Mountain Home, December 2017

E E R F he wind

as t

Mary’s Miracle All Ginned Up in Burdett Christmas on Main Street Vinyl Lives

Fleeing Domestic Violence, Mary Jarreau and Her Children Discovered the Sweet Life in a Candy Shop in Wellsboro

By Maggie Barnes DECEMBER 2017 1

The Laurels

Feel right at home at The Laurels.

“We thought we could handle mom on our own, but she was forgetting to take her pills and not eating. She wasn’t safe living alone. We finally called The Laurels. They understood the challenges we were experiencing and offered expert help and care. Not only is she now safe, she is happy living at The Laurels.”

The Laurels believes that providing a premier personal care home experience begins with our people. That’s why our caregivers are not only highly trained professionals, but they are also a joy to be around.

The Laurels is conveniently located in downtown Wellsboro, directly across from Soldiers + Sailors Memorial Hospital.

(570) 723-6860 UPMCSusquehanna.org/TheLaurels

Volume 12 Issue 12

Mary’s Miracle

18 Christmas on

Main Street

By Maggie Barnes Fleeing domestic violence, Mary Jarreau and her children discovered the sweet life in a candy shop in Wellsboro.

By Teresa Banik Capuzzo

20 A Dickens of a Costume

Contest

By Michael Capuzzo

22 Mistaken Identity

By Roger Kingsley

Button bucks and lessons from the pastor’s hunt.

24 34th Annual Dickens of

6 Come to the Church in the Wildwood

a Christmas Schedule 26 Vinyl Lives

By Gayle Morrow All Saints Episcopal Church—a bit of England in Potter County.

By Gayle Morrow

Love hi-def music? Then you’ve gotta love analog.

30 The Old Master Who

Died Young

By Michael Capuzzo

35 Cotton Gin Boutique

By Maggie Barnes

16

42 England Goes South

OriGINal Gin

By Cornelius O’Donnell

By Mike Cutillo A great spirit gets a do-ityourself workshop at Finger Lakes Distilling.

With powerful verbs, iconic British writer Elizabeth David shared warm-climate cooking.

50 Back of the Mountain

By Linda Stager Snow angels.

36

Cover by Tucker Worthington. Cover photo Caleb Williams. This page (top) by Caleb Williams, (second)

by Gayle Morrow; (bottom) Brian McKenzie examines the flavors used in the gin-making process,

by Mike Cutillo.

3

w w w. m o u n ta i n h o m e m ag . co m EDITORS & PUBLISHERS Teresa Banik Capuzzo Michael Capuzzo ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER George Bochetto, Esq. MANAGING EDITOR Gayle Morrow DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS Gwen Button ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Maia Mahosky SALES REPRESENTATIVES Robin Ingerick, Linda Roller, Richard Trotta GALLERY MANAGER/CIRCULATION DIRECTOR Michael Banik ACCOUNTING Amy Packard

Our home features include these FREE upgrades: Granite • Hardwood NuWool® Dense Pack Insulation Superior Walls® Insulated Basement Walls Our reputation is

SELINSGROVE 570.374.7900 | MANSFIELD 570.662.7900 LYCOMING MALL 570.546.5707 | BROOKSIDEHOMES.COM

Cabins

Homes

Garages

by Black Creek

DESIGN & PHOTOGRAPHY Tucker Worthington, Cover Design CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Maggie Barnes, Mike Cutillo, Melissa Farenish, Carrie Hagen, Don Knaus, Cornelius O’Donnell, Ann Duckett, Roger Kingsley, Janet McCue, Brendan O’Meara, Peter Petokas, Linda Roller, Micah Sargent, A.J. Sors, Ruth Tonachel, Dave Wonderlich CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Mia Lisa Anderson, Rick Bacmanski, Bernadette Chiaramonte, Diane Cobourn, Ed DeWitt, Christopher Keays, Jan Keck, Nigel P. Kent, Roger Kingsley, Johnathan Mack, Ken Meyer, Linda Stager, Mary Sweely, Clayton Vargeson, Sarah Wagaman, Curt Weinhold, Caleb Williams DISTRIBUTION TEAM Layne Conrad, Grapevine Distribution, Gary Hill, Duane Meixel, Linda Roller THE BEAGLE Cosmo (1996-2014) • Yogi (Assistant) ABOUT US: Mountain Home is the award-winning regional magazine of PA and NY with more than 100,000 readers. The magazine has been published monthly, since 2005, by Beagle Media, LLC, 87-½ Main Street, Wellsboro, Pennsylvania, 16901, and online at www.mountainhomemag.com. Copyright © 2017 Beagle Media, LLC. All rights reserved. E-mail story ideas to editorial@ mountainhomemag.com, or call (570) 724-3838.

Wishing you a very

TO ADVERTISE: E-mail info@mountainhomemag.com, or call us at (570) 7243838.

AWARDS: Mountain Home has won over 85 international and statewide journalism awards from the International Regional Magazine Association and the Pennsylvania NewsMedia Association for excellence in writing, photography, and design.

Merry Christmas!

DISTRIBUTION: Mountain Home is available “Free as the Wind” at hundreds of locations in Tioga, Potter, Bradford, Lycoming, Union, and Clinton counties in PA and Steuben, Chemung, Schuyler, Yates, Seneca, Tioga, and Ontario counties in NY. SUBSCRIPTIONS: For a one-year subscription (12 issues), send $24.95, payable to Beagle Media LLC, 87-½ Main Street, Wellsboro, PA 16901 or visit www.mountainhomemag.com.

Thank you for your business this year! The staff at Black Creek Enterprises looks forward to serving you in 2018!

8028 Route 414

570.324.6503 www.blackcreekent.com

4

Exceeding Your Expectations

Liberty, PA 16930

QQ

Thank You

Chinese, Japanese & American Restaurant

SERVING ANY SIZE PARTY WITH 150-SEAT CAPACITY

With the support of our Twin Tiers area friends & neighbors, we’ve raised $ 57,123 for local organizations that help underprivileged children in our area.

Hours: Sun-Thurs 11am-9:30pm; Fri-Sat 11am-10pm

570-513-0888/0889

181 N. Main St., Mansfield, PA 16933 (next to Pizza Hut)

www.qqbuffet.com PCOM N

Learn more about Giving Back, Giving Together & how you can help at www.cnbankpa.com.

S O S N DECEMBER

DECEMBER 2, 2017 @ 7:30 & DECEMBER 3, 2017 @ 4:00

E N

CR C ER

SPONSORED BY:

DECEMBER 7, 2017 @ 7:30

R Y RED

M C C RC S

REEN

SPONSORED BY:

O

D Y S O

www.cnbankpa.com

contactcn@cnbankpa.com

1-877-838-2517

CHARLINE PULIZZI & FAMILY

Olde B arn C entre ~ ANTIQUES ‘N SUCH ~

“A beautiful blend of past and present Furniture and Accessories of all periods” U.S. Route 220 N, 1/2 Mi. East of Pennsdale • Major Credit Cards / Layaway 10-5 Everyday • 570-546-7493 • www.oldebarncentre.com 5

Caleb Williams

Ladies of the sweet life: (from left) Annie Jarreau, Heather Geer, Mary Jarreau, and Emily Jarreau share in the success and comfort of a new life and new opportunities.

6

Mary’s Miracle Fleeing Domestic Violence, Mary Jarreau and Her Children Discovered the Sweet Life in a Candy Shop in Wellsboro

By Maggie Barnes

M

ary Jarreau was bathed in the late-day autumn sun as she chatted outside Peggy’s Candies, her Main Street, Wellsboro, candy shop. Her twelve-year-old daughter, Emily, popped out of the store and said, “Mom, I’m dying for a hot dog.” Mary’s youthful face, framed by dark hair, split into a smile.

“Okay.”

With that, Emily skipped down the sidewalk of the borough’s main thoroughfare and out of her mother’s sight. Mary, without another glance down the street, resumed her conversation.

There was a time, not very long ago, when such a moment would have been unthinkable in Mary’s life.

“How does it feel to not fear for your family’s safety?” she is asked. Again, the smile.

“It’s wonderful.”

How did she get from a time of stress, uncertainty, worry, and near panic to this place of tranquility and gratitude? She shares her story, Mary says, so that people can appreciate what she calls, “the magnitude of the miracle” that brought her to Wellsboro. Well, it is See Miracle on page 8

7

Miracle continued from page 7

December, and if the world is ever to believe in miracles…

“It’s over in the morning.”

Mary heard her husband say those words and knew she was in desperate trouble. The marriage had never been good.

But, her husband’s abusive treatment and fits of violence were on a path of escalation that grew in Mary fresh fear for herself and the two children still living at home.

Following through on that fear, Mary had arranged for divorce proceedings to begin.

Her husband would be served with papers at his workplace the next day. She planned to be long gone from their Union County, Pennsylvania, home with her daughters by then. But her husband’s paranoia shifted the balance of power back in his favor. He went through her purse and discovered a missing check, despite Mary’s extra precaution of taking the last check in the book to hide her action.

“He knew how many checks should be in the book,” Mary remembers. “It was the one I used to retain an attorney.” The rest of that tense night was spent trying to talk him out of his growing anger. Mary laid down on

the bed with him in an effort to keep him calm. Two weapons were nearby, with him in control of both. Two young daughters slept just down the hall.

“All I could think of was ‘stay alive.

Think of some way to get out of this,’” Mary says.

Her narrative is broken when she greets a shopper with a dazzling smile and, for a moment, you are snapped back to the present, where Mary is happy and perfectly at peace. The contrast is jarring, and equally jarring as her story resumes.

“He had said that morning would bring the end. I knew the alarm was minutes away from ringing.” A break in his attention was the chance she was waiting for; Mary out-maneuvered her husband and got into a room with the weapons, her daughters, and a phone. The rest of the episode unfolds with the arrival of police and the fleeing of her husband.

“We never really saw him again,” Mary says, adding that she was eventually awarded full custody of the girls. But before he left their lives, her husband took half of the couple’s money and left a good chunk of the rest tied up in legal issues. She was safe.

Save

!e

But she was also broke and facing a very uncertain future.

At the time, Mary worked in sales. She enjoyed the work and was good enough at it to win three trips from her employer.

But the job didn’t pay what she needed to make ends meet as a solo parent. In fact, of the trips she won, she sold one back to the company for the cash and gifted the second to one of her daughters as the only wedding present she could afford.

That left a weekend trip to Niagara Falls.

Mary had been to the falls once before, with her husband, but the trip had been a nightmare of stress and tense moments.

She barely remembered seeing the majestic landmark. This was another chance, but she was a year into trying to hang on to her home and keep things steady for her kids.

The last thing she needed was to go out of town. A friend insisted otherwise. Time away was exactly what she needed to clear her head and clarify her thinking.

This time, Mary really saw—and felt—the falls.

“That thundering in your chest when

date

Sunday, January 7, 2018 DOORS OPEN AT 11:00 AM — 4:00 PM

WEDDING EXPO

Welcome to the

Two Great Venues... One Block Long Expo in Downtown Williamsport Expo concludes with a

Fashion Show

at 2:30 PM in the CAC - Sponsored by The Amber Rose The first 250 brides through the door receive a Wedding Expo Tote Bag.

Win a

1,000

$

CASH PRIZE

(to be used at participating expo vendor) 8

200 W. 4TH ST. WILLIAMSPORT, PA

220 W. 4TH ST. WILLIAMSPORT, PA

See Miracle on page 10

9

Miracle continued from page 9

you stand there—it was magical. I loved it.”

The prize included all the classic Niagara Falls activities: Cave of the Winds, Maid of the Mist, and a taste of the famous regional fudge.

“I wanted to bring some fudge back for the kids, but it was too warm to travel all that way with it,” Mary recalls. “So, on the drive home, we stopped in Wellsboro.”

You see, there was this candy store…

Mary felt an instant peace when she walked Main Street. It was as if all the serenity she had been missing in her life was stored here, in one community, waiting for her to claim it.

“I loved Peggy’s Candies, so cozy and welcoming,” she says. “We got some treats and walked further down the street. There was a real estate office.” Mary turns and points, just a few doors away from where she sits, the smile on her face serving as a preview of things to come. For that day, there, in the window, was a flier advertising the fact that the candy store was for sale.

Mary was suddenly rooted to the sidewalk.

“That thundering was back in my chest. The same feeling,” she says.

Now, given her financial situation at the time, it was beyond ridiculous to think of buying a business. But the roaring in her ears persisted. “I felt…what? Purposeful maybe. Like there was a specific reason I was supposed to be standing there. But, it was nothing that made sense.”

Regardless of the illogic, she snapped a photo of the flier. Back at her job, Mary tried to forget about Wellsboro, about the perfect little shop, about the thundering in her chest. But she couldn’t.

“It just wouldn’t let go of me. I needed to dream.”

People often don’t recognize the most significant moments in their life while they are happening. But, sometimes, the fork in the road is large, looming, and loud. Mary knew that to stay where she was would lead to losing the house and probable bankruptcy. Door Number Two led only to the thirteen dollars in her checking account. But Mary is a woman of a resolute faith. Even during the turbulent days when her very safety was threatened, she clung to the belief that all would be well. She called the real estate agent. It is a measure of the kind of place Wellsboro is that the agent didn’t question Mary’s sanity just before hanging up.

10

“He heard me out,” Mary says. “He was more encouraging than the facts should have warranted. He said to make an offer and see what happened.”

The first domino had been tipped and the wheels of the universe began to spin in Mary’s favor for the first time in decades.

One phone call led to another, and to a conversation, and to the right people being contacted. Ebenezer Scrooge probably would not have signed off on the deal that followed, but practicality has no place in a December miracle. All that matters is that when the wheels stopped spinning Mary was the owner of the most perfect little candy shop in the Commonwealth.

It was a year ago, very near the shop’s thirtieth anniversary.

• Mary had worked in catering and had been a florist, but she had no depth of experience in retail, and all she knew about candy was that she liked it. She was going to need help, and she started with her youngest kids. Soon, Annie, now fifteen, and Emily, the twelve-year-old hot dog lover, found themselves standing in front of Peggy’s Candies with their mother. They were more than a little confused.

“She had been acting weird lately,” says Emily, with the bluntness characteristic of that age. “And she was bringing home lots of movies about candy.” The movie night playlist in the Jarreau home had become a sugar-laden homage to sweetness: Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, Chocolat, and the like. “But, is that the strangest thing my Mom has ever done?” Emily gives an exaggerated eye roll. “Hardly.”

Still, looking through the storefront windows, the kids were unsure why they were there, asking, “Are we going in here?”

Mary remembers that she took a breath that started in her toes.

“We own it.” She told the girls that it was time for them to step out of the shadows and do more than just survive.

“I told them that we were meant for more than just being humiliated and struggling.

I believe we could make a contribution to the right community. And I knew, I knew Wellsboro was that place.” The girls were in, and the older kids, Heather, Caroline, and Joshua, offered their endorsement as well.

Getting the store was a big check mark on the to-do list, but Mary was still facing a hefty commute to work in Wellsboro while she hunted up a place to live. Then it

happened again. The owner of the building Peggy’s Candies is in had a house on the market. Maybe it was something that would work for the town’s newest family?

Mary shakes her head at the memory. “We do not deserve the kindness we’ve been shown here.”

• Mary loved the shop as it was when she became the owner, so she moved cautiously in the first months. She didn’t want to make sudden changes and damage the affectionate relationship Wellsboro had with its confectionery. They did some renovating, but nothing too drastic. Mary tweaked the offerings a bit, for instance removing roasted nuts until they can perfect a system for keeping them fresh. But the dime store sweets beloved from childhood are still there—the licorice, the button candy, the fireballs, all available in abundant quantity in bins. The fudge is still homemade and the Jarreau family has found a recipe for salted caramel that meets with their approval.

“I wanted more flavors of ice cream and that meant another freezer case. I contacted Hershey’s and they were skeptical they could get one to me, but…” Mary flashes that

smile and it’s as if you can hear the Good Ship Karma steaming into port. Want more than thirty kinds of ice cream? Check in the gleaming, side-by-side cases.

So, what does the community think of the new setup?

“She is a dream business owner,” gushes Julie Van Ness, director of the Wellsboro Area Chamber of Commerce. “Mary has a great spirit and energy. Her store is uplifting. That’s the best word for it.”

Asked how well Mary and her family have fit into the area, Wellsboro Home Page vice president Sara Vogt pauses on the sidewalk in front of Peggy’s.

“See this block of cement in the sidewalk? See how well it fits in those lines?

How perfect it looks next to this block?

That’s how Mary and her girls have fit into this town. Hard to think she hasn’t always been here.”

• Fudge and bubble gum are wonderful, but Mary and her family see Peggy’s Candies as being more than just a sweet spot on a sweet Main Street.

“I want to support the community that has done so much for me and my children,”

she says. “I want to use the shop to give hope to others.” Highland Chocolates of Wellsboro, whose workforce is comprised of individuals with some disabilities, was invited to join the Peggy’s Candies products.

Each month a local non-profit is selected to receive some of the shop’s proceeds. Mary’s story has traveled as many miles as she has and she has heard from dozens of women who are in abusive relationships, or just free of one and unsure as to what the future holds for them. She takes seriously her obligation to serve as a role model.

“Helping other women is a way of making payment on the miracle that brought me here,” she says. Peggy’s has sponsored a self-defense course for women, and Mary is often on the phone relating to someone in Georgia, for instance, that she got out and they can too. “My experience is one of survival, of moving from devastated to empowered. We’re not getting rich, that’s for sure. We pay the bills, still it’s more of a ‘daily bread’ sort of business. But, my daughters have seen first-hand that you can rise from the ashes. You can save yourself.”

Speaking of bread, the blessings didn’t stop with the space where Peggy’s Candies See Miracle on page 12

America's Oldest Independently Owned Bookstore

E S T

B O O K S T O R E 1 8 4 1

Visit us at ottobookstore.com or find us on Facebook | 570 326 5764 | info@ottobookstore.com 107 West Fourth Street Williamsport, PA 17701 11

Caleb Williams

Pen Pals continued from page 11

Calling All Photographers...

Professional or Amateur

YOU COULD WIN A $ 50 GIFT CERTIFCATE

JUST BY SUBMITTING YOUR PHOTOS FOR OUR MONTHLY MAGAZINE! Each month, Mountain Home will select the best images, from your donated photos to appear on our photo spread within the magazine. Those photos will be featured on our Facebook page and our ‘friends’ (along with other readers of Mountain Home) will help choose a winner. Please note: If there is not space for the photo spread, there will not be a contest for that month.

If you’re interested in getting on our photographer mailing list or to submit your photos for next month, email gwenb@mountainhomemag.com or call 570-724-3838.

12

Miracle continued from page 11

resides. Mary had been eyeing the neighboring storefront as a possible bakery location. The jewelry store was closing. The right words fell in the right ear and, after a little creative arranging of ones and zeros, Mary had her bakery. She has a tearoom in the bakery, a homey spot in the back named for Mary Wells, where you can sip a cup and share a scone. She wants to encourage children to read and color and show off their journalistic talents, and is working to create a makeshift news studio in the front window. She wants to offer a safe haven of positive thought and encouragement.

Her daughters have blossomed in the embrace of Wellsboro.

School, friends, all the important pieces are solidly in place.

“Everyone is so nice,” Emily states with great conviction, “it’s like, almost not real.” She’s too young to have known Mayberry, but she understands the reference. “Yeah, like that!”

Some people would look at how the stars have aligned on every step of this family’s journey to Wellsboro and say, “It’s nice

Liberty book Shop Holiday Sale

November 30th—January 5th

All Stock in Shop

1/3 OFF!

(excludes special orders, books on layaway, consignment books)

Stop by and see what we bought this Fall!

We have new books in every category—the shop is bursting with great books at great prices.

Overnight lodging available—with 24 hr. access to bookshop.

Check out our listings at airbnb.com in Avis, PA.

HOURS: Thurs & Fri 10-6; Sat 10-3

(or by appointment, feel free to just call)

1 East Park St., Avis, PA 17721 • 570-753-5201 www.TheLibertyBookShop.com

Candid confections: Mary displays some of the candies that drew her to Wellsboro.

Manicure Spa Pedicure Waxing

that something good happened for them.” Others would call it “luck.” Those pesky cynics would say that random things happen to random people.

Remember how Mary describes it? “The magnitude of the miracle” were her words. If faith is to be believed, more than 2,000 years ago a small family wandered in search of a safe place to stay. Theirs was a message of hope, of acceptance, of finding a place to live and love in peace.

No, there isn’t a manger in Wellsboro, and the stars that shine above here are the same ones that shine everywhere. And are there problems here? Yes, of course, only a fool would tell you otherwise. But isn’t your heart gladdened to know that in this town sits a candy store, owned by a woman who sees the miracle in every day of ordinary life? What could be sweeter than that?

73 Main Street • Wellsboro, PA 16901

Maggie Barnes has won an IRMA and two Keystone Press Awards for her columns in Mountain Home. She lives in Waverly, New York.

Hours: Mon-Sat. 9:30am-7:30pm; Sun. 10am-6pm

570-948-9229

13

Curt Weinhold

Diane Cobourn

Nigel P. Kent

Linda Stager

Clayton Vargeson

Linda Stager

Curt Weinhold

14

Christopher Keays

Clayton Vargeson

Mary Sweely

Mia Lisa Anderson

Nigel P. Kent

Curt Weinhold

Clayton Vargeson

15

Gayle Morrow

Come to the Church in the Wildwood All Saints Episcopal Church—a Bit of England in Potter County

By Gayle Morrow

W

ouldn’t it be lovely to spend Christmas Eve in an old stone church tucked into the English countryside? A church that exudes antiquity, that is surrounded by weathered gravestones, one that somehow makes you feel closer to God, whoever and wherever you perceive God to be. Relatively speaking, All Saints Episcopal Church, at 3714 Fox Hill Road in Ulysses, is not that old, but does rather meet the other criteria. It was completed in 1888 as a loving tribute to Henry Hatch Dent from his children, and is a replica of a much older church in East Anglia, England, where family ancestors had once worshipped. Of the numerous online photos of stately, timeworn churches from that area there are several which are similar; the All Saints Church in Morston is nearly identical, inside and out, to this one.

The Reverend Janis Yskamp, rector here since 2010, says that when the church celebrated an anniversary some years ago, the granddaughter of the man who had served as designer and architect was one of the guests. The woman said her grandfather travelled around studying the architecture of different churches, so perhaps 16

the church in Morston was on his list and did serve as the model.

There is certainly a strong sense of antiquity here. The church’s exterior stone was quarried from what was Dent land nearby.

Inside, as you stand between the front pews and face the altar, the soaring timbers and graceful arches might put you in mind of the graceful lines of a windswept ship, despite the hundreds of miles that separate Potter County from the ocean. Reverend Yskamp says it was often the case that the craftsmen who designed old churches such as this one were shipbuilders, and so there is a reason the lofty interiors are reminiscent of hulls.

The sanctuary includes a white marble baptismal font, a checkerboard-design floor made of marble that came from Italy, native butternut woodwork, and English brass accoutrements.

Then there are the stained glass windows.

“One of the amazing things about the windows,” says Reverend Yskamp, indicating the ones above the altar, “is about fifteen minutes after the service starts the sun hits them and they glow.” Those windows were made in England, as was the window

at the rear of the church, above the baptismal font. Depicted there, leaning on the knee of Christ, with Christ’s right hand on his shoulder, is a little boy. He is Thomas Gold Hull, a grandson of Henry Hatch Dent, who died in 1885 at age five, and the window is a memorial to him. Other windows along the sides of the building are tributes to other family members and were made in this country.

Maryland-born in 1815, Henry Hatch Dent was a childhood friend of Jefferson Davis, studied law with Francis Scott Key, and graduated from Yale. His wife, Anna Maria Adlum, was the daughter of John Adlum, a surveyor who worked for William Bingham. Mr. Bingham owned huge tracts of land in the northern tier, some of which were sold at auction after his death and some of which were conveyed to Mr. Adlum for money owed to him by the Bingham estate and subsequently came to Mr. Dent after his wife died in 1849.

He, his four children—Margaret Katherine, William, Adlumia, and Anna Maria—and his mother came to Potter County in 1853 to oversee these holdings. A Southern sympathizer, Mr. Dent reportedly found the northern environs at times to be a difficult place for a southern gentleman to live, particularly during the War Between the States; he returned to Maryland where he died in 1872. His children, however, remained in the Brookland area for many years, carried on charitable work in their father’s name, and ultimately decided to build All Saints Episcopal Church in his honor.

Mr. Dent is not buried at All Saints, but there is a stone in the cemetery bearing his name. His three daughters are resting there, as are three grandchildren.

“There are a dozen great stories about the cemetery,” says Reverend Yskamp. People who “admire the church” have purchased plots simply for that reason. One family commissioned a monument in the shape of a tree stump to honor their deceased loved one, a logger. Five of the church’s past rectors are buried here as well. According to the inscription on one stone, it is also the resting place of a man who was a Penobscot Indian.

The church today is one of two in the Episcopal Congregations of Potter County; the other is Christ Church in Coudersport. The “chapel in the wilderness,” as the Brookland church is sometimes called, has a small congregation, but Reverend Yskamp says the pews are full on Christmas Eve. “We have music, candles—all the things you’d expect from a Christmas Eve service,” she says.

And though the congregation may be small in numbers, it is big in heart. Parish members support the Ulysses Area Ministerium, the students of Potter County via the annual “To Fill a Backpack” program, and, during the Christmas season, “Operation Christmas Child.” That program, explains Reverend Yskamp, is an affiliation with Samaritan’s Purse International Relief and provides shoeboxes filled with gifts to children in need around the world.

If holidays in the English countryside are not possible for you this Yuletide, try the Christmas Eve service at All Saints Episcopal Church in Potter County. The celebration begins at 7 p.m.

Peace be with you.

Merry Christmas!

Isaiah 9:6—For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders.

And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

NEW PRODUCT LINE: Gemini Craftsman Collection wood stains

10% off all stains for the month of December 2228 SR49 West • Ulysses, PA 16948

814-848-7448 www.theCarpentersShopInc.com

Did You Know?

Mountain Home can manage your large volume PRINTING jobs!

We’re not just your favorite local magazine anymore....We can also design and print various projects for individuals or businesses.

Give Gwen a call and see what we can do for you!!

(570) 724-3838

17

Linda Stager

Christmas on Main Street

By Teresa Banik Capuzzo

W

ellsboro’s Dickens of Christmas, a wildly popular Victorian-costumed street festival that brings thousands of holiday shoppers to town every year on the first weekend of December, has been going on for over three decades.

But over the years, Ellen Dunham Bryant, president of the Penn Wells Hotel, and her sister, Ann Dunham Rawson, VP of sales and merchandising at the family’s Dunham’s Department Store, found themselves fielding the same question over and over again from happy shoppers and visitors: is there anything else after this weekend? Any more Christmas events? The town Christmas trees, marching down the center of the boulevard, still sparkled; the wreaths still hung fresh and bright from the gaslights. Ann and Ellen and Ellen’s husband Shawn (CEO of the hotel) would talk about it around the dining room table. Was there any way to extend that magical feeling that the town seemed so perfect at evoking, that feeling of a Christmas village? This is, after all, the Town That Saved Christmas, the town that, at the beginning of World War II, started producing Christmas bulbs when Germany shut down their exports.

And so, last year, Ann and Ellen went up and down Main Street, asking what the other retailers thought. In this Amazon Era, what could they do to extend the local shopping season? The seeds of those questions immediately sprouted into a grassroots answer.

With no budget—and no time to speak of—Main Street merchants responded with special events and offerings. Santa was enticed to 18

make an appearance at the Deane Center for the Performing Arts.

The Arcadia screened a dollar Christmas movie.

And this year, the weekend of December 9, they are doing it again—and then some. Stores will be open late on Friday night, and Hamilton-Gibson Productions will bring A Fezziwig Christmas to the Gallery of the Warehouse Theatre for the first of two nights and The Fifth Season will bring Santa to the Deane Center lobby for photos. On Saturday the Wellsboro Men’s Chorus will sing at 1:30 p.m. in that same lobby, a live Nativity will appear on their side lawn from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m, and Tony’s Trolley will carry passengers to stops around town for free. The dollar holiday movie will be back at the Arcadia (this year it’s Home Alone). Stores all around town will be offering holiday surprises—like the factory tours at Highland Chocolates and the plush ornament give-away at The Farmer’s Daughters—along with, of course, all the ease and pleasure of shopping local. In honor of our place in holiday history, our famous Christmas ornaments (like the flag, above, on permanent display in the Penn Wells lobby) will grace shops up and down the town. Ten stamps on a five-dollar passport from merchants with ornaments on display gets you a chance to win one of three Wellsboro shopping sprees. Santa himself, at the brunch at the Penn Wells on Sunday morning, will pull the winning passports.

The weekend closes with a Messiah Community Sing at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church. For more information and a complete schedule go to www.wellsborochristmasonmainstreet.com.

ycamore’s Sp eS

mind. Heal your spirit. body. Transform your soul.

Enlighten your

irit

Th

welcome to Nourish your

• HEALTHY LIFESTYLE CLASSES

ll

ne

ss

en

We

ter

• CANCER PREVENTION/RECOVERY COACHING

Ed u c a tio n

C

• HOLISTIC NUTRITIONAL COUNSELING • AROMATHERAPY & HERBAL CLASSES/ CONSULTS/PRODUCTS: Featuring “The Scentual Soul” - Fine Aromatherapy Eo’s and Product Line

Sheryl Henkin-Kealey, BS.Ed, CMA, Cert. Holistic Cancer Coach

(570)634-3777 • sycamorespirit@gmail.com

WELLSBORO

Hamilton-Gibson Productions

∏ A Fezziwig Christmas

December 8, 9

Visit www.TheSycamoreSpirit.com for class schedules!

Facebook.com/TheSycamoresSpiritHealingRetreat

7:30 p.m.

Out of the pages of Charles Dickens dance the delightful jolly couple who host an annual Christmas party.

Join the Fezziwigs and their friends as they sing, dance, tell stories, and eat in a Victorian Christmas.

Adults $20 Students $10

Includes food and beverage RSVP at least 48 hours in advance.

Warehouse Theatre 3 Central Ave, Wellsboro, PA HamiltonGibson.org (570) 724-2079 Reservations required

Sponsored by Larry & Barbara Biddison

We have a lot of different ways for You to say, Merry Christmas!

Don’t Travel “Fir” for this year’s Christmas Tree!

We have the FRESHEST Fraser Firs and Balsam Wreaths in the Area!

Tioga Office Products 96 East Avenue • Wellsboro, PA

570-724-4060 top1@ptd.net

Printer Cartidges • Laser Machine Sales • Decorative Paper Fax/Scanning Service • Copying & Printing Services • Office Paper

Come Inside For...

Bulk Foods • Holiday Baking Needs Gift Baskets •Australian Oil Soap Boots • Hats • Gloves And Much More!

Owlett’s Farm Store & Sunshine Market Old Fashioned Service

FENCING SUPPLIES • POSTED SIGNS •MICE & RAT BAIT • HARDWARE • BOOTS • BULK FOODS • HONEY •MAPLE SYRUP

Hours: M-F 7am-6pm Sat. 7am-2pm Craig Owlett Owner 10987 Rt. 287 5 miles N. of Wellsboro

www.sherwoodmotel.org • Refrigerator • Hair Dryer • FREE Local Calls • All rooms Non-Smoking • Outdoor Heated Pool • Whirlpool Rooms Available • FREE Wireless Internet Access • Microwave • Iron • Cable TV w/HBO • 42 Deluxe Rooms

Minutes from the PA Grand Canyon!

1-800-626-5802

2 Main Street • Wellsboro, PA 16901 • 570-724-3424 19

WELLSBORO Available 24/7

&

www.canyoncountryelitetrans.com

Toll Free: 855-788-CABS or 570-724-2424

570-724-2424

Serving Tioga County, PA

Serving Tioga & Potter Counties, PA

Check our websites for additional deals!

Transportation at Its Finest.

Caleb Williams

welcome to

A Dickens of a Costume Contest

M

Canyon Country Fabrics 664 Kelsey Street • Wellsboro, PA 16901

(570) 724-4163

108” Wide Backing • Batting • Fleece • Flannel Crafts • Gifts Large Selection of Cotton • All Your Quilting Needs

20

ain Street in charming, small-town Wellsboro will appear instantly transformed into a street in nineteenth century London on Saturday, December 2, as thousands of visitors and vendors dress up like characters in a Charles Dickens novel for the town’s thirty-fourth Dickens of a Christmas celebration. But taking center stage amid the strollers and singers and players and the wafting scent of sweets and grilled meats will be the popular new Best Dressed Dickens Contest, back for a second year after the inaugural contest drew more than fortyfive contestants in Victorian-era styles, and offering prizes valued at a thousand dollars. (See the full schedule on pages 24-25.)

The contest, sponsored by the Wellsboro Home Page (www.wellsborohomepage.com), is free and open to all, with no elaborate pre-registration required, and will be judged at 1 p.m. on the outdoor lawn and stage of the Deane Center at the corner of Main Street and Central Avenue. (Simply stop by the Deane Center lobby on Saturday, December 2, between 9:30 a.m. and 12:45 p.m. to give your name and contact information, or email sara@thehomepagenetwork.com beforehand.)

John Vogt, Home Page’s president, will emcee, with Christine A. Moore, the renowned New York City hat designer who has a home in Tioga County, joining him on stage (one of Christine’s custom-made hats worth more than $1,000, from Christine A. Moore Millinery of New York City, is the first place prize). The judges are Mansfield University English professor emeritus Larry Biddison, an icon of the celebration in his top hat and tails; Sara Vogt, Home Page vice president and contest organizer; Cynthia Compton, a social worker at Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Hospital in Wellsboro and a fashion designer, and Teresa Banik Capuzzo, the publisher of Mountain Home. The contest will move inside the Deane Center in inclement weather.

The winner and other contestants will join the famous Victorian Stroll down Main Street at 2 p.m. In addition to the custom hat by Christine Moore, “the winning lad or lass will receive a winsome gift basket of goods donated by Wellsboro merchants,” says Sara, and “other fun surprises will be given out as well.” Last year’s winner, sixteen-year-old Sky DeBockler (above), will also be on hand. ~ Michael Capuzzo

SOMEONE TO LOOK UP TO

THE FARMER’S DAUGHTER

Dickens Time Travelers

I

f you are a Scrooge, or imagine your child as Oliver Twist, or fancy yourself in any other time period, Wellsboro photographer Caleb Williams is the man to see. The award-winning owner of Heritage Portrait Studio will offer his annual “Dickens Portraits” during the Dickens of a Christmas festival in Wellsboro, in the lobby of the Deane Center on Main Street, 9 a.m.-5 p.m., December 1-2. Caleb shoots “Storytelling Portraits” all year round, collaborating with his subjects to create fantasy images like those on this page. You may recognize the bearded fellow who is not Santa—“The Polish Gentleman.” He’s Michael Banik, our publisher’s brother and 100 percent Polish-American, who delivers Mountain Home to grocery stores and shops all over the Twin Tiers.

SANTA FINDS A MAGIC COIN

THE POLISH GENTLEMAN Buck continued from page 15 21

Roger Kingsley

Mistaken Identity

Button Bucks and Lessons from the Pastor’s Hunt

By Roger Kingsley

I

’d only been in my ladder stand a few minutes when I heard the shot a few hundred yards away. It was Saturday, December 3, and it was several minutes shy of 2:00 p.m. I knew who the hunter was, and I knew what would soon be coming from within my coat pocket. Sure enough, a familiar signal from my cell phone meant a text message had just been posted, and the two-word text was just what

22

I expected—Doe down! The hunter was a pastor friend of mine who was not only in possession of a DMAP (Deer Management Assistance Program) tag for our farm, but also possessed a reputation for one-shot kills. Didn’t matter what firearm he was using, if it took up space in his Cannon safe, he had its capabilities memorized from practice on the range.

I always plan on helping the Pastor get

his deer kills back to his vehicle with the assistance of my UTV. Minimizing human scent by utilizing low impact deer removal and field dressing elsewhere helps keep areas surrounding our stands as clean as possible for the next hunter in line hoping to score.

The Pastor was waiting for me when I arrived at the ground blind, but instead of greeting me with his usual victory smile, I was met with a disgusted face. When I

welcome to gestured my hand, the Pastor just shook his head and said, “It’s not worth a fist pump.” Even though I asked why, I instantly surmised what the Pastor was about to show me, and driving up alongside the carcass proved my suspicions.

While perfectly legal using an antlerless tag, there is one particular deer that many hunters attempt to avoid killing, and that is a male fawn—commonly referred to as a button buck. And the Pastor had just tagged one. Apologizing for the mistake, the Pastor shared his reasons for assuming he was shooting at a “real” doe, while I singlehandedly lifted the small deer onto the carrier.

By the time we had reached my preferred field-dressing site, I’d thought of several ways the Pastor could have spared himself the discontentment.

As I previously mentioned, the Pastor was privileged to hunt our farm with a property specific DMAP tag. Being enrolled in the program obviously illustrates that there is an overpopulation of deer presently on our farm, and the severity of our annual crop damage justifies the need for such enrollment. Because of our high deer numbers, we’ve never issued any restraints to those DMAP license holders—the Pastor included—regarding certain deer.

That’s always left to the judgment of the hunters to tag whatever they are happy with, as long as it qualifies as a legal antlerless deer.

To reiterate, we wind up with a higher deer harvest if there are no restrictions on button bucks, rather than having hunters become so gun-shy that even yearling does and doe fawns get passed up.

So why was the Pastor so disappointed with his hunting skills?

Let me explain. There are two primary reasons why hunters would pursue and purchase the privilege to obtain DMAP tags. They either love to hunt, or they love the meat. While the Pastor loves both, he places far more emphasis on the weight of his freezer when the season’s shooting hours have ceased than he does the number of hours he logged occupying stands. And since a male fawn significantly lacks the meat yield of a mature doe, his venison dinners will now be fewer and farther between despite the same out-of-pocket processing fee.

But what really hurt was when I had to rub in the phone conversation that we’d had earlier that day when I was scheduling his hunt. “Twenty-six deer have already been tagged on the farm,” I told him. “That means there are plenty of unaccompanied fawns that will be very vulnerable in or near the food plot you’ll be hunting over. For that matter, it’s imperative that you carry binoculars with you to aid in identification.” While the Pastor brought them along, it amazes me how many people I’ve guided to stands over the years that did not have a pair in their pocket or strapped to their chest. Unlike riflescopes, using both eyes to view objects through binoculars provides users with a more defined, three-dimensional image. Distant objects are far easier and more quickly analyzed by using binoculars, rather than constantly lifting a rifle to scope them. And, if it were a person that demanded identification from your location, what would you do if you did not have binoculars? Don’t even think it!!

My phone conversation with the Pastor also mentioned that he should not be in a hurry to pull the trigger. “Those unaccompanied fawns may be the first to visit the plot,” I cautioned. “And since that plot hasn’t been pressured, you’ll have plenty of time to wait for the appearance of other deer to size them up and pick out a big one.” The Pastor has frequently expressed to me his desire to See Button Buck on page 48

WELLSBORO

E W LL’S K C O R Feed, Farm & Pet Supply 570-724-0967 • 877-797-4575

YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD PET SUPPLY STORE AVAILABLE BRANDS:

1943 SHUMWAY HILL RD., WELLSBORO, PA HOURS: 7:30-5:00 M-F • 8:00-1:00 SAT. 430 TROY ST., CANTON, PA • 7:30-5:00 M-F • 570-673-5148 23

Wellsboro’s

34

th Dickens

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 1 All Day Merchant Sales & Discounts Art Exhibits Gmeiner Art & Cultural Center 9:00 am – 5:00 pm Dickens Photos Lobby, Deane Center 10:00 am – 4:00 pm Indoor Book Sale Green Free Library 3:00 pm – 8:00 pm Indoor Craft Show United Methodist Church 3:00 pm – 8:00 pm Indoor Craft Show, Food Wellsboro Senior Center 4:30 pm – 7:30 pm Dickens of a Dinner Trinity Lutheran Church

24

of a

Christmas 7:15 pm “Miracle on 34th Street” Movie Arcadia Theatre 7:30 pm Dickens of a Concert St. Peter’s Catholic Church SATURDAY, DECEMBER 2 All Day Area Merchants Sales & Discounts Art Exhibits Gmeiner Art & Cultural Center All Day Warming House Arcadia Theatre Parking Lot 8:00 am – 4:00 pm Indoor Craft Show Wellsboro Senior Center 9:00 am Wellsboro High School Dickens Choir Arcadia Theatre

9:00 am – 4:00 pm Indoor Craft Show United Methodist Church 9:00 am – 4:00 pm Model Train Show St. Paul’s Episcopal Church 9:00 am – 4:00 pm Street Vendors, Street Musicians 9:00 am – 4:00 pm Indoor Craft Show Firemen’s Annex 9:00 am – 5:00 pm Dickens Photos Lobby, Deane Center 9:30 am – 1:00pm Best Dressed Contest Registration Deane Center Lobby 9:15 am – 4:15 am Trolley Rides to Highland Chocolates First Citizens Parking Lot

9:30 am — 1:00 pm Best Dressed Contest Registration Deane Center Lobby 10:00 am- 2:00 pm Alternative Christmas Fair First Presbyterian Church 10:00 am – 2:00 pm Open House w/Refreshments Tussey-Mosher Funeral Home 10:00 am Victorian Stroll Deane Center 10:00 am – 3:00 pm Live Music & Refreshments United Methodist Church 10:00 am – 3:00 pm Open House and Wellsboro Chapter Daughters of American Revolution Tioga County Historical Society 10:00am – 4:00pm Indoor Book Sale Green Free Library

10:00 am – 4:00 pm Clara’s Court w/story time, crafts & Nutcracker Characters Lobby, Deane Center 10:30 am HG Productions, “ A Christmas Carol�

Coolidge Theatre, Deane Center 10:30 am, 12:30 & 2:30 pm “Miracle on 34th Street� Movie Arcadia Theatre 11:00 am HG Productions, “A Christmas Carol�

Warehouse Theatre, Deane Center 11:00 am – 2:00 pm Open House w/refreshments Green Free Library 11:00 am and Noon New Heights Dance Theatre to Perform “Nutcracker in Motion�

Deane Center Main Street Window

12:30 pm “Miracle on 34th Street� Movie Arcadia Theatre 1:00 pm HG Productions, “A Christmas Carol�

Warehouse Theatre, Deane Center 1:00 pm New Heights Dance Theatre to Perform “Nutcracker in Motion�

Deane Center Main Street Window 1:00 pm Best Dressed Contest Judging Deane Center Outdoor Stage 1:30 pm HG Productions, “A Christmas Carol�

Coolidge Theatre, Deane Center 2:00 pm Victorian Stroll Deane Center 2:00 pm & 3:00 pm New Heights Dance Theatre to Perform “Nutcracker in Motion�

Deane Center Main Street Window 2:30 pm “Miracle on 34th Street� Movie Arcadia Theatre 3:00 pm Wellsboro Men’s Chorus Arcadia Theatre 3:20 pm Wellsboro Women’s Chorus Arcadia Theater

3:30 pm HG Productions, “A Christmas Carol�

Coolidge Theatre, Deane Center 3:40 pm Combined Chorus Sing-a-long Arcadia Theater 4:00 pm HG Productions, “A Christmas Carol�

Warehouse Theatre, Deane Center 4:00 pm Choral Evensong Service St. Paul’s Episcopal Church 5:00 pm Candlelight Walk for Peace Packer Park to the Green 5:30 pm Tree Lighting Ceremony The Green

MORE EVENTS Sponsored by The Wellsboro Area Chamber of Commerce, the Wellsboro Foundation, & Members: Wellsboro Winter Celebration February 15-18, 2018 Susquehannock Trail Performance Rally June 1-2, 2018 76th Annual PA State Laurel Festival June 9-16, 2018 Laurel Classic Mt. Bike Challenge September 8, 2018 35th Annual Dickens of a Christmas December 1, 2018

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 3 Art Exhibits Gmeiner Art & Cultural Center 2:30 pm HG Productions, “A Christmas Carol�

Black Box Theatre Schedule is tentative & subject to change. A finalized schedule & map of events, parking, ATM’s, and restroom facilities will be available online at www.wellsboropa.com and at local restaurants, motels, and shops.

25

Vinyl Lives

Love Hi-Def Music? Then You’ve Gotta Love Analog

By Gayle Morrow

A

cquiring music used to be a bit of an adventure. You’d hear a song you liked on the radio and you’d save up to buy the album, or maybe just the 45 if you weren’t feeling especially flush. You’d study the cover art, check out the liner notes and the lyrics (oh—is that what he was saying?), hang the poster if one was included, and then it was the magic moment. You’d drop the stylus, hear that distinctive scratch, and the spinning disc would come to life.

No download or streaming service can quite equal that experience.

A lot of people are realizing that’s the case. Nielsen, the folks who survey our television and radio habits, reported vinyl sales in 2016 at $13 million. Another statistic guesstimates the sale of vinyl records and accessories will be a one billion dollar industry in 2017. That’s one billion.

26

That’s many, many records. Sony, in fact, announced in early July that it would start producing vinyl records again for the first time in almost thirty years. And they’re not the only ones jumping back on the turntable. Jack White, of The White Stripes and Recontours fame, is a fan of analog technology and has opened Third Man Press in Detroit, a state-of-the-art vinyl production facility.

“Almost every major artist is now putting out something on vinyl,” says Mike Stanzione, of Rock’s Vintage Vinyl on Washington Boulevard in Williamsport (570-447-4377).

And then there are all of those other artists, the ones whose albums have been languishing in dusty attics and dark closets.

Not so much anymore.

Lee Ash, owner and operator of Sonic Ascension Records at 128 Broad Street in

Montoursville (570-360-3486), has been open a little over a year and says business has been great.

“The store’s getting great reviews,” he says. “People are excited about a store based on records.”

After spates of closures, due in large part to the ease and transportability of tapes and then CDs, and the instant availability of downloads, record stores are cropping up again and vinyl is hot.

Nostalgia is great, but it doesn’t pay the bills. Clearly, something else is happening.

“The competition was brutal with CDs,” says Rob Tingey, who, with his wife, Amie, owns CD Café on 10 W. Market Street in Corning (607-973-2790). Their focus has shifted to vinyl for a number of reasons: health, personal, financial, and— oh, yeah—sound.

See Vinyl on page 29

welcome to

“Don’t forget to make time to CELEBRATE THE REAL REASON for the Season!”

BRADFORD CO.

Bradford County, Opportunities fo

pportunities for Everyone of All Ages

Bradford County Opportunities for Everyone of All Ages

• Developing Bradford County within its borders.

• Assisting Bradford County’s 501c3 and c6 organizations through room tax grant program.

• Growing tourism outside our borders.

• Non-profit agency funded by hotel occupancy tax.

ARMENIA MOUNTAIN FOOTWEAR

GREAT NAMES IN FOOTWEAR FOR THE ENTIRE FAMILY! UNIQUE GIFT & STOCKING STUFFER IDEAS! 41 Canton Street • Troy, PA • 570-297-3433 Mon-Thurs 8:00-5:00; Fri 8:00-6:00; Sat 8:00-2:00

MORE THAN JUST A TIRE SHOP

Winter’s Bite Is Here...

We Can Help!

Snow Tires • Anti-Freeze Checks • Belts • Hoses Wiper Blades Gift Certificates Cheese Gift Baskets Egg Nog Chocolate Milk Please call (570) 673-5651 for availability.

A Full Line of Grass Fed Beef & Pastured Pork Products!

Don’t forget to bring your coolers!

16867 Route 14 • Troy, PA www.milkywayfarms.net

WE DO OIL CHANGES and STATE INSPECTIONS

KRISE’S

TIRE & AUTO SERVICE CENTER, INC.

570-297-3672

721 CANTON STREET • TROY, PA 16947 MON-FRI. 8am-5pm • SAT. 8am-12pm 27

welcome to

WILLIAMSPORT

Holiday Sale Mon. Nov. 27 - Sat. Dec. 30 th

th

Bagged Seconds of Plates and Napkins -

1/2 OFF MARKED PRICE

Look for the hanging Pinatas for the special sale!

It’s MY Party Store

1231 Sheridan Street Williamsport, PA 17701 ph: 570-666-4915 fax: 570-666-4954

CATHERINE BURNS cebrunsins@verizon.net

insurance services

rhondajw82@yahoo.com

A FULL SERVICE AGENCY

Medicare Supplemental Plans Life Insurance Home Health Care Dental Insurance Pre-paid Funerals 401k Rollovers Home & Auto Insurance

Medicare Advantage Plans Annuities Long Term Care Insurance Group Health Insurance

1108 West Southern Avenue South Williamsport, PA 17702 Phone: 570-327-1598 Fax: 570-327-1599 mjrakestraw@gmail.com

Call us for all of your insurance needs!

Organic Garden Center

SOIL & HYDROPONIC SUPPLIES

A Chocolate Lovers Paradise

in Downtown Williamsport 420 Pine Street 570.322.5544 Williamsport, PA 17701 ChocolatesAndTreats.com

justinrjohnson237@gmail.com

ANNUAL PRE-CHRISTMAS AUCTION 2017 TH TH

FRIDAY & SATURDAY, DECEMBER 15 & 16 2017 @ 10:00 A.M. EACH DAY To be held @ our gallery 3530 Lycoming Creek Road, Cogan Station, PA 17728 * Just off the Rt. 15 Hepburnville Exit, 5 miles North of Williamsport, PA * In case of severe weather, please call the office *

•HydroFarm products •Hydroponics •Year-round growing •All types of lighting:

LED’s, HID’s, HPS 1307 Park Ave. Williamsport, PA 17701 • 570.651.3210

Home Theatre • Vintage Stereo Joe Myers & Equipment • Sonos • Wireless Whole Patrick Bornemann Home Music • Custom Installation (570) 323-9014 Fax: 570-323-4674 Free In-Home Evaluation & Quote stereoshoppe3@comcast.net

The

stere

SHOPPE

900 Washington Blvd Williamsport, PA 17701 stereoshoppe.net 28

We Buy & Sell! & Rock’s Vintage Vinyl Record Shop

‘Alfred Copestick’ Oil-on-Canvas Painting 59”w. x 39”t. i.s.

* Be sure to read the article about this painting, published in this month’s issue of the Mountain Home Magazine.

The artist, Alfred Copestick (1837-1859) is reknowned with another rare example of his work exhibited in the Metropolian Museum of Art in New York City.

THIS YEAR’S ANNUAL PRE-CHRISTMAS AUCTION WILL FEATURE PAINTINGS & ARTWORK / VINTAGE GAME-BIRDS/WATER-FOWL & AUDUBON PRINTS (*SEE BOOKS OF THE SAME SUBJECT) / AN ORIGINAL LARGE-FOLIO CURRIER & IVES PRINT OF A HUNTING PARTY SCENE (* WITH ORIGINAL HAND-WRITTEN RECEIPT TO C. RUSSELL MACGREGOR BY ARTIST LOUIS MAURER) / FURNITURE PIECES FROM NUMEROUS ERAS / CLOCKS / LIGHTING / LG. ASST. OF ART POTTERY / STONEWARES / SILVERWARES / CHINA / GLASSWARES - ART, CUT, A LARGE ASST. OF CARNIVAL & OTHERS / COLLECTION OF GRISWOLD & OTHER CAST IRON PIECES INCL. DOOR STOPS / REGINA MUSIC BOX / FINE JEWELRY / COINS INCL. GOLD & SILVER - (A LG. ASST. SILVER $’S & PROOF SETS) / LG. COLLECTION OF POSTAL STAMPS, *VINTAGE BOOKS ON GAME-BIRD/WATER-FOWL HUNTING & RELATED / ORIENTAL RUGS / LG. COLLECTION EACH OF TOY DIE-CAST TRACTORS & IMPLEMENTS & TRAINS & ACCESSORIES BY LIONEL & MORE!

««« CATALOG LISTING & PHOTOS TO BE AVAILABLE ««« PLEASE VISIT US ONLINE @ WWW.ROANINC.COM OR WWW.AUCTIONZIP.COM #1604

ROAN Inc. Auctioneers & Appraisers AU-003943-L AY-000087-L

®

3530 Lycoming Creek Rd Cogan Station, PA 17728

(570) 494-0170 (800) 955-ROAN

ONLINE PARTICIPATION AVAILABLE THROUGH INVALUABLE.COM

roaninc@comcast.net http://www.roaninc.com

Vinyl continued from page 26

“Vinyl is the reason I decided to return to retail,” Rob says. “CDs provided consistency—consistently mediocre. Hidef doesn’t exist with downloading.”

Mike Stanzione, who was athletic director at Pennsylvania College of Technology in his previous life, concurs.

There are those people who were collegeage in the ’70s who still have a record collection, he says, and what they and others have discovered is that the sound is different with today’s music options.

“You lose a lot of the depth and warmth [with CDs, downloads, etc.],” he believes. “Music [on vinyl] sounds a whole lot more like it was intended to sound.”

He admits he never got rid of his albums, and that while his clientele includes millennials who are newly enamored of vinyl, there are those “older folks trying to replace the collections they gave away twenty years ago.” His niche at Rock’s Vintage Vinyl includes a cooperative retail arrangement with the store next door—The Stereo Shop.

“I benefit from their customers, and they benefit from mine,” he says, as music lovers are looking not only for a turntable for their golden oldies, but for a sound system to recover “all the stuff that’s lost by compressing music.” And, yes, he says, it is a little more cumbersome to carry around a record player than an MP3 player, but once people are able to “hear all the instrumentation lost in the digital world… they’re sold.”

“People appreciate the sound,” says Lee Ash. “We’ve always known it sounds better

on the right equipment,” Rob Tingey says, adding that the right equipment and the analog recording may be the best combo, from a sound perspective. “We had to learn a lot more about vinyl.”

Analog recording, by the way, copies (is analogous to) sound as a continuous electronic signal; it replicates the original sound wave. Digital recording takes samples of the original waves at a specified rate, kind of the way a series of dots looks solid but isn’t, or the way our eyes see a movie as continuous movement when it is, really, a series of individual rapidly moving pictures.

As for what’s selling and who’s buying it, it’s kind of a mix. Rob says his customers at CD Café include the eighteen-to-thirty crowd who “discovered their uncle’s record player and records,” and the forty-to-sixty folks who might be going through some life changes and have decided “I want a big stereo.” His own tastes are “pretty broad,” from Queen to Bill Munroe. At Rock’s Vintage Vinyl, Mike says classic rock always sells. Lee, at Sonic Ascension Records, says his customers are of no particular demographic, and that his own musical likes include punk, garage band, rock-a-billy, and new wave (think Devo or Blondie).

There is also the question of whether your downloaded music actually belongs to you the way records do, as well as the very human desire for a physical rather than virtual representation of your favorite cut from, say, Sticky Fingers.

You can’t download a zipper.

29

Courtesy Roans Inc.

Courtesy Nick Thayer

The Abandoned Ship, Coast of Cuba, Alfred Copestick painting up for auction at Roan’s annual pre-Christmas auction.

The Edward W. C. Arnold Collection of New York Prints, Maps, and Pictures, Bequest of Edward W. C. Arnold, 1954

New York from the Harbor Showing the Battery and Castle Garden, 1858, oil on canvas, currently shown at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.

30

welcome to

WILLIAMSPORT

The Old Master Who Died Young

W

hen the brilliant young landscape and marine painter Alfred Copestick, already hailed a genius in New York and Philadelphia, visited his father in Delmar Township in August 1859, he planned to make some summer sketches of the beautiful local landscape, and to go pigeon hunting.

At twenty-two years of age, Copestick had in the last year completed his classic painting, New York from the Harbor Showing the Battery and Castle Garden (today it hangs in The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York), exhibited four marine paintings at the National Academy of Design in New York, including The Abandoned Ship, Coast of Cuba, and was declared by art critics “a young man of rare promise…having given proofs of genius.”

But on Sunday, August 28, in Delmar, Copestick had just shot a pigeon in the woods, reloaded his gun, and stood talking with two friends, leaning on his gun as it rested on a log, when he slipped and the gun went off, shooting him through the heart.

He died where he fell, half an hour later.

Now a century and a half later, the original Roan auction house in Cogan Station, Pennsylvania, will auction off the sprawling canvas of The Abandoned Ship, Coast of Cuba, and is advertising the auction widely in the New York and Philadelphia art worlds, hoping to draw attention to the old master who died young. The painting will be sold in the Roan gallery at 3530 Lycoming Creek Road on Saturday, December 16, the second day of Roan’s big annual two-day pre-Christmas auction.

“In the art world, artists often get famous when they’re dead, and there’s a story attached to them,” Ron Roan says.

“It’s the eccentricities that make them who they are.”

The auction house has sold paintings for hundreds of thousands, and Copestick’s unusual story and rare talent make him of interest to collectors all over, Ron says, but he adds “it’s anybody’s guess” what the painting will bring. The Abandoned Ship, Coast of Cuba haunted the auction house for some “forty, fifty years,” he says. Roan’s grandfather, Robert, founded the auction house, and his father, Richard, who died in May at age eighty-two, discovered the painting hanging in a Williamsport business some half century ago and kept his eye on it for decades, hoping it would become available. Recently the business closed, and the painting was auctioned off, but “didn’t get the exposure it deserved,” and the man who purchased it brought it to Roan, who advertised in the major antiques press and on the Web. The Abandoned Ship, Coast of Cuba is a powerful scene of a shipwreck on the ocean, with the capsized hull and floating debris and a lighthouse and vast sky that evokes Winslow Homer’s famous seascapes, though Copestick had no formal training, and never saw a shore outside Coney Island. His other work shows the light brush strokes and dreamy aspect that anticipate the French Impressionists a decade or two later. “His untimely fate will be lamented by all who knew him,” wrote the Wellsboro Agitator, “and those who knew him not cannot but regret that one so promising should then be cut down in the flower of youth.” ~Michael Capuzzo

Einstcmhaansltaendd Chr Largest Selection of Christmas Decor in the Area!

Life-like Artificial Trees 2’-9’ In Stock OPEN: Thousands of Ornaments Mon-Sat 9-7; Sun. Tree Tops • Nativities 12-5 Much, Much More!

OVER

150

BAR STOOLS IN STOCK

DOWNTOWN Williamsport • 170 Pine St • 570-326-1494 in Aquarius Pool & Patio •Adjacent to The Tobacco Center

Holiday Exhibit at the

Thomas T. Taber Museum of the Lycoming County Historical Society 858 West Fourth Street, Williamsport

Thurs., Dec. 7, 2017—Sat., Jan. 20, 2018

Experience an incredible collection of approximately ninety miniature room settings created by local artisan Becky Bird.

Be sure and visit our Art Gallery, Lumber Gallery, Hall of Industry, and the Shempp Toy Train Collection

www.tabermuseum.org • 570.326.3326 31

Holiday

Check Out These Unique

e n o t s Key

Florist & Gifts “A Unique Design Every Time”

570-599-6969

20 Woodward Ave • Lock Haven, PA

www.keystonefloristpa.com QUALITY BRAND NAMES YOU KNOW & LOVE

Gift Certificates

LUGGAGE HANDBAGS

OFFICIAL PA ARTISAN TRAIL SHOP

In the Arnot Mall Horseheads, NY

UNIQUE GIFTS

825 Westminster Dr. Williamsport, PA 17701

Over 50 Artistans Work Displayed

Schlemmer’s Iron

Since 1897 Saddlery, Inc. LEATHER GOODS

$50 Certificate is worth $55 $100 Certificate is worth $115 $200 Certificate is worth $240 $300 Certificate is worth $380 73 Main Street • Wellsboro, PA 16901

570-948-9229

570-322-4255

Hours: Mon-Sat. 9:30am-7:30pm; Sun. 10am-6pm

Open Every Day Year ‘Round!

Cozy, Cuddly, Warm Gift Ideas

Grunt Style, Nine Line, and other 2nd Amendment and Military Shirts.

Hundreds of signs Metal Garden Art Farm & Construction Toys

607-733-5949 schlemmeriron@gmail.com

www.schlemmeriron.com 32

the

cinnamon stick 26 Mechanic Street Hammondsport, NY 14840 Phone 607 569 2277

Pip’s Boutique 89 E. Market St., Corning, NY 14830 (607) 962-6301 • pipsboutique.com

Gift Guide Holiday Gift Ideas!

Rustic Furniture Design & Production

570-748-0321 Fax 570-748-1076 115 E. Main St. Lock Haven PA

Teacher Supplies

THE BUS STOPS HERE CALICO CRITTERS SALE December 1-15, 2017

5 OFF

$ 00

Morris Chair Shop

54 Windsor Ln., Morris, PA 16938 (570) 353-2735 www.MorrisChairShop.com

COZY COTTAGE

1000 OFF ADVENTURE TREEHOUSE

$

Hillside Haven Rustics Trout Run, PA (570) 998-9525 Email: scskneff@aol.com

BUY ANY CALICO CRITTERS ITEM...

GET AN ENTRY TO WIN THE CALICO CRITTERS PLAY TABLE Drawing Dec. 21, 2017

Linda’s Country Treasures Doll Store & Christian Book Store 15” & 18” clothes to fit American Girl dolls

One of the

LARGEST Doll Stores in Central PA!

THE ERLACHER COLLECTION featuring...

STEUBEN GLASS 607-794-4759 12 E. Market St • Corning, NY 14830

Your diamond magically suspended in White or Yellow Gold or Platinum ”Tension” set collection by Galin & Abaci 607-936-3032 bongs1892@stny.rr.com 31 E. Market St. Corning, NY 14830

GAMES & GIFTS FOR ALL

2,000+ DOLL SHOES 2,000+ DOLL CLOTHES 2,000+ DOLL ACCESSORIES 75+ PCS. OF DOLL FURNITURE 1133 Dotterers Road, Mill Hall

570-726-4012

Hours: Mon., Tues.

Wed. & Sat. 9-5; Thurs. & Fri. 9-7; Sun. Closed

ZIGGY’S

GUN SHOP

We Sell Buy and Trade Guns FFL Transfers • Female Friendly Shop Ammo, Reloading & Shooting Accessories

Come as a customer, stay as a Friend

www.ziggysgunshop.com 25 Main St. Wellsboro, PA 570-723-4263 www.popscultureshoppe. com

27 Watrous Street Gaines, PA 16921 814-435-6590 Hours: T-F 10-5; Sat 9-1 Closed Sun. & Mon.

33

CORNING’S GAFFER

DISTRICT PRESENTED BY

Crystal City Christmas C O R N I N G ,

N Y

Sparkle

SAT U R DAY , D E C E M B E R 2 A holiday tradi�on for over 40 years! Featuring the Food, shopping, fireworks, live entertainment, horse and wagon ride, and ac�vi�es for the whole family.

- and don’t miss -

HOLIDAY GIFT CARD GIVEAWAY MON., NOVEMBER 13 - MON., DECEMBER 11 A weekly drawing of more than $400 in gi� cards and cer�ficates for Gaffer District businesses.

TREE LIGHTING & PARADE OF LIGHTS SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 25 Join us for the ligh�ng of the Centerway Square tree, followed by the magical Parade of Lights.

OUR CRYSTAL CITY CHRISTMAS 2017 SPONSORS

For more information about Corning’s Gaffer District, visit

gafferdistrict.com

34

Maggie Barnes

Cotton Gin Boutique

A

unts are special relatives who pass along special things to their nieces and nephews, such as a love of music or history. Or a passion for retail? In the case of Ashley Bates (above) and her Aunt Malinda, that was the bond that brought them close and set Ashley on a career path she had never imagined.

Ashley is the owner of Cotton Gin Boutique, 24 East Market Street, Corning. A native of New York’s Southern Tier, Ashley went away to college, but knew she wanted to come home after graduation. Aunt Malinda lives in Alabama, where she owns two boutiques, and Ashley had regaled her with tales of the cosmopolitan, yet intimate, setting of Market Street. On an unplanned visit, Malinda saw the famed business district first hand and agreed it was the ideal spot for her niece’s first retail venture.

The boutique opened in July of 2017 and was an immediate hit with shoppers. “We saw repeat customers right away,” Ashley says, “and friends of customers coming in on recommendation.”

The shop is a bit of southern flair in the Empire State.

Exposed brick, pendant lighting, and country music exude an air of hospitality. Women’s clothing, jewelry, and bags are displayed in color-coordinated sections and come in styles that appeal to a wide range of tastes and sizes. “I think I need this in another size,” a petite lady says as she steps out of the dressing room and twirls before the mirror. She turns to the shop’s staff, eyebrows raised in a search for feedback. The consensus is that the size is wrong, but everyone loves the color on her and a clerk heads to the back to make things right. Ashley smiles at the perfect display of the customer service experience she wants to offer. Even early on, while she was on a buying trip, she would think of a specific customer who would enjoy a specific item.

The Cotton Gin—named in honor of the fields that surround her aunt’s store in Alabama—is open Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Saturdays 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and is still experimenting with extended hours during the district’s many special events. The Gaffer folks have been a huge help to the young entrepreneur, and she is grateful for their support.

Coleen Fabrizi, Gaffer District executive director, believes Ashley represents something special. “One of our signature attractions is our great mix of independently owned shops offering sincere and appreciative customer service,” says Coleen. You can find the Cotton Gin Boutique on Facebook or at (607) 654-4149. ~Maggie Barnes

Your diamond magically suspended.

607-936-3032 bongs1892@stny.rr.com 31 E. Market St. Corning, NY 14830 Tension set by Galen Abaci —only at Bong’s Jewelers

Tues-Fri 9:30am-5:30pm Sat 9:30am-5pm; Closed Mon

35

Mike Cutillo

Gin sipping glasses and flavored 375ml bottles of Finger Lakes Distilling’s OriGINal Gin awaiting participants of a recent gin-making demonstration.

OriGINal Gin

A Great Spirit Gets a Do-It-Yourself Workshop at Finger Lakes Distilling

By Mike Cutillo

H

ere’s a conversation you won’t hear often in the Finger Lakes—or, in fact, in very many places around the world: “Something’s showing through that I don’t like. It’s the angelica root, I think.”

“You’ve got allspice and black pepper in there, too, don’t you?”

“Is there lemon and grapefruit in there, because I think they could help.”

“I was thinking maybe about adding a bit of lavender to brighten it up.”

“I’d kill the angelica root, and I also think the coriander’s too strong. Cut that down a little bit, too, and I think you’ll

have the complexity and the floral notes that you’re looking for.”

It’s an animated, cheery, yet quite serious discussion about gin that did, indeed, take place recently—I know because I was part of it—and it’s also one that Brian McKenzie, owner and president of Finger Lakes Distilling, hopes to be hearing more often. Brian and his crew at FLD, one of the first craft distilleries in New York, have recently rolled out a new program called the OriGINal Gin Workshop—intentional emphasis on the “gin” in “original.” Through it, groups of up to eight people can, with the help of Brian and FLD head distiller Jared

Baker, create their own blend of gin, distill it, make labels for it, and take home forty 375-milliliter bottles of their concoction.

Gin, one of the oldest and broadest spirits known to man, is believed to have origins in the Middle Ages. Billy Joel sang about it, Julia Child credited it and “red meat” for her longevity, and W.C. Fields said of it that he never drank anything stronger “before breakfast.” Basically a fermented and/or distilled grain mash, it was used as a medicine in Holland in the early 1600s to treat stomach issues and was made more palatable by being flavored with juniper. It’s also one of the best selling spirits See Gin on page 39

36

The

ART GA L L E RY

87-1â „2 Main Street Wellsboro, PA 16901 (570) 724-3838 info@mountainhomemag.com

Linda Stager

Bernadette Chiaramonte

C.F. Lawrenson

Sadie Allen

Visit us for your Holiday Art Shopping!

BEAGLE MEDIA, LLC

37

AWARD WINNING WINES

Also available in local stores.

Now shipping to PA.

SPECTACULAR VIEWS

Winner of three Governor’s Cups and five Jefferson Cups

4024 State Route 14 Watkins Glen, NY 14891 877-535-9252

Winter Hours: Open 7 days. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

5081 State Route 414 — Hector, NY 14841

800.469-9463 • CLRWINE.COM

brin

g

to your expgeether f friends [a^\Wrience ofur lal n of Tk§

eb\d\ f

[\`]§ fK§ ^X`W§ fK§ d\`]§ fK

7am-2pm Mon-Fri 8am-2pm Sat COFFEE • ESPRESSO DRINKS • ELEGANT SPECIAL EVENTS ROOM FINE PASTRIES IN THE FRENCH TRADITION • BUSES WELCOME!

401 West Main St., Montour Falls, NY • (607) 210-4457 Liquors worth sipping, wines worth savoring, and dozens of craft beers!

Made exclusively in New York’s 62 counties.

Sunday-Thursday 11-6 Friday-Saturday 11-8

111 N. Franklin Street • Watkins Glen, NY (607) 210-6033 • www.local62.com 38

Mike Cutillo

For the OriGINal Gin Workshop demonstration, Jared Baker distilled gallon jugs of 21 different botanicals.

Participants filled 50ml plastic bottles with their favorite concoctions as souvenirs.

Gin continued from page 36

at FLD, which also produces whiskey, bourbon, vodka, and brandy, among other spirits.

Brian McKenzie opened the distillery in 2006 with his life savings after the bank where he had been working was bought out. He has been thinking about a gin workshop for a while and thinks now is the perfect time for it—a complete hands-on experience from start to finish.

“The premise is that people are looking for more experiential opportunities when it comes to their beverage alcohol,” he says. “The idea is basically to give individuals the ability to come in and make their own gin, which is not easy to do.” What distinguishes different gins are the various botanicals—in addition to the distinctive juniper—that impart flavor profiles and complexities to the beverage.

The workshop will explain that and will give participants the opportunity to taste and experiment with nearly two dozen botanicals in their gin. To showcase the structure of the program, Brian invited Joe Kennedy, co-owner of the Linden Social Club in Geneva, and Scott Thomas, “spirit consultant” at Northside Wine & Spirits in Ithaca, to a recent demonstration. “These guys know more about spirits than pretty much anyone I know,” says Brian.

Jared Baker—who aptly enough used to be a chemistry professor at Elmira College before coming to work for FLD

two years ago—distilled twenty-one different botanicals into twenty-one glass gallon jugs of 100-proof, clear liquor.

Those botanicals included everything from juniper and coriander—the two main spices in traditional gin—to more exotic ones such as angelica root, dandelion leaf, grapefruit peel, lavender, nutmeg, orris root, peppermint, and rose hips. Using simple glass pipettes to draw the liquids and a scorecard of sorts to record which botanicals are used and at what ratios, it’s then up to the workshop gin-makers to mix and match flavors until they nail down something they enjoy. Which, by the way, led to the conversation at the opening of this story among Jared, Joe Kennedy, and Scott Thomas. Truth be told, in our session, the experimenting with the flavors was hit or miss—mostly miss.

“I found out that I’m far from knowing how to make gin, and I have a little more respect for people who blend those botanicals,” says Joe, adding that gin is a favored spirit among bartenders because of its ability to take on other flavors. Scott gave it three tries before hitting on a combo of flavors that he liked.

“The first one didn’t work out well,” he laughs. “Too much angelica root. This one is a little more citrus-forward; it’s nice.

I’ve got the orange peel and grapefruit peel, and a lot of peppermint to balance it out.”

Workshop participants should expect See Gin on page 40 39

Jewelry, Clothing, Holiday & Home Decor

Mary’s Celtic Collectibles Mary Schuehler Owner

Horseheads, NY. 14845 117 East Mill St

Mike Cutillo

Courtesy Inner Peace Floats

Irish & Scottish Guinness Merchandise

@ Horseheads Mill St Market

Horseheads Mill Street Market 117 East Mill Street, Horseheads NY 14845 607-739-2531 Featuring 3 Floors, over 9,000 sq. feet, 50+ Vendors Antiques, Collectibles, Country Decor and More

Scott Thomas, “spirit consultant” at Northside Wine & Spirits in Ithaca, uses a glass pipette to infuse his gin with flavor.

NEW ITEMS ARRIVE DAILY!

Like Us on Facebook

to view upcoming Sale Dates and Events

www.horseheadsmillstreetmarket.com

Gin continued from page 39

There’s always something happening in Hammondsport!

DECEMBER 2: Hammondsport Holiday Cookie Walk DECEMBER 9: Christmas In The Park w w w. h a m m o n d s p o r t . o r g Welcome to Corning’s Gaffer District We carry an array of products to complement your hair care and beauty needs.

24 W. Market St., Corning, NY 14830

40

607.936.8541

to spend four to five hours. The experience includes a Gin 101 course, a labeling party, and an FLD tour. The all-inclusive price of the OriGINal Gin Workshop is $1,000, and groups, from one to eight people, can split the cost. Forty 375 ml bottles will be produced. (You can schedule a workshop by contacting Katie Budd at Katie@fingerlakesdistilling.com or [607] 546-5510, ext.

11.) Gin-makers will grind their own botanicals and decide what the base alcohol will be—corn, wheat, and grapes are the most popular. Using an eight-gallon “Wee Still,” Jared will make what is called the “head cut,” or start, of the gin. The group will be able to tweak things before the final—or “tail”—cut is produced and will decide the proof they want, which is determined by cutting the gin with purified water and is generally between eighty and one hundred proof. They actually could walk out with their gin that day, though Jared says it is better to let it rest a week or two in a tank to mellow and develop flavors. Either way, FLD handles the bottling.

“We’re also planning on keeping a few bottles on site,” Brian says, “so that if you’re out and about tasting with friends and you stop in for a tasting, you can give them a taste of your own gin. It’s right here.”

And chances are, that’s when the discussion will start again.

Mike Cutillo is a journalist who has been living in and covering the Finger Lakes for thirty years. The 10ml recipe for gin he came up with that he really enjoyed during the workshop was 2ml each of juniper, coriander, black pepper, and lavender, and 1 ml of grapefruit peel and sweet orange peel. Mike says, “Try it, you’ll like it!”

H

Holiday Wish List..

l

When it’s made with your hands...

It’s made with your heart.

F m our S eason o r f s y a d i ol s Tra H y p ve ap

Gems of Northern Italy Sept. 9-16, 2018 Classic Christmas Markets Nov. 29 – Dec. 8, 2018

Quilt •Sew • Knit • Crochet Cross Stitch •Needlepoint • Tatting Punch Needle • Embroidery

Locally Owned & Operated by Julius A. Carozza A tradition of travel for over 100 years.

Find this beautiful scene and other great fabrics at

18 Canal Street, Big Flats, NY (607) 358-4016 • witchsstitches.com

607-733-8111

w w w. f o u r s e a s o n s t r a v e l . c o m

SALES • SERVICE • PARTS w w w. s i m m o n s - r o c k w e l l . c o m 41

&

DRINK Courtesy Steven Roske

FOOD

England Goes South

With Powerful Verbs, Iconic British Writer Elizabeth David Shared Warm-Climate Cooking

By Cornelius O’Donnell

H

aving read my share—no, more than my share—of British mysteries, watched all of Hyacinth Bouquet’s (Bucket’s) episodes at least twice (Keeping Up Appearances), as well as As Time Goes By (literally), rooted for my favorites on Great British Baking, and longed for a cottage on the green in Midsomer (if only the murders would stop!), I can Brit-speak with the best of them.

And, you guessed it, I have a couple of long bookshelves filled with wonderful British cookery books by the likes of Jane (and daughter Sophie) Grigson, Jamie Oliver, Delia Smith, Nigella Lawson, Simon Hopkinson, and—the queen of them all—Elizabeth David. While researching those U.K. cooks, I came across the following on the

42

Epicurious site: “There’s something about British cookbooks that pulls a reader in—first into the pages then into the kitchen.” That was a quote from Amy Thielen, an American cookbook author, but I couldn’t have said it better m’self.

Elizabeth David, Food Writer Extraordinaire I have a special place in my heart for the almost-reclusive Mrs. David, because I met her at the home of a mutual friend in San Francisco. She was “rawther” advanced in age when we met and as irascible as a damp hen. Before and after the Big War she spent time in the south of France and in Italy soaking up the flavors of the Mediterranean. She also lived in Egypt. These were

special places for her, as England was so often damp and dreary and the cities pockmarked with bomb-damaged buildings. Back in the mid-to-late ’40s, the flavors of the Med, like garlic, fresh tomatoes, eggplant, cured meats and the like, were not often available or cooked in U.K. restaurants. As you will see from her book titles, she opened a window to the flavorsome south. No mere meat-and-two-veg cooking, she literally let the sunshine in with her evocative prose and aromatic dishes. Get the books (most came in paperback) and see what I mean. You can find a list and publication dates at Amazon or perhaps your neighborhood bookstore. They’re worth the search.

Meanwhile, Back in Alan’s Kitchen So, I entered the kitchen of the elegant Pacific Heights home of my friend Alan, to find Elizabeth David ensconced in a chair sipping a glass of wine (a not infrequent position for her). We were introduced and with a blank look she asked who I was. Alan, my friend and David’s host, touted my experiences in traveling and promoting a company’s products, etc. She noticeably perked up when he mentioned Pyrex, as David owned a much-admired cookery shop, not far from London’s Sloane Square. The store window I admired on many visits had a large scrubbed pine country work table lavishly topped with all manner of bowls, plates, platters, serving pieces, casseroles, and baking pieces—all in pristine white, and beautifully lit. I wanted one of everything!

And the shop stocked (on the lower level) classic Pyrex measures, pie plates, and cake dishes.

Seizing the moment, my host managed to find a copy of one of the cooking folders we distributed at department store events.

The queen read it and sniffed when she got to the bruschetta recipe. I had put a bit of tomato on my version. She looked up and said “you know it’s pronounced bru-sketta not bru-shetta don’t you?” (I did.) Then, practically spitting out the words, “it’s nothing more than good olive oil and a rubbed-in garlic clove on grilled or toasted bread, nothing more.” I blanched. Were we so wrong? (I found out later that the chopped tomato is a popular way to present the bread slice.) However, after another round of good wine, she seemed to bloom like a flower and extended her hand for me to shake. I was, understandably, thrilled.

A Bit of Culinary History Publication of David’s books in the U.K. began just as the effects of WWII rationing were abating (wartime rationing didn’t end until 1949) and, in a sense, the sun was again shining on this island. Rebuilding put many to work and so there was some meat for the table and, again, two vegetables. Elizabeth David’s books were filled with recipes that used wine, vegetables unknown to most at the time, like zucchini (sometimes called marrow or Italian squash or courgetti) and arugula, fresh herbs, lots of garlic, olive oil, and olives. Her first book, Mediterranean Food, came out in 1950. Other notables are French Provincial Cooking, Italian Food, and Summer Cooking. Rather than the usual list of ingredients, then directions, David integrated the names and amounts of the components into the narrative, just as Gourmet magazine did for years and years. This made it tough on cooks and for those who shopped for the recipe makings. One had to really read the recipe and use a pad and pencil for the grocery list. (Still a good

Draper’s Super Bee Apiaries, Inc. Honey...How sweet it is!

We produce and sell high quality, natural honey products and much more.

We’ll Ship Your Christmas Gifts For You!

Monday-Friday 8am-5pm Saturday 8am-1pm

www.draperbee.com

32 Avonlea Lane Millerton, PA 16936 800-233-4273 or 570-537-2381

See England on page 44 43

• Open 7 days a week •

Delicious comfort fooD • Daily specials cozy fireplaces • Beautiful Decor outDoor Dining • Dog Dining area

Sunday Brunch Buffet 11 am — 2 pm

#1 Restaurant in Mansfield PA —Trip Advisor

England continued from page 43

Just Off Rt. 6 & 1-99/Rt.15 • Across from the Quality Inn 200 Gateway Drive, Mansfield, PA • 570-662-3222 www.lambscreek.com Since 2008, Nelle and her staff have welcomed guests to Lambs Creek Food & Spirits. And, as owner of the famous Wellsboro Diner, she has enjoyed serving delicious comfort food for over 20 years!

The Famous

Wellsboro Diner esT. 1939

One of “The 10 Best Classic Diners in America” — Huffington Post

Moules a la Marseillaise

Stacked Hot Roast Beef Sandwiches Fresh-Baked Mile-High Pies Our Own Cookies & Cakes 570-724-3992 Open 6:00 a.m.

Monday-Saturday 7:00 a.m. Sunday

Check Out Our Gift Store!

• Open 7 days a week • 44

idea with any recipe.) David’s love of spreading the gospel for Mediterranean cooking reminds me of a quotation attributed to the French chef and food writer, Marcel Boulestin: “It is not really an exaggeration to say that peace and happiness begin, geographically, where garlic is used in cooking.” Now there’s a table topic for your next dinner party. Myself, I think the jury is still out on that one.

Anyway, here’s a favorite David recipe that I’ve made over and over. I haven’t changed a word as I want you to get the flavor, not only of the dish, but how she presented it. I found this in a small spiral-bound book she wrote for the Le Creuset cookware people in 1969. I’m sure this splurge into commercialism helped pay the rent for her apartment in the Chelsea part of London.

I love mussels and they are usually at their best in the winter. Why not take advantage of this? It would make a terrific repast for a tree-trimming party. David doesn’t cover the pan to steam the little gems, and I find that unusual. Do what you like. In this case she does indicate the recipe quantities at the beginning of her recipe. (Note: I use a discarded but thoroughly washed British toothbrush to scrub the bivalves but, really, farm-raised mussels are pretty clean these days.) Fasten your apron, here it is: “2 qt. mussels; 4 shallots or very small onions; 6 tablespoons of olive oil; ½-pint water; parsley.

In the winter months, when mussels are in season, this makes an original and inexpensive first course dish.

As soon as you get the mussels home, put them in a big bowl of cold water, and leave them in a cool place. To prepare them for cooking, discard all which are broken or gaping open or any which appear abnormally heavy (these may be full of sand or grit which, in the cooking, would disperse and spoil the whole dish). Scrub the mussels, scrape off the protruding

http://zmyslowesmaki.pl/2016/02/04/jak-czyscic-mule/

sea weed-like bits called “beards�, and any barnacles and grit adhering to the shells. Put them in a colander and run plenty of cold water through them, then put them in a bowl of fresh cold water. When the time comes to cook the mussels, rinse them once more.

In a large wide pan put the chopped shallots or onions, the olive oil and the water. Bring the liquid very quickly to a fierce boil, so that the oil and water amalgamate. Throw in the mussels and let them cook rapidly, uncovered. In 5 to 7 minutes they will be opened and ready to serve. Transfer them and their liquid to a heated tureen or big bowl. Strew fresh, chopped parsley over them. Have ready very well heated soup plates and, on the table, a dish or bowl for the empty shells. Serve the mussels very quickly, while they are freshly cooked.

Enough for two or three people.�

Mighty Powerful Verbs I love “strew� so much more than “sprinkle,� and “throw� outdoes “place� in my book. I wouldn’t exactly call mussels “inexpensive� no matter the season, but, as the Brits say, they “go down a treat.� I have doubled the recipe as I have a quite large Le Creuset shallow pan. And you’ll want to have some freshly toasted slices of crusty French bread that you’ve rubbed with a fat fresh-sliced garlic clove for dipping. There’s bruschetta again.

This makes, for me, a most satisfactory meal with a variety of olives and cheese (try roughly sliced Parmigiana Reggiano) to start. Add a few nuts, and I don’t mean your relatives or friends.

Lightly toasted walnuts would be my choice even a dotty cousin would enjoy.

Sit, quaff and enjoy your company and the holiday. You may be in your dining room that tonight masquerades as Provence. SantĂŠ, and cheers.

Chef, teacher, author, and award-winning columnist Cornelius O’Donnell lives in Horseheads, New York.

Enjoy a meal overlooking the Susquehanna River.

Henry’s is not just a restaurant,

IT’S A TRADITION! (570) 326-1607

5693 N. Route 220 Hwy., Linden, PA 17744

7KH %(67 3RS&RUQ

0,/

/ 6 7 5( (7

)UHVK 5RDVWHG 3HDQXWV &2))(( . 23(-& .,/ -8 &RIIHH 6KRS (VSUHVVR 6RIW 6HUYH ,FH &UHDP <HV :H 5RDVW RXU RZQ &RIIHH (VWDEOLVKHG

DW Nodm 0/

$ 6 C`xr Vddj

'3%, ,62

* U R X Q G

$W WKH FRUQHU RI

. &XS

5RXWH 0LOO 6WUHHW

'RZQWRZQ 6\OYDQLD 3D

ZZZ PLOOVWUHHWWUHDWV FRP

COURT ST. GROWERS MARKET

Dmeats ON WALTMAN & deli

338 Court Street, Williamsport, PA 17701

USDA Beef, Pork, and Deli Items

(570) 322-0132

20% OFF

Smoked Sausage with this ad

Fax (570) 322-6990 Fresh Dressed Turkeys & Capons If you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know your meats...

KNOW YOUR BUTCHER!

Visit us Wednesdays at the Lewsburg Farmersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Market 45

REAL ESTATE

HOME is where the is.

Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t wait until the cold of winter leaves you stranded!

Call Today! With the fuel of your choice, you can have a new fireplace, insert or stove installed BEFORE an issue occurs!

Start Planning your

S A L E S â&#x20AC;¢ S E R V I C E â&#x20AC;¢ I N S TA L L AT I O N Wood â&#x20AC;¢ Coal â&#x20AC;¢ Corn â&#x20AC;¢ Pellet â&#x20AC;¢ Gas

By Heat-N-Glow, Regency, Leisure Line, Hitzer, and Magnum

Advanced Air HVAC & HEARTHS, LLC Toll Free: 866-423-8247

Free Quotes â&#x20AC;¢ 24 Hour Emergency Service 49 Main Street, Lawrenceville, PA 16929

Dream Home

(EARTHSTONE FEATURES AN UNMATCHED ABILITY TO CREATE ANY IMAGINABLE STYLE OF CUSTOM LUXURY

HAND CRAFTED ,OG AND 4IMBER &RAME HOMES OR (EAVY 4IMBER COMMERCIAL STRUCTURES

SWALKER

s ,OCK (AVEN 0!

HEARTHSTONEHOMES COM s WWW HEARTHSTONEH

Hearthstone features an unmatched ability to create any imaginable style of custom, luxury, handcrafted Log and Timber Frame homes or Heavy Timber commercial structures.

Scott Walker, Project Manager: 570-295-1083 Lock Haven, PA 17745 â&#x20AC;¢ swalker@hearthstonehomes.com

www.hearthstonehomes.com

Winter Storm? Downed Power Lines? Extreme Cold?

Add Style and Heat to Any Room.

Be Prepared for the Next Power Outage!

Home Power Systems Offers a Complete & Detailed Maintenance Plan Designed Specifically For Your Guardian/Generac® Generator.

CALL TODAY for your FREE In-Home Assessment!

High Quality Fireplaces and Stoves

NATURAL GAS â&#x20AC;¢ PROPANE â&#x20AC;¢ WOOD â&#x20AC;¢ PELLET â&#x20AC;¢ COAL Premier Dealer

The Areaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ONLY Certified Installers â&#x20AC;¢ Free Quotes â&#x20AC;¢ Financing Available

All Installed Generators Backed By Our 24/7 Emergency Protection Plan Your #1 SOURCE for Generators

1127 Corporate Drive East Farmington, NY 14425

585-421-0203

WWW.HOMEPOWERSYSTEMS.NET 46

(570) 724-6100

WWW.WELLSBOROEQUIPMENT.COM

REAL ES TATE

ONLY $ 699,900

477 Tioga Street Wellsboro, PA Office: 570-723-8484 Fax: 570-723-8604

BORDERING 1,000s OF ACRES OF STATE LANDS!

MOUNTAIN HOME OF A LIFETIME ON 31 ACRES 3+ beds, VERY open floor plan, vaulted ceilings, stone fireplace, luxury kitchen, finished full basement with game room, family room, professional office, 3 car attached garage. Also has a 2 car detached garage with upstairs, outdoor kitchen area, and deck. Fully furnished with toys in the garage!

MLSR130639A

www.mvrwellsboro.com

SECLUDED—FIND YOUR PRIVACY RIGHT HERE!

GORGEOUS HOME ON 3 ACRES with oversize garage, loft, 1st floor laundry, 3 bedr’s with jetted tub in master bedroom. Very large bonus room! Family room, game room, office, and wired for generator use. Located in Cogan Station, Lycoming County. Jersey Shore School District ...................................................................................$ 324,900 LAND FOR SALE: 3.78 ACRES. Located in GALLAGHER TWP AND STATE GAME LANDS nearby. Park a camper or build a cabin ........................................ Only $37,900 WILLIAMSPORT COMMERCIAL PROPERTY FOR SALE. Property includes 2 parcels: 933 Washington Blvd. and 813 Chestnut Street. TOTAL LOT SIZE: 50 X 280 .......$133,500

PLEASE CALL CONNIE BARGER, Assoc. Broker/Appraiser 570-322-1991 1737 EAST THIRD ST. • WILLIAMSPORT PA. 17701

754 Canton Street, Troy PA • 570-297-7770 HOURS: Monday-Saturday 8am-5pm 47

REAL ESTATE Button Buck continued from page 23

A New Home for the Holidays?

172 Miller Lane, Wellsboro 4 Bedrooms • 3 Baths MLS #130706 $199,900 4+ Ac.

366 East Second St, Coudersport 4 Bedrooms • 1.5 Baths MLS #130697 $99,900 1+ Ac.

834 Simonds Hill Rd, Westfield 3 Bedrooms • 2 Baths MLS#130435 $179,900 13+ Ac.

700 Munson Rd, Wellsboro 3 Bedrooms • 3 Baths MLS #130355 $524,900 45 Ac.

4373 Cook Rd, Woodhull NY 3 Bedrooms • 1 Bath MLS #130332 $329,900 83 Ac.

1083 Route 44S, Shinglehouse 3 Bedrooms • 2 Baths MLS #130602 $135,000 1+ Ac.

816 Back Rd, Roaring Branch 2 Bedrooms • 1 Bath MLS #130623 $225,000 8+ Ac.

254 Telescope Rd, Ulysses 3 Bedrooms • 1 Bath MLS #130674 $725,000 184+ Ac.

Realty Pioneers

11564 Route 6 • Wellsboro, PA

(570) 723-1600

wellsboro.howardhanna.com

INDEPENDENTLY OWNED AND OPERATED 48

get the most bang for his buck…pun intended. He had a family that loved venison, they were counting on him to provide it, and what a blessing if he could fulfill those wishes with a big doe.

He also knows from past sits on our farm that it’s not a question of not seeing deer...it’s normally a question of when and how many. He’s also well aware how large some of our whitetails can be, since he holds the record for tagging the heaviest recorded doe at 191 pounds actual live weight.

So here’s what happened. A lone deer enters the plot of brassicas out in front of the blind. The Pastor—with the aid of binoculars—determines that it’s a fawn. Minutes later, another deer appears and starts feeding close to the first one. Binoculars reveal that the second deer is noticeably bigger than the first.

That size difference tricks the Pastor into thinking that the pair is most likely a doe and her fawn. A rangefinder confirms the distance at a mere sixty-one yards.

From that point, did he thoroughly examine other body features that might be telltale signs of something otherwise? Did the larger deer have a long nose typical of an adult doe, or the short neck and compact nose length of a fawn? Did he consider that a male fawn will usually be larger than a female fawn?

Did the larger deer have a smoother, rounded head between the ears typical of a doe? And from a side view—the best angle to distinguish—were there any signs of antler projections or indications of bumps where antlers normally protrude which would define a button buck? And, since the shot occurred in mid-afternoon, did the Pastor heed my advice by patiently waiting for other deer to show? You already know the answers.

The art of differentiating young from mature deer comes from observations and experience. But since there are no laws protecting button bucks from other antlerless deer, why should most hunters be inclined to educate themselves? Well, in the Pastor’s case, he would have been a far more delighted hunter if he had led me to a mature doe. And naturally, I’d be a happier landowner if he had taken a doe, since that animal would no longer be contributing offspring to the herd the following spring.

The Pastor’s button buck wasn’t the only male fawn killed on our farm this past season, and I guarantee it won’t be the last.

With a pre-season harvest goal often set at fifty or more deer, it’s not uncommon for us to have over thirty people on our roster who will hunt our property—depending on their luck—from one day to several days. Within that list, there will always be some novice hunters tagging button bucks, there will always be those who don’t have time to wait for the preferred deer, and there will always be those who make mistakes. And there’s absolutely no sin associated with all three.

By observing antlerless deer year-round, by studying photos in books and magazines, and by heeding the lessons from the Pastor’s hunt, one can surely make a more conscious decision about when to pull the trigger. And when the shot is fired and you walk up to your prize, more often than not you’ll be the one texting a message to a friend or family member that really does mean: “Doe” down!

Award-winning writer Roger Kingsley’s articles and photographs have appeared in several nationally known publications.

SHOPPING

SHOPPING

PROFESSIONAL SERVICES

Mountain Home

2nd & 4th Sat. EVERY MONTH

Muzzleloading & Trapping Supplies

DEANE CENTER • 3RD FLOOR MAIN STREET • WELLSBORO mtnlifecycling.com • 267-446-4452

1980 John Brady Drive • Muncy, PA (570) 546-2061 • www.northeasttradeco.com Ne

Hauber ’s Jewelry

w& Im pro ved hi Ve cle Lis

• Diamonds & Quality Jewelry • Bulova & Seiko Watches and Clocks • Fenton, Charms, Trophies and Engraving “We do watch batteries!”

tin gs!

www.matthewsmotorcompany.com Matthews Motor Company is a family owned and operated full service car dealership. We have an on-site NAPA Service Center and a AAA Approved Body Shop. We also have the largest Car Rental Fleet in Tioga County. County.

ROD COCHRAN BOOKS Signed copies available:

Bear Hollow - $25.95 A Temple in Nod - $15.95 The Legend of Augustus McBoone - $32.95 Send payments to author: P.O. Box 157, Westfield, PA 16950 or e-mail rodcochran@gmail.com.

You could promote your business here!

Call (570)724-3838 today!

Call (570)724-3838 today!

our P riv Party ate Rides!

Welcome participants from beginners to skilled athletes.

Builders Parts • Custom Ramrods Service & Repairs • Old Trapper’s Products

You could promote your business here!

ITED UNLIMIN SP ES! CLASS

INTRO TO SPIN CLASSES FOR JUST $5.00

NORTH EAST TRADE CO.

Visit our Website at

SERVICE DIRECTORY Ask a $ 60/mo. bout

GOODIES FOR OUR TROOPS Now in our 13th year, we thank you for your generosity & prayers!

For FIELD TRIPS or SPECIAL GROUP PACKAGING EVENTS, email Goodies@ptd.net or call 570-662-5601.

We’ll welcome you with open arms!

If Wellsboro Schools close or have 2-hour delay, WE WILL BE CLOSED. PLEASE PRAY FOR OUR TROOPS, OUR VETERANS, THEIR FAMILIES, AND THE FAMILIES OF OUR FALLEN HEROES. PO Box 383 • Wellsboro, PA 16901 570-662-5601 Goodies@ptd.net 87 MAIN STREET (Main & Craft Sts. below Stained Glass Reflections) WELLSBORO, PA 16901 49

B A C K O F T H E M O U N TA I N

Snow Angels

By Linda Stager

J

ust off the Pine Creek Rail Trail sits the iconic old Webster barn. I have always loved taking photos of that barn whenever I am in the neighborhood. The big olâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; W on the end is like a sign of welcome to my camera and me. I usually frame the barn differently in the camera lens, but that quiet morning as the snow fell, gently and silently, I was struck as much by the stark outline of the tree and the colors of the sunrise as I was the familiar shape of the barn.

50

Your Regional Airport

delta.com

aa.com

united.com

Ithaca Tompkins Regional Airport has competitive pricing, unparalleled convenience, and the most customer friendly staff around. With three airlines servicing daily flights to Detroit, Philadelphia and Newark, you have an opportunity to fly to over 700 one-stop destinations around the world.

We look forward to serving your air travel needs in 2018.

One-stop connections to over 700 global destinations Ithaca Tompkins Regional Airport, 1 Culligan Drive Ithaca, NY 14850

Don’t just fight cancer. Beat it.

UPMC Susquehanna’s Cancer Center is one of the most comprehensive cancer programs in north-central Pennsylvania. No matter what type of cancer you’re facing, our experienced team of doctors, nurses, nutritionists, and social workers are here to provide you with the most advanced treatments and unparalleled patient services. We offer you and your family the resources you need to fight cancer and get back to the life you love.

Williamsport: 570-326-8470 Wellsboro: 570-723-2855 UPMCSusquehanna.org/Cancer