October 2012

WIZARD of the WOODS Bears, men, rats & rattlesnakes, Merlin Benner protects them all

By Alison Fromme Photos by Elizabeth Young

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Volume 7 Issue 10

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Doings ‘Round the Mountain

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By Jen Reed-Evans

Wizard of the Woods

By Alison Fromme Bears, men, rats, and rattlesnakes, Merlin Benner protects them all.

Wellsboro’s first Wine & Art Tour and Mansfield’s 120th remembrance of the first night football game.

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Heart of the Mountain

By Pat Davis

Our columnist learns her great-grand dad was a Salem witch who built “The House of the Seven Gables.”

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Taming the Green Monster

By Gregg Rinkus

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The Tyoga Running Club’s first annual 25K Trail Challenge is a monstrous run.

By Linda Roller Unbeatable!, the national hit play inspired by Mansfield native Laurie Frey’s victory over cancer, runs October 4-6 at the Deane Center in Wellsboro

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The Lunker

By Fred Metarko

Bill and Fred trade fish stories about New York’s happy and unhappy lakers and chase a Pennsylvania squeaker.

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The Benefit of Sisterly Love

By Dawn Bilder

Melissa Williams will die without a kidney transplant from her sister Jessica.

There’s an Oct. 13 Galeton benefit dinner to make the miracle possible.

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Millionaires of Music

By Cindy Davis Meixel

Williamsport, home of the Billtown Blues Festival, presents the October 20 folk-jazz-rock-gospel-heavy metalbluegrass-blues Downtown Billtown Music Festival.

Laurie, Unbeatable

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The Cherry Flats Home Pluckers

By Dave Milano Bruce Smith and Ron Markell made fine guitar and banjo music, then they made a fine guitar and banjo.

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42

Atwater Into Wine

By Roger Neumann

With help from his daughter Katie, Ted Marks of Atwater Estate Vineyards and Winery makes lovely wine he also loves to sip.

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Dr. Frank Savors 50

By Holly Howell

Dr. Konstantin Frank Wine Cellars marks a grand halfcentury on Keuka Lake with sixty-seven new gold medals.

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Mother Earth

By Gayle Morrow

Gayle had a weakness for spidery long legs until the Harvestman cometh.

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A Happy End of the World

By Linda Roller

When you get there, you’re lucky to find Miller’s Store, the last water, food, and art depot.

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Back of the Mountain

By Dave Milano

Sailor’s delight.

Editors & Publishers Teresa Banik Capuzzo Michael Capuzzo Associate Publishers George Bochetto, Esq. Dawn Bilder Managing Editor Derek Witucki D e s i g n & P h o t o g r ap h y Elizabeth Young, Editor 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 Jae Zugarek Jesse Lee Jones S pe c i a l T h a n k s t o O u r I n t e r n Eric Parks 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 © 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.

See Great Place on page 12

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Photo by Sarah Wagaman

Doings ’round the Mountain

October Trivial Pursuits

Hot Answers and Cold Beer

Would Alex Trebek blush at your wealth of knowledge? Test your skills with a group of your friends this and every Tuesday night at Mansfield’s favorite happy hour spot and only brewery—Yorkholo Brewing Company. Pair your wit with a tantalizing brew like a “Bungy” Blonde Ale, “Mountaineer” Pale Ale, or “Dead River” Amber Ale and beat the competition. Yorkholo, thoughtfully named after the York family’s dairy farm established in 1861, focuses on preserving our environment. They recycle and compost, using their malt for compost, cow feed, freshly baked bread, and veggie burgers. Their carry-out containers and straws are 100% compostable. Now that you know the environment is thought of, think about your belly. Get saucy with their jumbo wings, salivate over beer-battered cod, and sink your teeth into a premium local grass-fed beef steak. Make sure to choose one (or more!) of Jarrod York’s fine quality beers to top off a perfect night of food, friends, and trivia. Open Mon – Tue 4 – 10 p.m., Wed – Thu 11 a.m. – 10 p.m., Fri – Sat 11 a.m. – 11p.m., and Sun 11 a.m. – 9 p.m.(Yorkholo Brewing Co., 19 North Main Street, Mansfield, PA; 570-662-0421; http:// yorkholobrewing.com) Hocus Pocus Drinks in Focus

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Even Ancient Egyptians brewed

By Jen Reed-Evans

and drank beer. While most people have to pick up a six-pack at the store or go to a local pub for a pint of the tasty beverage, some people brew their own beer at home. Now, you too can be a home brewer! Magic in a Glass: Beer Making at Home is a one-day class presented at Cornell Plantations’ Nevin Welcome Center.

If you’ve ever toyed with the idea of concocting your own concoction at home, but you’re not sure where to start, this class is for you. Plantation gardener and home brewer Glenn Bucien will introduce participants to the art and science of brewing beer. The class will start by covering the history of beer, the scientific principals behind its production, tips on how to grow your own hops, and the basic tools, equipment, and materials you will need to create your own magic in a glass. The class will conclude with the tasting of several delectable home brews. Participants must be 21 years of age or older and able to provide proof of age. Preregistration is required and available online. While registering for this class, be sure to check out all of the interesting classes and lectures that Cornell Plantations has to offer. This month there are lectures on bees and pollination, the chemical dialogue between plants, and as always, you can go tour the Beautiful Botanicals.

The cost for Magic in a Glass is $36 per person or $30 for members and Cornell students. Join the beer-

making blast on Saturday, October 13 from 1 – 4 p.m. (1 Plantation Road, Ithaca, NY; 607-255-2400; www.cornellplantations.org) Pack Up the Pumpkins

It’s Christmas Shopping Time

Let’s face it—Halloween may be coming to an end and Thanksgiving hasn’t even graced our tables yet, but stores are loading up with Christmas wares and we want to get our present-picking out of the way. Don’t spend dreadful hours tromping through crowds at the mall for your holiday shopping. The 28th Annual New Covenant Academy Craft Show and chicken BBQ will have beautiful, unique, handcrafted gifts guaranteed to make your holidays bright. Instead of giving a dime a dozen gift, select something a little more thoughtful and support local, talented crafters at the same time. You might want to pick up a few treasures for yourself as well. There will be over 50 vendors with their jewelry, candies, wreathes, candles, woodcrafts, and much more! Enjoy the famous chicken BBQ, homemade soups, desserts, and Bavarian apple pie for lunch right on the premises. Admission is $1.50 for adults and $.50 for children. Get ready to shop on Saturday, October 27 from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. (New Covenant Academy, 310 Extension Street, Mansfield, PA; 570-662-2996).

Holidays Abroad and Alone Goodies for Our Troops

Holidays are a time for families and friends to gather together, to laugh and love, and to be thankful for

what they have. Selfless military men and women sacrifice not only their precious family time, but often times their lives. Without our troops, we wouldn’t have our protected country.

“Goodies For Our Troops” is a way that you can give back and show your appreciation to the men and women who have made the decision to serve our great nation. The holiday times can be especially trying for those deployed far from any loved ones. Small gifts, snacks, magazines and books, toiletries, letters, and photos are all cherished things that a soldier could receive from a thankful community member. A recipient of a package, first lieutenant Ryan Genard, wrote a thank you email from Afghanistan: “I wanted to express how grateful we are upon receiving the many care packages you have sent us. The pictures…remind everyone about back home and why we are here fighting to protect our great country.”

Be sure to thank your servicemen by dropping by to help package care packages on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, October 13, 14, and 15, from 1- 6 p.m. Other packaging dates include November 9-11 from 1 – 6 p.m. for Christmas and New Years care packages and December 7 – 9 from 1-6 p.m. for Valentine care packages. Donations can be dropped off at 87 Main Street, Wellsboro, PA. (Dawn Pletcher, Goodies For Our Troops, PO Box 383, Wellsboro, PA; 570-662-5602; Goodies@ptd.net).

MUSIC 5 Swingle Singers – The State Theatre of Ithaca presents the Swingle Singers, an international a cappella phenomenon that has defined the art form. For over four decades, the unmistakable sound has displayed virtuosic vocal agility demonstrated on their signature close-microphone technique. Be a part of the thrilled audience and enjoy the high-energy classical/jazz crossover to contemporary vocals.

Tickets are $19.50/26.50/32.50 and students are $22.50. The five Grammy Award winning performance is Friday, October 5 at 8 p.m. (107 West State Street, Ithaca, NY; 607-27-STATE; http://stateofithaca.com).

28 Autumn Chorale – HamiltonGibson Productions joins all four of its choirs together for a wonderful music experience.

Listen to the joyous sounds at their annual fall concert at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Wellsboro. The event will take place on Sunday, October 28.

(St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Pearl Street & Charles Street, Wellsboro, PA; 570-724-2079; hamgib@epix.net).

GALLERIES/MUSEUMS 1-31 Natural Elements – The Gallery at Penn College presents Bill Wolff and Marcia Wilson Wolfson Ray’s Natural Elements.

Wolff’s sculptures use trees to create gestural forms that reflect the conflicts and struggles in our daily lives. Ray believes that the sense of mystery at the center of life is echoed in the forms, rhythms, and patterns represented in nature.

Enjoy the duo’s exhibit October 11 – November 11, Sunday 1 – 4p.m., Tuesday & Thursday 2 – 7 p.m., and Wednesday & Friday 11 a.m.

– 5 p.m. (Pennsylvania College of Technology, One College Avenue, Williamsport, PA; 570-326-3761; www.pct.edu/gallery).

20 Brown Bag Series-Wolfram Jobst – The Gmeiner Art & Cultural Center hosts local photographer and world traveler, Wolfram Jobst. As with all of the brown bag events, bring your own lunch, beverages are provided.

Munch and enjoy as Jobst presents a program on his recent trip to Oman. The free presentation will be held in the gallery on Saturday, October 20 and begins at 12:10 p.m. (Gmeiner Art & Cultural Center, 134 Main Street, Wellsboro, PA; 570-724-1917; http://gmeinerartscenter.com).

THE THEATRE

7 The Complete History of America

– he Reduced (abridged) Shakespeare Company presents: Special Election Edition of ‘The Complete History of America’ (abridged). Just in time for elections, the hilarious R.S.C. will provide you with an historical, albeit laugh-filled rendition of American history guaranteed to have every American voter

chuckling. The R.S.C. boys will highlight 600 years of history in 6000 minutes in their high-energy, side-splitting show. Tickets are $19.50/22.50/26.50 and students are $15. The laughs begin on Saturday, October 6 at 8 p.m.

(107 West State Street, Ithaca, NY; 607-27-STATE; http:// stateofithaca.com).

11 Craig Ferguson – Get ready to laugh out loud when this ScottishAmerican comedian takes center stage. Craig Ferguson, one of the kings of late night comedy, is an Emmy and Peabody Award winner who has set all-time viewer records in the seven years it has been on the air. He has blown past his Drew Carey Show days and has since had multiple comedy specials, published several books, and has been the voice talent in many animated films, such as ‘How to Train Your Dragon.’

Tickets are $37.50/$42.75. Join the talented standup comedian on Thursday, October 11 at 8 p.m.

(107 West State Street, Ithaca, NY; 607-27-STATE; http:// stateofithaca.com).

12-14 The Timid Dragon – What is the tiny kingdom supposed to do when a fierce dragon is prowling outside the walls? While the townspeople are nervous about venturing out, the princess discovers that the dragon is not vicious, he is lonely. So, she does what’s only logical--she brings him inside the walls. The Community Theatre presents a show that is sure to be a family favorite and a delight for all ages. Tickets are 4 for $25 or 1 for $8. Cheer on the dragon on Friday & Saturday, October 12 & 13 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, October 14 at 2 p.m. (The Community Theatre, 100 West Third Street, Williamsport, PA; 570-327-1777; www.ctlnet.org).

26-27 Little Shop of Horrors – “Feed me, Seymour!” Watch as the loveable doormat of a floral assistant becomes an overnight sensation when he discovers an exotic plant with a mysterious craving for blood. Audrey II soon grows to a huge, ill-tempered, foulmouthed, R&B-singing carnivore who offers him fame and fortune in exchange for feeding its growing appetite. Will the alien plant complete its world domination plan? The Community Theatre’s musical is sure to be a hit this Halloween season! Tickets are $15 per adult and $8 per student.

Shows are Friday & Saturday, October 26 & 27 at 7:30 p.m.

(The Community Theatre, 100 West Third Street, Williamsport, PA; 570-327-1777; www.ctlnet. org).

COMMUNITY EVENTS

20 South Williamsport Mummers

Parade – Celebrate the 67th Annual Mummers Parade as the merrymakers make their way down the streets of South Williamsport.

Celebrating European and African tradition, mummers entertain

One of the last Great Department Stores!

Since 1905

Join Us For Our

107 Anniversary Sale th

Sept 26 through Oct 14

with savings in all departments Check our website for details 45 Main Street Wellsboro, PA

570-724-1905

www.dunhamswellsboro.com 7

A celebrAtion And presentAtion of billtown’s AbundAnt And diverse musicAl tAlent

community Arts center

220 west fourth street, downtown williamsport / $5 admission free parking downtown billtownblues.org caclive.com Presented by the Billtown Blues Association and the Community Arts Center. Sponsored by the Williamsport Sun Gazette and media sponsors Backyard Broadcasting and Clear Channel Media + Entertainment. Funded in part by The Williamsport Lycoming Community Fund at the First Community Foundation Partnership of Pennsylvania and the Lycoming County Visitors Bureau.

Williamspor t City Jazz Orchestra -Sextet •the doug McMinn Blues Band • Kimberly adair and Soulful Mal Scoppa and the tall tales • Stained Grass Window • alison, richard and Joseph Paul • Clyde Frog • 44MaG

october 20th 4-10:30 pm Saturday

Doings, cont. through music, pantomime, and other crowd-pleasing acts. Line the sidewalks for a great, free show! The route starts on West Central Avenue, travels west to Clark Street, then goes north to West Southern Avenue , and ends at George Street. The parade is Saturday, October 20 and starts at 2 p.m. (City Streets, South Williamsport, PA 17702; 570-4333892; www.mummersparade.org).

26-28 The Great Pumpkin Express – Put on your Halloween costume and climb aboard the Lycoming Valley Railroad. The entire family will enjoy a fun-filled ride traveling on the Lycoming Valley Railroad.

The train departs and returns to the Maynard Street Burger King (exit 28 on I-180)—with free parking at Burger King. Tickets are $10 per rider and lap children 2 and under are free. The trips are Friday, October 26 at 6 & 8 p.m. and Saturday & Sunday, October 27 & 28 at 3, 5, & 7 p.m. (purchase tickets at: Lycoming County Visitors Center, 210 William Street, Williamsport, PA 17701, 570-327-7700; www.vacationpa. com/specialEvents.aspx).

27 Harvest Gathering and Art Auction – Sample delicious food, enjoy great music, and check out the inspiring artwork. Hors d’oeuvres will be created by caterer Sylvia Crossen from local farms and paired with local wines. The music is provided by Ross Shourds with Folk Spirits. Get ready to bid on donated fine and folk artwork that will be available for silent and live auctions. Come out to the Tioga County Fairgrounds on Saturday, October 27 from 5-8 p.m. (570268-5055; www.ntculturalaliance. org).

FAIRS/FESTIVALS 6-7 Apple ‘n Cheese Festival – Nothing tastes quite like autumn more than apples and cheese.

Canton hosts its annual two-day festival celebrating all things apple and cheese. There will be juried crafts, fine arts and photography show, various vendors, wine and cheese tasting, and more!

Bring the whole family SaturdaySunday, October 6-7 for a fun and delicious time. (Canton, PA 17724; 570-673-PAAC (7222); paapplecheese@yahoo.com).

6-7 The Great Cortland Pumpkinfest – Think Cortland is only known for its apples? Come check out the Pumpkinfest! Filled with games, entertainment, food, wine and beer, this fall festival has something for everyone. There is an antique fair, antique tractors, a petting zoo, pony rides, and hay rides. Join in the festivities Saturday, October 6 from 9 a.m.

– 5 p.m. and Sunday, October 7 from 12 p.m. – 5 p.m. (Courthouse Park, Cortland, NY; 607-7538463; www.cortlandpumpkinfest. org).

21 Blossburg Fall Festival – Get

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ready to celebrate fall! Browse the craft vendors, enjoy the musical entertainment, play games, and go on a hayride. The kids will delight in painting their own pumpkins.

The family event is Sunday, October 21 and kicks off at noon.

(Blossburg, PA 16912).

28 Fall Festival – Bring the family down to Haywoods on the Water, right on the Susquehanna and enjoy fall! Admission is free, so put that saved cash toward some of the great crafts, food, and other items the many vendors will have to offer.

The festival is on Sunday, October 28 with the fun beginning at 11 a.m. (Haywoods on the Water, 610 Antlers Lane, Williamsport, PA 17701; 570-326-6300; casey@ haywoodsbarandgrill.com).

WINERIES

3, 10, 17, 24, 31

Acoustic Newt – The Red Newt Cellars Winery & Bistro on Seneca Lake offers a wide variety of regional acoustic musicians. Order some mouthwatering food and awardwinning wine and relax while listening to live music. Join the fun every Wednesday from 6:30 – 9 p.m. (Red Newt Cellars Winery & Bistro, 3675 Tichenor Road, Hector, NY 14841; 607 546-4100; http://rednewt.com).

20 Chestnut Festival– Goose Watch Winery harvests their own chestnuts and hosts a celebration honoring them and the beautiful fall foliage of Cayuga Lake. Come enjoy live music by the Movers and sample roasted chestnuts and other foods made from chestnuts.

Play lawn games while sipping on mulled wine or wine slushies.

The Chestnut Festival is Saturday, October 20 from 12 p.m. – 5 p.m.

(Goose Watch Winery, 5480 Route 89, Romulus, NY; 607-403-0029; www.GooseWatch.com).

27 1st Annual Chili Cook-Off & Apple Pie Bake-Off – Bastress Winery will be holding its first ever chili cook-off and apply pie bake-off. Get out your spices and beans! Peel those apples!

Watch as the tasters delight in your yummy creations. $3 admission lets you taste and judge all the pie and chili you can eat. There will also be wine tasting, crafters, vendors, and other food for purchase. Pick up some fantastic wine before heading home. Get ready to loosen your belt and head out Saturday, October 27 from 12 – 4 p.m. (Bastress Mountain Winery, 5451 Rt 654 Hwy, Williamsport, PA ; 866-509-3434; www.bastressmountainwinery.com).

OUTDOORS/SPORTS 6 Lupus Loop Walk – Support loved ones and community members by strapping on your walking shoes and walking for Lupus awareness.

More than a fundraising event, the walk creates hope for those diagnosed with the disease. Money raised will help to continue the outreach program for individuals in

Doings, cont. the local area. The walk takes place in Seneca Park near the Wegmans Pavilion. Come out and show your support on Saturday, October 6 with check-in at 9 a.m. and walk starting at 10 a.m. (585-288-2910; www.lupusloopwalk.org).

14 The Green Monster 25K Trail Challenge – Lace those shoes up tight and get ready for a challenging adventure. This trail is designed for runners and hikers of all ages and showcases the breathtaking mountains of the Tioga State Forest. Participants will reach a 4000 ft. total ascent and will be rewarded with a post-race lunch, race day tees, and finisher medals.

Register online--fee is $55. The race begins on Sunday, October 14 at 9 a.m. with the bag/race bib pick-up ending at 8:30 a.m. (176 Straight Run Road, Wellsboro, PA; www. greenmonster-trailchallenge.com).

FARMERS MARKETS 5,12, 19,26 Watkins Glen Farmers Market – This month will wrap-up the market, so make sure you make your way out to pick up amazing local produce, prepared foods, wine, and crafts.

The market also accepts New York EBT/SNAP Food Stamp Benefits.

Pick up a pumpkin with the kids, grab veggies and meat for a tasty dinner, and sample some

great wine. Come out Fridays of this month from 3 – 7 p.m.

(Lafayette Park, 200 Block of 5th Street, Watkins Glen, NY; 607-546-4535; www.localharvest. org/watkins-glen-farmersmarket-M13745) 6, 13, 20, 27 Williamsport Growers Market – This Billtown market is a producer-only market with over 20 vendors located in downtown Williamsport.

Shoppers can find locally-raised fruits, vegetables, meats, dairy products, honey, flowers, baked goods, and more. This is a perfect place to stock up on your holiday meal needs. Buy local on Saturdays now through November from 8 a.m. – 1 p.m. (Pine Street & 5th Street, Williamsport, PA, 570-634-3197; http://www. b u y l o c a l p a . o r g / s o u rc e / v i e w / williamsport-growers-market).

r e v o c s i D Autumn at its Best!

Clinton County Pennsylvania 1-888-388-6991 • Email: tourism@KCnet.org 212 North Jay Street • PO Box 506 • Lock Haven, PA 17745

Start your adventure by visiting

www.ClintonCountyInfo.com

The Wellsboro branch staff shows their team spirit!

Employees from all 26 offices of Citizens & Northern Bank are celebrating C&N’s first place ranking in “Bank Director Magazine’s” 2012 Bank Performance Scorecard. C&N ranked Number One in the nation, placing first out of 195 financial institutions in the $1 billion to $5 billion category. We’re honored and proud to receive this recognition and thank all of our customers and friends who have placed their trust in us.

Toll-free: 1-877-838-2517 Member FDIC

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Wizard of the Woods Bears, men, rats & rattlesnakes, Merlin Benner protects them all

By Alison Fromme

Photo by Elizabeth Young

M

erlin Benner stands on a ridge overlooking Pennsylvania’s Pine Creek Canyon, where dark green mountains stretch out before him and muted faraway forests meet the hazy horizon. Merlin’s feet are planted among thick mountain laurels and huckleberry bushes, leaves tinged red in the early days of fall.

Merlin raises his arm high in the air, extends a lightweight handheld antenna, and pivots slowly.

He looks down, studying a small printed map, and listens intently to the device’s static. He lowers the antenna, turns two small knobs, and raises it again.

Then, he hears what he’s been waiting for. An electronic beep at regular intervals. Chirp, pause.

Chirp, pause. The noise signals that a timber rattlesnake lurks nearby. A snake that Merlin’s team caught previously, surgically opened to insert a radio transmitter, and released back into the wild.

Merlin notes the presence of this snake on the map, and then changes the frequency on the antenna to check for more. Each marked snake emits a unique radio signal.

Although the mountainous scenery looks worthy of a postcard, this is no pristine wilderness.

About one hundred yards away, an active drilling rig bores down to gas-rich shale below the surface.

Shattering noise—roaring, rattling, jackhammering, clanging—shakes the forest and drowns out any delicate bird songs or rustling oak, red maple, or white ash leaves. A faint gas smell wafts through the woods. Can the snakes survive this?

11

Merlin’s rattlesnake tracking study is part of an attempt to find out. Landowners, gas companies, and engineering firms hire his company, Wildlife Specialists, to survey and study animals and plants that matter in the eyes of the law.

Before developing a site, gas drillers are required

by Pennsylvania law to take a special inventory of what’s there. Timber rattlers? Woodrats? Indiana Bats? Evening primrose plants? If any endangered, threatened, at risk, or other special species turn up, companies must propose and implement a plan: pick up and move the rattlesnakes out of the way of well pad construction? Build additional woodrat habitat?

Reroute a pipeline to avoid a bat roost? Replant evening primroses somewhere else?

The timber rattlesnakes are considered “at risk.”

Once a target of wanton killing, they are now, says Merlin, a source of pride. Usually when snakes are found at a site slated for construction, Merlin’s team will bag each one, walk about 100 yards away, and release them. In contrast, the snake tracking study represents another approach: leave snakes in place, track them with radio telemetry equipment, and check their survival rates. So far, says Merlin, the rattlers are holding their own.

Other animals aren’t so lucky. Allegheny woodrats— fuzzy, big-eared, and some daresay cute—have been in trouble for decades, long before widespread natural gas development. Once found across the mid-Atlantic states, they have disappeared completely from many

12

Photos by Elizabeth Young

The view overlooking Pine Creek Canyon, close to the den of the rattlers being tracked. (Above) Merlin Benner operates the hand-held antenna that will lead him to the snakes involved in his study.

(Clockwise from above) Fence lizards, bear, red-spotted purple butterflies, hoary bats, foxes, and bog turtles are just a small sampling of the animals the Wildlife Specialists aid everyday.

areas. Pennsylvania hosts some of the only healthy populations left. The exact source of their problems is unknown, but chopping down forests doesn’t help.

When large swaths of trees vanish, so do the acorns and chestnuts that fill the creatures’ bellies. When open fields and human development replace forests, raccoons thrive—and spread a parasitic roundworm that sickens the woodrats by wreaking havoc on their brains.

In one attempt to help the furry critters, Merlin and his team members rappel down rocky cliffs, peer into caves and crevices, look for their dehydrated food caches, and map their habitat.

During the second and third phases of the project, they will create new habitat by planting fruiting trees and check back to see if the woodrats are multiplying.

Merlin is no critter catcher, no snake charmer, no wrangler of rattlers. He aims to protect wildlife and help clients get the information they need to move development forward. He serves as a bridge between developers, government agencies, and even the wildlife itself. His team, composed of experts on specific animals, is trained to recognize many different species and habitats of concern.

“A big part of my job is to inform people about what’s special on their land, and let the agencies know so that they can protect them,” he says. “If people respect something, they’re more likely to protect it, even if they don’t like it,” says Merlin, who thinks snakes are both amazing and a bit repulsive. “Most landowners don’t want something special wiped out on their property.”

Wildlife biology and conservation is nothing new for Merlin, who has been in the field for twenty-five years, and worked at both the Pennsylvania Game

Commission and the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR). He helped expand the elk range in Pennsylvania and reintroduced otters and fishers to the woods here. He has experience with deer, elk, turkeys, bats, alligators, feral pigs, and more.

In 2007, Merlin left the DCNR, and soon launched Wildlife Specialists.

Originally, he expected wind energy developers to be his main source of business. But gas companies charged in and changed everything. Now he has two office locations, fifteen full time employees, twenty-five seasonal workers, and about 150 clients from all over the northeast as far as Quebec.

When companies plan to construct a well pad, build a pipeline, create access roads, or complete other projects, they want to stay on schedule, says Merlin.

Wildlife Specialists helps companies navigate the maze of regulations across at least four different government agencies that protect specific plants and animals. He doesn’t directly file permits for clients, but he knows how to fulfill the government requirements. “Most companies want to comply and move on,” he says.

Only once did a company appear eager to skirt the regulations. “I didn’t hear from them again,” Merlin says, explaining that there is nothing to gain from such a strategy. The government officials know him and trust his work.

If he tried to slip something by them, they would notice, send out their own wildlife experts, and possibly deny the application.

As president of the company, Merlin oversees big picture business operations but stalking a timber rattlesnake doesn’t faze him. He’s crawled into an active

Photos by Merlin Benner 13

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offer recreation opportunities and contribute to the economy through the timber industry,” says Lee. “Larger patches of uninterrupted forest offer the greatest environmental value.” If the TNC is right, up to 83,000 acres of Pennsylvania trees could be bulldozed in the next two decades.

Fragmenting the forest breaks up habitat for Northern goshawks. These birds hunt expertly in dense forests, bursting into flight to sink their claws into squirrels, rabbits, or crows—and if they miss, they pursue their prey on foot, stalking and chasing through shrubs and branches until they finally rip into the meal with curved beak.

Also at risk is the fisher, a member of the otter family that was nearly hunted to extinction in the last couple centuries. Now, it prowls the night through miles of dense forest preying on porcupines, shrews, and more, thanks to Pennsylvania’s successful reintroduction program in the 1990s—a program that Merlin and Wildlife Specialists employee Tom Swimley helped implement. But neither the fisher nor the goshawk can survive in small forest patches. Both need uninterrupted, mature woods, and the cover of a tree canopy to thrive.

Merlin acknowledges that even with eyes and ears on the ground, sometimes animals can’t be saved. If a Northern goshawk nest is spotted in the path of a pipeline, even if calls are made to agencies and companies, the person holding the

Merlin Benner delicately marks the tail of a rattle snake which has a transmitter surgically implanted into it’s side. (Above) The snake is gently hoisted to postion it for tail marking.

chain saw still might not be notified in time. And that goshawk, a stately raptor, is out of luck, along with its offspring.

Merlin has a reason to care what happens in these woods. He grew up here, hunting, fishing, hiking, and mountain biking. He killed his first deer on a nearby ridge. In the wake of coal mining, he saw acid drainage kill streams and he witnessed decades of destruction from an industry that rarely benefitted individual landowners. He understands the landscape, he knows the hillside where coal skink lizards bask, the valley where an eagle just nested, and the meadows where bobolinks fly.

On his own seventeen acres in Tioga County, land leased for future gas development, Merlin and his dad felled trees, stripped logs, and built the house where Merlin and his wife raise their five kids. He’s got wild ginseng growing along his driveway and Canada yew sprouting in the woods. His son found a Jefferson salamander, the only one documented in

Photos by Elizabeth Young

alligator den, faced an angry, stomping elk, and handled other venomous snakes like cottonmouths and copperheads.

But Merlin still jumps when he spots a rattler unexpectedly. “They are dangerous animals.”

Energy development has actually led to more sightings and records of rare animals and plants, according to Merlin. In addition to keeping tabs on the survival of timber rattlesnakes on his clients’ properties, his team also monitors bats. They go out at sundown, string up twenty-five-foot-tall nearly invisible nets, and then catch, identify, measure, and release the bats. If they find an endangered one, like the federally endangered Indiana Bat, they’ll attach radio telemetry equipment and follow it back to its roost and alert the authorities that its home needs protecting. “As a result of all this drilling activity, we’ve gained a lot of knowledge that we wouldn’t have otherwise,” Merlin says.

But not everyone is convinced that current regulations and efforts are enough. The Nature Conservancy estimates that almost 10,000 well pads could be constructed in Pennsylvania’s forests by 2030. And more than eight acres are required for each well’s installation, extraction, and maintenance, according to Cara Lee, leader for the Conservancy’s New York Energy Team.

“Forests offer the region tremendous value in terms of their potential to sequester carbon, improve water quality,

15

the county, near a pond on the property.

A pond that’s protected by the gas lease terms. Merlin’s wife heard the nighttime whistle of a saw-whet owl, the bird that graces some Pennsylvania license plates, and Merlin himself spotted a mountain earth snake, the only one seen for sixty miles.

“I wouldn’t say I’m worried,” he says of energy development. “I’m watchful.”

And he is quite literally watching.

Watching snakes, here in the Tiadaghton State Forest, at the crossroads of wilderness and industry. It’s here on a recent fall day that he’s tracking the radio signal of a snake, following the chirp, chirp of the antenna.

Merlin walks, sure-footed, in a big spiral through the knee-high ferns, under a canopy of maples and oaks, trying to hone in on the animal. He stops often, checking the signal, redirecting his path.

He sweeps a snake-handling tool, a long metal pole with flat jaws at the end, through the underbrush as he walks, to warn snakes of his approach, lest he mistakenly steps on one. Of course, only the snake with an implant emits a signal.

Other snakes could be lurking among the fallen leaves on the forest floor.

Merlin left his canvas gators in the car, which would have provided extra protection against a snake bite, but his pants should offer enough protection. If a timber rattlesnake did sink fangs into flesh, the bite would spell disaster. The especially-unlucky fall prey to instant, paralyzing shock, left to be dragged out of the woods and rushed to a hospital. For others, the venom acts more slowly as it causes bleeding and breaks down tissue.

Merlin slows his steps as the electronic chirp indicates he’s getting closer, and when he at last finds the snake, its head lifts slightly, body curled up on a wet stump. Soft yellow skin, the color of forest-filtered sunlight, hides the snake well, as if part of the land itself.

Other timber rattlers are darker colors, like shades of shale or wet black-brown leaf litter.

The snake flicks its tongue, sensing Merlin’s presence. Likely poised on a mouse trail, the snake is probably waiting, still as the stump itself, for a rodent to scamper by and become a meal.

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Merlin gently touches the coiled body with the open-mouthed tongs, working metal underneath. The snake reaches towards the tool, pink tongue flicking rapidly, tasting and smelling, with apparent curiosity. A silent exchange. The rattle hides within the coils.

He then tenderly clamps the tongs, so as not to break ribs or squash organs, and raises the animal, now stretched to its full three-foot length. The body tapers to a jet-black tail, terminating with a tan rattle.

Then, the animal becomes perturbed.

The snake’s rattle buzzes rapidly, blurred by fast vibrating motion. Silence broken.

Merlin grasps the tail with a free hand, marks the rattle with a red marker, then releases the animal. The snake slithers just a few inches away, stops rattling, and settles back on its hunting perch, apparently convinced that no harm will come.

Science writer Alison Fromme is a freelancer whose writing has been featured in Mountain Home since 2011. Living in Ithaca, she blogs about food at ithacafoodweb.com.

Heart of the Mountain

Great Grand-Dad, a Salem Witch

By Patricia Davis

M

ulticolored leaves, pumpkin patches, black cats, and witches on broomsticks.

Our memories conjure the cauldron labeled “October.” But there was a time when “conjuring” might have cost you your life—that is if you’d lived 300 years ago in our colonies. Twenty-one people from Salem, Danvers, Andover, and Ipswich, Massachusetts were executed, hung on Gallows Hill outside of Salem. The most gigantic example of mass hysteria in the colonies known as the Salem Witch Trials only lasted from February 1692 through May 1693, but its aftermath in our country has lasted well into the 21st century.

There are over twenty-five million people living today who are related to those who lost their lives to this historical spectacle. You could be one of them!

I am, as are several others in our community. All you need are names and some time to search for your roots.

In working on family genealogy I recently discovered a great-grandfather—X7—a Samuel Wardwell, from Andover, who was hung September 22, 1692! That’s right—a man! Of twentyone executed, seven were men! What had Samuel Wardwell and twenty others done to raise the wrath of a community?

Wardwell, a modest Quaker—mistake #1?—and carpenter by trade, moved into Andover, where he met a beautiful and wealthy widow. He scooped her up— mistake #2—claims several history books.

They were parents to seven children, ages one to twenty, in 1692. Up to then he was

regarded as an eccentric but harmless individual who sometimes told fortunes and, as accusers reported, “played with magic.”

His peculiarities attracted the attention of the witch hunters, and he was charged by a woman who’d accused others, a group of village girls, and three citizens. Wardwell’s brother had had words with one of those citizens—a formidable array of accusers for an “outsider.”

Like others, Wardwell, in his anxiety, terror, and stress, made a complete “confession.”

But after being interrogated, declared his tormentors had persuaded him to make a false confession.

He regretted it and recanted his story. This would cost him his life. No one of importance intervened on his behalf, and he was hung, along with seven other accused women. Wardwell’s example was used in later trials as a threat to others of what might happen if they recanted their confessions. He was not to know those confessing would all be reprieved.

His family, too, suffered. On January 2, 1693, his wife Sarah was brought before the Court of Trials, where a jury delivered their verdict of “guilty of covenanting with the Devill.” Daughter Mary, age twenty, was also arrested as a witch and jailed for several months, at one point testifying against her father. Eventually she and Sarah were reprieved and released. Because Sarah was declared an unfit mother, the children were given out to other households until they were a mature age.

To pay the expenses of their trial, the sheriff seized Wardwell property, including five cows, nine hogs, eight loads of hay, and six acres of corn. Furthermore, both Sarah and Samuel had to provide their own subsistence while imprisoned.

In 1712, after Sarah died, their son, Samuel Wardwell, Jr., requested and received one of the largest compensations ever granted by the colony for the financial loss his family suffered.

Some of those found guilty died in prison. One executed was a Catholic priest. An eighty-year-old farmer was “pressed to death”—large boulders placed on his chest, because he was protesting court methods and wouldn’t enter a plea. The witch trials have been used in history and literature as a cautionary tale about the dangers of isolationism, false witness, and the extremism of religion —and science. Puritan minister Cotton Mather, a lead accuser, was the foremost scientist in the Colonies, driven to scientifically prove in court the devil’s existence. (Some would say he succeeded.)

The General Court passed a bill reversing the judgment of some. Two months later, the state governor authorized monetary compensation to be divided among survivors or relatives. In 1957 some descendants demanded the Court formally clear their names. On the 300th anniversary of the trials, a memorial park in Salem was dedicated with a stone bench named for each executed. Speakers included Arthur Miller and Nobel Laureate Elie Wiesel. That same year the state was pushed to issue a resolution honoring those who had died.

Finally on October 31, 2001, the resolution was signed by Governor Jane Swift, and more than 300 years later, all were finally proclaimed innocent.

In Salem, there’s a physical remnant of Samuel Wardwell. Known as the TurnerIngersoll Museum, and on the National Historic Register of Homes, it’s the oldest 17th century surviving wooden mansion in New England. John Turner had hired Wardwell in 1668 to build the structure on a site overlooking the harbor. It’s known as “The House of the Seven Gables,” made famous by Nathanial Hawthorne’s historic novel of the same title.

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

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O U t d o Or s Taming the Green Monster

By Gregg Rinkus

Photos by Chad Griffin

I

f the old adage holds true that faith moves mountains, you might feel some serious rumbling on Sunday, October 14 when the Tyoga Running Club (TRC) sponsors its first annual Green Monster 25K Trail Challenge.

This inaugural event is billed as “One Ugly Mountain Race” and is the brainchild of Travis Twoey of Wellsboro. But, as Travis is quick to point out, it has been only through the effort, dedication and, yes, faith of many people, who chipped away at a

mountain of work, that the Challenge has been possible.

Over the years, Travis and other local runners have participated in trail races throughout Pennsylvania and neighboring states. Among the most notable of these are five races in central Pennsylvania that comprise the TrailRunner Trophy Series. “Every time we ran these and other events,” Travis mused, “we’d come away saying, ‘We need to do something like this.’”

The interest was there, and so

was an organizational structure in the form of the TRC. Once he got the ball rolling this past April, others jumped aboard and a committee was formed. Word got out quickly and many individuals, businesses, and organizations embraced the idea of a local trail race. “It became a true grassroots effort in no time,” Travis noted.

Among the expectations of race organizers was the opportunity to sponsor a first-class event that would showcase Tioga County. What better See Green Monster on page 22

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Green Monster continued from page 21

time of year, they thought, than the peak of autumn leaf season? And what better location than Tioga State Forest?

Area runners, like mountain bikers and hikers, have a strong affinity for the Asaph-Straight-Canada Run area of the forest north of what locals call the “fish hatchery.” A mix of single track trails, gravel roads, numerous stream crossings, challenging terrain, and beautiful scenery made this the odds-on favorite area to hold the event.

Race committee member Chris Gastrock, who works for DCNR’s Bureau of Forestry, helped secure state permits necessary to hold the race.

“Everyone with the Bureau was great to work with,” Travis noted.

“They were fully supportive of our efforts.”

To get an appreciation for what the approximately 16.5-mile course

offers, read the description on the race Web site (www.greenmonstertrailchallenge.com).

The most technical part of the course comes near the end, where there is a steep, 800foot descent from Broad Ridge. With the hint of an almost sinister laugh, Travis described this steep downhill as “borderline obnoxious!” He believes that the course they’ve designed will rival at least two events in the current TrailRunner Trophy Series.

The committee’s original goal was to have seventy-five to a hundred participants; “Now, 125 may be more realistic,” he indicated. Travis believes that future events could attract anywhere from 300 to 500 runners and hikers. “That’s right, you don’t have to run the course; you may hike it,” he clarified. While a top-end runner might finish in three hours or less, Travis believes that some hikers may take six or seven hours. “The See Green Monster on page 24

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Green Monster continued from page 22

Challenge is an event for everyone,” he concluded.

“There are so many people donating their time and services,” added Travis. “High School athletes from Wellsboro will man the four aid stations; local emergency medical services will be there; volunteers will serve afterrace food and drinks; local businesses have provided prizes. It really has become a community event.”

When asked how success will be measured, Travis offered two observations: “Quite simply, it will be considered successful if runners return next year. And, second, everyone who finishes the course—whether they’re runners or hikers—will undoubtedly consider himself or herself successful. And, perhaps, that feeling of self-accomplishment might be the greatest measure of success of all.”

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.

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The Lunker

No Lake Like Home

By Fred Metarko

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uring a tournament on Cowanesque Lake, Bill Fye was the angler fishing from the back of the boat. The action was slow as we tried many different spots, used various lures, and passed the time with lots of conversation.

We fish some of our tournaments on the Finger Lakes, which are a lot different from Tioga, Hammond, and Cowanesque—from our home lakes.

Those lakes are larger in size and have houses with many docks, boat lifts, power boats, and pontoon boats lining the shoreline. These provide structure for the fish and are targeted by many bass anglers during a tournament. We talked about fishing these bass holding areas and the people we meet.

In the early morning as the fog slowly lifts, while moving from dock to dock, you can smell breakfast cooking, with the aroma of coffee drifting through the air. Some people are sitting on their deck sipping their fresh brew as you pass by. They greet you with “Good morning,” ask how you are doing, and even tell where the big ones are and what to catch them on. If your lure gets hung up on the dock, it’s okay to go in to retrieve it. They seem to hate that you have to move along. These are the happy lake dwellers.

Sometimes we are not greeted so kindly. Once, a guy ran toward the dock yelling and waving his arms, saying, “Stay out there, don’t fish my dock, or I’ll get the shotgun.” Another time a woman came after us with a broom, stood on the end of the dock,

and warned, “Don’t fish in my water.”

The local sheriff was called once; he patrolled the area and the launch site after the tournament. Others stand on the dock and yell at us as we fish past.

These are the unhappy lake dwellers.

We always try to retrieve our snagged lures; they are expensive and we don’t want to leave the potential danger of exposed sharp hooks. Bill and I were targeting a floating dock when I got hung on the end section. I boated closer and gave a strong jerk on the line. At the same time a huge wave heaved the dock and it came unhinged.

The end section headed straight toward us. Bill said, “Let’s get out of here.” I broke the line, started the big motor, and moved clear just in time. The dock drifted toward shore in a nearby cove; no one was around to notify, so we moved to the opposite shore where it looked a little calmer.

Back to the tournament…

Midway through the day I found one fish on some wood structure that was next to deep water. We fished hard as the hot sun beat down on us. Finally, with just a half-hour remaining in the tournament, Bill caught a fish. He cast a spinnerbait to the back of a cove, in just inches of water, and caught a .95 pound bass. With a sigh of relief he said, “It’s a squeaker, it just measures; at least I won’t zero out and receive the skunk award.”

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

Outdoors

23

L i f e The Benefit of Sisterly Love

Photo by Elizabeth Young

By Dawn Bilder

Jessica (left) and Melissa.

G

a l e t o n re s i d e n t Me l i s s a Williams was six years old when her sister Jessica was born. “My mom came out in these denim bib overalls,” Melissa laughs, remembering how funny the bib overalls had struck her, “and she was holding Jessica in her arms. My younger brother, who was four, was angry and jealous. But I was happy.”

When Jessica was six years old, Melissa, then twelve, was having a lot of health problems. Doctors speculated that one of her kidneys was failing. But an utrasound instead revealed that Melissa had been born with only one kidney, and further tests showed that less than 25 percent of that kidney was working.

So Jessica grew up watching Melissa as she struggled with multiplying

24

medications (which almost all caused fatigue), and witnessed Melissa enduring a painful existence of procedures that included constant dialysis. While other teenagers her age were able to focus on broken hearts and driver’s licenses and partners for the prom, Melissa fought the unbearable heaviness of living with a grave medical condition and the medications and treatments that, while keeping her alive, made everything just that much more ominous.

But there were a few bright spots for Melissa. Her mother Ina and her sister Jessica and all of their family were tight and shared comfort and love. Melissa’s daughter Vinessa was born. And, finally, when Melissa was twenty-one, she received a kidney transplant.

The transplant was a success, and

for many years Melissa was able to live a healthy and productive life. Successful kidney transplants result in ten to fifteen years of better health, and Melissa was better for twelve years—until the kidney failed two years ago.

Melissa is now thirty-four years old, an attractive, small-boned woman who gives the impression of quiet fortitude—along with emotional availability—which mark her as a survivor in life and not a victim of it. Her eyes, however, are haunted by stress, and her shoulders hang slightly under the enormous struggles that she endures on a daily basis.

She is back to dialysis three times a week. Dialysis is a process in which large, painful needles pump out all of a patient’s blood, cleanse it (which See Sisterly Love on page 29

Wellsboro

wellsboropa.com 570-724-1926

Our top local doctors and medical professionals answer your questions.

26

sPeCiAL AdVertisinG seCtiOn

surGICAL ONCOLOGY

Q A

: What surgical options does Guthrie offer for breast cancer patients?

Does one approach have a clear advantage over the other?

: Any cancer diagnosis is always devastating, but cancer of the breast generally has a stronger emotional impact on women. Fortunately, breast cancer surgery is greatly different today than years ago when the only surgical option was amputation of the breast. Patients are encouraged to be proactive in their surgical treatment plan.

Hang Dang, DO dr. dang is a fellowship-trained breast surgeon from Magee Womens Hospital university of Pittsburgh Medical Center.

Prior to coming to Guthrie, she was at Northern Westchester Hospital. dr. dang specializes in: • Screening and prevention of breast cancer • Patient education and awareness • Oncoplastic breast conserving surgery • Nipple-sparing and skinsparing mastectomies • Neoadjuvant chemotherapy and hormonal therapy • MRI imaging for tumor sub-types dr. dang provides care at the Guthrie Cancer Center in sayre, Pa. For more information, please call 570-887-3500.

There are a few basic approaches to surgical treatment of breast cancer. Oncoplastic breast conserving surgery is a method that allows preservation of the breast and removal of the cancer with great cosmetic results. This procedure is routinely followed by further treatment of the breast with radiation. In addition to the breast procedure, some patients will require a sentinel lymph node biopsy or axillary dissection, a procedure done at the same time as the breast surgery to assess the spread of tumor to the lymph node underneath the armpit. Also, chemotherapy or hormone therapy may be applied in certain cases to reduce the risk of local recurrence and/or distant metastasis.

A more radical option is total mastectomy, which removes the entire breast. This is the preferred method in cases of breast cancer recurrence after breast conserving surgery, patients with genetic predisposition (BRCA gene defect), and when the breast cannot be preserved due to a large tumor to breast ratio.

Another surgical option that is growing in popularity is skin-sparing mastectomy or nipplesparing mastectomy with reconstruction. Skin-sparing mastectomy is a procedure where all breast tissue and the nipple is removed, while nipple-sparing mastectomy preserves the nipple for a more natural looking breast, however only certain patients meet criteria for this procedure. Once the mastectomy is complete, with a help of a plastic surgeon, the breast is cosmetically reconstructed. This technique is increasing in acceptance because the presence of a reconstructed breast eases the emotional turmoil of an absent breast from a mastectomy due to breast cancer. Acknowledgement of the emotional needs of the breast cancer patient is part of the philosophy for better oncologic care.

Breast cancer is more than a disease; it’s an emotional, economical, social, psychological, physical burden on affected patients and often leaves them feeling powerless. They can regain this power by being an active participant in outlining their breast cancer treatment plan and their wishes are taken into consideration by a multidisciplinary group of doctors responsible for their care. Patients should understand that when they come to Guthrie with a breast cancer diagnosis, their voices will be heard.

Does one approach have a clear advantage over the other? Not when it comes to survival rates. The chances for living through an episode of breast cancer are pretty equal among all the surgical options. The good news is according to the National Cancer Institute deaths from breast cancer have dropped 25% since 1998 due to improvements in screening, detection, education, research and inventions. I cannot speculate about an individual’s chance of survival without knowing their situation. This is one of many conversations to have with your care team.

My obligation as a breast surgeon is to maximize the likelihood that my patients will be cured of their disease, encourage my patient to participate in their treatment plan, assist them in their journey every step of the way, and to ensure that they will quickly regain their function and return to their natural state of life prior to the breast cancer diagnosis.

COLON ANd r E C tA L C A r E

Q A :

sPeCiAL AdVertisinG seCtiOn

Is bowel incontinence common? Are there any new treatments for this condition?

: One in eight adults, more than 18 million Americans, suffer from bowel incontinence, the inability to control bowel movements. Stools are either passed without the person’s knowledge, or the need to make a bowel movement comes on so quickly that the person cannot get to a bathroom on time. The condition creates stress and anxiety, making some people feel they cannot risk leaving home. Isolation, withdrawal from social activities and depression can result.

Juan F. Lessmann, MD FELLOWsHIP: Central utah Clinic, ut, Colorectal surgery C E r t I F I C At I O N : American Board of surgery American Board of Colon and rectal surgery sPECIAL INtErEsts: Interstim® therapy for Bowel Control Minimally invasive surgical techniques screening colonoscopy Laparoscopic colorectal surgery Anal rectal disorders surgical treatment of hemorrhoids OFFICE: susquehanna Health General surgery at Williamsport 699 rural Ave, ste 104 Williamsport, PA 17701 (570) 321-3160 www.susquehannaHealth.org

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Causes for bowel incontinence can include injuries from childbirth, stroke or advanced age, conditions that affect the pelvic nerves like diabetes as well as Parkinson’s disease and multiple sclerosis.

Approved by the FDA in March 2011, a minimally invasive treatment called InterStim® Therapy provides a new and more appealing option to help people with bowel incontinence regain their active lifestyles.

Before recommending InterStim Therapy, your doctor will diagnose and treat any underlying conditions causing your bowel incontinence. Diet and lifestyle modifications as well as medications may be used to help with your condition.

InterStim Therapy has effectively treated bladder incontinence for many years.

The same technology is used to stimulate muscles in the pelvic floor to help with bowel incontinence. A neurostimulator, a small device implanted in the upper buttock, creates mild electrical pulses that travel through a tiny wire leads to stimulate the sacral nerves which control bowel function.

A trial of the neurostimulator ensures that InterStim Therapy will work for you. During this time the neurostimulator is worn under your clothing. The minimally invasive outpatient procedure to implant the device is done with local anesthesia, making it available to a wider range of patients. It is covered by most insurances.

Randomized studies of patients who have had InterStim Therapy show that 41 percent have regained complete continence following the procedures. Eighty-three percent achieve at least a half reduction in episodes of incontinence per week.

See your doctor if you suffer from bowel incontinence at least once a week.

This chronic condition can worsen over time.

Dr. Juan Lessmann, a specialist in colon and rectal surgery with Susquehanna Health General Surgery at Williamsport, can assist you with treatments for bowel incontinence. For more information, call (570) 321-3160.

Life Sisterly Love continued from page 24

is what the kidney does in a healthy body), and then pump it back into the body. It causes nausea, dizziness, and cramping. Blood pressure can drop suddenly, and often does, leaving the patient disoriented and exhausted.

Each dialysis session lasts three hours.

Because her immune system is deeply affected by her kidney problems, Melissa lives in fear of getting any small ailment. “A cold or flu,” she says, “can result in my going into the hospital. My body can’t fight them off the way it’s supposed to.” She’s tired and she’s in pain and feels sick to her stomach all the time. She takes multiple medications. Because of the years of medical treatments, her veins are “shot with scar tissue” and she has to wear a catheter in her neck, used for dialysis, that never comes out. “I know it sounds funny, but the catheter is sometimes the worst because it hurts and I can’t shower right with it. If I get it wet, it can cause an infection.”

But Melissa is not entirely without hope. More than two years ago, Jessica (who was too young to be a donor at the time of Melissa’s last transplant) was tested and found to be a donor match. She could give Melissa one of her kidneys. What the sisters couldn’t know was they would spend the next two years struggling to find a way financially for Jessica to do just that.

The operation itself would be covered under Melissa’s insurance, but there was a hitch—and a big one: Jessica doesn’t have health insurance. With no coverage for the donor, there could be no kidney donation from Jessica.

Doctors will not perform a transplant without extensive donor testing. First and foremost would be testing to ensure that Jessica is in excellent health and can sustain the surgery and the adjustment to living with one kidney afterward. The tests would include a stress test, an EKG, dental work (an infection resulting from an unfilled cavity can be a

serious concern during or after a major operation), a bone density test, and “tons of blood work.” In an age when a routine blood test costs $150 for a patient without insurance, the medical costs could skyrocket. So how to get health insurance for Jessica?

Jessica works full time as a bartender at the Perma Stone Inn in Galeton, but she makes too much money to qualify for state-funded medical assistance, and her job does not offer health insurance.

Health insurance will cost anywhere from $140 a month, if she gets the special government-funded insurance that she’s applied for, to $1,000 a month if she doesn’t. And that doesn’t include the large down payment due when she initially signs up.

Jessica will also have to take six to twelve weeks of unpaid sick leave from her job after the surgery, and together both sisters will have to make two trips a week to Rochester, New York, to visit their doctor for the first six to eight weeks, and then once a week for a while to make sure Jessica is doing okay with one kidney and Melissa’s body is adjusting to Jessica’s kidney. Gas and travel expenses won’t be cheap, and Jessica will need living money while she has time off from work.

So Melissa and Jessica are hosting a benefit dinner on Saturday, October 13 at the Moose Lodge in Galeton at 5 p.m. to try to raise the money they need. The sisters’ friend, Kim Malaczewski, is planning the benefit dinner with them.

When asked what will happen if she doesn’t get the transplant, Melissa says, “Things will get worse. I’ll have more heart and bone problems. My fluctuating blood pressure will wear out my heart, and my bones will become increasingly weak and brittle.”

How would Melissa’s health and life change if she got the transplant?

“Everything would change. It would mean that I would have my life back.

I could feel healthy and be able to get up and go without being sick and not

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See Sisterly Love on page 30 29

Life

Courtesy of Melissa Williams

Sisterly Love continued from page 29

Courtesy of Jessica Williams

Even as schoolgirls, Melissa (above) and Jessica were close.

30

have to go to dialysis at all. I remember how that felt when I got the transplant before, and it would be so great to feel that way again.”

A beautiful fourteen-year-old girl enters the kitchen, and Melissa introduces her daughter Vinessa. “Vinessa has a heart of gold,” says Kim later. “If she sees a bucket for any charity anywhere, she’ll put her allowance money in it. Whenever she comes across those muscular dystrophy displays where you put the quarters in the slots, she’ll fill the whole thing up.”

Kim arrives with Jessica, who is quiet and seems to want her sister to do the talking. Melissa mentions that Jessica’s never had a broken bone or been really sick in her life, indicating her gratitude for her sister’s enormous physical sacrifice for her. But Jessica’s eyes fill briefly with tears, and it’s evident that she feels guilt over her health in the face of her sister’s lifelong struggles. But it’s also evident that they share a bond of love, and, seeing her sister’s reaction, Melissa says that she would rather be the one who’s sick than have had Jessica go through what she’s gone through.

Jessica’s gift is not a small one. The donation of a kidney is major surgery. To remove it, doctors will cut through her back. Then her body will have to adjust to living with only one kidney. She’ll have to take medications during much of the adjustment time and may have to stay on them. Jessica is afraid of needles, and, because of an oversensitive gag reflex, she has a lot of trouble taking pills.

But when asked what being able to give a kidney to her sister would mean to her, Jessica suddenly tears up, her turquoise-flecked eyes illuminated by the depth of her emotion and pain. She gets up wordlessly from the table and walks into the kitchen to collect herself.

Melissa’s earlier words, “Things will get worse,” and her list—including fluctuating blood pressure, the wearing down of her heart, bones becoming brittle and weak, and the other things that would happen if she doesn’t get the transplant—

now hint at a much bigger truth. What Jessica can’t bring herself to say becomes obvious: “My sister’s running out of time.

She’s going to die. And how am I going to live if I know I could have saved her?”

Jessica returns, wiping her eyes with a paper towel, and the room is flush with emotion as the sisters and their friend sit quietly. The reality that Melissa will die without the transplant, probably sooner rather than later, sits amongst them like a familiar but unwelcome resident. Melissa wears a sad and strained expression on her face and tries to direct attention away from her mortality and her sister’s emotion by saying, “It’s hard to watch a family member going through extreme hardship just to survive daily.”

But the elephant in the room remains—Melissa is running out of time. There’s a high mortality rate among people on dialysis, largely because they are already so unhealthy that they need dialysis in the first place. And it’s clear that if Melissa’s health continues to decline, soon she will not be healthy enough to sustain the transplant surgery, and the doctors will not perform it. Even a random cold or flu this winter could be the last straw for her health.

Finally Jessica finds her words, not the ones she cannot voice, but the frustrations and love she can: “The government wants you to be an organ donor on your drivers license, but, when you’re alive, they put all these obstacles to donating organs in your way. Here I am trying to save my sister’s life. My niece needs her mother, and I need my sister.”

As soon as they raise enough money for health insurance, they can set up Jessica’s insurance and Jessica can have all of her pre-operation tests done.

Depending on how many people go to the benefit dinner and how much Melissa and Jessica receive in donations, it’s possible that the transplant could be done before Christmas.

“Wouldn’t that make a nice Christmas present for everyone?” Kim asks, smiling hopefully.

Medical Professional Opportunities

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31

Millionaires of Music

By Cindy Davis Meixel

W

illiamsport is rich in music.

Once home to more millionaires per-capita than anywhere in the world, due to the thriving lumber industry of the late 1800s, this riverside community has witnessed many riches flowing along its shores and streets. Today, one form of wealth floats on notes from various windows and stages—a modern-day musical boom that a few pioneering spirits will attempt to corral and celebrate in an inaugural event: the Downtown Billtown Music Festival.

Set for Saturday, October 20, starting at 4 p.m., at the Community Arts Center in the heart of Williamsport’s downtown, the festival will showcase the extensive musical diversity and high quality of musicianship in the area by turning the spotlight on eight acts offering blues, bluegrass, folk, jazz, rock, heavy metal, and gospel and soul.

All of the entertainment is offered for one low fee of $5. Free parking will also be available at downtown meters 32

and parking garages.

“We want people more than we want money, so we made it incredibly affordable to get people to come to the event,” said Bonnie Tallman, secretary of the Billtown Blues Association, the group orchestrating the event with support from the Community Arts Center and the Williamsport Lycoming Community Foundation.

With its renowned, twenty-threeyear-old Billtown Blues Festival, staged every June, the Billtown Blues Association knows a thing or two (or ten) about organizing a successful gig. It is from that popular annual event and a recent benefit concert that the makings for a multi-genre music festival began to stir.

“We hear it again and again, what amazing musical talent we have in Williamsport,” said Tallman. “We wanted to do an event that encompassed all kinds of music.”

Additional incentive arrived three years ago when Tallman was contacted

44MAG was formed in 1998 and has the flavors of Slayer, Pantera, Metallica, and Black Sabbath.

by a representative from the Daniel Pearl World Music Foundation, asking if the blues association would consider moving its June festival to October, to join Daniel Pearl World Music Days, held annually that month. Although the association declined the suggestion to move its blues festival date, the invitation tossed additional energy into the multi-genre idea.

The Downtown Billtown Music Festival will now be a part of the 11th annual Daniel Pearl World Music Days, an international network of concerts reaffirming a commitment to crosscultural tolerance and humanity. Since 2002, nearly 9,000 performances have been staged in 119 countries, honoring the legacy of the Wall Street Journal reporter who was kidnapped and murdered by terrorists in Pakistan. An awareness-raising program, not a fundraiser, the World Music Days coincide with Pearl’s October birthday.

“We’re excited to be part of something that’s huge,” Tallman said. “I’ve

Photo by Terry Martin

B i ll t o w n

Billtown

always found musicians to be incredibly giving, so we wanted to take part in an event that celebrates humanity, the power of music, and the humanitarian, giving spirit that musicians seem to have.”

Each act at the Downtown Billtown Music Festival will perform a forty-minute set, with the festival running from 4 to 10:30 p.m. Patrons are encouraged to enjoy the entire festival and support all acts on the bill, but armbands will be offered so audience members can craft their own flexible entertainment agenda.

The line-up for the festival is as follows: Williamsport City Jazz Orchestra’s Sextet, 4 to 4:40 p.m.; Doug McMinn Blues Band, an all-star package of area blues musicians, 4:50 to 5:30 p.m.; Kimberly Adair and Soulful, an eightpiece band delivering gospel and soul, 5:40 to 6:20 p.m.; Mallory Scoppa and The Tall Tales, an indie folk foursome, 6:30 to 7:10 p.m.; Stained Grass Window, acoustic blue grass musicians, 7:20 to 8 p.m.; Alison, Richard, and Joseph Paul, of Alison Wonderband fame, harmonizing in a variety of musical genres, 8:10 to 8:50 p.m.; Clyde Frog, young classic rock musicians from the local Uptown Music Collective, 9 to 9:40 p.m., and 44MAG, magnetic heavy metal artists, 9:50 to 10:30 p.m.

Tallman said the performers were specifically selected for their diversity in music, instrumentation, and age. She noted the Susquehanna Valley music scene has “so much to pick from” and she hopes the festival will continue to be an annual event so organizers can “continue going to the well” to bring more musicians to the festival stage.

Among the younger musicians performing will be Torey Harding, with Clyde Frog. Said Harding, “Many musicians my age often overlook the music scene in William-

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See Millionaires on page 34

Serving the Area for 33 Years.

Doug McMinn has been playing for 30 years and enjoys the idea of bringing different genres together for a diverse performance.

33

Billtown Millionaires continued from page 33

sport. A lot of them believe that the key to success is getting gigs in New York City, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, etc. In my mind, Williamsport is just as good as, if not better than, any of those cities in providing an atmosphere for musicians to grow and develop.”

Jared Mondell, of 44MAG, has nearly fifteen years of band experience and is looking forward to sharing the stage “with bands we wouldn’t normally play with, but admire and respect.”

Noting that his band is “incredibly honored to have been asked to participate in the festival,” Mondell added, “The music scene in and around Williamsport is very vast and diverse, and an event such as this is an excellent way to begin to showcase that diversity.

Playing the Community Arts Center is like playing the Madison Square Garden of Williamsport, a level that the majority of local musicians aspire to throughout their careers.”

34

Among the more seasoned performers to take the stage will be Doug McMinn, a well-known musical Renaissance man with over thirty years of entertaining lore to his name. McMinn also appreciates the concept of bringing together varying musical genres, styles, and ages.

“The many talented twenty-something players in Williamsport have brought a lot of new sounds to my aging ears, many of which they came up with on their own,” McMinn commented. “There has been a flowering of new players on the Williamsport scene over the last dozen years, some of whom have already moved out into the world and made their mark, like Akron/Family, a band with Williamsport roots that tours internationally and has released a number of recordings. Of course, some of us old farts have also been here awhile, writing and recording original music!”

McMinn added, “I hope the fes-

tival will get a big crowd of people of all ages and all musical allegiances into the Community Arts Center. It’s a beautiful place to enjoy any kind of performance. The lineup has a dizzying variety of musical styles and a herd of fine musicians both young and old.

It’s gonna be fun!”

Out-of-town visitors who would like to make a day of it can take in the annual South Williamsport Mummers Parade, a large, spirited event stepping off at 2 p.m. Downtown Williamsport and the surrounding communities are home to many good restaurants, and overnight accommodations are also nearby for those who would like to settle in for a night of music and stay put in town.

For more information on the Downtown Billtown Music Festival,

visit www.billtownblues.org.

A native of Wellsboro, Cindy DavisMeixel is a writer and photographer who resides near Williamsport.

Arts & Leisure

Photo by Elizabeth Young

Laurie,Unbeatable

By Linda Roller

I

t’s a perfect fit, no matter what way you look at it. Hamilton -Gibson Productions is presenting UNBEATABLE! a new musical about the human spirit, based on the true story of Laurie Frey, a Mansfield native whose play about her triumph over breast cancer has been staged from New York to Los Angeles.

When Thomas Putnam, artistic director of Hamilton-Gibson, first heard about the musical he was “thrilled that it existed.” It’s a story about a woman with local ties, has a great score, and is well written. For

a community performance art organization striving to create a space for local, original voices, this production is tailor-made. The story’s main character, Tracy, is a woman who is diagnosed with stage three breast cancer, but it’s not a “cancer show.” It’s funny, but it’s not a comedy. The story is tense in spots, but it’s not maudlin. It’s a musical, with a great score. And, it’s the first time the show has been produced by someone other than Laurie Frey and her company, Journey Projects.

Laurie Frey, who now lives in Cleveland, had been asked by peoSee Laurie, Unbeatable on page 37

Brit Garrison as Tracy Boyd and Terry Tice as husband Brad.

Photo by Elizabeth Young

The cast surrounds Rachel Linscott (left), Brit Garrison, and Nikki Linscott as they step up to perform the song ‘Pricked, Poked and Prodded.’

35

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36

ARTS & LEISURE

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Laurie Frey laughs it up with her creative team.

Unbeatable continued from page 35

ple back home when her musical would be in the area, and she wanted to let people and family who could not travel around the country experience UNBEATABLE! So, even though her company developed the musical from a workshop to a play for the medical community to a big-city theater production, she trusted Thomas Putnam with her work. As a high school student, Laurie knew Thomas as a leader in the church they both attended, and knew of his community theater talents.

Thomas says that half the cast is new to HamiltonGibson. They’re having a good time preparing for the production because “the characters are so engaging and the music is so memorable and singable.” It’s also the first time that the Deane Center’s black box is going to be set up with tiered seating and a floating stage. This state-ofthe-art performance space has seen much use since its opening in March 2012. Thomas says that they are just beginning to tap into the possibilities of the “black box.”

After twenty-two years of moving from venue to venue, H-G is happy to have a permanent home.

See Laurie, Unbeatable on page 40 37

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Photo by Elizabeth Young

ARTS & LEISURE

Photo by Elizabeth Young

Local performer Brit Garrison plays Tracy Boyd. (Below) Mom (Linda Iseri) listens in on Tracy and Brad.

Laurie, Unbeatable continued from page 40

While both Laurie and Thomas stressed that this show is not a story of victimhood, it is a story that resonates with people who have had cancer or whose lives have been touched by any life-changing illness.

Thomas said that UNBEATABLE! provides a space for people to identify and tell some personal stories, even as they are buying tickets.

The show, which opened the weekend of September 28th with Laurie Frey planning to be in attendance, continues October 4-6 at 7:30. For ticket information call 570-724-2079 or go to www.hamiltongibson.org.

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

40

About The Creator

Photo Courtesy of Laurie Frey

Laurie Frey has been an entertainment executive for twenty plus years, and is currently working as an international tour general manager for illusionist David Copperfield, Donny and Marie Osmond, and the upcoming one-man show Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus. Throughout the years, she has held positions as tour general manager for the Blue Man Group Megastar Tour; executive producer of the national tour Veggie Tales Live; director of operations for Pace Theatrical: Phantom of the Opera, Les Miserables, Starlight Express, Fiddler on the Roof; and personal manager of Tony Vincent (singer/songwriter/ Broadway star) and the pop duo Attack Cat.

Laurie is a published author (UNBEATABLE [the whole story]), as well as the co-creator of the modern musical, UNBEATABLE! an original show based on her life and the triumphant spirit that resides in each of us. The musical has been performed in New York, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Cleveland, Phoenix, Houston, and St Louis.

In addition to entertainment, Frey teams with entrepreneur Joe Marsh, administrating his numerous business endeavors (King Tut and Princess Diana exhibits, Heron Watch Development, Ponte Vecchio Restaurante, Stonebridge Development, RMS Titanic and Carpathia artifacts, TIX Corporation, HEPI) with budget responsibilities that range from $10 thousand to $20 million.

Laurie (pictured below) resides in Cleveland, Ohio with her husband, Don, and son, Andrew.

41

F i n g e r

l a k e s

Ted Marks loves all fifteen varieties of wine his vineyard produces.

Atwater into Wine Story and Photos By Roger Neumann

A

s the owner of a winery, Ted Marks might be taken for a guy who wouldn’t be caught drinking anything but a white wine with a nice piece of broiled haddock—or be seen with anybody who would commit such an apparent offense.

But if Marks is a confirmed wine guy, when it comes to drinking he’s just a regular guy. So if you want red wine with that slice of fish, or white

42

with that slab of beef, he’ll have no objections. He might even join you.

“I like wines, especially mine,” said Marks, owner of Atwater Estate Vineyards and Winery in Burdett, north of Watkins Glen. But I’m not a student of the qualities of wines. I don’t have a palette that can taste a lot of differences, I really don’t.

“That’s not really what’s most important,” he said. “What’s most im-

portant is what you like. And that’s the point of drinking wine—to relax and enjoy it.”

Marks said he enjoys all the wines he and his staff turn out at Atwater— all fifteen or so varieties they bottle each year, depending on the harvest.

And the harvest this year, aided by a long, hot summer with just the right amount of rain, is perhaps the choicest since Marks bought the business

Finger Lakes

Harvest time: Grapes are plucked for the perfect wines.

in 1999.

“We’ve had a wonderful season.

The grapes appear to be about the best that we’ve ever had,” he said on this weekday morning in mid-September, with about another month of picking to go. He stood outside the tasting room in bright sunshine, looking out over his eighty acres of vine-covered land that stretches from New York State Route 414 on

the eastern banks of Seneca nearly to the water’s edge.

Marks came late to the wine party. A native of Elmira whose grandfather Frank Tripp started what is now the multimedia giant Gannett Company, he was involved in several other businesses over the years—including the Bookmarks bookstore in Corning, which he owned—before purchasing the vineyard and winery while in his late 50s.

Marks and his daughter Ann ran the business at first, but she eventually left and another daughter, Katie, came on board as manager of the tasting room. Katie, back now after a two-year absence, has new duties but no title.

“You don’t have to have a title if you’re a daughter,” Ted Marks reasoned, adding with a chuckle, “And the best thing is I don’t have to pay her.”

Katie Marks said Ted is “the best dad ever” and a good man to work for, a sentiment that was echoed by other employees.

“He puts a lot of trust in the people to do their jobs, and he’s open about everything,” Katie said.

There are ten full-time employees See Atwater on page 46

43

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S

urrounding the sapphire waters of Seneca Lake, our 32 wineries invite you to experience a destination rich in history, beauty, and the production of world-class wines. Located in the heart of New York’s Finger Lakes Region, our climate supports not only the growth of hardy native grapes and premium hybrids, but also more delicate varieties, such as Riesling, Gewürztraminer, Cabernet Franc and Pinot Noir.

Along the Seneca Lake Wine Trail, you will truly find a wine to suit every taste.

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Atwater continued from page 54

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and as many as fifteen part-timers, depending on the season.

Vinny Aliperti, who started at Atwater in 2001 as assistant winemaker, became the head winemaker in 2003 and continues in that role, even though he and his wife, Kim, started their own winery in Geneva five years ago. It’s an unusual arrangement but one that seems to suit Marks and Aliperti just fine.

“Ted really, really supports his employees taking the initiative and using their creativity and expressing their art,” Aliperti said. “He’s very willing to let the employees make the decisions—and, of course, you’re also then responsible for those decisions.”

Denise Clappier, the office manager, said of Marks, “He realizes that our lives depend on this business.”

Aliperti wasn’t the first employee, or even the first winemaker, to start up his own winery or find other opportunities in the industry. In fact,

there have been so many that Marks calls his place an “incubator” for other wineries.

“What I’m most proud of is the guys who have gone and started their own wineries or become very good winemakers at other wineries,” he said.

Marks, now white-haired and seventy-one years old, has no plans of his own to leave or sell Atwater. He and his second wife, Mary Ann—his first wife, Evealyn, died of cancer in 1986—have a beautiful home that sits on a point just across the lake, affording a fine view of the vineyards.

They have seven daughters and fifteen grandchildren between them.

At the winery, Marks has lunch most days with his employees in a kitchen off the offices. Then, and at any time, he encourages discussions and decision-making.

“He’s here every morning by eight o’clock,” said Clappier, who has been at Atwater almost since the be-

WHAT: Atwater Estate Vineyards and Winery WHERE: 5055 New York State Route 414 in Burdett, Schuyler County, seven miles North of Watkins Glen.

HOURS: Tasting room open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday.

(800) 331-7323 www.atwatervineyards.com

WINES: 14 to 18 varieties a year, depending on the harvest, with total production of about 8,000 gallons. Newest varieties include a sparking Riesling and a sparkling pinot noir. In August, took the most prestigious awards it’s ever won, including Best of Class and Best of Category for its 2008 Cuvee Brut, a sparkling white, at the New York Wine and Food Classic.

ginning. “He lives for lunchtime and having his group around him.”

“I absolutely adore it,” Marks said of the business.

Of the possibility that he might some day retire, he said, “I’d go nuts if I had to find something to do every day.”

Katie, who just turned forty and is uncertain about her own interest in one day running Atwater, said her dad probably will never retire. And why should he?

“You’re in the business of making people happy,” she said.

Roger Neuman, a retired editor and reporter for the Elmira Star-Gazette, is a first-time contributor to Mountain Home.

47

Food

&

Drink

Dr. Frank Savors 50

D

r. Konstantin Frank Wine Cellars is located on the western shores of Keuka Lake in the Finger Lakes of New York State. They have had a very good year.

One of the most award-winning wineries in the region, they have already pulled in sixty-seven gold medals in 2012 (beating out their fifty-one gold awards in 2011). In addition to that, their fabulous 2011 SemiDry Riesling was awarded the Governors Cup at the New York Wine and Food Classic which took place in August. Known as the “Oscar of New York Wine,” this prestigious honor is given each year to a wine that twenty-five judges from around the world consider to be the best in the entire state.

At this same competition, the winery that wins the most medals overall is named as the Winery of the Year. You guessed it. For only the second time in Classic history, the same winery took home both titles. Kudos, Dr. Frank!

How do you top that? Well, for Dr. Konstantin Frank Vinifera Wine Cellars, it was another welcome feather in their cap during a celebration that was even grander.

48

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the winery, and a milestone not only for the winery, but for the Finger Lakes region as well. Dr. Konstantin Frank will forever be remembered as the pioneer of the vinifera revolution in New York State, or, as we prefer to call him, the “Father of New York State Wine."

Before Dr. Frank’s arrival, the Finger Lakes region was best known for its fruity Lake Niagara wines and sparkly Pink Catawbas. Made from indigenous varieties, these wines were good, but did not seem to impress worldly palates. The European grapevines, known as vinifera, were considered to be the best, and many unsuccessful attempts had been made to grow them in the eastern part of America. Even Thomas Jefferson did his best, but it was believed that our cold climate doomed those vines from ever thriving here.

Enter a determined and forwardthinking immigrant from the Ukraine. His name was Dr. Konstantin Frank, and he had a PhD in viticulture (grape growing) and spoke nine different languages. Sadly, English was not one of them, so commu-

(Above and right) Dr. Konstantin Frank and (left) his namesake winery.

nication was difficult at first. He came to the Finger Lakes and realized that the region would be ideal for growing vinifera grapes. Back then, people considered him to be a bit crazy. After all, we had tried this for years, and it never worked. When told that it was too cold and he would not succeed, Konstantin replied, “I come from the Ukraine where your spit freezes before it hits the ground, and we are growing vinifera!” He was not deterred.

Long story short, Konstantin met up with another believer, Charles Fournier from Gold Seal, and they worked together to discover the cure—it was all about the rootstock. The more fragile European vines needed to be grafted onto the hardier American rootstock to survive. Konstantin bought vineyard land on Keuka Lake and

Photos Courtesy of Dr. Konstantin Frank Wine Cellars.

By Holly Howell

FOOD & DRINK

released his first vintage of Riesling in 1962.

Since then, his success has lured some of the world’s finest winemakers to our area, and has subsequently placed us as one of the top cool climate wine regions on earth. Now, instead of being best known for foxy jug wines, the Finger Lakes has a worldwide reputation for making class act vinifera wines, with Riesling standing out as our rock star grape.

Dr. Konstantin passed away in 1985, but his legacy is larger than life. The winery remains in the family, as it changed hands from Willy (Konstantin’s son), to his son, Fred, with the fourth generation in full training. The winemaking staff includes a diverse panel of international specialists from New York, California, Australia, France, and Germany. Now that’s how to make some mighty good wine.

In fifty short years, this winery has managed to catch us up on centuries of world wine-making. This past July,

Dr. Konstantin Frank Vinifera Wine Cellars held a wonderful 50th anniversary party. I was fortunate to be a part of the festivities. Truth be told, I would never have missed it! You could feel the homegrown pride in the lake air. The attendees tasted verticals of several wines, with standouts including a 1995 Chardonnay that was still dishing up beautiful fruit, a 1999 Pinot Noir that I could have easily mistaken as a village Burgundy, and a very surprising 1989 Cabernet Sauvignon that was just plain showing off.

The Finger Lakes has earned its wings, and we can thank Dr. Konstantin Frank for being our navigator. I can only imagine what the future will hold. Happy 50th, Dr. Frank. Here’s to many more!

For more information on Dr. Frank wines, please visit www.Drfrankwines.com 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); email her at wineanddine @mountainhomemag.com.

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

Apples for bobbing…apples for pies…apples for canning…

Pumpkins for carving… pumpkins for pies…

And all the spices for all of the above, at bulk prices, at

Owlett’s Farm Store 10987 State Rte 287 Wellsboro, PA 16901 Phone: 570-376-2351 Fax: 570-376-2977 Email: osfm@epix.net

49

Food & Drink

Lakeview Lodge “The best kept secret in Cowanesque Valley�

The Lodge has:

Twelve modern motel rooms, each with private bath, a television and a phone. full-service restaurant with indoor seating for 165 in two separate dining rooms, a special function room with seating for an additional 100, a bar/lounge for up to 34 and a large outside deck that wraps around the south-facing wing of the lodge.

48 Rolling Acres Lane Lawrenceville, PA 16929 (off Bliss Road)

50

(570) 827-2112 mail@lakeviewlodge.net www.lakeviewlodge.net

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!

Pennsylvania Bradford County Canton

Mansfield

}EDDIE’S RESTAURANT

}DOC'S IRISH INN

}

Doc's Irish Inn offers everything from burgers and wings to seafood and fine steaks cut to order. All breads, desserts, and entrees are made from scratch.

Please call for hotel availability.

(570) 673-8033, 127 Troy Street, Canton, PA http://www. docsirishinn.com.

KELLEY’S CREEK RESTAURANT

SIDE

Kelley’s offers $4 breakfast and $6 lunch specials every day, and they are open for dinner Wed-Sun. They specialize in home-style cooking like their prime rib and serve homemade desserts like chocolate peanut butter pie and muffins.

(570) 673-4545, 1026 Springbrook Dr www. urbanspoon.com

Stop by and check out Clem's wood-fired ribs, chicken and pork bbq. All prepared on our open fire pit and served fast 'n fresh. Hearty $5.00 lunch specials featured from 11am 2pm.Open Wed. - Sun., 11am - 7pm.Clem's - A Central PA Take-out Tradition For Over 20 Years! Located in the middle of the 4-lane at 9737 S. Route 220 Hwy., Jersey Shore, PA clemsribsandbbq.com

}

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.

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 WREN’S NEST Wren’s Nest has live music every Wed. night from 6-9. Specialties include crab cakes, steaks, and pastas. They make homemade desserts including lemon meringue ice cream pie and crème brule (sampler). (570) 662-1093, 102 West Wellsboro St, www.wrensnestpa.com.

Tioga County Liberty

}BLOCKHOUSE CAFÉ

Blockhouse Café is open for breakfast and lunch and on Friday nights, serving homemade and home-style meals, including desserts.

It’s a unique café with good food, great company, and a place where you always get your money’s worth. (570) 324-2041, 31 Willow St.

www.happyacresresort.net

Happy Acres Restaurant & Lounge Open daily

Saturdays & Sundays Breakfast Buffet 8-noon

Saturday October 13th

Pig Roast, Resort Tours, Bacon Features, Fall Cocktails

3332 Little Pine Creek Road, Waterville • (570) 753-8585

}

We Proudly Serve Starbucks® coffee

WWW.CAFE1905.COM

}YORKHOLO BREWING CO.

Offers a selection of dishes made up of local ingredients paired with Yorkholo’s own fresh brewed beer, including “Bungy” Blonde Ale, “Pine Creek” Raspberry Wit, “Mountaineer” Pale Ale, “Summer of Love” Summer Ale, “Grand Canyon” Vanilla Porter & “Coal Miner’s” Black I.P.A. are the beers we have on tap and 2 rotating selections.

(570) 662-0241, 19 N Main St, www.yorkholobrewing.com.

Waterville HAPPY ACRES RESTAURANT & BAR

Visit our website for info, rates, and photos at:

LAMBS CREEK FOOD & SPIRITS

Lycoming County Jersey Shore

}CLEM'S RIBS & BBQ

}

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.

Food & Drink

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.

Wellsboro

}CAFÉ

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. 51

d . . r . a o b A l Al M e m e o h r i t e s e r u s rea

TTRAINS RUNOKTOBERFEST MENU DAILY THROUGH THE FALL FOLIAGE SEASON TIOGA CE NTRA L

RA ILROA D 52

Phone: (570)724-0990 Web: TiogaCentral.com

FOOD & DRINK Food & Drink

}DUMPLING HOUSE

CHINESE RESTAURANT Dumpling

} }

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. THE FROG HUT The Frog Hut serves favorites like Texas hots, fried chicken, and Philly cheese steaks. They offer homemade soups and salads, and for dessert, try their soft serve ice cream, Italian ice, sundaes, and other ice cream treats. (570) 724-4450, 132 Tioga St.

}HARLAND’S FAMILY

STYLE RESTAURANT

Open seven days a week at 5 a.m., serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner all day until 9 p.m., including the largest Black Angus burgers in town, full salad bar, and all homemade desserts. Housebatter-dipped haddock fish fry every Friday. Full service on-site catering available. (570) 724-3311, 17 Pearl St.

}MARY WELLS ROOM AND

PENN WELLS LOUNGE 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.

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.

THE STEAK HOUSE The Steak House has been serving the finest steaks and seafood since1957. Whether you want

a black angus hamburger or a cold water lobster tail, there’s something for the whole family in a true Wellsboro atmosphere. 29 Main St, (570) 7249092, www.thesteakhouse.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

}

}

}

}WEST END MARKET CAFÉ

“Globally inspired, locally sourced.” A

place of nourishment and respite,

celebrating local food & creativity. We

feature fresh, locally sourced ingredients

whenever possible & Fair Trade

coffee products. Monday-Friday 7:30

a.m. To 3 p.m. Saturday 8 a.m. To 3

p.m. (570) 605-0370, 152 Main St, www. westendmarketcafe.wordpress.com.

Westfield

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

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

}ACORN #10 FEATURING SUBWAY

Potter County Galeton

}ACORN #25 FEATURING SUBWAY

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

}TUTORS RESTAURANT

Tutors Restaurant offers delicious homecooked meals 7 days a week. Breakfast on Sat and Sun. Tues˜Italian. Wed˜Seafood.

Thur˜Wings. Fri˜Fish Fry. Sun˜ Brunch Buffet.

(814) 435-3550, 75 Germania St.

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

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

TheWest End

Market Cafe Globally-inspired, locally sourced

152 Main Street Wellsboro, PA 16901

www.westendmarketcafe.com

570-605-0370

53

Mother Earth

Eensy Weensy Spider...

By Gayle Morrow

Y

ou know that certain kind of early morning in mid-autumn.

There’s a heavy dew, maybe a little ground fog, but the sun is breaking through and what you can glimpse of the sky is an especially spectacular blue. So maybe you’re out picking the last of something or other from the garden. Maybe you’re driving to work. Suddenly the light catches them just right and there they are—those glittery, gossamer doilies suspended between the goldenrod and the tomatoes, those filigreed orbs attached through some miracle of adhesion to the parallel lines of Frontier and TriCounty.

Those icky, sticky webs in the corner of the living room, not to mention the webs’ creator, who is also hanging in the corner of the living room and keeping, you’re sure, at least one of several eyes on you.

It has seemed to me there’ve been more than the usual number of spiders in the house this fall. There are always a few assorted arachnids out and about, but I figure they help keep the other creepy crawlies at bay, so unless they are particularly large and hairy, or on me, I usually just shoo them off to wherever I’m not. The others, the spiders most of us refer to as daddy longlegs, are the ones who are currently overtaking things.

54

I did a little Internet research on daddy longlegs and found out some interesting stuff. They’re not really spiders—I think it’s because of their body design and/or something to do with their eyes—but they do belong with their other eight-legged friends —spiders, ticks, mites, and scorpions —to the Arachnida class. Remember high school biology, when we learned classification/identification of living things? It goes by kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, genus, and species.

For the daddy longlegs, it’s Animalia, Arthropoda, Arachnida, Araneae, Pholeidai, Pholcus, and phalangioides.

The moniker “daddy longlegs” may apply to different critters, depending on where the human namers live. In some areas of Europe the daddy longlegs is called the harvestman because of the time of year he/she appears. There is also a daddy longlegs-looking thing called a crane fly.

In this country, the daddy longlegs is sometimes known as the long-bodied cellar spider. They do like to hang out in cellars, and also under things, behind things, and just about anyplace they can make a web. They eat insects and spiders. If they feel threatened, they do this funny little twirling thing for a few seconds, an activity that is supposed to confuse the predator.

And, at least according to what I read, the myth of the daddy longlegs being the most poisonous spider in all of creation, but unable to bite us hard enough to inject a lethal dose of venom (or at least enough venom to make us sorry for all the spiders we squished), is false.

Gayle Morrow, former editor of The Wellsboro Gazette, cooks locally, and organically, at the West End Market Café.

Food & Drink

}BRICKHOUSE CAFE & DELI

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.

Wayland

}ACORN #16 FEATURING SUBWAY

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

Chemung County

Finger Lakes Hammondsport

www.ricospizza.com.

Yorkholo Brewing

Co. & Restaurant

}MALONEY’S PUB

Maloney’s Pub offers live music year

round. Come show your talent or view

other local talent at their open mics

on Thursdays, or lounge around and

play pool at their pool table. They also

have pub merchandise available.

(607) 569-2264, 57 Pulteney St, www.maloneyspub.com.

Artisan ales paired with dishes made up of local ingredients 19 N. Main St. Mansfield, PA 570-662-0241

Watkins Glen

}CAPTAIN BILL’S

Discover the beauty of Seneca Lake.

Dine afloat aboard the Seneca Legacy or

on the waterfront at Seneca Harbor

Station. Saturday night dinner cruises

sail from 6-9 p.m. Open 7 days.

(607) 535-4541, 1 N Franklin St, www.senecaharborstation.com.

}JERLANDO'S RISTORANTE

& PIZZA CO.

Enjoy lunch or dinner on the Patio!

Large selection of American and Italian dishes; savor the flavor of our famous Garlic Knots & we make the “Best Pizza in Town”.Bon Appettito!

400 N. Franklin St., Watkins Glen, NY 14891, 607-535-4254 Open 7 days a week 10AM -9PM, jerlandospizza.com

570-724-3311 Open 7 Days a Week 17 Pearl St., Wellsboro, PA 16901 Full Service On Site Catering Available

Largest Black Angus Burgers in town!

Full Salad Bar 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.

All Homemade Desserts

Open at 5 a.m., we serve Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner all day until 9 p.m.!

55

Ho m e & G a rd e n Old Time, Home Made Story and photos by Dave Milano

Photo courtesy of The Cherry Flats Ridge Pluckers

W

hen Bruce Smith, woodworking hobbyist and guitarist for the popular local old-time band, The Cherry Flats Ridge Pluckers, got the idea to build his own guitar, strangely the idea seemed pretty sensible to him.

No matter that guitar building is immensely complicated, or that Bruce had no experience in building instruments of any sort. No matter that he owned none of the specialty tools guitar makers use (nor even knew what some of those tools might be).

What did matter was that Bruce loved music, enjoyed woodworking, and wanted to give it a go.

Meanwhile, twenty miles away, The Cherry Flats Ridge Pluckers banjo player was feeling the flush of a similar virus.

For Ron Markell, playing the clawhammer banjo (so known because the string-plucking hand assumes a stiff, claw-like position during playing) is something of a natural art. Ron is an instinctive clawhammer player—the sort

See Home Plucked on page 58

56

The Cherry Flats Ridge Pluckers (above) are, from left to right: Aubrey Irion (guitar), Ben Markell (guitar), Ron Markell (banjo), Wanda Irion (fiddle), Riah Irion (fiddle), Bruce Smith (guitar), and John O'Donnell (bass).

Bruce Smith, since crafting his first guitar, has continued making the instruments and is continuing on to other string instruments.

Home & Garden

Ron Markell plucks his home-made banjo using the clawhammer style.

BUY 7 WINDOWS GET YOUR

8TH WINDOW

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September 15 - October 31, 2012

607.562.7333 martinecbuilders.com 83 canal street, big flats, NY 14814 57

Home & Garden

Ron Markell in the shop with two of his homemade banjos, the left is one a special fretless version.

Home Plucked continued from page 56

that effortlessly pumps out melody, harmony, and percussion with such raw and rhythmic intensity that a room full of wallflowers suddenly find themselves up and dancing before they’ve remembered to pull up their socks. Ron’s love of old-time banjo music had over time morphed into a fascination with the instrument itself, and for him, like Bruce, there was only one thing to do about it.

So in a barn outside Cherry Flats and a basement in Columbia Crossroads, two neophytes separately set about doing the improbable: turning wood and metal into stage-worthy instruments.

58

Both Bruce and Ron know their way around folk instruments. Either one can handle a violin or mandolin or guitar or bass. But familiarity with the playing side is no better preparation for instrument building than driving is for fixing your car. Playing skill may even make trouble, tempting the maker to believe he can build a better mousetrap.

Wisely, the two let tradition be their teacher, and pushed back urges to be intemperately creative. Previously purchased instruments answered questions about shape and size, wood selection, bracing patterns, thickness, thinness, and joinery. Comparisons between higher and lower quality

instruments helped bypass impossible questions about how all that relates to sound quality, volume, playability, and appearance.

They filled their planning period with studies, and followed that with weeks of patient work in the shop.

Woods were collected, jigs were built, tools were purchased that could measure, mold, and fit parts to the hundredth of an inch.

Things went well, and things went awry and were redone. When the dust settled, Bruce had himself a beautiful acoustic guitar and Ron a fine, 5-string banjo, now their primary performance instruments.

See Home Plucked on page 60

Home & Garden

Out of the mold, into the wide-open‌

Magnificent home sites

Four to thirteen acres Build-to-suit option Have your dream home SundanceRidgeLiving.com 570-724-5575

Inspired by Nature 59

Home & Garden Home Plucked continued from page 58

They were so pleased with the outcome that both immediately embarked on new projects. As of this writing Bruce has three guitars to his name and is preparing to build a couple of mandolins. Ron has built five banjos and is working on a mandola.

Old-time music found its voice in the 1920s and ‘30s in the southern Appalachians, back when travel off the mountain was a rare event and people were used to doing for themselves. Poverty and isolation conspired to create many a homemade instrument and prompted countless house and barn dances.

Bruce and Ron, with the rest of The Cherry Flats Ridge Pluckers, carry on the tradition. Catch them sometime at a festival or barn dance and enjoy a generous earful of true Americana.

Or maybe invite your friends and neighbors over and throw your own barn dance. The Ridge Pluckers will provide a lively rhythm and will find a caller for you, too. (A personal recommendation: Throw a piece of plywood on the ground and ask guitarist Ben Markell for a clogging demonstration.)

See how long you can sit still (don’t bet it will be for long). Leave your socks down.

Bruce Smith made this jig to heat and bend the sides of his guitars.

60

Musician, woodworker, and all-around Renaissance man Dave Milano is a frequent contributor to Mountain Home.

www.npennrealestate.com

REAL ESTATE

Chris Gilbert ........................... 570-404-1268 Ron Gilbert ............................. 607-483-2241 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

FIRST

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RE DU CE D

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LAND Delmar Twp 2.50 Acres - $54,900 2.60 Acres - $54,900 5.11 Acres - $99,900 7.92 Acres - $89,900 11.80 Acres - $49,900 19.72 Acres - $129,900 DELMAR TWP & WELLSBORO BORO

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LAND

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

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LAND with OGMS

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RUTLAND TWP

13.29 Acres - $39,900

WELLSBORO BORO

3.12 Acres - $99,900 1.50 Acres - $49,900 1.60 Acres - $54,900 CERES TWP

Great Location! Lots of outbuildings with this 3 BR home located on the outskirts of town. Great location for possible campground (with township approval) or vegetable farm! OGMS! Only $219,900 M122898

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LAND

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20.74 Acres - $45,000 Views! 4 BR home with wet-bar & entertaining area in the basement. Open kitchen, dining, & family room. Pool off the back deck and walkup attic for lots of storage. Propane fireplace.

Awesome view of the valley below regardless of the season. Just $259,000 M122997

LAND Ward Twp 20.69 Acres - $64,900 47.65 Acres - $150,450 50.78 Acres - $159,840 71.47 Acres - $221,910 126.96 Acres - $388,380 150.00 Acres - $457,500 174.50 Acres - $531,000 195.19 Acres - $593,070 221.47 Acres - $679,410

1.00 Acre - $29,900 1.50 Acres - $39,900 1.66 Acres - $44,900 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, inground pool with bathhouse.

Now Just $142,900 M122714

LAND Jackson Twp 12.52 Acres - $47,900 13.07 Acres - $49,900 16.57 Acres - $64,900 18.84 Acres - $89,900 29.64 Acres - $109,900 82.00 Acres - $199,000 94.52 Acres - $229,900 113.36 Acres - $329,900 143.00 Acres - $439,900

TIOGA BORO

0.16 Acres - $19,900 CHARLESTON TWP

9.90 Acres - $89,900

Great Opportunity! Potential for your home based business to pay for your home. 2 story, 3 BR home with updated kitchen, hardwood floors, & bath remodel being done. Separate 24x42 shop currently a beauty shop. Property comes with hot tub, above ground pool, & large in town lot. Just $179,000 M122914

COMMERCIAL LAND CHARLESTON TWP

2.40 Acres - $85,000 10.00 Acres - $699,000 RICHMOND TWP Move In Ready! 2011 3 BR doublewide on a level one acre lot. The open floor plan makes for ease of entertaining, french doors open from the dining area onto a large 24x16 deck that is maintenance free with composite decking & vinyl railing.

Only $154,900 M122793

Each Office Independently Owned & Operated

5.00 Acres - $199,900 ATHENS TWP

10.00 Acres - $599,900 LAWRENCE TWP

50 Acres - $1,250,000

www.npennrealestate.com

REAL ESTATE Convenient Downtown Location 78 Main St., Wellsboro, PA 570-724-5921 FAX 570-724-8077

SCAN TO VIEW ALL OUR LISTINGS

Email: c21wd@yahoo.com Visit online: www.century21wilkinsondunn.com

S TA B IL IT Y — S ERV ICE — S UCCES S

Wilkinson - Dunn Company

Star burst on front greets you from this affordable Ranch home in Wellsboro near Middle school. Chain link fence to secure back yard and 2 car detached garage.

WOW! What value, 4 bdrms, 3 baths all on one level. Attached garage, new siding, master suite, some wood floors. Only a short drive to town.

Well established and very desirable housing development has lots available.

Ready for your dream house! Ranging in size from 2 acres to 4 acres. And prices vary from $35,000 to 45,000.

Pine Creek Cabin, walk to the water from this adorable 3 bdrm, cabin on 1.2 acres, fireplace, screened porch, all the comforts of home!

Wellsboro

Delmar

Charleston

Gaines

MLS-122988

$118,500

MH-122936

$179,900

MH-varies

Tiadaghton location in PA Grand Canyon means seclusion! Cabin or home for outdoor enthusiast. 3 wooded acres, 3 bdrm, 2 baths, full basement. Will Not Last!

Super efficient home and easy to maintain. In Wellsboro near elementary schools and hospital. 3 bdrms, 1 ½ baths, sunroom, some wood floors, covered patio, garage & paved drive.

Nice wooded building lot. 1.54 acres located in a quiet subdivision. Property is located near 3 lakes and has easy access to Wellsboro, Mansfield & New York State.

Property consist of 2 separately deeded parcels being sold as one.

Delmar

Wellsboro

Middlebury

MH-122635

$189,900

MH-122488

$151,900

MH-122283

$29,900

MH-122636

$214,900

Construction started in 2006 for this custom stick home. Nestled in the woods with small pond on 53.24 acres with 50% OGM’s available. This is a superb home, fireplace, wood stove, 3 bdrms, 2 baths, full walk in basement, huge patio! Home needs finishing but the majority is finished for your enjoyment.

Rutland MH-122371 $499,000

Each Office is Independently Owned and Operated

Flora Haff-Cranmer Diversified Realty 607-329-9386 fcranmer@stny.rr.com Contact Flora for Buying and Selling in The Finger Lakes!

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Catherine “Cat� Ostrom REALTOR 114 TIOGA ST., WELLSBORO, PA moutainvalleyrealtyllc.com

HAMMONDSPORT, NY Keuka Lake East Side Year Round Home (Built 2003). Main floor has open floor plan & 2nd floor offers 2+ bedrooms. Full bath on both floors. 48.5 feet frontage, permanent dock, covered boat lift, cabana room. Your lake view is breathtaking! MLS#229982.

Listed @ $425,000. Call me for details!

HAMMONDSPORT, NY Waneta Lake West Side Year Round Home!

Immaculate & Well Maintained. 50’ of frontage, decks, dock, front porch overlooking the water. 3 BD’s/1+1/2 Baths. Two car garage, storage shed, mature trees. Use as year round or seasonal! Enjoy fishing & boating! Most furnishings stay! MLS#230335. Listed @ @209,900. Call me for details!

Ready to Help you with Your Real Estate Needs!

MLS 122330

cat.ostrom@hotmail.com DIRECT: 570-447-8861 OFFICE : 570-723-8484

MLS 122519 $215,000 $179,900 NEW PRICE AND $5,000.00 Seller Assist!

IDEAL AS FARMETTE or HOBBY farm!

Large 4 bedroom home! Updated farmhouse offers spacious rooms. Barn provides opportunity for workshop or to raise animals. Great property to raise your family, gardens and livestock! EZ to Wellsboro or Williamsport!

MLS 122436

Come See this beautiful home! With 3 bedrooms, 2 full baths and fully finished basement.

You’ll be sure to enjoy the nice quiet setting with a lovely stream that runs through the edge of the property. Be sure to make an appointment today!

$54,900

Great building lot with 2 water wells on the site. Able to access public sewer and natural gas.

Come check out this ideal location with unsigned gas rights that will transfer to the buyer!

Owner currently rents lot for $350 per month.

MLS 122888

$90,000

Come see this cozy 3 bedroom home right in Westfield! A new Metal roof was just put on.

Make an appointment Today!

www.npennrealestate.com

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www.mountainvalleyrealtyllc.com NORTH CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S CHOICE FOR: COM0(5&,$/ +20(6 $&5($*( )$506 &$%,16 5(17$/6 Âł3URIHVVLRQDOV ZRUNLQJ KDUG IRU <28´

STUNNING LOG HOME ON 39+ ACRES â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Newer 3 bdrm log home offers spacious loft, 2 bath, master suite leads to porch with new hot tub. Raised basement with walkout provides sophisticated master suite. Attached lg 2 car garage plus a lg 3 car detached garage/workshop, patio and wooded lot add to this unique property. $477,000 #122992

VICTORIAN 4 BEDROOM HOME, WELLSBORO â&#x20AC;&#x201C; This home is one of the oldest homes in the town of Wellsboro with gorgeous hardwood Ă&#x20AC;RRUV ÂżUHSODFH DWWDFKHG JDUDJH VWUHDP JUHDW Ă&#x20AC;RRU SODQ KLVWRULF FKDUP DQG DOO RI \RXU XSGDWHG modern conveniences! Own your piece of history for just $184,900 #122986

COMFORTABLE 4 BDRM, 2.56 ACRES, BORO OF WELLSBORO â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Beautiful 2 story farmhouse with porch, large barn,garage and sits within Boro of Wellsboro. Home, offers wide SODQN EHDXWLIXO ZRRG Ă&#x20AC;RRUV WKURXJKRXW VWRQH ÂżUHSODFH EHGURRPV EDWKURRPV GLQLQJ URRP RIÂżFH ODXQGU\ URRP EDFN SRUFK DQG DFUHV $189,000 #122969

OUTSTANDING POTENTIAL FOR YOUR HOMESTEAD ON 10 ACRES! â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 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

VACATION OR RETIRE HERE! â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 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! $209,990 #122903

BEAUTIFUL 2 STORY HOME IN WELLSBORO â&#x20AC;&#x201C; The best kept secret in Wellsboro! Gorgeous 3 bdrm home in downtown Wellsboro with a 1 car DWWDFKHG JDUDJH 7KLV KRPH KDV KDUGZRRG Ă&#x20AC;RRUV D QLFH Ă&#x20AC;RRU SODQ QHZ DSSOLDQFHV IHQFHG LQ SULYDWH yard, patio and much more. $159,900 #122884

LOG CABIN ON 33 ACRES WITH 100% OGMS â&#x20AC;&#x201C; VACATION, HUNT, SNOWMOBILE! Hereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s your dream property with 33+ acres, unleased 100% OGMs! Log cabin offers secluded setting in the PINE CREEK VALLEY with long views, ROW to State Forest, great solitude for relaxation. Short drive to PA Grand Canyon and Wellsboro. Call for pertinent details! $299,000

10 WOODED ACRES SURROUNDS THIS CABIN â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 2 story rustic cabin offers 3 bdrms, cathedral ceiling, full length covered porch, well, septic, very lg new 2 story custom rustic garage with concrete Ă&#x20AC;UV HOHFWULF DQG VSDFH IRU DSDUWPHQW )XOO WLPH RU vacation getaway! Must see property in Ulysses/ Harrison Valley area of Potter County! $199,000.

EXCEPTIONAL VIEWS -SECLUDED SETTING2.87 AC. â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 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. $239,500 #122599

BEAUTIFUL WELLSBORO HOME â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 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! $199,000 #122601

LIKE ON VACATION YEAR ROUND â&#x20AC;&#x201C; This unique home/camp on 1 acre is surrounded by woods and EZ drive to State lands or Pine Creek! A must see home offering 3 bdrms., 2 bathrooms, rustic refurbished kitchen and living room. Two level covered deck and full length rear screen porch!

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COMFY RESIDENCE OR VACATION GETAWAY! â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 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

OUTSTANDING EXECUTIVE STYLE HOME, 24 AC. â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 100% OGMâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;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 ÂżQLVKHG EDVHPHQW IRU IDPLO\ HQWHUWDLQPHQW DUHD ZLWK QG NLWFKHQ (= WR 1< 0DQVÂżHOG 5W , $440,000 #122338

100% OMGS, YOUR PRIVATE CASTLE ON 65 AC. â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Indescribable detail in this custom home Z XQLTXH SRVW EHDP GHVLJQ RSHQ Ă&#x20AC;RRU SODQ FDWKHGUDO FHLOLQJV OJ ZLQGRZV GRXEOH JODVV doors throughout. Access the lg deck from 4 rooms. Custom amenities including lavish master EDWKURRP DFV RIIHU IXWXUH WLPEHU SRWHQWLDO 100% OGM rights. $739,000. #119832

22.54 ACRES (WOW THE VIEWS!) BETWEEN TROY AND MANSFIELD â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Over the meadows EH\RQG 0HWLFXORXVO\ PDLQWDLQHG /LQGHO FHGDU log multi-level home. Raised basement for addâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;l OLYLQJ VSDFH (OHJDQW UXVWLF Z RSHQ Ă&#x20AC;U SODQ A/C, Harmon coal stove, lg.new garage, new well VSULQJ DF RSHQ ZRRGHG ODQG &RUQHU property with long frontage. $360,000 #119956

PRIVATE LOGHOME RETREAT â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Attractive ORJ KRPH IHDWXUHV D VLGHG VWRQH ÂżUHSODFH ZLWK ZRRG LQVHUW &KHUU\ VWHSV WR WKH VHFRQG Ă&#x20AC;RRU ORIW ZKLFK RIIHUV EGUPV EDWKURRP 6SDFLRXV JUHDW UP RIIHUV FDWKHGUDO FHLOLQJV VODWH Ă&#x20AC;RRUV +RPH boasts beautiful master suite. All this on 32 private acs! EZ to Wellsboro. $435,000. #121313

www.npennrealestate.com

$1

,5

00

REAL ESTATE

50 ,8

75

$1 00 $6

25 ,5 $1

25

Chicken coop was $775

,0 $3

$1

,3

,1

8028 Rt. 414 Liberty, PA 16930

10â&#x20AC;&#x2122; x 12â&#x20AC;&#x2122; Cape Cod was $2000

10â&#x20AC;&#x2122; x 12â&#x20AC;&#x2122; Mini Barn was $1650

25

10â&#x20AC;&#x2122; x 14â&#x20AC;&#x2122; Mini Barn was $1750

$2

50

75 ,0

$1

$2 ,5 $1

,1

,5 $2

$4

12â&#x20AC;&#x2122; x 20â&#x20AC;&#x2122; Deluxe Cape Cod was $4500

10â&#x20AC;&#x2122; x 20â&#x20AC;&#x2122; Cape Cod was $2750

8 x 8 Villa with Vinyl Siding was $2100

8â&#x20AC;&#x2122; x 10â&#x20AC;&#x2122; A frame was $1500

75

8â&#x20AC;&#x2122; x 12â&#x20AC;&#x2122; Deluxe potting shed was $ 2700

75

8â&#x20AC;&#x2122; octagon gazebo with belle roof was $3700

50

10 x 12 Mini Barn was $1650

$2

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25 ,3 $3

$1

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Close out pricing on all in-stock storage sheds!

www.blackcreekent.com 10â&#x20AC;&#x2122; x 16â&#x20AC;&#x2122; Cape Cod was $2250

8â&#x20AC;&#x2122; x 8â&#x20AC;&#x2122; Mini Barn was $1250

Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t see what youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re looking for here?

Place an order from now through Thanksgiving and get a FREE ramp and loft in your shed.

10â&#x20AC;&#x2122; x 16â&#x20AC;&#x2122; A Frame was $2500

10â&#x20AC;&#x2122; x 16â&#x20AC;&#x2122; Deluxe Classic was $3370

Hurry in to take advantage of these deals, because when theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re gone, they are gone!

Phone 570-324-6503

Storage never looked SO GOOD!

â&#x20AC;˘ Residential â&#x20AC;˘ Commercial â&#x20AC;˘ Agricultural â&#x20AC;˘ Equine â&#x20AC;˘ Custom Quotes â&#x20AC;˘ Stock Sizes â&#x20AC;˘ Convenient Financing Serving PA, NY, NJ, DE, MD, VA and WV 1-888-448-2505 www.ppb1.com

716 So. Rt. 183, Schuylkill Haven, PA 17972

BEAUTIFUL, HISTORIC 12 BR VICTORIAN HOME 1883 Costello Family mansion, available as well-known B&B, or single family residence.

Original detailed woodwork, commercial kitchen and charming setting, nestled in a grove of huge maple trees close to the First Fork of the Sinnemahoning Creek.

MTHDLM 121986 $259,900

OIL, GAS & MINERAL rights available w/beautiful %5 IDUPKRXVH RQ DFUHV /DUJH VWRQH ÂżUHSODFH in Great Room, meticulously landscaped grounds ZLWK SLFWXUH SHUIHFW RXW EXLOGLQJV VW Ă&#x20AC;RRU %5 DQG bath w/laundry. Borders State Forest, some fencing.

Excellent horse property or commercial possibilities; some timber value.

MTHDLM 119077 $399,000

SECLUDED 5 BR LOG HOME (or lodge) on 315+ wooded acres; scenic pond w/swimming area, log bunk house, miles of 4-wheeler trails, food plots, large equipment barn, complete solar energy system, high speed internet, new underground electric, timber value. and more.

MTHDLM 122808 $995,000

BEAUTIFULLY RESTORED 3 BR Victorian style farm house within minutes of Coudersport, offering cozy eat-in kitchen, covered front and side porches, large heated garage and shop, small stream meanders through property, nicely landscaped.

BRO 121321 $159,900

www.npennrealestate.com

REAL ESTATE WWW.PENNOAKREALTY.COM

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

PA Certified WBE

SCAN TO VIEW OUR LISTINGS

VIEW TO DIE FOR from back deck of this EHDXWLIXO %5 FRXQWU\ UDQFK RQ WRS RI 'HQWRQ Hill. 8 acres surround recently remodeled RUSTIC CHALET ON 28 WOODED ACRES KRPH ZLWK QHZ NLWFKHQ ODPLQDWH ZRRG Ă&#x20AC;RRUV with a great view from covered deck - PDLQWHQDQFH IUHH YLQ\O VLGLQJ 2SHQ Ă&#x20AC;RRU secluded, yet 10 minutes to town. Bring SODQ ZLWK ODUJH IDPLO\ URRP Z ZRRG VWRYH KRUVHV DQG $79ÂśV VWDOO KRUVH EDUQ Z VKRS GHQ EDU Z ÂżUHSODFH LQ ZDON RXW ORZHU OHYHO DQG RIÂżFH VWXGLR SOHQW\ RI SDVWXUH DYDLODEOH FDU JDUDJH FORVH WR VNL DUHD DQG 6WDWH %HDXWLIXO ÂżUHSODFH YDXOWHG FHLOLQJ ZDON RXW Forest, connected to PA State 4-wheel and ORZHU OHYHO VPDOO SRQG snowmobile trails.

MTH 122772 $186,900 MTH 122857 $189,900

7 ACRES AT EDGE OF WELLSBORO with KRPH DQG EDUQ 6ORSLQJ ORW ZLWK VWUHDP FORVH WR /DNH 1HVVPXN IRU ÂżVKLQJ DQG ERDWLQJ very short distance to town conveniences.

Some deferred maintenance on the house and barn.

MTH 122879 $154,900

17 ACRES WITH A WELL MAINTAINED 5-7 BR home close to downtown Wellsboro VFKRROV PHGLFDO IDFLOLWLHV DQG VKRSSLQJ Plenty of room for a growing family in a SOHDVDQW VHWWLQJ RIIHULQJ D VFUHHQHG LQ SLFQLF DUHD RYHUVL]HG KHDWHG JDUDJH DQG SDVWRUDO view. Also available with 4 acres under MTH 2*0ÂśV DUH QHJRWLDEOH MTH 122957 $299,900

OUTSTANDING 4 BR COUNTRY HOME with too many features to list, including the family COZY 2 BR HOME sits on 1+ acre close to URRP Z VWRQH ÂżUHSODFH DQG Ă&#x20AC;DJVWRQH Ă&#x20AC;RRU Beechwood Lake and surrounded by farm vaulted ceiling in living room, large master ÂżHOGV VW Ă&#x20AC;RRU GHQ FRXOG HDVLO\ EH D UG suite, huge attached garage w/kitchen and %5 7KHUH LV D VSDFLRXV HDW LQ NLWFKHQ DQG laundry room, great outbuildings, close to large living room w/coal stove. The oversized State Land, walk to Pine Creek, 4-wheel and JDUDJH LV VHW XS DV D ZRUNVKRS Z KHDW DQG VQRZPRELOH IURP KRPH LQFRPH IURP PRELOH home. electric. $229,000 MTH 122971 $85,000 MTH 122993

VERY NICE 3 BR ranch home on 45 acres with great views, in a very secluded setting with quick access - fronts Route 44 and Dry Run Road. Wood stove in walk-out lower OHYHO QLFH [ PHWDO SROH EXLOGLQJ MTH 122966 $249,000

GREAT STARTER CAMP ON 12 ACRES in a good 4-wheel/snowmobile area. Excellent view and close to thousands of acres of State /DQG 3ULY\ LQ SODFH QR ZHOO \HW MTH 122893 $59,900

Commercial Sales & Leasing

FIRST

Chris Gilbert - Realtor chris.gilbert@remax.net DIRECT: 570-404-1268 OFFICE: 570-662-2200 5VY[O 4HPU :[ 4HUZĂ&#x201E;LSK 7(

Find your dream home at www.mountainvalley-chris.com Chris Costanzo-VanDergrift REALTOR 114 TIOGA ST., WELLSBORO, PA DIRECT: 570-419-7185 moutainvalleyrealtyllc.com chrisrealtorpa@yahoo.com

14,500 sq ft Commercial building with a 3 bdrm home located in downtown Wellsboro!

Unlimited possibilities for this building that sits on 1.37 acres. Currently being used as a bowling alley & busy restaurant, but owner is willing to remove items for a vacant commercial building. Property has ample parking. Home can be used as owners residence or investment property and is in good condition.

MLS 122984

The best kept secret in Wellsboro! Gorgeous 3 bdrm home in downtown Wellsboro with a 1 car attached garage. This home has hardwood floors, has a nice floor plan, new appliances, fenced in private yard, patio, central air and much more. MUST SEE THIS HOME! $725,000 MLS 122884 $164,500

Dream of Owning a Bed & Breakfast?

Lovely historic home in Blossburg is a turnkey established Bed & Breakfast. Exquisite touches. Spacious common areas for guests. Large ownerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s living quarters.

Additional space in basement is currently rented.

Now Only $309,000 M122806

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 $399,900 M122280

For Lease!

Be the first to occupy this new professional or business office space. Unfinished. You finish to suit your needs. High visibility near busy intersection. Two spaces available, call for details.

Just $1,900/month M122983

Very High Visibility!

Great shop located on Rte 6 near Sheetz with great visibility & traffic count. Garage area with 2 O/H doors & office space.

Room to park trucks or equipment.

Just $2,000/month M122822

EACH OFFICE INDEPENDENTLY OWNED & OPERATED

www.npennrealestate.com

REAL ESTATE

:2: ULJKW RQ WKH 3LQH &UHHN +HUH LV RQH WKDW KDV LW DOO 7KLV property really is a must see. 3 bedroom home with a large 2 car garage and tons of amenities. Central air, alarm system, EHDXWLIXO GHFN RYHU WKH ORZHU OHYHO ODUJH FDU GHWDFKHG JDUDJH DQG RK \HV GLG ZH PHQWLRQ WKDW \RXÂśUH ULJKW RQ WKH FUHHN" MLS#122367 $349,900

Come see this grand old Wellsboro house with large rooms on a nicely manicured yard. With spacious rooms and 4 bedrooms, 2.5 baths. This is an executive style house with a large sunroom WKDW KDV D UDGLDQW KHDWHG Ă&#x20AC;RRU OHDGLQJ RXW WR D GHFN ,QFOXGHV DQ oversized 2 car garage with overhead storage.

MLS# 122588 $339,900

1HZ FDSH FRG RQ DFUHV 2SHQ Ă&#x20AC;RRU SODQ ZLWK ODUJH URRPV /DUJH FDU JDUDJH DQG IXOO EDVHPHQW )LUVW Ă&#x20AC;RRU PDVWHU EHGURRP ZLWK PDVWHU EDWK DQG H[WUD ODUJH ZDON LQ FORVHW -XVW minutes from downtown. Ogmâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s are included with property.

MLS#121584 $299,900

Very nice salt box style post and beam home in quiet VXEGLYLVLRQ EHGURRP ZLWK D UG Ă&#x20AC;RRU DUHD WKDW FRXOG HDVLO\ EH D IRXUWK EHGURRP (QMR\ WKH ÂżUHSODFH LQ WKH OLYLQJ URRP RU UHWUHDW WR WKH ODUJH GHFN RQ WKH UHDU RI WKH KRPH /RWV RI WUHHV LQ WKH yard provide a peaceful setting.

MLS#122757 $229,000

40 acres in Ward Township, Tioga County. The land has frontage along a township road and is only a short walk to State Forest land. Electricity is available and the property has been perc approved for construction. The land is gently rolling and offers many potential building sites for a house or cabin. $139,000. Reduced to $115,000

Cameron County, PA We are offering 3 parcels with state forest frontage AND frontage along Cowley Run near the Sizerville State Park. 4 acres - $49,900, 6 acres - $59,000, and 7 acres - $59,900. Owner financing available to qualified buyers.

www.npennrealestate.com

REAL ESTATE Brookside Homes - take a look at our distinctive features.

3TILL (AVE $IAL 5P 'ET (IGH 3P 'ET (IGH 3PEE EED 4ODAY 4ODAY

True Blue Satellite Systems 2ETAILER S .AME 699 Karr Valley Rd, Almond, NY

(607) 276-2817, www.truebluesat.getdish.com

107 Main Street Wellsboro, Pa. 16922

570-723-1600 www.wellsboroparealestate.com

Hills Creek Dr., Wellsboro A must see, meticulously cared for home in Hills Creek Estates.

Top-notch construction and quality evident throughout the 3 bedroom, 2 full bath home. Loft area for extra living space, vaulted ceiling and ÂżUHSODFH ZLWK JDV LQVHUW )XUQDFH DQG FHQWUDO DLU UHSODFHG RQO\ WZR years ago. Call today!

REF#10575 $289,900

â&#x20AC;˘ Hybrid or XP 17 â&#x20AC;?Solar Readyâ&#x20AC;? heat pump heating/cooling system â&#x20AC;˘ NuWool dense pack insulation with 3 year energy guarantee â&#x20AC;˘ Superior XI Plus R-21.3 insulated basement walls â&#x20AC;˘ Upgrade floors in foyer, 1st floor hall, kitchen and breakfast area â&#x20AC;˘ Zip Wall System with Stormex for Exterior Wall Sheathing â&#x20AC;˘ Stainmaster carpet

Selinsgrove 570-374-7900

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Your Real Estate Connection to the Finger Lakes!â&#x20AC;?

Custom Built Homes www.brookside-homes.com www brookside homes com M fi Mansfield 570-662-7900

Cabins to Castles on Seneca Real Estate 317 N. Franklin Street Watkins Glen, NY 14891 2IĂ&#x;FH )D[

www.CabinstoCastlesRE.com

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Seneca Lake home with 100â&#x20AC;&#x2122; of Lake Front. Set in the woods with Lake Views. &DWKHGUDO FHLOLQJV DQG ÂżUHSODFH LQ OLYLQJ area, 4 bedrooms, 1.5 bathrooms. Finished EDVHPHQW 6WHSV GRZQ WR (OHF %RDW /LIW and Dock at Waterfront as Well as a Shared Swimming Dock. $239,000

www.npennrealestate.com

REAL ESTATE

www.npennrealestate.com

REAL ESTATE

MarketPlace

Shop Around the Corner

Anne Miller and Ruth Anne Miller are a perfect motherdaughter team

N

The Happy End of the World

o matter where you are starting from, a trip to Blackwell always takes longer than you expect. Part of it is the winding country roads, and the one-lane bridges.

Part of it is that many visitors just don’t expect so much wilderness while on a state highway in the heart of Pennsylvania. Ruth Anne Miller, of Miller’s Store in Blackwell, said it best: “We are at the end of the world.”

Luckily for all of us, Miller’s store is there at the end of the world to welcome the weary traveler. Located in a small home, this store has the heart and soul of a general store from an earlier time, with the whimsy that attracts and delights people of all ages today. It literally hugs Route 414 in the center of Blackwell, within easy view of the Rails to Trails and Pine Creek. Carved bears, many by Nic Blackwell, local artist, spill out of the

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By Linda Roller Photos by Elizabeth Young

building and porch to greet you. Inside, a small general store, with all the necessities of trail riding and camping share the space with work by local artisans, a bookstore, an ice cream parlor and sandwich shop, and a studio for Ruth Anne, who is an artist in weaving and textile arts. The garage area below is the hub of rental activity, with bikes for the trails and tubes for the creek. The family also rents out four vacation “cottages” ranging from a small cottage by the creek to a fullsized house nearby. The shop is open year round, and the stock changes with the seasons. “Only the Utz truck delivers,” says Ruth Anne. Jeff, Ruth Anne’s husband, must buy and deliver all the other items in the store. Even the ice cream must be picked up in Slate Run, as that’s the end of the line for the Hershey ice cream truck.

It appears to be an unlikely com-

bination, but in the hands of the Millers, the various strands are woven together seamlessly. As Ruth Anne says, the family has groceries in its blood, as well as customer service. Jeff is the son of Ralph and Margaret Miller, longtime owners of a general store in Morris. The seed for the store in Blackwell was planted by Anne and John Miller, the children of Ruth Anne and Jeff.

They started with cold water at a picnic table by the trail, followed by packaged food, under an umbrella donated by their parents. The next year, Anne and John used some of the profits to buy bicycles to rent, and by 2010 Ruth Anne and Jeff bought a house to expand the kidsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; business into a family business. The house needed renovations to make the tidy shop, but by Spring 2011 the Millers were poised to launch their expanded business on Memorial Day weekend.

Instead, the Millers and everyone in the area suffered a natural disaster. On Thursday, May 26, a line of severe thunderstorms with winds of over seventy miles an hour uprooted trees, downed all power lines, damaged homes, and closed the one road to this narrow part of Pine Creek. What was to be the first big weekend since opening at the new location in April became a race to notify people not to arrive before the phones went out, and to salvage what they could. A neighbor with a diesel generator saved the day, as the entire stock of perishable food, including $2,000 worth of ice cream, sat waiting for vacationers. The storm

Scott Walker, 570-295-1083

See Happy End on page 72

The shelves are stocked with items campers and hikers request that the store have on hand.

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Mountain Home

Service Directory

Shopping

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Beneath The Veil, The Realm of Faery Awaits A loom sits in the corner of the shop, with an in-process scarf showing it’s beautiful threads.

Happy End continued from page 72

damage and the aftermath tested the Millers and revealed their true grit.

Ruth Anne worked to get contractors to the Blackwell area, providing housing in the downstairs of the shop and transporting equipment and supplies needed to repair damage done to buildings. But it was left to Anne and John, thirteen and fifteen years old respectively, to run the store and keep the family business afloat. And run it they did. Today, Ruth Anne refers to Anne as the “Vice President,” and John provides backup staffing and all technical support for the business. John began taking his high school classes with cyberschool in the spring, and Anne joins him with cyber classes this fall.

This year, the Millers are still rebuilding. They will be picking local chestnuts in the fall for sale at the store, and will also provide supplies and planning for weddings and other special events, including events at the Blackwell Community Church.

When something needs to be done in the tiny village of Blackwell, you can count on Miller’s Store to provide a practical, whimsical, artistic solution.

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

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Games ï Imagination ï Fun

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Lodging

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Professional Services

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JOHN’S SPORTING GOODS Guns bought, sold, and traded!

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

Sailorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Delight Photo by Dave Milano

Dusk approaches sooner every night, cloaking the countryside in gemtones and darkness.

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GROWING HEALTHIER

Laurel Health System has joined Susquehanna Health.

Susquehanna Health is honored to have the following valued partners join our growing healthcare system: Soldiers & Sailors Memorial Hospital, The Green Home, Laurel Home Health & Hospice, The Laurels and the other Laurel Health affiliates. This proud union sets a new standard for quality healthcare in northcentral Pennsylvania. The people of our region will benefit from having easy access to the finest doctors, caregivers and hospitals in our expanding network. With nearly 60 different medical specialties, including cancer care, heart and vascular, OB/GYN, orthopedics, maternity, neurosurgery and more, we look forward to serving the growing healthcare needs of our community â&#x20AC;&#x201C; together.

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