BORN BRAVE
Judith Sornberger
Strong Minds, Strong Bodies: Your Health Matters.
Your health is your greatest asset. Regular check-ups and early detection can make all the difference in preventing serious conditions and staying active for the life you want.
From physical health to mental health, every conversation matters.
Prioritize yourself today. Schedule a visit with Guthrie Primary Care and encourage the men in your life to do the same.
Schedule an appointment by visiting www.Guthrie.org, scanning the QR code on your smartphone or calling 866-GUTHRIE (866-488-4743).
Maggie Barnes
Maggie Barnes
Lilace Mellin Guignard
By Judith Sornberger
Lilace Mellin Guignard
Cover photo by Wade Spencer. This page (top) Marian Hamilton courtesy Deborah Hamilton; (middle) The Yard FLX by Watkins Glen Photography; (bottom) Otto Bookstore by Lilace Mellin Guignard.
mountainhomemag.com
E ditors & P ublish E rs
Teresa Banik Capuzzo
Michael Capuzzo
A ssoci A t E E ditor & P ublish E r
Lilace Mellin Guignard
A ssoci A t E P ublish E r
George Bochetto, Esq.
A rt d ir E ctor
Wade Spencer
M A n A ging E ditor
Gayle Morrow
s A l E s r EP r E s E nt A tiv E
Teresa Banik Capuzzo
c ircul A tion d ir E ctor
Michael Banik
A ccounting
Amy Packard
c ov E r d E sign
Wade Spencer
c ontributing W rit E rs
Maggie Barnes, Ann E Duckett, Karey Solomon, Judith Sornberger
c ontributing P hotogr AP h E rs
Jonathan Bernstein, barden photography, Tai Sophia Photography, Tracy Parker, Watkins Glen Photography, Curt Weinhold d istribution t EAM
Dawn Litzelman, Grapevine Distribution, Shea Maier, Linda Roller
t h E b EA gl E Nano
Cosmo (1996-2014) • Yogi (2004-2018)
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MOUNTAINS SWEEPSTAKES
presented by and
Your favorite magazine and radio station are teaming up to give away thousands of dollars in prizes for the best the Twin Tiers has to offer. We’ll be adding exciting new prizes all summer before the grand drawing Saturday Sept. 12 at the Deane Center in Wellsboro. The prizes so far:
FINGER
LAKES ESCAPE In WatkIns Glen
Grand PrIze
Dinner for two on the seneca leGacy, at Seneca harbor Park Pier. a night at the Harbor Hotel on Seneca Lake, 16 n. frankLin St.
sHoPPInG sPree go wiLD at Famous brands
Dinner for two at seneca lodGe 412 n. frankLin St.
HIGHLAND FLING In Wellsboro
Grand PrIze
a night at the hiStoric Penn Wells hoteL, 62 Main St. a tour for two on tony’s trolley, boarD at the Penn weLLS hoteL. Dinner for two at the steak House, 29 Main St.
anD there’LL be More to coMe! Like: Lunch at becks bIstro, 104 Main St. ice creaM at tHe maIn street creamery, 17 Main St.
gift carD gooD for the arcadIa tHeatre, caFé 1905, or the Penn Wells Hotel reStaurant.
No purchase necessary. Just visit mountainhome.substack.com/welcome, enter your email for a free subscription to Mountain Home online, and you’re entered. Already subscribed? You’re already entered! Scan this QR code for instructions on how to refer an unlimited number of friends to sign up and multiply your chances to win.
welcome to WELLSBORO
Book by John August Music & Lyrics by Andrew Lippa
Based on the novel by Daniel Wallace & the motion picture by John August
Last Great Place
Happy Independents!
By Gayle Morrow
We’re celebrating 250 years of America this year. Well, technically, it’s 250 years since the Second Continental Congress adopted and published the Declaration of Independence; the Revolutionary War that followed sealed the deal, but it wasn’t over until September 3, 1783.
Wellsboro as we know it did not exist then, but it wasn’t long after (1806) that Benjamin Wistar Morris, basically a real estate developer from Philadelphia, arrived on the scene. Early Wellsborians must have been a hardy and entrepreneurial lot. There wasn’t much here, but, gradually, little communities all over, this one included, sprouted their own crops of shopkeepers, printers and papermakers, craftsmen, blacksmiths, glass blowers, cobblers, apothecaries, pubs, farmers—the butcher, the baker, the can-
dlestick maker (candles were a big deal in colonial days!), as the nursery rhyme goes. People took chances and started businesses because they had skills, there were opportunities, and there were needs. There were no big box stores, there was just the guy down the road who made the nails you’d need to build your house or that little shop in town where you could get a length of fabric or have your saddle repaired.
These days, despite the proliferation of corporate behemoths we won’t mention by name, and a plethora of daunting economic circumstances, independent business in America is still alive and well. In Wellsboro alone there are four new downtown businesses either opening or on the verge, just in the past few months. Leafy Pages, an independent bookstore at 31-33 Waln Street, opened in April. Max & Penny Pet
Boutique at 78 Main Street, opened at the end of March. Opening soon are Liv & Latte at 80 Main Street and Finkelstein’s Gift Emporium at 86 Main Street (where the Finkelstein Brothers Store was located from the early to mid-1900s) By the time you're reading this, they may be open!
Stories Past and Present at 87 Main Street is a relatively new downtown addition. Just a couple of miles outside of town on Route 6 west, Cobwebs to Crystals (top right)—an antique, vintage, and collectible store—debuted earlier this year.
And that’s just in the Wellsboro area. What’s new where you are? Let us know by going to mountainhome.substack.com (if you aren’t subscribed, you can do so for free), scroll down, and click on “Scoops” on the right to tell us!
With Faith and Fortitude, Marian Hamilton Grew From a Tiny Preemie to a College Vet Student BORN BRAVE
By Judith Sornberger
Child, Go Where I Send Thee
Ready for her next journey, Marian Hamilton keeps putting one foot in front of the other, with the support of her parents, Marshall and Debbie, and her strong faith. (Inset is the photo from our January 2011 issue.)
Marian Deborah Hamilton, of Ulysses, Pennsylvania, was two years old when Mountain Home featured her remarkable survival story after being born prematurely and weighing only one pound, four ounces. After overcoming many obstacles in her short life, Marian will be one of twenty-nine seniors graduating from Northern Potter Junior/Senior High School in June. Her continuing struggles caused by premature birth might have permanently discouraged someone less determined or someone with a less supportive family and community. But those struggles are more than matched by Marian’s strong faith, her ambition, her intelligence, and her many achievements.
Wade Spencer
Small but Mighty
Sitting around the kitchen table of their home in the rolling green hills of Potter County, with her parents Marshall and Debbie Hamilton, Marian talks of looking forward to the final track meet of her high school career. Earlier this year her girls’ crosscountry team won first place in the Northern Tier League. She says she likes to “get out and exercise. It helps you think.” With her long blonde braid and wide blue eyes, Marian looks like a young Reese Witherspoon, especially when she smiles. “I tell people I run for fun, and they say, ‘You’re crazy!’”
Marian’s father, Marshall, owner of Hamilton’s Maple Farm and Forestry 6 North LLC, was also a runner. When he watched his tiny infant in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit all those years ago, did he ever think she would become an athlete?
On Track
Nothing deters Marian, a runner whose coach, Dr. Brian McCorkle (right), is also her godfather— not even when covid canceled a public celebration of her sixth-grade graduation.
“We hoped,” he says with a small smile. Marian was inspired by her father’s past as a runner, and mentions her coach, Dr. Brian McCorkle, who has “always championed me.” Dr. McCorkle and his wife are also friends of the family. When Marian was baptized a few years ago, she needed to choose a godfather.
“I thought about it a lot and prayed and prayed,” she says, and Dr. McCorkle became her godfather as well as her coach.
Hope and the family’s deep religious faith have carried them through many setbacks. When Marian was two, Mountain Home ran a story (“Miracle Child” by Dawn Bilder, January 2011) about the family. Marian’s mother, Debbie, had had two miscarriages before their doctor announced that, this time, she had a “viable pregnancy.” She and Marshall were overjoyed. But the pregnancy was fraught with worry since the baby didn’t seem to be growing as he or she should. (The
couple hadn’t wanted to know the baby’s sex ahead of time.) Even when the baby was considered large enough to be delivered, there was only a 40 percent chance of her or him surviving. Debbie speaks of the weeks that she and another mother of a preemie weighing under two pounds spent praying together in the NICU in the Arnot Ogden Medical Center in Elmira. Despite her tiny size, Marian was breathing on her own, with only a nasal canula, forty-eight hours after her birth. “It was like she didn’t know she was so little,” Debbie says. Marian was also diagnosed with retinal apathy, and her parents were told she would need eye surgery at just one month of age. But the issue resolved on its own shortly before the surgery was to occur.
Hearing such stories, it’s hard not to use the word “miracle.”
Debbie and Marshall had hoped to bring their little girl home when she weighed
(2) Courtesy Deborah Hamilton
(3) Courtesy Deborah Hamilton
three or four pounds, but by then she was diagnosed with hyperinsulinism—the opposite of diabetes. The doctors didn’t want Marian to go home until her blood sugar was high enough. She was airlifted to the NICU at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. Even after she’d come home, the situation wasn’t completely resolved, and, at eighteen months, ten percent of Marian’s pancreas was removed.
In third grade, adhesions resulting from the surgery caused bowel obstructions. Three times in a four-year period, Marian was airlifted to remove adhesions resulting from the surgery—twice to Children’s Hospital in Philadelphia. The third time, when she was in sixth grade, was during the pandemic. The family had been strictly quarantining.
“I mean, we didn’t go anywhere,” Debbie says. “Then just one day before the quarantine was lifted, Marian was airlifted again,” this time to Pittsburgh. Since then, she has had no further problems caused by adhesions.
Books and Words
Small Wonder, Big Dreams
When Marian was born she was about the size of her daddy’s hand; once she could sit up, she followed her curiosity; now she is as active as the rest of her family—(l-r) Christopher, Marshall, Michael, Deborah, and Marian.
When Marian thinks about the impacts her premature birth has had on her, she says that “one major thing was having hearing loss in both ears.” In first grade, she failed a hearing test. In second grade she got her first hearing aid and the second one in eighth grade. Before that, she says, “I wasn’t able to communicate as well as I might have.” She later noticed that she had missed hearing certain kinds of things—“cars going by, birds chirping, and parts of conversations.” In school, Marian compensated as well as she could by sitting at the front of the classroom and paying close attention. It’s hard today to imagine this young woman not communicating well. Although soft-spoken, she is highly articulate, often sounding more like a wise adult than a high school senior. Some of Marian’s eloquence is likely due to her mother’s very early influence.
“Each week when she was in the NICU, we bought her a new book. During the week, I’d read it to her over and over,” says Debbie. It’s no surprise, then, that English is one of Marian’s two favorite subjects in school.
“I’ve always loved storytelling and writing and the written word,” she says. As a child her favorite books were Beauty and the Beast and Marvin Wanted More by Joseph Theobald. It’s easy to see that a very small child (Marian still weighs only one hundred pounds at 5’2”) would be drawn to a story about a sheep who wanted to be bigger and eventually swallows the whole world to get that way. Marian now has a library of hundreds of books. “I have this problem,” she confesses, grinning, “that, whenever I’m at Barnes & Noble, I’ve got to pick up something new.” One of her recent favorites is the Water Keeper series by Charles Martin. Marian describes the books as faith-based.
“The main character goes out on a journey to help people who are victims of trafficking and abuse,” she explains.
One of Marian’s most inspiring instructors is her English teacher Mrs. Wolfinger. She says that “you have to work very hard in her classes,” but it’s worth it. “We instantly hit it off because of our similarities, including our faith.” Mrs. Wolfinger, Marian says, is the
editor for the young adult novel she’s writing. She plans to share No Depth of the Sea, a “faithbased romantasy,” with her community first— her family and friends—and then publish it.
Marian’s other favorite subject is history, inspired by her mother being a social studies teacher, as well as the many trips their family takes, including travel to Mexico, Canada, Iceland, and many states. In a few weeks, Marian will go to Paris and London on a school trip. Her family, she says, “has always prioritized experiences over things.” Her passion for history, especially the Revolutionary War period, comes from the fact that “I’ve always admired the human story.”
In addition to her teachers and coaches, Marian says her heroes are “Jesus, without a doubt,” and her parents. “They’ve always been there, telling me, ‘okay, things are hard right now,’ but to always keep on trying.”
Staying Busy and Looking Forward
Obviously, she has followed that advice. Marian characterizes herself as “an introvert,” and says her parents have helped her get out of her shell. The family has to be one of the most active in the region. Over the previous weekend, Marian and the family’s exchange student, Anna, from Italy, attended prom. That same weekend was the Maple Festival, and the whole family—including Marian’s younger, adopted brothers Christopher (age fourteen) and Michael (age ten)—are involved in the family business. The next Monday, the family attended Anna’s softball game. Recently, they all went to see Michael, the biopic on Michael Jackson, agreeing it was a wonderful movie, but too short. Marian is certain there will be a sequel.
This summer, Marian will once again be on the staff at the nearby Penn-York Camp, a religious-based camp, as a counselor-in-training. She loves the camp and staff because of “their passion, their faith, and their commitment to the community.” Marian has wanted to be a counselor there ever since she was first a camper in 2018. She loves “getting to give the kids what I needed at that age. Sharing God with them is very special.” Before she first attended the camp at age ten, “I felt like something was missing in my life. When I was asked at camp if I wanted to know Jesus, I knew that I needed a missing piece, but I didn’t know exactly what that was until I met Him.”
Her training includes learning about the responsibilities of being a counselor and helping the other counselors. Marian belongs to the
CLARENCE D. | BLOOD CANCER PATIENT
When Clarence was told there were no more treatment options for his lymphoma, he turned to UPMC Hillman Cancer Center—one of the region’s only NCI-Designated Comprehensive Cancer Centers. Here, he found access to cutting-edge clinical trials, groundbreaking treatments, and world-renowned cancer experts. Discover the power of hope at UPMCHillman.com/SecondOpinion.
Brave continued from page 13
In fall Marian will attend Houghton University where she’ll study pre-vet medicine, a field of which Timber, her black Lab, approves. Well-Vetted
Harrison Valley Alliance Church. She says that, “when you go to some churches, it’s usually all older people.” She appreciates that her church’s members are “from every generation.” Marian also serves as chaplain to her FFA—Future Farmers of America—group.
“Community” is a word that comes up again and again when the family talks about their lives. Debbie calls the borough of Ulysses, with a population of 579, “a small, close community,” one that has “rallied around [Marian] her whole life, sending messages of encouragement, cards, flowers, balloons, and gifts.” The phrase “it takes a village” springs to mind. When asked if she planned to spend her life in Ulysses, Marian said she wasn’t sure, but she definitely wanted to live in the country.
Marian, Debbie proudly points out, is a “straight A student.” She will attend Houghton University in Houghton, New York, in the fall, majoring in pre-vet medicine. Marian chuckles, recognizing the paradox of someone whose favorite subjects are in the humanities, choosing a major that focuses on science and math. But she loves taking care of animals, including her horse, Scout. Scout
Courtesy Deborah Hamilton
Wade Spencer
was retired when he came to live with the family ten years ago. Although Marian enjoys taking care of him, she only rides him once or a twice a season “when he’s up to it.” She also adores the family’s two dogs—Maverick, a beagle, and Timber, a black Lab. Although she feels close to them both, she says, “Maverick has the advantage because he is a snuggler and likes to lie across the foot of my bed.” In addition to loving animals, Marian says, “I want to give back to people whose animals are in need. It’s something I’m passionate about.” Although she plans to specialize in large animal medicine, she thinks she will also care for smaller animals.
A small, Christian, liberal arts university—one of five Wesleyan universities in the country—Houghton serves 1,200 students. Because there are fairly few veterinary colleges in the country, the university admits a limited number of pre-vet students, making the application process quite competitive. Although neither Marian nor Debbie mention this fact, it’s clear that Marian was a glowing candidate for admission. Marian says she chose Houghton because she could feel God’s presence there whenever she visited.
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With Liberty and Music for All
OSFL Offers Free Concert in Elmira
By Maggie Barnes
Music has been a part of American celebrations since the days of the Revolutionary War. Armies had bands that played as soldiers marched, and songs from home before a battle were meant to encourage the men. What would the Fourth of July be without patriotic music? In this, the 250th year of our country, the Orchestra of the Southern Finger Lakes will be putting the region’s best foot forward, musically speaking, with a free concert for the public on Saturday, June 27, at 7 p.m. in Elmira’s Eldridge Park.
Party in the Park starts at 2 p.m. with rides and vendors—it’s billed as a family event, so bring the kids. The OSFL performance that evening will be followed by, you guessed it, fireworks! Orchestra Executive Director Karen Dusek calls the show “a gift.”
“It has always been our core mission to bring music to all segments of society,” she says. “Orchestral music still has the image of being for certain groups. We maintain
that our patriotic music is for all people, with a special emphasis on children.”
The orchestra, which is comprised of fifty professional musicians, plays four big shows a year, and several chamber music events with different sections of the membership. There is an educational aspect as well in partnerships with local schools. Founded in 1995, the OSFL shares its talents with the region, including Steuben, Chemung, Schuyler, and Tioga counties. The musicians are from all over the area, and from some surprising places, like the United Kingdom. That person relocated but still comes back to play with the group when her schedule allows. Most of the musicians are from the Northeast, with heavy representation from the Twin Tiers.
Karen speaks of the great affection the musicians have for the orchestra and how that love is contained within the person of Maestro Toshiyuki Shimada, himself a resident of Connecticut who revels in the time he gets to spend in the Southern
Tier. “Toshi,” as he is known to all, says the America250 concert holds special significance.
“Marking the 250th anniversary of American independence with a summer outdoor symphony concert at Eldridge Park is more than a ceremonial gesture—it’s a powerful cultural statement about who we are and how we remember,” he says.
The concert setting itself is part of that statement. “It reconnects the public to the spirit of American Revolution in a living, communal way,” Toshi continues. “Unlike formal indoor events, an outdoor concert invites a broader cross-section of the community—families, newcomers, and those who may never attend a traditional performance—into a shared civic experience. That openness reflects the democratic ideals at the heart of the anniversary itself.”
Allyssa Birth, director of marketing for the orchestra, says Toshi is so beloved in the area that he inspires the highest form of
Courtesy Orchestra of the Southern Finger Lakes
Since 2009, musicians in the Orchestra of the Southern Finger Lakes have had the privilege of being conducted by Maestro Toshi.
Follow the Bouncing Baton
public adoration—he can’t get through Wegmans without being hailed. He is known for his engaging banter with the audience and the high level of energy he brings to the stage. Retired from the music program at Yale University, Maestro Toshi believes in a broad expanse of musical genres for the group’s performances— everything from classic orchestral pieces to movie themes. There have been collaborations with the Chorus of the Southern Finger Lakes for more robust programs like the holiday concert, which last year featured the Duke Ellington version of The Nutcracker An October show offered the music from the shower scene in Psycho, complete with the orchestra bathed in red light. Spines were reported to tingle.
And the venues themselves reflect the dynamic nature of the concerts. The OSFL, or its components, has played in the 171 Cedar Arts Center, the Corning Museum of Glass, the Arnot Art Museum, even in public libraries. The “Sounds of America” concert in Eldridge Park will offer a unique opportunity for people to experience orchestral music in the open air. City of Elmira Publicity Liaison Christina Episcopo Cobb describes the upcoming event as “a special night.”
“Elmira has played a large role in America’s history, from our Civil War Camp, to historic churches, involvement with the Underground Railroad with John W. Jones, and so much more,” she says. “We want to thank the team at Eldridge Park for putting this night together and partnering with the ever-so-talented Orchestra of the Southern Finger Lakes.”
The musical menu for the evening will bring a selection of popular songs from the American songbook, show tunes, and patriotic numbers, including the “Armed Forces Medley,” which salutes each branch of the military with its anthem. Audience members will be invited to stand if they have served or are serving.
“That’s an audience favorite,” Karen says, adding that there is also special joy in playing for children.
“When you watch the audience and a kid’s face lights up, that’s the best. We are instilling in them a love of the arts that will stay with them all their lives.”
All of the orchestra’s concerts reflect a sense of community— they’re for everybody.
“We want to be approachable for folks who may not be regular concert goers,” says Allyssa. So, it doesn’t matter whether you put on your finest dress or if you wear casual attire. What matters is that you show up. “Come as you are,” Allyssa laughs.
Both the OSFL and the Party in the Park have their own Facebook page—find information there about vendors, events, and performance schedules. The OSFL is largely funded by donations and is offering a special gift for the June performance for folks who give $250—the perfect picnic blanket with the OSFL logo. America250.org showcases all the major celebrations across the nation.
Plan to be at Eldridge Park—it will be a night for toes tapping and fingers snapping!
Maggie Barnes has won several IRMA and Keystone Press awards. She lives in Waverly, New York.
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Glory Hill Diaries
Hot Tub Blues (or Blacks)
By Maggie Barnes
“Ihate this.”
My reflection in the rear-view mirror didn’t say anything, but I could tell she agreed.
There are moments in every woman’s life when she must confront the realities of time. She must stand face to face with her own mortality. She must stare into the black abyss of self-loathing. She must…buy a bathing suit.
Spring had come to the southern tier of New York and the world rejoiced. Blossoms were bursting forth with color. The birds were holding choir practice starting at 5 a.m. Several species of babies romped in the field. And my husband opened the hot tub.
I have bathing suits, but odd things happen to them over the winter. In the cold of the northeast, the darn things shrink. The material huddles together for warmth at the molecular level. What once was large enough to cover the expanse of my mid-section now struggles to contain a mass built mostly of deep-dish pizza and bourbon.
Forced by this natural phenomenon to reassess my bathing wardrobe, I had spent the morning trying to cram too much me into too little suit. Now I stood in the glare of fluorescent lights, perusing a rack of rainbow hued bathing suits.
“Hey, you! Upgrading your swimwear this season?” The overly cheerful saleswoman appeared at my elbow out of thin air. Before I could respond, she fired off again.
“This year is all about color! Yellow, pink, blue…all the best shades to turn heads on the beach, am I right?”
I opened my mouth to say I did not want to turn heads. I want to avoid the lifeguard yelling, “Whale ho! Port side!”
But she was off again.
“Are you thinking of a two-piece? Here’s a hot pink number that would look darling on you!”
She held out two strips of fabric the color of Pepto-Bismal. If I wore that, I’d be mistaken for an unfound Easter egg that ruptured out of its shell. She snatched another hanger from the rack and thrust it at me.
“With your coloring, this blue would be electric, am I right?
The last time I saw something that narrow it had toothpaste in it.
I put my hand on her arm and caught her in mid-reach for a purple thing that seemed to have sequins.
“My dear,” I began softly, “I want you to stop looking at the suits and look at me.”
Her eyes rolled from the top of my color-resistant gray hair to the bottoms of
my orthopedic slip-on shoes.
“Those sequins would get me a ceaseand-desist letter from the mermaid union. No designer labels unless it’s Omar, the tentmaker. I haven’t turned a head since the first Reagan administration. Those days are behind me, as is a rear end I could sell advertising on. Don’t think ‘stylish.’ Think ‘stealth.’ I don’t want to be noticed. I want to be invisible. I just want a plain bathing suit.”
The look in her eyes shifted, and I knew we had made a breakthrough. With a demonstrable loss in enthusiasm, she moved to another rack for “Mature Ladies.” They were all one piece. They were all black.
“Perfect,” I said as I clapped with joy. “Now, do any of them have sleeves?”
The first time I sunk below the cool water, a great sigh of contentment lifted to the starry skies. Bob glanced over and said, “With the color of that suit, I can barely see you.”
Mission accomplished. Am I right?
Maggie Barnes has won several IRMA and Keystone Press awards. She lives in Waverly, New York.
Welcome to MOUNTAIN HOME WEDDING
Ode to Joy
Sarah and Nathan Bair said their vows at First Presbyterian Church of Wellsboro on June 4, 2022, where barden photography captured this moment of joy before everyone headed to the reception at the Deane Center two blocks away (see page 26).
barden photography
The Food Life
Whether tending (left) shitake bolts, creating an almond torte four-layer cake with fresh raspberry and edible tulip decorations, or growing herbs and veggies, Jonathan Bernstein leads a life warmed by purpose (and the Russian stove he built).
Pendragon’s Bouquet
Flowers Are Food in Perry City
By Karey Solomon
Near the end of a tour of his one-acre farm in Perry City, Jonathan Bernstein pauses under a pear tree about to burst into bloom to pull a handful of garlic mustard. “Gotta think of my girls,” he says before tossing the greens over a tall fence to a flock of appreciative chickens, whom he’s known since they were eggs.
The hens are a key part of his farm’s sustainability. They supply the eggs he uses for baking gluten-free cakes, tortes, and galettes, while their composted waste—he has nine active compost bins—fertilizes the garden beds used to grow herbs, veggies, as well as the edible and decorative flowers for Pendragon’s Bouquet (pendragonsbouquet.com; 6300 NY-227, Trumansburg—actually Perry City). He’s built the farm around sustainability, using herbicide-free, plastic-free, and pesticidefree practices. And his embrace of labor-intensive tasks leads to spectacular results while keeping him perennially occupied.
“It’s a way of life, not formal employment,” he says, smiling.
Creating bouquets, corsages, boutonnieres, flower arrangements for tables, and flower-bedecked cakes for weddings is a high-
pressure task he’ll take on three to four times a year. “It’s work you cannot fail at,” he says.
For a recent wedding, he created twenty-four cake toppers, four large and twelve medium-sized bouquets, corsages, and boutonnieres. He also set up a “flower bar” where each guest could fill a small vase with edible flowers.
“That was fun, and incorporated a lot of flowers,” he says of the event. As it drew to a close, the bridal couple agreed he should re-configure the decorations into smaller bouquets, wrapped for the guests to take home.
Months of planning inform his plantings, and, despite decades of experience, he still terms the genoise cakes that are one of his specialties, “a difficult cake to make with temperamental ingredients.” He makes cakes for other occasions and for sale as well.
The flowers on them, and the blooms he sells to customers in clamshell packaging, are more than color and fragrance. They add flavor, anti-oxidants, vitamins, and other healthful qualities. Unlike those sculpted from buttercream icing (albeit attractive), they’re living beauty. Among them are lilies, bee balm, dahlia, roses, snapdragons, nasturtiums, alli-
ums, rudbeckia, sunflowers…and then there are flowering herbs like lavender, basil, and rosemary.
“The number of things that are edible is just incredible,” Jonathan notes.
Pendragon’s Bouquet brings together many strands of a lifetime’s varied experiences. Jonathan traveled through Europe and the US during college, then enlisted for three years of active military service, one of those in Vietnam. After his time in the Army, he earned a master’s degree in international politics, then came to Cornell for his PhD. Always the family baker, he brought artisanal breads to graduate parties, and now quips that his advisors appreciated his breads more than his scholarship. When he left Cornell, he worked as an apprentice commercial baker. In 1975, he co-founded an artisanal bakery in Ithaca called Clever Hans, known for European-style pastries and croissants.
Another popular product was challah, an egg-rich braided bread enjoyed on the Sabbath and other Jewish holidays. Enthusiastic customer response led him to pursue Kosher certification, requiring adherence to a set of ancient, complex rules for ingredients and
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Jonathan Bernstein
MOUNTAIN HOME Weddings
their handling that continue to inform his baking. Different utensils and equipment must be dedicated for baked goods using milk products; others for those which are pareve (which may contain eggs but neither dairy nor meat). The bakery employed thirty-four people and was an Ithaca icon before it closed in the mid-1980s.
It was a turbulent time for Jonathan, coinciding with the end of his marriage and his mother’s serious illness. He returned to his parents’ home to help care for her—that included taking care of her flower gardens. It sparked his interest in culinary flowers.
After her death, he returned to the Ithaca area, and, while working as an underwriting building inspector, continued to learn more about growing flowers. At an architect’s home he visited, he encountered several Russian stoves, each a massive bulk of concrete, firebrick, and traditional brick constructed to gently radiate heat from burning wood. The homeowner who’d had them built saw his fascination and gifted him the plans. Years later, when Jonathan bought his current home, a former one-room schoolhouse built to serve Perry City in 1843, he put one near the center of his house. It keeps him warm, and its built-in bench turns out to be an ideal spot for starting seeds.
He began selling his flowers at a local farmer’s market, and, when flowers were sparse, baked and sold cakes and galettes—buttery pastries filled with sweet or savory fillings, the last including his eight varieties of home-grown shitake mushrooms. Woodworking, another of his skills, led to tree-trimming. He grows shitakes on sections of hardwood logs, or bolts, inoculated with shitake spawn, then soaked in cold water. It’s another labor-intensive undertaking with delicious results. Because they like shade and he has a shady wooded space on the farm, the mushrooms thrive even in drought years.
To make this and other farmwork personally sustainable, he’s created ways of working that are both environmentally and human friendly, like a pulley system to raise and lower hardwood bolts for their initial soak, and a rainwater-harvesting system to irrigate his expansive gardens in dry weather. The newspaper-mulched, plastic-free garden with grass aisles soak up and hold natural moisture. His hens enjoy thoughtfully-constructed housing and several layers of protection from predators.
When a grandson was diagnosed with celiac disease, Jonathan began making gluten-free treats, after carefully making his main baking area and all tools gluten-free. A small, wheeled cart keeps supplies for any baking that relies on gluten isolated in a separate area.
Adapting recipes to be gluten-free took some trial and error.
“It depends on the flours—there are a lot of different ones out there,” he says.
Jonathan recently opened a roadside stand to sell his flowers, baked goods, eggs, and mushrooms. It’s a few feet from his house, at the “four corners” intersection of routes 227 and 228 in Perry City, with space to pull off and park. It’s open Thursdays from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m. Its immediate popularity was encouraging.
“I’m just going to keep going,” he says.
Karey Solomon is the author of a poetry chapbook, Voices Like the Sound of Water, a book on frugal living (now out of print), and more than thirty-six needlework books. Her work has also appeared in several fiction and nonfiction anthologies.
The Barn at Hillsprings Farm
Weddings & Events
Linens - 100+ Colors Round, Banquet, & Drop Linens
Overlays, Napkins Table Runners
Chairs - White, Black
42” Tall Cocktail Tables, Round Tables, 6’ & 8’ Banquet Tables
Custom Designed Centerpieces
The ideal setting for any type of special event.
The Barn is the perfect
“all-in-one” venue that includes catering! Three packages to choose from with a wide-variety menu. This beautifully restored barn is nestled in the serene hills of ADDISON, NEW YORK two miles north of Elkland, PA
For information or to book your special event contact Amy at (607) 368-5092 or Dorotha at (570) 772-6876.
www.thebarnathillspringsfarm.com
DIYW Weddings
“Decorate It Your Way” is one of the perks the Deane Center offers, whether it’s Eli and Lauren’s Christmas-themed wedding (left) or Whitney and Michael’s Harry Potter-themed reception with “floating candles.”
Married in History and Style
Wellsboro’s Deane Center Sets the Stage for Elegant Weddings
By Lilace Mellin Guignard
There’s a secret in Wellsboro, home to Dickens of a Christmas and the Pennsylvania State Laurel Festival. It’s a downtown performing arts space that rents a variety of rooms for wedding-related events, all with easy access to iconic photo locations including the Green—with the Wynken, Blynken, and Nod fountain—and Main Street’s gas lights. With lodging and restaurants within a few blocks, this venue offers lots of flexibility for couples to plan their big day exactly the way they want it.
The Deane Center for the Performing Arts at 104 Main Street (deanecenter. com) was established in 2011 and named for Harold and Ivah Deane. Their one-milliondollar bequest facilitated the creation of this nonprofit and subsequent renovation of existing structures, including the former Davis Furniture building and warehouse. These
buildings—built in the late-Victorian Italianate style, with brick frontage, high arched windows, and ornate cornices—also housed the newspaper offices of the Wellsboro Agitator from 1919 until 1962.
The Deane Center has many spaces to choose from for ceremonies or receptions: an open front lobby with large windows for natural light; the Black Box Theatre with flexible layout complete with stage and professional lighting; the second floor Grand Community Room (accessible by elevator) with a kitchen and large windows overlooking Main Street; and a lawn on the corner of Central and Main streets. Many of the rooms have at least one exposed brick wall, which makes a wonderful backdrop for events of all styles, from boho to cocktail. The Black Box Theatre is painted black, so decorations and accent colors have nothing to compete with.
Sarah and Nathan Bair (see p. 23) were married in June 2022. Nathan was raised in Wellsboro, and the couple knew they were having the ceremony in the Bair family’s longtime church. But, Sarah admits, “I was actually quite lost on where to hold the reception.” Then her sister suggested the Deane Center.
“I couldn’t imagine having that reception anywhere else now,” she says. “Our color scheme was black dresses/suits with white flowers, and greenery.” She adds that the space felt very elegant and made the centerpieces pop. “We reserved a block of rooms in the Penn Wells so people didn’t have to go far. My bridal shower [planned by her sister] also ended up being held there in one of their rooms upstairs.” Sarah says she received compliments on both venues.
In November 2023, Whitney and Michael Andreula wanted to have a Harry Potter-
Tai
Sophia Photography
Tracy Parker
themed wedding experience in the town she grew up in. They chose to get married on the Green (see page 23) and have the reception in the Black Box Theatre. “The Deane Center allowed us to create such a unique space,” says Whitney. “They had extra rooms upstairs for getting ready and for storage, which was a huge help. The staff went above and beyond for us. The ‘stagehands’ were crucial in helping me hang eighty floating candles from the rafters, drapes to create unique ceiling décor, and lights to set the mood.”
It was important to Whitney to use local businesses for their wedding. They met with Lori Beckwith of Beck’s Bistro, which is in the same building, right after booking the venue. Whitney says, “She was so helpful in guiding us through a wedding menu and drink package, and the food was out of this world and affordable.” To arrange the ceremony on the Green (it’s county property), they called the commissioners’ office and spoke with Chief Clerk Janice Chamberlain. “My husband said it was a quick phone call.” Whitney also appreciated working with nearby Akiko’s Floral Arts for bouquets and boutonnieres. “I walked in with no idea how to pick flowers, but Joe was able to throw together a mock-up
of my bouquet, and it was the most beautiful arrangement I’d ever seen.” Both the wedding day and the day scheduled for engagement photos were “very cold” according to Whitney, but Tai Sophia Photography captured her vision.
Elijah and Lauren Morgan had a Christmas-themed wedding in December of 2024 and held the ceremony in the Black Box Theatre. Eli says, “It was a great atmosphere for the happiest day of our lives! It was very easy to communicate with the Deane Center to get things set up. Having the bar [at Beck’s Bistro] a few steps away for a pregame cocktail was convenient and a very cool bonus.” They arranged the space with platforms festooned with lit Christmas trees. Evergreen boughs and votives lined the aisle made with a red runner. “We chose the Deane Center because it had everything we needed: the ability to have our music, customized lighting, and the freedom to decorate and set up how we wanted,” he says. The reception was two blocks away at the Penn Wells—an easy walk for guests.
Dawn Kennedy-McLelland is thrilled the Deane Center is taking off as a wedding venue. She describes starting her position as
director of development and operations in early September 2025, when Sarah and Roberto Castillo held their wedding events— other than the church ceremony—there. The rehearsal dinner was in the Grand Community Room. On the wedding day, the bridal party had use of an upstairs room. The Deane lawn was set up with chairs and tables for a cocktail hour, complete with photo booth and a mariachi band on the outdoor stage. The lobby was their rain location and where Beck’s set up the buffet line. The reception was in the Black Box Theatre.
“I truly enjoy helping couples throughout their wedding planning experience” says Dawn, “whether it’s connecting them with trusted local businesses, suggesting resources, or finding discounts whenever possible.” Contact her at (570) 724-6220 or at director@deanecenter.com to arrange any events, big or small. “Hospitality and customer service are important to the Deane Center staff, and we take pride making sure every detail is thoughtfully covered so your special day runs smoothly.”
Wellsboro’s Happy Raven
For Health and Wellness Evermore
By Gayle Morrow
Their shabby PR treatment by Edgar Allan Poe aside, ravens do appear to be happy birds. Their effortless dipping, soaring, and swooping seems choreographed; their back-and-forth vocalizations are unique and often on the funny side of bird-speak.
All of which explains how Liz Kreger (who spent a decade or so as president of the Tiadaghton Audubon Society, so she knows her way around avian types) came up with the name for her store at 11 Pearl Street in Wellsboro—The Happy Raven. She was sitting on her porch, she recalls, and heard a raven calling.
“He sounds so happy,” she thought, and there it was—the name of a new business she hopes will bring happiness, health, and all kinds of other good things to the people who shop here. The Happy Raven, open since February of 2025, is a manifestation and reflection of “the things I’m passionate about,” Liz says—things like
nutrition, the environment, clean food, healthy kids. When it came to stocking the shelves, “I started with products I’ve used and liked.”
Retail is a new venture for her, but concern for and familiarity about the environment is not. She’s worked for the Natural Resources Conservation Service as a soil conservationist, for the Tioga County Conservation District as a watershed specialist, for Pheasants Forever as a wildlife biologist, and for the gas industry as a wetlands delineator and environmental technician. She’s also a certified hunter education instructor through the Pennsylvania Game Commission.
“I’ve had my hand in a lot of local conservation groups,” Liz says.
But, “it was kind of time for a change.” She says that in the environmental field, “it’s tough getting a job locally.” She wanted to “do something on my own,” and had been “thinking of things that are concerning to
me.” Because of her work with the Conservation District and the NRCS, she already had established relationships with some local farmers and thought she’d be able to sell some of their products.
It’s neat, she notes, to see the farming on the “front end,” after having seen it behind the scenes.
And, she liked the thought of a schedule that would allow her to take her kids (ages four and eight) to school. She left her NRCS job at the end of November in 2024 and opened the store three months later.
The space has been home to many businesses (locals might remember the Calico Restaurant) over the years. In this incarnation, it has an airy feeling and a delicious, distinctive fragrance. There’s lots of room to wander and browse, and an interesting assortment of products to consider. If you’re a label reader, you’ll enjoy taking the time to learn what’s in the organic pasta sauce,
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Liz Kreger invites you to her chamber, er, shop door to explore the food and wellness products she has for sale, including Fire Cider and items for kids. Come a Tapping
Barber’s Firearms
WITH
where the plastic-free, wooden, and stainless cooking utensils are made, and what makes the tick repellant and other bug deterrents effective.
Liz admits to being “into medicinal plants,” so she carries a variety of plant-based supplements and, in season, actual plants you can take home and put in your own garden. If you’re a fromscratch gardener, there are bags of potting soil and packets of seeds. She is state certified as a mushroom forager—“I had to take a course”—so she can sell the mushrooms she harvests from the wild (last year she sold oyster mushrooms and chanterelles). She also carries medicinal mushroom supplements, other herbal supplements and extracts, and even supplements for pets.
The cooler (with a glass front so you don’t have to stand there with the door open to see what’s inside like you do with your own refrigerator) is home to, among other things, Painter’s Poultry (Tioga County), Mountain View Homestead lamb (also Tioga County), Maple Hollow products (Troy), Milky Way Farms milk (also Troy) in glass bottles, and, their famous and delicious chocolate milk, also in bottles (milk drinkers can return bottles to cases sitting outside the back door, where the Milky Way folks pick them up, wash and sterilize them, and fill them again), raw milk from God’s Country Creamery (Potter County), and Mama Goose sourdough bread (Tioga County). The bread comes in on Wednesdays—just FYI—but since it’s kept in the ’fridge it stays fresh. The Cedar Mountain spring water comes from Tioga County, too.
“I’m not gluten-free, but I was unaware of how many there are who are gluten-free,” Liz says. “So I try to carry the products they need.”
She can also do some special ordering.
In the household product line, there’s Bee’s Wrap to cover your leftovers and an assortment of nontoxic cleaning products. The sunscreen, lotions, and soaps are nontoxic, too. Find a sauerkraut-making kit for that bumper crop of cabbage in the fall, a fruit wine-making kit, packs of sourdough starter, paper loaf pans, an emergency survival backpack and emergency survival stuff to put in it, Happy Tooth fluoride-free toothpaste, probiotics, coffee, teas, and vitamins for grown-ups and kids. She’s also stocked some fun and educational products geared toward the younger set.
“I want to encourage them to use their mind or get them outside,” Liz says. Having young kids of her own has made her more concerned about what is going on and into their bodies.
“Like—we’re not microwaving in plastic anymore,” she says.
There are books on a variety of subjects—one cute one this writer purchased a while ago is called Yoga for Stiff Birds by Marion Deuchars. The bird on the cover could be a raven, and, if so, is definitely happy.
And, as soon as local gardens start producing, the farmer’s market will return for its second season on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the back parking lot.
“I think the vendors had a pretty good experience,” says Liz.
The Happy Raven is open Tuesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Call (272) 462-5066 or visit thehappyraven.co.
Yes in My Backyard
Fun for Everyone at The Yard FLX in Watkins Glen
By Ann E. Duckett
It’s no secret—there are lots of things to do and see in the heart of the Finger Lakes. For Aimee Barton, growing up in Lawrenceville, just an hour’s drive south across the border into Pennsylvania, the region and its abundance of activities felt like an extension of her own backyard.
“It has always been a part of life, a sense of growing up here, and while it was a short commute it was always an adventure ending up in Watkins Glen or the Finger Lakes region,” she says.
With her purchase of The Yard FLX, it is her own backyard. The Yard FLX, at 2374 NY-414 (theyardflx.com), is an outdoor entertainment spot just a few minutes drive from Watkins Glen. Originally opened in 1987 as the Seneca Grand Prix Family Fun Park, the eighteen-acre amusement center was a successful family-fun destination for
decades. Over the years, though, the business hit a few speed bumps, changed ownership, and lost direction.
As a senior mortgage loan officer, Aimee loves her career, spanning twenty-five years in banking and mortgage lending. Yet, a yearning drove her to owning and operating a business with a long history of providing miles of smiles to families and visitors in a small community that felt like home to her.
Aimee’s vision and her accompanying “need for expressing my fun side with the community” have infused a fresh focus on an affordable good time for kids and grownups. Since purchasing the property in 2023, updates and additions include new go-karts for racing along the one-third-mile course, new turf on the challenging eighteen-hole mini golf course (opt for the drive and putt
combo for a taste of each), axe-throwing, and a full-service bar with an inviting patio. The Yard Games are a huge draw with classics and new favorites like cornhole, Big Battleship, Giant Connect Four (plus Yahtzee), and Jumbo Jenga. Food trucks offer local fare on Friday and Saturday nights when live music takes the stage.
Aimee admits she hasn’t always been a fun zone/boardwalk/amusement park enthusiast. Those kinds of experiences did not really shape this unexpected turn in her life.
“That wasn’t a part of my growing up,” she notes. “I like to be entertained, but it wasn’t part of my youth that inspired this adventure. I love to travel, and when I was in Texas for a quick trip to see friends, I was inspired by a similar property. I had a need to bring that type of venue home to the Fin-
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Aimee Barton (left) addresses the crowd at a Watkins Glen Area Chamber networking event held at the Yard.
Git in the Yard
412 N. Franklin St. • Watkins Glen, NY 14891
Open Mon-Sat 9am-8pm • Sun 10am-8pm
412 N. Franklin St. • Watkins Glen, NY 14891 Open Year ‘round www.famousbrandsoutlet.com 607-535-4952
*Subject to change based on NYS regulations. www.famousbrandsoutlet.com 607-535-4952
Famous Brands began in 1983, offering “famous brand” clothing and footwear at below retail prices. Since that humble beginning in a tiny storefront, we have grown to 30,000 sq. ft. covering 3 floors and half a city block, becoming a destination store for millions of visitors and locals alike.
ger Lakes—a place that allows everyone to come together—from age five to eighty-five. Whether you are sitting by the fire on a Friday night listening to music or you’re with family chasing each other on go-karts, I wanted a place that was affordable and family friendly. When this spot came up for sale it felt right, and I saw the property come together.”
And the name? “It literally came from a conversation with a good friend about how I want the property to feel—that everyone should feel like it’s their yard,” Aimee continues. “Everyone is welcome [well-behaved dogs are welcome, too] and everyone has something to do. Our indoor event space is perfect hosting graduation and birthday parties, or family reunions. It’s a great place to offer team-building events, too. Guests have all the fun; we do all the clean-up.”
This year, the business is being steered by the mother-daughter duo, as Aimee’s daughter, Chloe Heilbrun, will be managing The Yard.
“We are really looking forward to another year of happy customers. I bought this spot to be a place that excited people. From the kids playing games or riding the go-karts to the live music to the public events—it all gives me joy. We love suggestions from our guests, and we take those to heart. We hope to have the driving range in full swing by next season if not sooner.”
Famous Brands began in 1983, offering “famous brand” clothing and footwear at below retail prices. Since that humble beginning in a tiny storefront, we have grown to 30,000 sq. ft. covering 3 floors and half a
The food and beverage menu has been expanded to include a full bar service with cocktails—coconut caddy, anyone?—mocktails—try a blueberry ginger fizz—local craft beer, seltzers and sodas. In addition to small bites like waffles, s’mores, and hot dogs, expect to find a variety of food trucks serving up good eats, too. Aimee recently purchased a food truck and is excited to grow that concept. As with all things relating to customer happiness, “We are getting community input and involvement with it,” she says.
Part of Aimee’s philosophy in opening The Yard includes building a sense of family which extends to other businesses in the area. Through sponsorships or partnerships for events like the Rod and Bikes scheduled for August, or by encouraging and offering a space for musicians, artists, and food vendors to grow and thrive, working together they promote the region.
The Yard FLX is a spot where you can reflect on time well spent as summer days linger long after sunset. And since it’s just a short drive to Watkins Glen State Park, Watkins Glen International Raceway, and downtown Watkins Glen, extending your stay in the area could be a really easy decision.
Summer hours (May to September) are Sunday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Fall hours will vary. For information about upcoming music or other happenings, check Facebook. For information about having your event at The Yard FLX, call (607) 210-4125 or send an email to info@theyardflx.com.
Ann E. Duckett, owner of Little Bleu Catering and Events, is a certified cheesemaker and recovering cheesemonger, who now devotes her time to educating and helping others find their cheese bliss through classes, presentations, and special events.
They Otto Know
The recent ribbon cutting for the expanded Otto Bookstore included (l-r) Lycoming County Chamber of Commerce President Jason Fink, Otto General Manager John Shableski, co-owner Kathryn Nassbert, and Lycoming County Commissioner Scott Metzger. The dragons chose to stay inside, but Kathryn told them how it went.
Here Be (Well-Read) Dragons
Otto Bookstore Makes Fantasy a Reality in Williamsport
By Lilace Mellin Guignard
In mid-April, giving a tour of the space under construction, Otto Bookstore General Manager John Shableski waves at the empty floor that once held shelves and the checkout counter. “This will all be event space,” he says. “We really needed more room.”
From there he walks through a new French door trimmed in sea foam blue to match the new windows (in the new wall) that visually connect the spaces while allowing private events to be self-contained. This room (which in April was filled with ladders, huge boxes of cast-off books, paint supplies, and tarps) once held the second half of the store’s inventory, including a children’s corner. Now this whole area is dedicated to youth readers—eager and reluctant. He points at the back wall and says, “That’s where the eight-foot dragons will go.”
At what used to be the far wall, there is now a large arched opening (with the beginning of a creative edging made of those cast-off books) leading into the new realm previously occupied by a bridal shop. When that business left, the bookstore took over the lease to fulfill its quest for more space to become an even bigger part of the Williamsport universe.
The shape-shift took a lot of work. You could say it was epic.
The ribbon cutting and reopening was May 1, which coincided with the 185th birthday of the store that eventually came to be known as Otto Bookstore, but was the general store A.D. Lundy and Co. opened in 1841 in Market Square. In addition to window shades and wallpaper, the store carried books, which were becoming more affordable thanks to steam-powered printing
presses and other new technologies becoming mainstream.
As the new century began, John Otto took over the store, calling it the Loan Book Shop. Jack Roesgen, an employee, bought the store from the Otto family in 1940, running the store till his death in 1958 when his daughter, Nancy Rider, took it over with her mother. It appears it was called Otto’s Bookstore informally before the official name change around 1963. Betsy and her husband, John, ran the store for fifty years, establishing its reputation as a literary hub of Williamsport, all the while raising ten children—eight of whom worked in the bookstore.
In the 1990s, the bookstore moved to its current location at 107 West Fourth Street, with the Riders eventually selling it to Kathryn Nassberg and her husband, Isak, in 2017.
(2)Lilace Mellin Guignard
welcome to WILLIAMSPORT
June 7–July 19, 2026
Reception: Sunday June 7, 2–4:30 p.m.
From emerging to established voices, 100 Miles brings together 60 artists working across media and styles.
Visit The Gallery at Penn College and experience the region’s creative pulse.
TUESDAY–THURSDAY
10 a.m.–5 p.m.
SUNDAY
1–4 p.m.
Closed July 2–5
gallery.pct.edu FREE ADMISSION
Dragons continued from page 36
Her mother, Tabby, lives downtown and Kathryn had been coming to the bookstore for years. She knew what a great job the Rider family had done and how important it was that the store continue that legacy. Their rebranding modernized the logo yet employed traditional Victorian colors to show their allegiance to the past and future. Kathryn says, “There’s so much culture here. We have two theaters, a cinema, symphony orchestra—I want the store to reflect that and be a destination.”
For the last eight years, she, Isak, and John hosted more and more author events, packing people in between shelves. They looked for a larger space, but it had to be downtown. Nothing was quite right. Then the bridal store moved, and they realized this was their window—or archway—of opportunity.
With the help of their staff, volunteers, and lots of local businesses, including Fink’s Paint Store (Lisa Fink created the paint scheme), the Sign Shop, and contractor Paul Follmer, they’ve reimagined the space. Finishing touches are still being made, such as the two “stacks” of books that will get taller until they meet in the middle of the main arch. The dragons—Erik and Fredrik (named after Kathryn and Isak’s sons)—are there, growling and glowing. One has a typewriter between taloned feet. There will soon be a mural background. “The store will have an added focus on early childhood literacy as well as family members dealing with memory loss,” says Kathryn. A play area in a corner will entertain children while parents shop.
The large event space will host author events, open mics, book club meetings, and can be used for private events. “We want to be a third space where people can gather,” Kathryn says. “Eventually we want to build this into a space that’s open a little bit later. Have a tearoom or other non-alcoholic option. This is down the road, but we want teenagers to have something to do.”
To the side of the new entrance, underneath the windows facing the street, are comfortable chairs and tables to encourage conversations and just dropping in when folks are downtown. John pauses a moment to address the elephant in the room (this one is rhetorical, unlike the dragons): the Books-A-Million opening where Party City was. John says, “Folks have expressed concern about the challenge. They all seem to have forgotten that even before Amazon, there were seven bookstores in this community at one time. It’s a healthy thing to see more bookstores. [Chains] compel us indies to be better members of the community. We have to earn loyalty—we can’t just assume it.”
“It has such a friendly vibe,” says Lisa McConomy, co-owner with Kelli Copley of the new indie bookstore in Wellsboro, Leafy Pages, that opened in April. “Love the colors!” They were thrilled when John reached out to invite them to a VIP event. “He gave us recommendations of where to find used books, and we learned a lot from looking at his shelves, what he thinks is important.” Knowing they’ve got someone to call with questions or for advice makes them feel part of a larger community lifting each other up.
As the oldest independently owned bookstore in Pennsylvania (the Moravia bookstore in Bethlehem, established in 1745, was bought by Barnes & Noble in 2018), and one of the oldest in the country, Otto Bookstore is not afraid of the future.
After 185 years, they’re just getting started.
Marian’s minor at Houghton will be equine-assisted therapy. She looks forward to learning to help people in need of healing by introducing them to horses.
“Horses are very intelligent and they sense emotion,” she says. “I see a lot of God’s character in horses—in their selflessness and how they are always there for you if you need them.” Although she’ll miss taking care of Scout (her parents will care for him in her absence), she’s glad the university has horses so she’ll be able to ride.
Marian will probably not participate in cross-country and track in college. “Running’s been super important, but I think I’ve reached a point where I want to enjoy the next thing. I’ll still run, but I don’t think I want to compete anymore.”
Debbie says that she’s a “lucky mom” because her kids “rarely argue with each other. They attend each other’s sporting events, watch movies, and play on the PlayStation together. Asked if her brothers will miss her when she goes away to college, Marian says, “They’ll miss me, but they probably won’t admit it.” Anyway, Houghton is only about an hour’s drive from Ulysses, so Marian plans to frequently be home on weekends. And when she doesn’t make it home, she can meet the family for a meal in Wellsville, just half an hour’s drive from both Houghton and Ulysses.
College represents changes, of course, but not just for her. She says that, with having foreign exchange students at home, there have usually been three girls (counting her mom) and three boys (counting her dad)—“not all guy dominated.” She wonders what it will be like for her mom when she is the only woman.
None of Marian’s closest friends—a small group of three to five girls who have been together since kindergarten—will be attending Houghton with her in the fall. They’ve enjoyed doing much of what other girls their age do—watching movies, hanging out and chatting, and getting dinner together at Wellsville’s iconic Texas Hot restaurant.
Though she’ll miss her friends, there are some girls who graduated from high school a year or two ahead of her who attend Houghton, so she’ll already know some people there. And even though she considers herself an introvert, Marian is a charming, friendly young woman who will likely draw others to her with little effort.
Marian has much to be proud of in her life thus far—her courage, her determination to overcome any and all setbacks, her leadership, and her willingness to try new things (such as writing a novel).
When asked what she is most proud of in her life so far, she hesitates. It’s clear she isn’t used to being asked such a question. Then she says, “Everybody around me considers me a very kind and compassionate person. I don’t mean to boast. It’s through God’s grace that I got there.”
Judith Sornberger is the author of nine collections of poetry and a booklength memoir. She is a professor emerita of Mansfield University where she created the Women’s Studies Program. She lives outside Wellsboro.
BACK OF THE MOUNTAIN
Firefly Sky
By Curt Weinhold
As if a Milky Way sky isn’t magical enough, I’ve found that often a bonus appears. This image was captured during a warm June night when fireflies are most active, and fortunately coincided with blooming daisies. This night, with coyotes yipping in the distance, was the culmination of a new moon, clear sky, and a dark location. Firefly numbers have dwindled due to spraying. But here in the Susquehannock State Forest they continue to dance during warm summer nights.
www.theCarpentersShopInc.com
2228 SR 49 West Ulysses, PA • (814) 848-7448
Stop in and visit us today!
• Custom Moldings to match your project (radius moldings availble)
• Stair Construction including balusters and handrails
• Cabinetry (custom kitchen, vanity, and more
• Custom Doors
• Solid Wood Tops to match your decor
• Log Siding and Clapboard Siding
• Hardwood Lumber for sale
I wish blessings for you from our Lord and Savior throughout the year!
Live Edge Slabs available in various species and sizes
