#ExploreCorning 2021

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#ExploreCORNING

2021 Guide 2021 SUMMER EXHIBITS A New York Summer May 25 - June 25 Mini Masterpieces - Fundraiser June 29 - July 9 Art in the Finger Lakes July 13 - August 20 Our Premier Juried Show August 24 - October 1

GALLERY-GIFTS WORKSHOPS Annie’s Secret Pottery at Sunny Point on Keuka Lake Online Gallery Shop

127 Main Street Penn Yan, NY

Open Tues & Weds 10 - 5pm, Thurs & Fri 10 - 8pm, Sat 9:30 - 5pm Closed Sunday & Monday

315-536-8226

www.artscenteryatescounty.org 4

Editors & Publishers Teresa Banik Capuzzo Michael Capuzzo Associate Publisher George Bochetto, Esq. Director of O pe r a t i o n s Gwen Button Managing Editor Gayle Morrow S a l e s R ep r e s e n t a t i v e s Shelly Moore, Richard Trotta Circulation Director Michael Banik Accounting Amy Packard Contributing writerS Maggie Barnes, Mike Cutillo, Dave DeGolyer, Lilace Mellin Guignard, David O'Reilly, Karey Solomon #ExploreCORNING is published by Beagle Media, LLC, 39 Water St., Wellsboro, PA 16901, in partnership with Corning’s Gaffer District.

Copyright © 2021 Beagle Media, LLC. All rights reserved. E-mail info@ mountainhomemag.com, or call (570) 724-3838. #ExploreCORNING is distributed 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.

Hello all, If you are reading this letter, you are about to discover a publication that was created to introduce you to some of the spectacular ways to #ExploreCORNING and the surrounding area. Corning’s Gaffer District is a must stop at the southern gateway to the extraordinary area called the Finger Lakes Region of upstate New York.

We are a small city with big experiences to be had by all. We are a very walkable downtown that is filled with beautiful streetscapes, great shopping, and an incredible arts scene, all in the midst of a delicious Bon Appetit dining destination! Our spa and personal care offerings are abundant as well as a list of experience trails that are selfguided no matter what time or day you explore with us.

Our award-winning downtown is the home of a historic district that set the stage for the revitalization movement in the United States. Many of those stories are highlighted in our magnificent self-guided Buildings Alive Tour. In the heart of our city is the Centerway Square, named the #1 Public Square in the USA Today's 10Best Readers' Choice travel awards for 2021.

We are also home to the world-renowned Corning Museum of Glass, which tells the story of our extraordinary glass history and will leave you in awe as you watch live glass blowing demonstrations.

We encourage you to make Corning your home base, explore the incredible list of ways to relax and enjoy time in a safe and welcoming environment while you take jaunts to explore our surrounding area as well.

You will be planning your next visit even before your first has ended!! We cannot wait to welcome you the first time or one of many over the years. We have so missed our guests.

On behalf of the Corning’s Gaffer District, stay well and may we see you soon!

Coleen Fabrizi Executive Director Corning’s Gaffer District SHOP LOCAL SPONSORED BY:

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Gaffer District Guide

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Ad Directory AJ'S HAIR AND MAKEUP............................17 BACALLES GLASS SHOP...........................17 BARR YANN...................................................2 BRADFORD COUNTY TOURISM................41 BURGERS & BEER......................................23 CAMP BELL CAMPGROUND......................43 CAPRIOTTI PROPERTIES..........................49 CAREY'S BREW HOUSE............................25 CORNING ART AND FRAME.......................23 CORNING BUILDING COMPANY................17 CORNING MUSEUM OF GLASS.................19 CRYSTAL CITY WEDDING & PARTY CENTER.......................................................33 DIPPITY DO DAHS......................................27 ELMIRA DOWNTOWN DEVELOPMENT.....49 ENDLESS MOUNTAIN MUSIC FESTIVAL...13 FAMOUS BRANDS......................................45 FERENBAUGH CAMPGROUND.................39 FINGER LAKES BOATING MUSEUM.........43 FINGER LAKES UNIQUE............................23 GUSTIN'S GALLERY...................................17 GUTHRIE HEALTHCARE............................47 HOWARD HANNA........................................31 INSTANT BRANDS .....................................15 KOOKALAROC'S BAR & GRILL..................43 LAKEWOOD VINEYARDS...........................45 LITTLE BOOMERS' BURRITO BAR............23 MARICH MUSIC...........................................17 8

MARKET STREET ANTIQUES AND COLLECTIBLES..................................41 MOONEY'S SPORTS BAR AND GRILL.......50 MOUNTAIN HOME MAGAZINE...................41 NATIONAL SOARING MUSEUM.................43 OAK'S SPORTS BAR...................................27 OLD WORLD CAFE.....................................27 ORCHESTRA OF THE SOUTHERN FINGER LAKES...........................................52 PIP'S BOUTIQUE.........................................17 R & M RESTAURANT..................................25 RICO'S.........................................................27 SERENDIPITY HAIR STUDIO.....................17 SIMMONS-ROCKWELL...............................51 SORGE'S RESTAURANT............................27 STUDIO LMG...............................................19 SUNY CORNING COMMUNITY COLLEGE.....................................................33 THE CELLAR...............................................25 THE CENTER...............................................39 THE GAME SHOPPE...................................19 THE ROCKWELL MUSEUM........................25 THREADS + CO...........................................23 VINEYARD VILLAS......................................45 WEST END GALLERY...................................3 WINEGLASS MARATHON...........................31 WOOLY MINDED.........................................23 YATES COUNTY ARTS COUNCIL.................4

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EMMF at the Movies So maybe you watched the recent Godzilla vs. Kong movie, or saw its trailer, or read a review.

Could Godzilla’s armored tail be a lethal weapon? Yeah, but look at Kong’s arms—and how he leaps! OK, but which guy is smarter? Which one’s quicker? More sympathetic? Heroic?

Now imagine yourself at an electronic keyboard. Your job is to turn each of these snarling beasts into…music. That’s the imaginative leap Hollywood composers make every day as they score music for film and TV. With digital synthesizers and sound libraries that can mimic kettle drums, cellos, the coo of a mourning dove, or a whole symphony orchestra. They evoke the fury of war, the tenderness of a kiss, a stalker’s creepiness, the sadness of farewell.

And on July 17, at Elmira’s Clemens Center, the 2021 Endless Mountain Music Festival will celebrate the art of modern film scoring with the premiere performance of “The Emerging Hollywood Composers Concert.” Under the direction of Maestro Stephen Gunzenhauser, the festival orchestra will perform the works of eight young scoring composers who’ve lately made their marks on Hollywood.

It’s a unique concept. Starting with the 1940s and continuing to the past decade, each composer was assigned one decade and invited to capture the spirit of its films and TV in an orchestral work of about seven minutes. For the early 2000s, for example—the age of Lord of the Rings and the early Harry Potter films—composer Etienne Monsaingeon has composed a piece called “Once Upon a Time.” Composer Kara Talve’s composition captures the forties— think Casablanca and It’s a Wonderful Life—in a piece called “Winter Rhapsody.”

“The idea of the concert was born as I was talking with Etienne [Monsaingeon],” explains Marisa Gunzenhauser. She’s the daughter of Stephen, the festival’s musical director, and chief operating officer of Sparks & Shadows, the production company of acclaimed Hollywood composer Bear McCreary. Etienne had “expressed his desire to perform with a symphony orchestra—and his fear that this might never happen in his career.”

“So I came up with this idea,” she says, “to give each composer a decade in film.” Her dad loved the idea, Bear McCreary did too, and the composers were “thrilled at the prospect of seeing their work performed before a live audience.”

Film scenes will play along with the music on a large screen. Showtime is 7 p.m. Tickets are $39. COVID permitting, the composers plan to attend. Find out more at endlessmountain.net. ~ David O’Reilly

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FROM POPS TO PAGANINI THE VARIETY IS ENDLESS! CLASSICAL/JAZZ/CELTIC BLUES/CHORAL/PIANO TANGO/BRASS/POPS

e t a br e Cel

july 16 - August 1, 2021 Tickets Now On Sale! and 8 emerging hollywood film composers!

WELLSBORO H MANSFIELD KNOXVILLE H CHERRY SPRINGS STATE PARK CORNING H ELMIRA H TIOGA

www.endlessmountain.net 570-787-7800

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Threads + Co. “We go for unique women’s clothing that’s fashionable and trendy,” says Ashley Bates (above), owner of Threads + Co., a relatively new store at 24 East Market Street. Her curated collection of distinctive wearables is carefully selected several times a year, and the store is stocked with limited quantities of each clothing line. “You’ll find clothing that isn’t what you’d find in a box store—and everyone won’t be walking around wearing the same things,” she says.

Ashley previously co-owned The Cotton Gin with her aunt, Malinda Collum. That store had a Southern vibe, but when her aunt returned south, Ashley put her own stamp on things with Threads + Co., featuring rustic, Boho clothing with a nod to the girly side of her Southern roots. She opened the store on Market Street in January 2020, and weathered the challenging pandemic year by establishing a retail presence online. Having a website, shopthreadsandco.com, and a Facebook page has also helped her stay in close contact with her customers during the past less-than-business-friendly year, while growing her brand nationally. Domestic orders of seventy-five dollars or more get free shipping.

She stays close to her base by using social media to poll customers about the colors they’re most interested in right now. For the spring 2021 collection, people were excited about pastels and neutrals.

Look around the shop and you’ll notice that everything goes with everything else. The current palette is both restful and energized, from the soft blues, aquas, and roses that go well with jeans but pop with other basics in black and white, to gentle bursts of color on clothing for times when fun is definitely on the menu. Many elements bridge the gap between work-from-home casual to dinner and an evening out. It’s not just tops and bottoms, it’s also dresses appropriate for a wedding guest or date night, hair accessories, and jewelry from local vendors. “It’s nice to feature local artists,” Ashley notes. Most items are available in sizes small to large, “but I try to have at least eight to ten items up to size 3X.” And while the typical customer might be eighteen to twenty-five, almost anyone who wanders in will find something wearable and flattering. Ashley says often a mother/ daughter duo will be shopping together, and each will go home with something she loves.

To find something you’ll love, visit Wednesday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. or call (607) 654-4149. ~ Karey Solomon

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Offer cannot be combined with other coupons or additional offers.

Coupon valid at the 114 Pine St. Corning, NY Store only.

(607) 962-1545

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Pixie Moss Meadows Pixies and fairies and gnomes, oh my! They’re hiding under succulents and populating the magical gardens of Pixie Moss Meadows, 65 East Market Street, as they once peopled the tales Jennifer Tiffany’s grandmother told her. “And I just carry that on,” she says now.

Jennifer (above) uses a variety of containers to create tabletop gardens brimming with mystery. She began as a stay-at-home mom wanting a creative outlet. Friends and family who saw her creations asked her to make little gardens for them, too. “I loved succulents because they were the first sort of plant I didn’t kill,” she laughs. She took online classes, and spent years sourcing accessories and doing other research. And she’s propagated her succulents in order to have a good supply, experimenting with ones that trail, some that look like little trees, others offering variegated colors, and sourcing those that are hard to find.

Her shop is a green oasis, complete with happy plants, baskets of the colorful semiprecious stones she uses to decorate her scenes, and the gentle sounds of a trickling fountain. “I can create a garden in just about anything,” Jennifer says. “I’ve even used hollowed out logs.” She finds intriguing vessels everywhere, even creating such tiny gardens in containers like antique canning jars, using tweezers to carefully maneuver everything inside. In such small spaces the growing medium is critical. “Dirt is really important,” she says. “Two years ago I came up with my own dirt recipe. I want the gardens to thrive and have a long life.”

At her shop, hundreds of plump succulents sun themselves near the window, along with other houseplants and sample gardens. There are chain saw carved mushrooms, a display of air plants, and a lovely bower of Spanish moss, another frequent ingredient in her gardens. “Did you know moss is supposed to represent good luck and abundance?” she asks. She has tiny moss gardens floating in jars; some of the balls of moss even wear little sun hats to protect them from light, as they prefer dim spaces.

She’s also setting up a “Pixie Bar” for customers who want to create their own tabletop gardens. Want Jennifer to come to you? She organizes garden parties where each guest can take home their own garden. Her helper is her fifteen-year-old daughter, MacKenzie, a clay artist who crafts some of the garden accessories, like fairy doors. See a gallery of Jennifer’s creations at pixiemossmeadows.com, on Facebook, or call (607) 221-5906. ~ Karey Solomon

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BACALLE S GLA HOP EST. 1967 Glass Animals • Paper Weights Hand-Crafted Personal Care Items Largest Selection Springbok® Puzzles

10 W. market st — corning, ny - 607-962-3339

The Corning Building Co.

Your Complete Home & Idea Center - Since “1848”

CBC PLAZA, PARK AVE. CORNING

936-9921

Open Daily 7:30AM - 6:00PM Sat. til 4:30PM, Sun. 10:00AM - 2:00PM Visit us at: www.corningbuilding.com

Marich Music est. 1974

Repairs

Lessons

Rentals

62. E Market Street Corning

www.marichmusic.com Guitars - Ukuleles - Band & Orchestra & More!

Pip’s Boutique Woman-owned boutique for 40 years!

Shop Pip’s! When you look good, you feel good.

When you Shop Pip’s... you’ll look great!

89 E. Market St • Corning, NY 14830

Hours: Mon-Tues: 10am-4pm • Wed-Sat: 10am-6pm • Sun: 12-4pm

52 Bridge Street • Corning, NY

(607) 654-7751

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Marich Music For decades, Marich Music at 62 E. Market Street has supplied Corning’s music scene with instrument repairs, rentals, and lessons. Owner Ben Borkowski, who purchased the business a few years ago from his in-laws, went to school for instrument repair and is dedicated to crafting one-of-a-kind instruments himself while sourcing strings and other items as much as possible from New York State. “I try to sell stuff you can’t get elsewhere,” Ben says. He promotes local musicians and songwriters, and has created a unique hub for aspiring and professional musicians.

When you step into the store, there will probably be a dog to pet. Winnie, a golden doodle puppy, is learning what it takes to be store dog. Her predecessor worked full time for ten years, so Winnie has big pawprints to fill. On display you’ll see the grand collection of Market Street Guitars, only sold here, including four acoustic models and several electrics. The Finger Lakes ukuleles are very popular as well. Jewelry and souvenirs from Keuka Blue Gifts, colorful guitar straps, and books of sheet music invite you to browse.

Currently seventy students a week, ranging from age four to eighty, are taking in-person or virtual lessons. Most students are studying piano, guitar, ukulele, violin, and voice. Brass and woodwind instruments are for rent, as are sound systems for events. And if you happen to own a brass or woodwind instrument that needs some love or serious repair, Ben will do that in-house.

“Most places send them off,” Ben explains. “My specialty is repairing vintage saxophones.”

One loyal customer says, “He knows more about the lacquered fretboard on my Rickenbacker and how to repair it than any guitar geek I’ve worked with, and he can fix a clarinet in his sleep. Somehow he seems to know better what instrument I need or want as a player than I do.” This local songwriter also praises Ben’s ability to bring folks together to learn and appreciate each other’s art, in a way that fosters support rather than competition. “Because of Ben, I have a few dozen partners in musical crime.”

Business has been hit hard by the pandemic. What do you do if your customers are working musicians who aren’t working? Ben’s answer last summer was to work with the Gaffer District to book 114 musical acts for outdoor stages when Main Street was closed to vehicles. He’s hoping to do the same this year, and resume the songwriter showcases. Find out more at marichmusic.com or by calling (607) 936-6044. ~ Lilace Mellin Guignard 18

Magic The Gathering featuring over 50,000 singles Pokemon • Dungeons & Dragons Warhammer 40k • Age of Sigmar & Many More!

Hours: Closed Sun-Tues.

Wed-Fri 2 to 8pm Sat. Noon-8pm (607) 654-4128 11 E. Pulteney St • Corning thegameshoppny.com

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Finger Lakes Unique Light sparkling off glass, lovely aromas, and displays of some of the area’s finest and most interesting artisan wares fill Finger Lakes Unique, 99 E. Market Street. This sunny corner shop features the work of almost 100 regional crafters. Victoria Sardo (above), owner and fellow artisan, has a well-informed appreciation for the handmade. No more than three artisans working in any medium are represented here, and their work has to be go-the-extra-mile high quality to be considered. Victoria keeps a waiting list of artisans hoping to eventually find a place here.

“We have everything from dog treats to skin care, photography, clothing, chocolate and maple syrup, furniture, jewelry, soap, and candles,” she says, naming a fraction of what’s available.

For more than a dozen years, Victoria has been crafting colorful soy candles and wax melts, trademarked as AnnaMarri in honor of her two daughters. “I wanted to offer a healthyburning candle with a good fragrance—paraffin is a petroleum product and not healthy to burn in your home.” Her Seneca Lake candle, for instance, has the fresh ozone scent of rain; the one named for Keuka Lake might be piney or breezy, depending on one’s sniffer.

In her journey as an artisan, she’s met others whose work she admires. Visitors to Finger Lakes Unique have the admission-free opportunity to see the best of the best, a sort of crafters’ craft fair to explore anytime.

Each artisan’s work has its own place in the store, often with a posted bio and contact information. The work of one artisan, only known by her business name, Blossoms Bejeweled, is doubly local—she crafts jewelry from tiny plants and flowers she grows and dries, then encases in resin. Her greatest challenge, she told Victoria, is finding two relatively identical blossoms or plants to create her earrings. And there are works too special to ever go to a crafts market, like the quilted table runner made by a 94-year-old quilter, and the table whose base formerly powered a treadle sewing machine.

Many items in the store are low in cost, like heart-shaped crayons, soup kits, bead jewelry, beautifully-packaged artisan soaps, and chocolates. “There are a lot of talented people in the area,” Victoria says. “Now more than ever it’s important to support small local businesses and to have a place where artists can show their work. We wanted to provide a spot where people could come in and support them.”

Visit Facebook to find the newest arrivals to Finger Lakes Unique, or call (607) 377-6505.

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~ Karey Solomon

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The Game Shoppe Andrew Estep (above) discovered magic, Magic: The Gathering, that is, as a kid. He liked the game because it gave him common ground with other gamers, and community wherever he went. The game’s need for strategy and skill was an engrossing and welcome challenge. In 2015, having noticed that Corning didn’t have a place to buy gaming cards and accessories, he opened The Game Shoppe, now at 11 E. Pulteney Street.

Getting into gaming, “could cost you nothing if you borrow someone’s deck,” Andrew says, but adds there are also people who spend hundreds of dollars at a time. “It’s whatever the individual’s comfortable with spending,” he states. There are books to help beginners, a host of online resources, and, of course, other gamers. “Magic is kind of skill intensive,” Andrew notes.

“I still can sit down and learn something new, like when an interaction didn’t work the way I thought it did. Skills start to separate players.”

Some Game Shoppe customers come for Warhammer, Dungeons & Dragons, or Pokemon, but the majority come for Magic. Because certain cards are only created as limited editions, it’s not unusual for a customer to drive several hours to acquire a few rare collectibles. “Magic tends to increase in value with age, so some people buy them to sit on them,” Andrew says.

“Certain cards can be valuable due to their rarity in production and utility in gameplay.”

Prices for individual cards might range “from a few cents to tens of thousands of dollars.” In pre-pandemic times, the rooms at the Game Shoppe hosted tournaments and full tables of engrossed players. Currently, seating is limited, but, in time, this will change back to normal.

Snacks and soft drinks are generally available for those more interested in continuing the game than taking a meal break, and “everyone’s always welcome,” Andrew says. Some customers might come in for a few things and continue on their way, while others stay until the store closes, playing and visiting with other gamers. It’s all okay. “It’s a gathering place for people from all walks of life, from kids just learning to a grandparent playing with grandkids,” he says.

Playing together is an inclusive activity where superficial differences get put aside. And gaming also translates into other areas of life, he says, noting it can help with vocabulary, arithmetic, even social anxiety.

The Game Shoppe is open Wednesday through Friday from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m., and Saturdays and Sundays from noon to 8 p.m. Find them online at thegameshoppeny.com, on Facebook, or call (607) 654-4128. ~ Karey Solomon 22

FOR ALL YOUR FRAMING NEEDS

www.corningartandframe.com

Fine Custom Framing • Prints • Posters • Mirrors All You’ll Need is Space and a Hammer!

99 East Market Street Corning, NY

87 West Market St. Corning, NY 14830 607-962-8692

www.corningartandframe.com

24 E. Market Street • Corning, NY (607) 654-4149 • info@shopthreadsandco.com

www.shopthreadsandco.com

For all your handknitting & crocheting wants & needs.

91 E. Market Street, Corning, NY 14830 607.973.2885 • woolyminded.com Mon., Tue., Thu., Fri., Sat. 11-4 Closed Wed. & Sun

OPEN DAILY

(607) 438-1117 30 W. MARKET ST.

58 W. Market Street 607-962-4649

CorningBurgers.beer

CORNING, NY 14830 WWW.BOOMERSBURRITOBAR.COM #ExploreCORNING 23

AJ’s Hair, Makeup When Anthony Fratarcangelo’s grandmother had a stroke ninety-five years ago, her stillteenaged daughter decided she needed to support the family while still caring for her mother.

With a talent for cutting and styling hair, she opened Alberta’s of Corning, first in the family home, later downtown. When she married, her husband joined her in the business. Children came, and while the older two traveled the world—one as a two-star Marine General and the other as a missionary—the much-younger third, AJ (above), joined the business.

Because the rules had changed since his mother first took scissors to hair, AJ had to invest thousands of hours in learning before he could join her in the business. Advanced classes included one with Vidal Sassoon, credited with taking the artistry of haircutting into the modern era. A coloring professional, AJ crisscrossed the country, teaching workshops on behalf of Redken Laboratories, “from Maine to Miami, to the West Coast and everywhere in between.”

When Corning had a summer theatre hosting some of Broadway’s luminaries, AJ did their hair and makeup, winning devoted fans among actors. For about fourteen years, he divided his time between Corning and New York City, with homes in both places. In Corning, he worked alongside his mother, who continued managing the business and doing the books even after she retired from doing hair. “We’re in the business of making people look and feel good,” he says. “When you look at the mirror and feel good about yourself, your day just goes better.”

That philosophy has also led him to give back by organizing fundraisers to help hospice organizations, those working on AIDS research and care, and in person-to-person efforts like back-to-school haircuts for AIDS patients and participants in the Big Brother/Big Sister program. “The community’s been good to us, and I feel it’s important to give back,” he says.

Along the way, he’s seen styles and products become more natural. “We use the best products available, and have from the beginning,” he says. “It’s about customer service, high quality, and doing what the customer would like.” Part of his job is teaching people how to keep their hair looking good between visits, saying, “You want something current and trendy and fashionable, but you still want to maintain healthy, shiny hair.” Yes, we do! AJ says he intends, like his mother did, to keep doing the work he loves as long as possible.

Find AJ’s Hair, Makeup at 24 Market Street, where it’s been for twenty years, at ajshairmakeup. com, or call (607) 936-8541. ~ Karey Solomon

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58 Bridge St • Corning • 607-377-5651

www.careysbrewhouse.com

40+ Beers on Tap • Full Service Bar Nice Selection of Wines

EXPERIENCE AMERICAN ART

KIDS +

TEENS

17 + UNDE

R

FREE

Smithsonian Affiliate

Housed within Downtown Corning’s Historic City Hall, The Rockwell explores

OPEN DAILY!

the evolution of the American experience through the eyes of American artists.

SUMMER HOUR S: 9 AM – 7 PM

9 AM – 5 PM

THE ROCKWELL MUSEUM 111 Cedar Street KIDS ROCKWELL Art Lab 36 E. Market Street Your ticket accesses both Rockwell locations for one price

#1

FOR FING PICK ER DESTINAT LAKES IONS

Corning, NY 14830 | 607-937-5386 @rockwellmuseum R O C K W E L L M U S E U M .O R G

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The Butcher’s Son Yes, Cameron Matthews (above) is the son of a butcher. He learned the trade at his dad’s knee, learned the culinary arts in New York City, and came back home to open his own place. The Butcher’s Son is unique in that it is both a restaurant and a full butcher shop.

Located at 127 West Market Street, the shop has both the classic look of a butcher shop, complete with sides of beef in a windowed cooler, and the upbeat vibe of a fun eatery.

There’s something to be said for opening a business during a tough time. Cameron admits it was “scary, opening during a pandemic.” But the response in 2020, largely local traffic only, was reassuring, and “we already have regular customers and steady business.” Diners can eat in or take out.

Everything is antibiotic- and hormone-free and sourced locally, from the sausage to the cheese. All the produce for the coming summer months will be from farms surrounding the Corning area. “Food like this has such harmony to it,” Cameron says. “We use every part of the animal. Even make our own stock from scratch.” Beef, pork, chicken, and lamb are available in menu items and as take-home from the meat case. Word is that using the Mexican sausage in your brunch dishes will make Sunday your favorite day.

The menu is creative, including “The Ghost”—two beef patties topped with candied jalapenos, basil jalapeno pickles, bacon, provolone, and BBQ sauce. There’s a chicken sandwich with spinach artichoke spread as a topping. One bite and you’re amazed you haven’t had it before. Salad, meat, and french fries are combined in a joyous cacophony of flavor that delights the palate. The gluten free rolls are amazing, according to customers.

Although the theme is undeniably carnivorous, there is a black bean burger topped with guacamole for vegetarian folks. Specials change daily.

There is patio dining, complete with a smoker and refrigerated trailer. Diners order and pay at the counter and meals are delivered in boxes to the tables where lively Market Street becomes part of the experience. Future plans call for the area to be enclosed for cold weather use. Also part of the plan is offering classes on how to select and smoke meats.

The Butcher’s Son is open every day except Monday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, and 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Sunday. Call (607) 973-2220 for more information. ~ Maggie Barnes

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West Market Street & Centerway Square In Corning West in Corning Corning WestMarket MarketStreet Street&&Centerway Centerway Square Square In

Corning's favorite Corning’s Corning's favorite favorite lunch break. break. lunch Featuring hearty break. homemade soups, lunch

Featuring hearty homemade sandwiches salads, specialtysoups, gourmet Featuring & hearty homemade soups, sandwiches & specialty foods & gifts.

Purity ice creamgourmet creations sandwiches & salads, salads, specialty gourmet foods && gifts.

Hershey’s icecream creamcreations creations served in the charming ambiance of a foods gifts.

Purity ice served in ambiance Victorian Ice Cream Parlor.of served inthe thecharming charming ambiance ofaa Victorian Victorian Ice Ice Cream Cream Parlor.

Parlor.

Hours: Fall 10am-6pm; Summer 10am-9pm • Sun. 12-5pm Hours: Fall 10am-6pm; Summer 10am-9pm • Sun. 12-5pm

oldworl.d.cofe.ccm I] oldworl.d.cofe.ccm I]

www.ricospizza.com Homemade Ice Cream

Pints & Quarts To Go Rotating Seasonal Flavors

Ice Cream Cakes!

Non-Dairy Options Available!

46 E. Market St • Corning, NY

607-542-9416

NFL TICKET 13 TVs OTB HORSE BETTING

Kitchen Open Daily 96 W Market St, Corning NY 607-973-2604 #ExploreCORNING 27

need

Oak’s Sports Bar If you wanted to create the perfect sports bar, there are some must-haves. Like beer and wings. And televisions, lots of televisions. Some games of chance would be fun, too. All of it to be capped off with a congenial host and an atmosphere of welcome.

If that’s the recipe, then Oak’s Sports Bar at 96 West Market Street is the perfect example.

Cozy without being cramped, with big street side windows and a classic dark wood bar, Oak’s offers the sports enthusiast a great seat to watch the game, have a solid meal, and meet new friends.

“Everybody likes a sports bar,” owner Eric Oakley says during a busy Saturday visit. “Every town needs one, even Corning.”

On such a diverse, internationally known avenue as Market Street, you could be forgiven for thinking a sports joint would look out of place. But just the opposite. Situated on a corner at the west end of the span, Oak’s is a true neighborhood spot that anchors Market Street to the community. It’s an easy place to get caught up in the feel of a party. Folks talk from table to table and some of the stories are loud and funny enough to get the whole place laughing.

“I know everybody in here,” Eric smiles. And there are a lot of them. A couple of big groups have pushed tables together, the bar is full, and the smaller tables along the side wall are all occupied. Flocks of wings are coming out of the kitchen; they are huge and spiced just right.

Eric says they are the menu favorite, but the burgers deserve some applause too. Try the half pound Cowboy burger with barbeque sauce and friend onion petals. When was the last time you saw a wedge salad at a sports bar? It’s a proper one too, with bacon bits and bleu cheese dressing. Looking for something to up your thirst? Try the Buffalo cheese curds.

Eric and his wife, Amy (above), have owned Oak’s for twenty-two years. The building was pretty rundown back then, but they saw the potential. The work never really stopped, as Eric feels constant improvements are what brings folks back.

“There was an OTB in town, but it went out, so we applied for the license and now you can bet here,” he notes. Quick Draw is available at the tables and you can watch your numbers come up—or not—on one of several TVs. Come find your seat!

Oak’s Sports Bar opens at noon seven days a week. Reach them by phone at (607) 973-2604. ~Maggie Barnes 28

#ExploreCORNING 29

Rico’s Pizza New York style pizza stands out from the crowd by offering a thinner crust with more focus on sauce, cheese, and toppings, says Rico Caruso. The Caruso family opened the flagship store at 92 West Market Street in 1985, and, thirty-six years later, Rico (above), president of Rico’s Pizza, has opened three other Rico’s Pizza stores—one each in Bath, Horseheads, and at Arnot Mall in Big Flats. The Corning store remains the center of things, the hometown place whose walls hold a lot of history and whose décor, renovated by Robert Manchester Design, reflects their personal style.

Here, several kinds of sauce are made from scratch, cooked until they’re a little thicker than spaghetti sauce, then seasoned with herbs, spices, and garlic. Look for specialty pizzas like the heart-shaped Valentine’s Day pizzas, garden pizzas, jalapeño, and the runaway hit lasagna pizza featuring a ricotta mix and dotted with mini meatballs. Try white pizza sauce on chicken cordon bleu pizza or the white broccoli with garlic. The Florence pizza has a basil pesto base.

A four-cheese pizza with sauce that combines some each of the red and garlic sauces is the favorite of Rico's store manager Raymond Bulkley. Each pizza is made by hand, making customization possible. There are double-crust stuffed pizzas; if you’re avoiding gluten, you can get a nine-inch gluten-free. Hungry yet? Taste a sampling of slices.

Chicken wings are another specialty of the house, with several hundred pounds of wings sold each week. Subs, sandwiches, salads, and knots are also available, including a “Cinna-Knot” dusted with cinnamon and powdered sugar for dessert. Unless you’re tempted by the cannoli.

Pizza ovens are different from those in home kitchens. The ovens at Rico’s bake their pizza at 500 degrees, and a thick stone at the bottom of the oven helps deliver that crispier crust.

For off-site catering, the ovens take to the road and Rico’s sets up a portable kitchen at special events, like races at Watkins Glen International.

At home in Corning, “we like to do something special for most holidays,” Raymond says, citing a corned beef and cabbage calzone special for St. Patrick’s Day, among other seasonal goodies. The rest of the year, other calzones, strombolis, and Rico pockets are portable options.

The Corning store is open Sunday through Thursday 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., Friday and Saturday 11 a.m.to 10 p.m. Preview a menu at ricospizza.com, find them on Facebook, or call (607) 962-2300.

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~ Karey Solomon

#ExploreCORNING 31

Jim’s Texas Hots Every town has one. “The” place to get a great hot dog. Especially when you are talking Market Street, Corning, one of America’s most walkable streets. While the area attracts residents and visitors from around the world, and offers an international shopping experience, there is something so perfectly American about window-shopping on a summer day while munching a dog.

Jim’s Texas Hots looks like a good hot dog place should. It’s long and narrow with an old style counter and the menus up on the wall. Tables in the back offer a place to rest your dogs while deciding what you want. There’s a service window on the street under an awning. It could be a movie scene—all it needs is a guy in a Fedora reading a racing form while mowing down a New York Hot with extra sauerkraut.

Jim Bacalles owns the space, where his father had a restaurant before him. Come the early 1980s, Jim’s dad hung up his apron; Jim put his own on while still in college. The place began with the love of family helping Jim to get it going. It’s been an institution on Market Street since then. “Imagine making all those hot dogs for over forty years,” Jim says.

That longevity served Jim well when the pandemic hit. “Business has gone from one extreme to the other, but our regular customers gave us enormous support,” he notes. He served a limited menu from that street side window, where a steady stream of folks stopped at the curb and grabbed their orders.

The classic combinations abound—Texas Hot with onions, mustard, and meat sauce, Wisconsin with cheddar cheese, Greek with olives and feta. There is no doubt that the hot dog is king here, but, as Jim says, “We wanted to offer more meal options besides the hot dogs. So, we added popular meals made from scratch like chicken and biscuits, meatloaf, and stuffed shells.” Other options include solid sandwich board favorites such as grilled cheese, roast beef, and liverwurst. A bag of chips and something cold from the cooler makes a meal.

Even with the international flavor of Market Street, “families still want to find reasonably priced, down-to-earth food that the kids will eat,” Jim says. That fundamental fact has helped him stay a part of the community for more than four decades.

Find Jim’s Texas Hots at 8 West Market Street. It’s open every day except Sunday from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. It is a cash-only business. ~ Maggie Barnes

32

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Sorge’s 70th Anniversary Seventy years ago, two brothers, who knew how authentic Italian food should taste at its best, opened Sorge’s Restaurant at 68 West Market Street. Renato (Ronnie) and Remo Sorge made their pastas and tomato sauces from scratch. Sorge’s Restaurant found enthusiastic community support, and expanded from its original eleven booths into a facility that annexed the building next door and a banquet facility upstairs.

The tradition carries on in the second generation. Chef Michael Sorge operated the restaurant with his brother Joseph for over thirty years, until Joe retired in 2008. They learned from their father, Ronnie, and Michael still uses many of the original family recipes. “Homemade every day,” he says. “I learned a wide selection of homemade pastas. We make them fresh, like all our sauces, from scratch.” Maintaining high quality is possibly easier these days than for his father, he adds, because some of his suppliers have extended the food lines they carry, making high quality ingredients more readily available The challenge of maintaining a restaurant during a pandemic was not the first Sorge’s has weathered. At the end of 2008 the premises were devastated by a fire, necessitating a tear-down of everything behind the building’s historic façade, followed by a total rebuild. Meeting that challenge called on the talents and support of the community. Even two historic paintings originally rendered by artist Alfred Valerio, depicting daily life in Strangolagalli, Italy, were replaced by renowned local artist Tom Gardner, who had once studied with Valerio. Other elements the builders were able to salvage from the former restaurant were incorporated into the new structure.

“Everyone thinks Market Street is just a tourist destination, but our business would not have survived and will not survive without the community,” Michael says now. His customers, he says, are not just faces in the crowd, but people he’ll come out of the kitchen to greet.

“We try to make them feel at home,” he notes. “I think that’s the difference between a small independent restaurant and a large chain operation. We try to get to know our customers.” This also means responding to their current needs, like offering gluten-free and vegetarian options.

While Michael keeps the kitchen going, his wife, Christine, and sister Teresa Bullock manage the dining areas. He still makes the pasta, and his favorite meal remains ravioli, which was a family treat at home. He makes it for his customers, too. At Sorge’s you are truly “not just another face in the crowd.” Find all the good things available for breakfast, lunch, and dinner at sorges.com. Call (607) 937-5422 for dinner reservations. ~ Karey Solomon

34

#ExploreCORNING 35

FLX Hospitality Many might call the idea of trying to open three brand-new, food-related enterprises during a global pandemic downright kooky. Christopher Bates and his wife, Isabel Bogadtke (above), have a different word for it. “Committed,” Christopher says with a laugh.

The foodie super couple—he’s a chef and a master sommelier, she’s a certified tea specialist and award-winning manager of tasting rooms and inns—has connected on two of the three undertakings so far: FLX Provisions and The Quincy Exchange both opened late in 2020. The third, The Maillard Club, is expected to start serving this spring or summer. “We’d been working on these restaurants for two years now,” Christopher explains. “They were meant to open last spring, but unfortunately COVID delays held us up. You know opening in the middle of the winter in the Finger Lakes during a pandemic isn’t always the ideal plan anyone could have.”

The trio are housed in one historic building, a former bank in the heart of the Gaffer District.

They are under the umbrella of FLX Hospitality, which also includes eateries in Geneva, Rochester, and Dundee. “It’s one building with a singular entrance, but three unique and distinctive concepts within it,” Christopher says of the building at 2-4 East Market Street.

FLX Provisions opened in November 2020. It’s a tasting room and a pantry with wine, beer, and spirits to try and to buy, and a dine-in menu featuring small bites and tapas. The pantry offers local and global, from maple syrup, tahini and cheeses to black truffle oil and baby squid in ink sauce.

Next, in December 2020, came The Quincy Exchange, which Christopher calls a “modern American bistro.” Highlights include a bright, modern Garden Room and a marble-topped bar. Brunches and dinners include fresh, seasonal dishes accompanied by craft cocktails and an extensive wine list. “There’s this kind of magical blend between a Belle Époque-style bar and this kind of jungle greenhouse party that we’re trying to create,” Christopher says.

Ultimately, The Maillard Club will be joining the other two as a reimagining of a classic steakhouse featuring dry-aged steaks, an extensive raw bar, and a 1,500-bottle wine list. Dining there is meant to be a truly special experience.

While the couple could have set up shop anywhere in the world—they met while working in one of the oldest German wineries—they have chosen this place for good reason. “Corning is a really interesting and exciting place to be,” Christopher says. “Market Street, in particular, is such a really cool, beautiful, perfect example of what an upstate downtown should be like.”

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~ Mike Cutillo

#ExploreCORNING 37

More Than Just a Bridge America is flush with famous bridges, and New York’s Southern Tier is not without its own epochal overpass. The Centerway Bridge is one of five bridges and/or roadways that traverse the Chemung River in Corning. It is as historic a part of the city as its glassworks and downtown Gaffer District. In fact, to many, it is much more than just a bridge. “It’s a jewel, there’s no doubt about that,” says Sandie Wilson, director of administration and operations for the Gaffer District.

That jewel, now a family-friendly walkway, is celebrating its 100th birthday this year. Built in 1921 to relieve the stress of increased automobile and streetcar traffic on the nearby Bridge Street Bridge, the Centerway has survived major deterioration and calls for demolition. It was the subject of a “Save Our Bridge” campaign, and survived the once-in-a-lifetime, cataclysmic flood of 1972 caused by Hurricane Agnes. “As we continued with restoration and revitalization efforts throughout the city following the flood, the bridge was there,” says Coleen Fabrizi, the Gaffer District’s executive director. “I think for me, because that bridge stood in the very river that attacked the city, so to speak, it was saying, ‘Not my city.’”

The 752-foot concrete span consists of seven arches, each of which is about ninety-two feet long. Designed by Abraham Burton Cohen, a pioneering concrete bridge engineer, the Centerway became obsolete for 20th century traffic after six decades, and was scheduled for demolition in 1980. The city’s residents, however, did not want to lose a beloved piece of their history, so they staged a sit-in on the bridge.

The grassroots efforts worked, and, after major renovations, the Centerway reopened in 1986 for pedestrians. Another round of renovations—$5.2 million worth—were completed in 2012-13. Now strictly for walkers, joggers, skateboarders and cyclists, the bridge has a maze, green spaces and flower gardens, decorative glass pavers, historical placards, even concrete pads with the bronzed footprints of native animals. It also has sprinkler and drainage systems to keep the foliage and lawns healthy.

In 2014 it was named the American Public Works Association Historic Restoration & Preservation Project of the Year. While COVID-19 has made it a bit difficult to plan, the same community that has rallied in the past to save the bridge will gather for a celebration ceremony May 25, 6 p.m., at Riverfront Park Pavilion, the bridge’s south entrance.

The cherished landmark remains a must-see on a visit to the Crystal City, a bridge—if you will—between Corning’s past, present, and future. ~ Mike Cutillo

38

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New App Puts Adventure At Your Fingertips Going somewhere new, or discovering new experiences in a place you may have already been (or maybe even where you live) can be incredibly rewarding and often makes for the most unforgettable memories. That’s why the Steuben County Convention and Visitors Bureau has created the new Explore Steuben app to help travelers, as well as local residents, discover parts of Steuben they may not even know are there.

And let’s face it, sometimes you just don’t have time to plan a trip the way you’d like, especially if you’re not familiar with all the options. Or, perhaps, because there are so many great choices it’s difficult to know where to start. After all, we’re talking about world-class wines, worldrenowned museums, and small towns named “coolest” and “most fun” in America.

Whether you’re looking for something to do for an afternoon or you’re interested in your own customized getaway, the app—your very own personalized trip planner—makes planning your next fun adventure easy and accessible by putting information about museums, wineries, hiking trails, outdoor activities, breweries, and so much more right at your fingertips. Explore your own personal interests and create your own customized plan. Then use the “Map It” feature to organize the logistics of where you want to go and how you get there.

One feature that can be especially useful is the ability to identify what’s nearby while you’re out and about. For example, you might have a few favorite or familiar spots already picked out for tasty libations, but chances are you haven’t tried them all. Not with sixteen wineries and fifteen craft beverage producers located in Steuben County. The Explore Steuben app identifies nearby stops, as well as suggested tours, to give you an idea of what there is waiting for you, and to help take some of the pressure off.

The tours are thoughtfully designed itineraries based around a particular topic (craft beverages or chocolate treats, for example) and are intended to guide you to tried-and-true favorites as well as pleasant surprises.

More “Tours” will be added throughout the year, as well as seasonal itineraries, so the app will continue to evolve and grow, offering users a variety of ideas and ways to plan their own unique and memorable adventures. With information about events, nearby accommodations, and places to eat, having access to all there is to see and do in Steuben County is an invaluable tool.

Learn more about the Explore Steuben app or download it at corningfingerlakes.com and get started exploring! ~ Dave DeGolyer 40

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Ferenbaugh Campground For those who enjoy a quiet evening around a campfire after a day of visiting shops and restaurants, you don’t have to drive far. The Ferenbaugh Campground is right off Route 414, minutes away from downtown Corning, with amenities and activities for all interests. Familyowned with a reputation for friendly service and cleanliness, the 274 acres in a forest hillside and scenic valley setting offer a variety of RV and tent sites, as well as rental cabins.

If your priority is full service sites with room to maneuver your big rig, immediately as you enter the property there are thirty pull-through sites with 30- and 50-amp electric, water, cable, sewer, and WiFi. Playgrounds, mini-golf, pavilion, pool, and fishpond are ready and waiting to amuse you. If privacy and nature are what you crave, further back over the bridge are wooded sites near the trout stream and nature trails. Here there are sites with 20- and 30amp electric and water, in addition to basic tent sites. The nearby bathrooms have showers.

Four rustic cabins save you the trouble of pitching a tent, and have indoor electrical outlets but no bathrooms or kitchenettes. Two cabins have a mini-fridge. You’ll need to bring your own bedding and cookware. Group camping areas beside the stream are also an option. And pets are welcome!

Free WiFi is always available at the office, where the laundry, store, and game room are also located. Your hosts are ready with the necessities, including propane, ice, firewood, grocery basics, and a dump station. But there is so much more than necessities. If it rains, who cares?

The rec room has ping-pong, pool tables, and video and pinball games. Ice cream, candy, and more are next door in the camp store. But you’ll want to be outside as much as possible, fishing, hiking, swimming, and playing badminton, volleyball, and miniature golf.

If all that weren’t enough, the hosts, including Cherie Callahan, whose father founded the campground, arrange crafts, hayrides, and live music most weekends. Seasonal and theme events fill the calendar, and the real rodeos next door are very popular (entry not included with camping fee). Planning a family reunion or birthday party? Rent the pavilion. It’s hard to imagine how anyone could get bored!

Ferenbaugh Campground is located at 4248 State Rte. 414 in Corning. Their rates are online at ferenbaugh.com or call (607) 962-6193. They open for the 2021 season on May 1. ~ Lilace Mellin Guignard 42

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Happy Trails Corning has great themed trails for chocolate, wine, or antique and collectible lovers. But when you’re looking for lots of walking, think about making Corning your base to check out paths near and far, short and long, dry and wet, tame and wilder.

In town, take the Historic and Architectural Walking Tour. Using the Buildings Alive! app (at gafferdistrict.com/tour), you can start anywhere on Market Street and listen to Corning’s history told in lumber, brick, and crystal. Afterwards, follow the river to the Riverfront Centennial Park where the farmers’ market meets and a splash pad fountain cools kids off in summer. Then stroll the Centerway Pedestrian Bridge that boasts perennial gardens and benches—a park suspended above the river. Buechner Park across from the Rockwell Museum hosts a rare Tree of 40 Fruit For more exercise in town, follow the river east to Fallbrook Park, which has a paved half-mile trail, or further east to Denison Park which has a 0.8 mile paved loop, disc golf course, and playgrounds.

Are you a tree lover? In the hills above town, Spencer Crest Nature Center wraps around SUNY Corning Community College with two ponds and seven miles of boardwalk trails. Not much farther away, the Steege Hill Nature Preserve offers loops of easy-to-moderate forested trails.

Looking for something more rugged? Nearby Erwin Wildlife Management Area has over sixteen miles of trails, often through deep gullies with hemlock-shaded creeks. The Crystal Hills Trail, with moderately strenuous climbs, views, and a pond, is popular. Waterfall chasers won’t want to miss the Gorge and East Rim Trails in Stony Brook State Park near Dansville.

For those who really like water, try lake paddling options at Keuka and Seneca Lakes. Kayaks, canoes, and stand-up paddleboards can be rented in Watkins Glen and Hammondsport. Closer to Corning, paddlers enjoy the Chemung River Basin Trail. Try the six-mile section from Bottcher’s Landing in Big Flats to Fitch’s Bridge, where you’ll pass below steep shale cliffs.

The Keuka Outlet Trail winds nearly seven miles between Penn Yan and Dresden on an old railroad grade. Whether you’re on foot, bicycle, or horseback, you’ll enjoy waterfalls, old mill buildings, and locks. Another place to take your bikes is the Lackawanna Rail Trail, 8.5 paved miles starting in Eldridge Park in Elmira. If you have more time, venture south into the Pennsylvania Grand Canyon to ride the Pine Creek Rail Trail.

Wherever you go, prepare for the weather and take a map. Find out more at gofingerlakes.org and corningfingerlakes.com. ~ Lilace Mellin Guignard

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Courtesy FingerLakes.org

FLX Proposed as National Heritage Area Those who call the Finger Lakes “home” love to point out what makes it special. The area’s glacially-carved landscapes and the beauty of its lakes and waterways serve as background to a long history of settlement and culture, from the earliest oral traditions of the First Nations to the present day. The proposed designation of the region as a National Heritage Area could allow its stories to be told and shared on a national level through the National Park Service and help the area’s economic growth, says Cindy Kimble, president of the Finger Lakes Tourist Alliance.

The effort to win this designation began with the first discussions in 2014. Three years later came a bipartisan introduction of legislation to fund a feasibility study, sponsored by Congressman Tom Reed and Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, which was signed in 2019. The National Park Service began the process for a feasibility study that year; last year virtual focus groups with representatives from each of the fourteen counties—Cayuga, Chemung, Cortland, Livingston, Monroe, Ontario, Onondaga, Schuyler, Seneca, Steuben, Tioga, Tompkins, Wayne and Yates discussed it. That’s 9,000 square miles of New York State.

Now the Park Service is looking for public comment—letters in support of the project from residents and visitors. Community support means the New York State Historical Preservation Association will send the proposal for this designation to the Native Nations for their approval.

Here’s what it doesn’t mean—residents would not be giving up home and property ownership, or be asked to pay for the designation. It doesn’t impose additional rules. Your property does not become a unit of the National Park Service.

But “there’s an economic benefit to having a National Heritage Area designated—from the perspective of tourism and improving the quality of life for Finger Lakes residents,” Cindy says, citing the role of sales tax dollars from tourism in helping significantly reduce individual property taxes. “It will draw people together with an increased sense of community pride,” she continues, adding “it will put us on the map in a new way when virtual visitors on the National Parks website find the Finger Lakes.”

Become part of the process by engaging with the National Park Service in their public comment session which runs through June. Find out how to do this and more about the process at fingerlakes.org, where you’ll find links to the National Park Service project. ~ Karey Solomon 46

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Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine When a medical school affiliates with an area college, training doctors in a small city in a rural region, it’s a shot in the arm for everyone. This past year it literally was, with medical students volunteering to help with COVID-19 screenings, vaccinations, and a “Healthy Kitchens” program to keep families eating well during the months of social isolation, says Dr. Richard Terry, dean of Academic Affairs for the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine in Elmira.

“It was an incredible challenge to start a medical school in the midst of the worst pandemic ever,” Dr. Terry says. “We are very much a mission-driven school, and this was an opportunity to provide health care for an under-served area.”

You might notice the new, 52,000-square-foot facility as you drive along College Avenue near Elmira College. The building at 1 LECOM Place was constructed with the assistance of an economic development grant, and houses labs, classrooms, and a library. In July 2020, the doors officially opened to the first class of 128 students. Eventually, close to 500 students will be on campus and doing clinical rotations at area medical facilities. For several years already, third and fourth year students from other LECOM schools have been doing clinical rotations in area hospitals, including Arnot Ogden in Elmira, Guthrie in Corning and Sayre, and hospitals in Rochester and Binghamton. For classroom instruction, the school is currently following a hybrid instructional model mixing online and in-person classes; as of early April 2021, nearly all students, staff, and instructors were fully vaccinated.

LECOM, a private medical school with three other campuses in Pennsylvania and Florida, is one of the country’s largest medical schools, as well as one of the most financially accessible.

Other campuses also offer graduate degrees in pharmacology, nursing, and a PhD program in microbiology. LECOM’s affiliation with Elmira College means qualifying pre-med students can have facilitated admission to its medical school program. Until now, this has been about one student per year, but interest is growing. Dr. Terry calls LECOM’s presence and its ability to serve the Twin Tiers “an absolute game changer for the future.”

“Think about the average medical student spending $27,000 a year [in the community] in living expenses. Future healthcare providers might stay and practice here. And all these young people in the area. And faculty coming here to research.” A shot in the arm, indeed.

Find out more at lecom.edu.

48

~ Karey Solomon

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One of the best places in the country to get great Mac N Cheese!

We’ve combined the two best places to hang out - an Irish Pub and a Sports Bar - into one great place. Mooney’s has the best of both.

We deliver 7-days a week Noon-8:00 PM 12-FLAT SCREEN TELEVISIONS 11:00-11:00 Monday-Sunday Always family friendly

607-684-6372

64 W. Market Street Corning, New York 14830

www.Mooneys.com 50

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