Holiday Gift Guide #1 for 2022

5 reasons to shop small versus big

The importance of small businesses to the economy cannot be overstated. Though national chains often garner publicity, local businesses are equally, if not exceedingly, worthy of attention.

What defines a small business as “small” varies significantly, but these businesses are generally privately owned and generate far less revenue than big corporations. General consensus also defines small businesses as companies with fewer than 500 paid employees, according to the U.S. Small Business Administration.

Here’s a deep look at why small businesses are so vital, and why consumers should direct more of their purchasing power to smaller companies rather than the big box retailers and other national chains.

Autonomy and diversity

The layout and offerings at national chains will be identical whether you live in the mountains or at the beach. Big box stores follow a consistent marketing strategy and look the same regardless of where they are located. That familiarity can come at the cost of variety. On the other

hand, an independent business offers the products and services that are reflective of the customers and the community they serve.

Local hiring strategy

Certain big box retailers will hire local residents, but hiring policies may push for promoting from within the organization. This could mean relocating an employee rather than bringing in someone from the community who may be more in tune with local sensibilities.

Small businesses may be more inclined to hire residents they know and keep hiring centralized to the local area Ñ something that keeps more resources and money in the community.

Adaptability and change

Local businesses can move more quickly to respond to economic factors that require change. Since they are focused more on the needs of their customers rather than stockholders, changes can be implemented rapidly without having to go through red tape, meetings and updates to corporate

policies. Changes also can be customized to the local community at large.

Investing in the town

According to the financial resource Financial Slot, shopping at locally owned businesses rather than big box retailers keeps more money in the community. Local property taxes and other taxes paid by the businesses go right back into the community. This helps raise overall value for homeowners and can even reduce their taxes. The funding helps keep police, fire and school departments functioning properly.

Turnover is greater

While no one wants to see a small business fail, that fate is sometimes unavoidable. However, that turnover helps teach communities what was done poorly and helps others learn from those mistakes. It also means fresh businesses will come in and replace the old, driving new growth, opportunity and competition that keep prices competitive.

(METRO CREATIVE)

The benefits of a thriving small business sector are numerous. Consumers can do their part by patronizing these firms more frequently.

Stumped for holiday gifts for kids? Brighten the season for little ones by checking out these great gift ideas below:

Unique experiences

One-of-a-kind experiences can expand a child’s worldview and help create lifelong memories. There are numerous ideas to consider that will appeal to a broad range of interests. For a sports enthusiast, consider a one-on-one outing to a major or minor league game. Many teams host special theme nights for fans, so you may want to do a little research so you can dovetail your plans with an event geared toward kids.

For a budding musician, consider a gift certificate to a local music center that could be put toward the instrument of their choice or lessons with an instructor.

Finally, if your gift recipient loves exploring the natural world, gift them tickets to the zoo or aquarium, or take them on an outdoor adventure where you can hike the

trails and spot real-world flora and fauna.

Notable toys

When it comes to selecting the best toys, you can take some of the guesswork out of the equation by referring to the Toy Foundation’s Toy of the Year Awards. Toys nominated for this distinction represent the best of the best, and are beloved by kids and parents alike.

Nominated for the Infant/Toddler category this year is the VTech Level Up Gaming Chair. Boasting a swivel chair, joystick and pretend headphones, this preschool game station gives little gamers an opportunity to be just like bigkid gamers. With no Wi-Fi required, the interactive gaming tablet teaches letters, numbers, animals and music with gaming sound effects, and progresses with kids to teach words and meanings. The tablet even

From tailored experiences to this year’s best toys, you can have all your gifts for kids covered and avoid some of the usual stress of the holiday shopping season.

WAYS TO GIFT EXPERIENCES THAT MAKE

more memories this holiday season

The holidays are approaching, which means it’s time to start thinking about gifts for your loved ones. Giftgiving can be tricky, especially if it’s not your strength. Finding the perfect gift that will thrill in the moment and last past the holiday season can be frustrating.

Instead of gifting the latest toy, fashion trend or home gadget, consider giving the gift of an experience. When you give the gift of an experience, you’re providing opportunities for the recipient to make memories that will last longer than any fad or gadget.

Check out these four experiential gift ideas you can use to up your gift-giving game this holiday season.

Learn a new skill together

Have you always wanted to learn how

to ski? Or have your kids begged for guitar lessons? Maybe your spouse is interested in learning pottery, or Grandpa has mentioned an interest in woodworking.

Try something new and take a class together this holiday season. If your family enjoys the activity, it could become a tradition you all look forward to each year. Even if you only try an activity once and decide it’s not for you, you’ll still have the memory of trying something new with the people you love.

Take a trip

It’s fun to get away with the whole family during the holiday season, especially if you can head somewhere warm during the colder months. Once you find the perfect spot, you can turn a family trip into an annual holiday tradition where

you continue to make memories year after year.

Need an idea of where to go? Check out Kalahari Resorts & Conventions, where there’s something for everyone from ages 2 to 92, all under one roof. With four locations in Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin; Sandusky, Ohio; Pocono Mountains, Pennsylvania; and Round Rock, Texas you can easily find a resort within driving distance of your home.

Kalahari Resorts are home to America’s largest indoor waterparks, the perfect place to make holiday memories with the whole family. While your kids are sure to have fun and tire themselves out, the older family members can enjoy the fullservice spa, family entertainment center,

Elevate the gift-giving this holiday season by gifting family and friends experiences that create memories that will last a lifetime. After all, the holiday season is about spending time with loved ones.

Kids love waterparks. The family friendly fun of splashing about will bring a smile to everyone’s face.

MORE MEMORIES

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nightly live entertainment, onsite signature restaurants and unique retail shops.

Buy a family membership

If you’ve wanted to spend more time exploring local museums, zoos, live theaters or other attractions close to home, consider buying a family membership. Not only are you more likely to go if you’ve already paid for a membership, but you can use it immediately and start making memories during the holidays. Best of all, you can continue to visit throughout the year and make memories year-round.

Family memberships or family season packages are generally more affordable than buying individual tickets for each visit, and many families see savings after just one trip. Some memberships even include perks like discounts, member-only events and advanced ticket options.

Encourage experiences with gift cards

Gift cards don’t need to be limited to retail stores and restaurants. Take note of your family members’ interests and buy them gift cards that support and encourage exploration. For example, if

your youngest is a budding film critic, get them a gift card to your local movie theater. Give Grandma and Grandpa a gift card to the local museum or your spouse a membership to a yoga or Pilates studio.

Another great gift card idea is to gift a getaway the whole family can enjoy. Kalahari Resorts gift cards give younger family members a way to spend independently during their vacation.

GIFT IDEAS

For parents and other adult family members, they can treat themselves to a relaxing spa treatment or add a private cabana to their trip. No matter how the recipient decides to spend a gift card to an experience, you’re giving them the means to make more memories and add an extra special touch to an already memorable vacation. To learn more, visit KalahariResorts.com.

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detaches from the tray to be taken on-thego.

Nominated in the Plush toy category is the LeapFrog My Pal Scout Smarty Paws, a cute, cuddly and customizable friend. Little ones can touch his front paws, ears and back paw for silly reactions, music, lullabies, games and mindfulness exercises. You can even personalize the play and learning across more than 15 activities by programming Scout with your gift recipient’s name and their favorite food, color and animal. Scout introduces first words, counting, feelings and emotions, and even teaches kids how to spell their own name.

A third TOTY finalist you’ll want to consider putting on your gift list is the LeapFrog Clean Sweep Learning Caddy, which shows kids that cleaning can be all fun and games with boogie-down dance breaks and silly directions like, “Hop while you mop! Now dance to the left and dance to the right!”

The cute face on the bucket lights up and sings as kids pretend to clean, with a press of the pedal the mop spins, and as you pump out imaginary soap it makes funny squirting sounds.

To shop these and other TOTYnominated toys, visit amazon.com.

Area antique dealer sees increased interest in gifting memories

By Tracy Ouellette EDITOR

When shopping for Christmas gifts, many people want to give a gift that creates memories. Area antique dealer Cheri Riehle said she’s been seeing a lot of interest in giving antiques with personal meaning.

Riehle opened an antique store in East Troy earlier this year and has been enjoying getting to know her customers and helping them find the perfect item or gift.

“What I’ve found, listening to people about why they are buying things, especially in this economy, is that they want to buy something used and personalized,” she said. “What I like about this is that when

you give someone a gift card or clothes, there’s no story behind it. With antiques, there’s always a story. It promotes conservations in the family about the history and reason behind the gift. It gets people sharing, which is something I think is lacking so much in today’s society.”

Riehle has been an antique dealer for 30 years and an appraiser for 10. She is a member of the Certified Appraisers Guild of America. She is a buyer and seller of antiques, with the shop in East Troy and three area mall stands.

“It works for me since we’re only open here in East Troy on Thursday, Friday and Saturday,” Riehle said.

She and her husband, Steve,

run the business together.

“He’s a retired engineer and he works down the hall helping with repairs and making my visions come true,” Riehle said.

Repurposing

Riehle said she and her husband enjoy repurposing things and giving old items new life.

“This is an important movement,” she said, adding that reusing items is better for the economy and the environment.

With the shop in East Troy, Riehle said she has the room now to display her wares so customers can get a good look at what’s available.

“The feedback I’m getting from my customers is that they love how I decorate and display in the shop,” she said. “I have the luxury of displaying things so people can get a feel for how it will look in their home.”

Riehle said preserving history through antiques is a passion and something she believes connects people with their past.

“We need to know where things come from,” she said.

“We need to teach the kids where things come from. If they don’t know about the older things we’re going to lose history.”

Riehle said she chose East Troy for her shop because she loves the community.

“East Troy has this wonderful small-town atmosphere,” she said. “A lot of people from the area come in and we have such a unique town here that it attracts visitors and they come in to see what we have and what we’re about. They come back and tell their friends and it just expands from there.”

Appraisals

Buying antiques is a big part of Riehle’s business along with her appraisal business.

“I sometimes call myself the antique therapist,” she said. “One of the hardest things for some people is letting go of things. I think this is something I might do better than most, because I have a level of compassion for that. I was an occupational therapist. Downsizing can be hard and I understand that. I also can help

people understand what will see and what won’t because I have both sides of the business.”

Treasures A-Z is at 3066 Main St., Suite 102, in East Troy. The shop is open from 11

more

A-Z

a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

For more information, call 262- 893-8222, visit treasuresaz.com and find the store on Facebook.

above: Steve and Cheri Riehle own and operate Treasures A-Z in East Troy. below: Treasures A-Z offers antiques for Christmas such as this nativity scene. The shop, which opened earlier this year, has antiques, jewelry and

for holiday shopping needs. opposite: Antique sleds on display at Treasures

make decorating for the holidays easy.

SUBMITTED PHOTOS Holiday Gift Guide

Are you hosting a holiday party and looking for a simple way to impress your guests?

The Texas Roadhouse Butcher Shop is sharing steps for building an eye-catching and mouth-watering charcuterie board that will add color, flavor and variety to your holiday table.

1. Grab a platter or surface to display your charcuterie. Anything will work, even a simple cutting board. Just be sure to choose a size that you can fill completely.

2. Use dishes or ramekins of mismatched sizes, shapes and colors to hold dressings, toppings and sauces. This will

keep your board clean and add fun visual details to the display.

3. Include two to four cheeses of contrasting flavors and textures to please all palates, and to complement other elements of the board. The varieties you select should represent these basic categories: hard cheese, (such as Chardonnay Bellavitano) soft cheese, (such as brie) and blue cheese (such as French Roquefort).

4. While a traditional charcuterie board typically sticks with cured meats, the holiday season is the perfect occasion for adding depth and richness to your feast with

To wow your guests and their tastebuds, take your charcuterie board to the next level with seasonal treats, grilled meats and a cornucopia of sweet and savory flavors.

STOCK PHOTO Holiday Gift Guide grilled meats, such as filet, sliced into strips. Those from Texas Roadhouse Butcher Shop are lean, flavorful, and melt in your mouth, making them a natural choice for a hearty holiday spread. Whether you are firing up the grill or preparing on a cooktop, allow any cooked meats to rest well before adding them to your board.

5.

No charcuterie board is complete without some crunch. Add two to three options like pita crackers, crusty breads or toasted baguettes that will stand up to the weight of your meats and cheeses.

Now, add some brightness and sweetness to your board. Fresh fruits like blueberries, strawberries and green grapes, and preserves such as peach pepper jam, will add contrast to rich, salty meats and cheeses. Don’t forget seasonal sweets and treats like soft peppermints, peanut brittle, chocolate dipped pretzels and candied nuts.

6.

7. You’ll want your charcuterie board to look as if it’s overflowing. So, as you’re building it out, start with the largest elements like the cheeses and meats first, followed by smaller items like crackers, fresh produce and sweets. Fill in any holes with sprigs of aromatic rosemary for trimming, along with additional portions of the smaller items. The various elements of the board should pair well together, so it’s okay if they touch.

For additional hosting tips, or to shop for seasonal gifts and your holiday spread, visit trbutchershop.com. For 15% off your order, use the promo code PARTY15.

Finding the right cheese

Hill Valley Dairy helps customers fill charcuterie boards

By Jason Arndt STAFF WRITER

Assembling a charcuterie board, much like a jigsaw puzzle, presents many key components for the display to become complete.

Charcuterie boards, a common element at special occasions, typically includes cured meat, crackers, nuts, fruits and vegetables and multiple cheese varieties.

At Hill Valley Dairy, LLC, which now has a retail shop in Lake Geneva, co-owner Ron Henningfeld said his establishment can satisfy the cheese component.

Henningfeld, who grew up on a dairy farm in East Troy, said customers often come in seeking ideas on how to fill their charcuterie boards.

Customers typically seek variety, including differing consistencies, when deciding on what cheeses to include on a charcuterie board.

“Usually people are looking for

variety, so I say like a hard cheese, a semi-soft cheese and then a soft cheese. It is really what a lot of people do,” said Henningfeld.

Hill Valley Dairy specializes in cheese curds, several cheddar varieties and Gouda, all produced from a thirdgeneration family farm known as Romari Farms.

In the Lake Geneva cheese shop, along with common cheeses, Hill Valley Dairy offers wash rind gouda, black pepper cheddar, mountain rind alpine, shallot and herb alpine, floral alpine, Luna and Alina.

“At least from our cheese shop, our most common cheeses we are selling are the cheeses that I make at Hill Valley Dairy,” Henningfeld said.

He said they also bring in products from other regional cheese producers, including Hoard’s Dairy, Roelli Cheese, Landmark Creamery, Blakesville, Cedar Grove, Alpinage Creamery and Hook’s Blue.

With so many options, Hill Valley Dairy staff assist customers and even allow them to sample products before they bring them home for assembly on a charcuterie board.

“At our cheese shop, you can taste cheese before you buy them, so you know you are walking out of the door with something you really like,” he said.

Rich history

Henningfeld, who co-owns Hill Valley Dairy with his wife, Josie, worked on his family farm as a child.

While he grew up on Romari Farms, Henningfeld became heavily involved in agriculture, including serving as an active member of 4-H and FFA. He was a Wisconsin FFA state officer and later pursued a career in agricultural education.

He said he later sought a way to reconnect with the family farm through a cheesemaking venture.

“I got this adding cheesemaking

JASON ARNDT Holiday Gift Guide

to connect back with the family,” he said. “It was a way to expand the farm without having to build a bigger farm.”

Romari Farms, in its third generation, is run by Ron’s brother, Frank, and sister-in-law, Colleen.

The farm features more than 60 milking cows producing 480 gallons of milk on average per day as well as other livestock.

“We use milk from my brother’s dairy farm to make our cheeses,” Henningfeld said.

Early beginnings

After a few years of teaching, according to Hill Valley’s website, Ron apprenticed at Babcock Hall under Gary Grossen while taking cheesemaking courses at the University of WisconsinMadison.

From there, he continued training at numerous cheesemaking facilities –including stops at Uplands Cheese in Dodgeville and Cedar Grove – before becoming a manager and cheesemaker at Clock Shadow Creamery of Milwaukee.

In 2016, after working with other companies, Henningfeld established Hill Valley Dairy, LLC, and began selling products at area farmers market.

Henningfeld takes milk produced at his family farm to Clock Shadow Creamery, just north of the prominent Allen Bradley Clock Tower, where he begins the process.

He then brings the products back to the East Troy farm for storage and aging of specific cheese types.

In addition to the relatively new cheese shop, Hill Valley Dairy’s cheese products are available at some local stores, Henningfeld said.

Store opening

It wasn’t until February 2022 when Henningfeld opened the cheese shop at 510 Broad St., Lake Geneva.

Since opening the shop, according to Henningfeld, Hill Valley regularly sees repeat customers.

“Our customers love cheese,” Henningfeld said. “They are excited to come into the cheese shop and try new cheeses.”

“I make a lot of cheese curds, I make a lot of cheddars. We have some common and very popular cheeses,” he added.

Most recently, the Henningfelds opted to expand the shop’s footprint in Lake Geneva by launching a Cheese Bar next to the shop.

The Cheese Bar, open three times per week, offers several cheese boards, side options, children’s options, nonalcoholic and alcoholic beverages such

as wine and beer.

“My wife and I wanted a place to gather around cheeses and have good experiences,” Henningfeld said.

In addition to Hill Valley Dairy products, others items available for sale in the cheese bar include products from other producers, such as Lake Geneva

Country Meats.

For more information, including hours of operation, visit hillvalleydairy.com, its Facebook page, or call 262-684-9524.

The website also features an online shop, where customers can purchase sampler boxes, among other products, and garner cheesy recipe ideas.

above: Hill Valley Dairy, LLC, which has a retail shop in Lake Geneva, offers many cheese varieties for customers looking to assemble a charcuterie board. opposite: Ron Henningfeld, co-owner of Hill Valley Dairy, helps two customers with menu selections in the Lake Geneva cheese bar on Sept. 23.

SUBMITTED PHOTOS Holiday Gift Guide

Handmade with care

Hometown Sausage Kitchen offers healthier choice

By Tracy Ouellette EDITOR

Sausage sometimes gets a bad rep as being unhealthy, said local sausage maker John Hudoc, of Hometown Sausage Kitchen in East Troy.

“It’s like that old saying that politics is like sausage making – You never want to see how it’s made. But really, when it’s done right, with good product, it’s just the ground protein with seasoning. That’s how we make our sausage, fresh, locally sourced ingredients and less sodium, so it’s really better for you.”

Hudoc and his partner, Elena Bisabarros, own and operate Hometown Sausage.

“We’ve been here for 12 years,” Hudoc said. “We’re a part of this community and this community has been very supportive of us.”

He explained that Hometown does things “differently” than larger, commercial sausage makers.

“The big thing we do is custom blend all of our seasonings, we source our spices from the Milwaukee area. They’re high quality. We’re a ‘clean label’ with limited additives. We’re also are 72% lean protein, where most sausage makers are around 50% lean protein. So

our product is a little bit leaner than what you buy in the store.”

Hudoc added that they try to locally source their ingredients.

“We buy as much local meat as we can and we also use heritage meat from other places,” he said.

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed how they do some of their business.

“We produce very small batches, so that hasn’t changed, but since COVID we’ve switched to custom processing from farms. We take their hogs, do their processing and sausages for them to sell. We do a lot of that. We do poultry sausage too, which is different from other shops. We do turkey and chicken for them.”

Hudoc said Hometown is a step away from a lot of traditional sausage.

“Ours are a little more contemporary in flavors,” he said. “More modern customers are looking for modern flavors like Thai. We also have things like our Packer Brats with spinach, bacon and cheddar. We try to source all our garnishes from local growers too, we have a couple of farms in the area for spinach, jalapeño and others. We use Wisconsin-based cheese. We’re really focused on sourcing locally and small business to small business partnerships.”

Hometown sells its sausages frozen because it’s a better way to extend the shelf life, he said.

“A lot of people think frozen is not as fresh, but with sausage it’s the best way to keep it fresh,” he said.

The East Troy storefront also has fresh product during normal operating hours along with chef-created weekly specials, such as soup and full meals.

“We do a lot of prepared food in our store,” Hudoc said. “We don’t have the same thing every week; we try to keep things interesting. It depends on what’s available during

above: Hometown Sausage Kitchen in East Troy makes small-batch sausage and other items for retail sale. The company also supports popular local events like the East Troy Area Chamber of Commerce’s annual Corn and Brat Roast held Memorial Day weekend. at left: Chefcreated items like homemade soup are available at Hometown Sausage Kitchen. The menu changes weekly, so customers are encourage to call to find out what specials are on the shelves before heading out.

the year, if Bowers (Produce) has a lot of tomatoes, we will do tomato soup. If it’s getting colder we might have chili or pot roast or bone broth.”

Hudoc said customers are welcome to stop in or call to find out what’s on the weekly menu.

Community connections

Hudoc said the East Troy community is a big part of Hometown’s identity.

“We do a lot with supporting local events and businesses,” he said. “We support the chamber’s (East Troy Area Chamber of Commerce) annual Corn and Brat Roast and the Knights of Columbus’ roast as well. Our product is carried in a lot of the local restaurants too.”

Hometown also hires within the community whenever possible.

“A lot of our employees come from the area and East Troy High School. We give a lot of kids their first job,” he said. “The community has been so supportive of us over the years. We really appreciate that and try to give back.”

Looking out for the community is what’s behind everything they do at Hometown, Hudoc said.

“We try to encourage people to eat well and try our product for memorable meals,” he said. “They’re our neighbors and we want what’s good for them.”

Hometown Sausage Kitchen is at W1184 Highway L, East Troy. The store is open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday.

For more information, call 262-642-3262 and visit www. hometownsausagekitchen.com.

SUBMITTED PHOTOS Holiday Gift Guide

Independent book store celebrates birthday

By Tracy Ouellette EDITOR

Independent book stores are not as widespread as they used to be, but for one area book seller, the personal touch and small town feel has been a recipe for success.

Kelly Klein, who owns Reads by the River Books and Gifts in downtown Waterford, said the success she’s seen can be attributed to the community support the store enjoys.

“It’s exceeded our expectations,” Klein said. “The community has just embraced us. The word of mouth advertising has been fantastic. Every day someone comes in and tells us, ‘my friend or neighbor told me to come.’”

Reads by the River opened up last year at this time and Klein said it’s been a whirlwind of activity since.

“We have a lot of regular customers and we’re adding new ones each day, they’re coming from all over, including Milwaukee and Waukesha,” she said. “We’re having a great time, we’re loving it!”

The bookstore, which sits on the Fox River, stocks books, games, gifts and more.

“It’s really interesting to see the variety of what people want,” Klein said. “We see a lot of kids and people are interested in all genres. People stop in for the new releases and to see things I’ve shared on social

media all the time.”

With the increased traffic over the last year, Klein said they’ve added some staff.

“I have a really good friend who comes once a week to help me out and we have a part-time employee,” she said. “We couldn’t do it without them. We’re at a level of business that we couldn’t do it without them. My husband, Steve, does so much, too. He’s here every day with me.”

To keep things fresh and interesting, Klein said they host events on a regular basis, often working with other local businesses in partnerships.

“We’ve had three events, Cocktails and Conservations, with Waterford Stillhouse that have been popular. We have a book club and recently we partnered with a knitting store for a knitting event. We also did, just this month, a stuffed animal sleepover for the kids. We also did a cookbook book club with DW Coffee in Rochester and we’ll definitely be doing that again, maybe quarterly,” Klein said.

The book store officially celebrated it’s one-year anniversary during Waterford’s Christmas in the Village Nov. 18 and 19.

“We opened during that event last year and it was really nice,” Klein said. “People were out and got the chance to see what we’re all about. We’re looking forward to it again this year.”

Klein added that the Village of Waterford

above: Reads by the River Books and Gifts hosted a stuffed animal sleepover in October. Kids stopped by and dropped off their stuffies for a night of fun at the bookstore. below: Children enjoy a story time during the stuffed animal sleepover event at Reads by the River Books and Gifts in downtown Waterford.

SUBMITTED PHOTOS Holiday Gift Guide

has been supporting local businesses with all its events in the downtown area.

“The Waterford Graded School District has been working with us too,” Klein said. “We got an award from the district for our work with the library and schools.

“Thank you so much to the Waterford Graded School District for selecting us for the 2022 Wisconsin Association of School Boards Business Honor Roll,” Klein wrote on the store’s Facebook page. “We were so thrilled to receive this honor in our first year in business. Partnering with our schools is so important to me as a business owner who is passionate about literacy but also as a parent and former teacher.”

The store was also recently named the best local store by Best of the West (West of 1-94).

But, while the awards are nice, Klein said the reason they created the bookstore was for the community.

“I think we just strive to be a place where everyone is comfortable and where everyone can visit and find something they want,” she said.

Reads by the River is at 102 E. Main St. in downtown Waterford. Hours of operation are Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Thursday from noon to 7 p.m., and 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sunday.

For more information, find the bookstore on Facebook and visit readsbytheriver.com.