Mountain Home, July 2020

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Corning Turns Inside Out

Market Street Closes to Traffic and Opens for Outdoor Business

By Karey Solomon Hall’s Candies Cooks Sweet History In Gillett All in the Family at Seneca Lake’s Smith Memorial Park Up the Crick Down Pine Creek Celebrates Local

JULY 20201

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Volume 15 Issue 7

12 Manners Matter

Corning Turns Inside Out

By Cornelius O’Donnell

Our columnist reminisces about life, lettuce, and etiquette (or lack thereof).

By Karey Solomon

Market Street closes to traffic and opens for outdoor business.

18 Mansfield’s Most

“Spirited” Debate

By Steve McCloskey

Liquor store opens in 1970—and 2020.

28 The Family Park That

Was the Family Farm

6

By Janet McCue

Up the Crick Down Pine Creek

Thanks to Leon Smith, Hector’s Smith Memorial Park saved for all.

By Linda Roller

34 Back of the Mountain

Erika Morgan celebrates wine, art, and all things local on Route 44.

By Nigel P. Kent Soaring glory.

20 Half a Century of Sweetness

By Karey Solomon

Family and chocolate blend at Hall’s Candies in Gillett.

Cover photo Kendra Colegrove from Elkland, a senior at University of Pittsburgh, by Michael Capuzzo; cover design by Gwen Button; (from top) jewelry artist Kelly Ormsby with her mascot Lyle, by Michael Capuzzo; Erika Morgan, courtsey Erika Morgan; Jeanne Andrews displaying a box of Hall’s Fudge, by Karey Solomon.

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w w w. m o u n ta i n h o m e m ag . co m Editors & Publishers Teresa Banik Capuzzo Michael Capuzzo Associate Publisher George Bochetto, Esq. D i r e c t o r o f 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 Joseph Campbell, Richard Trotta Circulation Director Michael Banik Accounting Amy Packard Cover Design Gwen Button Contributing Writers Maggie Barnes, Mike Cutillo, Ann E. Duckett, Melissa Farenish, Lilace Mellin Guignard, Carrie Hagen, Lisa Howeler, Don Knaus, Steve McCloskey, Janet McCue, Dave Milano, Cornelius O’Donnell, Brendan O’Meara, David O’Reilly, Jan Smith, Karey Solomon, Beth Williams C o n t r i b u t i n g P h o t o g r ap h e r s Bernadette Chiaramonte, Diane Cobourn, Michael Johnston, Nigel P. Kent, Roger Kingsley, Beate Mumper, Peter Rutt, Jody Shealer, Wendy Snyder, Deb Stafford, Linda Stager, Curt Sweely, Sarah Wagaman, Curt Weinhold, Ardath Wolcott, Deb Young D i s t r i b u t i o n T eam Layne Conrad, Grapevine Distribution, Duane Meixel, Linda Roller, Phil Waber T h e B ea g l e Nano Cosmo (1996-2014) • Yogi (2004-2018) ABOUT US: Mountain Home is the award-winning regional magazine of PA and NY with more than 100,000 readers. The magazine has been published monthly, since 2005, by Beagle Media, LLC, 39 Water Street, Wellsboro, Pennsylvania, 16901, and online at www.mountainhomemag.com. Copyright © 2020 Beagle Media, LLC. All rights reserved. E-mail story ideas to editorial@mountainhomemag. com, or call (570) 724-3838.

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DISTRIBUTION: Mountain Home is available “Free as the Wind” at hundreds of locations in Tioga, Potter, Bradford, Lycoming, Union, and Clinton counties in PA and Steuben, Chemung, Schuyler, Yates, Seneca, Tioga, and Ontario counties in NY. SUBSCRIPTIONS: For a one-year subscription (12 issues), send $24.95, payable to Beagle Media LLC, 39 Water Street, Wellsboro, PA 16901 or visit www.mountainhomemag.com.

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5

Corning Turns Inside Out

Market Street Closes to Traffic and Opens for Outdoor Business

By Karey Solomon

“W

e couldn’t have a better day for this!” says Corning Mayor Bill Boyland. Standing in the middle of Corning’s Market Street, where ordinarily he’d be blocking traffic, he flourished a large pair of ceremonial golden scissors, then used them to cut a wide red ribbon held by other

6

business and city officials. “It’s time to come out and shop and eat and enjoy,” he proclaims. Traffic lights changed but he and the others were still unthreatened by cars. As of 11 a.m. June 12, and for at least the next seven weeks, downtown Market Street between Wall Street and Chestnut Street is closed to traffic.

See Inside on page 8

7

Kristen Brewer

Kristen Brewer Going the distance: restaurants on Market Street make sure all tables are appropriately distanced in the outdoor seating areas, so customers can enjoy their time while following guidelines.

Inside continued from page 6

It’s an experiment, allowing retail businesses and eateries to expand, spreading retail space and tables into the street to serve more customers while observing social distancing. One hour in, people were happily eating at outdoor tables, shopping, visiting with shopkeepers they’ve missed, jogging, sitting on benches and curbs— quickly adapting to the new ambiance.

“It’s happening all over the country; it’s the only way to get these businesses re-started,” says Coleen Fabrizi, executive director of Corning’s Gaffer District. “As the governor started talking about phases of reopening, I started the conversation with the city to see if it’s something we might be able to do. Then my team and I have been working behind the scenes.” The Corning City Council scheduled a special council meeting on June 9 via Zoom to consider the proposal. That evening, they voted it in. “And we’re very grateful,” Coleen says.

The trial period extends to August 1.

It makes the street—apart from one middle emergency lane—a place for café seating and retail space, with barricades preventing 8

vehicular access at each end of each block.

Cross streets remain open to cars. The plan is to ensure everyone’s safety, convenience, and comfort. The Centerway parking garage is offering free parking during this time. Wheelchair-wide aisles near stores remain unobstructed. And as the inside moves outside, smoking on the street is banned. Bike racks owned by the Wineglass Marathon group were loaned to eateries as a way to secure their outdoor furniture overnight, creating defined outdoor seating areas as needed. Further north, where sidewalks are wider, restaurants and retailers will be able to move outdoors without requiring street closing. The benefits for visitors, businesses, and downtown residents are potentially enormous.

“At this time, our focus is all about getting our businesses open and creating a safe environment so our customers can come back and enjoy the downtown they love so much,” Coleen says. “The beautiful thing about this downtown is whether you are on the north side or here on Market street, we have businesses that are so excited to be welcoming back their beloved

customers.”

On hearing of the city council’s decision, many eatery owners immediately visited restaurant supply outlets to order outdoor furniture. Some found pallets of supplies already loaded for their neighbors.

A few chose awnings and café umbrellas; others are confident in their location on the shady side of the street.

Until the street space could be used, many businesses were having a very tough time as they tried to stay open while navigating a changing landscape of new rules.

“Our business has certainly suffered like all other businesses, and the ability to put tables out on the street in front of our restaurant is pretty significant to us,” says Ellen Lanahan, co-owner with her husband, Michael, of The Cellar restaurant at 21 West Market Street. “We will have to abide by six feet between tables. But what we have available inside is about 25 percent capacity.

Better to have more guests dine and enjoy themselves.”

“This brings us closer to the possibility See Inside on page 10

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Karey Solomon Casual consumption: Cody, Megan, and Narvik Shelanskey of Painted Post were among the first to enjoy the new outdoor seating in downtown Corning; they were enjoying an early lunch at Boomer’s on Market Street.

Inside continued from page 8

of the business itself maybe turning a profit at this point,” says Michael Lanahan. “With the stipulations and without the outdoor seating it’s not a sustainable business model.” The Lanahans are also particularly glad it’s now possible for their furloughed employees to return to work.

Michael Sorge of Sorge’s Restaurant at 68 West Market Street is the second generation of a business that opened nearly seventy years ago. The business weathered the flood of 1972—“We actually had very little damage and we had a great summer that year!”—as well as a devastating fire in late 2008 that shut the business down for sixteen months. Michael Sorge calls these past months, “less challenging than a fire” but acknowledges the uncertainty of things.

“The unknowns are...unknown,” he says. “It’s going to be a big challenge for us. But the street has come together, the merchants have come together, and I think it tells our customers we in the downtown area will do whatever it takes to show them we need them and want them. We’re willing to do that extra bit.”

“A lot of us said in the past it might be a good idea,” says David Shoemaker, one of the owners of Liquid Shoes Brewing at 26 East Market Street. David admits the 10

past few months “haven’t been that bad,” for a brewery.

“Beer sales went up 40 percent. We were definitely a hot commodity, and I think it will help us get back to where we wanted to be faster. It won’t be what it was until we’re back to full capacity, but it will allow us to be closer to that full capacity mark. I think you’re going to see a very busy downtown Corning, as long as all businesses adhere to social distancing and allow patrons a way to feel comfortable and still enjoy their favorite bar or restaurant— or brewery.

“I also am hoping, not only from a personal standpoint, hoping more people will come down and walk Market Street and purchase from other retailers whether it be clothing or a service business,” he adds.

David is optimistic about this new approach, partly from natural optimism, and also because patrons have long told him they wanted to see this happen. “I wouldn’t mind seeing them do this every summer,” he says. “If this goes well it will show everyone who loves this idea it’s definitely something that could be done even without a pandemic. I’m not thanking the pandemic, but it could be something really good.”

He’s not the only one seeing a silver

lining in the clouds that have hovered over eateries and businesses for 2020’s late winter and spring.

“We spent a lot of time fine-tuning parts of our business that would have been harder to find the time for,” Michael Lanahan says.

That included “fine-tuning some of the details on how our kitchen functions to make it more efficient than it already was,” adds Ellen. “And, growing as business owners.”

Barry Nicholson, who owns several buildings and three retail businesses, can look at the challenge of the past months from multiple perspectives. As an employer, during New York on Pause he spent time with his employees each week on Zoom calls. “I didn’t have a personal relationship with each employee but we had a need to stay in touch with people when they weren’t working,” Barry says. “I got to know employees, whether a high school student or a long-term full-timer.” He also spent a lot of time talking with his tenants.

When Market Street retailers had to close temporarily, it challenged everyone on this much-beloved thoroughfare. “There’s been a lot of consternation,” he continues.

Some of his upper floor tenants were See Inside on page 32

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Manners Matter

Our Columnist Reminisces about Life, Lettuce, and Etiquette (or Lack Thereof )

By Cornelius O’Donnell

A

fter fifty-plus years, memories of my high school days are still with me. I attended a large, somewhat unusual, Catholic school in Albany, New York, staffed by the Brothers of Holy Cross and the Sisters of Mercy—the Brothers for the boys on the two lower floors and the Sisters for the girls on the upper two floors. The façade also featured different entrances for each. Even at lunchtime the girls vacated the cafeteria before the boys entered.

I enjoyed the classes in Latin (shamefully gone in most schools today) and in various English classes, where we’d write essays, learn when to use a semicolon, and diagram sentences at the chalk board. The clergy were our spell-check back then. I hope the Brothers who taught me so well are somehow reading Mountain Home from afar and above.

But another class remains vivid in my memory. When we were seniors, the head of the school brought in a layman, a retired lawyer who was on the Parish Council. J. Emmett Wall was an imposing figure with 12

his three-piece suit, watch chain, and a crisp linen handkerchief in his pocket. His purpose was to lecture us once a month or so (as I recall) on manners—you know, standing when senior folk came into the room, writing thank-you notes, holding the chair for females (though I seem to lose points these days for doing that).

You may ask: what does this have to do with food? Well, for one thing, the table seems to be a place where manners are a key ingredient. Which fork should we use?

Should you tilt the soup bowl away from you to enjoy the very last drop? Should you refold napkins? How about conversation? I remember the two things we were told to avoid: politics and religion. Anyway, I soaked up Mr. Wall’s words like mushrooms do a marinade. It was all so Downton Abbey, as much of that series revolved around the table.

Another Memorable Class This rumination about classes brings on another school memory. The setting was

the spacious home economics room in a normally closed-for-the-summer high school in Seaside, Oregon. There was a broad deck overlooking the Pacific.

James Beard, world-renowned cookbook author and teacher, had become Corning’s spokesman for the smooth-top line of appliances. He called me for help, and the west coast distributor made sure to lend the school the three ranges. An Oregon native, Jim chose to do several weeks of classes there, and I went to the first two weeks to lend a hand with the use and care of the units.

Unlike most chefs, Jim was a big fan of electric rather than gas for cooking. The classes were such a pleasure to take, they made an enduring impact on me, and many of the students became friends. Several of us ended up sharing a chateau in the Dordogne region of France. We cooked dinners from the market’s bounty, and enjoyed lunch each day at different one-star or better restaurants.

The dollar was strong and good food was See Manners on page 14

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WILLIAMSPORT Manners continued from page 12

affordable. We also managed a cooking class in Périgord.

Anyway, here goes with a recipe I learned from Jim. Thankfully, there’s no worry about forks. You eat it with your impeccably clean hands and lots of napkins. In fact, this is great picnic or tailgate fare.

Just make sure the filling is warm and the lettuce icy cold—no need to fire up the grill, just cool the cooler and wrap the container of hot stuff in several layers of newsprint.

James Beard’s Chicken in Lettuce Leaves Quoting Jim from his The New James Beard Cookbook, “This is a rather Westernized version of an oriental dish that’s simple to make and great fun to eat.” Cool, huh?

You can take your time and prepare the ingredients well ahead.

Use the meat from a rotisserie chicken (a cook’s best friend) if you don’t want to cook your own. This serves six to eight and can easily be doubled. It’s a good use for iceberg lettuce, a sometimes maligned green. I have also used Boston or Bibb myself, but they are more fragile and can’t be quite so heaped with filling.

3 heads iceberg, Boston, or Bibb lettuce 1½ cups finely chopped yellow, white, or red onion ¾ cup finely chopped green bell pepper (red is OK also) 6 Tbsp. unsalted butter 4 oz. can mild green chilies, drained and chopped 1-2 Tbsp. finely chopped jalapeño pepper, seeds and white ribs removed 3 c. finely cooked chicken or turkey 1½ c. cooked rice (I’ve used plain couscous or bulgur—they work and are a breeze to cook) 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh basil (plus more for garnish) Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste 1/3 c. cognac (a masterly inclusion and so Beard) ½ c. low-sodium chicken broth ¼ c. chopped parsley ¾ c. toasted shaved almonds

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Carefully separate the lettuce leaves from the head, leaving leaves whole. It helps to press on the whole lettuce to loosen it before separating the leaves. Rinse them and pat dry with paper or cotton kitchen towels. Arrange in your nicest glass bowl and chill in the refrigerator. I use a small sheet pan or large dinner plate as a cover.

In a large skillet, sauté the onion and green pepper in the butter.

Cook just until wilted. Add chilies, jalapeños, chicken, and rice. Toss well, cover and simmer for 3-4 minutes. Then add the basil, salt, pepper, cognac, and broth. The mixture should not be dry, but you don’t want it sloppy either. Heat through and taste for seasoning.

Arrange on your nicest shallow platter/serving dish. Garnish with the parsley and almonds. Place the bowl of lettuce leaves next to it. Each person spoons some of the chicken mixture onto a lettuce leaf and rolls it up, to be eaten with the fingers. It’s hands-on and hands-in dining, and, for the dish washer in the family, that’s a wonderful thing.

I’d plan a centerpiece of Parmesan bread sticks swirled and served in your best vase, and a Finger Lakes dry or semi-dry Riesling.

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

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Gayle Morrow

Mansfield’s Most “Spirited” Debate Liquor Store Opens in 1970—and 2020

By Steve McCloskey

It was fifty years ago that the Pennsylvania state store opened in Mansfield after many decades as a dry town. It closed in March because of the state shutdown during the coronavirus pandemic, and reopened May 8.

The line on the last day it was open in March went from the counter to the back of the store, back up the aisle, and out the front door. ~ Joyce Tice

F

or some Mansfield residents, Governor Tom Wolf ’s ordering the closure of all state stores in the Commonwealth on March 17, as a preventive measure in limiting the spread of COVID-19 virus, was fifty years too late. The governor’s executive order effectively prohibited the selling of packaged liquor in Mansfield, a course of action that escaped a dogged group of sixteen area residents who appeared before Tioga County Judge Charles G. Webb during a hearing in Common Pleas Court the morning of April 8, 1970. The hearing was the final showdown in a communitywide debate that had raged since Mayor Ernie Vosburg informed borough council members at their February 3 meeting that he had been informed by three State Liquor Control Board officials that a state store in

18

Mansfield was imminent.

Those three officials had visited Mansfield two months earlier to conduct an informal survey of community and business leaders after the agency had reportedly received numerous requests from area residents for a state store. Those residents complained they had to travel to Blossburg, Wellsboro, or Troy to purchase legal spirts and wines. The officials also reported that the Chamber of Commerce and most business owners were receptive.

It would seem the LCB guys may have missed a few folks in their survey. Mansfield had a long history as a dry, and moral, community.

Well before the advent of social media, letters to the editor published in the local papers were the most popular and effective way to express one’s opinion. Judging by the volume and intensity—although civil by today’s standards—of anti-state store letters posted in the Mansfield Advertiser and the Elmira Star Gazette, there was substantial and passionate opposition. The Advertiser, in its near final days of local ownership, penned an editorial strongly opposed to the sale of liquor in the borough.

Many of the letter writers were opposed

to a state store on religious and moral grounds, because of historical tradition, or due to frustration over their perceived lack of choice in the matter. By Pennsylvania law, LCB had the authority to legally establish a store in any community that had an expressed interest—unless there was overwhelming opposition.

The Star-Gazette conducted an informal survey and reported that state store proponents outnumbered opponents.

Another questionnaire, circulated to 100 borough residents as part of a survey class at the Mansfield State College (now Mansfield University), also showed a majority approved of the establishment of a state store.

Word leaked out that the LCB was in negotiation with the newly built Mansfield Plaza to construct a store connecting to the almost finished Super Duper grocery store.

That news prompted sixteen residents, most of them married couples, who lived within a quarter mile of the site to present a petition disallowing the store in their neighborhood.

The evening before the hearing date in Wellsboro, Mayor Vosburg—who was in favor of the state store but had no vote on borough council—asked council members

to go on record and vote if they approved or disapproved of the establishment. Council complied, giving its unanimous approval to the proposed establishment.

The next morning, Judge Webb opened the hearing by explicitly informing both sides that the issue to be determined was not if Mansfield should by wet or dry—the judge claimed he was personally one of the driest of the dry in Tioga County—but only why the store should be prohibited from opening at the location in the plaza.

Despite his best efforts, he proved less than successful in limiting the scope of the debate.

When first filed, the petition against the store consisted of three reasons for rejection of the plaza location. One, which was dropped prior to the hearing, is perhaps particularly relevant in a town and gown community—the student population is more than the population of the borough.

That original concern about the college population was subsequently replaced by concern of the proximity of Prospect Cemetery, a “sacred place.”

The other concerns included the prospective store’s proximity to a church, a

school, and to private residences, and that previous elections had expressed the will of the residents in opposition of the sale of liquor.

The revised anti-liquor store rationale centered on the site’s nearness to a church, represented by the pastor of the Seventh Day Adventist Church on the corner of North Main and Elmira streets (a location that now houses the History Center’s Museum of Us). He spoke about his concerns of increased traffic on Saturdays, their day of Sabbath. He was also worried about people drinking as they walked by the church.

The second issue presented was residents’ concerns that children would have to walk past the store on the way to and from school.

After two hours of testimony, including a number of people stating they were against the state store on moral and religious grounds, no matter where the location, the counsel for both groups presented their final arguments.

The Liquor Control Board, represented by an assistant state attorney, carried the day, arguing there were plenty of

established state stores located much closer to churches in other locations throughout the Commonwealth. The state also insisted the plaza parking lot provided a long buffer between the store and the sidewalk.

Their final argument buried the opposition with the statement that “it would be impossible for the state store to have any effect on the residents of the cemetery.”

Judge Webb concurred, and the case— if not the debate—was finally over.

Mansfield’s state store opened for business later that year. Ironically, the first customer was from Wellsboro.

While we’re waiting for the return of normalcy, get out and take a walk from the state store to the History Center’s Museum of Us, and see if indeed it’s within a quarter mile.

I’ll drink to that.

Steve McCloskey retired in 2017 as the longtime Director of Athletic Operations and Information at Mansfield University. He currently serves as a member of the board of the Mansfield History Center.

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Courtesy Erika Morgan

Up the Crick Down Pine Creek

Erika Morgan Celebrates Wine, Art, and All Things Local on Route 44

By Linda Roller

Y

ou know you want to stop. How can you resist those beckoning signs—topped by an old canoe?

They promise whimsy and fun, and that is exactly what you will find at Up the Crick, located at the former Poust’s store between Jersey Shore and Waterville at 5099 North Route 44.

Erika Morgan is the master of ceremonies at a business that celebrates central and north central Pennsylvania in art, food, and community. It literally spills out of the shop onto the porch. Inside, art and jewelry sparkle from the walls and racks, and foods made only in Pennsylvania flow from antique cupboards and baskets that abound. In the back of one room, a counter from Poust’s old store, lovingly

20

restored, now provides a place for tasting the Freas Farm wines made in the Bloomsburg/ Berwick area—a selection of whites and reds from this vineyard await you. Two wine slushy machines slowly rotate, providing refreshing beverages for warm summer days.

Poust’s store closed over ten years ago, and when Erika revitalized the space she started with thirty-two local artists. She now hosts eighty-eight individual artists within these magical walls. Her dedication to Pennsylvania products and artists has earned her shop a “PA Preferred” certificate, and several of the artists she features are also certified.

She has always had an artistic vision.

She and her husband arrived in the Pine Creek valley nine years ago from rural

Michigan, thanks to work in the gas industry. This part of Pennsylvania, with the mountains and lush valleys, stole her heart.

“When I travel back (from Michigan), I begin to feel ‘back home’ when I get to Snowshoe and see the mountains here,” she admits.

As an artist herself, Erika sold at festivals and had her artwork in five shops.

“So,” she says, “when I decided to open my own shop, I already had a customer base.” And since opening last year, the local response has been swift and very positive.

Erika says the comment she receives most often is: “We needed this here.”

It’s not just art, wonderful snacks, and wine. Every Friday, Erika makes a loop in See Whimsy on page 22

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Whimsy continued from page 20

our area to bring local fresh goods to the hikers, bikers, kayakers, and other Pine Creek valley guests who were unable to resist that canoe pointing the way to Up the Crick.

“I start in Salona,” she explains. “There, at the Friday Schoolhouse Market, an Amish baker provides me with baked goods and the best whoopie pies anywhere. People love them.”

Then it’s on to some other shops, and finally to the Amish produce auction in Loganton. There is a section of the auction that sells only locally grown produce. Finally, she’s in Jersey Shore for a supply of kombucha and cheese.

For Erika, art and community go together, and what better way than a Saturday with invited artists, craftspeople, and local food vendors. The area around the store can accommodate twenty vendors, so in the summer of 2019, shortly after she opened, she created the Second Saturday Market. It was so popular, and became even more popular when, for the last two Saturdays of 2019, she added a kids’ craft area.

But that wasn’t all.

“I had so many ideas for Up the Crick!” she says. Again, it was community involvement in learning a new craft, Beckoning business: making jelly or bread, or canning. As the crowds (top) the canoe sign dwindled, she closed her doors in January and began that draws curiosity, offering classes for local people. They were gaining in (middle) a small wine popularity, when, in mid-March, the pandemic closed and design group all non-essential businesses. enjoy their time, For many businesses and artisans, the subsequent (bottom) a welcoming entrance greets all. return to “normal” continues to be slow. Erika saw a need. Festivals, fairs, and shows have been cancelled throughout the summer of 2020. The artisans and crafters who depend on reaching their clientele at these large events are, themselves, up the proverbial “crick” and likely not going to be able to exhibit. What to do with the things already made for the now-cancelled events?

“So many people have inventory, and there are no markets,” Erika says. “The big invitation venues are closed.” So, she has expanded the Second Saturday to include Sunday, which began in June, and will continue through the summer and fall. The first “Second Weekend” was a June Oktoberfest, and featured local brats and beer to welcome the return of people to Up the Crick.

For July, Erika is featuring Freas Farm Winery. This winery is new to the shop for 2020 (remember those slushy machines!) and has produced an impressive selection of fifteen wines.

There is now an expanded area in the shop for classes and workshops, and Erika is again planning classes for the cold weather months. Again, local artists, bakers, and masters of forgotten arts will be teaching neighbors and friends. You will find at Up the Crick, whether your visit is virtual on Facebook or in person, that it’s all about bringing art to people, helping a community to create, and helping to create a community. It’s a recipe for not only business success, but for a stronger and more far-reaching community, which just happens to be nestled in a very special valley.

Find out more at upthecrick44.com or call (570) 865-6247.

Mountain Home contributor Linda Roller is a bookseller, appraiser, and writer in Avis, Pennsylvania.

22

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23

Emilee Carpenter Candy-coated clan: Four generations of candy makers in Gillett. (From left) Greg Andrews, Jeanne Andrews, Emilee Andrews, Gary Andrews, Beth Andrews, Ryan Andrews.

Half a Century of Sweetness

Family and Chocolate Blend at Hall’s Candies in Gillett

By Karey Solomon

O

nce upon a time—and also now—a happy family owned a company making small batch artisanal candies off a maple-shaded byway in Gillett.

The family members all like each other and work together harmoniously each day.

Inside a large, bright white room sparkling with gleaming copper kettles and stainless steel tables, masked, gloved, and hair-netted people speak in soft voices, moving with the assurance and grace of dancers performing a well-rehearsed number. The air is scented with the heady aromas of cooking sugar, butter, and chocolate.

If it sounds like a fairy tale, it’s because this narrative skips the long hours of standing on one’s feet measuring and stirring and cooking and timing and checking and pouring and stretching and cutting and packaging and sorting and talking to customers and sending out sweet confections.

It misses the fair-and-festival circuit that once was the bread and butter of the business, the risks every small family-owned business takes as a matter of course, and the particular

24

challenges of this year—as well as the ones they’ve met for the previous forty-nine.

This year is Hall’s Candies’ fiftieth year in business, with the fourth generation of the Hall family now involved. And despite 2020’s difficulties, they’re going to celebrate the cheerfulness, dedication, and hard work that got them here.

Back in 1970, Burton, Leon, and Sally Hall purchased Sally’s Uncle Warter’s taffy business, then made taffy treats to take to county fairs and festivals, selling their wares to fair-goers who looked forward to meeting up with them each year. Later in 1970, they bought Doc’s Candies on Hoffman Street in Elmira, adding homemade fudge to their repertoire. But in 1974 they closed the retail business, built a 400-sqare-foot manufacturing facility in Gillett, and returned to a seasonal candy operation during summer fairs and holidays.

Sadly, Sally Hall died a few months ago with the return of an aggressive cancer. She’s much missed by her family and the staff at Hall’s Candies.

In 2011, Gary and Jeanne Andrews (Gary was adopted by the Hall family) purchased the family business and two years later returned it to a year-round operation with wholesale and online selling. Their success meant increasing their production facility by adding on to the original workshop, involving every family member plus eight employees, and expanding their sweet menu. One sister, Beth, is a nurse who pitches in during the peak pre-holiday season but mostly works as a hospital hero.

As we talk, Gary measures ingredients on a venerable antique scale as almonds roast and butter gently melts in the copper kettle. Copper is the preferred material for candy production because it spreads heat evenly. He and his crew will make ten small batches of brittle this morning—first pecan, then almond, then peanut brittle. Nuts for each batch are roasted minutes before being added.

As he’s working on the next batch, son Greg is energetically spreading the foamy, See Candies on page 26

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(2) Emilee Carpenter

Candies continued from page 24

Karey Solomon

just-cooked brittle on a stainless steel tabletop with a huge spatula.

He cuts the rapidly cooling brittle and separates it into three slabs.

One goes on the table behind him, where Arianna and Della stretch it to thin it and facilitate cooling. Della, before this retirement job, taught first grade, and Greg and Emilee are former students.

Gary returns to work with Greg at spreading out the other two slabs and Sophia steps to the kettle to stir the new batch. Gary and Greg move everything to the second table and, working together, cut the brittle into even pieces with a rolling knife as Della and Arianna step back. Then Gary returns to the kettle, and the three women separate brittle along the knife-scored lines and pile it carefully into labeled bins. By the time they’re nearly done, Greg and Gary are carrying the next kettle to the first table where they tip it so this next batch can spread out. These are special tables, with water tubes running under the steel surface to heat or cool the tabletops to help with working the candy.

That’s just the morning’s work—in the afternoon they’ll package the cooled, fresh brittle.

In addition to the three brittles, they produce more than a dozen kinds of fudge. If you can’t decide between them, they offer an assortment, which is their most popular “flavor.” Oreos, pretzels, marshmallows, and peanut brittle are dipped in milk Oh, fudge: From the or dark chocolate—a process apparently as much foamy fudge mixture in fun to watch as it is to do—it’s a favorite attraction a copper kettle (top), for school kids taking a factory tour, who often look to the water-cooled wonderstruck at the amounts of chocolate around tabletops perfect them. Near Easter, Hall’s makes chocolate bunnies. for working candy Every family member and employee has a favorite (center)...tourists job and a favorite flavor. Jeanne enjoys customer of the factory enjoy service, so she fields phone calls and packs upwards of candy amazement. forty orders every day. Their chocolate regularly travels to customers in all fifty states, and is sold at twenty-five Wegmans supermarkets, as well as online.

Gary and Greg do much of the cooking to produce the brittles and fudges. Emilee works at marketing and the social media platform while her older brother Ryan is “All things IT.” The candy favorites are fairly evenly divided—Emilee likes peanut butter, Sophia likes plain chocolate fudge, Della favors penuche (a caramel-ish fudge made with brown sugar), Greg likes the chocolate-dipped Oreos, and Jeanne would choose the milk chocolate-covered peanut brittle. “But there’s not a thing I don’t like!” she hastens to add. The employees joke they need the masks they’re wearing to keep them from snacking on the job.

Many sales happen online (hallscandies.com) where it’s also possible to sign up for the company’s newsletter—an important email to get if you’re wondering which seasonal flavor of creamy fudge is about to become your own new favorite. The newsletter is also the source of information on specials. There will be several, BTW, to celebrate this anniversary no fudge and brittle enthusiast would want to miss, and you will find them at 32740 PA-14, Gillett, or get information at (888) 376-3152.

And as the sweet taste of happily ever after melts through your mouth and makes your taste buds smile, it’s good to know the Andrews family is continuing to make more of it.

Karey Solomon tries making fudge every year but has yet to succeed at making really good fudge.

26

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(2) Janet McCue

The Family Park That Was the Family Farm

Thanks to Leon Smith, Hector’s Smith Memorial Park Saved for All

By Janet McCue

J

ust south of Peach Orchard Point on Seneca Lake’s east side is a gem of a park. Smith Memorial Park, a ninetytwo-acre paradise, offers camping, nature trails, a boat launch, and picnic facilities during its six-month May to October season.

COVID-19 has curtailed swimming and tent camping for summer 2020, but in a normal year the seventy-eight wooded and lakefront sites—for tents and campers—are booked, while the swim beach and boat launch are bustling with activity.

This lakeside park was once the fruit farm of Leon R. Smith, who inherited the farm from his father, Franklin, who had farmed with his father, Edward, who had purchased the land in 1890. If the prediction of a summer crop of 5,000 bushels of apricots in the June 10, 1897 issue of Cultivator and 28

Country Gentleman is any indication, the Smith Fruit Farm land was productive and the crop plentiful. The Progressive Eastern Fruitgrower (v.1#3) waxes eloquent in 1911 over the Smith Family Farm’s crop of apricots, peaches, pears, plums, apples, and grapes, praising it as the “most remarkable fruit in this country for beauty and flavor.”

Fast forward to 1964: with no heirs of his own, Leon Smith had a decision to make when he retired from farming. He could sell the land to the developer who had offered him a bundle, or he could protect the land from development and allow the community to enjoy this lakeside jewel. Dorothy (White) Morris, a member of the Hector Town Board for almost thirty years, remembered swimming and camping at Mr. Smith’s beach when she was a child. In her words, “He was

a most generous man, and, though he had no children, never chased away the many children and adults who came to swim at his beach.” On April 23, 1964, Mr. Smith, in consultation with his siblings, transferred the property to the Town of Hector. The town bought the ninety-two acres for $40,000—a tiny fraction of the price offered by the developer—with three-quarters of the costs covered by the State of New York and the remainder by the town’s capital reserve fund, which had been earmarked for a muchneeded park for Hector. Leon and his siblings “agreed that their parents would have been pleased with the idea of turning the farm into a park for many people to enjoy,” according to an interview with his wife, Mildred.

The drive to the park is seductive. As See Smith on page 30

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you leave the bustle of Route 414 traffic and wend your way down Bond-Smith Road, glimpses of the lake appear as the road descends steeply for 385 feet to the lakeshore. At the closet-sized park office you might meet Janine Bond, as good an example as any that the campground motto, “where everyone is family,” is literally true.

For the past decade, Janine and her husband, Jason, have been co-managers of Smith Memorial Park; their children have worked summers doing everything from garbage detail to lifeguarding. But the Bond family link to Smith Park goes deeper than a road sign and deeper than park management. The couple met thirty-two years ago when Janine picnicked with a friend at the Park and a handsome lifeguard caught her eye. Ah—summer romance.

The Bond family, like the Smiths and the Voorheis (Janine’s maiden name) family, has made its mark on Hector. Jason’s grandparents ran the Bond Farm; his aunt and uncle ran the Bond Fruit Stand—now the site of the well-known Stonecat Café. At the park, Jason worked with a forester to open up the viewshed and landscape the property; Janine is familiar to many residents since she wears several hats, including responsibilities for human resources and bookkeeping for the town.

I claim my own slim family connection to Smith Memorial Park through my Aunt Flo. Each summer she would pack a passel of kids in the station wagon and tow the pop-up camper to Peach Orchard, where she settled into a seasonal spot at Smith Park Family Campground. Her kids took up residence at the beach; as they got older, they were still at the water, but as lifeguards, watching over the flocks of swimmers. Forty years later, these cousins of mine still marvel at their mother’s campfire skills: her black raspberry pie baked on the Coleman stove and the Sunday roast slow-cooked in Saturday night’s bonfire coals. As I walked around the park in 2020, I wondered whether the pies baked by any of today’s camp stove cooks would rival my aunt’s fruit-filled delectables.

Smith Park began with Leon’s vision to create a community park. When the town board accepted the land, Dorothy Morris said that their “overall aim was to keep Smith Park a rural, rustic spot for the enjoyment of nature and yet to provide revenue enough to continue its slow but steady development. A place for local people to enjoy, as well as visitors to our region.” Over the past few years that steady development has included a brand-new water system and modern bathroom facilities. On the horizon are exciting possibilities.

The current Hector town board is working with the state on the Local Waterfront Revitalization Plan and Smith Park’s 2,000 feet of lakefront is included in that effort. If the state approves the plan, much of the cost for improving lake access and enhancing the community park areas would be covered by New York.

Smith Memorial Park will remain true to Leon’s vision of a beautiful spot for the enjoyment of nature. It will always be free for swimming and parking, according to Alvin White, Hector Town Supervisor. Given that Alvin traces his Hector family roots back nine generations (and it was his Aunt Dorothy—Mrs. Morris—who served on the town board when the park lands were acquired), one suspects that Smith Memorial Park will always be a spot “where everyone is family.”

Janet McCue is the author of Back of Beyond: a Horace Kephart Biography (2019) and chair of the Seneca Lake Scenic Byway.

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Inside continued from page 10

particularly unhappy, having chosen to live in an urban environment in part to enjoy the variety of amenities available downtown. The bottom line, he says, is much of the local economy depends on the success of the restaurants. “We have some truly outstanding local restaurants, far more than a small town like Corning might usually have. We want to support them and make sure they’re successful.”

Sean Lukasik, president of the Corning Area Business Alliance and owner of Creagent Marketing in Corning, lives, works, and has his business on Market Street. He’s always enjoyed the liveliness of living at the center of things and found little to celebrate in the quiet of the past ten weeks. Present at the ribbon cutting, he said happily of the re-opening, “It’s getting its vibrancy back.”

Not everyone knows yet how they’ll use an expanded footprint. Jean Gray, owner of Wooly Minded at 91 East Market Street, says it’s a “Great idea—I’m still considering options.”

Sister-and-brother team Nicole and Andrew Cleary, owners of Boomer’s Burrito Bar at 30 West Market Street, were among those seeing an immediate interest in outdoor seating. Within minutes of opening, they had customers enjoying an outdoor meal. “It’s more relaxed,” Andrew says. “I’m hoping because people will be walking instead of driving, they’ll discover and support a lot of businesses they might not have otherwise seen.” And, he notes, with return trips, a new approach might emerge, as tourists and locals might try a sort of progressive dinner. “You could have your drinks at one place, an appetizer somewhere else, then a main course and dessert at different places,” he suggests.

“None of us have ever experienced anything like this as business owners,” Mike Lanahan muses. “But we’re going to come back stronger. I think when we do get back to more of the new normal, we’ll really appreciate what we have and what we’re able to do.”

Karey Solomon loves exploring Corning and visits every chance she gets.

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$

224,900

HERE IS THE PERFECT FAMILY HOME! 3-4 bedroom, 2 bath, and move-in ready. Features a very open floor plan with living, dining, and kitchen areas, brand new deck, full finished basement with den/4th bed, family room with gas woodstove, laundry room, 200 amp electric and walk out. Level lot with 2 car garage, manicured landscaping, and situated in a very attractive neighborhood. EZ access to downtown Mansfield, University, Route 15, Corning/Wellsboro.. MLS R133911A

www.mvrwellsboro.com 33

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

Soaring Glory

By Nigel P. Kent

O

n July 4th, 2008, I was rushing to a friend’s house for a get-together when I saw this beautiful farm on Dewey Street in Churchville, New York. There was not only a fire truck out front, but also a huge American flag attached to the extended ladder. I couldn’t believe my eyes! I did an immediate u-ey to get an iconic July 4th photograph on July 4th, and then sped on to my destination with a giant smile on my face.

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THE SMART CONNECTION JUST LIKE MOUNTAIN MUSIC - WE’RE MADE IN THE U.S.A. Ward appreciates and thanks our employees for their efforts during these unprecedented times. Thank you, be safe, and stay healthy.

www.wardmfg.com (800) 248-1027

“ Your good health depends on kidneys.”

Said Al Zein, MD Nephrologist

“When your kidneys aren’t working well, your whole body suffers. You may notice swelling, your blood pressure may be difficult to control, and you may be overly fatigued. My job is to diagnose and treat your acute or chronic condition. Together we will manage your blood pressure, maintain healthy mineral levels, and reduce your inflammation, through an individualized treatment plan.”

Dr. Al Zein is accepting new patients at UPMC Cole. Call today at 814-260-5576.

UPMCCole.org

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