canisteo

248 24 48

226

Bath

Hornell

.

Cr

13

79

Burdett Watkins Glen State Park

54

Lansing

Allen H. Treman State Park

79

14A 4A A

Lamoka Lake

Avoca 86 17

89

41 41

McGraw

11

l Fal

38

Taughannock Falls State Park

96

Keu

7

13

222288

227

4 414

Waneta Lake

CORTLAND

Cortland

Groton

34

91

Homer

222

Trumansburg

230

5 54

41 90

r ive aR

53

36

89 34B

3

133

41A 41 41A A

iog

390

211

Filmore Glen State Park

hn

Cohocton

From Jamestown

Interlaken

133

Moravia

wa s

Dundee

37 371

34

90

14A 4A

5 54

53

70 Stony Brook State Park

Keuka Lake State Park

Long Point State Park

CAYUGA

96A

54A A

91

g Tiou

211

41 41A

414 1 Lodi Point State Park

80

388

et Inl

Wayland

4 436

l et

911

14

38A 8

Aurora

96

Branchport

15

Dansville

4 436

t Keuka Ou

11

80

k

9 90 Deans Cove Boat Launch

10Ovid

YATES

Naples

3366

54

Penn Yan

9 96

41

an ea t

co

63 63

3664 364

st We

34 34B

Sampson State Park

11A A

La

Sk

O

390

258

Nunda

411

38

20

911

ke

Harriet Hollister Spencer State Recreation Area

144

14A 4

20

e

Honeoye Lake Boat Launch State Park

9666A A

245

36 364

644

344

Union Springs

89 2 7 247

41A 1A

326 26

9 91

81

ONONDAGA

La es el

Honeoye

Cayuga

4 41

173 17 73

92

Manlius

Clark Reservation State Park

80

17774

20

Auburn

Cayuga Lake State Park

SENECA

21

Letchworth State Park

4408 088

6

Geneva

5

yuga and Ca 414 14 eca en

5

Fayetteville

481

173 173

o isc Ot

1 A 15A

20

36 364

20

e ak o L

15 15

1

Canandaigua

5

41 414

Waterloo Seneca Lake State Park

12

e Lak Cayuga

4408 08

LIVINGSTON

96

Green Lakes State Park

175

Marcellus

Skaneateles 175

Seneca Falls

318

Phelps

4 488

Canandaigua Lake State Marine Park

20A

5

90

Clifton Springs

21

ake Seneca L

e ock Lak Heml

2566

15

14

ONTARIO

20

321

From Utica

290 90

State Park at the Fair

Syracuse

3188

344

298

481 90

Weedsport 38 38

96 96

332

Bloomfield

Hemlock Canadice Lake

Conesus Lake State Marine Park

Newark

31

North Syracuse

690

Solvay

sc Owa

20A

4

Sonnenberg Gardens & Mansion State Historic Site

Lima

Livonia

Mt. Morris

Ganondagan State Historic Site

.

Cr

366

64

Honeoye

5

15

Victor

Honeoye Falls

390 15

39

Geneseo

9

ndaigua Outlet Cana

57

4488

Jordan

3 31

l

s ne Ge

Avon

63

90

251

4811

37 370 690 900

31 90

31

na

5

Palmyra

655

Caledonia

Clyde Ca

90

4114

Lyons

31

Baldwinsville 337700

Macedon 311

11

38

WAYNE

21

350 550

57 57

34

89

88

4441 41

31F 31F

490

6 64

383 8

366

Fairport

252

155

3 36

N

286

Oneida Lake

81

TIOGA

ego C r.

11Rochester

490

259 5

370 70

104 144

al

Spencerport 36

From Watertown 176 7

Wolcott

35 350

104

100044

Newark Valley

Ow

Webster

Irondequoit Bay State Marine Park

386 8

Sodus

104

Barg e

188

Brockport

From Buffalo

Sodus Bay

Sodus Point

26 260

31

38 1004A 4A

Can

MONROE

Can an da igua L ake

104

Chimney Bluffs State Park

261 6

Seneca R.

259 5

Hilton 18

S

260 60

1 19

360

From Oswego

Fair Haven Beach State Park

Hamlin Beach State Park

R.

272 27

13 Trumansburg (p. 31) 14 Tully (p. 50) 15 Victor (p. 104)

388 88

9966

Owego

17C 7C

Newtown Battlefield State Park Two Rivers State Recreation Area

Waverly

14 14

17C 7C

86 17

From Binghamton

427 277

Editorial & Production Editor......................................................................Mark Stash ......................................... mark@lifeinthefingerlakes.com Senior Graphic Artist...........................Jennifer Srmack Graphic Artist..................................................Liz Pieniazek Associate Editor..............................................Tina Manzer Assistant Editors........................................ Jenn Bergin .............................................................................. J. Kevin Fahy ............................................................................Carol C. Stash

Contributors................................................ John Adamski ........................................................................ Dariel Y. Curren ..................................................................... Derek Doeffinger ....................................................................K.C. Fahy-Harvick ..................................................................................Rich Finzer ..................................................................... James P. Hughes ........................................................... Carol White Llewellyn .................................................................Nancy E. McCarthy .............................................................................. Chris Murray .........................................................................Bard V. Prentiss .................................................................................... Tom Russ ............................................................................. Ellie Schwarz .........................................................Kimberly A. Thompson ...............................................................................Karen Warfle .....................................................................Laurel C. Wemett

Life in the Finger Lakes is published by Fahy-Williams Publishing, Inc. and owned by Eleven Lakes Publishing, Inc. Co-owners: Mark S. Stash; Timothy J. Braden. Copyright© 2015 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: $14.95 for one year. Canada add $19 per year. Outside North America, add $37 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.

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Editorial Office..............................................315-789-0458 Director of Advertising................................ Tim Braden ............................................. tim@lifeinthefingerlakes.com

For Advertising Inquiries - 800-344-0559 Rhonda Trainor........rhonda@lifeinthefingerlakes.com

A m s a M

Online Advertising Sales Director Christie McConnell........................... christie@fwpi.com

For Subscriptions Tricia McKenna.............................................315-789-0458 ................................subscribe@lifeinthefingerlakes.com Business Office............315-789-0458, 800-344-0559 Business Fax...................................................315-789-4263 Life in the Finger Lakes 171 Reed St. • P.O. Box 1080 • Geneva, NY 14456 LifeintheFingerLakes.com Serving the 14 counties of the Finger Lakes Region

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Rochester’s Only Freestanding Transitional Care Center.

The Wegman Transitional Care Center brings a whole new kind of care to Rochester. It is the first and only freestanding transitional care center in the area. In other words, it is separate from St. Ann’s skilled nursing building and has an environment with a single focus: helping you gain the independence you need to return home.

And the Wegman Transitional Care Center seems more like a hotel than a rehab center. With private spacious rooms, private baths with personal showers, and flat-screen TVs, you truly feel like one of The Most Important People on Earth.

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Enjoy our beautiful and comfortable rooms while you can. Because St. Ann’s has the latest technology and the most advanced accreditations to help accelerate your recovery.

Have a surgery that’s already scheduled? Remember, where you go for rehab is completely up to you.

So preplan your stay by reserving your room at St. Ann’s.

Call 585-697-6311 for your free Transitional Care Planning Kit or visit www.StAnnsCommunity.com.

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Š Derek Goodwin

Find yourself at Farm Sanctuary.

Farm Sanctuary offers 175 acres and hundreds of animal friends to visit (and take selfies with).

Connect with some of the 500 rescued farm animals that call the rolling green pastures of Farm Sanctuary’s 175-acre New York Shelter home.

Open May through October. For tour hours and directions, please visit farmsanctuary.org or call 607-583- 2225.

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Happenings

news and events

MAY 1-3…23rd Annual Wine & Herb Festival Receive a wine glass, a garden plant and a plant carrier at your starting point winery, plus potted herb or veggie plants from each winery. As you savor herb-prepared cuisine, sip our fine wines and make sure to take home the recipes, so that you can be the highlight at your next get together. Hand in your ticket to be eligible to win a grand prize.

800-684-5217 cayugawinetrail.com

9…The Raptor Project with Jonathan Wood The Raptor Project is an extraordinary and outstanding array of birds of prey – eagles, hawks, falcons and owls, displayed in an exquisite natural habitat. The Raptor Project is a very entertaining and exciting presentation and exhibit that has won the rapt attention and hearts of millions of captivated audiences throughout the nation. Reservations required. 10 a.m., 12 p.m., and 2 p.m.

Waterman Conservation Education Center, 403 Hilton Road, Apalachin, NY 13732 607-625-2221 watermancenter.org

(Continued on page 10)

Travel Writers Come to the Finger Lakes

F

select itineraries to rom May 4 to May match their interests.

12 you may just spot Preliminary choices favor a few curious people tours highlighting our traveling around the Finger renowned wine, history, Lakes with cameras poised and scenic vistas. Valerie and notebooks in-hand.

Knoblauch, President Finger Lakes Visitors of Finger Lakes Visitors Connection is hosting Connection, says, “this is the Spring Conference Writers will participate in a wine tasting the first time this group has of the Midwest Travel at Microclimate in Geneva. traveled to the Finger Lakes Writers Association and we intend to inspire (MTWA). Nearly 60 writers them with experiences that produce stories will be based in Canandaigua and traveling for years to come. When the writers share the throughout the region, gathering inspirational Finger Lakes experiences, we have no doubt stories to feed their respective media outlets. that their readers will be inspired to come!”

Their publications range from AAA magazines

Want to follow the MTWA action in a to Midwest Living to online travel guides and social kind of way while they are here? Check specialty content, such as Pilots’ Getaways. out mtwainthefingerlakes.com.

To follow their storylines, the writers

The writers will hold their board meeting at Simply Crepes in Canandaigua.

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visit: bristolharbour.com 585-396-2200 | 800-288-8248

21-24…6th Annual GlassFest in Downtown Corning A four-day celebration of glass and the fire arts in America’s Crystal City. Join us for live glassblowing, live music, art and entertainment – fun for the whole family. glassfest.org

Take advantage of our dynamic golf rates listed on our website

Award Winning Robert Trent Jones Golf Course

Greg Mulhern - General Manager / Golf Director - 396-2200x420 Kristen Reamer - Event Coordinator / Hotel Manager - 396-2200x414 Sara Goff - Wedding Coordinator - 396-2200x438

Restaurant open year round | Special menus for our conference packages

Need a porta-potty? Need septic cleaning?

Best prices in the Finger Lakes Porta-potty rentals by weekend, week or month Septic systems cleaned and maintained

Hornell, NY • larryslatrines.com ­­­­­­­­­­­­10­

15-17…Rochester Philatelic Association Annual Show and Exhibition The annual ROPEX Rochester National Stamp Exhibition sponsored by the Rochester Philatelic Association is moving to the Greater Canandaigua Civic Center. The event includes about 20 stamp and coin dealers from several northeast states and over 160 full frames of stamp exhibits competing for national recognition. We are also welcoming the National Auxiliary Marking Club to this year’s event.

The theme of this year’s show is “Elvis Presley– Return to Sender.” Hours are 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday. Admission is $2 on Friday and Saturday. Sunday is free. rpastamps.org/ropex.html 585-752-6178

23…Women’s Council Plain and Fancy Lawn and Bake Sale Held at Granger Homestead and Carriage Museum from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Event is free to the public.

295 N. Main Street in Canandaigua, NY 14424 grangerhomestead.org 585-394-1472 27…Crystal Springs and the Lost Resort Revisit the era of great resorts, with period photographs and narrative on the discovery of Crystal Springs, and the resort. People traveled from as far away as Philadelphia and Washington, D.C. to take advantage of the water’s healing powers.

Held at 5:30 p.m. at the Dundee American Legion, the program is presented by Executive Director Terri Grady. Members $12. Non-members $16.

Reservations required by Friday, May 22.

Dundee American Legion, 10 Spring St, Dundee, NY 14837 dundeeareahistory.com 607-243-7047

JUNE 5-6…Sulphur Springs Festival A two-day event held the first weekend in June, it features a parade on Saturday evening, live musical acts on Friday and Saturday, games for the kids, lots of food, and much more. Celebrating the village and its history, the festival is family fun for all ages!

Food vendors arrive Friday, joined by craft vendors on Saturday. sulphurspringsfestival.com

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Happenings 6-7…GemFest 2015 The Wayne County Gem and Mineral Club (WCGMC) is moving its annual Gem and Mineral show to the Greater Canandaigua Civic Center. In addition to vendors featuring minerals, gems, fossils, and lapidary treasures, the event offers craft activities for folks of all ages. Soapstone carving, wire wrapping, and other crafts and free prizes for kids are included in the price of admission. An operating sluice will be set-up outside. UV-Bob’s wonderful Ultraviolet show will run five times over the weekend and is free with admission. Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday. Admission is $3, all children under 12 are free.

585-203-1733 wcgmc.org (Continued on page 12)

History for Sale in Skaneateles

SINCE 1957

1936 Hudson Ave. in Irondequoit 877-409-6555 • www.fireplacefashions.com

A historic mansion on Skaneateles Lake – once the summer cottage of Theodore Roosevelt’s cousin – is up for sale. The Stella Maris Retreat and Renewal Center is regretfully being sold by the Sisters of St. Francis, who have owned the property for over 60 years, because they can no longer afford to sustain the center and 6 acres of land. The beloved landmark has a long local history.

In 1879, Frederick Roosevelt, a wealthy New Yorker and cousin of Theodore Roosevelt, purchased 10 acres of land in Skaneateles on which to build a summer retreat. The home was designed by New York architect William Rutherford Mead, built in pieces, shipped to Skaneateles and assembled on the site. The interiors were designed by Stanford White, who had recently joined Mead’s firm. Roosevelt named the home Roseleigh. It boasted 10 bedrooms, four baths, a billiard parlor, den, dining room and living room, on land that included a stable, boat house and an expanse of shoreline.

After Frederick Roosevelt’s death in 1916, the home was purchased

by Burns Lyman Smith, heir to a typewriter fortune. Upon his death in 1941, he passed the house to his sister Flora Bernice Smith. She already had a home in Skaneateles, so she rented Roseleigh out to others. In 1952, she sold the house to its third “family,” the Sisters of St. Francis of Syracuse. They renamed it Stella Maris and added two wings to host retreats and visiting clergy.

Since 1954, Stella Maris has served as a place of refuge and renewal – hosting individuals, religious retreats and conferences. Over time, the Sisters of St. Francis sold off 4 acres of the grounds to support the retreat house, but it became increasingly clear that it was time for time for a new chapter in the property’s history.

For more information on Stella Maris visit the Skaneateles Historical Society website, skaneateleshistoricalsociety.org.

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Happenings Rochester 585-467-4020 Conesus 585-346-2060 Canandaigua 585-374-2384 Boat Rentals

Sea Ray

Malibu

Lowe

Berkshire

Smith Boys

(Conesus & Canandaigua only)

Carolina Skiff

Bayliner Canandaigua only

www.smithboys.com ­­­­­­­­­­­­12­

10-14… Finger Lakes Plein Air Competition & Festival This year’s festival will again be held under the auspices of the Ontario County Arts Council. The event will feature over 40 talented artists from across the United States and Canada who will paint the beauty of Canandaigua and the Finger Lakes.

The event will bring in art lovers and collectors, as well as those who want to participate in the community-centered events planned for downtown Canandaigua. An exhibition and sale will be held on the final day of the event at the historic site of Sonnenberg Gardens in Canandaigua. fingerlakespleinair.com

10-28…Thin Walls Alice Eve Cohen returns in a tale of big-city life and cultures colliding at the Kitchen Theatre. A cast of characters, all living in a once-elegant, now run-down NYC residential hotel, are wonderfully brought to life with all their triumphs and flaws.

Audiences who loved “What I Thought I Knew” will love this one too!

Kitchen Theatre Company, 417 West State/MLK, Jr. St., Ithaca, NY 14850 607-272-0403 kitchentheatre.org (Continued on page 14)

Diverse Factors Driving Upstate NY Boating Industry Optimism for 2015 Season

M

arine industry representatives in New Wakeboarding on the Rise York State are optimistic about the

According to the NMMA, wakeboarding approaching boating season for reasons boats were among the styles of boat showing the ranging from new boat models and incentives strongest sales in 2014. Wakeboarding is riding from manufacturers to repowering older boats a short surfboard on waves behind a boat going and growing interest in wakesurfing. about 10 mph. Tige brand boats feature Ford

Boating Industries Association of Upstate Raptor engines, and a non-planing convex vee New York Executive Director Barb Caster hull and adjustable trim plates that help make references National Marine Manufacturers waves. The Sailboat Shop in Skaneateles is the Association/NMMA statistics showing 2015 only Tige dealer in New York State. could be a good year.

“In February, the National Marine Used Boats Staying on the Water Manufacturers Association reported a 7-8 percent

“Another trend shows boating accessory increase in new powerboat sales in 2014 with and repair products increasing thanks in part to another 5 percent the used boat market,” expected this year with says Caster. growth continuing into Arney’s Marina 2017,” Caster says. began as a boat livery

The NMMA cites and bait shop in boat shows as a leading 1952, and has since sales venue and added a marina and barometer for buying store, service, fuel trends. At the Central and boat sales. This New York Boat Show diversification has in Syracuse in midhelped the business February, Geoff Smith thrive, and it continues Left to right: U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliarymen Dale of Smith Boys, with today as a six-acre, eight dealerships across Currier and Gene Little and New York Sea Grant 110-slip facility with New York State, noted Coastal Recreation and Tourism Specialist Dave 800 feet of waterfront White display a distress flag that was part of a shift in consumer on the west side of the Suddenly-In-Command educational training interest.

Sodus Bay in Sodus offered at the 2015 CNY Boat Show.

“People are Point. Owner John tired of holding back Love says, “If we were from buying a boat. The lower price of gas and not in the marina business, we would be gone. lower interest rates have helped push sales up The industry is gaining a little each year since a bit in recent years. People are looking to get some businesses closed with the flat economy in out on the water for a few hours, so boats that 2007-2008. A sector of our business that is doing can accommodate everyone and the grandkids well is repowering older, even 10- to 15-year-old, are popular and the bigger the better,” said boats with modern engines.”

Smith, whose granddad began selling auto

Learn more about the Boating Industries parts in 1937 and later transitioned to allAssociation of Upstate New York at cnybia.com marine sales. or contact Barb Caster at 315-447-0593.

~ LifeintheFingerL akes.com

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Happenings

I promised myself the good life.

11-20…God of Carnage Opening the Hangar’s 2015 Mainstage summer season is “God of Carnage” by Yasmina Reza, translated by Christopher Hampton. This “comedy of manners…without the manners” tells the story of the aftermath of a fight between two 11-year-old boys on the playground. Their parents meet over cocktails to resolve the situation with civility and reason. But manners are quickly forgotten, and all hell breaks loose as the evening devolves into a laugh-out-loud train wreck.

Hangar Theatre, 801 Taughannock Blvd. Ithaca, NY 14850 607-273-8588 hangartheatre.org

Photo courtesy of Al Johnson

13-14…The Keuka Arts Festival The festival is a fine art and skilled-craft show held annually along the Keuka Lake Outlet Trail, only a few blocks from downtown Penn Yan. The event is free and will feature live entertainment and activities for families. A variety of live music will fill the air throughout the festival, featuring everything from bluegrass to acoustic rock. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

315-288-6075 keukaartsfestival.com

Now I’m living it every day.

Approaching retirement, I promised myself I would always stay connected to the people I love the most. That I would keep pursuing my passions and continue to indulge and try new things.

That I would look back on fond memories while making new ones every day. And I will continue to keep that promise.

At Ferris Hills in Canandaigua.

Canandaigua, NY

Call us today at 585.393.0410 or visit FerrisHills.com

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12-14…Smokin’ Summer Kickoff Come celebrate summer, the many wonderful foods associated with this beautiful time of year, and the fantastic wines that pair with grilled and summertime foods. Start your summer season off with this fun-filled wine and food pairing weekend.

Check in at your chosen starting winery, pick up your ticket and gift item, then enjoy a self-guided tour around beautiful Seneca Lake during this 2-1/2 day event. Regular tickets purchased in advance are $35 per person. senecalakewine.com

20-21…25th Annual Old Time Fiddlers’ Gathering Presented by Arts Council of the Southern Finger Lakes and held at Lakewood Vineyards on the western shore of Seneca Lake, the Fiddlers’ Gathering is a great family event. Bring a lawn chair, acoustic instruments, and come ready for fun.

607-962-1332 x206 fiddlersgathering.org 27…An Evening with David Crosby The legendary singer-songwriter and social justice advocate is a two-time inductee into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (The Byrds and Crosby, Stills and Nash). He’ll make an extremely rare solo appearance at the Smith Center for the Arts in Geneva.

Doors open at 7 p.m., show begins at 8 p.m. Tickets are $45 and $55 in advance.

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Music

strike the right note

George Thorogood

Badder Than Ever!

Move It on Over – The CMAC concert season begins with a bang

by Nancy E. McCarthy

G

George Thorogood

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~ LifeintheFingerL akes.com

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eorge Thorogood and the Destroyers roll into Canandaigua to kick off the summer concert season at Constellation Brands-Marvin Sands Performing Arts Center (CMAC) on May 30. While best known for his growling rock anthem “Bad to the Bone,” Thorogood is definitely not a one-hit wonder. Fans can expect to hear many crowd-pleasing favorites including “Who Do You Love?,” “One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer,” “Move It on Over,” and “I Drink Alone.”

Thorogood, whose career spans over four decades, plays blistering, bluesy rock. The Delaware native’s early musical influences include American blues artists John Paul Hammond, Elmore James and Hound Dog Taylor. His taste in rock ’n’ roll leans toward classic rock performers like J. Geils and Mick Jagger, whom he admires for “his staying power and his great chops on stage.” Thorogood’s own live shows, peppered with familiar tunes, are culled from over 40 years of recorded material.

“We play what people pay their money to hear,” he says, adding with a chuckle, “We are like a rerun on TV you can depend on.”

Sometimes that means dropping a song that he personally likes if it doesn’t resonate with audiences. “I’ve always had a crush on the song ‘American Made.’ I felt it really defined us,” says Thorogood, who recorded the tune (penned by Charlie Midnight) for his 2003 Ride ‘Til I Die album – but doesn’t perform it live.

Thorogood’s 2015 Badder Than Ever Tour dates, mainly East Coast venues, ends in late April and resumes with European dates in July and August. Sandwiched in between, he and his band co-headline with Brian Setzer’s Rockabilly Riot Tour in May and June (which includes the Canandaigua concert at CMAC). The two musicians share some history. Both Thorogood and Setzer began recording and touring in the ’70s but each hit their stride in the early ’80s.

Photos courtesy Constellation Brands-Marvin Sands Performing Arts Center

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Brian Setzer

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Log Home Care for All Seasons

By 1981, George Thorogood and the Destroyers had released four albums, including Move It on Over which went Gold (sold 500,000 records). The band was riding high, having snagged the coveted opening gig for The Rolling Stones’ 1981 tour. Kurt Loder of Rolling Stone magazine (no relation to the band) reviewed those first shows in Philadelphia, writing: “George Thorogood and the Destroyers were the perfect opening act. Thorogood’s Chuck Berry-based R&B fetish nearly equals the Stones’, and his band’s sax-stoked, slide-guitar sound cut through the stadium’s dense acoustics like a shiv. Being a local hero didn’t hurt Thorogood any, either. But the fact that he could hold his own — and more — on the Stones’ sprawling, custom-made stage was still impressive.”

Thorogood followed up the high-profile Stones tour with his own, now legendary, 50/50 tour. The band crisscrossed the United States in a Checker cab, with a show each night in a different state, ultimately playing 50 shows in all 50 states. The following year, Thorogood released the Bad to the Bone album which also went Gold. The title song became his signature tune.

Meanwhile in 1981, Brian Setzer was busy reviving the rockabilly genre as one of the Stray Cats. The Stray Cats were an American trio from Long Island but their early success originated in Europe. The group released two European albums, produced by rocker Dave Edmunds, and cultivated a following there. In 1982, their album Built for Speed, a compilation of songs previously released overseas, made its debut on American radio. The songs “Rock This Town” and “Stray Cat Strut” were hits here and both tunes charted on Billboard’s Top Ten.

Armand Schaurbroeck, co-owner of Rochester’s famous House of Guitars (HOG), remembers both Thorogood and Setzer and their respective bands stopping by for in-store promotions during the early ’80s. The HOG, with an irreverent 50-year history, was inducted into the Rochester Music Hall of Fame last year. The iconic music store, a friendly, chaotic jumble of music equipment and instruments, CDs, vinyl, cassettes and t-shirts, is a well-known stop for touring professional musicians including Aerosmith, Cheap Trick and Metallica.

George Thorogood remembers playing a House of Guitars afternoon show as part of a promotional appearance back in the day. About 300 fans showed up for his performance and many lingered afterwards to meet Thorogood and for autographs. One of those fans was a teenage girl in a leg cast. He noticed she seemed a little unsteady and her speech was slurred. Thorogood asked her if she wanted him to sign her cast and she declined, explaining that the cast was “wet.” With a little gentle prodding, she

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CMAC Events for 2015

Music

As of April 3, 2015

Visit cmacevents.com for tickets and information

George Thorogood & Brian Setzer Saturday, May 30, 2015

Photos courtesy cmacenents.com

Peter Frampton & Cheap Trick Saturday, July 11, 2015

CMAC

Map data ©2015 Google

Garrison Keillor: A Prairie Home Companion Saturday, June 6, 2015

Santana - The Corazón Tour Saturday, August 15, 2015

Ed Sheeran with Rixton Sunday, June 7, 2015

Gregg Allman / The Doobie Brothers Friday, August 21, 2015

Patriotic Salute with Ward Stare and the RPO Friday, July 3, 2015

Idina Menzel World Tour Sunday, August 30, 2015

Kenny Chesney The Big Revival Tour Wednesday, July 8, 2015

Dierks Bentley Sounds of Summer Tour 2015 Thursday, September 3, 2015

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confessed that she broke her leg in a car accident on the way to hear him play, got her leg freshly casted, and made it over to the House of Guitars just in time to get his autograph!

“Nothing stops rock ’n’ roll,” says Thorogood, good-naturedly now. He made a mental note then to take promotional appearances seriously, for the sake of his fans – who most certainly did.

Schaurbroeck recalls Thorogood’s appearance at the store, too. “He’s a good guy. He looked pretty cool, talked to everyone and was very humble.”

Schaurbroeck also remembers selling an orange vintage Gretsch guitar to Brian Setzer when the Stray Cats did their own in-store appearance. The store displays photos of Thorogood and Setzer along with many other rockers who stopped in through the years.

Through the ’80s and beyond, George Thorogood and the Destroyers kept recording and touring but the Stray Cats disbanded in 1984 after releasing one more album. Setzer, as a solo act, opened for a 1988 Thorogood summer tour. Thorogood is looking forward to sharing a stage with Setzer (who continues to record and tour) again this year.

Thorogood, now 65, lives in California with his wife Marla and their 17-yearold, guitar-playing daughter. He remains quite at home on a stage. Though he is not likely to repeat a 50/50 tour, George Thorogood and the Destroyers still log about 60 to 80 shows a year. For Thorogood, performing live for his loyal fans is more than just another show. “Every night when I walk out on that stage is the highlight of my career,” he says.

~ LifeintheFingerL akes.com

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Connect . Learn . Fitness . Happiness . Purpose . Nature . Peace

At the age of 77, I have a new career.

I modeled & loved it! ~ Joan, Model for charity fashion show benefitingWilmot Cancer Center

At The Highlands at Pittsford, opportunities abound for you to share your talents and skills for fun or for the benefit of those in need.

Go to “Purpose” in theVideo Cafe on our website homepage to learn more about this from Joan and other residents.

Seven Dimensions.

One Goal.

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Seven Dimensions of Wellness

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Gardening

growing and landscaping

TOP 10 Perennials FOR THE

Finger Lakes

story and photos by K.C. Fahy-Harvick

W

hen I had my perennial plant nursery, people would often ask me to name my favorite. Since we were growing and propagating approximately 1,200 varieties, this was always a tough task for me. Now I design perennial gardens and landscapes, and maintain properties for a living, so my perspective has changed.

At the nursery, our main criterion for a good plant was always that it be “garden worthy,” and that is my rule of thumb to this day. Plants need to have more than one good quality. There are only a few things I will grow that have just one quality, like delphinium for its stately blue flowers, but they will be tucked into a border garden where they can be hidden until they put on their show.

The perennials on this list are here because they either bloom for a very long time, or have a foliage structure that sustains throughout the season. In some cases they have both, but these are qualities that are not easily found. Most perennials bloom anywhere from two to four weeks, so the trick is to combine the plants so that they complement each other, and extend the color in your gardens. The plants on my list will be the workhorses in your garden, as they carry color and

#10

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#9

#8

structure for the duration of the season. Remember, it’s not only flowers, but also foliage that can be that POP of color.

The Finger Lakes Region is not an easy place to garden. We have a fairly short season, so annuals cannot be planted early enough to get going much before the end of June, and those early frosts in the fall take them right down. Perennials that are hardy to zone 5 and 6 are the answer, but they are an investment, so knowing the plants will make you a wise consumer and gardener. #10 Hosta “Sum and Substance” – my favorite large hosta in apple green. I use this like a shrub because of its size and heavy texture.

4 feet high by 4 feet wide, shade or part-shade #9 Astilbe “Visions” – the longest blooming astilbe is a gorgeous pink. The trick to astilbe is moisture, so plant them near your hydrangea bushes or hostas, but they will do sun or shade if kept moist.

2 feet high by 2 feet wide

#7

#6

~ LifeintheFingerL akes.com

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#8 Carex “Bowles Golden” – the very best grass for shade gardens, as it stays within its bounds, and does not self-sow.

The chartreuse color in shade is like a light.

2 feet high by 2 feet wide, shade to part-shade #7 Echinacea “Sunset,” or “Cantaloupe” – I seldom use the purple coneflower because it self-sows and can go crazy, so I’ve fallen in love with the peachy-orange shades of the new hybrids that are becoming abundant in the garden centers. Many of the new varieties are not hardy here, so I keep trying things and go with the strongest ones. Peachy tones go with so many colors, and these make great cut flowers.

26 to 30 inches high by 24 to 30 inches wide, full sun #6 Heuchera “Caramel” – This is a coral bell that is grown for its peachypink caramel foliage. I use these to edge gardens or accent other plants. They are evergreen and easy to maintain. If I want a coral bell for flowers, I use “Vesuvius” because it blooms all summer, but it has green foliage.

15 inches high by 20 inches wide, partsun or shade #5 Phlox “Purple Flame” – I love all of the Phlox varieties for summer flowers, cutting and fragrance, but the flame is a new series that is very mildew resistant.

The “Mt Fuji” is not a flame variety, but it is a taller, late-blooming white that

#5

#4

never gets mildewy, but it is sometimes hard to find.

3 feet high by 2 feet wide, full sun

Wags to Riches

#4 Crocosmia “Lucifer” – This is on my list because it is the best hummingbird attractor ever. These fire-engine red flowers last on the arching stems and will bring in the hummingbirds, guaranteed. There are other varieties, but they are not as hardy as Lucifer.

3 feet high by 2 feet wide, full sun #3 Helleborus Orientalis “Christmas or Lenten Rose” – This plant is actually categorized as a sub-shrub because of its evergreen qualities, but it is such a great plant for this list. It blooms in late winter; in fact, as soon as the snow melts. Any plant that can give a gardener hope for the spring when we have had a miserable winter has to be a winner.

There are some pricey new hybrids on the market, but truly they are all great plants for shade or part-shade.

2 feet high by 2 feet wide #2 Hemerocallis “Just Plum Happy” Daylily – There are approximately 30,000 varieties of daylilies, but this is the only one that I use. It has very strong stems and blooms for four to five weeks. The color is peachy with a maroon eye, so it goes with many things. This hybridizer created a series of daylilies that have great blooming qualities, it is the Apster series.

18 inches high by 2 feet wide, full sun to part-shade (Continued on page 22)

#3

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Gardening #2

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#1

Drum roll please … #1 Geranium “Roseanne” – This has been my number-one perennial workhorse for many, many years, mostly because of two things: it requires no maintenance, and it blooms from May until it snows (yes, it flowers right through the frosts). Its only possible drawback could be its size, but it does not spread invasively or self-sow, in fact, you can trim it or shape it and not interrupt the flowering. It does not require deadheading, and makes a perfect edging plant. Some perennial geraniums are very invasive. (Fair warning – Roseanne often looks awful in the pots in the garden centers, but it fills out nicely in the garden).

15 inches high by 3 feet wide, full sun

With these plants as the foundation of your garden, you cannot go wrong.

Experiment with other plants in between these, or use some annual grasses for colorful accents as I do, and you’ll be amazed at how good your landscape will look from spring until fall. The Finger Lakes summer is too short to spend any time without great-looking gardens!

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~ LifeintheFingerL akes.com

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Cultured

The World’s Largest Glass Museum Gets Bigger

the better things in life

New Space New Light

by Kimberly A. Thompson

W

hen Spatial Negotiation II was gifted to The Corning Museum of Glass in 2007, curator Tina Oldknow knew there was nowhere to put it.

Massive in scale, it was far too large for any existing exhibit space in the museum. But the size of the galleries wasn’t the only concern at the time. It had been roughly 10 years since the last expansion, and in that time, the annual visitation had more than doubled (to 440,000-plus in 2014), and the average visit time had more than tripled, to 4.5 hours. The museum had fundamentally run out of room.

Since The Corning Museum of Glass strives to be the international authority on glass, it became clear that the world’s largest glass museum would need to get bigger. And with the scope and scale of contemporary glass ever increasing, it was

time to create a space to showcase the museum’s extensive contemporary collection in the best possible way.

“I truly hope this expansion is going to change both the way people see the museum and the way they experience glass,” says Karol Wight, president and executive director of The Corning Museum of Glass. “I think this expansion is really enabling us to do what we do best: To tell the world about glass and to do so in the most compelling manner possible.”

View of the Special Temporary Projects Gallery and the Body and Narrative Gallery in The Corning Museum of Glass’s new Contemporary Art + Design Wing, designed by Thomas Phifer and Partners.

Photo by Iwan Baan. Courtesy of The Corning Museum of Glass.

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Thinking Outside the Vitrine

In the spring of 2012, the Museum broke ground on a $64 million, 100,000-square-foot wing that would add a 26,000-square-foot contemporary gallery and a 500-seat demonstration theater for live hot glass demonstrations and design sessions.

Architecture firm Thomas Phifer and Partners was chosen to design the museum’s new Contemporary Art + Design Wing.

Phifer was inspired by the material, and focused on the best ways to showcase the work that would go inside the building.

He created a white, minimalist box, which he describes as a vitrine – a glass-paneled container – in which the objects can live.

“First thing we did was take a glass object out into the sunshine and we looked at it and it just exploded with light,” says Phifer. “That was a wonderful moment for us, because we discovered that glass loves light.”

This inspired Phifer to do something that is impossible to do in most museums due to the need to protect fragile objects from lots of light. Because glass actually thrives when bathed in light, he would create a ceiling made entirely of skylights.

“Glass has never been displayed this way before, and we are really looking forward to pushing the boundaries of contemporary art in glass,” says Wight.

Other characteristics of the gallery space include curvilinear walls liberated from corners, edges, and flat surfaces found in most museums; and a “porch” feature that wraps around the perimeter of the five galleries, serving as a “threshold to the landscape,” as Phifer says. The Porch looks out onto the new one-acre Museum Green.

Showcasing Objects in the Contemporary Galleries

The Contemporary Art + Design Wing is the largest space dedicated to contemporary glass anywhere in the world. Filled with more than 70 works from the museum’s permanent collection – 30+ on view for the first time – the five themed galleries feature the best examples of contemporary glass made during the past 25 years.

The Nature Gallery is dedicated to sculptures that refer to the natural world, including Katherine Gray’s “Forest Glass” (2009). An installation comprised of thousands of reclaimed green, colorless, and brown drinking glasses arranged to resemble three trees, the piece is a commentary on the process of creating glass, which historically required the burning of timber to power the furnaces. Gray questions the impact of (Continued on page 27)

Top: View of the Contemporary Art + Design Wing and downtown Corning at night. Photo courtesy of Iwan Baan Middle: Evening Dress with Shawl (2004) by Karen LaMonte is a haunting evocation of the beauty of classical statuary, and a Museum favorite.

Bottom: Carroña (Carrion) (2011) by Javier Pérez exploits the beauty and drama of Venetian chandeliers, creating a statement very different from that of functional lighting fixtures. The installation is meant to evoke opportunistic birds gobbling carrion by the side of the road, a metaphor for the gradual disappearance of the traditional glass industry in Murano, Italy.

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Cultured

Expanded Space Endless Possibilities

Juxtaposed with the stark-white, “cloudlike” gallery building is an all-black, highly industrial building housing the Amphitheater Hot Shop, the most capable space for glassmaking demonstrations in the world. Set in the footprint of the Steuben Glass factory, which closed in 2011, the space is hallowed ground for glassmakers.

“When I think of working in the new shop, I immediately think of the past and all the amazing glass that has been made there,” says Eric Meek, the museum’s manager of hot glass programs.

NEW SPACE NEW LIGHT

Contemporary Art + Design Wing Now open! cmog.org/contemporary

CORNING, NY

Italian glassmaker Lino Tagliapietra working in the new shop. He is widely recognized to be the best glassmaker alive today.

“I look forward to continuing that tradition by encouraging our team of glassmakers to push themselves to make great work and to invite amazing artists here to explore, grow, and create.”

With more than twice the seating capacity of the other demonstration stage, and much more room and equipment for the glassmakers to take advantage of, Meek is planning expanded demos and themed shows – the first of which will go along with the museum’s summer exhibition on mold-blown glass, opening in May. Meek will also be welcoming guest artists and designers to work on exciting pieces that could never be realized in a small hot shop. And the museum will share it all with the public.

“We’ve built the ultimate shop,” Meek says.

“The potential of that space and the life it will take on is something I can’t even imagine. I have no idea what we’ll be doing in there in five years, but I know it’s going to be fantastic, and beyond what anyone here has dreamed of, because this space is special.”

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Discover Downtown Ithaca!

With over 100 independent boutiques, 50 diverse bistros, cafés & taverns, art galleries, and entertainment venues, Downtown Ithaca is the perfect way to round out a weekend in the Finger Lakes. Join us for one of our many events, such as the ever popular Ithaca Festival in May, the Outdoor Summer Concert Series every Thursday evening starting in June and monthly First Friday Gallery Nights all year long, for a lively and unique Ithaca experience.

DOWNTOWN

ITHACA

SHOP DI NE PLAY! www.downtownithaca.com

Celebrating America’s Favorite Dish

It’s one of those things that never goes out of style. It’s so commonplace, yet it has a special place in the hearts – and kitchens – of Americans. It’s Pyrex – and it’s turning 100 this year.

The iconic cookware is a staple in every household, from pie plates and stackable measuring cups to patterned dish sets. Its products have graced the covers of magazines and the sets of television shows.

The story of Pyrex begins in Corning, not as dishware at all, but as a temperature-resistant borosilicate glass used for railroad lantern globes manufactured by Corning Glass Works (now Corning Incorporated). Just a few years later – in 1915 – Corning began to explore the glass for housewares, marketing the brand as Pyrex.

In June, The Corning Museum of Glass will open a special exhibition entitled “America’s Favorite Dish: Celebrating a Century of Pyrex,” featuring products that trace the evolution of the brand. Included will be the first 12 Pyrex products introduced in 1915, nearly 150 Pyrex opalware patterns, a large archive of Pyrex advertisements, and much more. The show runs from June 6, 2015 to March 17, 2016, in the Rakow Research Library of The Corning Museum of Glass.

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Cultured glassmaking on the environment in the past and present.

The History and Material Gallery will display works that reflect the manipulation of traditional forms in glass and focus on its material properties. “Carroña” (“Carrion”) (2011) by Javier Pérez is a new work sure to be a museum favorite. The fallen chandelier exploits the beauty and drama of Venetian chandeliers, while evoking opportunistic birds gobbling carrion by the side of the road, a metaphor for the gradual disappearance of the traditional glass industry in Murano, Italy.

The Body and Narrative Gallery focuses on works inspired by the human body, like Karen LaMonte’s “Evening Dress with Shawl” (2004), a haunting evocation of the beauty of classical statuary.

Another gallery is dedicated to Contemporary Design, showcasing international design in a range of objects like functional glass vessels, furniture, lighting, and design art. Works by many artists and designers will be displayed, including prototypes made in the museum’s GlassLab Design Program, a collaboration between international designers and the museum’s master glassmakers.

The final gallery is dedicated to Special Temporary Projects, and will be a changing space in which large-scale installations can be displayed. The first is Kiki Smith’s “Constellation” (1996), a roomsized meditation on the infinity of space and the human desire to understand it.

Twenty-six hot-sculpted glass animals of different sizes represent different animal-themed star patterns. Constellation will be on view for one year.

While at the museum, use your mobile device to join the free Wi-Fi and explore the galleries with GlassApp, a tool to help you connect with the objects on view.

The Corning Museum of Glass is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., with expanded hours until 8 p.m. Memorial Day through Labor Day. Admission for kids and teens 17 and under is free.

Make Your Own Glass experiences are available for an additional fee, and advanced reservations are encouraged. Combo tickets are available for a visit to Corning’s Rockwell Museum, which explores art about America.

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How-to

BE A BETTER PHOTOGRAPHER

Putting the Perfect in

story and photos by Derek Doeffinger

Pet Pics

O

ne of my goals as a grandfather is to get a picture of my grandchild published. And now I’ve done it – in this article. Of course, by that admission, you now know that I’m one of those granddads – the kind with a granddog. Chloe is a great dog and very photogenic so we get along fine.

After a lifetime of photographing dogs, I’ve learned to keep photo sessions short and fun.

You should, too. Keep the sessions to a few minutes, stopping sooner if the dog gets fidgety. Use food as a reward and as a way to direct the pet’s attention. I have excluded cats from the discussion so far because they like to take matters into their own paws.

The best techniques: patience and readiness

Since you live with your dog or cat there’s really no urgency to taking a picture. If you’re in the mood and your pet isn’t, wait for another day.

If your pet isn’t accustomed to being photographed, start off slowly. Take it a step at a time over a few days to show your pet what taking pictures is about. Let the pet decide when to end the session. Eventually, it will understand what to expect and with a little love (and some treats), your dog (and just maybe your cat) will start to respond to your directions.

Alternatively, when inside your home, always

My daughter and the “granddog” Chloe enjoy the waterfall at Taughannock Falls State Park. When I’m along, I always take a few pictures of the pup.

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automatically chooses a fast shutter speed. If you want to pick the shutter speed, set the camera to shutter-speed mode and use a shutter speed of 1/500 to 1/2000 second: 1/500 second for slow action, 1/1000 for moderate to somewhat fast, and 1/2000 for dogs going full tilt. For most cats, you can choose a Lazy Boy shutter speed of 1/250 second. Many cameras let you take a rapid sequence of pictures. Find and set the camera to that mode if the action is fast and furious.

have a camera within reach for those candid moments – an approach especially effective with cats. Learn what situations draw out photogenic behavior in your pet. If the cat seeks refuge in the wicker basket when a stranger enters the home, you’ll know that’s the time to catch a shot of it poking its head out.

If the dog regularly snuggles up with one of the kids doing homework, be prepared when a homework session starts.

Smartphone users – with phones always at hand – have a big advantage when it comes to readiness.

Environmental portraits

Environmental portraits tend to be a bit casual, and Use a low angle show the cat or dog casu Pet photos often look best ally posed in a location that when the camera is at the pet’s reinforces the character of the eye level, or lower. With a low animal.

If your cat loves to be angle, you can make even a outdoors, then posing it on a Yorkie seem intimidating. Many favorite rock, limb or fencepost cameras have articulating LCD could make an attractive phoviewers to accommodate low to.

Indoors, sitting upright on camera angles. Extend the a favorite chair or standing on viewer, so you don’t have to put the back of a sofa, or looking your ear to the ground as you Does my friend Charlie’s cat really see the roosters? Capturing out a window will work. try to position your eye to see your cat’s idiosyncrasies can make for good pictures.

Choose a favorite picturthrough a traditional viewfinder. esque spot. Does your dog like to go canoeing? Is swimming a favorite activity? Hiking? If Photo styles your dog is hyper, exercise it first to burn off energy before

There are three basic styles to photographing pets: the trying to pose it. For portraits, you can use a slower shutter formal portrait, the environmental portrait, and the sponspeed: 1/250 second for a fidgety dog or cat, down to 1/60 taneous, on-the-go shot. And for some pet lovers, there’s second for a calm animal. the throwing your hands up in the air “I give up approach.”

Before you pose your pet, consider how much of the Remember, patience will reward you. Photographing pets is a environment you want to show and what viewpoint creates lot like photographing small children. a pleasing arrangement.

Work quickly but calmly (so as not

Let’s reverse the order of the three basic approaches and to make the pet think you’re ready to play) and take shots start with – in which the dog or cat half fills the picture area, and other photos in which it fills a third or less of the picture area.

Spontaneous, on-the-go shots

The soft light of a cloudy day best reveals your pet’s

The outdoors provides you with the chance to show your features. dog as a dog, whether he or she is chasing other dogs at the dog park, running through the woods, or hopping onto a log or stone wall. Since you’ll likely be taking action shots, prepare for that. Use a telephoto zoom. Set the ISO to 400, maybe even 800. That enables you to achieve a fast, action-stopping shutter speed.

Now set your camera to action/ sports or shutter-speed mode. In action/sports mode, the camera

Wait… there are more tips

Formal portraits This is where you try to get your pet to sit and pose for you – usually indoors and maybe with a few props, such as a favorite toy. For people, formal portraits range from the mug shot to sitting in a professional photo studio surrounded by lighting

Go to lifeinthefingerlakes.com to see the lighting setup just described and for more pet photos and tips.

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BE A BETTER PHOTOGRAPHER

equipment. We’ll aim for something in between.

Find a location in your house where there’s fairly bright light coming through a window or deck door. Avoid direct sunlight. Now try to position your pet on a chair, a sofa, the floor, or whatever within five to 10 feet of the window. A helper can come in handy.

With the window on one side of your pet, you may want to have your helper hold a large white poster board on the other side (about two feet away from the pet) to reflect light back onto the pet. This lightens shadows. If it annoys the pet, leave it out.

Set your camera to ISO 400, and start off with your zoom lens set to a portrait focal length – typically a setting from 70 to 135 mm. That setting lets you move a few feet back so you are not in your pet’s face. Get down to the pet’s eye level. Use a shutter speed of 1/80 to 1/250 second and start taking pictures. A helper holding out a snack can direct the pet’s attention.

After a few shots, try different angles and positions to create a variety of compositions to choose from.

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Top: Abby the Labradoodle loves the snow.

I took a close-up to show her ice-encrusted face worthy of an Arctic explorer.

Above, middle: During a visit Chloe joined me (and my camera) for a nap, so I snapped a few shots of her and liked this one.

Above: Lola loves people. Here she sits on my sister’s shoulder while touring the backyard.

~ LifeintheFingerL akes.com

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Offbeat

fresh and unique

Who Knew?

by Karen Warfle

Finns in the Finger Lakes

“M

y grandparents, the Herralas, were ranchers from South Dakota,” begins Lisa Koski, from Trumansburg, who is telling me the story of her Finnish ancestors.

“In 1913, they came to the Finger Lakes, with their 200 horses on the train. At the train stop in Spencer [in Tioga County, south of Ithaca], they unloaded the horses and herded them through town to their farm in Halsey Valley.”

“It looked for all the world like a Western roundup,” notes a document on the website of the Finger Lakes Finns (fingerlakesfinns.org), a nearly 50-year-old social organization that promotes cultural and educational awareness of the Finnish heritage in the Finger Lakes.

With nearly 100 members, the group meets in Newfield each month to share a meal and visit with friends and neighbors. Finns may be shy, but they are very social people.

Reviving farms and celebrating a proud heritage

In 1809, the Finnish-speaking areas of Sweden became the Grand Duchy of Finland, and part of the Russian Empire.

Ninety years later, as the government worked to “Russify” the Grand Duchy – politically, militarily, and culturally – many Finns escaped the repression by coming to North America. Agents from U.S. companies recruited them for labor, and guided them to very specific locations here, including the lumber mills of

The local band of Finnish Americans called Toivo (“Hope”) continues to play traditional folk music and polkas on their accordions and fiddles.

the Great Lakes, the mines of the western mountains, and the factories of New York City. Between 1890 and 1914, more than 200,000 Finns arrived in the U.S., according to the Library of Congress.

In 1910, they started coming to the Finger Lakes, leaving the mines and factories of the Midwest for farms in the hill country of Tompkins, Chemung and Tioga counties. Within the next four decades, upwards of 500 Finnish landowners arrived in the Finger Lakes, according to figures from the New York Folklore Society. With dairying on the decline, the Finns revitalized the farming industry of the region.

They established chicken farming and founded strong community organizations, including social clubs and farm cooperatives. They also shared

something new to America at the time: sauna, a form of relaxation not seen as simply a luxury in Finnish culture – but as a necessity. So much so, there’s a sauna in almost every home in Finland.

The importance of maintaining their cultural heritage has continued through the decades in a variety of ways.

In 1968, the Huttunens, Washburns, Sincebaughs, Pines, Vaananens and other Finnish families came together for the first meeting of what would become the Finger Lakes Finns. They had put an ad in the paper about getting together for a dish-to-pass at Stewart Park in Ithaca, and “It was amazing how many Finns turned up,” recalls Patty Huttunen.

Patty and her husband, Hemmo, lived on South Danby Road in Spencer – affectionately known in the early days as “Finn Boulevard” since all its residents were either Finnish or married to a Finn.

When the families first got together, a lot of Finnish was spoken during their meetings. But parents also wanted their children to assimilate and appreciate their new homeland, so they strongly encouraged kids to learn and speak English. My father, John Koskela, learned English when he started school in Trumansburg.

A musical legacy

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Offbeat always important aspects of their social gatherings, and they loved sharing their culture with the local community. There was an active folk dance group of eight to 10 couples that always performed at the Ithaca Festival. Today, the local band of Finnish Americans called Toivo (“Hope”) continues to play traditional folk music and polkas on their accordions and fiddles. More recently, they’ve added banjo, mandolin, guitar, bass and drum and have expanded their repertoire to include Cajun, Tex-Mex, Swing and Appalachian music. Jean Alve, the Spencer historian, now retired, was a square dance caller every Friday afternoon at the Ithaca Senior Center for 40 years.

While Jean is not Finnish, her husband was, so perhaps the love of Finnish culture infiltrated her life.

Music has been an integral part of the Finger Lakes Finns, and remains a vital link between generations. Jason Koski plays in Toivo with his father, Richard; and Jason’s daughter has learned Finnish tunes on the piano. Katrina Mackey,

daughter of Carl and Raili Washburn, fondly remembers the music and folk dancing of her childhood, including one festival in particular. “It was at the former Women’s Community Building in Ithaca,” she told us. “There was a feeling of celebration in the air, so much dancing, music and food. It was fun running around with the other kids.”

Katrina learned to play the violin as an adult, and her daughter made a kantele, a traditional Finnish stringed instrument also known as a “lap harp.”

Megan Ludgate, a junior in college and recipient of a 2012 Finger Lakes Finns Annual Scholarship Award, is one of the younger people involved with the Finger Lakes Finns. Not unlike many kids of recent generations, Megan had not thought much about her Finnish heritage until she realized what a profound impact her Finnish great-grandmother had on her life. “Although I hardly remember her, she willed her fiddle to my father and brought music back into our lives. Because of her fiddle, my father

began playing folk music and from that point forward, it has changed my life in many ways. It kindled my own interest in music, and introduced me to dance.

I began playing Finnish music on the flute, which has opened doors for me to explore other parts of my heritage.

As I grew older, I realized how much of my life was influenced by my heritage, including our Finnish-style sauna.”

Megan has paid it forward by playing Finnish music for others with her father, Michael Ludgate, and Katrina Mackey.

While some members of the Finger Lakes Finns have moved to other areas of the country, they feel so strongly connected to their Finnish roots in our area that they retain their membership. Doris Corbin of Jamestown said she enjoys “reading the newsletter about people and the area doings, even though I cannot attend.” Her brother, Frank Gottberg, is active in Finnish American Culture in Southern Michigan, but returns to Trumansburg to see old friends, the

Be a part of...

Moving the Museum Forward

On May 1st, The Finger Lakes Museum & Aquarium will begin a month-long campaign Moving the Museum Foward. This campaign will garner the support needed to complete the first phase of the project, including the much awaited Creekside Center – the Region’s newest kayak and canoe livery!

Each Saturday of the month from 10-2, Museum staff and volunteers will be at the Museum site, 3369 Guyanoga Rd. in Branchport. View design plans, learn about “what’s next”, spend one-onone time with other enthusiastic supporters, and participate in programs and activities that will be happening both on and off-site.

Visit www.FingerLakesMuseum.org to learn more.

Please support the Museum by making a donation, spreading the word, and/or visiting this May! 315.595.2200 | Mail to: PO Box 96, Keuka Park, NY 14478

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2015 Finger Lakes Finns (FLF) Events fingerlakesfinns.org

May 17 - Our Finnish Heritage Fair and Pass-a-Dish Luncheon - 1 p.m., Newfield Fire Hall Come see and hear what local families have discovered about their Finnish ancestry, as well as displays of Finnish culture. Lunch will be comprised of Finnish dishes.

October 8-12 - FinnFest USA 2015, Buffalo, New York Art exhibitions, concerts, community conversations and performances to highlight the connection between Finland and the USA. Visit finnfestusa.org for information.

October 18 - FLF monthly meeting/luncheon 1 p.m., Newfield Fire Hall FLF President, Maija DeRoche, presents Kalevala: The storyline illustrated by paintings inspired by the epic, and Kalevala’s influence on other literature and arts in general.

June 20 - Juhannus Celebration Celebrate Summer Solstice, Finnish-style, at the Canaan Institute in the Town of Caroline.

July 3 - Olli Hirvonen Concert and Reception 7 p.m., Unitarian Universal Society, Ithaca Finlandia Foundation National’s 2014-15 Performer of the Year will perform a concert of Finnish jazz. Reception and coffee/dessert included.

November 14 - “Finnishing Touches” Craft Fair 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Newfield Fire Hall Learn Finnish crafts though hands-on teaching from local artisans. Opportunity to buy as well.

July 19 - Quiz Show, Silent Auction, Luncheon & Ice Cream Social - 1 p.m., Newfield Fire Hall September 20 - FLF monthly meeting/luncheon 1 p.m., Newfield Fire Hall Yvonne Allen, Fulbright Award winner, will share her yearlong journey of studying music education in Finland.

November 15 - FLF monthly meeting/luncheon 1 p.m., Newfield Fire Hall Anticipated program: The history of Finnish miners and their plight in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.

December 20 - FLF monthly meeting/luncheon 1 p.m., Newfield Fire Hall A magical visit from St. Nicholas and a live reindeer.

The public is invited to all events and meetings. Luncheons are pass-a-dish, please bring your own table service.

Beverages are provided. Schedule is subject to change.

Finlanders, and former classmates. Al Saikkonen attended Ithaca High School and Syracuse University, and still works in Syracuse during the summers. “Although I moved away from the Trumansburg area 45 years ago, I feel a connection to my Finnish heritage through newsletters and media info from the Finger Lakes Finns,” he commented.

Finns who have stayed or moved into the area, like Ristiina Wigg, enjoy the monthly meetings, participate in Finnish language classes and the annual “Finnishing Touches” craft fair, learn about contemporary Finland, and attend local concerts like the ones being held this year in celebration of the Sibelius 150 Jubilee.

One young family from Finland was staying in Philadelphia and came to the Finger Lakes to attend Juhannus. The traditional music, food, kokko (bonfire), sauna, and community made them feel at home. They told us it was the most Finnish experience they had while visiting the United States.

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Human Interest

A

stories about real people

New

Life

A noted viticulture expert in Europe, Dr. Konstantin Frank came to the U.S. in 1951 with no job prospects, no English and very little money. His determination led him to Geneva, and the Finger Lakes became his home. In his new book about the man, Tom Russ tells us how.

Finger Lakes Wine and the Legacy of Dr. Konstantin Frank is available at local book stores, Dr. Frank’s tasting room and website, Barnes and Noble, online sellers. ­­­­­­­­­­­­34­ ~and L i f eother intheFingerL akes.com

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Dr. Frank and his wife Eugenia, in one of their first U.S. harvests

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alate of American wine .

War II, he was astounded by Against popular notions, he rope’s and California’s finest actors wrong, and by sharing veness has allowed the region onnay, Pinot Noir and other s legacy, and their winery has Vinophile Tom Russ presents er of Finger Lakes wine.

Finger Lakes Wine and the Legacy of Dr. Konstantin Frank

K onstantin f ranK

g Fi n

er

L ak es Win

and the Legacy of

e

D r . K o n s ta n t i n F r a n K TOM RUSS

RUSS

The following excerpt from Tom Russ’s book goes into detail about the humble beginnings of a legendary winemaker.

by Tom Russ

O

n December 15, 1951, the USNS General R.M. Blatchford sailed into a blustery New York Harbor. On board were more than 1,200 refugees and displaced persons from fourteen eastern European countries. The Blatchford was engaged in troop transfers in the Pacific Theater throughout World War II, but after the war, it was put to use transporting refugees from Europe to new homes in Australia and the United States. Its last trip in that capacity was to sail from Bremerhaven, Germany, to New York City. The passengers were interviewed and processed on board, but it was two days before they were finally cleared by customs officials to enter the United States. They collected their few belongings and disembarked in small groups, setting foot in their adopted country for the first time. Among the refugees were Dr. Konstantin Frank, his wife and their three grown children.

The Zahorskys [friends of the Franks] had arranged a small apartment for the Franks and a job for Photos courtesy Dr. Frank’s Vinifera Wine Cellars

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Konstantin as a dishwasher at the Horn and Hartart Automat.

Upon release from the Ellis Island’s immigration center, the Franks moved into the dingy apartment in Lower Manhattan.

The apartment was small for the five adults, infested with cockroaches and, in the midst of the New York City winter, quite cold. Frank’s job as a dishwasher on the night shift at a Horn and Hartart Automat brought in some much-needed cash and allowed him time to look for a better situation during the day. The family conserved their small savings and struggled to get along on the little money Frank was earning as a dishwasher. Eugenia [Konstantin’s wife] had sewed much of the family’s savings into the linings of Hilda’s and Lena’s winter coats before they left Germany. When they needed to dip into the savings, one of the girls would produce her coat, and Eugenia would rip out enough of the lining to remove the needed amount and sew the coat back up. To keep expenses low, they bought dayold bread and dried it so that it would keep longer. They would hang the bread from a clothesline in the apartment to keep the roaches away, but it had to be watched constantly to prevent the resident mice from crawling along the clothesline and eating it.

The fact that none of the Franks spoke fluent English was a problem. Work was a challenge for anyone to find, but for non-English-speaking displaced persons (or “DPs,” as they were increasingly and derisively called), it was especially slow in coming. Willy spoke some English that he had learned in the American prison camp and from students at the University in Nurnburg. A quick study, he was able to pick up more in relatively short order. He would take his sisters to local movies, where, for a nickel, they could sit all day, reel after reel, learning the language from the movie stars and the newsreels of the day. Konstantin and Eugenia, however, did not go to the movies, and for them the new language was a trial. Hilda and Lena eventually began to take classes to improve their English. Everyone in the family spoke at least three languages – German, Ukrainian and Russian. Konstantin spoke at least five languages – including German, Russian, Polish and French – but English was the language he needed, and he struggled to learn it.

Soon after arriving in New York, Konstantin began to look for work in agriculture, ideally conducting research, as he had in the Ukraine, but with limited financial resources and no contacts, progress was slow. He wrote letters to government agencies and universities, but after several months of effort yielded no indication that he would be able to find suitable work in the United States, he began to lose heart. Frank wrote in his letters to friends, “I left Germany in November of 1951 with my family and hope to find suitable employment in the U.S.A., if possible in an agricultural or Testing Station or on a large farm on the basis of my thirty years of practical and scientific activities in Germany and Russia. I hope to be able to be helpful to my new country.”

Dismayed by the lack of work and the family’s dismal living conditions, he began to think about returning to

~ LifeintheFingerL akes.com

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Human Interest Germany. He was well known in his profession there and had many longtime professional contacts and friends.

Before he had left for the States, he had received several generous offers for work in prestigious positions in Germany. Perhaps one of them might still be available.

Returning to Europe would be admitting defeat, though, and he had no stomach for that. Nevertheless, having found no opportunities in the land of opportunity, Frank wrote to his contacts in Germany to inquire about work.

Charles Fournier and Dr. Frank in the cellar at Viniefera Wine Cellars.

Colleagues in Germany wrote that indeed there was work for him there but suggested that before he gave up, he should look into the New York State Agricultural Experiment Station at Geneva – noting its fine reputation and the prominence of Cornell University as an agricultural school.

They pointed out that the climate and conditions of the Finger Lakes resembled those of the agricultural experiment station he had managed on the former Troubetskoy estate and that his experience and knowledge would therefore be of particular value. The Finger Lakes region in central New York was climatically comparable to the lands along the Ukraine’s Dnieper River, with similar geography of sloping lands and adjacent deep water. Konstantin agreed that his academic and professional work growing vinifera grapes in cold climates was especially applicable.

With renewed hope, he wrote to the

Geneva Experiment Station seeking employment. Such was his confidence that the institution would welcome his experience and skills that the refusal letter was no deterrent. He simply got on the bus.

At home in the Ukraine, Frank had been the technical director of a large agricultural experiment station, had received honors for his work restoring and managing large collective farms, was a noted inventor of farm implements and was a leading researcher in the field of viticulture, specializing in growing wine grapes in cold climates.

He arrived in the United States with no professional contacts, very little money, no English and no prospects, but he brought with him thirty years of experience, a passion for science, an indomitable confidence and a driving ambition to distinguish himself in his new homeland just as he had in the old country.

Like so many of their fellow refugees, the middle-aged agricultural scientist and his wife of nearly thirty years were starting over, beginning a new life together. Sustained by the pioneer spirit of their ancestors, they intended to fully embrace the promise of America.

When Frank arrived in Geneva in early April, 1952, that promise lay before him, the future shimmering with hope and possibility. At the experiment station, he was at first welcomed as a colleague who had dropped by for an expected visit. He was given a tour and introduced to some staff and researchers, relying on several German-speaking staff members to interpret for him.

He pressed his hosts for an employment opportunity, but they were fully staffed, and there was no position for a senior scientist with his qualifications at that time. The only work available for him was a grantfunded position studying field nursery methods, but it was, in a sense, work in his field. Frank accepted the position, anticipating that if he were present and working, better opportunities were more likely to come his way. Besides, it would allow him to get his family away from the squalid circumstances in Manhattan. It was a start.

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Shifting

FOCUS

Nature photography, by the seat of your pants story and photos by Bard V. Prentiss

“C

an you back up just a bit, please?” I asked my wife who was driving the car that morning. “There’s a Hepatica on that bank that may be just what I’m looking for.”

It was early May, and we were driving along a quiet road near the woods in Tompkins County, checking to see which early-spring wildflowers were blooming and searching among them for those suitable to photograph.

The reason I was in the car (and not on foot) is likely all-too-familiar to many in my post-75 age group. In the last few years, due to a combination of arthritis and neurological issues, I have become increasingly unable to slog through bogs, or even walk through open-level woods without great difficulty. This condition has presented me with a pressing challenge – I am unwilling to give up my passion for nature photography just because it’s more difficult for me to get out and explore nature.

Not long ago, I discovered a simple strategy that should at least partially solve my dilemma, I hope indefinitely.

As an added bonus, the cost is low, and – most importantly – it is adaptable to my increasing physical limitations.

I happened upon my new approach while travelling on

Left: A typical shooting day for Bard is riding in the passenger seat of his car, and photographing his favorite subjects from a distance.

Photo by Gina. P. Prentiss

Right: Foamflower (Tiarella cordifolia)

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Top: Starflower (Trientalis borealis ) Above: Fringed Polygala (Polygayla paucifolia )

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another dirt road, this time in the fall. I spotted a beautifully lit group of yellowing cinnamon ferns and spontaneously shot a burst of photos through the open car window. It worked.

Using a 70-300mm “new” Minolta lens on a 24-megapixel, image-stabilized Sony A65 DSLR camera, I had a picture that was of a quality I would expect to get from a carefully posed tripod shot. Upon further experimentation, I was convinced that I could achieve consistently satisfying results shooting through an open car window or door. I was off and running, while actually sitting comfortably in the front passenger seat of my Toyota.

It’s worth noting, photographing subjects at longer than typical distances may encourage a new way of treating them. For example, I had originally adopted a portrait style when shooting flowers, yet I found that an approach more akin to landscape worked decidedly better at greater distances. Therefore, I was pushed to grow in directions I may never have tried if conditions hadn’t forced a change in my stylistic approach.

While taking pictures from a car is accessible to almost anyone, I may have a slight advantage because I already know where suitable subjects are likely to be found. Fifty years of exploring my home territory, with an eye out for all

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things natural, has unwittingly well-prepared me for this new – at least to me – approach to nature photography.

It should go without saying that this style of photography is best pursued on lightly-traveled, preferably dirt roads.

It would be suicidal to try this on the thruway, no matter how alluring the subject might be.

Few pursuits require less of the pursuer. Simply arm yourself with suitable photography equipment, plus a basic knowledge of your quarry and where to find it – and you are ready to start your quest.

Limited only by ones imagination, this approach to nature photography knows no season. Subjects are everywhere. Flowers are perhaps the easiest but animals, landscapes, butterflies and trees are also possible … you name it.

The important part is getting out there. Start with a pointand-shoot camera, if that’s what you have. In fact, one of the newer, long lens point-and-shoot cameras may actually prove your best choice. A friend who takes outstanding bird photos, and is a pioneer in the process of digi-scoping, recently told me that long lens point-and-shoot cameras are the “new normal” for long-range bird photography. Whatever equipment you opt for, the most important thing is to get at it and enjoy the ride.

(Continued on page 42)

Top: Sharp Lobed Hepatica (Hepatica acutiloba) Above: Ed Hill Trillum woods

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The Equipment

S

uitable equipment is easy to find and relatively inexpensive. My rig cost well under $1,000 – not counting the car – and has yet to disappoint. As I have learned the hard way, careful selection of a camera and lens can save thousands of dollars without sacrificing image quality or usability.

My favorite lens for this work is the discontinued Minolta-AF 75-300 F4.5-5.6 “new” – purchased on eBay for $135. Comparable lenses start around $1,000, purchased new from Sony. If you go this route, make sure you get the “new” Minolta version. There are several 75-300 lenses but I have tried them all and none (except perhaps the much heavier, larger and more expensive Minolta AF 75-300mm F4.5-5.6, often called the “big beer can”) can compare with the “new.” My A65 Sony DSLR camera is a slightly scaled-down version of the highly regarded Sony A77, with all the important features including 24.5 megapixel images and less weight. 24.5 megapixel images can tolerate cropping that typically renders a smaller image unusable, and this is often the key to my success. The A65 was recently discontinued but can be found on the used market or new at Amazon for about $500. If you prefer another brand, you can likely find something similar in the same price range.

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Happy Trails Lady Long Rider treks through New York to celebrate the journey of Women’s Rights

story and photos by John Adamski

B

ernice Ende is a Lady Long Rider. She is on an 8,000-mile personal quest to ride from her home in Montana to the coast of Maine, back through Canada to the Pacific coast, and then home again to Montana. She’s been on the trail since April 1, 2014 and expects to be riding for two-and-a-half years. Her ride was inspired by the 100th anniversary of the Women’s Right to Vote in Montana, and she purposely rode to New York State – the cradle of Women’s Rights in America – to recognize and celebrate that event.

Tipped off by a neighbor in June of 2014, I found Bernice camping under a picnic shelter alongside Canaseraga Creek, not far from my

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home in Dansville. The 60-year-old retired gymnast and ballet teacher is a wiry, leather-tan and tough-as-nails lady with an uncompromising streak of female independence. I also found her to be charming and sincere, with a sweet but somewhat stubborn personality. When I asked to interview her, she agreed without hesitation.

But the interview did not come easily. Other curious folks stopped by to visit and she had some items of maintenance to take care of – like repairing both of her panniers, which are used to carry the gear on her packhorse – before starting the next day’s ride. She was well-equipped with needle, thread, scissors and a Leatherman tool.

While the Lady Long Rider entertained visitors and attended to chores, her hobbled Norwegian Fjord draft ponies, Essie Pearl and Montana Spirit, grazed in an adjacent hayfield. Both mares were in very good condition especially considering their five-month, 2,000-plus-mile ride from Montana to New York.

Since my initial interview was not all that productive, I returned to the Lady Long Rider’s camp early the next morning to find her saddling up, ready to continue her ride. She was heading for Rochester to pay homage to Susan B. Anthony, who helped to spearhead the Women’s Rights movement. I asked if I could catch up with her from time to time along the way to continue our

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The long rider tradition dates back to the 19th century when buckskin-clad mountain men on horseback led their pack animals across western prairies and into the Rockies.

interview. She agreed and mapped out her route for me.

A day later, I caught up with Bernice as she rode through the town of Groveland, heading toward Geneseo.

She stopped to visit with folks along the way, and to rest and water her horses. During her ride, she sticks to back roads and when she finds a shady spot, she hobbles the horses, removes their saddles and packs and lets them cool down.

The next day, I spent an hour with Bernice in the shade of an abandoned farmhouse in Avon where she was resting her horses. After giving each of them an apple and letting them graze, she set up a quick campsite and boiled some tea and honey on a portable

propane stove. When the hour was over, she repacked, saddled up, and hit the trail once again. And that’s the way it went for Bernice and me for the next four days.

Unlike the 19th-century mountain men who depended on gunfire and smoke signals for long-distance communications, Bernice carries a laptop computer and whenever she’s near an Internet connection, she checks her email and updates her website. That’s how she provided me with last-minute changes to her plans. She does not carry a cell phone.

Those plans included a morning visit to the grave of Susan B. Anthony in Mount Hope Cemetery in Rochester and a presentation later that

afternoon at the Susan B. Anthony House and Museum on Madison Street.

From there, she planned to ride to the Women’s Rights National Historic Park in Seneca Falls. The day before her cemetery visit, she emailed to ask if I could be there.

I arrived a bit early and joined a gathering of people who had learned of Bernice’s quest, including newspaper columnist Leo Roth from the Rochester Democrat & Chronicle. She rode in shortly after 11 a.m., escorted

by Sgt. Gary Cicoria of the Livingston County Sheriff’s Mounted Patrol. They were both surprised by the turnout and everyone present was thrilled when they rode into view.

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Bernice riding through Mount Hope Cemetery

Bernice at Susan B. Anthony’s headstone.

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Happy Trails Anthony’s grave was an emotional moment for Bernice, who rode more than 2,000 miles on horseback to be there, and she wanted me to see that. Among those who were there to greet her was Debra Hughes, president and CEO of the Susan B. Anthony House and Museum, who held one of Bernice’s horses while she dismounted and knelt at the gravestone.

Roth said it best when he wrote in his column, “Bernice knelt at Anthony’s headstone and expressed with great emotion and eloquence what it meant to her to be in this ‘bed of women’, who fought so long for their liberty, a gift to every female generation that followed.” When Bernice finished her soliloquy, everyone in attendance applauded her words.

From the cemetery, Bernice went to the Susan B. Anthony House on Madison Street in downtown Rochester, and she herself was amazed to have actually made it there. Her ride from Montana to New York was her own personal quest.

She did not represent any other cause, group or movement.

But she made it and that’s what counted most.

(Continued on page 48)

The Long Riders’ Guild

Bernice Ende is a member of The Long Riders’ Guild, an international association of equestrian explorers that was formed in 1994. The organization represents hundreds of members worldwide who have ridden horseback more than 1,000 continuous miles on a single equestrian journey. Membership in the guild is by invitation only.

Its website – thelongridersguild.com – professes to be part museum, bookstore, tack room and guild hall, and to contain the world’s largest collection of equestrian travel information. Indeed, one can spend an hour or more browsing the site and not completely see it all. It’s a reference for everything from the history of equestrian travel to modern-day horse care.

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Happy Trails

I found Bernice Ende camping under a picnic shelter alongside Canaseraga Creek, not far from my home in Dansville.

Brand New maintenance free Townhouse living on beautiful

While in Rochester, the Lady Long Rider continued to be escorted by Livingston County Sheriff’s Deputy Sgt. Cicoria and was joined by two members of the Rochester Police Department’s Mounted Patrol. The entire neighborhood was abuzz at the sight of four mounted riders and a packhorse, and Bernice was humbled by the attention, which she hadn’t anticipated. But that’s what happens when someone does something out of the ordinary.

A few days later, I caught up with Bernice for the last time at the Women’s Rights National Historic Park and Museum in Seneca Falls. I brought my son, daughter-in-law, and 14-yearold granddaughter to meet her and she was surprised because she didn’t expect us to be there. National Park Service rangers gave us all a tour of the museum and she was impressed with what she saw and heard. Her visit here

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highlighted the purpose of her ride.

I asked Bernice to pose among the First Wave Statue Exhibit, which features life-size bronze statues of the five women who organized the First Women’s Rights Convention and a few of the men who came in support of social, political and religious equality for women. She fit right in. We parted trails in Seneca Falls. From there, she rode on toward Syracuse to continue her epic ride across the country.

The Lady Long Rider emails me from time to time to give me updates on her progress. She finally reached another goal on October 10, when she made it to the Atlantic Ocean and rode along the beach at Wells, Maine. I can only imagine how thrilling it must be to see America from coast to coast at 4 miles per hour.

To follow Bernice’s ride, visit her website at endeofthetrail.com.

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Sharing A

Secret Labrador Hollow Unique Area

story and photos by Chris Murray

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L

abrador Hollow Unique Area, straddling the border of Onondaga and Cortland Counties, may be one of

the best-kept secrets in the Finger Lakes Region. The beautiful and diverse natural habitat, acquired in 1972 by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, provides abundant recreational opportunities.

The scenery there is highlighted by the 100-acre Labrador Pond, and by Tinker Falls, an impressive natural rock amphitheater about 50 feet high.

Carved out by the glaciers of the

last Ice Age, the pond is nestled in a valley about one-half mile wide, with walls that rise abruptly for several hundred feet. The pond is shallow, averaging about four feet deep.

There are two access points to

the pond. Both are launching points for kayaks and canoes – no motorized boats are allowed on the pond.

The first is on the north end, and

offers a beautiful view down its entire length to the south. A second access point and fishing pier area can be found halfway down the west side.

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Labrador Hollow

Map data ©2015 Google

Labrador Hollow is located off of Route 91 about two miles south of the Route 80 intersection in the hamlet of Apulia.

T

he Labrador Hollow boardwalk is also a major attraction to the area. It’s located at

the north end of the pond and winds its way through a diverse wetland complex. A bird watcher’s paradise, the boardwalk is handicap accessible and provides access to view various flora and fauna native to the region.

Another must-see attraction is

Tinker Falls, which can be reached for viewing from a handicap accessible trail from Route 91. The falls are most spectacular during spring runoff.

During the summer and fall months, the falls are normally reduced to a trickle, except during periods of heavy rainfall. In winter, the falls are a haven for ice climbers.

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The

BEAUTY

of the

BALE

Stacks are stunning but bales are better, says this seasoned hay-scene spotter story and photos by Derek Doeffinger

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W

hen it comes to hay, dairy farmers have more in common with fashion designers than they do with cows. Both are always thinking several seasons ahead. Cows think only a few hours ahead.

In the world of fashion, beauty may indeed be in the eye of the beholder. But in the world of bales, beauty depends on the judges. The best qualified judges may well be the cows and horses who eat them day after day; for them, beauty and flavor go hand in hand. For the farmers whose livelihoods depend on the price of bales, beauty rises and falls with the auction bid. And for those who actually haul and heave the damn things all day long, beauty may not even be a consideration.

A hydraulic-powered bale ejector shoots bale after bale skyward to arc gracefully into the trailing wagon.

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But for me, a guy who likes to take pictures; and probably for you, a person who enjoys tooling around the back roads on a fresh summer evening, beauty really is in the eye of the beholder. Few things give the eye more pleasure than a field set up like a jewelry store display case to reveal string necklaces of bales stretching from roadside to distant tree line. Monet, van Gogh, Pissarro, Gauguin and other artists have long been intrigued by the beauty of hay being harvested.

Finding Art in a Batch of Bales

I find that hay (and straw) is best summed up by its packaged form – the bale. The bale can take many shapes.

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Bales in a field accent the beauty of the countryside.

To the bystander, harvesting hay by hand and horse seems idyllic but it makes for a long day and a lot of work.

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of the

My favorite remains the small square bale, which may or may not actually be square. There are also large square bales, of which I have never seen a square one but I must admit to the possibility (which begs the question as to why it isn’t called a “cube”).

But rising quickly in my esteem is the circular bale, which isn’t actually circular but cylindrical – close enough.

A subset of the circular bale is the plastic, shrink-wrapped bale, which the farmer often arranges in a long white tube that resembles a gigantic fishing lure. Or, they may end up in a stack along the barn, like so many packages of provolone cheese on a Wegmans’ shelf.

Large swaths of plastic bales seem out of place in a field. Imagine sailboats still in their winter shrink-wrap, bobbing on the lake in summer.

But plastic bales are practical, and they do charm the palate of the dairy cow. That first cut of hay is the most nutritious and most delicious. Wrapping it in airtight plastic not only best preserves its nutrition (and the hay itself) but adds to its flavor by favoring fermentation. And who among us doesn’t favor a little fermentation?

Even without plastic, those large cylindrical bales hold up well when stored outside. That’s because they’re so large that even if the outer two or three inches are lost to decay, nearly 90 percent of the bale remains good.

Small hay bales need a hayloft.

The Heavy Lifter

Buckwheat Freier knows small bales well. As does his mother Lisa. In

BALE his mid-20s, Buckwheat, in name and form, fits the definition of “strapping.”

Buckwheat was nicknamed by his big brother, Bean. His real name is Louis – after his grandfather. He’s exceedingly polite and quiet. Driving by their Seneca Falls farm last summer, I saw them baling straw and skidded to a stop. A complete stranger, I hopped out and asked if I could photograph them. They looked me over and said no problem.

Camera in hand, I began following them around.

Lisa Freier later told me “All three Freier boys grew up on the back of a wagon. They were riding long before they were big enough to throw bales. By the age of 10 or 12 years old they were loading straw wagons by themselves. It was a great accomplishment when they could get the bale up onto the fifth tier of the wagon.

See, that tier was higher than they were tall. When they accomplished that feat it was like they changed from boys to men, by the expressions on their faces.”

That was then. Now Buckwheat looks like he has stepped out of a 1940s movie poster. Wearing a torn, sleeveless T-shirt and clasping a large and menacing bale hook in each hand, he towers over me as he stands on the back of the wagon framed by a darkening sky. He is waiting for his mom to turn the tractor and head down a fresh windrow.

The wagon holds about 140 bales.

Buckwheat has already filled it twice today. If the weather cooperates, he’ll double that amount. Each bale weighs about 50 pounds. Fifty times 560 equals a lot of sore muscles for an

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The

BEAUTY

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Buckwheat Freier stands next to a wagon he’s just loaded with straw bales.

Oversize (8-foot long) square bales weigh about 800 pounds and require a forklift to move them.

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The

BEAUTY

of the

BALE

inexperienced farm hand. No problem for Buckwheat. Tomorrow, his brother’s girlfriend April and family friend Mike, who are currently unloading the hay wagons and sending the bales via a conveyor belt (called an elevator in farm lingo) into the barn loft, may feel a twinge here and there – if they can get out of bed.

Most of the Freier straw bales are headed to East Coast race tracks. Easy to handle, small bales are prized by horse owners and small dairy farmers. On the ground, I dart around the tractor-pulled hay wagon searching

T

here’s a rather remarkable website (for its extensive content, not its design) called hayinart.com that’s a compendium of hay as expressed in the wide world of the arts.

for a good photo angle of Buckwheat plucking bales from the ejector belt and flipping them onto a steadily growing stack. He works at a brisk, steady, consistent pace, and then all of a sudden everything accelerates. His mother speeds up the tractor; he flips bales faster and looks anxiously at the sky. Now I, too, feel a few drops of rain.

Rain can spoil their entire wagonload, their entire crop if it’s really illtimed. Rain is also a problem for newly cut hay, but only if it persists for days and prevents the hay from eventually being dried.

Buckwheat leaps off and dashes

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The

BEAUTY

of the

BALE

to his pickup, hollering at me, “Let’s go.” I jump in the truck and before I’ve settled in, he’s hitched it to the wagon and raced off to the barn to tuck away a full load of dry straw.

Inspirational

Organic dairy farmer Tim Stoltman relies on high-quality hay to get his herd through the winter. In the summer, the herd, to qualify its milk as organic, must get 30 percent of its food by grazing. But summer doesn’t last forever. “Dairy cows, especially on an organic farm, need high-quality hay,” says Stoltman. “Early hay has the best quality – it’s the most

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nutritious.” Now, well into middle age, he, too, has been farming since he was a kid.

Tim prefers small square bales because they’re easy to handle. It’s early December when he shows me his hay barn.

It’s stuffed to the rafters with nearly 8,000 bales, enough to feed his dairy herd of 40 cows until the spring pasture comes in.

Commercial hayers attack the harvest like they’re down by seven points with a minute to go in a playoff game. It’s go, go, go, hurry, hurry, hurry. A commercial hayer may need to harvest hundreds, even a few thousand acres. And, since hay fields across the Finger Lakes tend to reach prime condition at about the same time and stay in that prime condition for only a week or so, they can only hope a good

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weather window appears so they can “make hay while the sun shines.”

Standing on the back of a hay wagon hauling and stacking bale after bale all day long is a dirty, dusty, itchy, scratchy, sneezy, sweaty, back-breaking, knee-twisting job. Sitting in the cab of a gleaming, high tech, air-conditioned, GPS-guided modern hay machine could be seen as a cool, comfortable, clean, cushy job – but only if you’ve been standing on the back of a hay wagon all day.

Just as haying has inspired artists, so, too, has it inspired designers of farm equipment. On the web pages of New

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A bale hook in each hand, Buckwheat seems able to lift and toss bales all day long.

Holland and John Deere, you can find a wide range of hardware just for bales: things like a bale squeeze, bale hugger, bale spear, bale carrier, bale unroller, in-line bale wrapper, bale processor, bale wagon, bale loader, bale stacker, bale thrower. I tend to prefer a bale hugger over a bale spear.

But my real preference is to be a bale watcher. I think the best time to watch is late in the day. After all, the hard work is done. If I time it right, I might find a full moon rising over an upward sloping field filled with newly made bales.

If I get lucky, an Amish carriage will clatter down the road, and if I get really lucky, a team of horses – caught between a setting sun and a rising moon – will be pulling a fully-loaded wagon back to the barn.

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A Proud Community Auburn

Geneva

Ovid

Ovid

Hammondsport

Watkins Glen

is N

A

midst the compelling vistas, vales and vineyards of the Finger Lakes, visitors should glimpse certain eye-catching sites before leaving the region. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, The Three Bears in Ovid rank high among these oddities.

The Three Bears … Papa, Mama, and Baby? Well, sort of – that’s how

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cities & villages

“Travelers remember Ovid because of the curious old red brick buildings on the hill at the turn of the road, all in a row and of three sizes like the ‘Three Bears’ of the nursery tale.”

— Arch Merrill, Slim Fingers Beckon (1951)

Just Right

story and photos by James P. Hughes

they’re fondly known. Three brick buildings in the Greek Revival style, including Doric columns, dominate the sloping hillside park at Ovid’s center, and “since the 1800s have been the heart and soul of our village,” points out town historian Gail Snyder. Positioned from largest to smallest, they’re said to be the only set of three existing, adjacent buildings of this style in the

United States.

On the left is “Papa Bear,” erected in 1845 as the Seneca County Courthouse. On the far right, also built in 1845, sits “Baby Bear,” established as the county clerk’s office. Between them, “Mama Bear” arose in 1860, Panoramic view of The Three Bears – left to right: Papa, Mama and Baby.

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Above: Sally T’s hair salon on Main Street.

Pictured from top to bottom: Gazebo in memory of Veronica Maher in Ovid’s Main Street Park.

Car and truck traffic often share the road with Amish wagons in the area.

Classic architecture enhances the South Seneca Central School.

Tillinghast Manor Bed & Breakfast. This lovely old Victorian home once hosted Teddy Roosevelt as an overnight guest.

becoming a new, larger office for the county clerk. As years passed, Seneca County’s borders were revised and Ovid (as a “half-shire”) shared its county seat status with Waterloo. Since that time, The Three Bears have functioned well beyond locations for a court house and a county clerk. At various times the graceful buildings have been used as a library, a jail, a bank, the sheriff’s department, the health department, and even presently as a meeting place for the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War.

The cupola on top of Papa Bear offers a lofty view of the two largest and longest Finger Lakes, Cayuga and Seneca. Ovid sits midway on a five-mile stretch of land between the two; the narrowest gap separating the lakes as they gently curve toward each other.

The Early Days

The area’s earliest homesteader, Andrew Dunlap, is considered to be the first in the entire county. Founded in 1794, the settlement was dubbed Ovid when the Surveyor General’s clerk, M ay/J u n e 2 01 5 ~

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Entertain your guests in style at the Granger Homestead.

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Open year-round for private and corporate functions. Reasonable rates.

Granger Homestead and Carriage Museum 295 N Main Street, Canandaigua, NY 14424 585-394-1472 • www.grangerhomestead.org

PROOF O.K. BY: __________________________________________________

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PLEASE READ CAREFULLY • SUBMIT CORRECTIONS ONLINE ADVERTISER: GRANGER HOMESTEAD AND CA PROOF CREATED AT: 8/2/2013 0:45 AM SALES PERSON: OPEN PROOF DUE: NEXT RUN DATE: 08/23/13 PUBLICATION: DC-ROCH MAG SIZE: 3 col X 11 in

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Robert Harpur, named townships of the Central New York Military Tract in keeping with his personal interest in Greek and Roman literature. After the Revolutionary War, soldiers were compensated with parcels of land to call home, and quite a number settled in the area. Twenty-one of them rest today in remote McNeil Cemetery on a quiet country road not far from Ovid.

In the early days, a stagecoach route connecting Willard on Seneca to Sheldrake Point on Cayuga passed through Ovid’s growing commercial center. Passengers enjoying swift, comfortable boat travel on the two longest Finger A plate from Robert Harman’s Lakes used the short, bumpy Hollywood Panorama – how many faces do you recognize? overland stage ride as a connector, facilitating transfer from a boat on one lake to a boat on the other. It’s a stretch of flat and fertile country historically rich with crops and fruit trees, a broad terrain with perfectly straight roads resembling America’s Midwest. Yet, just a bit east or west of the Ovid village limits Cayuga and Seneca can be glimpsed in the distance, where hillsides sprinkled with glens and waterfalls drop quickly toward the lakes.

Not Forgotten

In any town, large or small, certain folks etch a memorable imprint. The names Robert Harman and Veronica Maher may be unfamiliar to most, but the achievements of these Ovid natives brought great pride to their community.

Robert Harman went to Hollywood as an actor, but soon forged a career as the “Artist of the Stars.” He painted and sketched hundreds of caricatures (some realistic, some whimsical) of his fellow performers and film stars of the day, maintaining a correspondence with many of them over the years. Harman created “The Hollywood Panorama,” a 5 by 9 foot full-color montage of 1,001 vintage film stars set against film backdrops and famous landmarks. The work was published in book form in 1971. In a later book, Enchanted Faces, Harman paid tribute to the glamorous women admired by millions of avid moviegoers in the ’20s, ’30s, and ’40s. His bewitching sketches pay homage to Gloria Swanson, Greer Garson, Bette Davis, Judy Garland, Katherine Hepburn and many, many more. Before his death in 2009, Robert Harman

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~ LifeintheFingerL akes.com

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Proud Community split his retirement years between a California residence and a family home in Ovid.

According to many, Veronica Maher deserves acceptance as a member of the Women’s Hall of Fame in nearby Seneca Falls. Her distinguished career with the American Red Cross spanned many decades; it was written that “her honors were many and always accepted modestly.” Before retirement in 1963, Maher instituted numerous programs and was praised as “successful in whatever she attempted.”

Most notably, she sparked the first nationwide civilian blood program in 1948. Since then, Maher-inspired blood drives have become a staple of Red Cross chapters across the country. The sociable Maher is remembered fondly, as she cruised about Ovid in her convertible, her pet Dalmatian at her side. She passed away at age 80 in 1981 and, in memoriam, a gazebo in the Main Street Park bears her name.

Fresh Strawberries and More

A village highlight is celebrated each year on the third weekend in June. From modest beginnings as an “Ice Cream Social,” the Ovid Strawberry Festival & Craft Fair has now passed its 30th year and has gone far beyond just ice cream, cake and fresh strawberries. Among the events are a parade, 5K run, flea market, craft vendors, farmer’s market, games, and a block dance. Food abounds: pancakes, burgers, hot sausage, barbecue chicken and, of course, traditional strawberry treats.

Virtually every business and organization in town takes part in the festival’s success. “This event truly ties the community together – there’s sort of a yearly reunion atmosphere of family and friends,” says Chairperson Priscilla Smalser. “It’s a cross-generational celebration that pulls in not only local folks, but also many seasonal residents from the nearby lakes.”

With plenty to eat and lots to do, the festival provides an ideal time to visit Ovid, but its architecture and surrounding countryside make the trip appealing anytime.

Among a number of its stately Victorians stands The Tillinghast Manor B & B, a home with old charm once visited

by Teddy Roosevelt. Main Street businesses include A.J.’s Diner (“There’s Nothing Finer O V I D I N F O than a Family Diner”) with good, townofovid.org home-cooked specials like meatovidstrawberryfestival.com loaf, corn chowbackroadstraveller.blogspot.com/ der, and tasty pies.

2014/10/the-three-bears.html If you should stop by A.J.’s, glance out its front window and straight across the street. There you’ll be greeted with a panoramic view of Ovid’s unique 19th-century treasure – the venerable Three Bears, forever watching over the village from their hillside perch.

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Ithac are fl

Enterprising

Gre

5

#

in business

Ithaca Emerges as

Entrepreneurial Hub

#

by Dariel Y. Curren

L

ong known as one of America’s best college towns, Ithaca has gained national attention recently for its growing entrepreneurial scene. Last July, Forbes magazine dubbed Cornell University “Silicon Ivy,” and Bloomberg TV, CNN Money, Entrepreneur and The Street have since taken note of how Ithaca has graduated into a full-fledged startup hub with roughly 100 companies now taking root in the Finger Lakes community.

“Ithaca’s thriving entrepreneurial ecosystem did not happen by accident,” said Tom Schryver, executive director of regional economic advancement at Cornell. “Leaders from the city, area universities and local businesspeople have really come together to ensure that the city supports and fosters startup companies.”

Committed Collaborators

One such support system is the new downtown incubator, Rev: Ithaca Startup Works, which opened its doors in September. Rev is a collaborative project between Cornell, Ithaca College and Tompkins Cortland Community College, and is designed to be a hub for the region’s entrepreneurial community.

It provides working space, mentorship and resources to member companies, as well as programming and events that support entrepreneurship for the public.

Local universities are also supporting student entrepreneurs through programs like Entrepreneurship at Cornell, a university-wide program that enriches students’ academic work with access to mentors and other resources critical to learning about and working through the challenges of starting a company. One firm that has stemmed from the program is Party Headphones, a company that rents wireless headphones for trendy silent discos. Founded by Jake Reisch, a current senior at Cornell, the company has raised

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more than $600,000 in funding and has booked events with the likes of Red Bull, MTV2 and Pepsi, benefitting from access to dozens of investors and supporters through Cornell.

An Enterprising Past

Ithaca has a rich history of entrepreneurial success dating back to Cornell’s co-founder, Ezra Cornell, who revolutionized communications technology and founded Western Union in the late 1800s. In the last two decades, Cornell alum Greg Galvin has launched three successful businesses in Ithaca, including Kionix Inc., which manufactures accelerometers and now employs more than 200 people. His most recent venture, Incodema3D, which 3D prints precision parts, was among the first companies to receive START-UP NY tax incentives.

Ithaca startups, spanning a wide range of industries, are growing. Natural snack company Emmy’s Organics, which was founded in Ithaca and continues to manufacture its products there, posted more than $1 million in revenue last year.

BinOptics, a technology company that makes lasers for data and telecommunications that was recently purchased for $230 million by a Massachusetts-based company, received funding from Cayuga Venture Fund. Additionally, KensaGroup is a creative group that incubates and commercializes university technologies.

“Startups are helping to fuel Ithaca’s economy,” said Zach Shulman, who wears dual hats as the director of Entrepreneurship at Cornell and a managing partner at Cayuga Venture Fund.

“Sometimes, it is easier to grow our own businesses than to attract them,” he noted, adding, “Who knows? We may soon see a billion-dollar startup born here.”

Dariel Y. Curren grew up in the Finger Lakes and now leads the Economic Development Division at Development Counselors International in New York City.

~ LifeintheFingerL akes.com

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• KensaGroup • LaunchNY • Local Banks • Numerous law offices specializing in IP and startup business issues • Tompkins County Area Development (TCAD) loan fund For more information, visit tcad.org • eship.cornell.edu M ay/J u n e 2 01 5 ~

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Enterprising

in business

The

Little Railroad that could

Can!

Finger Lakes Railway is picking up steam

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~ LifeintheFingerLakes.com

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story by Rich Finzer photos by Rich and Delene Finzer

I

t’s been said that the best place to hide something is in plain sight. If that’s true, Finger Lakes Railway may be a prime example. The line is headquartered in Geneva, but surprisingly few folks seem to notice – which is odd, considering some of the tracks run through the center of town!

But as a dyed-in-the-wool railroad nut, I not only noticed – I had to do some investigating for myself.

Maybe it’s a “guy thing,” but to me there’s something irresistible about trains. I’ll drive miles out of my way to snap a few decent photos of motive power. Trains are big, kinetic and make the most wonderful noises when in operation. Trust me, there’s nothing like the sound of wheel trucks clicking across rail joints. Growing up two miles from the New York Central Railroad’s “Water Level” route likely explains part of my fixation.

And hopefully, there isn’t a 12-step program to rid me of my addiction.

According to the line’s website, Finger Lakes Railway (FGLK) is a Class III, short-line railroad. Serving six counties in the heart of the Finger Lakes Region, it’s one of 13 short lines operating in New York. When compared to massive Class I lines like Union Pacific, its 167 miles of trackage might seem paltry. But to the factories, mills and processing plants it serves – it’s a big deal. Needing to know more, I contacted Stephen Fisk, vice president and general manager of Finger Lakes Railway. He suggested I visit the Geneva freight yard for a firsthand look.

The FGLK system consists of trackage from several defunct railroads.

The mainline, running from Solvay to Canandaigua, was once part of the New York Central Railroad’s “Auburn Road.” The rails running from Manchester to Victor were part of the Lehigh Valley Railroad (LVRR) two-

track mainline. A second section of LVRR runs south from Geneva, past the Seneca Army Depot to Kendaia.

Last, the line connecting Penn Yan to Watkins Glen was originally part of the Pennsylvania Railroad’s Elmira branch.

Top: Departing Auburn, engine number 3124 leads a 3-engine lockup.

Bottom: Passenger coach “Seneca”, one of three coaches on the Rail Shipper’s Special Left: Engine 2308 prepares to lead the Rail Shipper’s Special as it departs Auburn

The Excursion Experience

During the mid-2000s, FGLK operated excursion trains and acquired six passenger coaches, naming some after the largest of the Finger Lakes.

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in 2013, prompting me to wonder if folks still have an interest. “Everybody wants to ride,” said Tammy Spina, FGLK’s customer service supervisor. “But the railroad has several issues to resolve.”

She explained that if excursion operations resume, they will likely run during the autumn months and be updated on the FGLK website.

When excursions still ran, the trainset was frequently pulled by loco 2201, a GE model U23B, diesel electric. As seen in the Geneva freight yard, the 2201 sports the Cornell red and black livery of the long-defunct Lehigh Valley Railroad. And while the design and color of the 2201 is unique, it’s not the only one with “legacy” livery.

An FGLK logo is clearly visible on caboose #203 (left) and the original New York Central logo is displayed on an ancient caboose (right).

Train Tracking

At least seven locomotives on the FGLK’s engine roster (1703, 2303, 2304, 2305, 2308, 2309 and 2310) feature jetblack livery with a white and gray “lightning bolt” stripe on the engine, similar to that of the New York Central diesels I remember from my youth.

My great grandfather was a New York Central engineer, and I’m steeped in the railroad’s history and culture. Early

The FGLK system consists of trackage from several defunct railroads.

FGLK System Map & Legacy Rail Legend ­­­­­­­­­­­­72­

~ LifeintheFingerL akes.com

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Enterprising on, I noticed a resemblance between their old logos and those of FGLK. Was it a coincidence? I wasn’t sure, and regardless of who I asked, the “answer” was always the same – a mysterious smile.

During more recent trips to Geneva, I observed 2309 and 2310 double-heading heavy freight loads south, toward Himrod via the Norfolk Southern rails that FGLK has rights to use. Both are GE model B23-7, “Dash” units. Last July, I chased the pair down Route 14 and photographed them hauling dump cars of heavy stone.

The tracks parallel the highway and cross many private roads, so the train was traveling slowly, which made it easy to speed ahead and take pictures.

Eventually, the engineer probably caught on that I was a train nut.

Another day, while returning from Seneca Falls, I arrived at a rail crossing on Routes 5 & 20 just as a 3-engine lockup was passing through town.

After the crossing gates lifted, knowing the next decent trainspotting location was in Auburn, I sped ahead and arrived shortly before engines 1703, 2303 and 2309 rolled into town. Three weeks later, I found 2309 and 2310 on a siding in Solvay, awaiting entry to the CSX yard to pick up a 45-car westbound interchange consist.

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The Business of Being a Railroad

Despite my family history and kidlike fascination with trains, the bottom line is – a railroad is a business. And since 1995, when FGLK was formed, it has thrived. Initially, the line was hauling 5,000 carloads annually, using three diesel locomotives. Due to affiliation/interchange services with Norfolk Southern, CSX, Canadian Pacific and New York Susquehanna &

Model railroaders interested in FGLK rolling stock or custom-order railcars with FGLK markings can visit Lake City Hobby in downtown Geneva, or lakecityhobbies.com.

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Enterprising Western railroads; the line currently hauls over 18,000 carloads.

The engine roster has grown to 14, including a pair of beefy, bright blue EMD SD45s, which a crew member referred to as “our big boys.”

FGLK trains haul commodities ranging from sand and fertilizer to grain and canned goods. Combined with the affiliation, enhanced marketing efforts have been so successful that The American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association (ASLRRA) presented FGLK with its coveted Marketing Award in 2012. “Retaining existing accounts and attracting new ones means utilizing our ‘Golden Triangle’ marketing strategy,” said Jan “The Deal” McNeal, FGLK’s vice president of marketing, also an experienced railroader who worked for Conrail and Kansas City Southern. “Ours is built upon competitive pricing, superior service and an adequate rail supply of railcars.”

Phelps Community Historical Society Home of the only 2-story attached brick outhouse in America!

A “Fallen Flag” Rises

In railroad terms, a “fallen flag” refers to a line that’s out of business. But thanks to the efforts of Mike Smith, FGLK president, the livery of the old New York Central has been reborn. Last October, I was invited to ride the FGLK’s 6th annual Rail Shipper’s Special. I’m not a client, potential customer or interchange affiliate, so my registration badge listed me as representing Life in the Finger Lakes – a double honor of sorts.

As our excursion rolled back to Auburn from Seneca Falls, I asked Mike about the livery and finally received

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• The Finger Lakes Railway office and freight yard is located at 68 Border City Road in Geneva, 14456. Call 315-781-1234 to schedule a visit, or check out fglkrail.com.

• Finger Lakes Railway is part of the Farmrail System, Inc. For more information, visit farmrail.com.

• For a listing of FGLK’s locomotive roster plus hundreds of photos, visit rrpicturearchives.net. Please note copyright restrictions.

~ LifeintheFingerL akes.com

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Traffic in Geneva grinds to a halt as 2309 & 2310 roll through town.

the elusive answer I’d been searching for.

As it turned out, Mike cut his railroading teeth working for the New York Central and really missed its color scheme. “It’s one of the perks of being the boss,” he explained with a smile. The railroad’s 20th anniversary is this year, and he hinted that something special was in the works. I hope I receive an invitation to that event, too!

Our little train consisted of engine 2308 which pulled us on the westbound leg, three passenger coaches (Seneca, J. Reilly McCarren and Canandaigua) and engine 2310, which did the head-end honors on the return leg. Built in 1954 for Canadian National, each coach had been thoroughly modernized with air conditioning, upgraded lighting, ceiling fans, new upholstery and repainted in the two-tone gray livery of the New York Central – a really snazzy package and a terrific way to showcase the line. Even better, passengers were treated to an onboard buffet and open bar!

It was a brilliant sunny day, ideal for a train ride across the Finger Lakes countryside – and the first time I’d been aboard a New York Central train since 1956, when my mom pulled me out of school for a journey by rail to Buffalo. We slowly rolled past the old passenger station in Cayuga, now home to the village offices. We crossed the mile-long causeway/bridge complex that spans the northern end of Cayuga Lake, and this was a trip highlight I won’t soon forget.

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Binoculars • Books • Audio Guides • Nature Gifts

See for Yourself

FGLK welcomes visitors to its freight yard in Geneva.

Bring photo ID and be prepared to remain in the designated observation area. Interested in trainspotting? There are terrific locations in Seneca Falls, Auburn and Geneva, where FGLK trains pass open areas – great for a photo op! Just be careful, wear a pair of heavy work boots and follow the rules. Who knows, maybe you’ll see me there. Until then, “Keep your hand upon the throttle and your eyes upon the rail.”

Rich Finzer resides in Hannibal. During his 44 years as a writer, he’s written nearly 1,200 newspaper, magazine and Internet articles. His award-winning book, Maple on Tap is available through ACRES USA. His novels, Taking the Tracks and Julie & Me are available at Amazon.com. Rich extends his sincere thanks and appreciation to FGLK staff and management for their assistance in preparation of this article.

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Making a Difference

the important things

Track Trail

From

to

Learn about the journey racehorses in the Finger Lakes take when they change careers.

by Ellie Schwarz

T

he crowd roars as the horses fly down the home stretch. You can see their powerful muscles underneath sweat and hair. The announcer bellows into his microphone, making the air even thicker with excitement. People scream names, numbers and colors.

The tension builds until it explodes under the wire as the star athletes thunder over the finish line. These are professional athletes, wired to perform at their very best.

These are horses, skilled racers, athletes, better than any machine could ever be. They connect with the atmosphere of people, and draw them in with a gravitational pull unequaled.

Most people are familiar with horses as a source of entertainment, and the racetrack as a place to go Friday and Saturday afternoon or evening

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to gamble and bet. This is Finger Lakes Gaming & Racetrack. But there is another side to this story, a place for opportunity, and for “Giving horses a second chance to be winners.”

Racehorses are bred and born for speed.

They begin their training at about 2 years old, and continue their careers until they no longer can. They are under strenuous workouts and race schedules, and great care is taken to ensure they can run their best. But horses are not machines, and cannot race for their entire lives. When a horse has an injury, is too old or too slow, it is usually retired.

Most horses are less than 5 years old when they retire.

Some careers last longer than others, but when a horse is retired, it can’t stay at the track. Trainers usually want their horses to go to good homes since they still have almost 20 years of life ahead of them. But in the past, these horses have been neglected and sold at auctions for slaughter.

Several years ago, some horses from Finger Lakes

Left: Ready for adoption, Chinglish is a 7-year-old gelding.

~ LifeintheFingerLakes.com

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Photos courtesy Purple Haze

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For more information visit fingerlakestap.org Finger Lakes Thoroughbred racetrack, and still is Gaming & RaceAdoption Program today. track almost ended Purple Haze Center up at an auction 5757 Route 96 Specialty Suites for slaughter. This Farmington, NY 14425 The Purple Haze barn showed an urgent 585-924-9510 can house 16 horses need for a program 585-905-7457 maximum, and the barn to oversee adopis almost always full. tions of Finger Lakes The horses are given five-star hotel racehorses, and in 2007 Purple Haze treatment. All the horses are fed about was founded. half a bale of hay and 6 to 10 quarts of grain every day, split into three feedUnique in Every Way ings. This adds up to about $10,000 to

Purple Haze sits on the outskirts $15,000 dollars per year, per horse. The of Finger Lakes Gaming & Racetrack horses also receive all the care they in Farmington. Originally, most horses need – dentistry, farrier and veterinary were adopted off the backside of the track, a place where horses were faced care, and training – at the facility.

“They aren’t cheap,” says with uncertain futures and homes.

Kisielewski.

Purple Haze creates another option.

“A woman by the name of Wanda A New Beginning Polisseni donated a 10,000-square When Purple Haze gets a new foot barn to Finger Lakes Thoroughhorse at the facility, Kisielewski and bred Adoption Program so they could Damaris Cruz – the barn manager – house retired horses,” says Julie first try to evaluate its abilities and Kisielewski, program director at Purple demeanor. This is so the horse can Haze. The name Purple Haze comes be adopted by someone it can get from the name of Wanda’s racing staalong with. ble in Florida.

“We try to evaluate them to the

When Purple Haze was combest of our ability,” says Kisielewski. It pleted, it was the only thoroughbred takes about two weeks to evaluate a adoption program in the nation horse, to know them and have the best located directly on the grounds of a

A Letter to Purple Haze from a Happy Customer

I

just wanted to touch base with you and tell you what a joy Ace has been.

Ace has done so well trail riding. At first he was very afraid of going through the creek or water that we would encounter on the trail. He would stand and shake and not follow the other horses through. I would get off and lead him... and he would always jump the water.

Finally our fourth time on this one trail he follow the other horses and jumped the water. He gave me plenty of notice before he leaped over the water and we flew it together in perfect unison. I love to jump and he did not come up lame afterwards. I knew we were on our way.

Ace lead on our trail ride through the woods only after riding through them once. He does not shy away when deer run out and he is very bold. Ace listens to me and enjoys working. He does well when introduced to other horses and does not mind following.

When I cannot ride him I make sure to spend time with him on the ground.

I work with his stable manners and his socialization skills. He has calmed down so much and we trust each other. When I walk out to the pasture he gallops down to me. I am always a bit nervous hoping he will stop...he always does and I smile.

He also will follow my mom when she walks up the road with her dog. When we let him out of the stalls he usually will run up and down the pasture stretching his legs. He seems so happy.

I just wanted you to know how well he is doing and how much he is loved.

He has really changed my life!

– Leigh Major

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Making a Difference

Purple Haze is located on Route 96 in Farmington. It is open to the public from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., 7 days a week.

Map data ©2015 Google

chance of getting a perfect match. On Purple Haze’s website, paragraphs are written so hopeful adopters can look for a horse they might like. While at the center, staff focus on transitioning the horse from the specialized environment of the racetrack to the more relaxed and natural environment of a pleasure horse.

Finding the Perfect Match

Purple Haze is open to the general public. In fact, people who have little to no horse knowledge are welcome to come and visit. Some people who have never seen a horse close up before will come and enjoy the new experience.

But not just anyone can adopt a horse. A large amount of effort goes into finding each unique horse a perfect home.

If someone wants to adopt a horse from Purple Haze, they must go through a specific process to ensure safety for horse and rider, and a suitable match.

The potential adopter must first fill out the Finger Lakes Thoroughbred Adoption Program Inc. Adoption Application form.

“Through the application, we get an idea of what kind of rider you are,” says Kisielewski. This will help with the adoption process.

After a hopeful adoptee applies for a horse, they must wait to be approved by the program. Once the application is approved, the applicant can begin searching for a horse.

Once the adoptee chooses a horse, they must agree to

the Placement Agreement. “It’s basically saying the horse cannot be raced again, go to slaughter, or sold at auction, and if the owner decides to get rid of the horse we have the first right to refuse to take the horse back and say ‘we don’t want it, go ahead and sell,’” says Kisielewski.

Once the horse is adopted, there is a provisional time the horse must be kept. “The owner must hold onto the horse for at least one year,” says Kisielewski.

The Fuel

Purple Haze’s operating money comes from fundraisers, adoption fees and donations. Fundraisers are held to collect money for the facility. A Purple Haze Path dinner is held every year. Many people attend this event and Purple Haze benefits greatly.

Adoption fees play a large part in Purple Haze’s funding.

Adoption fees can range from $500 to $2,000.

Still Running Strong

Purple Haze intends to only get stronger. Kisielewski has her sights set on a new facility and many more success stories. More horses will pass through Purple Haze and into good hands, and more people will continue to see a horse up close for the first time. Purple Haze is a very unique part of the Finger Lakes; stop by sometime and see a special horse for yourself.

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Ellie Schwarz is currently a freshman at Marcus Whitman High School.When she was four she started riding. Her recently retired horse, “My Girl,” made the transition from track to trail.

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History

narrative of the past

Saving

Hometown

History

The Newark-Arcadia Historical Society and Museum

by Laurel C. Wemett

W

hen the Erie Canal was constructed, Captain Joseph Miller was contracted to build the canal through the area now known as the town of Arcadia. The War of 1812 veteran then purchased more than 100 acres and laid out what was to become the village of Newark. “Newark is truly a canal town,” wrote Robert L. Hoeltzel in his book, Hometown History, published in 2000 by the Newark-Arcadia Historical Society. While Wayne County had other canal villages which existed prior to the canal construction, only Newark can tie its very existence to the canal.

Today, the Newark-Arcadia Historical Society (N-AHS) and Museum devotes an entire room to the Erie Canal. Old photographs, maps, prints, postcards, contemporary paintings, and even a wooden replica of a mule, revive the canal connections. But that is just part of the story.

More recently, Newark was known as the “Rose Capital of America” when the Jackson & Perkins Company, a horticultural firm famous for its roses, was headquartered there. Among other artifacts, the museum exhibits colorful Jackson & Perkins’ wall charts featuring 36 roses available at mid-20th century. Today, rose plants bloom on the museum’s grounds.

“The best thing about Newark and its history is the

Above: Marbletown Schoolhouse Photo by Laurel C. Wemett

Below: Newark-Arcadia Historical Society Museum Photo by Mary Smith

number of important companies that existed, some with international ties, making Newark a tourist destination,” reflects Chris Davis, the N-AHS executive director since 2002, and one of its founders in 1992. The museum features displays of the “best of” Newark businesses: Jackson & Perkins, C.H. Stuart/ Sarah Coventry (nursery/ home products and later jewelry), Bloomer Bros. Company (folding cartons), Reed Manufacturing (tinware and enamelware), and Edgett-Burnham Canning. An area devoted to transportation includes the Mora Car, manufactured in Newark from 1906 to 1912.

In 1998, the N-AHS purchased the former Church of Christ, Scientist building. The church-turned-museum is across from both the Newark Public Library, where the Hoffman Clock Museum is located, and the D.A.R. Chapter house – making the intersection a “culture corner.”

“We love the ‘stage’ – which was the church pulpit from about 1951 to 1995,” says Davis, who is historian for Newark and the town of Arcadia. The raised area currently displays M ay/J u n e 2 01 5 ~

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Cherished

Chair

Volunteer Cynthia Russell, a former Newark school teacher, poses with “the teacher” at the historic Marbletown Schoolhouse.

Photo by Laurel C. Wemett

Thankfully, some objects arrive at the N-AHS Museum with their origin and ownership already fully identified. Such was the case with a blue upholstered chair donated by parents of society board member Don Combes, a longtime village resident.

The chair, made by the local Hallagan Manufacturing Company, has an interesting back-story. A dated sales receipt for the chair and its matching davenport records its purchase at the Harry W. Parker Furniture and Undertaking business in Newark for $225.

A 1956 photo of Don (below), sitting in the chair with his sister Barbara, further confirms the family’s ownership. While the fabric has faded somewhat, the chair remains in near pristine condition.

The chair’s donors, Dick and Helen Combes, were newlyweds at the time of its purchase in September 1945. The couple had the rare opportunity to select the upholstery at the Hallagan factory and the ensemble became one of the first made after World War II ended that month. During the war, Hallagan had turned to manufacturing sleeping bags for American troops and the company’s high-quality furniture was in limited supply. While the Combes’ home was being remodeled, the couple even agreed to loan their new davenport and chair to be displayed for six weeks at a new Parker & McClellan furniture store in Williamson.

“We’re very proud of this Newark company that was founded in 1900 and moved from Canastota into the former Mora Car Co. factory in 1913 (thereby saving the structure), and is still very much in business today,” says Chris Davis, museum executive director.

The mule “Pal” can be found in the Erie Canal Room at the N-AHS museum. The room also features a large variety of canal imagery including a rotating postcard viewer. Pal, with mule companion “Sal,” appeared in a Palmyra Canaltown Days parade pulling a packet boat.

Photo by Mary Smith

Don Combes in his family’s Hallaganmade chair. This chair is part of a larger display of Hallagan furnishings.

Photo by Laurel C. Wemett

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a portion of a Newark Schools and Education exhibit. In 2015, restaurants in Newark will be featured in the adjacent space. Pierre’s Old World Inn, once located across from Jackson & Perkins’ Rose Gardens, was a favorite with locals and visitors alike. Other eateries that operated through 1975 will also be featured: Speck’s, Village Inn Steak Pit, Newark Country Club, Penelope’s, Newark Grill, Home Dairy

Cafeteria, and Scofield’s/Newark Diner – which opened in 1939. The diner was moved in 2013 and following restoration, will re-open in Buffalo’s riverfront Larkin Square.

The Thelma Prutzman Library is available for research at the museum.

Visitors looking for something more otherworldly can enter a dimly lit room to learn about the Fox sisters, whose (Continued on page 87)

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History

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Summer (July/Aug): Wednesdays, 7 to 9 p.m.

Free admission; donations accepted.

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N-AHS Special Events in 2015 June 12 to 14 Open House Weekend Friday 4 to 8 p.m.; Saturday features opening of Newark Restaurants Exhibit, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Sunday includes the Newark Garden Club plant and bake sale fundraiser, 12 p.m. to 3 p.m.

June 27 Old-Fashioned Strawberry Social 12 p.m. to 3 p.m.

October (Date TBA) Biannual Historic Cemetery Walk With live actors at gravesites of interesting former Newark residents February and March Saturday afternoon Winter Lecture Series (Five weeks)

• 315-331-6409 • newarkarcadiamuseum.org • arcadiahistory@gmail.com

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Fruit of the Vine

wine, spirits and brews

East or West

HOME IS BEST

Russian grapes meet the Finger Lakes – and great wine is produced

story and photos by Jason Feulner

O

ne of the pervasive knocks against a cool-climate wine region is that it has difficultly producing full-bodied red wines, like those from California, which command big prices. Although Finger Lakes white wines have been celebrated for decades, mostly for Riesling, the jury is still out on what the “go-to” red variety will be. Some wineries have emphasized Pinot Noir, grown well in the relatively cool Burgundy region of France, or the so-called Bordeaux varieties of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc.

What about Saperavi and Sereksiya Charni?

Yes, these grapes are a mouthful to pronounce, but they illustrate the salient point that most wine drinkers are familiar only with the types of

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grapes that originate from Western Europe. There are thousands of varieties of vinifera grapes, grown in various climates across Eastern Europe, the Mediterranean and Asia Minor. In many cases, these grapes have cultivated for a millennia.

It was with climate curiosity in mind that Bob and Marge McGregor, founders of McGregor Vineyard and Winery on Keuka Lake, sought out some experimental varieties in the late 1970s that might prove both winter-hardy and well-suited to the Finger Lakes growing season. Saperavi is a long-cultivated grape from the former Soviet Republic of Georgia, which Dr. Konstantin Frank experimented with on the shores of Keuka Lake in the 1950s. Bob McGregor planted this variety in 1980, producing on a commer-

cial scale the first bottles of Saperavi in the Finger Lakes and possibly the United States.

Serksiya Charni, an extremely rare grape grown in obscure sites around the Black and Caspian Seas in Ukraine, Armenia and Romania, was acquired

by McGregor in 1985. They believe that McGregor is still the only winery in the Western Hemisphere to cultivate and produce wine made from this red variety.

It was bottled separately throughout the 1980s, but eventually Bob McGregor decided to blend Saperavi and Sereksiya Charni together in 1991 and call the combination Black Russian Red. “My father recognized, in the European tradition, that blending creates a greater degree of complexity,” explains John McGregor, who took over the winery after his father’s retirement.

“You have to imagine the kind of impression this wine made in the early 1990s. The Finger Lakes had only a few wineries producing vinifera at all, and there were very few attempts at strong red wines. This wine had a deep color, aroma and complexity. This raised eyebrows among those who believed the stigma that New York couldn’t produce good red wine.”

Prior to starting its Black Russian program, McGregor’s founded a wine club called the Clan Club. Over the years it grew to embrace this unique red as a focal point of consumer appreciation for the McGregor dedication to quality vinifera wine. While Black Russian Red is available to all consumers, wine club members are particular adherents to this wine.

(Continued on page 93)

~ LifeintheFingerL akes.com

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History (Continued from page 81 )

Chris Davis, N-AHS executive director, with over 50 different milk bottles and 31 soda, beer and ginger beers, all from Newark.

Photo by Laurel C. Wemett

séances in nearby Hydesville were part of the 19th century spiritualism movement in the Finger Lakes area.

Pedagogical Expansion

The historic 1876 Marbletown Schoolhouse was gifted by the Marbletown Neighborhood Center to the N-AHS in 1993. Known as Marbletown School District #5, the small brick building, located south of Newark, was one of many rural schools closed due to the formation of the Newark Central School District in the 1950s. The last classes at the schoolhouse were held in 1947. Blackboards, pull-down maps and samples of upper and lowercase letters are among the 1940s-era displays facing student desks, where today’s visitors enjoy being photographed.

In 2015, the public will see examples of early primers and readers, including Dick and Jane books and the Weekly Reader series, thanks to N-AHS volunteer and board member Cynthia Russell. The retired Newark teacher and administrator admits she “always wanted to own a one-room schoolhouse,” and has researched the 19 rural district schools once located throughout Arcadia. Russell and other volunteers love the stories that visitors to the schoolhouse share each summer when it is open.

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Real Estate

Country Home with Large Garage and Workshops

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~ LifeintheFingerLakes.com

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The finest ever offered! Located in prestigious “Lincoln Wood” with 350 ft. of lakefront on three acres, large pier, permanent dockage, natural beach, extensive landscaping, lovely views and great privacy. There are two homes with numerous amenities, fine design, craftmanship and character. There is a three car, attached garage, separate storage barn, lakeside deck, patio and all municipal utilities. This will provide a cherished lakefront lifestyle for your family! Offered for $3,600,000. By Appt. Only.

Patrick J. Ohara – Licensed Real Estate Broker 23 North Street • Canandaigua, NY ohararealty@msn.com (585)394-5950 • cell(585)797-3172 M ay/J u n e 2 01 5 ~

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Canandaigua – The Chosen Spot

726 South Main Street Canandaigua

585 . 905 . 0201 www.nolansonthelake.com

Canandaigua Farmer’s Market Locally Grown Farm Fresh Produce Saturdays - June-October 8:30am-12:30pm Located at Pavilion Behind Main St., Near Beeman St. canandaiguafarmersmarket.com

A fresh, new website ... just in time for summer.

• Content is easily accessible • Optimized for computers and mobile devices • Large photos reinforce contemporary look • Clean design and functional navigation

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Fruit of the Vine (Continued from page 82 )

John McGregor

Heron Sculptures by James Seaman

Original artwork from over 40 established & aspiring artists

McGregor Wine Club

The McGregor tasting room, on the eastern shore of Keuka Lake, is open yearround for tasters. The McGregor Clan Club is a vibrant and large group that encourages new members. Details can be found at mcgregorwinery.com.

Paintings, mixed media, drawings, glass, hand crafted jewelry, sculptures, ceramics, pastel

Workshops & Classes 71 S. Main Street, Canandaigua, NY 585-394-0030 www.prrgallery.com

An Age-Worthy Red

While at the winery, I was offered a sample of the 2007, 2010, 2011 and 2012 vintage by owner John McGregor.

One could taste progression of flavors from the 2010 to the 2011 vintage, likely from bottle age alone, from strong tannins to brighter fruit and softer undertones.

The un-released 2012 was only starting to show its stride but also showed promise.

The 2007, however, tasted like an entirely different wine – earthy, herbal, complex, with dried fruit and cocoa. Eight years made a very big difference. These are cellar wines.

A Finger Lakes landmark for classic gifts, extraordinary accessories for home and garden, handcrafted jewelry, apparel, fine stationery and whims w h i m ses! ie s!

56 South Main St. • Downtown Canandaigua Open Daily • 585-394-6528

John believes that at least 20 percent of the McGregor Clan Club members have been members for 15 years or more. “It’s like a giant family reunion every year,” John says. “At our annual Clan Club picnic people come from all over; one year we had people travel from as far away as Hawaii.” Members are also privy to new releases, white and red barrel tasting events, discounts and special events.

(Continued on page 95)

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marketplace

Culture & Attractions

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www.schuylerhistory.org 607-535-9741 108 N. Catharine St., Montour Falls, NY 14865

Titanic Radio Room, 1925 Radio Store First Transistor Radio, Working Transmitters First Cell Phone and Much, Much More!

Historic 1828 brick tavern, eleven exhibit rooms.

May 10am-4pm Tues,Wed, Fri & Thur 1:30pm-7pm June will include Saturdays 11am-3pm

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

~ LifeintheFingerL akes.com

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Fruit of the Vine (Continued from page 93 )

www.historicpalmyrany.com 5 mu 1 destiseums, nation

Historical Museum, Wm. Phelps Store, Palmyra Print Shop and Erie Canal Depot at 132-140 Market St and Alling Coverlet at 122 William St. All open 10:30-4:30 pm Tues.-Sat. May 5 to Oct. 31.

Begin tours at Historical Museum 132 Market St. (315) 597-6981.

ULYSSES HISTORICAL SOCIETY Open Fri & Sat 2-4pm, Mon 9-11am Vintage Clothing, Early Transportation Large Agriculture Exhibit Genealogy by Appointment 39 South St. • Trumansburg, NY 14886 607-387-6666 • uhs@fltg.net

CruiseErie&Canal, Dine Baldwinsville Skaneateles Lake

Mid-Lakes Navigation

315-685-8500 midlakesnav.com

Jailbird

Antique Festival May 2, 2015 9am-3pm

Preview Party May 1, 5-7pm ! !

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Antique Appraiser, Jackie Spiegel 10am-2pm Lunch available from 11-2pm for $7.

Museum of Wayne County History 21 Butternut St., Lyons, NY 14489 Tel. 315 946 4943 * www.waynehistory.org

John McGregor gives a tour of the barrel room, where the Black Russian Red ages for nearly three years prior to release.

Wine drinkers who are new to Black Russian Red can expect a wine that is reminiscent of a full-bodied Syrah (Shiraz in Australia). Starting in 2007, the winery began to age the wine a minimum of 24 months (often 30 months) in American oak barrels to soften its tannins and allow the wine to mature. Therefore, the winery releases the “newest” vintage of Black Russian Red nearly 3-1/2 years after harvest. At the latest Black Russian release party in March of 2015, for instance, the 2011 vintage was served.

Black Russian Red is a big wine that is produced for long-aging in the bottle – something a consumer should keep in mind when recognizing that the wine is priced at a higher point than most Finger Lakes reds. John McGregor recalls that, at the 2014 Clan Club picnic, he auctioned off a bottle of the original 1991 vintage, hardly expecting the wine to be in top shape.

Much to John’s surprise, wine club members embraced the auction with fervor. The eventual winner invited John over to open the bottle.

“It had no oxidation. It was vibrant with nice color. It was phenomenal, one of the best wines I’ve had,” John says of the nearly 25-year-old Black Russian Red he sampled that day. While he can’t guarantee such dramatic results from every vintage, John believes that Black Russian Red, and the Saperavi and Sereksiya Charni grapes it is made from, are worthy of aging. “These wines are made for the long haul.”

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Culture & Attractions

Wayne Hills Country Club 2250 Gannett Road | Lyons, NY 14489 Pro Shop 315-946-6944 www.waynehillscc.com

Challenging 18 Hole Course

Pro Shop, Full Restaurant & Snack Shop

Only one of five courses in New York State to host all of the Amateur Tournaments

Pricing on our website or call the Pro Shop

“YOU DON’T WANT TO DRIVE BY AND NOT PLAY”

Finger Lakes Boating Museum 8231 Pleasant Valley Road Hammondsport N.Y.14840 607-569-2222 www.flbm.org • info@flbm.org

Open Daily April 1- October 31 • 10 AM – 6 PM November 1 - March 31 • 10 AM – 4 PM Admission: $5.00 Members and children under 13 free

Adirondack Mountain Club Genesee Valley Chapter’s

Outdoor Expo

Saturday, June 13th 9 - 4

Mendon Ponds Park, Rochester NY

No sales, just a good time!

www.adk-gvc.org/expo

Finger Lakes Soaring Club Come fly a sailplane!

Geneva History Museum

FREE!

Rose Hill Mansion Johnston House

Finger Lakes Soaring Club promotes the sport of soaring, for all ages. The club provides scenic rides and flight instruction in Dansville, NY. One of the best soaring sites in the Northeast.

Unique, Experiential Touring Guided Winery Tours • Gorges & Waterfalls Culinary Tours • Custom Tours Ithaca Tasting Tours

607-233-4818 www.ExperienceFingerLakes.com

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Forbes Road, Dansville, NY 14437 (585) 444-6213 | www.flsc.org

Telling Geneva’s Stories three museums ∗ tours ∗ exhibits ∗ programs ∗ events www.genevahistoricalsociety.com 315-789-5151

~ LifeintheFingerL akes.com

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Sodus Bay Lighthouse Museum

May 1-October 31 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Tuesday-Sunday Closed Mondays (except holidays) FREE Outdoor Sunday Concerts--2 p.m.

July 4 through Labor Day

7606 North Ontario Street Sodus Point, New York (315) 483-4936 www.sodusbaylighthouse.org

Historic Maritime District

Since 1982

Open 1-5pm Monday thru Sunday

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

www.hleewhitemarinemuseum.com

Open 7 Days a Week April through Dec 10am-4pm (Sunday 1-4pm) 23 East Main St, LeRoy, NY 585-768-7433 • www.jellogallery.org

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Accommodations

Glen Motor Inn

Motel and Restaurant

Breathtaking View From Every Room Exceptional Service and Outstanding Food Casual Comfort • 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 “The only thing we overlook is Seneca Lake!”

1819

Red Brick Inn

A quaint and quiet escape in the heart of the Finger Lakes

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Why not share the beauty of the region with a gift subscription to Life in the Finger Lakes?

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Tudor Hall Bed & Breakfast on Keuka Lake

A gift that keeps giving all year long!

1st Gift .................................. $16 2nd Gift................................. $14 3rd Gift ................................. $12 Experience romantic elegance and personal pampering; panoramic lake views, swimming, boating and hot tubbing; and then fall asleep to the soothing sounds of the lake lapping just outside your window.

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

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LifeintheFingerLakes.com 800-344-0559

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Hilton Garden Inn - Ithaca

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Bristol Views Bed & Breakfast 6

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Finger Lakes Mill Creek Cabins 2382 Parmenter Road Lodi, NY 14860

607-582-7673 Two, fully furnished, pet friendly cabins nestled on 40 secluded acres near the national forest and wine trails. Available year round.

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These are just a few of the drawings for The Iroquois Creation Story

An influence on art

“When I came here, I had to immerse myself in the history that I had only a vague notion of,” he shared, referring to the history of the Iroquois Confederacy, and of the Seneca Nation, one of the Confederacy’s six member nations.

“I began to have a real historical view of my own people from the 17th century through today. That added to the content of my work, because I now knew things that influenced who we are today.”

He admits that balancing the demands of his work at Ganondagan and the creation of his art has been challenging, but adds, “I am a driven person. If I decide I want to do something, there’s very little that can prevent me from doing it.”

The Iroquois Creation Story is a case in point. This is a

Peter’s studio is a former schoolhouse from the 1800s, in Victor.

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Off the Easel

marketplace Accommodations

living thing has a spirit, and that spirit film he is currently producing, in colcan be revealed to us, sometimes in a laboration with choreographer Garth profound way, sometimes simply that Fagan and filmmaker and Rochester Inwe see it.” stitute of Technology professor

Nature and orenda Cat Ashworth. His inspiraare infused throughout tion for the film came To learn his work, whether he from a verbal recitamore about is painting poppies tion of the Iroquois The Iroquois Creation on paper, embellishCreation Story by Story film, visit ing a canvas with Chief John Eartha LifeintheFingerLakes.com butterflies, creating Gibson to Tuscarofor a short a cherry blossom ra anthropologist video interview canopy on a paraJ.N.B Hewitt in the with Peter Jemison. sol or converting a late 1800s. Hewitt hand-crafted paper bag translated and pubinto a visual statement for lished it in Victorian-style exhibition in museums across English. More recently, Peter’s the country. late cousin John Mohawk annotated

Like many artists, Peter struggles and adapted it into a book called The with perfectionism.

Iroquois Creation Story: The Myth of

“One of the things that I’ve really Earth Grasper that had since been all been thinking about lately … is to acbut forgotten. Peter used this book as cept who you are … to accept yourself the starting point for the film. and the work that you do. You’re not

As he began work, Peter realized trying to be anyone else. You can only he would need to produce concept be yourself.

When I remind myself that drawings for those involved, including what I’m doing is good, that I should the animators from RIT, in order to be satisfied with it, then I’m happier. convey the story and his vision.

“I am very self-critical, so it’s not

“The ideas just started coming. easy to be completely satisfied with They began flowing out of me, and I what I do. I always have to be improvwas filling notebooks with drawings,” ing or working at it. It’s my nature.”

Peter explained.

It is that passion for excellence

Those drawings created a visual that has driven him to excel at his work treatment that set the film in motion as torchbearer and guardian of Seneca and infused the project with an energy culture at Ganondagan, and as an artist that resonated through everyone who shares his interpretation of the working on it. As the film evolved, world.

Peter’s role as producer expanded

“The purpose of art is to help peoto encompass the casting of singers, ple see,” Peter asserts. dancers, actors and helping to set up

He goes on to explain that, when film shots. an artist creates a work, and a viewer

The Iroquois Creation Story film is observes it, a channel is opened within projected to be finished by July 2015, in both of them that better allows them time for the opening of Ganondagan’s to see, and to perceive all that is beauSeneca Art and Culture Center. tiful in the world.

With regard to his two- and

Peter’s work undoubtedly prothree-dimensional works, Peter draws vides a remarkable entrée into nature’s on his Seneca roots and the concept splendor. of orenda, which he explains as, “Every

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Bed • Breakfast • Events Apple Country Retreat

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Carol is a writer, digital media specialist, and producer of the cable program Conversations with Creatives, where she interviews artists and explores their careers, their work and their philosophies about art.

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Camping

Hejamada Campground & RV Park PO Box 429, Montezuma, NY 13117

Located in the Finger Lakes Region Come see why we’re the ideal campground for caravans, jamborees, group functions, families and individual campers.

(315)776-5887 • 877-678-0647 www.hejamadacampground.com

Family Camping at its best!

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Campground Pool • Laundry • 3 Pavilions • Frisbee Golf • Camp Grocery Store • 30-50 Amp Service • Seasonal Sites • Wireless Internet Access • Planned Activities • Water and Sewer Hookups

4 Authentic Log Cabins 3 mi. west of Waterloo Premium Outlets. Call for directions.

1475 W. Townline Rd., Phelps

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on Seneca Lake Himrod, NY - off Rt. 14 607-243-7926

4 cottages for rent plus campsites info@backacherscampsites.com www.backacherscampsites.com Cheerful Valley Campground

Family Camping at its Best Free Vintage Fire Truck Rides • Real Log Cabins Planned Activities • Themed Weekend • All Type Sites Large Swimming Pool • Ceramic Tile Rest Rooms Rec. Hall • Playground • Great Fishing • Large Fields Peaceful River Valley • Large Grassy Sites 1412 Rt. 14 Phelps, NY 14532 Ph: 315-781-1222 • info@cheerfulvalleycampground.com www.cheerfulvalleycampground.com

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• 100 Acres • 60´x80´ sites w/ Full Hook-ups • Modern Facilities • Playground

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~ LifeintheFingerL akes.com

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Index of Advertisers

May/June 2015

COMPANY....................... PAGE.... PHONE..............WEBSITE / E-MAIL

COMPANY.......................... PAGE.... PHONE..............WEBSITE / E-MAIL

94 West Antiques................................ 30.....607-936-2468........thomasdimitroff.com

Hilton Garden Inn Ithaca...................68.....877-STAY-HGI.........ithaca.hgi.com

Americana Vineyards & Winery........81.....607-387-6801.........americanavineyards.com

Hotel Ithaca.......................................... 27.....607-272-1000.........thehotelithaca.com

Antique Revival.................................... 73.....800-780-7330........antiquerevival.com

Humane Society of Schuyler County...................................21.....607-210-4263.........schuylerhumane.org

Arnot Health.........................................C2.....607-737-4499........arnothealth.org ARTS Council of the Southern Finger Lakes....................... 75.....607-962-4702.........eARTS.org

I-Wood-Care..........................................17.....800-721-7715.........iwoodc.com

Belhurst..................................................13 ....315-781-0201..........belhurst.com

The Jewelbox.........................................81.....800-711-7279.........ithacajewelbox.com

Bristol Harbour.....................................10.....800-288-8248........bristolharbour.com

Jim’s Equipment Repair......................61.....607-527-8872........jimsequipment.com

Bristol Mountain Aerial Adventures.... 47.....585-374-1180.........bristolmountainadventures.com

Kendal at Ithaca...................................C3.....877-915-7633.........kai.kendal.org/FL

Caves Kitchens..................................... 35.....585-478-4636........cavesmillwork.com

Keuka Arts Festival..............................66.......................................keukaartsfestival.com

Cayuga Lake Wine Trail.......................61.....800-684-5217.........cayugawinetrail.com

Kitchen Theatre Company................ 74.....607-272-0570.........kitchentheatre.org

Chemung Canal Trust......................... 33.....800-836-3711.........chemungcanal.com

Larry’s Latrines......................................10.....607-324-5015.........larryslatrines.com

Chemung County Fair........................ 63.....607-734-1217..........chemungcountyfair.com

Livingston County Tourism................15.....800-538-7365........fingerlakeswest.com

Clifton Springs Chamber of Commerce..................... 62.....315-462-8200.........cliftonspringschamber.com

Marine Blue Inc................................... 78.....585-394-2628........marineblueusa.com

Cobtree Vacation Rentals.................. 67.....315-789-1144..........cobtree.com

O’Susannah’s Quilts & Gifts.............. 47.....607-535-6550........osusannahsquiltshop.com

Coltivare Center....................................17.....607-844-8222........coltivareithaca.com

Phelps Historical Society.................... 74.....315-548-4940.........phelpsny.com

Corning Museum of Glass................ 25.....800-732-6845........cmog.org

Pixel Preserve....................................... 37.....585-360-0192.........pixelpreserve.net

Cricket on the Hearth..........................61.....585-385-2420........cricketonthehearth.com

Seager Marine...................................... 25.....585-394-1372.........seagermarine.com

DockCraft Industries............................81.....585-734-7374.........dockcraft.com

Seaweed Mat Systems....................... 73.....585-226-6489........seaweedmatsystems.com

Downtown Ithaca Alliance................ 26.....607-277-8679.........downtownithaca.com

Seneca County Chamber.................. 49.....800-732-1848.........fingerlakescentral.com

Empire Dock & Lift.............................. 35.....315-243-6581.........empiredock.com

SignLanguage Inc................................ 26.....585-237-2620........signlanguageinc.com

Endless Mountain Music Festival..... 67.....570-787-7800.........endlessmountain.net

Six Mile Creek Vineyard......................21.....607-272-9463........sixmilecreek.com

Farm Sanctuary.......................................8.....607-583-2225........farmsanctuary.org

Smith Boys Marina...............................12.......................................smithboys.com

Ferris Hills...............................................14.....585-393-0410.........ferrishills.com

St. Ann’s Community.............................7.....585-697-6000........stannscommunity.com

FiberArts in the Glen.......................... 73.....607-535-9710.........fiberartsintheglen.com

Timber Frames..................................... 63.....585-374-6405........timberframesinc.com

Finger Lakes Community College... 22.....585-394-3522........flcc.edu Finger Lakes from Space Poster....... 30.....800-331-7323.........atwatervineyards.com

Trident Shore Environmental Services.........................2.....315-730-4828.........tridentshorelineenv.com

Finger Lakes Museum........................ 32.....315-595-2200.........fingerlakesmuseum.org

Upstate Brewing Company................81.....607-742-2750........upstatebrewing.com

Finger Lakes Plein Air Festival.............9.....585-394-0030........fingerlakespleinair.com

Wagner Vineyards............................... 26.....866-924-6378........wagnervineyards.com

Finger Lakes Tram............................... 62.....315-986-8090........fingerlakestram.com

Watkins Glen Harbor Hotel............... 43.....607-535-6116..........watkinsglenharborhotel.com

Finger Lakes Visitors Connection........4.....877-386-4669........visitfingerlakes.com

Wild Birds Unlimited.......................... 75.....877-266-4928........sapsuckerwoods.com

Ithaca Farmers Market........................ 36.....607-273-7109.........ithacamarket.com

New Energy Works.............................C4.....585-924-3860........newenergyworks.com

FinnFest USA........................................ 27.......................................finnfestusa.org/buffalo2015.html Fireplace Fashions................................11.....877-409-6555........fireplacefashions.com German Brothers Marina Inc............59.....585-394-4000........germanbrothers.com Granger Homestead...........................66.....585-394-1472.........grangerhomestead.org Greater Rochester International Airport..............................5.....585-753-7020........monroecounty.gov Halco.........................................................3.....315-946-6200.........halcoheating.com Halsey’s Restaurant............................. 37.....315-789-4070.........halseysgeneva.com Hangar Theatre.................................... 36.....607-273-ARTS........hangartheatre.org

MARKETPLACE ADVERTISING Accommodations.............. Pg. 98-99, 101

Real Estate for Sale........... Pgs. 88-89, 91

Camping...........................................Pg. 102

Seneca Lake Wine Trail............. Pgs. 90-91

Canandaigua...............................Pg. 92-93

Shopping & Services................Pgs. 84-85

Culture & Attractions.....................Pg. 94-97

Wine, Spirits & Brews.............. Pgs. 86-87

Naples.................................................Pg. 83

Harbor View Town Homes................ 48.....315-521-2845.........fingerlakestownhomes.com Hazlitt 1852 Vineyards.........................11.....888-750-0494........hazlitt1852.com Hearth and Stone................................ 22.....315-531-9511..........hearthandstone.net The Highlands at Pittsford..................19.....585-586-7600........highlandsatpittsford.org

SUPPORT THESE BUSINESSES! Let them know you saw their advertisement in Life in the Finger Lakes magazine.

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Off the Easel

One of Peter’s characters from The Iroquois Creation Story film

creating art

Seeing Nature

through the ART

of

Peter Jemison

story and photos by Carol White Llewellyn

W

Times, the Village Voice, hen I arrived New York magazine, and at the studio the Daily News. Despite of artist accolades, the economics G. Peter of running a gallery meant Jemison, a thin spindle of he did almost everything smoke bristled skyward himself, leaving little time from the chimney, paying for his own art. homage to the brutal In 1985, he was sub-zero February wind offered the position of chill. The studio’s little site manager for cast-iron stove was workGanondagan State Historic ing overtime to raise the Site. The move to Victor internal temperature so would help him discover it would be as warm and more about his Seneca welcoming as the studio’s heritage that goes back atmosphere. Paints and eight generations to Mary tools cascaded across two Jemison, White Woman tables, and a mantle of of the Genesee, who was drawings, paintings and adopted into the Seneca natural materials adorned Nation at the age of 15. the walls of the former The position would also one-room schoolhouse, allow him to contribute to turned artist’s haven. the cultural legacy of his

Peter loved art people, to better balance from an early age. Both his work with his art, and his parents and the art to integrate the two. teacher he had from It wasn’t until he arseventh grade on encourrived at the site, with its diaged him, supported his lapidated barn, collapsing interest and helped him chicken coop, ramshackle develop his talents. house and abandoned

After earning an art cider mill/welding shop, degree from Buffalo State, Peter enjoys the challenge of creating art on the ribs and fabric of parasols that he wondered if he’d Peter moved to New York made a serious error in City, where he found acjudgment. claim not only as a visual

Fortunately, Peter is a man of vision who is also unafraid and display artist, but also as a curator of exhibits featuring of hard work. Today, Ganondagan flourishes, as does Peter’s Native American artists. When the American Indian Comcareer as artist and as curator of Native American art exhibits. munity House in New York City decided to launch a gallery,

Peter was hired to curate and run it. The gallery began (Continued on page 100) receiving rave reviews in publications such as The New York

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~ LifeintheFingerL akes.com

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76749_KAI_SwimmingAD_LiF T: 8.125” x 10.875”

B: .125” L: 7.625” x 10.375”

4c process

The gentle, comforting ripple of warm saltwater has an invigorating effect — especially during aqua-aerobics class. And, for Kendal residents Sara, Carol and Joann, the exercise is a fun, refreshing way to get fit — and get together.

Living on the 105-acre campus at Kendal not only keeps them involved in the lifestyle they love, but connected to any future care they may need. And, from here, the story just keeps getting better.

Come for a visit and tell us your story. Call 877-915-7633 or go to kai.kendal.org/FL to learn more.

2230 N. Triphammer Rd., Ithaca, NY 14850

A not-for-profit continuing care retirement community serving older adults in the Quaker tradition. ©2014 KENDAL

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LIFE IN THE FINGER LAKES

Working with the staff of New Energy Works and their sister company NEWwoodworks has been delightful. Collaborating with talented people enabled us to construct a quality home that has truly exceeded our expectations.

–Ross & Anna Marie

Great Lake Homestead The third episode in a legacy project located on the high banks of Lake Erie, this house shares the view with a whimsical timber framed guest house, carriage house, and a gazebo.

Details include an open three story stair tower with central timber mast, custom steel spinner-head bolts and walnut inlay sheer keys in the reclaimed Douglas fir beams.

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MAY/JUNE 2015 • VOL. 15, NO. 3

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