Explore Wellsboro Fall/Winter 2017/2018

Wellsboro

e r o l p x E

TIM MCBRIDE

Official Visitors Guide of Our Town, Home of Pennsylvania’s Grand Canyon

FALL/WINTER 2017/2018 www.wellsboropa.com 1

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Maple Syrup • Cream • Candy Sugar • Maple Coffee • Granola Gift Baskets & More!

1145 Parker Hill Road Sabinsville, PA 16943

814-628-2230

Owned and operated by Brian and Wanda Warwick

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Open All Four Seasons!

Each of our unique and beautiful lodges offers the privacy and serenity you need for a relaxing stay.

131 MAIN STREET LODGE offers the convenience of Wellsboro’s downtown shops and restaurants as well as the charm that only a circa 1860 home can offer.

BEAR MOUNTAIN LODGE casual elegance and romantic rooms offer the perfect getaway while still being convenient to downtown Wellsboro.

BEAR MEADOWS LODGE provides elegant comfort after a long day of adventure. Guests may hike, raft, bird or cross country ski the forests near Pennsylvania’s Grand Canyon.

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Explore

Wellsboro Editors & Publishers Teresa Banik Capuzzo Michael Capuzzo Associate Publisher George Bochetto Operations Director Gwen Button

Will You Be Ready?

Managing Editor Gayle Morrow Advertising Director Maia Mahosky Accounting Amy Packard Contributing Writers Anne Lugg Alexander, Michael Banik, Maggie Barnes, Melissa Bravo, Dave Milano, Alyssa Strausser Contributing Photographers Bernadette Chiaramonte, Pat Davis, Lonny Frost, Alice Gable, Linda Stager, Anna Wales

Today, Tomorrow & the Future You’ll always be prepared for the next stage in your life with C&N as your partner.

1-877-838-2517 | www.cnbankpa.com contactcn@cnbankpa.com Member FDIC

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by Nekludov

Sales Representative Alyssa Strausser Explore Wellsboro is published by Beagle Media, LLC, 87-1/2 Main Street, Wellsboro, PA 16901, in partnership with the Wellsboro Area Chamber of Commerce. Copyright Š 2017 Beagle Media, LLC. All rights reserved. E-mail info@mountainhomemag.com, or call (570) 724-3838. Explore Wellsboro 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. 12,000 copies of the 40,000 print run, are delivered to PA On Display to be distributed to welcome centers across the state.

FALL/WINTER 2017/2018

W

elcome to Wellsboro, the home of Pennsylvania’s Grand Canyon. Wellsboro offers year round activities and entertainment for everyone. A full schedule of activities including art fairs, music festivals, concerts, plays, and sporting events will keep you entertained throughout the seasons.

Fall brings breathtaking hues of reds and yellows blanketing Pennsylvania’s Grand Canyon in brilliant color. Take in its majestic beauty from one of the many easy access vistas or driving tours.

The winter season kicks off in a big way in Wellsboro with Dickens of a Christmas, transforming our gaslit streets into a Victorian market place. It doesn’t end there; Wellsboro offers many winter festivals, celebrations, and sporting adventures.

Contact us at the Wellsboro Area Chamber of Commerce, and we’ll be happy to help get your stay with us started.

We welcome you to explore Wellsboro.

Julie VanNess Executive Director Wellsboro Area Chamber of Commerce (570) 724-1926 info@wellsboropa.com www.wellsboropa.com

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Wellsboro, Pennsylvania

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Hot Picks for Where to Stay and Be Pampered!

Bear Lodges.................................. 3 Canyon Motel............................. 21 Emerge Healing Arts & Spa..... 33 LaBelle Auberge Inn.................. 33 Old Wellsboro Inn..................... 17 Penn Wells Hotel & Lodge....... 17 River of Pines Cottage............... 17 Sherwood Motel........................ 17 Vacation Home Rentals............ 23

Hot Picks for Dining!

Coach Stop Inn & Tavern.......... 47 Graft Wine + Cider Bar............. 41 Hotel Manor................................ 43 The Inn at Babb's Creek............. 47 Lambs Creek Food & Spirits..... 45 Old Antlers Inn........................... 43 Pag-Omar Farms Market........... 35 The Steak House......................... 43 Tony's Italian Cuisine................. 47 The Waterville Tavern................ 47 Wellsboro Diner......................... 45

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Tioga County, Pennsylvania

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Hot Picks to Visit!

Atwater Estate Vineyards........... 41 Bradford County Tourism Promotion Agency.................31 Finger Lakes Distilling................ 41 Locey Creek Alpacas................... 37 Mansfield University................... 25 Pennsylvania Lumber Museum.23 Tioga Central Railroad............... 19

Hot Picks for Shopping!

Antique Revival...........................31 Draper’s Super Bee Apiaries.......35 Dunham’s Department Store......35 Enchanted Hollow.......................37 European Imports.......................31 The Farmer’s Daughters..............39 The Fifth Season..........................39 Garrison's Men's and Ladies Shop...............................37 Highland Chocolates...................33 Life Is Good.................................. 41 The Main Street Olive Oil Co..... 33 Mountain Home Art Gallery..... 25 Peggy’s Candies and Gifts...........37 Pop’s Culture Shoppe...................39 Senior’s Creations........................33 Simmons-Rockwell.....................50 Sticky Bucket Maple......................2

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Pine Creek Rail Trail

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Hot Picks for Entertainment!

Arcadia Theatre �������������������������� 25 Deane Center for the Performing Arts ������������������������������������������ 29 Hamilton-Gibson Productions. 29 Tyoga Country Club................... 49

Hot Picks for Becoming a Local!

Black Creek Enterprises..............15 Bloss Pharmacy............................35 The Carpenter’s Shop..................49 Citizens & Northern Bank...........4 Dominion Energy........................20 Hickory Grove Outdoor Events Venue.......................................49 Mountain Valley Realty..............26 Painter's Meat Processing...........31 Penn Oak Realty..........................49 Shady Grove Natural Market.....39 Six West Settlements Inc.............27 UPMC Susquehanna ..................52 Wellsboro Equipment.................49

Hot Picks for Outdoors!

CS Sports Cycle & Ski Shop.......35 Ski Sawmill...................................23

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FESTIVALS & EVENTS SEPTEMBER 1 • 5:00—8:00 P.M. Wellsboro First Friday Downtown Wellsboro, visit us on Facebook

OCTOBER 6—7 • 7:30 P.M. Hamilton-Gibson’s production of Proof Warehouse Theatre, (570) 724-2079

SEPTEMBER 1 • 7:30 P.M. Twin Sinners Winner 2017 Bluegrass Blues Coolidge Theatre, Deane Center (570) 724-6220

OCTOBER 8 • TBA Hamilton-Gibson’s Autumn Chorale St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Wellsboro (570) 724-2079

SEPTEMBER 2—4 • ALL DAY Morris Old Home Days Morris, PA, (570) 353-2031 SEPTEMBER 3 • 8:00—11:30 A.M. Fly-In Breakfast Wellsboro Johnston Airport, (570) 724-3746 SEPTEMBER 8 • 7:30 P.M. Stage Fright Warehouse Gallery, (570) 724-6220 SEPTEMBER 9 • 8:30 A.M. Laurel Classic Mountain Bike Challenge US Geological Survey in Asaph, PA (570) 724-1926 SEPTEMBER 16 • 7:30 P.M. North Sea Gas—Scottish Music Coolidge Theatre, Deane Center (570) 724-6220 SEPTEMBER 29 • 7:30 P.M. Hamilton-Gibson’s production of Proof Warehouse Theatre, (570) 724-2079 SEPTEMBER 30 • 7:30 P.M. Hamilton-Gibson’s production of Proof Warehouse Theatre, (570) 724-2079

OCTOBER 1 • 7:30 P.M. Hamilton-Gibson’s production of Proof Warehouse Theatre, (570) 724-2079 OCTOBER 6 • 7:30 P.M. WCCA presents Tusk The ultimate Fleetwood Mac tribute band Coolidge Theatre, Deane Center (570) 724-6220 OCTOBER 6 • 5:00—8:00 P.M. Wellsboro First Friday Event Downtown Wellsboro, visit us on Facebook

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OCTOBER 13 • 7:30 P.M. Nick Kody and the Creek Road Band Warehouse Theatre, (570) 724-6220 OCTOBER 13—14 • ALL DAY Community Wide Yard Sale Wellsboro, (570) 724-3186 OCTOBER 13—15 • ALL DAY Tioga County Early Days Whitneyville Fairgrounds, (570) 835-5634 OCTOBER 26—29 • TBA Hamilton-Gibson’s Women’s Project Warehouse Theatre, (570) 724-2079

NOVEMBER 4 • 7:30 P.M. WCCA presents Sultans of String Thrilling genre-hopping music with master sitar player Coolidge Theatre, Deane Center (570) 724-6220 NOVEMBER 10 • 7:00 P.M. History Comes Alive - Ulysses S. Grant Travel with Grant from his youth to the White House Coolidge Theatre, Deane Center (570) 724-6220 NOVEMBER 17 • 7:30 P.M. Drowsy Maggie Warehouse Theatre, (570) 724-6220 NOVEMBER 25 • ALL DAY Mansfield Home for the Holidays Downtown Mansfield, (570) 662-3442

DECEMBER 1 • 7:30 P.M. Dickens of a Concert St. Peters Catholic Church Wellsboro, (570) 724-2079

DECEMBER 2 • 9:00 A.M.—4:00 P.M. 34th Annual Dickens of a Christmas Downtown Wellsboro, (570) 724-1926

FEBRUARY 16 • 7:00 P.M. Wine 101 Warehouse Theatre, (570) 724-1926

DECEMBER 2—3 • VARIOUS TIMES Hamilton-Gibson’s production of A Christmas Carol Warehouse and Coolidge Theatre (570) 724-2079

FEBRUARY 16 • 7:30 P.M. Jazz Festival Coolidge Theatre, Deane Center (570) 724-6220

DECEMBER 8—9 • 7:30 P.M. Hamilton-Gibson’s production of A Fezziwig Christmas Warehouse Theatre, (570) 724-2079

FEBRUARY 17 • 11:00 A.M.—12:00 NOON Waste Management Winter RallySprint The Green, Wellsboro, (570) 724-1926

DECEMBER 8—10 • VARIOUS TIMES Christmas on Main Street Various locations, visit us on Facebook

FEBRUARY 17 • 11:00 A.M.—2:00 P.M. Chili Cook-off Participating downtown merchants, Wellsboro (570) 724-1926

DECEMBER 10 • TBA Messiah—A Community Sing St. Paul’s Episcopal Church Wellsboro, (570) 724-2079 DECEMBER 15—16 • 7:30 P.M. Hamilton-Gibson’s production of A Fezziwig Christmas Warehouse Theatre, (570) 724-2079 DECEMBER 16 • 7:30 P.M. WCCA presents River City Brass Quintet America’s favorite brass band Coolidge Theatre, Deane Center (570) 724-6220 DECEMBER 22 • 7:30 P.M. Joe Callahan & Brandon Lusk Warehouse Theatre, (570) 724-6220 JANUARY 12 • 7:30 P.M. Black Mountain Symphony Warehouse Theatre, (570) 724-6220 JANUARY 20 • 10:00 A.M.—3:00 P.M. Winterfest Hills Creek State Park, (570) 724-4246 FEBRUARY 15—18 • VARIOUS TIMES Wellsboro Winter Celebration Downtown Wellsboro, (570) 724-1926 FEBRUARY 15 • 7:30 P.M. Jazz Festival Coolidge Theatre, Deane Center (570) 724-6220

FEBRUARY 17 • 7:30 P.M. Jazz Festival Penn Wells Hotel, Wellsboro, (570) 724-2111 FEBRUARY 18 • 9:00 A.M.—1:30 P.M. Jazz Festival Brunch with Bram Wijnands Penn Wells Hotel, Wellsboro, (570) 724-2111 FEBRUARY 24 • 7:30 P.M. WCCA presents The Gibson Brothers Impeccably fine-sounding traditional bluegrass Coolidge Theatre, Deane Center (570) 724-6220

MARCH 24 • 7:30 P.M. WCCA presents Rob Ickes & Trey Hensley Grassy country blues Coolidge Theatre, Deane Center (570) 724-6220

For a complete listing of 2018 Pennsylvania State Laurel Festival and Waste Management Susquehanna Trail Pro Rally (STPR), schedule of events go to www.wellsboropa.com.

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Festivals & events

Fezziwigs & Dickens of a Christmas Wellsboro’s central streets will close to traffic on the first Saturday in December as the town celebrates its thirty-fourth Dickens of a Christmas. Vendor stalls steam with all manner of sweet and savory delights. Every handcrafted shopping treasure you can name is available for sale. And, because of its namesake, the event has always prompted townsfolk and visitors alike to dress in period style, whether that style be highbrow Victorian matron or grubby street urchin.

Larry Biddison, one of the festival’s founders, and his wife Barbara have always been at the forefront, leading costuming workshops as well as characters performing for the Dickens-day crowds. But though you will still see them strolling in their Victorian finery, it was time to pass the baton—which has landed in the creative hands of Thomas Putnam, the founder and artistic director of Hamilton-Gibson Productions, who last year brought those Dickens characters back to life under the guidance of Mr. and Mrs. Fezziwig. In A Christmas Carol, Fezziwig (the kindly and generous boss of the young Ebenezer Scrooge) and his wife host a party every Christmas Eve, and Wellsboro’s Fezziwigs and company bring that celebration to life.

It all begins at 9:00, at the stage (and piano) set up at Main and Crafton streets, where Mr. and Mrs. Fezziwig will welcome the crowds before they and their entourage set out to mingle and entertain throughout the day. They will lead two Victorian strolls, one in mid-morning and one in mid-afternoon, beginning at Central Avenue, with musicians and singers leading anyone who wants to participate—costumed or not—down the south side of Main Street to East Avenue and back up the north side of town, singing and cavorting.

Several skits will take place at the Main and Crafton stage, including the spoof The History of the British Monarchy. Mr. and Mrs. Fezziwig are famous dancers, and will lead the Sir Roger de Coverley contra dance (which they danced so famously in the novel) with two sets of dancers, and passersby will be encouraged to join in. “It’s great fun,” says Thomas, “and really easy to learn.” Festivalgoers will also be invited to join in a rousing rendition of “The Twelve Days of Christmas,” with the actors and the crowd divided into groups for each of the twelve days. Thomas is also hoping to have a troupe of jugglers on the street this year, so watch for them, too. Fezziwig, who is, after all, a capitalist, will also have apprentices selling locally made soap out of a cart and singing their theme song: “Here’s one, two, three smelly lads—all in a heap. / If they stand near the fire they will smell of dead sheep. / They will smell of dead sheep as they sing out the King. / And demand good cheer from you if you wear a gold ring.”

For a finalized schedule and map of events, parking, ATMs and restroom facilities, visit www.wellsboropa.com, email info@wellsboropa.com, call (570) 724-1926, or stop in at the Wellsboro Area Chamber of Commerce office at 114 Main St. You can also go to www.hamiltongibson.org for more information on their other weekend productions.

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Festivals & Events

Christmas on Main Street Wellsboro’s Dickens of Christmas, a wildly popular Victorian-costumed street festival that brings thousands of visitors to town every year on the first weekend of December, has been going on for over three decades. Craft and food vendors vie with street performers and festooned streets for the attention of the holiday shopping throngs. 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, kept having to field 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. The Spirit of Christmas is something we’re good at.

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 chocolate tastings and wine and cheese offerings. Santa was enticed to make an appearance at the Deane Center for the Performing Arts. The Arcadia screened a Christmas movie with tickets selling for a dollar.

And this year, the weekend of December 9, they are doing it again. “It was a throwback Christmas shopping experience,” says Ellen. “More of a 1940s idea—shopping for Christmas locally, in a small town.” It was, she adds, “very much like an extended First Friday, but more geared toward shopping.”

This year will be the same and then some: Highland Chocolates will have factory tours and an open house with Santa; Hamilton-Gibson Productions will bring A Fezziwig Christmas to the stage; The Fifth Season will bring Santa to the Deane Center for photos, where the Deane Center will also present a Christmas concert; a holiday-themed game night is planned at Pop’s Culture Shoppe; a live Nativity is in the works. Expect pop-up Christmas concerts by local musicians. Santa will be at the Penn Wells Hotel for brunch on Sunday.

Stores all around town will be offering holiday surprises along with all the ease and pleasure of shopping local. And, in honor of our place in holiday history, historic Christmas ornament displays will be in shop windows up and down the town. For more information go to www.pennwells.com/things-to-do/events/Christmas-on-main-street.

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Festivals & events

Wellsboro Winter Celebration All jazzed up about winter? You have good reason to be if you’re in town February 15 to 18 for Wellsboro’s Winter Celebration, as the weekend gets underway Friday in the lounge at the historic Penn Wells Hotel on Main Street with a jazz jam session. Dutch pianist Bram Wijnands, who hails these days from Kansas City, Missouri, has been a perennial favorite when the Endless Mountain Music Festival comes to Tioga County. He is hosting the evening and is inviting attendees to bring an instrument, get in free, and enjoy a night of music. The Jazz Festival continues Saturday night at the Penn Wells with Bram playing cabaret-style in the lounge as part of a trio; he’ll be back on Sunday with some other folks to play during the hotel’s brunch. You won’t want to miss the food or the music.

If all that jazz whets your whistle—and your appetite—for more weekend fun, there is definitely more to be had. On Saturday, Chili With a Chance For Chocolate returns to Main Street. This crowd-pleasing gastronomic event is not only a fund-raiser for Second Chance Animal Sanctuaries, a local shelter for lost and homeless pets (find out more at www.secondchanceas.org), but is an opportunity to taste, and vote on, fabulous home-made chilies as well as take your chances on winning a variety of chocolate-themed gifts.

Saturday downtown also marks the return of Elegant Ice. This Ohio-based company (check them out at www.elegantice.com) brings its amazing ice carving expertise to Main Street. The carver is very interactive with the crowd, especially with the younger set; children and grown-ups alike will be astounded at how quickly a chainsaw in an artist’s hands (friendly hands—no worries) can transform a block of frozen water into a sculpture.

What else is happening during this year’s Winter Celebration? Friday is Wine 101 at the Warehouse Theatre, starting at 6 p.m. World-renowned wine expert Holly Howell (you may have seen her byline in Mountain Home, where she shares with regional readers her talent as a sommelier), will host the event, during which participants will learn to pair and select wines like a pro in a fun, relaxed atmosphere.

The Waste Management Winter RallySprint event just a few miles down the road in Duncan Township is a spectator favorite, loaded with forty-four miles of on-course action. Tickets are available at the gate and the event lasts all day. Find out more at www. wmwr.info.

The weekend includes family-focused activities on The Green, arts and crafts up and down Main Street, the Great Snowball Hunt, and all that Wellsboro has to offer—this and snow, too! Make a date to celebrate winter in Wellsboro.

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the great outdoors

Winterfest

What’s not to love about a weekend in January? Rosy cheeks, cozy sweaters, snowballs. If it’s not cold enough for the white stuff then go to Plan B. You can be sure the folks at Hills Creek State Park will.

“We always plan for snow or no snow, ice or no ice—we always do something,” says Tim Morey, park natural resource specialist, of the January 20, 2018, Winterfest at Hills Creek.

And that something is always fun. So much so that Tim confesses he’s not even certain how many years the event has been taking place.

Winterfest, which runs from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., is family friendly and all free—“no one has to bring anything,” Tim says, although it is okay to bring your favorite sled, winter sports gear, and, of course, the snow. If your equipment repertoire does not include cross-country skis, ice skates, or snowshoes, there will be sets of those available to use and folks there to help you figure out how to use them. There will be hiking trails open, some of the park roads will be plowed for cross-country skiing and hiking, and there will be free hot dogs and hot chocolate “until they’re gone.” Tim is also planning for the return of Mel Longhunter and his 1700s-era pioneer set-up.

So pile the kids in the car, make a weekend of it, and let them “sled the snow off the hill and enjoy everything Nature has to offer,” says Tim. For information on cabin rentals, call the park office at (570) 724-4246.

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Sled Dog Challenge Ready for a howlin’ good time? One of the much-anticipated annual winter events in the area is the Grand Canyon Sled Dog Challenge, a tail-waggin’ day of four-legged fun. The return of the sled dogs is set for Saturday, February 24, 2018, and will be held within the Pine Creek Gorge. The race start time is tentatively set for 9 a.m.; the event is expected to last through the afternoon. Spectators can park at the Pine Creek Rail Trail's Darling Run lot on Route 362 or the Ansonia lot on Route 6.

Teams comprised of both Alaskan and Siberian huskies will race concurrently in six-dog and eight-dog classes. Mary Beth Logue, board member of the Pennsylvania Sled Dog Club, says that this year’s race should be particularly enjoyable for spectators.

“During most of these races, you only get to see the teams go past you once,” she explains. “This will be an eighteen-mile run from Ansonia to Tiadaghton and back, meaning that you get to see more of the action as the dogs run past twice. Often times, the only good views the public gets is through the photographers.” Remember to dress for the weather; bring your cross-country skis or your warm hiking boots so you can make the trek down and back, too.

Organizers also plan to schedule a “Meet the Musher” night where folks can meet the humans behind the dogs, get an opportunity to discuss the event, and learn about sled dogs.

For more information and updates on the Grand Canyon Sled Dog Challenge, visit the Pennsylvania Sled Dog Club at www.pasleddogclub.com.

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The great Outdoors

The All-Season Pine Creek Rail Trail It’s true that cooling off with a “dip in the crick” after a fifteen- or twenty-mile bike ride becomes a bit less necessary or enjoyable with falling autumn temperatures and the white kind of precipitation. But if you think your fun on the Pine Creek Rail Trail has to end when the last leaf drops, think again. Faced with an expanse of snow-covered trail, what’s a biker to do? Make the switch from a cross or mountain bike to a fat tire bike and keep right on pedaling.

Fat tire bikes have been around for a while; they are becoming increasingly popular, especially in areas where the trails are single-track and/or the surfaces are muddy, snowy, slick, or rocky. And aren’t those the places where off-road bikers love to be? What makes this kind of bike especially suitable for snowy or icy terrain is the improved grip and traction made possible by the extra contact surface and lower air pressure of the bigger tires. The tires don’t sink in mud or snow, and you can get them studded, which helps on ice. The bikes are comfortable to ride; most are single-speed and rigid (although you can get them geared and add suspension), so you may find yourself riding a little slower. Just look at it as giving you more opportunities to enjoy the scenery.

“What’s wonderful about them,” says Mike Mitstifer, long-time bike mechanic at CS Sports on Main Street and an avid biker on roads, trails, and all points in between, “is that it gets you out. You’re not just watching it snow—you can get out and play instead of sitting on the couch.” Another plus, he says, is that these bikes are mechanically simpler than their high-tech, multi-geared cousins, so there is less to go wrong. And, in terms of the physical footprint they leave on the ground, they’re low-impact.

For those days you might like to cross-country ski or snowshoe, it’s fun to fasten your extra gear to your bike, pedal as far as you want, then change sports. You can certainly opt for traditional skis—either the kind you have to wax or, for those of us who can never figure out which color to use for what temperature, waxless—and shoes, or try something new.

There are a variety of “ski shoes” and other similar equipment combos available these days.

They are, as the name suggests, something of a hybrid mix of ski and snowshoe, good for climbing, trekking, and downhills. While the Pine Creek Rail Trail itself has just a slight grade, those steeper side trails might beckon your adventurous side. Go ahead!

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Arts & music

Wellsboro Community Concert Association There was Rosa Hamilton, a talented local voice teacher who had sung at Woodrow Wilson’s memorial service. And pianist Mercedes Dunham, classically trained but with a soft spot for ragtime, who had played the organ for silent films at Wellsboro’s Arcadia Theater. And Alma Webster, who, without formal training, learned and then taught piano (in addition to teaching in various one-room schoolhouses). And Lyda Green, a pianist trained at Ithaca College of Music who memorized her favorite music so thoroughly that after her hundredth birthday, when her eyes had long gone bad, she could still play Chopin. These Wellsboro ladies, tied together by the inevitable interdependencies of small-town life, and in particular by a profound love of music, began to wonder in the settling years after World War II why their little country locale shouldn’t enjoy some of the same artistic entertainments found in the bustling cultural crossroads of the big cities.

So in 1948, in uniquely capable and determined style, Rosa, Mercedes, Alma, and Lyda arranged contracts with the then well-known booking company Columbia Concerts, thereby giving birth to the Wellsboro Community Concert Association and seeing to it that quality music and dance—live and first class—would come reliably and affordably to their doorsteps.

No one can say for sure if the four imagined that their organization would survive for long, but endured it has, for nearly seven decades, with the dedicated help of a long string of local volunteers, year after year bringing top-notch arts and entertainment to Wellsboro and Twin Tier residents. Now housed in the Deane Center for the Performing Arts at 104 Main Street in Wellsboro, the WCCA is entering its seventieth season and invites you to join the thousands of music lovers who have through the years enjoyed the efforts of Rosa, Mercedes, Alma, and Lyda.

This season’s line-up includes Tusk, the ultimate Fleetwood Mac tribute band, on Friday and Saturday, October 6 & 7, 2017; Sultans of String (pictured above), a JUNO (Canadian music award)-nominated world music group featuring master sitar player Anwar Khurshid, on Saturday, November 4, 2017; River City Brass Quintet, a subset of River City Brass of Pittsburgh, AKA “America’s Favorite Brass Band,” on Saturday, December 16, 2017; The Gibson Brothers, an iconic bluegrass band known for super-fine instrumentalism and tight harmonies, on Saturday, February 24, 2018; Rob Ickes and Trey Hensley, Grammy-nominated guitar and dobro virtuosos, on Saturday, March 24, 2018; and April Verch Band, a JUNO-nominated Canadian fiddler and step dancer, on Saturday, April 7, 2018. Visit www.wellsborocca.org for more information about the organization and the upcoming concerts, or call the Deane Center at (570) 724-6220.

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Arts & Music

Vesta Art and Craft Show & Sale The goddess Vesta was known in ancient Rome as the goddess of the hearth, home, and family. In these times, and on this side of the pond, Vesta is better known as a group of women artists who hail from or have ties to Wellsboro and the surrounding regions.

And every year since 1984 (the same year the town’s Dickens of a Christmas celebration began), they have been hosting an art show, with an expansive array of talents on display.

It all started when Ruth Anne Miller (a fiber artist and owner of Miller’s Store in Blackwell, then an art teacher), read in the newspaper about Wellsboro’s first bed and breakfast, the Jesse Robinson Manor, which local musician/music teacher Pat Davis, with her daughters Kathleen and Maxine, had just opened in the huge old brick Victorian at 141 Main Street. “What a great place to hold an art show!” Ruth Anne and her women artist friends thought.

The Davis girls agreed, and the art troupe set up their art and their crafts in the grand rooms and wide, sweeping hallways. Pat chuckles, “There was a lot of pottery and clothing, and the girls and I would sneak into the rooms at night and try things on and then put them back [on display]!”

The newspapers picked up the story and asked the lady artists the name of their group.

“A name?” Ruth Anne laughs, “Uh…we were just “A Group of Women Artists Exhibiting Together.” But they leafed through the dictionary looking for goddesses that had something to do with women, and Vesta was born. It is not, as is sometimes published, VESTA, as it is not an acronym of any kind. Ruth Anne speculates that this typographical haunting may have been a mix-up with VISTA volunteers.

Several years at the bed and breakfast, where the public was thrilled to not only see the disparate art talents on display but the fabulous old Victorian as well, were followed by different locations like church basements, until Vesta finally settled into the home they have enjoyed every year for decades, the Gmeiner Art & Cultural Center at 134 Main Street (www.gmeinerartscenter.com; (570) 724-1917).

This year the Vesta Art and Craft Show & Sale—Art for the Hearth & Home—opens, as usual, on the first night of Dickens (December 1 this year) from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Vesta artists will be available for a meet and greet on December 2 (with food—“We have always thrown our own party,” says Ruth Anne). The highlight of this social mixer—aside from the chance to collect some fabulous art—is the chance to meet with the artists and talk about their age-old crafts. Many of the women are or were art teachers, so their ability to share how they create forges new relationships and interests in beginning and professional art collectors and artists alike. The show runs through January 29.

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Hamilton-Gibson Prod uctions Community Performing Arts

HG Women's Project

A Christmas Carol

Oct 26, 27, 28, 29 A series of plays from local

Dec 2, 3

What She Wrote Sept-Oct 29, 30, 1, 6, 7

The daughter of a brilliant but disturbed mathematician tries to come to grips with her possible inheritance: his insanity.

SPONSOR NEEDED; CONTACT HG TODAY

 HamiltonGibson.org 29 Water St, Wellsboro 570-724-2079

HG’s perennial Dickens holiday ghost tale. Performed Dickens weekend, bringing the famous ghost story to life. sponsors: The Fifth Season & Indigo Extreme Internet.

women makes its debut. sponsors: Keith & Hilma Cooper; Dunkin' Donuts of Wellsboro; Benedicts Bus Service, LLC, Terry & Maureen Babb.

Autumn Chorale – Oct 8 Sponsored by Drs. Tina Tolins & Grady Gafford Dickens of a Concert – Dec 1 Sponsored by Wellsboro Electric Company Messiah: A Community Sing – Dec 10 Sponsored by the Sherwood Motel

2016-2017

GALLERY MUSIC SERIES SATURDAY, SEPT. 16TH

NORTH SEA GAS

FRIDAY, JAN. 12TH

Celtic Favorites—Lively Music Straight from Scotland 7:30 PM • TICKETS $17 • BYOB SENIORS $15

BLACK MOUNTAIN SYMPHONY

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 13th

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 17TH

Nick Kody & the Creek Road Band

Drowsy Maggie

Rock, Blues, and Country 7:30 PM • TICKETS $15 • BYOB

Newgrass, Rock, Jazz,and More!

7:30 PM • BYOB TICKETS ONLY $15

A Tioga Favorite!

7:30 PM • TICKETS $12 • BYOB

www.deanecenter.com To reserve a table or for more information call (570) 724-6220.

www.wellsboropa.com 29

Our Neighbors

French Azilum As you follow Route 6 east of Towanda through the wooded hills of Bradford County, the road climbs a 1,600-foot ridge, offering far below views of one of the most idyllic spots in the Keystone State: the Susquehanna River meandering in a great horseshoe encircling a broad terrace of fields and pastures and farmhouses. It is called French Azilum (asylum), and if the sight gives you a sense of pastoral bliss, imagine how the Queen of France, Marie Antoinette, would have felt had she escaped the terrors of the French Revolution for the safety of Penn’s Woods.

That was the plan. In the fall of 1793 a small group of French exiles came up the Susquehanna from Wilkes-Barre in dugout canoes and boats. They were citizens of France who “had fled to Philadelphia to escape the certain imprisonment and probable death for which their loyalty to Louis the XVI marked them,” according to a Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission leaflet. Others had fled the French colony of Santo Domingo. The two Frenchmen who established the colony were otherwise certainties for the executioner’s blade: an attorney, Antoine Omer Talon, and Louis de Noailles, Lafayette’s brother-in-law, who had fought with distinction in the American Revolution.

Sensing a business opportunity, Philadelphians Robert Morris, who signed the Declaration of Independence and financed the American Revolution, wealthy businessman Stephen Girard, and others formed a land company and purchased sixteen hundred acres. Thirty log houses went up by the next spring, including La Grand Maison, which became the center of the social life of the sophisticated French town in the wilderness and was the house set aside for the queen. But Marie Antoinette was beheaded that same fall, October 16, 1793. Undeterred, the exiles in time added a schoolhouse, a chapel, a theater, dairying and sheep, gardens, a gristmill, blacksmith, and makers of soap, gunpowder, and glass.

But with the bankruptcies of Morris and Nicholson, the émigrés left for Charleston, New Orleans, Santo Domingo, or, after 1803, returned safely to France under Napoleon. A few families, such as the LaPortes, remained; they and their descendants settled local communities.

Today you can visit the historic site (www.frenchazilum.com; (570) 265-3376) at 469 Queens Road, Towanda, open May 28 to September 4, Monday through Friday; and September 5 to October 9 on weekends. The $5 for adults covers a self-guided tour of the grounds and a guided tour of the LaPorte House, a graceful structure of French colonial style built in 1836 by John LaPorte, son of an original settler. There’s a 1780s hand-hewn cabin, but none of the original structures remain, which is why it’s even worth a visit in winter, when all the buildings are closed, to stand in the snow-dusted fields, with nothing to consult but your imagination.

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New York’s Largest and Finest Antique Store

26 Palmer Road North • Big Flats, NY

800-780-7330 WWW.ANTIQUEREVIVAL.COM

• Developing Bradford County within its borders.

• Non-profit agency funded by hotel occupancy tax.

• Growing tourism outside our borders.

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

BRADFORD COUNTY

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68

Opportunities for Everyone of All Ages 68

www.wellsboropa.com 31

Simple Indulgences

Peggy’s Candies Mary Jarreau was desperate. The mother of five, she suddenly found herself a single parent in the wake of a devastating divorce.

“It was a situation of domestic violence and I was in a constant state of fear,” Mary says.

The Union County, Pennsylvania, resident was working, but her husband had been the main breadwinner for the family.

Fate appeared in the form of a two-day trip to Niagara Falls that Mary won in a contest at work. She was hesitant to go away, but a friend convinced her this was the chance she needed to clear her mind. She was awed by the falls, feeling the roar of water thunder in her chest.

“On the road for home I was still clueless about what to do,” Mary says.

She and her friend detoured in Wellsboro to get treats for the kids back home. Wandering through town led to a visit to Peggy’s Candies at 82 Main Street. A stroll back down the street brought them to a real estate office showcasing a flier about the sale of the candy store. Mary was rooted to the sidewalk.

“I felt that thundering in my chest again,” she laughs. She took a picture of the flier with her phone. Then she thought of the thirteen dollars she had to her name.

“It was an impossible idea, but I could not shake it,” she says. One thing led to another and, after some creative financing, Mary became the owner of Peggy’s Candies on December 10, 2016, very near the shop’s thirtieth anniversary.

Mary and her children have made a smooth transition to life in Wellsboro and call the reception they received from the community “fantastic, gracious, and welcoming.”

They did some renovating and tweaked the offerings a bit, like removing roasted nuts until they can perfect a system for keeping them fresh. But the dime store sweets we all loved from childhood are still here: the licorice, the button candy, the fireballs, all available in abundant quantity in bins. Highland Chocolates of Wellsboro are now available here. The fudge is homemade and the Jarreau family has found a recipe for Himalayan pink salted caramel that meets with their approval.

Ice cream is a crowd pleaser any season; come the fall, the plans are already in the works to open a bakery in the store next door. You can follow that progress on Facebook or by calling them at (570) 724-3317.

“I came from a place of hopelessness and I took back control of my life. That’s the story I want to share with others. We want to give hope,” Mary says.

While they are not getting rich—Mary calls it a “daily bread sort of business”—they can pay the bills and enjoy the strong sense of community in Wellsboro.

And what could be sweeter than that?

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Senior’S CreationS

LASER ENGRAVING & GIFTS

the Main Street olive oil Co. 70 flavors of Olive Oils and Balsamic Vinegars

ASSORTMENT OF SEASONINGS, RUBS, SPICES, SALTS, PASTAS, AND MORE

75 Main Street Wellsboro, PA 16901 Seniorscreations@gmail.com

570-439-1991 www.seniorscreations.com Ask us about our “Just a Taste” dinner events.

www.wellsboropa.com 33

Boutiques & Specialty shops

Locey Creek Alpacas

Just ten miles from the center of Wellsboro is a fifth-generation family farm that welcomes visitors. Here at Locey Creek Alpacas (www.loceycreekalpacas.com), Penny and Steve Cruttenden currently oversee a herd of thirty-three alpacas, raised for their fiber and champion genetics (and extreme cuteness).

As you walk up to the pen holding the girls, a protective Great Pyrenees lumbers out from the barn with a few “woofs!” and keeps herself between you and the herd. Delilah is the herd protector, and she lives with the female alpacas. Her sister, Angel, lives with the boys in their pen. The dogs are extremely vigilant, Penny explains, and work with the alpacas to keep predators like coyotes at bay. The dogs seem to enjoy the job, and the alpacas seem to recognize the pair’s role as guardian.

Penny beats on a five-gallon bucket, yelling, “Here, girls!” as the fluffy camelids (an herbivorous family that includes alpacas, camels, and llamas) eagerly trot to the fence, anticipating handfuls of grain. “Alpacas are herd animals,” she says, “We recommend that prospective owners start with at least a pair.” One dark Huacaya makes a few ominous, guttural noises and spits a plug of what looks like lawn clippings directly into the eye of the alpaca next to her. “That came from her third stomach,” Penny explains. “That other alpaca got too close to her space, and she was worried she’d lose out on her share of the grain.” Penny says she is rarely the target of the alpaca spitting, but sometimes gets caught in the crossfire.

The Cruttendens breed and sell alpacas for those interested in “living the dream” of having their own animals, and contract their best males as studs to those looking to grow their herd with quality genetics. They offer ongoing support to new alpaca owners and give advice on their care—from fencing and breeding to nutrition and vaccination. The farm also sells super-soft alpaca fiber products like gloves, hats, boot/shoe inserts, teddy bears, and blankets.

Alpacas aren’t the only friendly animals on the property. A handful of blue-eyed Nigerian Dwarf goats prance in a pen near the barn, coming close for a scratch under the chin.

Penny and Steve’s daughter, Madison, shows the goats, along with the two lionhead rabbits lounging in nearby hutches. Steve pulls a rabbit out and offers it to touch; its coat is as soft as whipped buttercream.

Locey Creek Alpacas participates in a variety of community events and outreach. Individuals and organizations may request a hands-on experience with the animals. As it is a working farm, guests are asked to call—either (570) 376-2066 or (570) 439-2639—to arrange a visit.

34

B loss P ,I . harmacy

nc

Your Hometown Pharmacy in Blossburg

• We offer Fast, Professional Service!

• The Pharmacist is Available for Medication and Insurance Questions • Pick-up and Drop-off Location for Troy Dry Cleaners • Large Selection of Gifts: Primitives, Americana, Polish Pottery, Baby Gifts, Quilted Items, American Expedition, and More!

Like Us on Facebook for Special Deals!

2 Riverside Plaza • Blossburg, PA 570-638-2820 • Fax 570-638-3642 blosspharmacy@gmail.com Hours: M-F 9-5:30; Sat. 9-1

Draper’s Super Bee Apiaries, Inc.

Honey...How sweet it is!

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

Come take a tour of our facility!

Reservations are recommended for large groups.

Call for details.

Celebrating 112 Years The Place to Shop for the Whole Family

Monday-Friday 32 Avonlea Lane 8am-5pm Millerton, PA 16936 Saturday 800-233-4273 8am-1pm or 570-537-2381 www.draperbee.com

www.wellsboropa.com 35

Boutiques & Specialty shops

Senior’s Creations When you walk into Senior’s Creations at 75 Main Street in Wellsboro, don’t expect to see old duffers playing checkers.

What you can expect to find are cutting boards, bowls, recipe boxes, lanterns, and many other handcrafted items.

The name is derived from U.S. Navy Senior Chief Rick Beckwith who, along with his wife, Lori, opened the doors to Senior’s Creations on the day of Dickens of a Christmas in 2015. The original plan was to open in the spring of 2016, but the storefront became available, so plans changed accordingly. Wood artisan and laser engraver Rick “Senior” Beckwith’s creations consist of custom-designed products made of locally-obtained hardwoods, with soft maple and cherry being his favorites. He planes, cuts, shapes, and designs the wood gifts in his own woodworking and laser engraving shop. When people want the perfect gift for that special someone, Senior is able to design and create it, and can also engrave glass, ceramics, metal, bamboo, and plastic.

The store also features creations such as salt and pepper shakers, carvings, walking sticks, and wall art, all from members of the Tioga County Wood Workers Guild.

In August of 2016, Rick and Lori added olive oil, balsamic vinegar, spices, and rubs to their line-up and added The Main Street Olive Oil Co. to the sign in the window. They are now offering over seventy flavors of olive oils and balsamic vinegars. The oils, sourced in the Mediterranean, are flavored when the olives are first crushed; you can expect to find varieties such as basil, blood orange, jalapeño, and key lime, just to name a few.

The balsamic vinegars come from Italy, with some varieties made with a “mother”—the bacteria which is necessary for the fermentation process—that has been handed down from generation to generation, some dating back to the 1600s. You will find a wide range of flavor profiles including maple, coconut, and apricot.

Recently, Lori, a registered nutritionist and dietitian, announced the addition of “Just a Taste” dinner events. These are private functions for ten to twelve people who have the opportunity to experience first-hand the wonderful culinary delights that can be created using olive oils, balsamic vinegars, seasonings, and rubs. Guests can expect to be treated to a five-course tapas-style meal consisting of an appetizer, salad with custom dressings, artisan bread with dipping oil, soup, entrée, two sides, dessert, and a beverage that will amaze.

As part of the experience, diners are given information on each menu item, preparation techniques, and a mini cookbook with all the featured recipes. As a special thank you, each guest attending the dinner event takes home a custom-engraved wine glass.

Go to www.seniorscreations.com or call (570) 439-1991 for more information.

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Beneath The Veil, The Realm of Faery Awaits

Great Selection of

WELLSBORO PA GRAND CANYON T-SHIRTS

Our Mission: • Love • Light • Healing

Mind… Body… Spirit An Enchanting Gift Shoppe Est. 2000

Like us on Facebook 6 East Avenue Wellsboro, PA (570) 724-1155 www.enchanted-hollow.com

Alpaca items for sale: Hats, Gloves, Fingerless Gloves, Lined Mittens, Boot Inserts, Blankets, Scarves, Bears, Bird Nesting Balls, Yarn, Roving and Raw Fleece.

Penny and Steve Cruttenden 12 Smith Road Middlebury Center, PA 16935 570-376-2066 Cell: 570-439-2639 www.LoceyCreekAlpacas.com

Men’s Shop, Ladies Clothing, and Accessories

89-91Main Street, Wellsboro, PA 16901 www.garrisonsmensshop.com 570-724-3497

82 Main St. Wellsboro 570-724-3317

M-Th: 8-5:30 F-Sat: 8-7:30 Sun: 11-4 www.wellsboropa.com 37

Boutiques & Specialty shops

The Farmer’s Daughters They really are, you know—the farmer’s daughters, that is. Their business is based in a farmhouse (the previous owner sold produce and kept chickens). Refreshed and refurbished, these days it brims with an eclectic mix of antiques, collectibles, and all the fun and funky things that help make a house a home. It’s been twenty years, explain sisters Debbie Youmans and Danelle Fuller, since they made the decision to take their one-time foray into the craft fair circuit and expand it into a business. They knew farming could be a risky proposition, and presumed retail could likely be the same.

“Back when we started we had no idea how it would go,” says Debbie. They do now.

“We have a lot of faithful customers—people say this is their first stop when they come to Wellsboro,” Danelle says. “Customers get to be friends, which is very nice.”

During the summer season, the sea of bee balm and echinacea in the front yard is reason enough to make the turn from Route 6 into the driveway. Regardless of the time of year, though, once you’re out of your vehicle (sometimes even before!) you can’t help but be fascinated by the, well, fascinating assemblage of old and new just waiting for your perusal.

There is retro, like the amazing pink refrigerator with its pool-green interior and matching pink General Electric stove. There are petite old end tables, and big wooden cupboards that probably came from a pantry in someone else’s elderly farmhouse. That “farmhouse look” is trendy these days, says Danelle, as is white furniture. “People love the primitives, the crocks and quilts, the things you might have found in your grandmother’s home,” she adds. The inventory of “repurposed” items—the sisters like to say they were repurposing furniture before that practice was as popular as it is today—comes from yard sales, estate sales, auctions, and the like. There is a Christmas room, offering the cheer of that season no matter what the month. Pyrex dishes are a perpetual favorite—and what an assortment there is to choose from. Browsers can find locally-made jewelry and felted products, linens (both antique and new), framed pictures from now and then, cards, signs, decorative plates and plate holders, music boxes, an assortment of little things for the babies in your life, even curtains and a few articles of clothing. What is popular changes, the sisters agree, and so the inventory does regularly as well.

To make new memories or refresh some old ones, stop in at 11719 Route 6, just a mile and a half east of downtown Wellsboro. The shop is open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Call (570) 724-1966 or visit www.thefarmersdaughtersshop.com for more information.

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www.wellsboropa.com 39

Boutiques & Specialty shops

In My Shoes There is certainly something to be said for walking a mile in somebody else’s shoes, but aaahhh the comfort and familiarity of walking in your own, especially when they fit you just right. That’s what a visit to In My Shoes, 85 Main Street, will do for you. “We’re gonna make sure you have the right fit,” says owner Nancy Brooks.

“You can’t get that at the mall.”

Nancy celebrates three years at the helm of In My Shoes in October. She had worked in retail and sales for years but “not shoes specifically,” she says. That changed after a conversation with co-worker Scott Lewis during her tenure at Lewis Homes. Scott’s wife, Tammi, had owned In My Shoes for six years (Don Abplanalp was the long-time proprietor before that) and was ready to do something different.

“Scott said, ‘You should buy it,’” Nancy recalls. The suggestion didn’t register immediately—it took about twenty-four hours—but it wasn’t long before she found herself owner of a shoe store, dealing with vendors, going to shoe shows, working with Tammi, and educating herself about all things shoe and foot related. “This has been a shoe store for over fifty years,” Nancy muses. “People come in and say they got their first pair of shoes here and now they’re getting some for their kids.” That, of course, is part of the charm of a small-town retail establishment. She says she gets a good mix of locals and tourists, and for vacationers who may not want to contend with one more package, she can direct-ship to their home.

For her there is no typical day, she continues, but for the customer, well, he or she can count on friendly, knowledgeable service and a great selection of footwear. The shelves hold an assortment of sneakers, work boots, cozy slippers and socks, cleats, sandals, and shoelaces; the ever-popular Dansko brand has come out with a more flexible clog in a fun variety of colors that are selling like hotcakes (and, by the way, there is a shelf with local maple syrup and hotcake mix) and Nancy can testify to the comfort and durability of the Hi-Tec hikers. “Mine have been to Colorado and Arizona,” she says. “They’ve done me well.” And if you don’t see what you want in the store, it is no problem at all for Nancy to special order. “The biggest thing is listening to people and to know what they’re looking for,” she says.

Call (570) 724-2646 or check out In My Shoes on Facebook for store hours and weekly specials. Then stop in for a visit and follow the directive on the wall above the shelving: “Run, skip and jump, work, play and live, the possibilities are endless…In My Shoes”

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New! Life is good Store Downtown Watkins Glen 412 N. Franklin Street Next to Famous Brands

607-535-4952

cocktails tours tastings

Open Daily 11 am - 5 pm 607.546.5510 www.fingerlakesdistilling.com 4676 NY Route 414, Burdett, NY 14818

www.wellsboropa.com 41

GREAT EATS

The Inn at Babb’s Creek “It was time to come home.” That’s how Gregg Henry characterizes a life-shifting decision to leave his career in the health care field, return to Tioga County, and become the owner of a restaurant.

The Inn at Babb’s Creek is in Morris, at the intersection of routes 287 and 414 and the Landrus Road (a great road for cross-country skiing or fat tire biking, by the way, but winter travel on it by vehicle can be scary). Some of the old black and white photos on the wall show town scenes from the early 1900s that include the building, so it has been here at least that long. For about four years prior to Gregg’s purchase, The Inn at Babb’s Creek was unused, but it had been a popular eatery and bar for ages before that. A portion of it was a roller skating rink once upon a time, too—and Gregg says there are folks around still who can remember skating there.

There are also folks around who remember, and loved, the food that came out of the kitchen. “The key to the whole operation was finding a chef,” says Gregg, who admits that while he is very good at making wine, and hopes at some point to be able to offer diners his own label, he had no real interest in serving as his own chef. He wanted the man who had been cooking here for twenty-plus years. He “flat-out refused me five times,” Gregg says, but, after some haggling and a promise from the owner to stay out of the kitchen, “a last-minute Hail Mary” put Chef Dean Fuller back at it in time for the April 2017 opening.

There have been a few mechanical, but not necessarily unexpected, roadblocks—Gregg can almost laugh now about his newly-discovered aptitude for fixing gas appliances, and about “hot water tanks that were cold, ice machines that were hot, and a steam table that was balmy.” He and Dean have a few months of data to help them make menu decisions and there is feedback from customers to nudge things in one direction or another.

So what’s popular at the new Inn at Babb’s Creek? Some of the old favorites, of course.

“Dean has a recipe for his prime rib,” Gregg says, with a restaurateur’s characteristic slyness about giving away food-related secrets, “…and it is the best prime rib I’ve ever had. People love our haddock and our bacon-wrapped scallops.” Dining options include a salad bar, a variety of pasta dishes, pizza, burgers and other sandwiches, and a full bar.

Visit the Inn at Babb’s Creek and discover a new old favorite of your own. Call (570) 3534066 or go to www.theinnatbabbscreek.com for information about hours, daily specials, or to make reservations.

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Your Host: tHe Kauffman familY Enjoy the views from our deck overlooking Pine Creek and relax with a drink in our bar.

392 Slate Run Road Slate Run, PA 17769 570-753-8414 www.hotel-manor.com

2014

EST.

d Loun

ant an

22

$

RestauR

ge

EVERY DAY

Potato & Salad Bar Included 3591 US Route 6 • Wellsboro, PA 16901 • 814.435.6300 Local Draught Beer • On Site Beer Store • oldantlers.com www.wellsboropa.com 43

GREAT EATS

Steve’s Beverage If you have a hankering to sip some Sweet Baby Jesus Chocolate Peanut Butter Porter, Steve’s Beverage, 397 Tioga Street in Wellsboro, has you covered. If German or Belgian beer tickles your fancy, again, you’ve found the right place to procure your libation. Steve Saunders bought Steve’s Beverage in 1988 and saved a few bucks by not having to change the sign since it was already named Steve’s Beverage.

When you visit his establishment you will find national brands such as Budweiser, Miller, Coors, and Pabst along with popular regional brews such as Yuengling and Straub’s. While most beer distributors in the state have between 125 and 150 brands on hand, Steve’s Beverage boasts a hefty 425 in the coolers at all times—that total doesn’t include seasonal brews. Brands from European countries like Poland, Lithuania, Czechoslovakia, and France line the walls, as do offerings from the British Isles. The Orient has a good representation, and beverages from countries not as well known for their beer, such as South Africa and Costa Rica, are available. If you can’t find a brew to suit your fancy, Steve has a library of another 300-plus beers he can special order for you, with arrival in two weeks. You can stop by or call (570) 724-3282 to place an order.

Since the sign reads Steve’s Beverage, you can expect to find more than just beer for your parties and get-togethers. Steve’s has a large selection of your favorite sodas; hard soda is available in root beer, orange, and ginger ale, along with many varieties of hard cider and hard lemonade. Coolers have become popular as of late, and Steve’s has a wide selection of flavors from well-known companies like Jack Daniels, Seagram’s, and Smirnoff. If you’re having a wedding or special event, Steve’s has a refrigerated trailer that holds fifteen kegs and has four outside taps.

Back in 1999, several local businesses were concerned about the worst-case scenarios of Y2K. If massive power outages occurred it would potentially cause the loss of food and medical supplies (not to mention the disaster of warm beer). One solution was dry ice, since it’s much colder than frozen water and turns from a solid to a gas, thereby eliminating the problem of puddles. The nearest sources for dry ice were either Williamsport or Elmira—that is, until local businessmen asked Steve to consider buying the equipment to make dry ice. After a little research he decided to give it a try. As we all know, the year 2000 came in without a hitch, but Steve still makes dry ice. So if the kids can’t make it home for Thanksgiving and they’re jonesin’ for some of Granny’s cranberry relish, Steve can pack it up in a Styrofoam container with dry ice and ship it out overnight.

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• 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

Just Off Rt. 6 & 1-99/Rt.15 • Across from the Comfort Inn 200 Gateway Drive, Mansfield, PA • 570-662-3222 • 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

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

esT. 1939

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

• Open 7 days a week • www.wellsboropa.com 45

GREAT EATS

Fox’s Pizza “Let’s start a restaurant!” Tammy Krsek sat down and blurted out to her partner, Greg Watson, one night. “What in the world for?” was his response. But he pondered it all the same. He pictured a sit-down, family-style restaurant, where the owners know everyone in town, and everyone knows them. It would offer the conveniences and choices of eat-in, takeout, delivery, and online ordering, all in one comfortable location. It became their plan.

But now they needed the place.

Terry’s Hoagies has been nestled in at 7 Charleston Street in Wellsboro for about thirty-three years. Owner Terry Davis had had the business, including recipes, up for sale for a while. Tammy (left, with daughter Shelbie) and Greg had been conversing with several local restaurant owners when Terry himself approached them with an offer they couldn’t refuse. After learning the secret hoagie roll recipe—one of several for which Terry’s was famous—the duo purchased the building and rights to the Terry’s Hoagies name and business.

The next big step was to connect with one of the Keystone State’s own. If you’re a Pennsylvania resident, you’ve most likely heard of Fox’s Pizza Den (there was one here in Wellsboro years ago). But with three other restaurants serving pizza in Wellsboro, how would a pizza franchise survive?

“It was a bumpy road at first [Fox’s Pizza Den/Terry’s Hoagies opened March 14 during Snowstorm Stella], but everyone who works here now stuck with us from day one,” says Tammy. “We couldn’t ask for a better staff. Local restaurant owners and the Chamber of Commerce have been wonderful and so helpful. Our business doesn’t feel unwelcome, and we all serve different types of food, so we aren’t in competition with one another.”

Greg turns out daily specials such as chicken and biscuits or macaroni and cheese. Fox’s/ Terry’s customers are encouraged to make suggestions, so if you don’t see what you’re craving on the menu, ask. If the ingredients are on hand, it can probably be cooked up.

That’s the flexibility and convenience of both restaurants in one, say Greg and Tammy. “It is a constant growing and learning experience,” says Greg. “We’ve made so many business friends. Fox’s corporate [in Murraysville, Pennsylvania] is only a phone call away, and has helped us with so many things.”

Fox’s Pizza/Terry’s Hoagies is open daily from 10:30 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. You can call in an order for delivery or pick-up to (570) 948-9180, or order online at www.foxspizzadenwellsboro.com.

And what about Terry?

He has retired, but frequently stops in for coffee and chat.

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Closest Place to Stay • Eat • Drink to the PA Grand Canyon

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www.wellsboropa.com 47

A piece of our history

Penn Wells Historic Hotel In 1931, in the midst of a natural gas boom, Wellsboro’s Penn Wells Hotel expanded its dining room and added eighteen guest rooms.

They were going to need them.

The Roosevelt Highway (this was before the interstate system—we know it now as Route 6) had become the best-paved route between Manhattan and Chicago, and the hotel was hopping. A regular bus left the Waldorf-Astoria at 9:00 a.m. and arrived at the Penn Wells at 6:30 p.m. Travelers from Philadelphia and Pittsburgh filled the hotel as the beguiling promotions of Larry Woodin began touting the natural wonder of the Pine Creek Gorge as Pennsylvania’s Grand Canyon. Joan Crawford came to visit. Groucho Marx was a guest.

That rich history was rewarded this past summer when the Penn Wells, still alive and well on Main Street after all these decades, was granted membership in Historic Hotels of America—a select program that first requires a building be at least fifty years old, have historic significance, and either be designated by the U.S. Secretary of the Interior as a National Historic Landmark or be eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places. Fewer than 300 hotels in the United States, the District of Columbia, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico share membership. “We view the inclusion of the Penn Wells Hotel in the Historic Hotels of America as a wonderful tribute to generations of individuals who have maintained the Hotel’s historic value,” says Shawn Bryant, CEO of the Wellsboro Hotel Company, the Penn Wells’ parent company. “We like to say that the Hotel is ‘a step back in time’ and preservation of that history is central to our mission.”

The Penn Wells rose at the corner of Main and Waln streets in 1869, three years after a fire destroyed the town’s first tavern, which had been on that spot since 1816. The four-story brick building was renamed Coles House in 1885 when J.S. Coles purchased it. Upon his death, his brother William took over; fire destroyed the hotel’s fourth story in 1906, so William Coles operated it as a three-story hotel until his death in 1920.

The Penn Wells’ current era began in 1925, when local businessmen (including the great-grandfather of Shawn’s wife and company president Ellen Dunham Bryant) intent on preserving the vibrancy of a downtown hotel formed the Wellsboro Hotel Company.

Preservationists won the debate between renovating and rebuilding, and the hotel, refurbished inside and out and newly minted as the Penn Wells, re-opened for business, and was quickly named by the Philadelphia Inquirer “the gem of the Roosevelt Highway.”

These days, travellers on the Roosevelt Highway, a gem in and of itself, can still find rest and repast at the historic Penn Wells. To make the Penn Wells experience your own, call (570) 724-2111 or visit www.pennwells.com.

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Hickory G rove

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65 Main St., Wellsboro, PA

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Add Style and Heat to Any Room.

High Quality Fireplaces and Stoves NATURAL GAS • PROPANE WOOD • PELLET • COAL The Area’s ONLY Certified Installers Free Quotes • Financing Available

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BATH

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784 County Route 64, Big Flats, NY • 607-796-5555

www.wellsboropa.com 51

Don’t just fight cancer. Beat it.

UPMC Susquehanna is here in Wellsboro with one of the most comprehensive cancer programs in northcentral Pennsylvania located at Soldiers + Sailors Memorial Hospital. 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.

(570) 723-2855 UPMCSusquehanna.org/Cancer

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