November 2013

The Heart of the House

By Cindy Davis Meixel

EwEind Fs R the

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Chili Chocolate Challenge Schedule! p. 20 Car 27 Honors Our Veterans Holiday Cookbook & Wine Guides

After a founder’s death, the heart does go on at the historic Peter Herdic House restaurant

NOVEMBER 2013

Now Open

THE NEW GUTHRIE TROY COMMUNITY HOSPITAL

For more information visit www.TroyHospital.org

275 Guthrie Drive Troy, PA 16974

Volume 8 Issue 11

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The Heart of the House

Buon Natale

By Cindy Davis Meixel

By Cindy Davis Meixel After a founder’s death, the heart does go on at the historic Peter Herdic House restaurant.

Williamsport’s mansions open for the 15th Annual Victorian Christmas, Italian-style.

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Looking Back

By Joyce M. Tice

8 A Moving Billboard

The past is prologue to the present.

By Ron Hoyt & Dave Muffley

With each lap, car #27 honors our veterans.

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The Lunker

By Fred Metarko

This lunker don’t hunt: and he’ll tell you why.

25 It’s Only Natural

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By Gayle Morrow Shady Grove Natural Market succeeds Nature’s Valley.

Finger Lakes Wine Review

By Holly Howell

Making a list: our critic’s nice guide to the holidays.

Photos (top) by Cindy Davis Meixel, (middle, bottom)

by Elizabeth Young

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The French Connection

By Cornelius O’Donell

w w w. m o u n ta i n h o m e m ag . co m

A journey through the pages of tasty food reads past and present.

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Back of the Mountain

Our Finest Mountain Home Readers: A note—and a photo— from our folks in harm’s way.

EDITORS & PUBLISHERS Teresa Banik Capuzzo Michael Capuzzo ASSOCIATE PUBLISHERS George Bochetto, Esq. Dawn Bilder DESIGN & PHOTOGRAPHY Elizabeth Young, Editor COVER ARTIST Tucker Worthington CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Angela Cannon-Crothers, Patricia Brown Davis, Jen Reed-Evans, Alison Fromme, Holly Howell, Roger Kingsley, Adam Mahonske, Cindy Davis Meixel, Fred Metarko, Dave Milano, Gayle Morrow, Tom Murphy, Cornelius O’Donnell, Roger Neumann, Gregg Rinkus, Linda Roller, Kathleen Thompson, Joyce M. Tice, Brad Wilson CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Mia Lisa Anderson, Bill Crowell, Bruce Dart, Ann Kamzelski, Ken Meyer, Tina Tolins, Sarah Wagaman, Curt Weinhold SENIOR SALES REPRESENTATIVE Brian Earle SALES REPRESENTATIVES David Grasso Linda Roller Jae Zugarek BEAGLE

AND

ASSISTANT TO Cosmo & Yogi

THE

BEAGLE

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

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

To advertise or subscribe e-mail info@mountainhomemag.com.

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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. Or get Mountain Home at home.

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

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DOINGS ‘ROUND THE MOUNTAIN

D OINGS ’R OUND

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M OUN TAIN

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Penn Wells Brunch: Martha Geisinger 62 Main Street Wellsboro, PA www.pennwells.com Blind Harvest Dinner through November 4 205 Hoffman Street Elmira, NY www.charliescafeelmira.com

Holiday Open House Downtown Lockhaven, PA www.lockhaven.org

Drake House Studio Theater: Sparky and Rhonda Rucker 155 Cedar Street Corning, NY www.valleyfolk.org Deane Center for the Performing Arts: Country Western Jamboree through November 21 104 Main Street Wellsboro, PA www.deanecenter.com

West End Gallery, 11/29

DOINGS ‘ROUND THE MOUNTAIN

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Bonnie Gustin Photography

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

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Ithaca International Film Festival through November 17 120 East Green Street Ithaca, NY www.ithacafilmfestival.com

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Rockwell Museum of Western Art: Annual Founders Day 111 Cedar Street Corning, NY www.rockwellmuseum.org

Keuka Holidays through November 10 Keuka Wine Trail Hammondsport, NY www.keukawinetrail.com

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Chili Chocolate Challenge through November 11 Market Street Corning, NY www.gafferdistrict.com

Keuka Holidays, 11/9-11/10

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Wellsboro Community Concert Association: Blues Brothers Revue 225 Nichols Street Wellsboro, PA www.wellsborocca.org

SATURDAY

Goodies for our Troops Packaging 87 Main Street, Wellsboro, PA Through to November 17 (570) 662-5601 Orchestra of the Southern FInger Lakes: Max Buckholtz 111 Cedar Street Corning, NY www.rockwellmuseum.com

Chili Chocolate Challenge through November 11 Market Street Corning, NY www.gafferdistrict.com

Corning Museum of Glass: Bead It! Family Program 1 Museum Way Corning, NY www.cmog.org

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Seneca Lake Wine Trail: Deck the Halls Weekend through November 24 participating, member wineries Seneca Lake www.senecalakewine.com Victorian Christmas through November 24 Historic Disctrict Williamsport, PA www.preservationwilliamsport.org

Matthew Burroughs

Community Arts Center: Jerry Seinfeld 220 West 4th Street Williamsport, PA www.calive.com

Parade of Lights, 11/23

Christmas Open House through December 1 759 Tabernacle Road LaRaysville, NY www.hearthstonegarden.com West End Gallery: Director’s Choice Reception 12 West Market Street Corning, NY www.westendgallery.net

Parade of Lights Market Street Corning, NY www.gafferdistrict.com Blossburg Small Town Christmas Main Street Blossburg, PA www.blossburg.org

Terry Wild

Liz Miele and cousin Dante Elion, the next generation of the Peter Herdic House restaurant, with Liz’s mother Gloria Miele in front of the restaurant Gloria opened twenty-nine years ago with her sister (and Dante’s mom), the late Marcia Miele Elion.

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Tofhe h earT The house After a founder’s death, the heart does go on at the historic Peter Herdic House restaurant

By Cindy Davis Meixel

T

his grand Italianate manor may have been built by one of our country’s first millionaires one hundred and sixty years ago, but two contemporary Italian sisters have breathed the rich, sweet life (la dolce vita) into it for nearly thirty years.

Gloria and Marcia Miele opened the Peter Herdic House on November 5, 1984, along Williamsport’s famed “Millionaires’ Row.” It was the culmination of many people’s efforts to refurbish the historical gem and the launch of a restoration renaissance that continues today in the historic district just west of the city’s downtown.

Built in 1854 by lumber baron Peter Herdic, the Italian-style villa was the talk of the town when Williamsport was the “Millionaires’ Capital of the World,” boasting more millionaires per capita (18 of 19,000 citizens) than anywhere else due to the legendary lumber boom of the late 1800s.

Now home to the oldest fine dining establishment

in the city, Herdic’s house is the toast of the town, sparkling with champagne and conversation, and holding a top spot on the list of go-to places for special events. In addition to those seeking celebration, many celebs have crossed the Herdic House threshold, from Henry Kissinger to Jethro Tull band members.

Comedienne Tina Fey even gave a toast to the restaurant in her best-selling memoir, Bossypants, praising the place for its role in her family’s 2008 Christmas celebration and noting the setting to be “cozy and twinkly and Christmassy.”

For sure, the Mieles are a family that makes celebrations, particularly the holidays, special for other families. What happens, then, when they lose one of their own—and just before the start of the holiday season? Like seasoned actors who believe the show must go on, the Mieles hold fast to the premise that the party must go on, and that life should be savored and celebrated.

See Heart of the House on page 10

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Heart of the House continued from page 9

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Loss of a Luminary Last November, a light went out.

Marcia died on November 13, 2012, following a seven-month battle with brain cancer. She was fifty-eight.

Many in Williamsport agonized over the loss of one of their community’s most brilliant luminaries. In addition to her prominent role in the hospitality and culinary scene, Marcia was active in protecting and promoting the city’s architectural heritage. She was a founder of Preservation Williamsport and served, for nearly thirty years, on the city’s Historic Architectural Review Board. Her community outreach was complemented by her personal roles as mother, wife, daughter, sister, friend.

Yet, Marcia, the consummate entertainer, would continue to make sure everyone else was having a good time. Her obituary read: “A passionate lover of food, wine and a well-set table, Marcia will be missed by her many friends for her candid, sympathetic conversation and for her champagne-fueled Christmas Eve parties.

Those who remembered the party the next morning, remembered Marcia, dressed in red and laughing effortlessly—the quintessential hostess. We’ll all remember what made such good times possible and outrageous and fun. It was Marcia’s elegant style, deft humor and contagious goodwill. Her only regrets were that the party ended so soon and that she hadn’t been drinking nicer wine.�

Marcia had invited those attending her memorial service to wear her signature color, red. On Thanksgiving Eve 2012, hundreds of red-wearing revelers poured onto the lawn of the historic home that she shared with her husband, Bob Elion, and their son, Dante, to honor their lost luminary. A post-memorial reception was held at the Herdic House, located just one block from the Miele-Elion residence.

Tears, laughter, stories, and, of course, champagne flowed. “I would have to say it was one of the better parties my family has thrown,� said Dante, age eighteen. “It was exactly what she would have wanted and it couldn’t See Heart of the House on page 12

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have turned out better. It was entirely a celebration.�

And, then, the family faced the holidays and the business of extending holiday hospitality to others. “It’s just what we do,� says Gloria, when asked how the family managed to make it through the next six weeks of intense engagement. “The loss is devastating, but there’s no way to bring her back, so keeping busy is very important.�

Gl o r i a’s d a u g h t e r, L i z , t h e restaurant’s executive chef, adds, “When you lose someone, you need something to take your mind off what you’ve lost, and the fact that she’s not here just means there’s more work for everyone else to do. You have to get to work. You have to get things done.

Not that you want to keep your mind off the loss, because, we can’t and we don’t—she’s everywhere. There are constant reminders ten to fifteen times a day from using her recipes to finding something downstairs in the basement in her handwriting. We’re surrounded by memories of Marcia.�

Dante, who stepped up from bussing and waiting tables to bartending this past summer before heading off to college this fall, also sees the restaurant as a haven from the mourning and, at the same time, a source of solace. “The restaurant helped us focus on things other than Mom’s death,� he says. “It wasn’t an avoidance, but a way to keep looking at the positive things.

She really put herself into not only the

business, but her house, so it’s extremely comforting being surrounded by it all.

She’s still there in that sense.�

Gloria says the Herdic House’s hectic holiday season was made easier by not only an outpouring of community support, but by the temporary return of her son, Cutter, a writer who lives in Brooklyn. Cutter rolled up his sleeves and helped his mother and sister with myriad business details to lighten their physical and emotional load. He also had a plan up his sleeve, assisted by Liz and Dante, to revive the family’s Christmas Eve party—the spirited tradition hosted by Marcia for nearly thirty years and attended by approximately one hundred guests. “I didn’t think Marcia’s Christmas Eve party would happen,� Gloria remarks, “but the kids conspired to make it happen. It turned into an engagement party, with Cutter asking his girlfriend to marry him. It was a wonderful celebration.�

The art of celebration has definitely adorned the center of the Miele family table—for generations now. “My whole life, the primary focus of my family has been celebration,� offers Dante. “It’s wonderful to grow up with that being an objective. Working in this business teaches you how to enjoy life. You’re helping others enjoy and you end up enjoying yourself in the process.� “One thing about my family, and Marcia in particular, is a strong belief in a good party,� Liz adds. “We like to See Heart of the House on page 14

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Photo courtesy of the Miele family

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The Miele family, with Marcia standing at left, is among those featured in the 600-foot mural, “Inspiration Lycoming County,” on a wall of the Bullfrog Brewery in downtown Williamsport. Following Marcia’s death, the family asked artist Michael Pilato to repaint her sweater in her signature color, red.

Heart of the House continued from page 12

make certain people are having a good time. Some people believe in social responsibility while others take up different mantras, but my Mom and Marcia were believers in the philosophy that you should be able to have a good time in the company of others.”

In addition to inheriting her mother and aunt’s zest for life, Liz is proud to have inherited Marcia’s decadent dressup wardrobe. “I’ve taken over Marcia’s more flamboyant clothing,” she laughs, noting her family loves a party and they also love to dress the part.

This was evident, most recently, at a Gatsby-themed fundraiser for Preservation Williamsport, held on the MieleElion lawn, catered by the Herdic House and attended by two hundred partygoers decked out in Roaring Twenties attire.

Fresh off his Gatsby gig, performing tunes with Terry Wild and the Gatsby Boys, Wild, a longtime Miele family photographer and Herdic House musician, says, “They are extremely sociable people with hundreds and hundreds of See Heart of the House on page 18

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

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

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Constance Phillips

Buon Natale Williamsport’s mansions open for the 15th Annual Victorian Christmas, Italian-style

By Cindy Davis Meixel

G

ood spirits and ideas regularly flow across a bar—and that was the case when three wine-sipping celebrants envisioned the idea of Victorian Christmas in Williamsport.

Gathered at the bar at the Peter Herdic House on the city’s fabled Millionaires’ Row, restaurant co-owner Gloria Miele, along with historic preservation pals Nan Young and Edward “Ted” Lyon Jr., cobbled together a small tour of nearby homes.

“We decided to have a little candlelight tour,” recalls Young.

“We did it all ourselves and had a few houses, dragging our friends in to guide . We had a carol sing in the lawn of Park Place and lit a tree on Friday evening. It was grand. We gathered our money from the tickets in our muffs and went to the Herdic House to rejoice. We put the money out to count and toasted each other, we were so pleased.”

Now an even grander event, the 15th Annual Victorian Christmas, is set for Friday through Sunday, November 22-24.

This year’s theme is Buon Natale—an Italian Christmas.

On Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., tours are planned of Victorian homes, historic churches, and public buildings along West Fourth Street, Little Italy, Vallamont, and Newberry—all sections of the greater Williamsport area. With nine private 16

homes, six churches, and four public buildings on the tour roster, nineteen facilities will be open for viewing. Homes will be festively decorated, featuring fresh floral arrangements designed by local florists, live instrumental music, and guides dressed in period attire.

Victorian Christmas tour tickets are $15, with children and students admitted free. Trolley shuttle rides will be offered as part of the tour. Carriage rides are also available from 12:30 to 4:30 p.m. for a cost of $10 per adults and $5 for children.

Saturday’s soiree will also feature “Food on Fourth,” with various churches and restaurants along West Fourth Street offering breakfast, baked goods, Italian lunches, and Victorian tea from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The schedule of events for the weekend also includes the popular Downtown Holiday Parade, stepping off at 6 p.m., on Friday; the Duboistown Garden Club’s 50th Annual Holiday House at Lycoming College, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday, with Sunday hours 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; and the 23rd Annual Will Huffman Toy Train Expo, at Park Place, 800 W. Fourth St., 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday and noon to 4 p.m., Sunday.

Victorian Christmas tickets can be purchased at any mansion on the tour or at a variety of city locales, including the Lycoming County Visitors Bureau, the Genetti Hotel, Community Arts Center, or the Peter Herdic Transportation Museum. All proceeds benefit Preservation Williamsport.

More information is available at www.facebook. com/VictorianChristmasWilliamsport and www. preservationwilliamsport.org.

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From the Recipes of Daisy Miele:

Pumpkin Bourbon Cheesecake

Gloria (left) and Marcia in The Sunday Grit soon after opening the Peter Herdic House in 1984. (Below) Marcia (left) and Gloria living their dream.

Photos courtesy of the Miele family

For Crust 10 oz. walnuts ¼ cup granulated sugar ½ stick (¼ cup) unsalted butter, melted and cooled For Filling 1-½ cups squash or pumpkin puree 3 large eggs ½ cup packed light brown sugar 2 Tbsp. heavy cream 1 tsp. vanilla 1 Tbsp. bourbon liqueur or bourbon (optional) ½ cup granulated sugar 1 Tbsp. cornstarch 1 ½ tsp. cinnamon ½ tsp. freshly grated nutmeg ½ tsp. ground ginger dash powdered cloves ½ tsp. salt 1-½ lbs. cream cheese, at room temperature For Topping 2 cups sour cream (20 oz.)

2 Tbsp. granulated sugar 1 Tbsp. bourbon liqueur or bourbon (optional) Make crust: Preheat oven to 350°F and place oven rack in middle of oven. Invert bottom of a 9-inch springform pan (to create a flat bottom, which will make it easier to remove cake from pan), then lock on side and butter pan.

Pulse nuts and sugar in a food processor until well chopped, then drizzle in butter and pulse to combine. Press nut mixture into springform pan base and bake until gently browned.

Make filling and bake cheesecake: Lower oven heat to 300°F. Whisk together pumpkin, eggs, brown sugar, cream, vanilla, and liqueur (if using) in a bowl until combined.

Stir together granulated sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and salt in large bowl.

Add cream cheese and beat with an electric mixer at high speed until creamy and smooth, about 3 minutes. Reduce speed to medium, then add pumpkin mixture and beat until smooth.

Pour filling into crust, smoothing top, then put springform pan in a shallow baking pan (in case springform leaks). Place a pan of hot water on bottom rack of oven. Bake cheesecake until center is just set, 60-80 minutes. Transfer to rack and cool 5 minutes.

Make Topping: Whisk together sour cream, sugar, and liqueur (if using) in a bowl, then spread on top of cheesecake.

Cool cheesecake completely in pan on rack, about 3 hours. Chill, covered, until cold, at least 4 hours. Remove side of pan and bring to room temperature before serving.

Heart of the House continued from page 14

friends and they are so so generous in extending parties and special events to their friends. They’ve made remarkable contributions to Williamsport and its historical restoration. It’s been their life—and it’s been the love of their life.”

Liz says that creating community—stirring the past into the present—is certainly a cornerstone of family endeavors.

“For decades in Williamsport, with the work of the restaurant and the focus on historical preservation, it’s all geared toward our present community, but with consideration for our past community and the gifts that have been left to us from the past,” she says. “I don’t know if you could find a family more dedicated to the absolute joy of community than my family.”

Passing the Mantle Linked to the past and luxuriating in the present, the Mieles are eyeing the future. Gloria is turning over her half of the business to her daughter. She still plans to dabble in the restaurant’s administration, but is looking forward to spending more time with her husband, Jim, on his family’s two hundred-year-old Muncy homestead.

Dante is now their business partner, but he is off enjoying his freshman year at the University of Pennsylvania, considering See Heart of the House on page 28

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Ken Meyer

Looking Back

Tom Robbins (left) & Bill Chamberlain.

The Past is Prologue to the Present

By Joyce M. Tice

O

ur decisions and actions flow like water in the river of time.

It was a dry and dusty day when Ira Mudge and his wife Asenath Chrissey, called Sena, trudged up the waterless Corey Creek bed from the area later known as Mansfield to higher ground in the wilderness of Tioga County, Pennsylvania. Rocky as the creek bed was, it was still easier traveling than struggling through the narrow trails in the surrounding brush and forest along the shore. It was 1806, and the newly formed county was only two years old.

They were heading to its far eastern edge.

Ira and Sena had traveled south from Unadilla, New York, on the expectation of good farmland in newly opened areas in Northern Pennsylvania. Ira was twenty-nine years old, born in the year of the new nation’s formation, and Sena was thirty when they headed into unknown territory. They followed the Susquehanna River from Unadilla, all the way through the settlement that would become Binghamton, to Tioga Point. We don’t know their exact route. Did they follow the Chemung River west from there and then south into Pennsylvania at Lawrenceville and the Tioga River to the area later known as Mansfield? Or did they cut across on land trails?

Even Asa Mann, who is credited with leaving his name in the later borough of Mansfield, had only been in the area for two years and had probably cleared no more than part of an acre of land. It’s likely that they met and talked to Asa Mann and his family as they made the final leg of their long journey. Ira and Sena settled just west of the farmstead of Asa Mann’s sister,

Anna Mann, and her husband, Sam Reynolds, in the area now known as State Road in Sullivan Township. In 1810, the first census in which Tioga County had a separate identity, there were fewer than 1,700 people in the entire county.

Conversation and news were welcome.

Sena and Ira brought with them everything they owned on an ox-drawn wagon. They may have had a plow, a saw, some carpentry tools, food for the journey, one or two cooking pots, and some seeds to start farming. They’d been married five years. Eldest son Cornish, named for his grandmother Mary Cornish, was three years old. Calista was two years old, and baby Aurilla was born only weeks before the journey began.

Travel was slow.

Lumber was plentiful, but sawmills were few and distant. They put up a crude log cabin near a spring and started clearing land for farming. On the average, small homesteads could clear one acre per year for tilling. They probably had a cow for milk, maybe a pig, and some chickens.

The oxen pulled the plow and hauled off felled timber, which was burned for fuel or just to get it out of the way.

Sena gave birth to five more children: Sena in 1808, Ira in 1809, Hannah in 1811, Israel in 1813, and Amos, the youngest, in 1815. And then, on the 25th day of July 1819, she died. She was buried in what is now the State Road Cemetery. Except for a neighbor’s child buried earlier, she was the first to be interred in that now-large cemetery. Ira was buried next to her in 1822. They were forty-four and forty-six years old at the time of their deaths and left eight children aged seven to eighteen to carry

on in the barely tamed wilderness.

In the first Sullivan Township election after formation in 1819, Ira was elected supervisor with twentyeight votes. Considering that only men voted at the time, this gives us an idea of the population. There were forty (all male) taxpayers at township formation, so either twelve did not vote or did not vote for Ira. William Luddington was also elected supervisor at the same time with thirty-two votes.

Although their lives here were brief, the impact of their migration extends to the present. Two centuries later, in 2013, Tom Robbins, a fourth great grandson of Ira and Sena, is a supervisor in Sullivan Township. The author of this article, Joyce M. Tice, a third great granddaughter, is Sullivan Township auditor. Both are on the township planning commission. Bill Chamberlain, a third great grandson, is also on the planning commission.

William Luddington, the other first supervisor, left his mark, too. Gayle Morrow, a Mountain Home columnist, and her sister, Linda, who is a rural mail carrier in Sullivan Township, are among his local descendants.

Aurelia and Israel eventually ended up in Iowa, but the other Mudge children remained in the area and have hundreds or even thousands of descendants living in Tioga and surrounding counties in the present day.

Joyce M. Tice is the creator of the TriCounties Genealogy and History Web site (www.joycetice.com/jmtindex.htm) and the new History Center.

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OUTDOORS

The Lunker

This Lunker Don’t Hunt

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By Fred Metarko

he weather is making a change to the cooler side, which causes some sportsmen to ask the question, “Do I fish or hunt?”

They hate to give up fishing; this is the time the fish feed up for the long cold winter months ahead, and the big ones are hungry. This could be their best chance to catch that elusive lunker they looked for all year. But it’s also time for archery season and most have their guns sighted in for the big game season.

Game should be plentiful; I know from first hand experiences. The deer have been feeding up on our flowers, apple trees, apples, and shrubbery throughout the year. We had to retire the bird feeders after the bears claimed three of them and hauled them off into the woods. The squirrels beat us to the hickory nuts and walnuts. So we know they are all well fed and ready for the table.

When the weather turns so cold, requiring multi-layering of high tech clothing, gloves, heated socks, and face masks, I have second thoughts about being out there running down the lake to that hot spot. When ice forms in the line guides on the fishing rod, the docks have a thin sheet of ice on them, and the water is starting to get hard, I know it’s time for me to hang it up. For others it’s time to compete in the “Iron Man” tournaments, and they will be out there until they can’t get their boats in the water. Some will take advantage of both by hunting in the morning and fishing in the afternoon.

Years ago I hunted and looked forward to the hunt. But, after a few bad experiences in the field, I didn’t continue to hunt. I value my life.

One time, while deer hunting in an area near Galeton, I was positioned at the edge of the woods overlooking a large field. A deer came through the trees headed to the field. I had a clear shot and took it; the deer faltered and entered the field.

I heard a barrage of gunfire as I approached the fallen deer.

From three orange jackets, in a broken-down foundation and with guns aimed at me, I was warned, “Don’t go near our deer. We’ll shoot!” It was a no-brainer: they were nuts.

I hightailed it out of there.

Another time, while sitting on watch near Antrim, the bullets rattled through the trees just above my head. I hit the ground, yelled out, laid low for a while, and then got out of there.

After these experiences I figured that getting hit in the head with spinner bait, sitting on a lure, running a hook in the finger, or falling into the lake is not as final as a bullet in the head, or getting shot by some nuts that would do anything for a deer.

I’ll spend the cold time getting ready for the next warm period. Although, it would be nice to be out there: if the areas I’ve hunted weren’t posted or had a new house on them—and the nuts stayed home.

Fred Metarko, The Lunker, is a member of the Tioga County Bass Anglers (www.tiogacountybassanglers. com).

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OUTDOORS

23

THE SANTA EXPRESS

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Elizabeth Young

L I F E

Jerry Austin and grandson Ryan, with #27.

A Moving Billboard

With each lap, car #27 honors our veterans

By Ron Hoyt and Dave Muffley

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ellsboro’s Jerry Austin has been a stock car racing fan his whole life. As a boy, he felt excitement and pride that his father was a stock car driver, and his fondest childhood memories are of watching him on the racetrack, driving car #27.

When Jerry became a young man himself, his dreams of stock car racing were driven out by the stark reality of serving with the 25th Infantry Division in Vietnam. Returning home from the war, Jerry got busy working for a living, raising a family, maintaining a home, and meeting his responsibilities. Like most of his fellow veterans, his youthful dreams of what he had wanted to do with his life no longer seemed to matter.

Although Jerry remained a fan of stock car racing, he enjoyed the sport only

as a spectator; the idea of competing had long since faded away. Today Jerry, sixty-four, presents as a remarkably calm man of slight stature whose only real recreation has been riding off on his ATV to spend some quiet time alone.

That is, until about a year and a half ago, when Jerry’s teenage grandson, Ryan Austin, did something to reenergize Jerry’s youthful dream. Young Ryan also loved watching the races and could detect the faint throb of thrill still idling beneath Grampa Jerry’s stories.

Ryan decided to rev up his Grampa’s dream. He saved up a bit of his own money and bought a cheap, small car suitable to be stripped, strengthened, and modified into a front-wheeldrive class stock car for the Woodhull Raceway in nearby Woodhull, New

York, and gave it to his Grampa.

Jerry decided to try to live up to his grandson’s encouragement, his own secret thrill, and his father’s proud example. He discussed the idea with his family, his weekly group meeting of fellow disabled Vietnam veterans, and other competitors in this relatively low-cost and least demanding, entrylevel class of stock car racing. He didn’t expect to start out winning races; he simply hoped to have a bit of affordable and somewhat safe fun while trying to realize his long-buried dream.

During the 2012 racing season, Jerry worked on the car until it complied with safety requirements and class restrictions, got a trailer, and hauled the car to the track in Woodhull. Finally, he was living the thrill: he was out on See Moving Billboard on page 26

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the track racing in car #27, just like his dad. Emblazoned on the hood of his car was a large POW/MIA decal, a reverent remembrance of his fellow veterans who never got to come home.

Over the winter, Jerry got a more competitive race car and chose for it a paint scheme to accentuate his trademark POW/MIA symbol. He added lettering on the rear of the car to welcome home veterans returning from combat.

In the spring, Woodhull Raceway was invited to display their race cars in the Arnot Mall. Most of the other race cars on display were more impressive cutting-edge racing machines. But Jerry’s car with the big POW/MIA symbol seemed to command the most attention. To each who asked, Jerry explained that his race car was a moving billboard to remind race spectators to honor our veterans, past and present, and serving as an example for disabled veterans of the Vietnam and the current Iraq/Afghanistan conflict eras to do all that they can to realize their own life dreams in spite of their disabilities and limitations.

Jerry started off this year’s season with a few impressive showings in qualifying heat races, each week improving his lap times. But while gaining in competence and confidence, Jerry was also mixing it up a bit, suffering quite a number of hard knocks from other cars—and with the wall. The car required minor repairs, but Jerry was taking some painful beatings. Finally, his doctor told him it was time to give his back a rest and sit out the rest of the racing season.

Jerry felt torn between his own desire to race, his real concern to avoid doing any more harm to his back, and his sense of duty to keep his billboard moving. But the solution was close at hand. He approached his grandson Ryan, now nineteen and with some motocross racing experience, and asked if he would be the driver of the #27 POW/MIA racing car. Ryan eagerly accepted. With Ryan behind the wheel and Jerry as crew chief, they had a few rough starts at first. But as the season continued the Austin racing team enjoyed a couple of qualifying heat wins.

Then, in August, the Austin racing team achieved the ultimate goal: Ryan piloted Grampa Jerry’s black and white #27 veterans-honoring race car into the victory circle, after winning not only his qualifying heat, but also the class’s feature race.

Jerry couldn’t have been more excited and proud as the crowd heard the announcer’s interview with Ryan after the race. Asked if there was anyone he wished to thank for making his feature event win possible, Ryan included, along with Grampa Jerry and his family and friends, all of our veterans from past and present conflicts, both missing and returned home.

First-time Mountain Home contributors Ron Hoyt and Dave Muffley are fellow combat veterans and friends of Jerry Austin.

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Heart of the House continued from page 18

all of his career options.

That leaves Liz at the helm, designing the restaurant’s future with a keen connection to the past.

It helps that her grandmother, Daisy, arrives every morning to prepare desserts. Gloria and Marcia’s ninetyfour-year-old mother is the talented baker in the family.

Among Liz’s earliest childhood memories are recollections of sitting at Daisy’s kitchen table, eating cream cheese while her grandmother made cheesecakes for Gloria and Marcia’s first Williamsport restaurant, Court & Willow Café, which they operated from 1977 to 1993.

Growing up in the family businesses, Liz acquired her culinary skills intuitively as well as culturally. After earning a degree in Italian Studies from Brown University (also Marcia’s alma mater), she worked four autumn seasons in Italy as a bike tour guide for Butterfield & Robinson, a luxury adventure tour company. Eight years ago, she returned home to work full-time as executive chef.

When asked what her favorite dish is to cook, she says, “It all depends on the season. Right now, I’m looking forward to cooking roasted pork loin with dried plums in a cognac reduction, and I also love to make homemade applesauce and sauerkraut. But, if you ask me in spring, I’ll probably say something with asparagus.”

Liz is steering the restaurant to increasingly more local and organic foods. Staying true to her resident roots, she helped found the Williamsport Community Garden Project seven years ago and dedicates herself to walking nearly everywhere she goes; from her historic home near the restaurant and its next-door Peter Herdic Inn bed and breakfast establishment to downtown businesses, she prefers to stay connected to her community by walking its sidewalks and staying engaged with her neighbors and fellow merchants. She also happens to be a member of the Williamsport City Council. At age thirty-four, she’s the youngest member and the only democrat. Having completed a four-year term, she is seeking re-election this month.

“Williamsport is a community with lots of history— many successes, many battles lost and won—both literally and figuratively. Whenever I’m frustrated by the challenges of some area of my life, living and working in these historic homes calms me down,” Liz says, adding that she gathers reassurance from the past when present-day worries preside.

“So many wild things have happened in this city before we got here, and we’ve survived so far. So I take a deep breath and remind myself that sometimes we just have to do the best we can—and make sure everyone is having a good time.”

In this restaurant, at least, the passage of time always brings something (bitter)sweet to celebrate.

A native of Wellsboro, Cindy Davis Meixel is a writer, photographer, and kayaker residing near Williamsport.

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WELLSBORO

L A K E S

Heather Katsoulis

F I N G E R

Making a List

Our critic’s nice guide to the holidays

By Holly Howell

T

hey’rrrrrre here! You can feel their chill in the air. You can hear their chants on the radio.

You can smell their scent in the kitchens.

You can see them creeping into displays on every street corner—all signs of the imminent arrival of that annual phenomenon we call “The Holidays.”

Don’t be caught off guard. There will be much festivity in the weeks to come. I have assembled a list of wine shopping hints that you can use to make sure you are armed and ready to tackle this time of year head-on.

Party Wines It is the season of parties. And if you are the one who is hosting, it is nice to have a good variety of “flavors” for your guests to choose from. For simple cocktail gatherings, I like to offer all three colors to please the masses. A crisp dry white is always versatile with finger foods.

Keep it simple and serve a nicely chilled Finger Lakes Riesling, or an unoaked Chardonnay. These are easy to sip on, and not so heavy that they overpower lighter hors d’oeuvres. For pink, most folks expect a touch of sweetness in

their glass, but you can also find lovely Dry Rosés. As for reds, keep the big heavies for the dinner table, and go with a lighter style Pinot Noir or Cabernet Franc for aperitifs. If it is a self-server, keep the whites and pinks on ice so they stay refreshing! (Recommendations include Herman Wiemer Dry Riesling, Heron Hill Chardonnay, Billsboro Pinot Noir Rosé, Ravines Pinot Noir, and Hosmer Cabernet Franc).

Sparkling Wines Although they are far too often saved for the best occasions, there is no reason you can’t See Making A LIst on page 34

33

WELCOME TO

KEUKA LAKE Making A List continued from page 33

drink these throughout the entire year. But, since the celebrating kicks up a notch in the next few months, keep a convenient stash of good bubblies on hand for emergencies. French Champagne is the pinnacle of the stuff, but you can keep it more affordable with great values like Spanish Cava, Italian Prosecco, or Asti Spumante. To give each glass some colorful holiday cheer, add a few drops of cranberry juice and a slice of lime. (Favorite Finger Lakes sparklers include Glenora, Dr. Frank, and Atwater).

Dessert Wines There will be an extra-special emphasis on sweets in the coming weeks. If you are serving up a little buffet of cookies, cakes, pies, puddings, and fruit cakes, make sure to have a sweet wine on hand to pair alongside. The best matches are wines that are as sweet as, if not sweeter than, the dessert itself. Chocolate loves Ruby Porto. Try excellent versions from Fox Run and Lakewood on Seneca Lake. Fruit based tarts love ice wine. Wagner, Sheldrake Point, Casa Larga, and Hunt Country make divine ones. And candy canes love Schnapps (OK, not a wine, but still nice to nip on in cold weather).

Cooking Wines Some of the tastiest holiday dishes call for a spot of wine in the recipe. Sadly, the “cooking wine” that you find in grocery stores can be very salty and flavorless. Here is the big secret: the better the wine, the better the flavor. Buy something that you would drink, and then you can enjoy the rest of the bottle while dinner is cooking. Win-Win. Or, perhaps better said, Wine-Wine.

Gift Wines Every year, someone inevitably gives me an unexpected gift. That’s why I buy a full case of my favorite wine and a dozen decorative bags and keep them front and center in my seasonal gift closet. It takes two seconds to wrap, and no one is any the wiser: your friends will all feel so special. Also, remember that when you are invited to a party, it is proper to arrive with a gift for the host/hostess. And what better gift than…you know what!

Dinner Wines For the big meal you have a plethora of wines which will easily fill the bill. But here are two quick rules of thumb. The first is to go with wines that can cut through the richness of the food. In winespeak, you are looking for good acidity, like Champagne, Riesling, Pinot Gris, Sauvignon Blanc, Dry Rosé, Beaujolais, and any cool climate reds. Hey—it’s a celebration of the harvest, so why not go local? Try Anthony Road Cabernet-Lemberger, Bellangelo Bella Rosso, Lakewood Long Stem Red, and Sheldrake Gamay Noir. The second rule is to drink what you like. If you have a special wine that you have been saving, by all means pop the cork. The important thing is to savor each moment we spend with family and friends, and to enjoy the reason for the season…

Holly is a Certified Specialist of Wine (by the Society of Wine Educators) and a Certified Sommelier (by the Master Court of Sommeliers in England).

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&

DRINK

Tim Sackton

FOOD

The French Connection A journey through the pages of tasty food reads past and present

By Cornelius O'Donnell

W

e often talk about trends, whether it’s in politics, living room colors, weather—and such. And cooking is no exception.

As an inveterate cookbook reader, I’ve wondered what’s next in food writing.

I needn’t have worried. No sooner than the hundredth (or close to it) slowcooker book appeared (was it Slow Cooker Road Kill?) and bam, suddenly the next wave of books, this time on vegan cooking, comes rolling into the stores. Before you can say “soy and tofu,” there’s a five-foot shelf of books that explain the movement and can be found right next to the overflowing vegetarian section.

It’s the same thing with books for diabetics, or the celiac-challenged: there are low-fat or gluten- or dairy-free recipe books galore. And publishers are quick to respond to the latest food craze. A perfect example: the many new volumes devoted to kale—kale! Yup,

38

the maturing boomers, at least those who still cook, can find help in dealing with various health issues and diets.

“How I Got Where I Am” While there is a market for cooking for specific dietary concerns, I question if the world needs another recipeonly book on Southern cuisine, slowcooking, on bread making, or pastry, or hors d’oeuvre, or Napa Valley delights, or ethnic goodies from France, Italy, China, Japan, Thailand, Morocco, Israel, and all points north, south, east, and west. If I see another tome with “Mediterranean” in the title, I’ll…I’ll… avoid it. There are marvelous books already available. So where do we look for something that’s a good read, and possibly something to cook from?

I ’m w h a t m y m o m c a l l e d a “nosy parker,” and I’ve had that nose in biographies, and especially autobiographies, since I stopped reading

Dick and Jane. And, being involved in culinary matters, I naturally pounce on books about people in the food world. The minute I read that prolific author Anne Willan had a new “tell-all” book delightfully called One Soufflé at a Time I had to have a copy! I’ve met Anne several times at food conferences and found her charming, gracious, and knowledgeable. In the book, she traces her life from a small hamlet in Yorkshire, to university life at Cambridge, a stint teaching at the Cordon Bleu in Paris (a place then living on its laurels), and to a French chateau where she started a student-friendly cooking school called La Varenne.

Anne’s book is a good read, with a variety of recipes about every twenty pages—everything from Ginger Biscuits to a Red Wine Dessert Tart. And it’s about cooking in France—a theme for so many “memoirs with recipes.” Read on and you’ll see what I mean. (Maybe

FOOD & DRINK

it’s because “memoir” is French?)

Although not all the food memoirs I’ve read originate in France. Last summer I was lent a copy of Ham Biscuits, Hostess Gowns and Other Southern Specialities by Julia Reed. I read it and snapped up a newer book by the same author: But Mama Always Put Vodka in Her Sangria. Are you laughing already? Reed gives us a couple of things for the belly—good ol’ Southern recipes and deep-down laughs.

A Personal Collection of Favorites Hopping on the memoir-recipe book trail meant a browse through my shelves to unearth similar books that I’ve enjoyed and maybe written about over the years, books I simply couldn’t part with. Let me list some favorites, both new and not-so-new. Perhaps it will give you a few ideas for people on your gift list who still read real books—and cook.

(What an awful thing to say, but you know how things are going.) Here are some classics with this theme: The late M.F.K. Fisher is perhaps the most revered of American food writers, so it’s not surprising that she combined biographical notes with just plain good recipes in several books. All of her books are great reading (and five of her early books are now in one volume called The Art of Eating). The best example of what I’m writing about this month is one of Fisher’s later books called With Bold Knife and Fork. I stumbled on it years ago and was enthralled… an instant fan. I promise that you or your cooking friend will be, too.

Joan Reardon, a close friend of Ms. Fisher’s, wrote Among the Pots and Pans in 2008 to celebrate what would have been her friend’s 100th birthday. It’s a charmer, with early photos of Fisher and sweet renderings of her succession of houses and kitchens in France and the U.S.A. As a bonus you’ll find some favorite Fisher recipes sprinkled around.

What a delight.

James Beard grew up in Portland, Oregon. He enjoyed a long career in cooking and giving cooking classes and was a prolific writer of cookbooks. You can read his autobiography and learn some of his family recipes (American and Chinese) that inspired him. The book is called Delights and Prejudices. Although it was written many years ago and covers his early life, it’s been reprinted often and is still found online at Amazon books. I make coleslaw religiously using his recipe in the book.

A tip: watch for a new book, due at the end of this month, called Provence, 1970. It’s about a sort of summit conference of culinary stars held that year: Julia Child, Beard, Fisher, and Richard Olney. I can’t wait.

Right across from my desk is the book Bert Greene’s Kitchen: A Book of Memories and Recipes. This is a wow; the late Bert Greene was a wow and his humor and wit and way with food and words shine through this treasure of a collection. Get to know Bert’s many books. I know you See French Connection on page 40 39

French Connection continued from page 39

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will thank me for this advice.

Jacques Pepin’s The Apprentice is a fascinating tale of a kid, barely in his teens when he started in a professional kitchen, who rose to become not only chef to the French President, but a cookbook author, TV personality and—I can attest to this—a marvelous human being.

The late Pierre Franey used a ghostwriter, but “his” book, A Chef ’s Tale: A Memoir of Food, France, and America, is well worth a read. He was a charming, funny, and extremely talented person.

Julia Child’s My Life in France is everything that Julie and Julia wasn’t.

I loved Streep, but the J & J book and movie smelled like overcooked cabbage to me.

Judith Jones is the woman responsible for persuading the bosses at her publishing house to print Julia Child’s first book. Judith’s own memoir, My Life in Food, is a real treat. Published just a few years ago, it is a view of life as a food editor at a prestigious publishing house, in her case Alfred Knopf. A good editor can add immeasurably to a reader’s enjoyment of a book; there are good American (hey!) recipes as well. And if your situation fits hers, don’t miss Judith’s wonderful The Pleasures of Cooking for One. Remember that bestseller from 1998, Heartburn, written by the late acclaimed writer Nora Ephron? It’s a great example of the memoir with recipes genre and from an offbeat source. Check it out.

We pause now for some newer stuff: Like Mother, Like Daughter I first discovered a Georgeanne Brennan cookery book when browsing through an elegant garden supply store in Berkley. It might have been the 70s.

I loved it, toted it back east and started cooking her flavorful but Californialight food. About 1970 she moved to a farmhouse in Provence and continued

40

to write. That’s an understatement!

She did most of the Williams-Sonoma coffee table books (still good to cook from). If you go to Amazon books and check out their pages on her, you’ll see her amazing output. To fit in with my memoir/recipe theme, just read her offbeat ’08 treasure called A Pig in Provence. It’s delightful fun.

Along comes her daughter Ethyl who, as a child, was shuttled back and forth between France and San Francisco. Those memories inspired the brand new book Paris to Provence.

Ethyl’s co-author is Sara Remington who shared a similar summer-abroad life; both are photographers and it shows. The book’s a beaut, and I almost scooped the ham and cheese sandwich—the Croque Madame— from the page. I can’t resist being a smarty-pants: the concoction is actually a “Monsieur” as it’s made with ham. A “Madame” is usually made with chicken. (They needed me to edit this work.)

From Blog to Book Have you readers noticed how much longer the headnotes in recipes have been getting? Those are the blahblah-blahs under the recipe’s title and above the list of ingredients. You know, sentences such as “This is my version of a recipe that Desdeamonia and I ate at a little place in Peru. I never had better Lima beans.” Join enough of these revelations together, beg or steal that bean recipe plus a few others, and voila (dang it—more French) you’ve got a book!

It doesn’t take much brainpower to see that the best food blogs could be turned into book form. Here are three to check out: My Berlin Kitchen: Adventures in Love and Life by Luisa Weiss is so well written. I’m about halfway through this paperback and I’m rationing the reading to enjoy it even more. The book is an extension of her online blog called “The Wednesday Chef.” Check it out. I’m now hooked on that. Oh,

FOOD & DRINK

for more hours in the day!

Ann Mah, whose blog I hadn’t seen, has hit the memoir scene with Mastering the Art of French Eating. She and her husband and baby divide their time between the States and a place in Paree. I enjoy her writing and am slowly going through the topics that you can access on her Web site. (So maybe you and yours don’t need the book.) The recipes in the book are pretty standard French fare: pistou, cassoulet, fondue surrounded by good prose.

David Lebovitz has written a slew of dessert cookbooks.

The book The Sweet Life in Paris has been recommended by friends. Now to find time to read it—and—yikes—it’s more French stuff: must be the air over there. And, look out: come April you’ll be able to check out David’s My Paris Kitchen.

Where’s Italy?

What ever happened to the great rash of Italian books, particularly on Tuscan cooking? With the notable exception of Frances Mayes’s several books (and she is American), I haven't seen an Italian tell-all with recipes. To all the cookbook publishers I ask: “A penne for your thoughts.”

A Few Ideas for Cooks Who May Be Contemplating a Memoir but Need a Title For Paula Dean how about: I’ll Only Open Mah Mouth to Eat. An idea: Giada deLaurentis could dedicate her next book thusly: “I owe it all to my Family Name, my Dressmaker, and My Dentist.” As to a title, maybe Smiling at Life, Food, and the Camera?

A book by the Barefoot Contessa: How to Avoid Spattered Blouses or perhaps A Chicken for Jeffrey, Crème Brule for Moi. Jacques Pepin has already written a terrific memoir but maybe he could pull it off again with something like You Say Leek and I Say Lick.

I hope that when Guy Fieri writes his “tell-all,” he’ll have a section on “Techniques for Bleaching” and include his “Kitchen Tips.” My favorite (I think he said this): “Don’t have White Wine? Use Budweiser.”

Martha Stewart could give us My Life in My Kitchens: Or From Nutley to Nuts and from the Slammer to Salad Nicoise.”

Sandra Lee could write something like Aisle Six and Eight Plus Frozen Foods and the Gov.: It’s Dinner!

And bow-tied but never tongue-tied Christopher Kimball could have a real winner in a book for the fastidious male cook with: Never Again Dip Your Tie in the Soup.

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

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Magnificent 3,065 sqft 4 BR residence on over 3.6 acres in a desirable location within 3 miles from Wellsboro and easy access to major commuting routes. Features unique varieties of exotic natural stone, 5” Brazilian cherry floors, 5’ wide staircase and hallways, 8” crown molding.

Master suite features bath w/floor to ceiling travertine, radiant heat floors, Kohler jetted soaking tub. Spacious working/entertaining kitchen with up to date style and amenities.

Front porch relaxation leads to beautiful views. $349,500 MLS #122218

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Waln St., Wellsboro Beautiful, historical home, close to Main Street, would be perfect for a B & B. This stylish property is zoned for Historical, Residential and B & B. What a great opportunity to have a classic treasure!

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$449,000

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MARKETPLACE

It’s Only Natural

Shady Grove Natural Market Succeeds Nature’s Valley

By Gayle Morrow

T

ioga County has many things, but only one natural foods store. So when owner Brenda Thomas decided earlier this year to retire, her friends and customers (mostly one and the same) wished her well but also wished they weren’t facing the question, “Now what do we do?”

Enter Aubrey and Riah Irion and Shady Grove Natural Market. The young couple—they’ve been married just four years—had, up to this point,

been working at Aubrey’s family’s lumber business. When they knew Brenda was thinking of retirement, they started talking with her about the possibility of purchasing the building and the business and then “everything fell into place,” said Riah.

“She was very supportive,” Riah continued, adding that Brenda’s commitment to community service was “huge. She’s just so giving, really.”

So with the paperwork underway

and an almost-guaranteed customer base—at least to start—the couple began thinking about how best to put their own stamp on the former Nature’s Valley Natural Food Store. They both come from households in which selfsufficiency and an entrepreneurial spirit were important, and believe in buying regionally/locally as much as possible.

They have a big garden and raise their own meat. Those kinds of philosophies See Only Natural on page 48

47

Mountain Home

SERVICE DIRECTOR

have been a driving force in how they’re making this venture a successful reality. “I grew up on a little homestead,�

Riah said. “Mom and Dad taught us about reading labels. We were surrounded by animals. All of my existence has been around natural foods. It’s made it very real in our adult lives.�

Aubrey stressed the importance of buying local and said there is not so much a need for organic certification if you know where your food comes from. Local and regional offerings at the store are designated with a “local� sticker to help customers make the most informed choices. “It gives the buyer more power, I guess,� said Riah.

What sorts of things will you find at Shady Grove Natural Market? There are gluten-free flours and baking mixes from Sayre (Aubrey can’t eat wheat, so the gluten-free products are some of his favorites), Thad Compton’s locally roasted Fair Trade coffees, loose leaf teas, bulk foods like oats, rice, quinoa, and beans, yummy cheeses, certified raw milk, kombucha (it’s sooo good!), locally made Human Nature skin and body products, an array of vitamins and supplements, books, handcrafted jewelry, and even a section with shaving supplies and other men’s products (“I’ve got to get some more fun stuff for guys,� said Riah.). Aubrey is particularly enthusiastic about offering more fresh produce and home-brewing supplies. “We found a place in New Jersey that was very helpful, and so they’re shipping us an order,� he said, adding that there seem to be quite a few folks in the area brewing not only beer but fruit wines, and he hopes to be able to provide them with yeasts and other products for those projects. In addition to continuing full-time at the Irion family lumber business, he has also been the go-to man at Shady Grove Natural Market for the business’s logo,

48

bookkeeping, building renovations, and coffee-grinder refurbishment. “He’s the man behind the curtain,� said his mother-in-law, Bridgette Markell, who works part-time in the store. The Irions have between them an eclectic background in a variety of experiences. What has been most beneficial so far in this endeavor? “Working for Dad’s business has probably been most helpful—figuring out what we can do to make the business run better,� Aubrey said. He also revealed that, when he was in high school, he used to do all the grocery shopping for his family, so, at the risk of sounding sexist, he does have a unique and male perspective on the whole retail food scene. Riah said her parents always encouraged her and her siblings to be entrepreneurial, to “make things� like jewelry and soap.

And to date it’s all been good. They had arranged a trip to Alaska early in the summer—part vacation and part work, as they’d been retained to play music at a wedding (they come from musical families; Aubrey plays guitar and Riah plays fiddle)—and then “hit the ground running� when they returned. “We pretty much assumed we’d be doing this every night,� said Aubrey, looking around the shop and likely seeing everything that needs to be done. “It’s been fun. We’ve had stressful moments, but we get to hang out while we’re doing this,� Riah added. “We have people in and out [at their home], so this isn’t so different.�

The couple is hoping for a lot of customer input, so visit Shady Grove Natural Market at 144 Tioga Street in Wellsboro, at facebook.com/ sgnaturalmarket, or feel free to call them at (570) 787-0555.

Gayle Morrow, former editor of The Wellsboro Gazette, cooks locally, and organically, at the West End Market CafĂŠ. Gayle recently won a Keystone State Press Award for her columns.

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49

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

Our Finest Mountain Home Readers Courtesy of Zeb Stark

“Hello, my name is Zeb Stark and my unit recently received a care package that was sent out from Goodies For Our Troops. I would like to personally thank everyone for their contributions that made it possible. It was greatly appreciated and enjoyed by all of my fellow service members and myself.” –Zeb Stark, SrA USAF

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Q UESTI O N S O R C O N CER N S? Let Us Know We aim to be a good neighbour in the community.

If you have questions or concerns, we want to hear from you.

1(570) 662-9415 appalachia@shell.com Hours: Mon- Thu 8:00am- 4:00pm, Fri 8:00am- 3pm To report an emergency at any time: 1(877) 320- 7307.

Tioga Operations Area www.shell.us

MY HEART IS WITH SUSQUEHANNA. “I’m alive today thanks to Susquehanna Health’s amazing Cardiology team. Being a competitive cyclist, I never dreamed I would have heart problems. Then, one night, I started feeling dizzy. My husband insisted we go to the ER at Soldiers + Sailors Memorial Hospital, where I found out I was on the verge of a Type 3 heart block, which can be fatal. They whisked me by ambulance to their sister hospital, Williamsport Regional Medical Center, where a team of cardiac experts was waiting for me. They immediately inserted an emergency pacemaker, and I received a permanent one the next day. Through it all, the doctors and nurses were so supportive, and I felt I was in excellent and knowledgeable hands. Thanks to Susquehanna Health I’m looking forward to my next 100-mile ride.” – Sherri Stager, Mansfield The Susquehanna Health Heart & Vascular Institute has highly skilled specialists providing a full range of cardiovascular services.

To learn more, call (570) 321-2800 or visit SusquehannaHealth.org/Heart