February 2013

BITTERSWEET LOVE Williamsport chocolatiers Bonnie & Bernie Katz, together nearly fifty years, break the mold on Valentine’s Day

By Cindy Davis Meixel

EwEind Fs R the

a Mansfield’s Headhunter Wellsboro’s World Premiere Skiing with Randy Jelliff

FEBRUARY 2013

Volume 8 Issue 2

5

Bittersweet Love

Doings ’Round the Mountain

By Cindy Davis Meixel Williamsport chocolatiers Bonnie & Bernie Katz, together nearly fifty years, break the mold on Valentine’s Day.

By Jen Reed Evans

18

Heart of the Mountain

By Patricia Brown Davis Right Here in River City: The beloved musical The Music Man returns to Wellsboro.

8 Southern Rock, Northern Premiere

19

The Best Days Are Snow Days

By Rebecca Hazen Wellsboro’s Deane Center for the Performing Arts hosts Smile, its first-ever world premiere.

By Gregg Rinkus Fast-speaking local auctioneer Randy Jelliff talks slowly about his love of cross-country skiing.

33

Red Flannel Weather

26 Headhunter’s Barber Shop: Hunting Down Every Bad Haircut

By Cornelius O’Donnell We’re cozy on the inside, too, as our columnist cooks up a new twist on the classic New England boiled dinner.

By Rebecca Hazen

50

Back of the Mountain

By Sarah Wagaman Wisteria, Winter: A pastel-colored ode on a frosty morning.

46

New Jersey-turned-Tioga County barber JR Santiago saw a shaggy need and met it, sharp shears in hand.

3

Editors & Publishers Teresa Banik Capuzzo Michael Capuzzo Associate Publishers George Bochetto, Esq. Dawn Bilder Derek Witucki Managing Editor Rebecca Hazen D e s i g n & P h o t o g r ap h y E d i t o r Elizabeth Young

Morris Chair Shop Your Best Choice in Solid Wood Furniture Made to Order Buy Direct !

A Great Selection of Dining Room , Bedroom, Den and Home Office Furniture 54 Windsor Ln. Morris PA 16938 570-353-2735 www.morrischairshop.com

Cover Artist Tucker Worthington Contributing Writers Sarah Bull, Angela Cannon-Crothers, Jennifer Cline, Barbara Coyle, Kevin Cummings, Patricia Brown Davis, Georgiana DeCarlo, Clint Decker, John & Lynne Diamond-Nigh, Lori Duffy Foster, Jen Reed-Evans, Audrey Fox, Alison Fromme, Donald Gilliland, Steve Hainsworth, Martha Horton, Holly Howell, David Ira Kagan, Roger Kingsley, Adam Mahonske, Roberta McCulloch-Dews, Cindy Davis Meixel, Suzanne Meredith, Fred Metarko, Karen Meyers, Dave Milano, Gayle Morrow, Tom Murphy, Mary Myers, Jim Obleski, Cornelius O’Donnell, Roger Neumann, Becca Ostrom, Thomas Putnam, Gary Ranck, Gregg Rinkus, Linda Roller, Kathleen Thompson, Joyce M. Tice, Linda Williams, Brad Wilson C o n t r i b u t i n g P h o t o g r ap h e r s Mia Lisa Anderson, Bill Crowell, Bruce Dart, Anne Davenport-Leete, Ann Kamzelski, Ken Meyer, Barb Rathbun, Tina Tolins, Sarah Wagaman, Curt Weinhold S e n i o r S a l e s R ep r e s e n t a t i v e Brian Earle S a l e s R ep r e s e n t a t i v e s Jesse Lee Jones Meghan Elizabeth Lee Duane Meixel Linda Roller Jae Zugarek B ea g l e Cosmo Assistant B ea g l e

t o t h e b ea g l e

Yogi Training Rue

in

Mountain Home is published monthly by Beagle Media, LLC, 25 Main St., 2nd Floor, Wellsboro, Pennsylvania, 16901.

Copyright Š 2010 Beagle Media, LLC. All rights reserved.

To advertise or subscribe e-mail info@mountainhomemag.com. To provide story ideas e-mail editorial@mountainhomemag.com. Reach us by phone at 570-724-3838. Each month copies of Mountain Home are available for free at hundreds of locations in Tioga, Potter, Bradford, Lycoming, Union, and Clinton counties in Pennsylvania; Steuben, Chemung, Schuyler, Yates, Seneca, Tioga, and Ontario counties in New York. Visit us at www.mountainhomemag.com.

Get Mountain Home at home. For a one-year subscription to Mountain Home (12 issues), send $24.95, payable to Beagle Media LLC, to 25 Main St., 2nd Floor, Wellsboro, PA 16901.

4

Amateurs and connoisseurs alike line up to taste a wide array of Finger Lakes wine and beer.

February

Doings ’round the Mountain

Musical Masterpiece Joyous Jazz Things heat up as the temperatures continue to drop. Wellsboro Winter Jazz Fest continues to delight music lovers of all ages. This extraordinary performance features the talented pianist Bram Wijnands. Born in the Netherlands, Wijnands began playing piano at a young age and now dazzles audiences around the world with his musical magic. As his hands glide across the keys, your ears will dance in delight. Two concerts are available. The Saturday, February 23, concert is at 7:30 p.m. at the fantastic Deane Center Black Box Theatre.

Patrons are welcomed to a “Bubbles and Sweets Reception” following the concert. Tickets are $25 and can be purchased by calling (570) 787-7800 or visiting www.endlessmountain.net.

The Sunday, February 24, concert is at 10 a.m. at the Penn Wells Hotel.

This performance is a Jazz Brunch and guests enjoy great food while the performance ensues. Tickets are $15.95 at the door. Overnight packages are also available! Prices start at $99 per person to $129 per person for a fireplace suite.

The package includes concert ticket, lodging for one night, dinner, and jazz brunch. Call for reservations at (570) 724-2111.

By Jen Reed-Evans Cabin Fever?

Beat Those Winter Blues!

Are you tired of staring at your walls this winter season? Do your only outings include shoveling snow and salting your sidewalk?

You need some excitement – and Corning Gaffer District’s Cabin Fever is the event that can provide just that! Over thirty of the area’s top wineries and breweries will be available for wine tasting and craft beer sampling. Enjoy shopping in the unique shops and having dinner with friends at the amazing restaurants featuring great dining promotions. Guests twenty-one and over with ID purchase a collectible wine and/ or beer glass at one of three check points before starting their night.

Complimentary shuttles make traveling between your favorite venues a breeze. Have a blast at this winter tradition on Friday, February 8, from 5-8 p.m. (One W. Market St., Corning, NY; http:// gafferdistrict.com/events/cabinfever2.html).

Purple, Green, and Gold Bourbon St. Meets E. Wellsboro St.

Boarding a plane isn’t necessary to have a great night celebrating Mardi Gras this year! Fat Tuesday comes early this year as the St. James International Dinner Series presents their Mardi Gras Dinner and Party.

Socialize and munch on scrumptious hor d’ oeuvres. Dinner will be a melody of authentic Cajun food that rivals any top New Orleans fare.

Alcoholic beverages may be brought to the party with proper ID. Wear your prettiest beads and baubles and bring your most amazing feathered or fleur de li adorned mask. Laissez Les Bon Temps Rouler! (Let the good times roll!) The Mardi Gras Dinner and Party has limited space, so be sure to call and reserve a table for your party. Be the King and Queen of Carnival on Saturday, February 9, from 6-10 p.m. Tickets for this festive event are just $28 per person.

(St. James, 30 E. Wellsboro St., Mansfield, PA; (570) 662-6610).

Cash and Cuisine A Five Course Treat Whether you’re a “Boy Named Sue” or a “Man in Black,” you’re going to love the fantastic, rare solo performance and gourmet five course dinner at Glenora Wine Cellars’ Veraisons Restaurant. Your “Folsom Prison Blues” will melt away as the deep voice of Harold Ford from The Spirit of Johnny Cash belts out in accompaniment with his guitar. As you enjoy the exciting performance, you’ll enjoy your savory meal “One Piece at a Time.” Start with spring salad and fried green tomatoes with remoulade then move onto shrimp and grits with Andouille sausage and beef brisket. Be sure to save room for the decadent Jack Daniel’s chocolate pecan pie. Pair your courses with awarding winning Glenora Wine Cellars’ wines.

Reservations are required for the Feast and Fest performance and dinner.

“Walk the Line” and jump through any “Ring of Fire” in order to be part of this exciting event on Sunday, February 17, from 1-4 p.m. Tickets are $30 per person.(Glenora Wine Cellars, 5435 State Rt 14, Dundee, NY; (800) 2345513 ext 415; www.glenora.com).

5

Doings ‘Round the Mountain

Doings, cont.

MUSIC 5 Berlin Philharmonic Wind Quintet – Enjoy as the Berlin Philharmonic Wind Quintet astounds you with their range of expression, tonal spectrum, and conceptual unity.

The group was founded in 1988 during the era of Herbert von Karajan and continues to astonish audiences worldwide. Enjoy this legendary performance on Tuesday, February 5, at 8 p.m. Tickets for the general public are $25/32/35.

(Cornell University, Bailey Hall, Ithaca, NY; (607) 255-4363; http:// concertseries.cornell.edu).

15 China National Symphony Orchestra – East meets West in this phenomenal orchestral show.

Founded in 1956, the China National Symphony Orchestra wows with performances such as Xia Guan’s First Movement of Requiem for the Earth and Ludwig von Beethoven’s Symphony No. 7.

The show is conducted by Xincao Li and features piano soloist Peng Peng Gong. Do not miss this spectacular show on Tuesday, February 12, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $30 for adults and free for children 17 and under when accompanied by an adult.

(207 Clemens Center Parkway, Elmira, NY; (607) 734-8191; www. clemenscenter.com).

16 Solid Gold Saturday Night – Remember the Fifties – Go back to the time of cool cars, bobby socks, and sharing a malt with your

sweetheart. This live concert features three fantastic groups, The Drifters, The Platters, and The Corvettes Doo Wop Revue. You’ll be dancing in your seat and singing along to hits such as “Under the Boardwalk,” “Save the Last Dance for Me,” “This Magic Moment,” and “At the Hop.” This night to remember is Saturday, February 16, at 7 p.m. Tickets are $45/35. (207 Clemens Center Parkway, Elmira, NY; (607) 7348191; www.clemenscenter.com).

22 Creole Choir of Cuba – This moving performance encompasses vibrant dancing, irresistible melodies, and Caribbean rhythms.

The Creole Choir of Cuba tell stories of surviving poverty, defying colonial masters, enduring love, a mother’s lament, and the desire for freedom. The inspiring and highenergy performance is on Friday, February 22, at 8 p.m. Tickets for the general public are $25/32/35.

(Cornell University, Bailey Hall, Ithaca, NY; (607) 255-4363; http:// concertseries.cornell.edu).

GALLERIES/MUSEUMS 1-3, 15 West End Gallery presents Little Gems – The West End Gallery does it again! Their exhibit, Little Gems, proves that big things do come in small packages. The collection features miniature paintings of landscapes, still life, wildlife, and more. An opening reception provided by JoAnn Bonady and son, Joseph P. Bonady will be held on Friday, February 1, from

What’s on your wish list?

A Home Equity Loan or Line of Credit from Citizens & Northern Bank can help you with everything on your list! Consolidate high interest debt, boost the value of your home by making needed improvements - anything you’d like.

Member FDIC

Loans subject to credit approval.

6

Act now while rates are still low!

For more information contact any branch office, call us, toll-free, at 1-877-838-2517 or apply online: www.cnbankpa.com.

Doings ‘Round the Mountain

5-7:30 p.m. with music provided

by William Groome. The exhibit will be on display until March 15.

Browse the lovely paintings Mon.Fri. from 10 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. and Sat. from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. (West End Gallery, 12 West Market St., Corning NY; (607) 936-2011; www.westendgallery.net).

1-28 Fractured People, Fractured Landscapes – Come in from the cold and warm up to the gorgeous art by Martha Campbell and Jennifer Harpendinger. Don’t miss this amazing talent. As always, admission is free. Open daily from 2-5 p.m. (Gmeiner Art & Cultural Center, 134 Main St., Wellsboro, PA; (570) 724-1917; http:// gmeinerartscenter.com).

5 National Geographic Photographer, Aaron Huey – The Rockwell Museum of Western Art presents: National Geographic Photographer, Aaron Huey at the Corning Museum of Glass. Huey will discuss his work with the Oglala Lakota of the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota that appeared as the cover story in the August 2012 issue of the magazine. The first seventy-five in attendance will be given limited edition prints and proceeds will support educational programming at the Rockwell Museum. The lecture begins Tuesday, February 5 at 6 p.m. .

(The Corning Museum of Glass, One Museum Way, Corning, NY; (607) 937-5371; www.cmog.org).

7 Timothy McCoy’s Sanctuary – McCoy’s talented display of photos focus on the evanescence of contemporary culture. People are usually not the subject of his work, but humanity is alluded to through visible cultural icons. The opening reception for Sanctuary is on Thursday, February 7, from 4:30-6:30 p.m. The gallery is open early afternoon until evenings and is closed on Monday and Saturday. (Pennsylvania College of Technology, One College Ave., Williamsport, PA; (570) 3263761; www.pct.edu).

18 Intro to Journaling – Are you an artist that feels like you just don’t have time to create? Learn to journal using artistic skills to store visual memories. This one day workshop is presented by the talented Alison Weeden at the Pat Rini Rohrer Gallery. Check out all of the other great art classes offered by the gallery. Let your creative juices flow on Monday, February 18, from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. Bring your lunch along with $50 plus $10 to be paid to the instructor.

(Pat Rini-Rohrer Gallery, 71 South Main St., Canandaigua, NY; (585) 394-0030; http:// prrgallery.com).

THE THEATRE 4,5 Blue Man Group – Comedy, music, technology, and those famous blue faces hit the stage for a show not to be missed!

If you haven’t seen Blue Man Group before or if you’re a big

fan, it’s a must-see. Because the act features no spoken language, it transcends and delights audiences of all nationalities and ages. This unforgettable performance is on Monday, February 4, and Tuesday, February 5, at 7:30p.m. Tickets are $59.50/49.50/$29.50. (207 Clemens Center Parkway, Elmira, NY; (607) 734-8191; www. clemenscenter.com).

6 Scooby Doo Live! Musical Mysteries – Jeepers! Scooby Doo and the Mystery, Inc. gang join together on stage to solve the mystery of the ghost in the theater.

Cheer on Shaggy, Fred, Daphne, Velma, and Scooby as the sing their way to finding out the truth behind the creepy ghost. Everyone in the family will love watching those meddling kids and their dog on Wednesday, February 6, at 7 p.m. Tickets are $35/27.50/20.

(Community Arts Center, 220 West Fourth St., Williamsport, PA; (570) 326-2424; http:// caclive.com).

8 A Chorus Line – For seventeen dancers, it’s a chance of a lifetime when they audition for a new Broadway musical. A Chorus Line follows the dancers as they aspire to reach their dreams. Winner of nine Tony Awards and the Pulitzer Prize for drama, this musical is a must see for anyone who’s ever had a dream and put it all on the line.

The performance is on Tuesday, February 8, at 7 p.m. Tickets are $55/40/30. (Community Arts Center, 220 West Fourth St., Williamsport, PA; (570) 3262424; http://caclive.com).

14 Pumps and Punchlines – Laugh the night away this Valentine’s Day! This hilarious stand-up act features the nation’s top female comedians that have appeared on Comedy Central, Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, Ellen DeGeneres Show, Chelsea Lately, and Last Comic Standing. Snicker and giggle while the funny women spit out topics like gossip, men, sex, family, and friends – no topic is off limits. This hilarious show is on Thursday, February 14, at 8 p.m. Tickets are $35. (207 Clemens Center Parkway, Elmira, NY; (607) 734-8191; www. clemenscenter.com).

COMMUNITY EVENTS 9 Kid Flix Mix – The hand-picked audience and jury favorites from the 2012 New York International Children’s Film Festival are debuting at the Willard Straight Theatre.

The kaleidoscopic collection includes short films and animation from Italy, Portugal, Japan, Sweden, Canada, the UK, and the U.S. The show is recommended for ages four and up. This fun-for-all-ages-show is on Saturday, February 9, at 2 p.m.

Tickets are $4 for adults and $3 for children 12 and under. (Willard Straight Theatre, Central Campus, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY; (607) 255-3522; http://cinema. cornell.edu).

24 Finger Lakes Platinum Bridal Expo – Load up the bridesmaids and cruise over to the Platinum Bridal Expo held at the Radisson Hotel in Corning. Check out the latest in new ideas, concepts and trends in having the perfect wedding. Enjoy tons of bridal salons, photographers, limos, florists, DJs, reception facilities, bakeries, caterers, dress designers and more! Make sure you’re prepared for your big day by joining the fun on Sunday, February 24, from 12-3 p.m. Admission is free.

(Radisson Hotel, 125 Denison Parkway East, Corning, NY; www. senbridalshows.com).

smaller wine and food pairing event allows guests to enjoy brief presentations about the farms and products. Take your time sampling the cheeses and sipping on the refreshing wine to decide on your favorites. Make sure to stock up on wine and cheese for your own preferred pairing event at home. The seven event begins on Saturday, February 23, at 10 a.m. Tickets purchased in advance are $15 per person. (For more specifics and a list of participating wineries and creameries visit http://www.senecalakewine.com/ events/trail-events/preferred_ pairing.html)

FESTIVALS/FESTIVITIES 15 Spring Carnival in the Islands – Step out of the cold and into an island paradise! One night a year, the Clemens Center is transformed into a tropical oasis filled with island-themed food and drinks provided by the areas greatest restaurants and caterers and lively Caribbean dance music from the Ithaca-based band Rising Sign. Dance the night away, sample delicious food, and bid on fabulous raffle prizes. The Spring Carnival takes place on Friday, February 15, from 6:3010:30 p.m. Tickets are $25. (207 Clemens Center Parkway, Elmira, NY; (607) 734-8191; www. clemenscenter.com).

OUTDOORS/SPORTS 12 Music of the Spheres – Earth and space science meet music when the Williamsport Symphony Orchestra presents The Planets by Gustav Holst. Each movement of the suite is named after a planet of the solar system and its corresponding astrological character as defined by Holst.

Be blown away by this larger than life concert. The universe unfolds before you on Tuesday, February 12, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $50/40/15/5. (Community Arts Center, 220 West Fourth St., Williamsport, PA; (570) 3262424; http://caclive.com).

16 XC Ski & Snowshoe MiniClinic – Pull on your gloves, lace up your boots, and get ready for outdoor fun! Hills Creek State Park is gearing up for another one of their Winter Outings Series events. Limited equipment is available for use and people of all ages with adult accompaniment are welcomed. Limited snow coverage may alter events. Get ready to snowshoe and ski on Saturday, February 16, from either 10a.m. – 12 p.m. or 1-3 p.m.

This event is free! (Hills Creek State Park, 111 Spillway Rd., Wellsboro, PA; (570) 724-4246; www.wellsbororecreation.org).

23 New York Wildflowers and Native Plants – Dust the snow off of your jacket and look forward to spring. Sonnenberg Gardens and Mansion State Historic Park presents their Winter Education Class held by Dr. Bruce Gilman in the Carriage House. Enjoy learning about the natural fauna of New York State and enjoy a soup and beverage lunch. Pull out your green thumb on Saturday, February 23, from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. Cost is $25 for nonmembers and $20 for Sonnenberg members.

(Sonnenberg Gardens & Mansion State Historic Park, 151 Charlotte St., Canandaigua, NY; (585) 3944922; www.sonnenberg.org)

WINERIES & BREWERIES 8-10 Chocolate & Wine Weekend – Enjoy a self-guided tour around gorgeous beautiful Seneca Lake as you sample decadent chocolate and foods prepared with chocolate and amazing wine. Pick up your gift at your chosen starting winery and then visit more than thirty unique wineries over the 2 ½ day event. Being so close to Valentine’s Day, this delicious event cosponsored by Lindt Chocolate, makes this a nice weekend-long event to spend with that special someone. Have a romantic weekend Friday, February 8, at 1 p.m. until Sunday, February 10, at 5 p.m. Tickets purchased in advance are $35 per person. (877 536-2717; www.senecalakewine. com).

16 New York State Ice Wine and Culinary Festival – Casa Larga Vineyards is hosting the exciting, 5th Annual New York State Ice Wine and Culinary Festival. Enjoy sampling ice wine from local Finger Lakes wineries, sample local food, and enjoy live entertainment. The festivities are on Saturday, February 16, from 11 a.m. – 6 p.m. Tickets are $49 in advance and $59 at the door.

(Casa Larga Vineyards, 2287 Turk Hill Rd., Fairport, NY; (585) 223-4210; www.casalarga.com/ Calendar).

23 Preferred Pairings – What pairs best with amazing Seneca Lake wine? Why delectable cheeses from the Finger Lakes Cheese Trail of course! This intimate,

E-mail listings@mountainhomemag. com to notify us of your events.

7

Truffles, nonpareils, chocolates: Le Chocolat’s food for romance.

8

Bittersweet Love Williamsport chocolatiers Bonnie & Bernie Katz, together nearly fifty years, break the mold on Valentine’s Day Story and Photos by Cindy Davis Meixel

B

efore Bonnie fell in love with Bernie, she was an underage dancer on American Bandstand.

Before Bernie fell in love with Bonnie, he spent three years in Catholic seminary, but was encouraged “by the bishop and God” to drop out.

Nowadays, nearing their fortyeighth wedding anniversary, this duo savors a life blessed and twisted with adoration, sarcasm, and chocolate.

Bonnie and Bernie Katz own Le Chocolat, an intimate, mom-and-pop chocolate shop in downtown Williamsport. As idyllic as it may sound to run an old-fashioned candy store, there’s not a whole lot of sugar coating going on here. Passions, however, run high.

The Katzs are known to debate with each other. Yes, argue. Yes, in front of their customers. Often, customers

goad them into these arguments, solely for entertainment purposes. Some pull up a stool or a cafe chair in order to sit and watch. It’s like dinner theatre, only with chocolates. Dessert theatre for sure. To date, no food has ever been tossed in anger (at least none that anyone is admitting to). These chocolates are too good to waste.

“We don’t argue,” Bonnie says.

“We discuss. We have discussions.”

Bernie adds, “Yes, we have loud discussions.”

For starters, politically speaking, Bonnie is conservative and Bernie is liberal. But, Bernie admits to “always playing the devil’s advocate,” forcing the opposing view regardless of topic.

“We banter about everything no matter what the subject,” he says, gruffly. “The first words out of my mouth are

always: ‘No!’” “I’m not even done finishing my thoughts and he says ‘No!’” Bonnie confirms.

“If it’s reasonable, I eventually give in,” he says. “If it’s not, I don’t…and the war is on…albeit short-lived.”

Despite his liberal leanings, Bernie is now registered as a Republican, thanks to his wife’s election to Williamsport City Council.

“Love made me register as a Republican,” he quips, “and I also sleep peacefully as a Republican, I might add.”

Previously registered as an Independent, Bernie changed his political affiliation nearly five years ago, during Bonnie’s first run for City Council, so he could vote for her in the primary election. On that first attempt, she was not elected, missing out by less than 9

Your Home’s New Best Friend.

607.562.7333 martinecbuilders.com 83 canal street, big flats, NY 14814 10

fifty votes. He advised her to not run again, but she told him “to go to hell” and achieved a successful second bid in 2011.

“I’m happy she won—now I have every other Thursday night free,” he says, alluding to City Council’s meeting schedule.

Bernie claims that it doesn’t bother him to be registered as a Republican. “It hurts more that Pennsylvania is so archaic that Independents aren’t allowed to vote in the primaries,” he says. “Party name doesn’t mean anything.

Thank goodness, when I get into the voting booth, I can do what I want!”

Active and outspoken entities on the Williamsport business scene for many years, Bernie also serves as president of the Williamsport Business Association, an organization previously known as the Downtown Merchants’ Association that he helped revive about twelve years ago.

When asked if he gave the group “mouth-to-mouth resuscitation,” he replies, “Well, no, but I gave it a lot of mouth!”

The Katzs were among the first to champion Williamsport’s popular First Friday tradition, launched in May 2001. The monthly gathering of artists is often credited as a major component in initiating a vibrant arts scene in the city.

From its Pine Street perch, in the heart of the city, Le Chocolat serves as a hub for First Friday information and regularly hosts artists at its shop during the monthly festivities. Even when it’s not First Friday, the store displays local art on its walls and shelves. A favorite in the shop is the contemporary art glass crafted by the Katzs’ son, Bernard, a noted glass sculptor now based in Philadelphia.

Dispensing Aphrodisiacs “Black licorice makes you sexy!” Bernie advises a customer as he attends to her order, cramming a brown paper bag full of the black goodies.

“Tell my husband that,” the middle-aged woman replies, dryly, as she sorts through her wallet for change.

Bernie suggests she feed her husband some licorice; the woman tells him that her husband doesn’t like licorice.

Undaunted, Bernie proposes she search for something in the glass display case that might appease her husband.

She obliges.

Bernie enjoys encouraging indulgence. He’s also an incorrigible flirt.

Another customer moans while savoring a truffle sample. Bernie hands her another truffle, encouraging her to moan some more.

The businessman avidly extols the virtues of chocolate as an aphrodisiac as well as claims that it’s a health tonic. He jokes that he’s considering hanging an “Rx” flag over the shop’s front door to alert passersby that he

11

and his wife are dispensing chocolate prescriptions.

Chemistry and pharmacy are concoctions that seem to appear regularly in Bernie and Bonnie’s love story.

The duo met at a pharmacy lunch counter in 1964. He was working at the pharmacy, located in downtown WilkesBarre, while also attending King’s College; she was employed at a department store next door.

Bernie had returned to his native Wilkes-Barre after two years of education at a Polish Catholic seminary in Michigan. He had completed a third year at the Scranton Diocese’s seminary in Dalton before being advised by the bishop that he “wasn’t cut out for the priestly life,” so he transferred his credits to King’s College, opting instead to major in English.

Bonnie had moved to Wilkes-Barre from Philadelphia as a teenager, following the death of her father. Settling in with her paternal grandmother and aunt, she found refuge from the grueling routine of a child performer.

“I had no childhood other than entertaining,” Bonnie says of her early years in Philly. “My mother was the typical stage mother.”

“If Toddlers & Tiaras had been on television back then, she would’ve been on it,” Bernie confirms.

“It was not the normal childhood,” Bonnie adds. “I was pushed into so much. I had no other life. I was the kid who had to go to school with rollers in my hair because I had a show that night.

But, the other kids just accepted it as, ‘Oh, she must have a show tonight.’”

At the age of eleven, Bonnie began dancing on American Bandstand. Although dancers weren’t permitted to be on the show until they were fourteen, she was tall for her age, a seasoned performer, and hanging out with older kids, many from her dance classes and the local entertainment scene, so she simply snuck in. She danced on the show for about five years.

“I danced in the map,” she enthuses,

12

In the heart of downtown Williamsport, Le Chocolat entices customers in search of sweetness.

referring to the famed map of America that was a centerpiece on the show. “If you got to dance in front of the map, that was cool.”

Dick Clark was also “cool,” Bonnie says. “He loved everybody. He loved participating. He loved conversations.”

The entertainment scene in Philadelphia at that time was a vibrant one, she remarks, with nightly dances held in church basements and various clubs all over the city.

“The atmosphere was so different. People nowadays would not understand the lifestyle,” she says. “It was normal for kids to be out on weeknights, dancing. We just had to be home by midnight. We truly enjoyed dancing. We were always trying to come up with new dances.”

Bonnie also brushed elbows with Philly natives Frankie Avalon and Fabian.

She first met Avalon when she was about five years old at a city amusement park where entertainers performed on Sundays to perfect their acts.

“Frankie was playing trumpet on stage and I got up there to dance and he was so cute, I just stared at him,” Bonnie laughs. “I forgot my routine and just kinda slopped around the stage. My mother was furious!”

She adds, “I got to meet a lot of interesting people, but, being a kid, I didn’t really appreciate it. When I be13

Married for nearly forty-eight years, the couple appreciates the fine art of loving and squabbling.

came older, I rebelled against the show business lifestyle. I didn’t want anything to do with it.”

While she knew many performers who ended up moving to Hollywood, she was satisfied with escaping to Wilkes-Barre.

“See, if you’d moved to California with Fabian, we’d be rich now!” Bernie says.

“If I would’ve moved to California with Fabian, I wouldn’t have known you!” Bonnie retorts.

Sweet & Unsweetened The door to Le Chocolat swings open and a business neighbor, Brian Martino, pops in for a visit. Owner of Martino Insurance, he regularly drops by the chocolate shop to get updated on city matters as well as to verbally joust with the Katzs.

“If you want to know what’s going on in the city, this is a good stool to pull up,” he says, motioning to the stool at the counter where Bonnie greets customers. “Bonnie’s a plethora of information.”

Sharing his insights on the duo, Martino adds, “They are complete opposites. One’s sweet chocolate and the

14

other is unsweetened. I agree with the sweet chocolate more. I still respect Bernie; I just don’t agree with him… hardly at all.”

A deliveryman arrives at the shop, toting a large bag of specialty nuts. He inquires on Bonnie’s health, since it was noted in the local newspaper that the councilwoman wasn’t feeling well.

Bonnie explains that it was just a cold and Bernie points out that it’s obvious their community involvement is a bit much when his wife’s sniffles are mentioned in the paper.

The Katzs moved to Williamsport in 1972. After residing in New Jersey for the start of their marriage and Bernie’s career, they moved back to Wilkes-Barre only to be greeted by the infamous Agnes Flood. They lost possessions, but gained an offer to move to a city of their choice by an employment agency that had hired Bernie to be an office manager. They settled on Williamsport and moved, along with their two young sons, to the city later that year.

While in New Jersey, Bernie had worked for an ad agency located in Manhattan. Initially a copy writer, he

worked his way up to an account executive and vice president, and was even written up in The New York Times, hailed as a young hot shot in the large advertising firm. He created the first national ad copy for Premarin, a new drug being marketed to menopausal and post-menopausal women, and wrote articles about menopause, mentioning Premarin, that were published in national magazines including Good Housekeeping.

“He was twenty-five and could tell you more about a woman’s body and the change of life than women and most doctors knew at the time!” Bonnie says.

But, Bernie grew weary of the commute, extensive hours, and “liquid lunches.” Desiring more family time, he quit and toasted the “Mad Men” of Manhattan goodbye.

It wasn’t his first major career shift.

Prior to the ad agency, he worked as a high school teacher, instructing remedial English.

“I get bored quickly,” he says.

After Bernie’s stint with the employment agency in Williamsport, he sold jewelry, followed by swimming

THE WELLSBORO AREA’S FIRST AND ONLY Laser Cataract Eye Surgeons

Scott Hartzell, MD and Daniel Fassero, MD

Scott Hartzell, MD

Do you or a loved one need Eye Surgery?

Call us TODAY to schedule your NO RISK, NO OBLIGATION appointment.

Daniel Fassero, MD

There is no need for you to travel outside of Tioga County to see an Eye Surgeon. The Eye Center of Central PA is now here for you and we are accepting appointments with our Eye Surgeons today!

We are your hometown EXPERT LASER CATARACT & LASIK SURGEONS; also specializing in MEDICAL CONDITIONS such as Glaucoma, Diabetic Retinopathy, and Macular Degeneration.

But that’s not all - we do routine eye exams and fit glasses and contact lenses.

If you aren’t coming to The Eye Center for your eye care, ask yourself why.

Call The Eye Center Today!

Visit Us At: www.eyecenterofpa.com *Possible risks of LASIK include, but are not limited to; dry eye syndrome, which can be severe; the possible need for glasses or contact lenses after surgery; visual symptoms including halos, glare, starbursts, and double vision, which can be debilitating; and the loss of vision. 2013. **Next closest LenSx is Harrisburg as of 02/01/13.

You don’t need a referral from your Optometrist to see our Eye Surgeons -

Call Today!

OUR NEWEST LOCATION! 61 West Avenue Wellsboro, PA Call today to schedule your

APPOINTMENT

1-866-909-9723 2013 Impact Advertising • 13TEC-IFC-MHM020113

pools, and then he opened up his own advertising agency. Bernie loves to sell stuff.

All the while, Bonnie was a stayat-home mom, but getting bored as their sons reached their teen years. She started working in Bernie’s office and accompanying him to industry trade shows. At one show, in New York City, she fell in love with a balloon machine and people’s delighted reactions to balloon bouquets. Soon, her first business, BK Puff ’n’ Stuff, arose.

Selling balloons and assorted novelty gifts, she initially operated out of two area malls and an East Third Street plaza before moving operations into Williamsport’s center city in 2001.

For a time being, the Katzs juggled both his and her businesses until Bernie sold his and joined Bonnie in hers.

“The bottom line is: I start this business, then he sells his business and follows me here. I can’t seem to get rid of him,” she says.

Market changes shifted the couple’s attentions from balloons to chocolates. At the same time, BK Puff ’n’ Stuff’s name was getting confused with Puff cigarette stores springing up around town. Contemplating a new business name, the couple took inspiration from the popular romance film, Chocolat. Bonnie says the name, Le Chocolat, has a way of enticing customers to walk a half-block off downtown Williamsport’s main West Fourth Street drag.

A Slave for Love “Is he your husband?” asks a customer of Bonnie while Bernie attends to the woman’s order. “I’ve never seen him in here before.”

Bonnie replies with an accepting, exhausted nod. Bernie stops, dramatically, posturing a shocked look on his face in reaction to what he deems an absurd question.

“If she’d pay me a decent living wage, I’d be in here more!” he yells.

“I’ve tried to file complaints with HR, 16

but she’s the manager and she told me HR is in the bathroom.”

Bonnie says, “He tells everyone he’s my slave—with love.”

It’s obvious the Katzs take pleasure in joking and chatting with customers.

The feeling appears to be mutual.

Some of the visitors are Bonnie’s “constituents,” Bernie says, sarcastically. “They come in, wanting to know things like, ‘Why didn’t my street get plowed?’”

The councilwoman says she enjoys being accessible.

She’s also known to be accessible to local college students, having counseled a few at Le Chocolat’s front counter on various life matters including relationships, high cell phone bills, and irate parents. Even after students have graduated and left town, she has received wedding invitations in the mail.

In an age where commercial intimacy has been stripped away by the Internet, big stores, and quick transactions, she sees customers still craving connection and slowness.

“Customers love to communicate; they love to talk. They love the intimacy of our shop,” Bonnie says.

Bernie says customers like being able to pick out their own chocolates.

“They like getting one of this, two of that. You can get a box of ready-made brand chocolates anywhere, but, here, it’s an experience,” he says.

The intimacy in Le Chocolat reminds Bonnie a bit of the experiences she and Bernie savored in Paris, while celebrating their forty-second wedding anniversary there six years ago.

“When you go into a shop there, you’re treated as special,” she says.

“You’re acknowledged as soon as you walk in the store. There’s a sense that they really appreciate your business.”

Wherever they travel, the Katzs prefer to enrich their experience by exploring the places “where the locals go.” For them, engaging in authentic interactions is a part of the adventure.

This appears to be the case at Le Chocolat as well, where authenticity, appreciation, and adventure are lined up like truffles alongside the arguments.

Bonnie is quick to point out that, while they bicker often, their squabbles are more comedy than error.

“We don’t have serious arguments,” she says. “We disagree on specific topics and there’s a lot of jabbing, but our jabs are never personal.”

The pair say they never go to bed mad and they never stay mad at each other. And, while they appear to be irritated with each other from time to time, the grandparents of three say they’re truly fond of each other’s company.

“We do genuinely enjoy being together,” Bonnie shares. “A lot of couples don’t enjoy being together, but we do. Don’t get me wrong, we like to do our own things separately, but we do enjoy being together even though we’re so different.”

“We’re not that different,” Bernie chimes in.

“Our points of view are different, but what we enjoy in life is similar,” Bonnie clarifies.

When asked what he loves about his wife, Bernie gets downright serious (for a change).

“Everything,” he says. “I love her tenderness. I love her caring. I love her work ethic. I love our in-

dependence. She does her thing and I do mine. We’re not dependent on each other to entertain each other. I love her general love of life.”

Bonnie sighs and holds a hand to her chest, obviously moved by his words.

When asked the same question, she replies, “I love his sense of humor. He is very caring and thoughtful…and protective. I fell in love with him because of his intelligence.

He was the only man I knew who could speak Latin and Greek.”

“She had no idea what I was saying,” Bernie says. “I was probably just reciting words from the dictionary.”

Bonnie says she heard bells ringing when she first kissed Bernie.

“That’s because I stopped in front of a church,” he replies.

She dismisses his joking and reaffirms, earnestly, that she did hear bells (nearly fifty years ago). She relays what her beloved grandmother, Anna, had told her before she met Bernie: “You’ll know it’s true love when you kiss a man and you hear bells ringing.”

A mischievous grin spreads slowly across Bernie’s face. He blushes and he’s quiet. Le Chocolat savors sweet silence.

Breakout of cabin fever and visit us this spring explore exciting new wines and re-discover Seneca! #atwaterwine Scan code for your free gift!

5055 State Route 414 Burdett · NY · 14818 800 · 331 · 7323 Check our website for directions and events atwatervineyards.com

Cindy Davis Meixel is a native of Wellsboro and a resident of Williamsport. She loves the stories tucked into the quaint corners of her communities. She is also particularly fond of chocolates.

Whether you like to hunt, fish or just take a break from the fast pace of the city, a place in the country may be just what you need.

With interest rates as low as they are now, there has never been a better time to invest in your dream.

Contact us. We can finance your lifestyle.

800-277-6234 www.agchoice.com 17

Heart of the Mountain

Max Black [ 2013 WHS’s Harold Hill in The Music Man] belts out “Ya Got Trouble” as Tom Walrath [Co-director and the 1973 Harold Hill] directs him for the upcoming production.

Right Here in River City

By Patricia Davis

I

t’s high winter, but something’s coming to town this month via the Wellsboro High School that will warm your heart big-time! If I mention patriotic as the Fourth of July and American as apple pie, has a 76trombone players’ section, you know I’m talking about the classic family musical, Meredith Willson’s The Music Man. First produced in 1957, made into a film in 1962, it has remained as one of the most beloved and wholesome family musicals of all time.

This is not the first time that “Professor” Harold Hill has come to town. He first appeared on the scene in 1973 at the local high school, as the con man who arrives in town to sell band instruments and uniforms to naïve townsfolk before skipping town with the cash. Of course he meets the prim town librarian and piano teacher, Marian Paroo, and things start to get complicated for all.

Adrienne Kantz, Wellsboro’s first “Marian,” had this to say about her experience: “As for lasting impressions, I’d have to say the experience of working on the script, set, choreography, and music, then performing it, is great preparation for many things, and got me out of my comfort zone, which is always good.”

Grecian urns, the Rock Island Railroad, and piano teachers will never look the same, nor will school board members—who can only cooperate when they form and sing as a barbershop quartet. The show harkens to an era when small-town life was like one big family, with all of its “warm fuzzies” and quirky foibles.

The 1973 production found me seated below the stage at the piano, 18

constantly looking up at students I’d had from junior high on through their high school career. The show contained many of my two oldest daughters’ classmates.

And it was fun to see how they’d all progressed from the first time they stood in front of me to sing in the school choruses in junior high. And there, leading as “con man” Professor Hill, was Wellsboro’s own Tommy Walrath. Tom never quite got over the role. Adrienne said, “Tommy, of course, was the best Harold Hill ever, and he made it all a lot of fun.”

I again sat in a Mansfield University orchestra pit a couple decades later, playing piano when the university produced it one summer using college and community folks; Tom showed up to audition and again captured the leading role of Harold Hill.

Being part of a stage “family” develops close friendships with others in the show and has a positive and powerful affect on one’s life forward; it’s learning timing and teamwork at the highest level! Just ask the folks in HamiltonGibson Productions, who produced it in 2011 for their community.

In charge of this 2013 production is middle school music teacher Christina Walrath Simonis. Obviously our original Harold Hill must have had some influence on his siblings. And “yours truly” is back at the piano.

Simonis is thinking she has a great 2013 candidate for the upcoming show. I’ve watched the growth of Wellsboro’s new “music man,” Maxwell Black, from the time he was a young boy, on and

off the stage, in choruses, becoming an Eagle Scout, and even organizing Rotarians into a workforce to help in the renovation of the Warehouse Theatre.

There’s no doubt his interaction with the “old” Harold Hill on Wellsboro’s stage will bring us a super, highly energetic, and talented presentation to be remembered.

But stage productions are never successful on their own. And there are many bright and shining cast members who you’ll see elevating themselves and each other on the stage this month. To list them all would take another page.

And they’ll start from the first beat of the orchestra and the opening of the curtain with a couple of good, shrill whistles and a heave-ho blast from the brass instruments as the stage discloses the most energetic engine on the Rock Island Railroad (circa 1912) hurtling along the rails towards River City, Iowa.

It’s been rumored that several of the original cast members will be returning to enjoy the upcoming production.

There’s also a great pit orchestra to support the kids! So, warm yourself this midwinter; join the parade and march on up to the Wellsboro High School Auditorium at the end of this month.

Patricia Brown Davis is a professional musician and memoirist seeking stories about the Wellsboro glass factory. Contact her at patd@ mountainhomemag.com.

OU t d o Or s

Mid-glide: (left to right) Randy, Greg Dalton, Jim Hepp, and TJ Mosher poised in front of a scenic Tioga Valley backdrop.

The Best Days Are Snow Days

By Gregg Rinkus

Photos by Dustin Jelliff

A

severe snowstorm is forecast to sweep through northern Pennsylvania. Ten to twelve inches are predicted with temperatures plummeting into the teens as the Alberta clipper roars through the region.

Randy Jelliff of Tioga Borough hears the forecast, leans back in his recliner, and smiles; the news couldn’t be better. He counts himself among a growing number of winter enthusiasts who embrace snow and cold by actively participating in cross-country

(Nordic) skiing.

For Jelliff, better known as the owner of United Country Jelliff Auction Group, LLC, the cross-country skiing bug bit him when he was about eighteen or nineteen years old, and now he has been skiing for decades. He had always loved the outdoors, and crosscountry skiing seemed to be another way to spend even more time outside.

Now, thirty-some years later, he’s more enamored than ever with his favorite winter pastime.

Basic cross-country skiing is not difficult. Only somewhat tongue-incheek, Jelliff suggested that if you can walk to the refrigerator, you can crosscountry ski. Thinking aloud, he said, “You know, it’s a little more difficult than that; it all depends on what you want to do and where you want to go.”

With an abundance of public land, and private landowners willing to grant permission to those who ask first, he considers his home county See Snow on page 21

19

11_MountainHome:Layout 1

12/7/11

8:19 AM

Page 1

Outdoors

NEW!!

STEEL SALES

Visit the Woolrich Flagship store, located in the village where the company was founded over 181 years ago!

Take exit 116 o Route 220 proceed 3 miles north, following the signs 570-769-7401 www.woolrich.com

20

In shop & portable welding repair and an fabrication Mig M - Tig - Stick B Brazing and soldering 2200 ton press brake Steel S and alumnium sales CNC C Plasma cutting up to 1 1/4" Bending B & shaping to your specifications

Aluminum, Diamond plate, Tubing, Bar, Sheet

Outdoors Snow continued from page 19

ideally suited for the sport. Adjoining his own fifty-five acres are hundreds of acres of private land with a dozen or more miles of trails that he has permission to ski.

He can literally ski right off his back deck into a winter wonderland, both day and night. Using a high-lumen headlamp, Jelliff often skis on his “home trails” and on public land at night. On moonlit nights, sometimes he uses only his night vision to see the way.

“There are so many benefits to cross-country skiing,” claims Jelliff. The most obvious one is exercise. However, he encourages beginners to set reasonable goals. Those new to the sport sometimes go out too far or too fast, suffering for days afterward and turning themselves off to the sport. “Make skiing enjoyable, not a hardship.”

Another benefit is wildlife viewing. “I’ve seen about every critter there is to see while skiing: deer, bear, bobcats, coyotes, foxes, porcupines, weasels, turkeys, grouse, hawks, eagles, and others almost too numerous to mention. The haunting calls of great horned owls, and the eerie yipping of coyotes, certainly add intrigue to night skiing.”

Jelliff enjoys skiing with his wife, Kelly, and son, Dusty. On most Wednesday nights and on Sundays, he skis with like-minded friends. Perhaps his best skiing See Snow on page 22

Randy and his dog, Archie, enjoy skiing together on a woodland trail near Randy’s home in Tioga Township.

! s le ic h e V f o s d n a s u o h T Thousands AND

m o .c L L E W K C O R www.SIMMONS Shop 24/7

FORD CHEVROLET GMC BUICK CADILLAC DODGE CHRYSLER JEEP RAM SUBARU NISSAN HYUNDAI 21

Outdoors Snow continued from page 21

companion of all is his dog, Archie, an energetic two-year old Shiba Inu. Although compact and low to the ground, Jelliff says that Archie easily keeps up with him. “With all of his offtrack adventures, Archie probably runs two miles for every one mile that I ski!”

For anyone who enjoys outdoor recreation, Jelliff strongly recommends cross-country skiing. When buying equipment, “Do your research on the Internet, but buy locally,” he suggested.

“You may pay a couple extra bucks, but the advice, service and long-term relationships you develop go far beyond money.” Locally, Country Ski and Sports in Wellsboro offers an excellent selection of new equipment as well as reasonably priced daily and weekend equipment rentals.

During our conversation, the term “spiritual” frequently came up. At times, Jelliff considers cross-country skiing an almost spiritual experience, but not necessarily in a religious sense. “Poling and gliding along on new, untouched snow; feeling the crispness of winter air on your face; being totally alone or with others who share your love of nature; and being surrounded by some of the most beautiful country anywhere: these are the experiences that border on the spiritual.” Most people fortunate enough to cross-country ski in Tioga County would whole-heartedly agree.

Mountain Home contributor and nature writer Gregg Rinkus hails from Franklin, PA, and is Regional Health, Safety and Environment (HSE) Manager for Penn E&R in Wellsboro.

Randy glides along the scenic countryside.

Randy and friends Greg Dalton, TJ Mosher, and Jim Hepp enjoy a hot dog roast at home after a ski.

22

Outdoors

23

Our top local doctors and medical professionals answer your questions.

24

sPeCiaL aDVeRtising seCtion

B a r I at r I C s u r g e r Y

Q A

: I am considering weight loss surgery. What should I know about it before making any decisions?

Joshua Alley, MD, FACS guthrie’s bariatric surgeon is one of the region’s only fellowship-trained bariatric surgeons. Dr. alley has performed over 300 bariatric procedures. he is accepting new patients for weight loss surgery at the guthrie Weight Loss Center at guthrie’s sayre campus. to view our introductory video and learn more about the guthrie Weight Loss Center, visit www.GuthrieWeightLossCenter.org or call 570-887-3920.

Guthrie Weight Loss Center One Guthrie Square Sayre, PA 18840 570-887-3920

: Metabolic and bariatric surgery, often called “weight loss surgery”, is a surgical option for people who are morbidly obese with a significant amount of weight to lose. The decision to have such a procedure is something that should be considered thoroughly, over a period of time and with the guidance of an appropriate medical team.

Obesity is one of the greatest health concerns in our nation. A person is considered obese if their body mass index (BMI) is 30 or higher and morbidly obese if the BMI is over 40.

Obesity has been linked to medical conditions like type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, joint disease and sleep apnea. If traditional weight loss programs like diet, exercise or medication are not successful, a patient should begin a conversation with his or her primary care provider about bariatric surgery. Many clinical studies have shown that bariatric surgery is the only proven approach that can sustain substantial weight loss in most severely obese patients.

At the Guthrie Weight Loss Center, we offer three effective surgical procedures. One is a laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy, which does not require any re-routing of the intestines; laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding, which is reversible, but achieves less weight loss; and laparoscopic gastric bypass, the option with the greatest weight Guthrie Weight Loss Center loss potential because it involves changing the intestinal flow. offers three surgical options: Selecting the best procedure should Laparoscopic Adjustable Gastric Band only happen after a detailed process • Estimated excess body weight loss involving a comprehensive center, of 40 to 50 percent after two years. like the one at Guthrie.

• The procedure is reversible.

The process can be lengthy but rewarding. From the first visit to Laparoscopic Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy the actual surgery date, it may take • Estimated excess body weight loss anywhere from 2 to 6 months. of 55 to 70 percent after the first year.

The duration of this period can be • The procedure is not reversible. affected by insurance issues and Laparoscopic Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass individual patient challenges. The • Estimated excess body weight loss best chance for success comes from of 70 to 85 percent after the first year. a comprehensive center like the one • Gastric Bypass is the most frequently at Guthrie, where experts in diet, performed procedure in the United states. exercise, education and psychology form a team to support the patient.

Embracing the theme of permanent change, Guthrie emphasizes lifelong follow-up of our bariatric patients. That’s because the operation is no “silver bullet”. Patients undergoing a bariatric procedure need to make well informed, personal decisions to change their lifestyles permanently. If a person has the surgery, but continues the habits and patterns that put the weight on in the first place, they will likely not meet their weight loss goals, or may re-gain weight. As one of the region’s only fellowshiptrained bariatric surgeons, I like to refer to this treatment as a “re-do” opportunity – a chance to rewind the tape and make better health decisions.

The first step is a conversation with your primary care provider, or attending an informational seminar. Guthrie offers bariatric surgery informational seminars throughout the Twin Tiers, with great information and a chance to meet the weight loss team and ask questions. To learn more, visit our website at www.GuthrieWeightLossCenter.org for a seminar in your area.

Elizabeth Young

Ar t s & L e i s u r e

Drew Bastian flanked by Smile director Peter Zinn (left), and choreographer Ricardo Rust.

Southern Rock, Northern Premiere

By Rebecca Hazen

D

rew Bastian’s family moved to Mansfield when he was in fifth grade, the same year Drew took up drumming. At Wellsboro’s Deane Center for the Performing Arts a decade and a half later, beginning on February 14, the twentyfour-year-old will play the drums during the world premiere of Smile. And he will be the one to thank if you enjoy the production of Smile, since he helped bring the show to Wellsboro.

Drew will be performing in the Smile band, whose members provide the music for the show, described as a “Southern rock musical.” While Drew’s drumming skills played an important role in bringing Smile to Wellsboro, an entirely different show might have 26

been on the playbill if Drew had stuck to his childhood musical intentions.

“When I was very young I always told my mom that I wanted to play the flute, but when I signed up for band, to this day I cannot tell you why I put down percussion. It was some force of fate,” Drew said.

After signing up for the school band, Drew took drum lessons from his grandfather and fell in love with the instrument. He also started singing, as well as acting in local Hamilton-Gibson and Arcadia Theatre productions.

Polishing his talents, Drew attended the Pennsylvania Governor’s School for the Arts for a summer, and also attended college at Pennsylvania State University, majoring in Integrative

Arts, with a combination of percussion and theatre.

While in college, Drew’s drum teacher from a previous summer called asking if he wanted to play the drums at the Millbrook Playhouse in Mill Hall, Pennsylvania.

“I would have never expected to start playing professionally for theatre.

I absolutely fell in love with it and just continued from there. I kept playing and playing and playing,” Drew said.

While auditioning to play drums for the production of Rent at Penn State, Drew’s name made the rounds of the theatre program, and from then on he ended up playing for every school musical theatre production at Penn State.

On tour with the Penn State School See Smile on page 31

Arts & Leisure

27

Arts & Leisure

Featuring:

Home Décor, Women’s Boutique Jewelry, Seasonal Décor, Dishware & Linens Unique Gifts, Wellsboro Items & so much more!

28

5 Valentine’s Day SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

Arts & Leisure

Gift Ideas

Sweetheart Coin Purses by Vera Bradley for that someone special!

Connors Mercantile, Corning NY; 607-937-4438

Maya J Collection handmade in Midtown Manhattan, sold exclusively in the Twin Tiers at Cummings Jewelers, Mansfield, PA; 570-662-7333

“Little Gems” miniature paintings

by James Ramsdell, Anne Bialke, Valorie Rohver and more than 30 exceptional regional artists; West End Gallery, Corning, NY; www.WestEndGallery.net

His & Hers: McKenzie Bourbon Whiskey and Cherry Liqueur; Finger Lakes Distilling, Burdett, NY; www.fingerlakesdistilling.com

Pompous Ass Winery sweatshirts; Pompous Ass Winery, Dundee, NY; www.pompousasswinery.com

29

Corning’s Gaffer District

30

gafferdistrict.com 607-937-6292

Eric H. Weiss In 2011, Bastian played with Dave Joyce and The Longbarrels, a classic rock cover band.

Welcome to Corning’s Gaffer District We carry an array of products to compliment your hair care and beauty needs.

171 Cedar Arts Center Invites Mountain Home Readers to our

2013 Annual Meeting and Celebration of Friends

performances silent auction hors d’oeuvres & beverages and a celebration Honoring Mountain Home Contributor

Cornelius ‘Neal’ O’Donnell Saturday, March 9 | 7 - 10 PM Drake House Theater, 155 Cedar Street Corning, NY | 607-936-4647 Members: $20 | Non-Members: $24 RSVP by March 6, 2013 by calling 607-936-4647

171 Cedar Street ● Corning, NY 14830

www.171CedarArts.org

Smile continued from page 26

of Musical Theatre in California one summer, Drew met Ricardo Rust, a music director, choreographer, and stage manager from New York City.

Little did he know at the time, but this meeting would allow small-town Wellsboro, population 3,300, to host a world premiere production.

Ricardo invited Drew to come to a one-night workshop in New York City for a new show in the works called Smile.

“It was so cool to get to go and see all of these professionals work. I had worked with some professionals before, but this felt like the next level,” Drew said.

“As I was watching the show, I was just blown away.

They were talking about rural Southern things, but I felt like it was about my hometown.”

After the workshop, Drew went on tour with a cover band called Total Whiteout for the summer. Throughout the band tour last summer, Drew kept in touch with Ricardo and Peter Zinn, the director of Smile, who were thinking about doing a two-week workshop run of Smile.

At the same time, an interim position needed filling at the Deane Center. Drew decided to move back home and work at the Deane Center, as well as for the two-week production of Smile.

“I knew I wanted to be a part of Smile because the show is that good,” Drew said. “This really has both an impressive story line and music.”

“What is cool about a workshop production is that’s where you develop the show. As it was going along, everyone was making changes. During the first workshop, I got to sit in on a meeting with Ricardo. I got to watch Ricardo, Peter, and JT Harding, the composer, create this musical. They were creating a work of art. So watching it really come to life during the second workshop was neat.”

Drew doesn’t remember the exact moment when it was decided that Smile would premiere in Wellsboro, but he does describe it as the “stars aligning.”

See Smile on page 32

31

Arts & Leisure

“The idea came to me while I was in New York,” Drew said. “It was like a—gasp—what-if moment. I wish I could remember the exact moment when we decided that it would work here, but I do remember talking about the show reminding me of home. One thing just lead to another.”

Peter had received offers to premiere the show off Broadway, and in Los Angeles, but Peter agreed that Wellsboro would have the right audience.

Said Lisa Meade, the executive director for the Deane Center, “Drew was doing some projects for us, and he was also doing some projects in New York as well. He came back from that, and he was really excited, thinking that this could be a really good fit for us.

“It will bring publicity not only for the Deane Center,” Lisa said, “but also for Wellsboro and the culture of our community.”

“We asked all of the workers to come be in this production and every

32

single one of them agreed to come,” generation in Tioga County,” Drew Drew said. “It is a very strong story said.

During the productions of the that everyone wants to be a part of.” show, community mem Lisa described Smile as bers will have the oppora “modern love story dealing with the realities and at the Deane Cen- tunity to be involved with challenges that we have to- ter Black Box Theatre workshops, such as acting, day, relating to some of the Thursday, Feb. 14, at 8 song writing, and dance challenges in Wellsboro, p.m., Friday, Feb. 15, at workshops that are being 8 p.m. and Saturday, Feb. such as addiction, crime, 16, at 2:30 p.m. and 8 held. and also the Iraq/Afghani- p.m. To get tickets, go the Last but not least, stan War. It is the working Deane Center’s website another bonus coming or call the Deane Center from this production is person’s story.” at (570) 724-6220. that from now on, when Drew is excited to people flip to the inside see people’s reactions to the show, noting that Smile produces front cover of the scripts and musicical scores, it will forever and ever say that many different emotions.

“I hope everyone will walk out the Deane Center in Wellsboro, Pennhopeful. At least I did. It is not a light sylvania, was where Smile premiered. show; it touches on a lot of heavy el- Drew added, “If it makes it to ements. I hope they walk out with a Broadway, and we all hope it does [as better understanding of what soldiers he knocked on wood], it would be deal with and what those dealing with great for people in this area to say, ‘I the drug epidemic go through. I hope saw this here when it premiered.’” they walk away with a sense of the new

See Smile

Food

&

Drink

Red Flannel Weather

By Cornelius O'Donnell

Beets by Robert Ivers

I

seem to remember the “brothers” in the film Seven Brides for Seven Brothers dancing around the bunkhouse in red long johns. And in my youth this gear was considered the ideal underwear for hunters, woodsmen, snowmobilers, and dilettantes who skied. I searched the net and, sure enough, L.L. Bean still sells red union suits. And there’s the Maine connection.

I was perusing the AARP monthly, and came across a recommendation for a book written by John Gould called Tales from Rhapsody Home: Or, What They Don’t Tell You about Senior Living.

I found this book, published in 2000, at the library and spent the next few nights laughing my head off. With a little research I learned that Gould, who was ninety-four when he died in 2003, was the author of some thirty books and

a weekly columnist for the Christian Science Monitor from the early ’40s onward. For most of his life he resided near Brunswick in Maine. I’ve since read several of his books, enjoyed them enormously, and found in a couple of them references to “Red Flannel Hash.”

He didn’t include recipes, so I had to check this out.

Hash Marked my Youth We never had the red flannel variety, but I’ve often boasted about the roast beef hash my dad cooked from leftovers.

(His secret ingredient: lots of thyme.)

Beets, the “red” in the dish’s title, were not universally loved in my house, except for the spiced up rounds mom called “Harvard Beets,” so she’d concoct a straightforward corned beef hash from

the leftovers of a New England Boiled Dinner. That’s still the advice you’ll find in old and new cookbooks. The twist was adding plainly cooked and cubed beets (not the spiced up versions) to the mix of beef and potatoes, (maybe) carrots and such. But take it from me—it’s worth cooking the beef just to make the hash.

My research led me to—naturally— the original 1896 Fanny Farmer Cookbook, then the 1980 Twelfth Edition edited by Marion Cunningham.

Both old and newer recipes were virtually the same. Cunningham’s advice for cooking the N.E. Dinner was to “plan for some leftovers for corned beef hash,” and her recipe for that hash contains a mixture of 2 cups of cooked corned beef, 2 cups chopped See Red Flannel on page 36

33

Food & Drink

Restaurants Enjoy the region’s comprehensive restaurant listings. From our Finger Lakes wineries to Williamsport’s good eats to the fertile Pennsylvania heartland in between, we’re famous for our regional specialties and love to eat. For listing information please email Dawn Bilder at dawnb@mountainhomemag.com or call (570) 724-3838. Bon appetit!

West’s Restaurant & Lounge Breakfast 7am-11am Tuesday- Sunday Lunch special Tuesday-Sunday 11-4p Dinner special 7 days a week starting at 4pm Full Salad Bar

Pennsylvania Lycoming County Waterville

}HAPPY ACRES

RESTAURANT & BAR

Every Monday is Bacon Night. Every Tuesday is Taco Night. Our menu offers seasonal specialties, and we have the best beer selection on the creek. Book your next event or special gathering at the Acres.

Located at 3332 Little Pine Creek Road, Waterville, PA (570) 753-8585, www. happyacresresort.com.

Friday dinner special: Homemade Fish Fry and Mac& Cheese

Friday nights : DJ and Karaoke

2850 S. Main Street Mansseld, PA 16933 570-654-5341

1905 Classic coffee house located in Dunham’s Department Store. Proudly serving Starbucks® coffee, espresso, Frappuccino®, Tazo® tea plus delicious freshly baked pastries, homemade soups, artisan sandwiches and ice cream.

Free wi-fi. (570) 724-1905, Inside Dunham’s Department Store, 45 Main St.

}DUMPLING HOUSE

CHINESE RESTAURANT Dumpling

Tioga County Mansfield

}EDDIE’S RESTAURANT

Eddie’s offers home-style cooking with homemade daily specials.

Their specialties include hot roast beef sandwiches and chicken & biscuits, both served with real mashed potatoes. They have homemade pies and serve breakfast, lunch, and dinner. (570) 662-2972, 2103 S. Main St.

}

PENN WELLS LOUNGE

CREEK FOOD & SPIRITS

Morris

}BABB’S CREEK INN & PUB

Babb’s Creek Inn & Pub specializes in Seafood and Prime Rib, which is available every night, except Tuesdays when the restaurant is closed. Reservations are appreciated for parties of 8 or more. Located at the intersection of Rtes. 287 & 414, (570) 353-6881, www. babbscreekinnandpub.com.

34

House specializes in Hunan, Cantonese, and Szechuan Cuisine. It’s family owned and operated and located on beautiful Main Street in Wellsboro. You may dine in or carry out. (570) 724-4220, 31 Main St. DUNKIN’ DONUTS America Runs on Dunkin’. 7 days a week, 24 hours a day.

(570) 724-4556, 7 Main St.

}MARY WELLS ROOM AND

}LAMBS

Lambs Creek offers sophisticated, down-home cooking seven days a week.

Every Tuesday there’s an Italian Night speciaI. Beautiful terrace overlooks gorgeous mountains. (570) 662-3222, 200 Gateway Dr, Mansfield, PA 16933, www.lambscreek. com

Wellsboro

}CAFÉ

}

Located in historic Penn Wells Hotel, full service restaurant and lounge feature an extensive menu of fine steaks, seafood, pasta, gourmet sandwiches, fresh burgers, desserts.

Breakfast, lunch, dinner, and Sunday brunch. (570) 724-2111, 62 Main St, www.pennwells.com.

THE NATIVE BAGEL The Native Bagel offers bagels made fresh daily, gourmet coffee, deli sandwiches, soups and salads, and homemade desserts. Bagels are mixed, kneaded, rolled, boiled, and baked onsite.

All soups, breads, and baked items are “made from scratch.” 1 Central Ave, (570) 724-0900, www.nativebagel.com.

Food & Drink

Located on the DownTown Historic Square Just minutes from the scenic Pennsylvania Grand Canyon and the beautiful Pine Creek Rails to Trails hike & bike riverside trail!

Three Charles Street Wellsboro, Pennsylvania 16901

1-800-661-3581 or 607-426-5898

info@wellsboroinnonthegreen.com

We Proudly Serve Starbucks速 coffee

WWW.CAFE1905.COM

35

FOOD & DRINK Red Flannel continued from page 33

boiled potatoes, a small onion chopped fine, pepper, salt, and then “mix 1 cup finely diced cooked beets with the hash.” Melt 4 tablespoons butter in a 10-inch cast iron skillet (old timers call them “spiders,” but that’s another story)—and press the “cake” down with a spatula. Cook on medium-low for 15-20 minutes then, using the spatula, take a peek at the underside. If nicely browned, invert a plate over the pan; flip the pan (cast iron?) slide the hash, top side down, into the pan. Pour 5 tablespoons heavy cream over the top and continue cooking “for another 15-20 minutes until the second side is nicely brown.”

Doesn’t that sound like a dandy winter dish? Just add some cornbread and maybe an apple turnover, and I’ll be there.

Hold the Corned Beef!

I came across a variation of redflannel hash in Evan Jones’s American Food published by Overlook Press in 1990. In it Evan found that a columnist named Haydn S. Pearson, who was extolling Down East food, mentioned red-flannel hash thusly: “It is unfortunate that the word hash has fallen into some disrepute…it is good, solid, everyday grub. Redflannel hash, however, is on a different plane…As a man comes through the woodshed with the milk pails on his arm, he inhales the smell and a smile lights his face. What better reward for a long day’s work digging potatoes or picking apples?” (You’ll find this same Pearson citation in The L.L. Bean Book of New England Cookery, also written

by Jones and his wife, super-editor Judith Jones.)

The recipe Evan offers in American Food is minus corned beef. Heavens!

“Heat an old spider iron on a woodburning stove. Fry a few slices of bacon until they are crisp and break into small bits. Chop a dozen cooked beets into small pieces; mix in two or three boiled 36

potatoes and two chopped onions.

The countryman, who is meticulous regarding certain culinary points, says that correct red-flannel hash is eighty-five percent beet, ten percent potato, three percent onion, two percent bacon; and that never, under any circumstances, should it include meat (other than the bacon), gravy, or extraneous vegetables.” As Maine natives would say, “eyah.”

Red Flannel Hash George’s Diner But here’s another “modern” version of the dish that I found in Brooke Dojny’s excellent The New England Cookbook, published in 1999 by the Harvard Common Press. She obtained the recipe from George’s Diner in New Hampshire. Chef George doesn’t put spuds in his version; he claims they sour if the dish is made ahead. Brooke does put potatoes in hers and I would too. I like the turnip addition and the seasoning. This serves four.

2 tablespoons unsalted butter 1 large onion, chopped 1 pound cooked corned beef, roughly chopped into ½-inch cubes 2 ½ cups cooked potatoes, roughly chopped into ¼-inch cubes 1-½ cups minced cooked beets (fresh or canned) 1 cup cooked turnips or rutabagas, minced ¼ teaspoon salt, or more to taste (corned beef is salty) ½ teaspoon coarsely ground pepper, or more to taste 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce 1 teaspoon bottled hot pepper sauce ¾ cup heavy cream 4 poached eggs, optional but delicious (see below) Bottled salsa or chili sauce, optional (not in my house—I use it!)

Preheat the oven to 400F. See Red Flannel on page 39

THE WELLSBORO & CORNING RAILROAD

SERVING TIOGA COUNTY

37

FOOD & DRINK

}PAG-O-MAR Pag-O-Mar offers subs,

salads, and deli sandwiches at the head of the Wellsboro Junction Rail Trail, across from the Tioga Central tour train station. They also offer soft custard and Hershey’s hard ice cream. And there’s a farmer’s market in season. (570) 724-3333, 222 Butler Rd. (just past junction of Rts. 6 & 287).

}SUBWAY

“Eat Fresh.” (570) 724-1424, 63 Main St, www.acornmarkets.com.

TERRY’S HOAGIES Terry’s Hoagies makes the best hoagies in town. They specialize in both hot and cold hoagies, and bake their bread and potato, macaroni, and pasta salads fresh daily. Hoagie trays and meat & cheese platters available. (570) 724-7532, 7 Charleston St, www.terryshoagies.com.

TIOGA CENTRAL RAILROAD All aboard Tioga Central Railroad! Take a scenic ride while enjoying dinner on Saturday night or Sunday brunch.

Wine and beer available. See website for menu selection. (570) 724-0990, 11 Muck Rd, www.tiogacentral.com.

WELLSBORO DINER Wellsboro Diner, a famous Wellsboro landmark, serves sumptuous home cooked meals, fresh baked pies, cookies and cakes, and the very best prime rib on Saturday nights. They offer more than ample portions to all hungry guests.

(570) 724-3992, 19 Main St,

Wellsboro, PA 16901

}

}

} Spices, Fresh Ground Peanut Buuer, Snacks, Candies, Gluten Free Items, Organics Items, Coffees, All of Your Baking Needs and So Much More!

7686 Route 6, Troy PA Phone: 570-297-1015

Open: Mon.- Frid. 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Sat. 8 a.m. - 3 p.m.

Find us on facebook

Westfield

}ACORN #10 FEATURING SUBWAY

“Eat Fresh.” (814) 367-2610, 465 E Main St, www.acornmarkets.com.

Monday-Friday: 9AM - 8PM Saturday: 9AM - 7PM

7 Charleston RD Wellsboro, PA www.terryshoagies.com Fax: 570-723-8732

}ACORN #25 FEATURING SUBWAY

“Eat Fresh.” (814) 435-6626, 3 West St, www.acornmarkets.com.

}BRICKHOUSE CAFE & DELI

38

Potter County Galeton

Features homemade soups, salads and baked goods daily, premium hot and cold sandwiches. Enjoy breakfast all day.

Located on historic

Rt. 6 at the light, Monday-Friday 9am 7pm, Saturday 9am-4pm. 4 W. Main Street

(Rt 6), Galeton, PA (814)- 435-2444

New York

Steuben County Addison

}ACORN #11 FEATURING SUBWAY

“Eat Fresh.” (607) 359-2603, 121 Front St, www.acornmarkets.com.

Corning

AND TAP ROOM

}THE GAFFER GRILLE The Gaffer Grille and Tap Room offers

fine dining, atmosphere, food, drinks,

and friends! We serve lunches, dinners,

meetings, or small parties up

to 30 individuals. Visit us on Historic

Market Street in Corning’s Gaffer

District. (607) 962-4649, 58 W Market Street, www.gaffergrilleandtaproom. com.

}RADISSON HOTEL CORNING

Grill 1-2-5 serves creative regional specialties: small plates, grilled sandwiches, and tender filet mignon.

The Steuben Bar offers appetizers, light meals, your favorite beverages, and is known for the best martini in the city!

125 Denison Parkway East, (607) 9625000, www.radisson.com/corningny.

}SORGE'S RESTAURANT

Sorge's is located on historic Market Street, at the same location since 1951.

They feature homemade pastas as well

as a complete selection of steaks,

seafood, and traditional Italian dishes.

Open 7 days a week from 7 a.m. to 9

p.m. (607) 937-5422, 68 West Market Street, www.sorges.com.

Wayland

“Eat Fresh.” (585) 728-3840, 2341 Rt. 63, www.acornmarkets.com.

}ACORN #16 FEATURING SUBWAY

FOOD & DRINK Red Flannel continued from page 36

Melt the butter in a large, heavy (preferably cast-iron) skillet with ovenproof handle. Add the onion and cook until it begins to soften, about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine the corned beef, potatoes, beets, turnips, salt, pepper, Worcestershire sauce, hot pepper sauce, and cream in a large bowl.

Toss gently but thoroughly to mix well and add to the skillet. Stir to combine with the onion, and then press the hash mixture to make a large cake. Cover and cook over medium-low heat until a crust begins to form on the bottom, about 15 minutes.

Place the skillet in the oven and bake until the top is crisp and lightly browned, about 15 minutes. If the top is not brown enough, run it under the broiler to finish.

Cut into wedges, and top with the poached eggs if you are including them, and serve with the salsa or chili sauce if you like. (Note from Neal: my mother served this with her home-preserved chili sauce or, when that ran out, Heinz was substituted. You may even like catsup with this. Mom removed her eggs from the salted poaching liquid when the yolk was still runny. Piercing the yolk to create a yellow-river of flavor is among my great food memories.)

Brooke also included this comment from that New Hampshire columnist, Haydn Pearson: “Red flannel hash…is an Oriental-looking, taste-tantalizing dish. Its color is exciting. It has allure and snap. A frying pan full of it on the kitchen stove sends a nostril-tickling aroma through the room.” Pearson serves this with yellow cornmeal muffins and green tomato pickles followed by deep-dish apple pie with a wedge of sharp cheddar “and a glass of cold, creamy milk.”

I’ll drink to that, after I do up all the buttons on my union suit.

AN EDUCATION IN FINE DINING

The Gallery AT Penn College

UPCOMING EXHIBITS on the campus of Pennsylvania College of Technology

Featuring menus prepared with fresh ingredients from our on-campus hydroculture garden and local agricultural community vendors.

RESERVATIONS RECOMMENDED

www.pct.edu/lejeunechef 570-320-CHEF

Timothy McCoy: Sanctuary Feb. 7 – March 7

Merrill Steiger: Worlds Collide March 19 – April 18 Visit us on the 3rd floor of the Madigan Library Tuesday & Thursday: 2 - 7 p.m.

Wednesday & Friday: 11 a.m.- 5 p.m.

Sunday: 1- 4 p.m.

Closed Monday & Saturday / Closed March 29 – 31 Show this ad to Gallery attendant to receive a complimentary beverage coupon for Bookmarks Cafe, located in the library.

FREE ADMISSION

www.pct.edu/gallery 570 -320-2445

Williamsport, PA

Chef, teacher, and author Cornelius O’Donnell lives in Elmira, New York.

39

www.npennrealestate.com

Real estate

FIRST

Chris Gilbert �������������������� 570-404-1268 Gwen Heyler �������������������� 570-854-8528 Joan Miller ����������������������� 570-439-4313 Wynnette Richardson����� 570-439-1841 Kim Case ������������������������� 570-404-0794 Scott Bastian, Broker ����� 570-662-2200

18 North Main St, Mansfield, PA 16933 • 570-662-2200 mansfieldremax@yahoo.com • www.twintiersrealty.com

Serving Tioga, Bradford, & Potter Counties, and Surrounding Areas LAND

LAND with OGMS

30.13 Acres - $69,900 44.43 Acres - $139,900

1.50 Acres - $49,900 1.60 Acres - $54,900

ATHENS TWP

FARMINGTON TWP

20.74 Acres - $39,900

Quaint Home! Living room offers beautifully maintained chestnut woodwork with Italian Marble fireplace, entry foyer features grand wooden staircase. Massive built-in chestnut China Cupboard, large pine pocket doors, & 1st floor featuring mostly hardwood flooring. Newer detached 2 car garage. Corner lot.

Just $219,900 M123437

CERES TWP

52.63 Acres - $249,900

54.10 Acres - $225,000

OGMS! OGMS! OGMS! Large 4,440+ sq ft, 4 BR, 2 BA home on 97+ ac.

Kitchen is a cook’s dream w/Corian countertops & cherry cabinets. Great room w/tongue & groove pine. 2 room master suite. 2nd floor walk out deck & large 1st floor deck. Several barns, pond, & a mix of open & woods.

Only $699,000 M123341

106.30 Acres - $599,000

Country Setting, Close to Town!

Cute, Immaculate 2 BR, 1¾ BA home in move in condition situated on 4.96 acres. Kitchen is a cook’s delight. Large decks, paved driveway, large yard with stream.

Just $149,900 M123022

LAND Liberty Twp 1.40 Acres - $24,900 4.71 Acres - $39,900 5.97 Acres - $39,900 6.29 Acres - $39,900 10.25 Acres - $41,000 12.30 Acres - $45,900 15.80 Acres - $59,900 34.53 Acres - $89,900 51.04 Acres - $127,600

Cute Ranch Home!

Situated on 11.85 acres this home has 3 BR, 1½ BA, open floor plan, & full walk-out basement with a garage. Outside is a 30 x 35 barn with pasture for horses/cattle. OGMS! Only $220,000 M123280

COVINGTON TWP

21.62 Acres - $99,900 OSWAYO TWP

RE DU CE D

LAND Ward Twp 26.96 Acres - $103,900 47.65 Acres - $150,450 100.00 Acres - $309,900 123.82 Acres - $371,460 126.96 Acres - $388,380 150.78 Acres - $459,840 174.50 Acres - $531,000 195.19 Acres - $593,070 221.47 Acres - $679,410

WELLSBORO BORO

LAWRENCE TWP

54.70 Acres - $519,650 TIOGA TWP

PR IC E

LAND

LAND

CLYMER TWP

PINE TWP

6.33 Acres - $27,500 7.17 Acres - $29,900 Quiet Residential Neighborhood!

3 BR, 2 BA home on 1.17 acres. Kitchen has custom made butternut cabinets. 1 car garage & 2-story oversized 2 car garage. 32 x 16 fenced, in-ground pool with bathhouse.

Now Just $139,900 M122714 RE DU CE D

LAND

DELMAR TWP

PR IC E

LAND Jackson Twp 12.52 Acres - $39,900 13.07 Acres - $39,900 16.57 Acres - $49,900 26.45 Acres - $76,900 29.10 Acres - $89,900 31.36 Acres - $99,900 42.16 Acres - $119,700 55.55 Acres - $149,900 61.00 Acres - $179,700

CHATHAM TWP

10.16 Acres - $49,900

Great First Time Home!

Raised ranch on quiet street in town. Large cozy living room, bright eat-in kitchen with French doors opening onto a new 10 x 14 deck overlooking the backyard. Large front deck.

Partially finished basement.

Now Just $129,900 M123215

2.50 Acres - $45,900 2.60 Acres - $45,900 5.11 Acres - $85,900 7.92 Acres - $64,900 11.80 Acres - $49,900 19.72 Acres - $104,900 WELLS TWP

12.80 Acres - $59,900

1.00 Acre - $19,900 1.66 Acres - $35,900 LAWRENCE TWP

3.55 Acres - $34,900

Country Setting!

Large 3 BR manufactured home situated on 10 plus tranquil acres with babbling brook features an open floor plan. Mostly wooded lot with a storage shed and there are no close neighbors.

Convenient to Wellsboro, Mansfield, & the Cowanesque Valley!

Now Just $135,000 M123370

LAND

COMMERCIAL LAND

9.90 Acres - $89,900 117.51 Acres - $359,900

1.15 Acres - $208,386 2.76 Acres - $390,000

MANSFIELD BORO

CHARLESTON TWP

Country Setting!

Whether seeking a comfortable full-time home with very large yard & garage or just a home to vacation to this property is the one. This 3 BR, 1½ BA home offers new roof, new kitchen, & hardwood floors throughout. Comfortable & cozy with low utility costs.

Just $110,000 M123388

WELLSBORO BORO

Great Location!

Newer ranch home has 2.18 acres & is conveniently located between Mansfield & Wellsboro. 3 BR, 2 BA with an open floor plan.

Seller is offering $3,000 in Seller’s assistance.

There are 12+ commercial acres adjoining this property also available.

Only $143,900 M123404 RE DU CE D

6.78 Acres - $114,900 9.29 Acres - $155,900

PR IC E

DELMAR TWP & WELLSBORO BORO

2.36 Acres - $34,000 16.30 Acres - $87,000

OSCEOLA TWP

15.99 Acres - $39,900 80.97 Acres - $239,900 SULLIVAN TWP

85.71 Acres - $212,500

Great Recreational Area!

Cute cabin would make a great camp or full time residence with one share membership in the Brookland Club. Cabin has 2 BR, forced hot air heat, 1 full bath, and loft/attic that could be finished.

Only $74,900 M123439

Each Office Independently Owned & Operated

CHARLESTON TWP

5.60 Acres - $185,000 14.00 Acres - $650,000 LAWRENCE TWP

66.40 Acres - $1,175,000

www.npennrealestate.com

Real estate

Experience the great outdoors in your very own hunting cabin from Black Creek. Perfect for a relaxing vacation in the mountains or your own rustic retirement home!

Visit us online for more info at www.blackcreekent.com

570-324-6503 8028 Rt. 414 Liberty, PA 16930 Located one mile west of Rt.15 along Rt. 414

Find your dream home at www.mountainvalley-chris.com Chris Costanzo-VanDergrift REALTOR 477 Tioga ST., WellSboro, Pa direct: 570-419-7185 moutainvalleyrealtyllc.com

chrisrealtorpa@yahoo.com

Stunning 4 bdrm Wellsboro raised ranch in a secluded setting on 3.46 acres with unique features not seen everyday! This home has multiple heat sources, very open floor plan, sunroom, finished basement, mother-in-law suite, theater room, central air, stream, bunker and has more acreage available. This is truly a must see home and property for those who want to be close to town, to a lake and have privacy from the rest of the world!

MLS 123408

Gorgeous 3 bdrm ranch home in excellent condition on 2.44 acres near Hills Creek Lake. This home is move in ready, has 2.5 baths, hardwood floors, granite counters, 2 car attached and 1 car detached garages, new security system, vaulted ceilings and so much more. Relax on your private deck overlooking the golf course-like, partially-wooded backyard as deer stroll by. $269,900 $499,000 MLS 123473

107 Main Street Wellsboro, Pa. 16922

570-723-1600 www.wellsboroparealestate.com

Highland Street Treasure Spacious rancher overlooking beautiful downtown Wellsboro, one block walk to town, 4 BR, 2.5 bath, fireplace, solid maple floors, spacious kitchen with new appliances, attached garage, and a full, large basement. 1.71 acres, fenced yard, perfect for a family, children and animals.

REF#10624 $284,900

www.npennrealestate.com

Real estate

Call the office at 570-723-8484 477 Tioga Street, Rt. 6 West One mile west of the Wellsboro Diner Wellsboro, Pa. 16901

www.mountainvalleyrealtyllc.com NORTH CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA’S CHOICE FOR: COMMERCIAL, HOMES, ACREAGE, FARMS, CABINS, & RENTALS “Professionals working hard for YOU”

ATTRACTIVE HOME WITH GRAND CURB APPEAL – Delightful mix of modern updates and the charm of a past era throughout this exceptional home. Newer kitchen and appliances with sunroom dining, formal dining room, lg living room with fireplace, elegant parlor with beautiful staircase, lg bedrooms, and hardwood flooring. $179,000 #123242

DISTINCTIVELY UNIQUE CUSTOM HOME – Spacious must-see interior offering large bright windows, awesome floor plan-ideal for entertaining, 5 bdrms, 5 bathrooms, very workable kitchen, ceramic and hardwood flooring throughout, dry full basement, attached garage and more. Sits on 2 acres in the country short drive to Wellsboro $429,000.

OUTSTANDING FOR YOUR HOMESTEAD ON 10 ACRES! – This setting is very private and ideal as farmette. Hefty log home overlooking the valley and mountains! Cozy, rustic interior, sunroom, wraparound porch and deck. Short drive to Wellsville, NY, located between Mills and Genesee. Property has subdivision pending from larger parcel. $289,000 #122913

COMFY RESIDENCE OR VACATION GETAWAY! – Meticulously kept home is like vacation all yearround. Boosts long distance mountain country views! Awesome covered deck for summer dinners, 200 amp electric, lovely new appliances and more! Relax, hunt, snowmobile. Come check out the sunsets! All this a short drive to Wellsboro,PA $150,000 #122548

EXCEPTIONAL VIEWS -SECLUDED SETTING2.87 AC – This Potter County attractive comfortable home offers a long list of wonderful amenities including attached 3 car garage, central vac, central air, concrete driveway, lg. composite deck, maintenance free exterior, etc.

2-3 bdrms. 1.5 baths. EZ to Wellsville, NY or Coudersport,Pa.$219,000 #122599

BEAUTIFUL WELLSBORO HOME – Lovely remodeled 2 story home in the heart of Wellsboro!

This home has been completely renovated with beautiful interior. Home features 3 bedrooms, large kitchen, nice private backyard and a paved driveway. Stroll to Main St.shops or schools. Make this your Wellsboro home! $195,000 #122601

RAISED RANCH HOME ON 11+ ACRES – Tucked in private setting offers 11.94 acres and a long country view! Raised ranch home in meticulous new condition offers 3 bdrms, with a spacious insulated raised basement and walkout for add’l living space. Sits against woods offering privacy with outstanding wildlife. $289,000 #122912

VACATION OR RETIRE HERE! – Sits on over 7 acres with no visible neighbors! Ranch home offers 3 bdrms with a must see lovely interior offering large bright windows revealing the great view! Very large sunroom for year-round enjoyment! Many new and attractive amenities! $199,000 #122903

COMFORTABLE WELLSBORO HOME on West Ave. offers bright cheerful rooms. Home offers new windows, appliances, and furnace along with deck, 2 car garage and a very nice setting back in off the road. Easy stroll to downtown Wellsboro. This is an attractive home. $169,000.

179 ACRES WITH 3 BEDROOM HOME AND 100% OGM’S – Here’s a once in a lifetime opportunity to purchase a 179+ acre farm with 100% OGM’s! Property also has a completely renovated 3 story home along with a restored barn as well. Property is currently leased and 100% OGM’s convey to buyer. EZ drive to Williamsport/ Wellsboro. $1,350,000 MLS 122872

VICTORIAN 4 BEDROOM HOME - WELLSBORO – This home is one of the oldest homes in the town of Wellsboro with gorgeous hardwood floors, fireplace, attached garage, stream, great floor plan, historic charm and all of your updated modern conveniences! Own your piece of history for just $174,900 #122986

STUNNING LOG HOME-PRIVATE 39.94 ACRES – Newer 3 bdrm log home offers spacious loft, 2 baths. Lower level with walkout provides a sophisticated master suite with bathroom which leads to private porch and hot tub. Cathedral ceilings in kitchen and living room. Attached lg 2 car garage and lg 3 car detached garage/ workshop, Â $477,000 #122992

REMODELED 3 BDRM COTTAGE IN WELLSBORO – Home offers new roof, dormers,windows, siding, new front porch,flooring,carpet, completely new kitchen and appliances, new bathroom and fixtures, heaters & hotwater heater. Large rear deck. Walking distance to hospital, Park and Main St. amenities.

Owned by PA licensed Realtor. $119,000 #123015

YOUR PRIVATE CASTLE ON 65 AC – Indescribable detail in this custom home w/ unique post & beam design,open floorplan, cathedral ceilings,lg windows & double glass doors throughout.Access the lg deck from 4 rooms. Custom amenities including lavish master bathroom.65+/- acs offer future timber potential. $699,000. #123432

PRIVATE LOGHOME RETREAT – Attractive log home features a 2 sided stone fireplace with wood insert. Cherry steps to the second floor loft which offers 2 bdrms & bathroom. Spacious great rm offers cathedral ceilings & slate floors. Home boasts beautiful master suite. All this on 32 private acs! EZ to Wellsboro.$435,000.#121313

OUTSTANDING EXECUTIVE STYLE HOME-24 AC – 100% OGM’s! Majestically overlooking the valley! 4 bdrm home offers exquisite spacious open interior with list of tastefully designed amenities. Property also offers a full raised finished basement for family entertainment area with 2nd kitchen.EZ to NY, Mansfield, & Rt.15/I-99 $440,000 #122338

www.npennrealestate.com

Real estate WWW.PENNOAKREALTY.COM

65 Main Street, Wellsboro, PA 16901 l (570) 724-8000

PA Certified WBE

“THE HOUSE THAT LOVE BUILT.” Elegant Wellsboro home with original woodwork, has 5 BRs, 6 baths, spacious living area on 1st floor, manicured court yard plus off street paved parking area and traditional front porch. Bonus areas in full basement are heated, previously utilized as living space and finished for storage, office or studio.

MTH 121625 $499,900

2 LOTS TOTALING 6.98 ACRES offered as a package; permit for septic and building permit for seasonal dwelling up to 1,952 sqft will transfer to buyer. Electrical available, ideal location to build a camp or vacation home – close to public lake. Build on one lot, resell the other; or purchase as an investment. OGM’s are not owned by seller.

MTH 122614 $34,900

SPACIOUS 3 BR HOME ON 3+ ACRES in the Pine Creek Valley west of Wellsboro and Ansonia area. Large open kitchen/dining/family area, beautiful tongue-in-groove finished family room, covered front porch, nice deck out back. Easy access to Rails-To-Trails and Pine Creek for fishing and canoeing; State Game Lands, Forest and Parks are nearby for hiking, hunting or snowmobile activities.

MTH 123456 $165,000

5 BR, 2 BATH HOME ON ¼ ACRE LOT IN LIBERTY. Just 5 minutes from Route 15, easy access to Williamsport, Wellsboro, Mansfield and Corning/Elmira areas. Features large kitchen open to dining and family rooms.

Replacement windows throughout, wood stove in family area, recently installed furnace; 2 story garage/ workshop.

MTH 123397 $119,900

RUSTIC CHALET ON 28 WOODED ACRES with a great view from covered deck - secluded, yet 10 minutes to town. Bring horses and ATV’s - 2 stall horse barn w/shop and office/studio, plenty of pasture available. Beautiful fireplace, vaulted ceiling, walk-out lower level, small pond.

MTH 122772 $169,900

SCAN TO VIEW OUR LISTINGS

PLENTY OF ROOM IN THIS 5 BR SPLIT LEVEL HOME on .69 acre in the town of Mansfield. Large living room w/hardwood floors and a roomy kitchen/ dining combo. 1st floor level has an established beauty salon w/half bath that could be used as a family room or ground level BR; beauty shop equipment is negotiable.

MTH 123422 $199,900

BEAUTIFULLY MAINTAINED 4 BR SEASONAL OR FULLTIME residence w/(3) 1st floor BR’s, newer kitchen and 2 baths, insulated Anderson windows/ door, cathedral ceiling. Front and rear decks to enjoy wildlife, miles of 4-wheel and snowmobile trails available, access to hunting land.

MTH 121864 $129,000

24+ ACRE MIXED OPEN AND WOOD PARCEL has drilled well, privy and electric at road. Currently has a nice pavilion and 30 x 26 shed; land on both sides of the road. Not yet leased, OGM’s are included; owner anxious to move on to retirement - make an offer!

MTH 122685 $99,900

Commercial Sales & Leasing

FIRST

Chris Gilbert - Realtor chris.gilbert@remax.net direct: 570-404-1268 office: 570-662-2200 18 North Main St., Mansfield, PA

WELL PLANNED, EXTRAORDINARY, QUALITY CRAFTSMANSHIP with room for expansion in the 2800 sqft basement. Features concrete patio, walks & drive, oversized garage, stone fireplace, granite kitchen counter tops w/cherry cabinets, Brazilian cherry floor in LR, Great Room and DR, granite tile in foyer - 5 BR home sits on 1.5 acres.

MTHDLM 120963 $335,000

BEAUTIFUL SETTING FOR HOME OR SMALL HORSE FARM. This 20 acre parcel has a perc for a sand mound system; however, may be purchased with adjoining 5.7 acres lot which has a perc for a standard in-ground system. Nice view, peaceful setting.

MTHDLM 122520 $57,500

RARE OPPORTUNITY – VERY SECLUDED 110 ACRES in 2 parcels, accessed from the dead end of a township road. Borders State Land on 2 sides, mostly wooded (some timber value), native trout stream begins (head of Jones Run). OGM’s are not owned, not available.

MTHDLM 123434 $259,900

GREAT STARTER HOME, SEASONAL CAMP or full time residence. Nicely remodeled with newer kitchen and bath, and frontage on Oswayo Creek for great fishing. 4-wheel or snowmobile from this property.

MTHDLM 120988 $62,900

Work Here! Live Here! Two lots zoned industrial with public sewer between Lawrenceville & Tioga just minutes from Rte 15 offers 3 BR 2 BA home with central air & several commercial buildings ready for your business.

Now Just $299,000 M122279

Great Commercial Location! Property features 2 newer commercial garage buildings on 2+ ac. 3,256 sq ft metal garage building built in 2012 features 3 O/H doors. Second building offers about 6000 sq ft with 3 O/H doors allowing drive through. Level lot that is mostly graveled. Also available for lease.

Only $499,900 M123367

PRICE REDUCED! Excellent Business Opportunity! Established restaurant, bar, & inn offers 2 dining rooms with seating for 100, separate bar area, & 6 rooms for rent with a possibility for several more.

Now Just $319,900 M122280

For Lease! Great location on Business Route 15 in Mansfield. Building was formerly used for a bank. Inside there is a lobby area and several offices. Building also has a drive through window. Outside the property features a paved parking lot.

Just $2,500/month M123383

EACH OFFICE INDEPENDENTLY OWNED & OPERATED

www.npennrealestate.com

All-Sys All-Sys SlickSlick #: #: Real estate MA3.625x2.25_CutDownonBills_013113 MA3.625x2.25_CutDownonBills_013113

Trying Trying to Cut to Cut Down Down on on Bills?

Bills?

to see to see howhow we can we can savesave youyou money! money!

True Blue Name Satellite Systems Retailer’s Retailer’s Name 699 Karr Valley Rd, Almond, NY (607) 276-2817 000-000-0000 000-000-0000 truebluesat.getdish.com

Restrictions Restrictions apply. Call apply. for Call Details. for Details.

107 Main Street Wellsboro, Pa. 16922

570-723-1600

Potter County, PA – 17 wooded acres that adjoin State Forest Lands!! Gently rolling, wooded, close to fishing streams and snowmobile trails, perfect for a hunting cabin!

Electric to land, surveyed with painted boundary lines, good road access. Keating Summit area. $72,900. Owner financing to qualified buyers. 800-668-8679.

www.wellsboroparealestate.com

Cherry Springs Rd., Galeton a camp or home done right! like new condition with central air, whole-house generator and a hot-tub. 2 bedrooms and a loft that makes a third. New deck around half of the house with two attached gazebo’s. Beautiful view down the valley. This is camp-life at its finest!

REF#10618 $175,000

Cameron County, PA – 6 acres with incredible stream frontage! Land is wooded, partly flat/part hillside, borders state forest, electric, perc approved, surveyed. 6 miles north of Emporium near the Sizerville State Park. $59,000. Owner financing to qualified buyers. 800-668-8679.

Cabins to Castles on Seneca “Your Real Estate Connection 317 N. Franklin Street to the Finger Lakes!”

Watkins Glen, NY 14891 Office: (607) 535-2586 Fax: (607) 535-7526

Hector, NY. Located on the East Seneca Montour Falls, NY. 1800’s Farmhome Lake Wine Trail making this a prime location for a Wine Trail Business or Restore as a Historic Home. 5 Bedrooms, 3 Bathrooms.

Beautiful Enclosed porch with stone fireplace and 3 additional fireplaces inside. 1 Car Garage. Situated on 2 acres. $75,000

features over 2200sq.ft. of living space. 4 Bedrooms, 2 Bathrooms. Pellet stoves in both the living room and kitchen. Original hardwoods and plank floors, outdoor smokehouse and basement bread oven! Enclosed porch and attached garage. Lovely 2.4acres. Call for a list of updates! $149,900

Watkins Glen, NY. Many updates to this large farmhome located just minutes to the Sugar Hill National Forest! 4 Bedrooms, 2 Bathrooms, Living Rm with pellet stove, Large Eat-In Kitchen, Upstairs Media Room. Deck overlooks 4.2Acres surrounded by woods and Pond for Ice Skating! $153,000

Burdett, NY. Your new farmette! 3 Bedroom, 1.5 Bathroom home with Sitting Area with Wood Stove, Dining Area with Fireplace.

Main home mechanics have been upgraded.

2.64 Acres features large 2 story barn with electric. Additional 2 Story Outbuiliding with workshop and potential for Apartment. Great Horse Property! $149,000

www.CabinstoCastlesRE.com

www.npennrealestate.com

Real estate

Open

MarketPlace

Shop Around the Corner

Headhunter’s Barber Shop 31 East Wellsboro Street Mansfield, PA 16933 (570) 662-2750 www.headhunterbarbershop.com

Headhunter’s Barber Shop: Hunting Down Every Bad Haircut

By Rebecca Hazen

Photos by Elizabeth Young

F

or men—and boys—a step into Headhunter’s Barber Shop at 31 East Wellsboro Street in Mansfield is like a step back in time.

From the end of the 1800s into the beginning of the 1900s, a barbershop was not only a place for a man to get a haircut and a shave, but also a place to socialize with friends and to discuss big topics: politics, hunting, women.

A finely groomed barber wearing a suit and tie would trim your hair while you chewed tobacco in your seat, with a spittoon nearby.

If you were a man with a respected job, you had your own shaving mug and razor ready for you on the barber’s rack.

While getting a shave, you may have even witnessed a minor surgery like a tooth removal.

The owner of Headhunter’s, Julio C. Santiago Jr., “JR,” takes pride in his profession, and goes to great lengths to preserve its history.

46

(From left to right) Rose Wilson, Mary Santiago and JR (Julio C. Santiago Jr.)

“My dad was a barber for forty years,” JR said. “I have always been in a barbershop since I was about seven years old, sweeping hair.”

For twenty-eight years, before opening up Headhunter’s in Mansfield in January of 2011, JR owned a barbershop in New Egypt, New Jersey.

“My family is from Sullivan County, Pennsylvania,” JR’s wife, Mary, said, “and Julio has come up to this area to hunt a lot, so we are familiar with the area. We bought a home up here in 2006, and we made the permanent move up here in 2010.”

“We moved here to semi-retire and saw that there was a need for a barbershop in the community,” JR explained. “I went back to work fulltime, and here we are.”

Interestingly enough, the little building next to the First Presbyterian Church in Mansfield used to be Stroup’s Barbershop back in the 1930s.

“Ironically, it came full circle,” JR

said.

“The First Presbyterian Church owns this building, and there were no storefronts available when we decided to open this business. They went out on a limb for us because no one knew us.

They trusted us,” Mary said.

The church building was vacant, and it was one month away from being torn down, so JR and Mary came at the right time.

“We told the church that we would take care of the renovations, if they would take a chance on us. We now rent from them. They are wonderful to us,” Mary said.

It may be a tiny building, but it holds a lot of laughter and good conversation, just like the old days.

“Barbering is like a thing of the past. We are like dinosaurs. It is a shame to say, but it is true,” JR said.

“There wasn’t a barbershop in this town for a long time,” Mary said. “It was a welcomed business for the people.

MARKETPLACE

He has cut some people’s hair, and they have said that they were never in a barbershop before.”

The photos of old barbershops on the walls at Headhunter’s are peopled with barbers in suits cutting men’s hair.

“It was a profession you took pride in,” JR said. “My dad went to work in a three-piece suit. This community wasn’t used to seeing that. I think I threw them for a loop when I first opened up because they were wondering what was up with my outfit.”

But it didn’t take long to get used to JR’s vest and matching bow tie, and the customers started pouring in. And other things mirrored the barbershops of a century ago.

“It was a service that was much needed here. It is a place where men and boys can come in and feel comfortable to talk about women, hunting, and fishing,” Mary said. “They are coming as far as Elmira, New York, to get their hair cut here. One person came here this week all the way from Towanda, too.”

Ryan Allen, who was getting his hair cut by JR during this interview, interjected, “Yeah, before I started coming to you, there wasn’t really anywhere to go.”

In fact, business is so good that JR hired Rose Wilson, a barber who had her own barbershop in Philadelphia.

Like JR, Rose also has barbering in her family.

Scott Walker, 570-295-1083

�on�� �e� �o�r dream� go �o�d . . . �e�ig� ��e �ife����e �o���e been dreaming of.

See Head Hunters on page 48 230 Market Street Lewisburg, PA 17837 570.524.2300

www.ralad.com

We offer residential home design based on your specifications.

Contact us for a FREE consultation & discover how we can make your dream home a reality.

Homage to the past: A collection of shaving mugs adorns the wall at Headhunter’s.

47

Wellsboro

wellsboropa.com 570-724-1926 Headhunter’s continued from page 47

“My grandfather came from Naples, Italy, and he cut hair,” Rose said.

One of the things that distinguishes a barbershop from a hair salon is that barbers are still allowed to use straight razors for shaving.

“A haircut without a neck shave is like hanging a picture on the wall without a frame,” JR said.

A wooden display cabinet filled with shaving mugs sports labels like “Policeman,” “Teacher,” and “Doctor.”

“Back in the old days, everyone had a shaving mug.

Everyone would get a shave on Saturdays; no hair cutting was done on that day. If you were someone of notoriety, you had your own razor and mug. If I became their barber, their mug and razor would be displayed in my rack,” JR explained.

Mary added, “The more obscure the profession, the more valuable they are. There is one up there that is a lamp lighter. That one is precious.”

Underneath the chairs, customers will still find tobacco spittoons.

“Every barbershop had spittoons back in the day. No one spits in them now! You would actually hand little ones to a customer while they were chewing in the chair,” JR said.

A plate also adorns the wall, but it’s not your average dinner plate. This plate has a cutout that fits under a person’s chin.

“Back in the day, barbers were like doctors. They would bleed you; they would use leeches,” JR said. “The plate was held underneath your throat to catch any dripping blood.”

Outside of Headhunter’s, the symbolic pole spins around: red, white, and blue. But it wasn’t always like that.

“Originally the barber pole was only red and white. The history behind that was if surgery was being performed in a barbershop, the bloody bandages would be hung outside and the wind would blow them around,” JR said.

The red and white spiral pattern that the bandages created would eventually be used for a design on the now well-known barber poles.

“It wasn’t until the 1900s when they weren’t allowed to do minor surgery or tooth extractions anymore, that they added the color blue to make it more of a patriotic symbol,” JR said.

Hints of JR and Mary’s hobbies—photos of the two of them hunting—line the walls of the shop.

“We are both hunters, hence the name Headhunter’s,” Mary said.

All of the wooden cabinets in the shop were built by JR. “I like woodworking, hunting, turkey hunting, so I was able to bring it all together into the shop. In the antique pictures I have, there are deer heads hanging on the walls there, too,” JR said. “It works with the demographics here.

A lot of men have the same hobbies.

“The feedback has been extremely positive. Men needed a place that they could call home aside from a beauty salon atmosphere,” JR said. “We are thankful for everyone that walks through our door.”

48

Mountain Home

Beneath The Veil, The Realm of Faery Awaits

Shopping

Mind…Body…Spirit An Enchanting Gift Shoppe Est. 2000 6 East Avenue Wellsboro, PA (570) 724-1155 www.enchanted-hollow.com

Lodging

5610 St Rt 414 Hector, NY 14841

Games

Imagination

Fun

Sporting Goods

Professional Services

Service Directory

Fun Gifts for all ages!

Check out our facebook page for events.

2 East Avenue Wellsboro,PA 16901

570-723-4263

49

B a c k o f t h e M o u n ta i n

Wisteria, Winter

By Sarah Wagaman

Ice crystals clutch withered seeds on a cold morning before the sun threatens to melt their carefully formed geometry.

50

LET’S hEaT our ciTiES wiTh cLEanEr EnErgy.

How can we help keep people warm while reducing emissions? Natural gas could be one of the answers. When used to create electricity, it is the cleanest-burning of all the fossil fuels.

What’s more there is plenty of it, there could be enough to last for the next 250 years.

Shell is helping to deliver this gas to more countries than any other energy company.

Let’s power our future with gas. www.shell.com/letsgo

LET’S go.

THE BEST JUST GOT BETTER. Soldiers + Sailors Physical Therapy in Wellsboro has moved to a new location, now offering aquatic therapy.

Physical & Aquatic Therapy A service of Soldiers + Sailors Memorial Hospital

Soldiers + Sailors Memorial Hospital, now part of Susquehanna Health, is excited to offer aquatic therapy services at a new center on Route 6 in Wellsboro. Physical therapy formerly offered at our Water Street location is now provided at the new center. The same excellent therapy team, the same caring attitude, now with more space, more equipment and a warm-water aquatic therapy pool.

Aquatic therapy utilizes buoyancy, fluid resistance and hydrostatic pressure to relieve pain, improve mobility and help develop strength and balance. Patients with balance or coordination problems, or sore backs and joints, will find the pool to be a very effective and comfortable alternative to land-based therapy.

The new facility is located at 11893 Route 6, Wellsboro (just east of Weis market).

Susquehanna Health Physical & Aquatic Therapy of Soldiers + Sailors Memorial Hospital provides a wide variety of high quality therapy and rehabilitation services. To learn more, call (570) 723-0675 or visit Laurelhs.org