Inside Pennsylvania Magazine - Holiday 2022

Inside Thoughts...

One of our family traditions requires the placement of name cards — decorated with hand-drawn turkeys — on our Thanksgiving table. They were made 10 years ago by a four-year-old and two six-yearolds.

In December, do you travel around the neighborhood to look at Christmas lights or do you let the child who finds the pickle on the tree open the first gift? Perhaps you give the youngest child in your family the honor of lighting the first candle on the Menorah?

Traditions are very special, but don’t overlook the opportunity to add something new to your celebrations. Change is sometimes inevitable, but occasionally we add something that turns into a new tradition.

In the Fall issue of Inside Pennsylvania, we announced several changes. In this issue, you will — again — be able to enjoy a photo essay; a calendar or two; wellness pages that include “caring for each other” and fitness advice for busy people; and crafts, activities and important events of the season.

We hope you noticed and admired the new name plate on our cover: insidePA. Aron Agerton, one of The Daily Item’s graphic artists and the design editor of this magazine, is its talented creator.

The cover story, “Saving Christmas,” will touch your heart and make you proud of the little community-thatcould in Tioga County. The people of Wellsboro are rightfully proud of the tradition of American ingenuity and the “we can do that” attitude that saved Christmas in 1939. Perhaps, like me, you will be surprised that you did not know this very special story.

Cindy O. Herman takes you to Rita’s Bakery in Shamokin for a preview of Thanksgiving desserts. Then she takes you to Gabel’s Bakery in Mifflinburg to learn about gingerbread. Who knew gingerbread has a history?

Speaking of history, if you don’t know the name Thomas Nast, it’s time you did. According to Ulysses S. Grant, “Nast did as much as any one man to preserve the Union and bring the war to an end.” However, you need to know that Thomas Nast was the first artist to draw the image of the Santa Claus we recognize today.

It’s the time of year when making other people happy will make you happy. That doesn’t mean you need to buy expensive presents. It means you need to care about others — however you can. Have a wonderful holiday season filled with traditions and new adventures!

Please share your comments and holiday stories or wishes at jknouse@dailyitem.com

JEAN KNOUSE PA

Jean L. Knouse, Editor

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FallRemembering of 2022

Photos by Robert Inglis/Inside PA

LEFT PAGE TOP: LEAVES CHANGE COLORS ALONG THE SOUTH BRANCH OF ROARING CREEK OUTSIDE OF RIVERSIDE. LEFT PAGE BOTTOM: HELENE MOYLES, PECKVILLE, AND HER FAMILY, SONS DANNY, 2, ANTHONY, 7, AND DAUGHTERS EMILY, 14, AND GENEVIEVE, 16, ALONG WITH HUSBAND JOHN, PLAY “I GOT IT” AT THE BLOOMSBURG FAIR. ABOVE FROM TOP TO BOTTOM: THE CONNOLLY HOME IN MILTON GOES ALL OUT FOR DECORA TIONS AT HALLOWEEN TIME. DANVILLE’S VICTORIA BARTHOLOMEW RUNS ALONG THE CROSS COUNTRY COURSE AT LEWISBURG. MIFFLINBURG HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL FANS CHEER ON THEIR TEAM BEFORE THE START OF A GAME AGAINST MIDD-WEST.

season...

November is the ninth month of the year in the Roman calendar and got its name from the Latin word for nine, “novem.” It is most well-known for colder days, Veteran’s Day and the feast day known as Thanksgiving.

Veterans Day World Kindness Day

In December

December followed November on the Roman calendar, so it was the 10th month of the year and the Latin word for 10 is “decem.” December is a time for family and friends, cookies and egg nog, and kindness and generosity.

Mitten Tree Day Pearl Harbor Day Rosa Parks Day National Sock Day

Images by MetrocCeative Library

SPICING UP YOUR SEASON

Who started this pumpkin spice thing?

Story by Jean Knouse

It was the week before Labor Day when I first saw pumpkin spice cereal at the grocery store. For the umpteenth time, I asked myself, “What is the reason for this love affair with pumpkin spice?”

“Pumpkin,” as a flavor, used to be associated almost exclusively with Thanksgiving. You know, pumpkin bread, pumpkin roll and, of course, pumpkin pie. But, now, in 2022, pumpkin spice is one of the 369 words that has been added to the Merriam-Webster dictionary: (puhmp-kin spais/noun).

According to Cindy Ott, Ph.D., author of “Pumpkin: The Curious History of an American Icon,” the very first Thanksgiving is where this craziness began. After the crops of the earliest pilgrims failed, pumpkins — in one form or another — were said to have been served at the first celebration.

Well, apparently, our nostalgic association with agrarian societies is part of the appeal of the pumpkin. Those farm scenes with thousands of pumpkins in the field have us recalling earlier times with great fondness. That association with gourds and colorful leaves apparently translates to our seasonal tastes as well.

In Europe, pumpkin is enjoyed year-round, but here in the U.S., it has traditionally been a fall flavor — one that used to be “the” flavor of November.

Boy, has that changed!

Kookaburracoffeeny.com documents the first test run of Starbucks pumpkin spice latte (PSL) was in 2003 in Vancouver, British Columbia and Washington, D. C.. It was instantly recognized as a “hit” and PSLs became synonymous with the beginning of fall and this crazy love affair

with pumpkin and/or pumpkin spice.

You have been able to purchase PSLs in the Valley since Aug. 24, and, now, with Thanksgiving just a few weeks away, have you, perhaps, already enjoyed two or three hundred of them?

We all know what a pumpkin is, but what is pumpkin spice? Does it come from pumpkin seeds? According to the website, Yahoo.com/ lifestyle, “The original spice was created in 1934 by McCormick & Company to help home bakers make more flavorful pumpkin pies. The pumpkin pie spice blend is made up of cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg and allspice.”

There’s no logical reason to put pumpkin in a cup of coffee,” adds Ott, but that doesn’t explain why Starbucks has sold more than 350 million to date.

Perhaps you already know PSL has its own Twitter feed. It was established in 2014 and it is a verified account, according to the Starbucks website. Perhaps the curiosity about the site has faded: no one has tweeted on the site since 2018.

Okay, PSLs are officially part of the American experience, but who decided we needed pumpkin-spiced pancakes, pumpkin-scented hand cream, pumpkin-spice flavored dental dog treats, pumpkin-spice coffee creamer, pumpkin-spice protein shakes, pumpkin spice CBDs, pumpkin-spiced lip balm and, are you ready, pumpkin-spiced SPAM!?!

If you’re addicted to pumpkin-spiced items, stock up now, because, surely, peppermint coffee and all things “peppermint” are about to take over coffee shops and grocery store shelves — if they haven’t already PA

from autumn harvest To Sweet Dessert

Rita’s Bake Shop uses fall fruits and veggies to make Thanksgiving treats

Story and photos by Cindy O. Herman

One really good way to celebrate the abundance of a fall harvest is with an apple walnut cake. Any cake taking advantage of fall’s bounty — carrot cake, zucchini cake, pumpkin roll — top them with cream cheese icing and a drizzle of caramel, and you’ve got a dessert worthy of the Thanksgiving table.

Even people who don’t typically spend time poring over dessert recipes enjoy firing up the oven, cracking some eggs and creaming butter and sugar. Those actions bring back nostalgic memories, said Rita Timco, owner of Rita’s Bakeshop, in Shamokin.

“Maybe their grandmother made a special dessert or cookie at the holidays,” she said, standing in her Arch Street bakery. “They want to make this recipe that their grandmother made for the holidays.”

Thanksgiving and Christmas customers tend to have their own favorites when it comes to dessert requests. Pies top the list for Thanksgiving, especially pumpkin and apple.

“We make a delicious, fresh custard pumpkin pie,” Timco said. “Apple crumb and apple caramel pies are also popular. So are pumpkin rolls.”

Favorite fall flavors include cranberries, apples and pumpkins, she said.

Cookies top the list at Christmas. And, although decorated cut-out cookies are time-consuming to make, they’re always a big hit.

“But they’re beautiful,” Timco said. “You eat with your eyes when you see them, and then they taste good, too.”

During Christmas, she’ll often spruce up the look of regular cookies by drizzling them with chocolate or adding cherries to make them a little more “Christmasy.” Even using red and green M&Ms can add a holiday touch to simple chocolate chip cookies.

Located in the anthracite coal region, Rita’s Bakeshop receives holiday requests for items like Italian cookies or Italian rum cakes.

“We make ricotta cookies and cannoli,” she said. As busy as she is during the holidays, she does think about her customers and the baked goods they bought to

take into their homes.

“I hope everyone is enjoying their goodies they got from us,” she said. “That’s important.”

She understands the sentimental connection people make with the hours they spent as a child baking with beloved adults. Like many of her customers, she has her own happy memories of measuring flour and sugar in a treasured recipe.

“My one aunt used to make these terrific orange cookies,” she said. “And my mom made a lot of things from scratch, and I always wanted to help her.”

Too often in today’s world, people have a hard time finding extra hours for baking sprees.

“People don’t have a lot of time these days to do stuff like this,” Timco said, adding with a smile, “That’s why I’m here. Having baked goods in the house makes everyone feel warm and cozy.”

Rita’s Bakeshop is located at 850 W. Arch St., in Shamokin. For more information, visit “Rita’s Bakeshop” on Facebook or www.ritasbakeshop.com or call 570-6489925. PA

ABOVE: CRANBERRY ORANGE WALNUT BREAD AND PUMPKIN COOKIES WITH CHOCOLATE CHIPS, BY RITA’S BAKESHOP, IN SHAMOKIN. LEFT: RITA TIMCO DRIZZLES CARAMEL ON AN APPLE WALNUT CAKE IN HER BAKERY IN SHAMOKIN.

THE JOY OF CARING

In giving and receiving, we care for one another

Story by Pastor Timothy Hogan-Palazzo

‘Try to be a rainbow in someone’s clouds,’ said Maya Angelou

Not long ago, after a community meal at our church, one of the servers said she had been stopped by a diner who thanked her for serving the dinner on “real plates.”

A week earlier, a gentleman had visited our emergency food pantry. When he saw we had toothbrushes and a couple of tubes of tooth paste, his eyes widened. “May I have a toothbrush and a tube of toothpaste?” he asked with excitement in his eyes.

At a local community center, a friend who reviews sponsored membership applications told me about a young mother with three boys who applied for a membership for her oldest son: he wanted to join the basketball league. After quickly reviewing the file, my friend said to the mother, “Wouldn’t you like the other boys to be included on the membership?” The mother quietly answered, “That’s asking too much, but thank you.” After assuring the family it was not too much, the mother watched with tears in her eyes while the boys tried really hard to stand still to have their photos taken for their membership cards.

TIMOTHY HOGAN-PALAZZO

around us and feel overwhelmed. I could wish for a million dollars to help each person-in-need, but, since I don’t play the lottery, that won’t happen. What helps me “cope” with so many needs is to think of each challenge one at a time. We need to think about how to serve our family, friends, neighbors, community groups — and many others — with kindness and love.

Friends in a neighboring community provide a meal and items to stock empty pantries at a town park once a month. Small bottles of dish detergent, cans of fruit, packages of pasta — what ever anyone wants to give. It’s not just about the give-away items or the meal. It’s about community.

Every. Little. Bit. Helps.

Earlier this fall, at a coffee gathering, I was talking with several friends. One was grumbling about why folks thought there was a need to provide a dinner to the athletes the night before their team competition. One of the coffee drinkers said he knew many of the young men didn’t have healthy food options at home. And, two of us were pretty sure several of the athletes didn’t have any food at home — none. The public sees a group of students playing a sport they love, giving it their all, in a beautiful, well-appointed sports complex and, yet, we don’t think about whether the athlete and his/her family has the nutritious food they need to fuel their health on a regular basis.

Perhaps, like me, you sometimes observe the needs

In our faith community, we are blessed. We have a great community of people who are willing to help when and wherever they can. I am continually reminded that what is given — maybe it’s not a lot — is, to someone in need, beyond important. In these situations, I am reminded of a friend and mentor who used to say her dream for a church was to pass the plate on Sunday morning and if someone had a few dollars to give, they gave. And, if someone had a need, they could take what they needed. In that way, we would care for one another.

There are examples of that “dream” all around us, yet many times we have a bit of fear associated with giving. If I give, I may not have enough. If I serve on real plates, then I will have to wash them. If I take time to help feed the team, then I need to add one more thing to my busy schedule.

Each day, the need becomes more clear. Let’s each of us — especially during this holiday season, but hopefully throughout the year — do whatever we can, whenever we can, with all we have to share and with great love. Plug in where you can. If you have an idea, offer it. If you have a skill, volunteer it. If you have a few extra dollars, fund it. Whenever possible, let’s share the feeling that comes from doing good. We need lots of rainbows in our lives. PA

PASTOR

MetroCreative Library

MetroCreative Library

FINISHING STRONG

Holidays can be tough time to maintain fitness

Story by Kristy Lair

If we’re not viewing our health goals properly, fitness during the holidays can seem like a daunting task.

Exercise can actually be fun if we know what to do and how to step into it! Every aspect of fitness comes into play when we are trying to ward off pounds and stay vigilant about our health during stressful times. Staying in tune with each detail during the last two months of the year can be the difference-maker as to whether you begin the new year feeling accomplished or defeated.

EASIER THAN YOU THINK

Doing a consistent activity during this time is easier than we think. If you have a commitment to your health, in any season, there is hope. Focus on what you can do instead of what you can’t do, and celebrate every part of that dedication. If you are someone who currently throws in the towel over the holiday season, try setting a goal of walking five to 10 minutes, three days per week.

Allowing yourself the freedom to not start with a big goal can take the pressure off of exercise and help it feel more enjoyable by blessing your body with some movement. If you already walk, but you find yourself intimidated to do weight training, start with ten minutes, twice a week, to get into a routine. If you aren’t sure how to properly weight train, hire a personal trainer who will help you train safely and efficiently or join a local fitness class that includes weight training.

START SLOW AND BE CONSISTENT

One of the best things you can do to learn to be consistent is to start slow, with measurable results. Keep an exercise log and journal every time you do some sort of activity, no matter the amount of time you were active. Having a clear log of what you did do, instead of focusing on all the ways you aren’t reaching the goals you had established, will allow you to see that you are making progress, even if you don’t feel it.

Our mind is a powerful thing. You will always have to guard your thoughts and create new thought patterns

as you move into your health and fitness journey of consistency. It will take time, and it is hard work, but your mind and your body will thank you.

WORKOUT PARTNER

It is also very helpful to have a workout partner with whom you can stay active. Having someone join you in your journey is a great way to stay accountable and cheer each other on. One of my favorite things to do is to meet with a friend and go for a “walk and talk.” A friend often sees the greatness in you even if you can’t see it yourself. A friend is also good at helping you stick with your fitness and healthy eating goals.

LEAVE THE GUILT BEHIND

Another key to health over the holidays is to leave the guilt behind. Feeling guilty over our choices can actually make us feel disempowered and more likely to quit completely. Understand, during this season, you will be tempted with so many food choices. Allow yourself to enjoy your favorites, but remember, you don’t have to try everything, and you can say no.

Staying alert to portion sizes and drinking water, while fueling yourself with fruits and veggies during these high calorie meals, will help you feel satisfied and able to say “no” to second or third helpings.

However, allow yourself to have some treats guilt-free, and choose the ones you love the most. Then, you won’t feel pressured to overeat and over indulge. It is imperative we have balance. We must find balance to stay in check, yet not beat ourselves up for having special treats. Part of that balance is the consistency to stay active and not take a break from workouts during November and December. Remember, our words have power. It is important to pay attention to how you speak to yourself and the thoughts you choose.

I believe in you. Keep going. Your success is just around the corner.

Be well. PA

Inventing an icon

Who created the jolly ol’ elf?

Story by Jean Knouse

Have you ever heard of Thomas Nast? If you have, you probably know he was Boss Tweedʼs worst nightmare in New York City in the late 1800s. Perhaps you are thinking he was a criminal or a policeman? Nash was a cartoonist — a political cartoonist.

Thomas Nast, who was born in 1840 in Bavaria (now Germany), used his drawing pencil in a variety of ways beginning in the 1860s until his death in 1902.

During the Civil War, Nastʼs pen was influential to the cause of Emancipation — even if his idea of freedom for the slaves was a perfect middle class life and years later he published some cartoons of Black people that were far from flattering. One of his most famous political drawings depicts this ideal.

And, while he was a staunch abolitionist — sometimes — he was a Republican who became a friend to Abraham Lincoln, even though he didnʼt hesitate to disagree with Lincoln when he thought Lincoln was wrong. However, Nast was influential in helping the citizens of the northern states understand what they were fighting for.

According to the website logcabinsage.com, Lincoln said, “Thomas Nast has been our best recruiting sergeant. His emblematic cartoons have never failed to arouse enthusiasm and patriotism, and have always seemed to come just when these articles were getting scarce.”

Nash was mostly supportive of the Lincoln presidency, but he was brutal to Andrew Johnsonʼs.

The power of his pencil was so effective that when Ulysses S. Grant was elected president in 1868, Grant

attributed his election ʻto the pencil of Nast,ʼ according to grantrevealed.com

How did a man who had strong — often controversial — opinions; drew political cartoons that were sometimes violent; and was deeply prejudiced against the Irish and the papacy be the person who envisioned and drew our modern Santa Claus?

Nast drew at least 30 Christmas Covers for Harperʼs Weekly, a part-newspaper/part-magazine publication where he worked from 1863 through 1886.

His first Santa cover, in 1863, illustrates a Union Civil War Encampment. Santa Claus is drawn handing out gifts to the soldiers. He is dressed in a jacket covered with stars (Nast was very patriotic) and there are two boys in the foreground playing with a jack-in-thebox. Nastʼs love for his family apparently influenced the emphasis on children and families he regularly

included on his Santa drawings.

The Harperʼs Weekly cover “Santa Claus in Camp” is Nastʼs first drawing of the modern Santa. He drew him as “chubby and plump, a right jolly old Elf” just as Clement Clark Moore had described him 40 years earlier.

Thomas Nast is also responsible for some of the Christmas traditions we treasure today. He was the first person to suggest Santa had a “naughty and nice” list and that children might receive toys and candy or sticks (or coal if you live in Pa.). He also conceived the idea of a workshop at the North Pole and the grandness and celebration of Christmas.

Unlike his political cartoons which had to be drawn much more quickly, Nastʼs Christmas drawings are some of his most detailed work.

His lasting contribution to the tradition of Santa Claus has had “staying power.” The famous Coca-Cola Santa of 1931 mimics Nastʼs — with the exception that it is

brightly colored. Wedgwood has produced salad plates based on Nastʼs drawings, Reed & Barton produced a Christmas plate with Santaʼs likeness and, if you walk into a card shop, you will surely see a Nast image smiling at you from a Christmas card.

Although his Christmas drawings softened his critics somewhat, the owners of Harperʼs Weekly severed ties with him in 1886. After that time, Nast found it hard to find work and he was nearly destitute (the economic crisis of 1873 hadnʼt helped his financial situation).

In 1902, President Theodore Roosevelt named Thomas Nast as an envoy to Ecuador. A short time after arriving in South America, Nast contacted yellow fever and died.

Despite the highs and lows in his life, his love for family and the happy times of Christmas

endure. PA

Photos provided ABOVE: “EMANCIPATION,” BY THOMAS NAST, 1863, TOP LEFT: “SANTA CLAUS IN CAMP,” THOMAS NAST. HARPER’S WEEKLY, JANUARY 3, 1863 AND LOWER LEFT: “MERRY OLD SANTA CLAUS” BY THOMAS NAST. HARPER’S WEEKLY, JANUARY 1, 1881. PHOTOS PROVIDED BY MACCULLOCH HALL HISTORICAL MUSEUM, MORRISTOWN, NJ WHICH HOUSES THE THOMAS NAST COLLECTION.

Saving Christmas

Photo provided

Pa. town factory turns lightbulbs into holdiay ornaments during WWII

Story by Cindy O. Herman

In the late 1930s, Max Eckardt watched in dismay as Germany moved closer to starting World War II in Europe. A department store supplier, Eckardt was expected to stock F.W. Woolworth stores with the delicate, glass Christmas balls that Americans loved to hang on their Yuletide trees — and 95 percent of those balls were made in Germany.

When the blockade of Germany halted imports in 1939, it threatened the beloved tradition of trimming the tree.

“There were not a lot of presents then, but the tree was one of the main parts of the holiday,” said Ellen Bryant, president of Wellsboro’s historic Penn Wells Hotel and Lodge.

Eckardt came up with a plan, but it would take a

Photo provided by Penn Wells Hotel.

ABOVE: DURING THE FESTIVITIES IN WELLSBORO, SHINY BRITE ORNAMENTS ARE DISPLAYED THROUGHOUT THE TOWN. THIS BOX CAN BE SEEN AT THE PENN WELLS HOTEL. LEFT: CHRISTMAS ON MAIN STREET IN WELLSBORO IS ESPECIALLY BEAUTIFUL WHEN THERE IS SNOW.

38th annual Dickens of a Christmas

● When: Saturday, December 3, 2022

● Where: Downtown Wellsboro, Pa.

● More information: Visit wellsboropa.com or call 570-724-1926

7th Annual Wellsboro Christmas on Main Street

●

When: Friday through Sunday, December 9 – 11

● Where: Downtown Wellsboro, Pa.

● More information: Visit wellsboropa.com or call 570-724-1926

monumental amount of work to change the process.

Knowing that the Corning Glass Works (CGW), in Tioga County, manufactured light bulbs, he approached the New York-based company about making the ornaments there, where “ribbon” machines poured a ribbon of molten glass that sagged into openings in metal molds. A puff of air into the molds created 3 million hollow light bulbs each day.

Wellsboro workers rose to the challenge of tweaking the machines they were using to create new molds to make Christmas ornaments.

On Dec. 21, 1939, the “Wellsboro Gazette” reported that during the previous two months, 70 employees at CGW had produced one million ornaments, stating, “The achievement of a successful Christmas tree ball at a low price is a triumph of American industry.”

Wellsboro had officially become the “Town that Saved Christmas.”

“They made Christmas ornaments at a time when the country needed that comfort of something familiar and traditional,” Bryant said. “And ‘Made in the USA’ was very important then.”

The ornaments were shipped to Eckhardt and other wholesalers to be lacquered in red, green, silver, gold and blue. The following year, Corning Glass Works purchased their own silver and lacquering machines, allowing 41 million colorful ornaments to sparkle on holiday trees. Wellsboro had become the glass ornament capital of the world.

“We have a high-class labor force here,” said Amory Houghton, then CGW president. “Wellsboro employees, some coming from local farms, are hard-working, earnest citizens who have great pride and a philosophy that there isn’t anything that can’t be done.”

“They had a real can-do attitude,” said Anja Stam, who with her husband, Julian Stam, owns Pop’s Culture Shoppe, in Wellsboro. Noting that farmers are known for learning to fix much of their own equipment, she added, “They don’t look at a problem and say, ‘Oh, it can’t be done.’”

The ornaments were marketed under various brand names, but primarily Shiny Brite. Focusing on their American-made status, Eckardt even designed Shiny Brite ornament boxes with an image of Santa Claus and Uncle Sam shaking hands.

“Americans really liked those Shiny Brites,” said Julie Henry, executive director of the Wellsboro Area Chamber of Commerce. “There was lots of demand for them.”

“Every Woolworth in the country had Shiny Brites in it,” Bryant said.

When the United States actively entered the war in 1941 and Wellsboro men were deployed overseas, the town’s women — and teenagers — stepped in to fill vacant CGW positons.

“It was neat to see the community rally,” Stam said. “Rosie the Riveter, she was here. School kids were picked up by bus after school and taken to Corning to work. The

Robert Inglis/Inside PA

JULIE HENRY, SEATED, HOLDS ONE OF THE SPECIAL SILVER SANTAS. WITH HER ARE ANJA STAM, POP’S CULTURE, LEFT, AND ELLEN BRYANT, PRESIDENT OF PENN WELLS HOTEL AND LODGE. THESE THREE ARE AMONG THE MANY VOLUNTEERS WHO IN WELLSBORO DURING THE HOLIDAY SEASON.

Photo provided

factory needed so much help.”

Always moving forward, Corning Glass Works went on to create ornaments beyond the simple ball. A 1941 design notebook shows bells, pine cones, oblongs, reflectors and lanterns. Even a Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and a Santa Claus ornament were produced.

After the war, Corning Glass workers returned to their former jobs, and the factory continued creating and innovating Christmas ornaments until it closed in 2016. Generations of families worked there. Just about everyone in the close-knit community knew or was related to an employee, and the town still pulls together to create their annual holiday celebrations.

“Everything goes back to the core of the community,” Henry said. “We’re always looking out for the best interests of the entire community.”

EVENTS HONOR ANCESTORS

It hasn’t been until recent years that townspeople are acknowledging the role they played in saving — not just Christmas — but a sense of comfort and cheer for a country facing fearful, unprecedented times.

“People thought, ‘Oh, it was my job,’” Stam said. “As we tell the story, people are becoming proud of it.”

“I think anything that reminds you of the holidays is going to bring you comfort,” Bryant said. “Decorating the tree is one of the things you do at Christmas as a family.”

Honoring their town’s can-do spirit and years of holiday cheer has led community organizers to host two, back-toback Christmas celebrations: the 38th annual Dickens of a Christmas, on Saturday, December 3, 2022, followed by the seventh Annual Wellsboro Christmas on Main Street,

“EVERYTHING GOES BACK TO THE CORE OF THE COMMUNITY. WE’RE ALWAYS LOOKING OUT FOR THE BEST INTERESTS OF THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY.”

— JULIE HENRY, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE WELLSBORO AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

Photo provided THE YOUNG FOLKS OF WELLSBORO ARE LEARNING THE STORIES THAT MADE THEIR COMMUNITY SPECIAL. AT THE SAME TIME, THEY ARE HAVING SO MUCH FUN!

Robert Inglis/Inside PA

STANDING IN FRONT OF THE FLAG MADE OF RED, WHITE AND BLUE CHRISTMAS BALLS MADE IN 1946 TO WELCOME HOME WORLD WAR II SOL DIERS, JULIE HENRY, LEFT, AND ELLEN BRYANT, SHARE TWO OF THE MANY BOXES THAT HELD SHINY BRITE ORNAMENTS.

from Friday through Sunday, Dec. 9 – 11.

Dickens of a Christmas rekindles the old-fashioned Christmas spirit, with the Wellsboro gas lights shining on a Victorian marketplace that offers craft vendors, strolling musicians and singers, dancers, and street corner thespians.

“A little dusting of snow at the end of the day, and it’s just magical,” Stam said.

Guests can sing with carolers, watch holiday plays, rub elbows with folks dressed in Dickens costumes, shop for Christmas gifts and enjoy food vendors offering everything from bread pudding and homemade baked goods to hot beef sandwiches, crab cakes, cheddar worsts, apple cider and more. Cherish the true meaning of the season by joining the Peace Walk at 5 p.m. and participating in the community Christmas tree lighting and carol sing.

Christmas on Main Street started in 2015 after a particularly dismal, rainy day affected the turnout for Dickens of a Christmas, and community organizers asked, why put all the retail opportunities in one basket?

Christmas on Main Street offers a map of businesses throughout Wellsboro displaying Shiny Brite ornaments and offering holiday shopping, live music, glass blowing demonstrations and other events. The beauty of it is that it focuses on the everyday offerings of the downtown retailers.

“The businesses promote what they’re already doing,” Bryant said. “They don’t have to do anything particular, just be the wonderful, independent shops that they are.”

For example, Pop’s Culture Shoppe might offer a game night. My Shelf Books & Gifts will feature a local author. Dunham’s Department Store will sponsor a Hat Trunk Show, etc. A percentage of profits from the weekend goes to various charities.

Perhaps the best part of the weekend is the display of Shiny Brite ornaments. Stam described a rare, silver Santa ornament and mold she displays in her store.

“I feel honored to be able to display those every year,” she said.

Henry noted that she has one of those rare Santas, too.

“It was my ornament. My Dad handed it to me to put on the tree,” she said, adding that one of the best things to come out of displaying these cherished ornaments is the awareness it brought to locals who took them for granted. “People didn’t realize what they had in a box in their basement.”

The ornaments have always connected family members to one another, Bryant said, but now they also connect them to the community and to their efforts during World War II.

“I think that’s more meaningful to people,” she said.

Stam, who interviewed former CGW employees to write annual brochures for Christmas on Main Street, said she was fascinated by their history.

“The more I learned, the more I realized we have to preserve this history,” she said. “I think people today are proud that they had a part in people’s Christmas traditions.” And, in saving Christmas! PA

Jean L. Knouse/Inside PA

THIS PAGE FROM THE 1941 DESIGN BOOK ILLUSTRATES HOW MANY ORNA MENT SHAPES WERE DEVELOPED IN FOUR YEARS.

Robert Inglis/Inside PA

THIS SILVER SANTA FROM THE COLLECTION OF JULIE HENRY IS HIGHLY COVETTED AMONG ORNAMENT COLLECTORS

The miracle continues

After Wellsboro’s Corning Glass Works saved Christmas during WWII, it continued to produce ornaments for several more decades before being bought out by a couple of different owners and then quietly closing in 2016.

On December 24, 2019, ribbon machine operator Ryan Root learned that Ribbon Machines S-1 and No. 9 were being decommissioned and scrapped within a month.

“The ribbon machines were built here. Even the ones used around the world were built here,” said Anja Stam, who with her husband, Julian Stam, owns Pop’s Culture Shoppe, in Wellsboro.

In what is being called a new Christmas miracle for Wellsboro,

Root posted a Facebook message saying, “If I was a millionaire I would ship them back up here and put them on display in Wellsboro.”

That post caught the attention of former plant engineer Grant “Skip” Cavanaugh, who persuaded Growth Resources of Wellsboro (GROW) to grant a loan that allowed him to save the machines just minutes before being demolished. The two historical machines were shipped back to Wellsboro on June 15, 2020.

Today, money is being raised to build a museum to house the machines. Tax deductible donations are accepted at: Wellsboro Foundation, 114 Main St., Wellsboro, PA 16901. Please reference “Ribbon Machine” in the check memo.

Photo provided

RYAN ROOT STANDS NEXT TO THE RIBBON MACHINE WHICH ALLOWED A NEVER-ENDING RIB BON OF HOT GLASS TO DROP INTO MOLDS WAS INVENTED AND MANUFACTURED IN WELLSBORO. IT WAS USED IN FACTORIES AROUND THE WORLD.

Cindy O. Herman/For Inside PA WELLSBORO WORKERS TWEAKED THEIR RIBBON MACHINE AND THE METAL MOLDS THAT ONCE MADE LIGHT BULBS, AND A CHRISTMAS ORNAMENT FACTORY WAS BORN.

SEASONAL SURVEY

We asked Valley leaders about their holiday preferences

Story by Jean Knouse

This survey of holiday food favorites, decorating tastes, and happy memories isn’t meant to prove anything.

It is my hope that you will begin to anticipate turkey with your favorite side dishes, your football schedule for the day, and an opportunity to relive a happy childhood memory at least once during the season.

If you are a parent, you might recognize the happy times your children will turn into favorite memories when they are adults. Perhaps this is the year your child will find a special gift under the tree that will be remembered with fondness in years to come.

However, there is one among us — perhaps more — who (change from that) has questionable taste in holiday movies. questionable taste in holiday movies. I don’t know about you, but I don’t like cinnamon in hot drinks. However, that does look to be the right amount of marshmallows for my cup of hot chocolate. PA

Does your “group” of family and/or friends eat Thanksgiving at lunchtime or dinnertime?

Will football — in some form — be part of your day?

Mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes or both?

Your favorite Thanksgiving vegetable?

Your favorite Thanksgiving pie or dessert?

Christmas music before Thanksgiving?

Will you decorate the outside of your home for the holiday season?

Will you have a Christmas tree this year Artificial or real?

What was your favorite childhood gift from Santa or as a Hanukkah present?

In five or six words, if you could ask Santa or Hanukkah Harry for anything, what would you wish for?

Favorite holiday movie?

“The best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear?

Dinnertime

All day

Sweet potatoes

Collard greens

Lunchtime

All day

Mashed potatoes

Baked corn

Dinnertime

Afternoon only

Lunchtime

All day

Sweet potato pie No No Yes

Artificial Nintendo ‘64

Peace on Earth or $1 billion (LOL) “Elf” and “A Christmas Story”

Agree

Any kind of pie No opinion Yes Yes Artificial Stuffed Monkey World peace “Elf ” Agree

Both Asparagus Pumpkin Pie No No Yes Artificial

A red, Huffy, banana seat bike with a basket

Mashed potatoes

Brussels sprouts Pumpkin roll After Halloween Yes Yes Artificial

Return of the Jedi Sleeping Bag

Tickets to Centre Court Wimbledon

White Christmas and Elf

Disagree — “I can’t sing. For me it’s spread through kindness and a positive attitude.”

Health for my family and friends

“Christmas Vacation” Agree

SHANEE MITCHELL JOSH BROSIOUS KENDRA AUCKER WILLIAM BOWMAN

Holiday treats

Valley bakery taps into German traditions

Story and photos by Cindy O. Herman

When the tree is aglow with lights and you’ve asked Alexa to play your favorite music, it’s time to dust your countertops with flour and whip up a batch of Christmas cookies.

“I think it’s a togetherness thing,” said Nikki KeisterHornig, owner of Gable House Bakery, in Mifflinburg. “You think about what your mother and grandmother taught you, and you want to teach your children. There

are these family recipes that there’s no better time to pass down to generations.”

It’s also a time to be generous, she said.

“It’s such a universal gesture of generosity and kindheartedness to give something you’ve baked yourself,” she said.

At Thanksgiving, Gable House Bakery’s top seller is pie, but at Christmas, it’s all about the cookies. Gable House offers two popular assortments: the German cookie box

and the holiday cookie box, all made from scratch.

The German box includes gingerbread, Springerle, Lebkuchen, Nussecken, Linzer and lemon cardamom. The holiday box offers chocolate crinkles, cake pops, date balls, raspberry thumbprints, peanut butter delight and cut-out sugar cookies.

Acknowledging the predominantly German heritage in the Mifflinburg area, Keister-Hornig noted she sold more German cookies last year than traditional holiday cookies. Customers can follow Gable House Bakery on Facebook and Instagram to pre-order and to watch as the cookies become available.

Customers with gluten sensitivities will be happy to know Gable House offers a gluten-free pie crust,

allowing people with celiac disease to enjoy most of the bakery’s pies.

For almost 30 years, Keister-Hornig’s mother, Donita Keister, operated a baking business from her in-house, professional kitchen. Known for her custom wedding cakes, Donita also sold gingerbread houses and kits. Nikki has fond memories of bundling packets of candies for the kits.

“A lot of customers talk about how their mom always got the kits for them,” she said.

At Gable House she continues the tradition with gingerbread house kits, as well as kits for barns, trains and, this year, a carousel.

“They’re really, really popular at Christmas,” she said.

ABOVE: NIKKI KEISTER-HORNIG ROLLS OUT GINGERBREAD DOUGH IN HER MIFFLINBURG BAKERY. LEFT: ALONG WITH CLASSIC GINGERBREAD MEN, GABLE HOUSE BAKERY, IN MIFFLINBURG, SELLS KITS TO MAKE TRAINS, HOUSES AND, THIS YEAR, CAROUSELS.

— NIKKI KEISTER-HORNIG, OWNER OF GABLE HOUSE BAKERY

“A lot of people buy them at Thanksgiving to bring in the holidays.”

She understands the desire to continue traditions and share them with children. As much as she bakes, certain actions and aromas can still connect her to childhood memories.

“As soon as we open spices — ginger, cloves — it just brings back a ton of memories,” she said. “Those smells bring back that season. They’re still some of the best smells. It is the deepest nostalgia for me because of my mom’s gingerbread, growing up.”

Like others who enjoy baking, she cherishes memories of baking with her grandmother.

“She taught me how to make sand tarts, which are very traditional around here,” Keister-Hornig said. “She had a method to make them paper thin, and we put them in tins every year. That’s a really special memory.”

Gable House Bakery is located at 441 Chestnut St., in Mifflinburg. For more information, visit “Gable House Bakery” on Facebook or Instagram, www. gablehousebakery.com or call 570-597-2118. PA

NIKKI KEISTER-HORNIG DRIZZLES DECORATIVE LINES OF WHITE ICING ACROSS A ROW OF GINGERBREAD MEN IN HER MIFFLINBURG BAKERY.

“AS SOON AS WE OPEN SPICES — GINGER, CLOVES — IT JUST BRINGS BACK A TON OF MEMORIES. THOSE SMELLS BRING BACK THAT SEASON. THEY’RE STILL SOME OF THE BEST SMELLS. IT IS THE DEEPEST NOSTALGIA FOR ME BECAUSE OF MY MOM’S GINGERBREAD, GROWING UP.”

Ayoung man I know (he’s 11) says that at one hour and 58 minutes into a Hallmark holiday movie, there will be a major kiss. He hides while others cheer.

If your idea of a great way to enjoy a quiet — but festive — evening at home is to watch a holiday TV movie, you must prepare. Snacks are required. A bowl of popcorn and a tray loaded with cut-out cookies and cocoa in festive mugs is a good beginning. Holiday napkins are optional. If you, and your family or friends, require a competitive aspect for the evening to be fun, you need holiday bingo cards!

The cards below were created by Angie White. As an early holiday gift, she is offering our readers the opportunity to save 25% when you purchase these holiday bingo cards via download. Enter the coupon code SUNBURY to receive the discount.

To purchase cards visit https://www.etsy.com/ listing/1127290887/christmas-movie-bingo-tv-moviebingo

You get extra points from Santa if you use red and green candy corn or tiny decorated cookies for BINGO markers. Don’t forget! You need to assemble a box of prizes to give to the winner of each round. Have fun!! PA

Story by Jean Knouse

Snow Angels

A poem by Anne Keeler Evans

In the deepest, dark Mid-Winter — when there’s far more Dark than Day — when the snow is brightly gleaming, the children run outside to play.

They ride their sleds down bumpy hills and weave amongst the trees. They make their angels in the snow and lose their giggles on the breeze.

When it’s time, they run back home — as fast as they are able. For now, their hands are icy cold, and supper’s on the table.

They leave the angels lying there quiet, pretty, white. They never stop and turn around to see those forms take flight.

They do not see the patterns as they weave into the sky. But the beasts of field and forest pay heed as they pass by.

They watch them dip and flutter across the icy land. They hear the high sweet voices and the beat of wing and hand.

And it is of Peace they whisper. And, it is of Peace they shout. And, it is of Peace they fly for and they draw the hatred out.

These are but lesser angels that children draw in snow. But they all have angels’ vision and they know what angels know.

It is Peace for which we struggle and Peace for which we yearn. It is Peace that they must show us and Peace that we must learn.

When supper’s finally over and the children are abed, the adults make their way outside and take their turns on sleds.

And when we’re done with laughter Some instinct makes us wait and trace our own snow angels down beyond the gate.

We do not see them rising — would not believe it if we did. We don’t believe in angels. We are no longer kids.

But angels still believe in us. They still invade our sleep. They still sing their songs of Peace when Winter drifts are deep.

And all those soft snow angels plant a longing in our souls to fill ourselves with fresh new dreams and aim for higher goals.

There is so much glorious wonder o’er which angels watch are keeping. We can dream vast dreams of Peace even as we too, lie sleeping.

And when we rise the next day, as the Sun makes snow drifts glisten, we begin to see things differently and begin to really listen.

But if you think it’s not your business if the world stays merry and bright, then never lay yourself down to draw snow angels pretty, quiet and white.

Holiday crafts

Story

and

photos by Julia Edick

THE TREE DECORATION (TOP) WOULD ALSO MAKE A FESTIVE CARD.

YOUR MENORAH SHOULD BE A WORK OF ART. THE FIVE-YEAR-OLD WHO MADE THE NORTH POLE IS VERY PROUD OF HIS WORK.

Working at a table with your children, nieces, nephews and neighborhood kids is a great way to enjoy the season!

Happy Holidays, Julia Edick, Director of the Arts, DACC

THE NORTH POLE, A FAMILY PROJECT Supplies

● Cardboard tube or red pool noodle

● Acrylic craft paint and brush if using cardboard tube

● One extra-large Christmas ornament

● White Duct Tape

● Cardboard (about 11” X 16” - corrugated cardboard)

● Pillow stuffing or fake snow

● Wooden or cardboard arrow signs

● Hot glue gun

Directions

If using cardboard, paint the tube red and let it dry. Wrap the tube or noodle with white tape so it spirals down and looks like a peppermint stick

Hot glue the ornament upside down on the top of the tube.

Hot glue the bottom of the tube to a piece of flat cardboard.

Paint your arrow signs: “North Pole,” “Santa’s Workshop,” etc.

When paint is dry, glue signs to the pole pointing in the direction you choose.

Glue stuffing or fake snow to cover the cardboard base.

AN ANIMAL MENORAH

AGES 5+ WITH HELP FROM A

GROWN UP Supplies

● Plastic Animal of Choice - at least 8” recommended

● Acrylic craft paints and brushes

● 9 candles that are 1/4” in diameter

● 9 1/4” hex nuts

● Hot glue gun and glue

Directions

Paint your plastic animal any way you’d like. It works best to paint the entire animal white first. Let it dry and then paint it with your colors and design of choice. Let all paint dry

Hot glue on nine hex nuts across the top of your animal Place a candle in each hex nut

FINGERPRINT CHRISTMAS TREE AGES 2+ WITH HELP FROM A GROWN-UP Supplies

● Stained piece of wood or a sheet of card stock (8 1/2 X 11”)

● Green, red & gold acrylic paint & brush

● White paint pen

● Gold bow

Directions

On a stained piece of wood (or paper), use a pencil to lightly draw a tree shape.

Dip your finger gently into the paint. Use 2 or 3 shades of green to fill in the triangle with fingerprints

Use your pinky dipped in red paint to paint on a garland

With a paintbrush and gold paint, add the trunk of the tree

Use the white paint pen to write “Merry Christmas” with the year beneath the tree.

Once the paint is all dry, add the gold bow to the top of the tree. PA

Upcoming events

NOV 19

Holiday Open House

When: 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Where: Downtown Danville More information: Free Wagon Rides from 4 to 7 p.m.

NOV 22

Selinsgrove Tree Lighting

When: 7 to 8 p.m. Where: Selinsgrove Commons

NOV 26

Small Business Saturday and Peppermint Passport When: All day Where: Downtown Danville More information: visitdanvillepa. org Shop Small Saturday When: All day Where: Lewisburg More information: lewisburgpa.com

Santa Parade and Tree Lighting When: 3 to 9 p.m. Where: Downtown Sunbury More information: Email sunburylitefe@yahoo.com or call Victoria Rosencrans at 570-2867820

Holiday Farmer’s Market

When: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Where: Selinsgrove Commons

Annual Tharptown Christmas Display Festival

When: 1 to 8 p.m. Where: Coal Township More information: Food, games, craft vendors and children’s activities. At 6 p.m., Santa will light the holiday display.

NOV. 28

Cookies, Carols and Shopping When: 6:30 to 8 p.m. Where: King Street Park, Northumberland

More information: Santa arrives at 7 p.m.

DEC. 1

Santa Parade When: 6:30 p.m. Where: Downtown Danville More information: Santa lights the tree at his cottage at 7 p.m.

Late Night Shopping When: 5 to 9 p.m. Where: Downtown Sunbury More information: Celebrate with local businesses and area crafters. Market St. businesses will stay open late and offer holiday treats and special discounts.

DEC. 2

Tree lighting ceremony

When: 7 p.m. Where: Huffnagle Park, Lewisburg More information: Caroling and “The Night Before Christmas” before the lights go on for the season.

Late Night Shopping When: 5 to 9 p.m. Where: Downtown Lewisburg More information: Stores are open late, music is playing and refreshments are served.

DEC. 3 Hometown Holiday Market When: 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Where: Downtown Danville More information: Puppets, music, crafts, food and activities on Mill

Street. Wagon Rides with Santa will be from 4 to 8 p.m. Reservations only. Visit visitdanvillepa.org

Holiday Farmer’s Market

When: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Where: Selinsgrove Commons

Kids Stocking Stuffing When: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Where: Gracie’s Flowers at 901 N. Market St., Selinsgrove More information: Children are invited to decorate stockings which they can take to participating merchants until 4 p.m. The cost is $5 per child. Reserve your children’s stocking by emailing SelinsgroveChamberofCommerce@ gmail.com or by calling 570-374-8992 or 570-850-0797. Proceeds benefit Kidsgrove Playground.

Santa Pet Parade When: 2 p.m. Where: Downtown Selinsgrove More information: SelinsgroveChamberofCommerce@ gmail.com

DEC. 11

Event: Wagon Rides with Santa When: Noon to 4 p.m. Where: Downtown Danville More information: Reservations only. Visit visitdanvillepa.org

Drive-thru Breakfast with St. Nicholas When: 10 to 11 a.m. Where: St. Joseph Parish Center, 854 Cemetery Road, Milton More information: Breakfast and a goody bag for each child. Register on Winterfest Facebook page.

DEC. 17

A Lewisburg Victorian Nutcracker

When: Shows at 2 and 7 p.m. Where: RiverStage Community Theatre at Greenspace Center in Lewisburg

More information: strictlyballetarts. com or riverstagetheatre.org

DEC. 31

New Year’s Eve Studio 54 Gala

When: 8 p.m. Where Sunbury Masonic Lodge 22, 20 S. Market St, Sunbury

More information: Ticket sales support the Sunbury Arts Council. Only 125 tickets are available for sale at $20 per perso at eventbrite.com/d/ pa--sunbury/new-years-eve-parties

ONGOING EVENTS

Milton Model Train Museum

Open House

Date: Fridays and Saturdays beginning Nov. 25 to Dec. 30 Where: 139 S. Front St., Milton. More information: An O Gauge layout depicts the town of Milton in the 1950s and ‘60s. No fee. For more information call 570-412-1653.

Joy through the Grove

Date: Nov. 25 to Dec 31 (closed Christmas Eve and Christmas Day) When: 5:30 to 9 p.m. Where: Knoebel’s Grove

More information: 15 miles of lights and more than 400 light up pieces. Car admission, $20 to $25. Large passenger vehicle, 9 to 12 passengers, $40. Dated and timed tickets available at knoebels.com

Holiday Shopping Pass

Date: Nov 26 and 27

When: All day Where: Downtown Lewisburg More information: Receive 15% off one item (exclusions apply) at every store listed on the back of the Pass.

Visit Santa’s Cottage Date: Dec. 2 to 17 When: Fridays 5 to 7 p.m. and Saturdays noon to 3 p.m. Where: Downtown Danville

Visit with Santa Date: Dec. 2 to 23 When: 6:30 to 8 p.m. Where: King Street Park, Northumberland

Christkindl Market

Date: Dec. 8 to 10

When: Dec. 8 — 4:30 to 9 p.m.; Dec. 9 — 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Dec. 10 — 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Where: Downtown Mifflinburg More information: Mifflinburg’s version of an authentic Christmas market, hosted by the town’s churches, organizations, schools and residents. Visit oldchristkindle.org for more information PA

Photo provided

SOMETIMES, SANTA SHARES THE COOKIES WITH HIS FRIENDS.

Happy holidays

From the staff at Inside PA

In 1955, Jill Jackson-Miller and Sy Miller first shared the lyrics and melody for this song at an inter-faith, multi-cultural camp for teens in California. Since then, the message has traveled around the world and the song has been recorded by vocalists of all musical genres.

Whether the message is sung at a family dinner or a community buffet, during a service of faith or around a camp fire, it is a message that reminds us that peace — in our lives, our families, our nation and our world begins with each of us. PA

There Be

On

Let there be peace on earth And let it begin with me. Let there be peace on earth The peace that was meant to be. With God as our father Brothers all are we. Let me walk with my brother In perfect harmony.

Let peace begin with me, Let this be the moment now. With every step I take Let this be my solemn vow. To take each moment and live Each moment in peace eternally. Let there be peace on earth And let it begin with me.

“Let

Peace

Earth” Lyrics by Jill Jackson-Miller and melody by Sy Miller

.