Life in the Finger Lakes Winter 2009

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THE REGION’S PREMIER MAGAZINE

www.LifeintheFingerLakes.com

Winter 2009

A Winter Wonderland Annual Photo Contest Special WEDDING SUPPLEMENT Cougars in New York?

Winter Book Review $3.95 US/$4.95 CAN

DISPLAY THROUGH MARCH ’10

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Winter in Wine Country.

Elm

Crof t

1832

Vil

Elm Croft Manor offers a magnificent setting and luxurious accommodations for a romantic get-away, family gathering, special event, corporate event, or simply a weekend away to enjoy the beautiful NYS wine country and Finger Lakes.

An outstanding gourmet breakfast is prepared every morning for our guests as they enjoy the history and modern conveniences of this beautiful Greek Revival mansion (circa 1832).

la del Lago

M ano r Christopher and Aleaze Jeavons Resident Managers Jo Cornell, J.D. Owner (California)

Enjoy the country elegance of this grand mansion and experience the beauty of nature. With nearly 50 downhill and over 50 cross-country ski areas to choose from in New York state, skiers of all abilities will have fun in the snow. The warm hospitality of Elm Croft Manor, museums, wineries, and many other indoor activities await you when you come in from the slopes. Open year- round, visit www.elmcroftmanor.com for updates throughout the year.

Happy Holidays!

READER ACTION NUMBER 135

8361 Pleasant Valley Road

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Hammondsport, NY 14840

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607.569.3071

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800.506.3071

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www.elmcroftmanor.com

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stay@elmcroftmanor.com

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Volume 9, Number 4 • Winter 2009

F E A T U R E S

26 34

THE

EIGHTH ANNUAL PHOTO CONTEST

Another banner year of photography submissions brings a new batch of winners

REFLECTIONS OF A RURAL SCHOOLTEACHER A trip back in time to Mendon Rural School 7

By Michele Howland Banaszewski

D E P A R T M E N T S 2 3 4 6 8 9 10

MY OWN WORDS

14

FOOD Catching a Friday night fish fry

LETTERS FINGER LAKES MAP NEWSBITS OFFBEAT CONTRIBUTORS IN THE KITCHEN To braise or not to braise

40

PICTORIAL: A KEUKA WINTER

43 52

WEDDINGS IN THE FINGER LAKES

18

MADE IN THE FINGER LAKES An enchanting hobby - handspinning

A CUT ABOVE

22

A brief glimpse at a country sawmill

By Rich Finzer

FRUIT OF THE VINE A new use for grapes - distilling

50

WILDLIFE PROFILE The red bird - cardinal

THEY RELISH THE RESEARCH

64

The ladies of the Waterloo Research Club enjoy any excuse to dig into a good topic

By Tina Manzer

OUTDOORS Letting the cat out of the bag

72

SPORT Snowkiting

74

BOOK LOOK The Finger Lakes ignite authors’ imaginations

81 83 88

INDEX OF ADVERTISERS

58

Photographer Steve Knapp presents views of the lake during winter

Below: The winter cloud formations seem to point to the farm on Greenwood Hill in the Southern Tier. Photo by Dr. Herbert Leon MacDonell Cover: A sentimental view of winter during the holidays, taken at the Roberts family tree farm near Groton. Photo by Linda Long

CALENDAR: FESTIVALS & EVENTS OFF THE EASEL Quilting a dream: the work of Melissa Fox

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M Y

O W N

W O R D S

“Two-thousand ten” versus “twenty ten”

B

Serving lunch, dinner, late night and Sunday Brunch too.

Located downtown on the Ithaca Commons corner of Tioga/Seneca Streets

607-216-4343 www.kilpatrickspub.com

elieve it or not, I’ve been waiting quite a while to write this editorial, and I think the reality of the upcoming year is prompting me to finally tackle it.

Since the dawn of the new century, we have called each year “two thousand something” as if we were counting (“two thousand one, two thousand two ...”). This is probably technically correct, but whatever happened to simplicity? Not that I don’t understand why we say two thousand. What’s the alternative, “twenty hundred”?

I’m just looking for consistency.

What was good for the last century is certainly good enough for this one. So here we are, on the eve of an opportunity to reconsider how we say the number that represents each year.

Right now, many of us are saying, “Two thousand ten,” following along with the precedent set almost 10 years ago. But I’ve also heard more and more people call 2010, “Twenty ten.”

Personally, I think the second version, with fewer syllables, is easier to say. It would be a change for the better. Can you imagine saying, “Well, when I retire in two-thousand twenty-seven …”? It’s simply too much of a mouthful. I think “twenty twenty-seven” just rolls off the tongue easier. And don’t even get me started on 2187.

Okay, enough about that. I also

wanted to chat a little about some of the articles in this issue. Michele Howland Banaszewski writes about her mother in “Reflections of a rural schoolteacher.” This feature reminds me of the stories I would hear from my parents about Oakdale School in Jackson Township, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania. They both attended this one-room schoolhouse during their elementary years, and they both believed they received a very good education. I can remember my mom stating that she would overhear older children reciting their lessons, and by the time she graduated to that level, she knew most of the material. I also heard about some great times outside during recess, playing games and sledding down the hill from the schoolhouse. They both have fond memories of their teacher, Mr. King.

This issue marks our eighth year for the photo contest. As usual, many photos were submitted. Enjoy viewing the winners.

One last item. Below you can see a shameless request to buy our 2010 calendar. We have printed a limited number, and they make great gifts. So visit www.LifeintheFingerLakes.com to order. Thank you!

mark@lifeinthefingerlakes.com

A Great Gift!

The 2010 Life in the Finger Lakes

Calendar Limited Supply - Act Now $13.99 (includes shipping and handling) READER ACTION NUMBER 110

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www.LifeintheFingerLakes.com

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L E T T E R S Shopping locally Thanks for the tip on the Antique Revival Store in Big Flats. It is a great store and the people who work there are very friendly and not pushy. I like to shop at local places.

Roberta Oswalt, Horseheads Kayak, Canoes and Kudos I just finished reading your Fall 2009 issue of Life in the Finger Lakes from cover to cover. Michael Venturino’s photo essay “Canoes and Kayaks on Canadice Lake” was spectacular. A kayaker myself, I thoroughly enjoyed the photography and envisioned myself paddling on Canadice Lake, a paddle I will have to do in the near future. Thank you Michael, this was awesome.

Joe Geronimo, Endwell

‘TIS THE SEASON TO SAVE. ANN TAYLOR FACTORY STORE, BANANA REPUBLIC FACTORY STORE, BCBGMAXAZRIA. 100 STORES. GAP OUTLET, GUESS, J.CREW, JOCKEY, NIKE, NINE WEST, PUMA, REEBOK, TIMBERLAND, TOMMY HILFIGER AND MORE. SAVINGS OF 25% TO 65% EVERY DAY.

Imagine my surprise when two friends mentioned they saw me in Life in the Finger Lakes! I had already seen a copy at my doctor’s office and did not pay much attention other than reading the article about canoes and kayaks on Canadice Lake. We did not know that we were being photographed. We are the photograph with the kayaks paddling upwind as a storm is approaching, with the green trees in the background.

Thanks, Alice Miller Nation Having retired to Keuka Lake, we are receiving your magazine and enjoying it. We also have bookmarked your online calendar to check on local events – very helpful.

We have gone out to dinner twice recently at the Union Block Italian Bistro, a new small restaurant across from the green in Hammondsport. We found it to be very busy (we had to wait at the downstairs bar both times before being seated) and the food was very good. Your magazine might want to check it out!

Gary and Martha Brown, Hammondsport

LEGENDARY BRANDS. ABUNDANT SELECTION. REAL SAVINGS. Enjoy additional holiday savings at www.premiumoutlets.com/vip

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READER ACTION NUMBER 122

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The Finger Lakes Regional Map Hilton

MONROE Red Creek

Wolcott Webster

Oneida Lake

Sodus

Brockport Spencerport

Baldwinsville North Syracuse E. Rochester

WAYNE Fairport

Clyde

Macedon Palmyra

Jordan Fayetteville

Weedsport

Caledonia

Honeoye Mendon Falls

Farmington Manlius Marcellus

Manchester Cayuga

Avon

ONTARIO

Lima

Lafayette Union Springs

SENECA

ONONDAGA

CAYUGA

South Bristol

Aurora

Glen Haven

King Ferry

Dresden

Mt. Morris

Moravia

Ovid

YATES

Homer

CORTLAND

Lodi

LIVINGSTON Wayland Nunda

Interlaken

McGraw

Groton

Dansville Dundee

Lansing

Cohocton

Dryden Marathon Burdett

Avoca

TOMPKINS

Montour Falls

SCHUYLER

Odessa

Canisteo

NEW YORK S TAT E

STEUBEN

Spencer

Newark Valley

Van Etten

CHEMUNG

Corning

The Finger Lakes Region of New York State

Elmira Heights

TIOGA

Big Flats Addison

Elmira Waverly

Areas of interest in this magazine issue:

• Auburn • Burdett • Canandaigua

EDITORIAL & PRODUCTION

• Corning • Geneva • Hemlock

• Honeoye • Honeoye Falls • Ithaca

• Manchester • Mendon • Newark

SENIOR GRAPHIC ARTIST . . . . . . . Jennifer Srmack

EDITORIAL OFFICE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 315-789-0458 DIRECTOR

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Rich Finzer

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Anya Harris . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Kim Price . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Carol C. Stash

OF

ADVERTISING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Tim Braden tim@lifeinthefingerlakes.com

. . . . . . . . . . . . . Michele Howland Banaszewski . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Phillip Bonn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jason Feulner

ASSISTANT EDITORS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . J. Kevin Fahy

• Skaneateles • Syracuse • Waterloo

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bill Banaszewski

GRAPHIC ARTIST . . . . . . . . . . . Lindsey Williamson ASSOCIATE EDITOR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Tina Manzer

• Penn Yan • Phelps • Red Creek

CONTRIBUTORS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . John Adamski

EDITOR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mark Stash mark@lifeinthefingerlakes.com

Apalachin

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Kari Anderson Pink . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Chef Eric K. Smith . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jan Bridgeford Smith . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Laurel C. Wemett

FOR ADVERTISING INQUIRIES Jason Hagerman . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 800-344-0559 jason@lifeinthefingerlakes.com Rhonda Trainor. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 800-344-0559 rhonda@lifeinthefingerlakes.com

FOR SUBSCRIPTIONS Tricia McKenna . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 315-789-0458 subscribe@lifeinthefingerlakes.com BUSINESS OFFICE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 315-789-0458

800-344-0559 Life in the Finger Lakes is published by Fahy-Williams Publishing, Inc. and owned by Eleven Lakes Publishing, Inc. Coowners: Mark S. Stash; Timothy J. Braden. Copyright© 2009 by Eleven Lakes Publishing, Inc. No part of this publication may be reprinted or otherwise reproduced without written permission from the publisher.

TO SUBSCRIBE, RENEW OR CHANGE ADDRESS: write to Life in the Finger Lakes, P.O. Box 1080, Geneva, NY 14456, or call 315-789-0458. Subscription rates: $13.95 for one year. Canada add $15 per year. Outside North America, add $30 per year. For renewal or change of address, include the address label from your most recent issue of Life in the Finger Lakes. For gift subscriptions, include your own name and address as well as those of gift recipients.

BUSINESS FAX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 315-789-4263

Life in the Finger Lakes 171 Reed St. • P.O. Box 1080 • Geneva, NY 14456 www.LifeintheFingerLakes.com Serving the 14 counties of the Finger Lakes Region Printed by Vanguard Printing LLC, Ithaca, New York

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N E W S B I T S LifePath Spa

Canandaigua’s Bristol Harbour Resort will be opening its new Lifepath Spa this December, offering the opportunity to relax and rejuvinate in a tranquil environment.

“Lifepath Spa is home to an innovative, relaxing yet high-energy fitness and wellness program,” said Lynne Stewart, director of sales and marketing.

The spa will offer many treatments, fitness classes, meditation, hikes, cross country skiing and nutritional and wellness education, Stewart said.

“The vision is to offer a destination spa experience that is elegant yet affordable and geared toward health, fitness and even weight loss,” according to the website, www.lifepathspa.com.

Call 585-278-3400 for reservations.

Paperweight vase with applied decoration Tiffany Furnaces, Corona, New York, about 1915 Rockwell Museum of Western Art.

predominantly Victorian style of the times in favor of more natural, sophisticated, and modern forms,” said Jane Shadel Spillman, curator of American glass. “He created some of his finest work in the first quarter century of production, between 1893 and 1918.”

Curators will lead public tours of Tiffany Treasures on Fridays at 11 a.m. during November. The price is included in the cost of admission.

The exhibit will be on display until October 31, 2010.

The museum’s Rakow Research Library will complement the exhibit with one of its own, running from November 2 to April 30. Tiffany Treasures: Design Drawings by Alice Gouvy and Lillian Palmié, which showcases eight recently restored watercolor sketches by two of Tiffany’s female employees from the enamel department of Tiffany Furnaces.

Tiffany Treasures at CMoG

A new exhibit at the Corning Museum of Glass, Tiffany Treasures: Favrile Glass from Special Collections, exposes the world to the innovation and artistry of Louis Comfort Tiffany.

The exhibit showcases nearly 60 handmade pieces which Tiffany designed during one of his most productive periods from 1895 to 1920.

The pieces were made at his glasshouse in Corona, New York.

Pieces were drawn primarily from collections at Cornell University’s Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art and from a donation to the Rockwell Museum in Corning.

“This assemblage of beautiful blown glass objects reflects Tiffany’s bold departure from the often fussy,

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Wild Water Derby

An addition to Manchester’s annual Wild Water Derby won’t be so wild. In an effort to create a section

of the race without rapids, six miles of the Canandaigua Outlet was recently cleared.

Derby organizers spent eight weekends in late summer and early fall clearing the section from Canandaigua Lake to the starting line of the traditional derby, said chairman Matt Schaertl.

“The outlet is now easily navigable by canoe, kayak and most reasonably sized rafts, without portage,” said Schaertl. “The work was completed by volunteers and at no cost to taxpayers, landowners or Ontario County Soil and Water.”

During the clearing, more than 13 shore-to-shore log jams were cut through or removed. Schaertl said the largest dam was more than 30 feet thick.

The derby is held in the spring and attracts dozens of participants who traverse the rapids in kayaks, rafts and homemade crafts.

And Then There Were Five

In the Fall 2009 edition of Life in the Finger Lakes, we reported that The Finger Lakes Cultural And Natural History Museum project was entering the site selection phase of its strategic plan. Nineteen sites were submitted for consideration. That number has been narrowed down to five sites.

The five sites that remain in contention are: The Bush Farm in Aurora, the Wells College Campus in Aurora, Sampson State Park in Romulus, Seneca Lake State Park/Geneva Lakefront in Geneva, and Keuka Lake State Park in Bluff Point.

The Geneva location is a great example of the spirit of cooperation: it is cosponsored by the City of Geneva, Ontario County, Seneca County and Finger Lakes State Parks.

W E B This was a typical log jam looking upstream.

The green vegetation is what is growing on top of the logs – not shoreline.

W W W. L I F E I N T H E F I N G E R L A K E S . C O M

E X T R A

Read updated Newsbits online at www.LifeintheFingerLakes.com.

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O F F B E A T O F F B E A T O F F B E A T

Local Couple Design Bull Market Image for Wall Street Honeoye-based husband and wife design team Mark and Diane Weisbeck recently won a commission through KiptonArt, New York, to design a 21st century image representing the bull market, the term for an up-trending financial market. They developed this 13-foot-tall “Bull Market Rocket,” constructed of textured and dyed stainless steel. The plume of the rocket is intricately swirling, textured stainless steel, which looks dazzling in the sunlight and gives the impression of motion and “blasting off.” The rocket is powder coated metallic blue with gold fins and is suitable for indoor or outdoor installation. A prominent Credit Suisse executive funded the project through KiptonArt, the first finance-themed competitive art commission of its kind, titled “The Color of Money: Collision of Art and Finance.” Due to positive international response to the new symbol, 14-inch-tall desktop replica sculptures are now available at www.bullmarketgifts.com.

Painting Marks Anniversary of 9/11 Terror Attack Artist William Wayne Page of Webster recently showed his portrait of the Twin Towers at the Mill Gallery and Art Center in Honeoye Falls, marking the eighth anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Page, who managed a gallery in SOHO, New York City, for 8 years before moving to the Finger Lakes Region, painted the image prior to the attacks, using a photo of the Towers he snapped from the window of his Jersey City studio. With eerie prescience, he exhibited it in the New York Metro area in 2000 as part of a show called, “Life Between Extinctions, The Healing Power of Art in the Great War For Civilizations.”

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Kool-Aid for Cancer When Sonja Morrison told her daughters about her plan to give back to the cancer center that helped her get better, they wanted to do the same.

“I told them mommy wanted to give back, and my daughter said, ‘Let’s sell Kool-Aid from my stand,’” said Morrison, who has been in remission from a rare stomach cancer for a year.

By early September, Kool-Aid 4 Cancer was on their front lawn. In addition to selling Kool-Aid, her daughters, Alicia, 6, and Barbara-Kay, 5, sold Pepsi products, baked goods, chips and more with the help of donations from local venues along with family and friends.

During the three-day event, people stopped by to help the cause and share stories.

Despite their busy schedules, Morrison’s other children, Devantee, 16, Kason, 13, and Mia, 12, helped out where they could, making the stand a family effort. “They were excited and helped out,” said Morrison. “They were proud, especially of their little sisters doing so well.”

Morrison recently donated the $500 earned to the James P. Wilmot Cancer Center at the University of Rochester Medical Center, and hopes

it will be a yearly gift. Monetary donations can be made through Sonja Morrison by calling 315-759-5176.

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C O N T R I B U T O R S

Chef Instructor Eric K. Smith has been honing his culinary skills since 1994. At 2 Vine restaurant in Rochester, he cemented his passion for the culinary arts. While attending The Institute of Culinary Education in Manhattan, Chef Eric created unique dishes to pair with the extensive wine list as the Chef de Cuisine of Gramercy 24. Chef Eric also worked as lead line cook for Eleven Madison Park, also in Manhattan. He then joined the elite private dining restaurant, the ‘21’ Club, as the wine cellar chef. After graduation, Chef Eric began an externship with the Michelin 3star-rated Taillevent restaurant in Paris, France. Since joining the New York Wine and Culinary Center in fall 2006, Chef Eric has shared his talents teaching a number of special group classes as well as some of technique and signature classes.

Michele Howland Banaszewski’s

“Reflections of a Rural One-Room Schoolteacher” is based on her mother’s stories of the 1930s and 1940s in Mendon Center, New York. Michele is married to Bill Banaszewski, the man behind Finger Lakes Images. On Keuka Lake’s Bluff, you’ll find her living simply, reducing material possessions, chronicling family history, and attempting to bring Bill’s photography business up to a more modern standard. Michele recently retired from Finger Lakes Community College after a 20-year career as director of the grants and writing programs. Since then, she zealously guards her free time, still hesitant to take on any projects with deadlines. This time of year, you’ll find her out early, shoveling the driveway or taking long walks on the bluff. Soon she’ll be back at the waterfront, reading and kayaking, and ready to teach all the kids in her large, extended family to love the lake.

At age 11, Rich Finzer earned his power boat operator’s license. He began sailing in 1966. He runs a winter boat storage business, has worked on a commercial fishing boat, and is an accomplished racing sailor.

He currently cruises Lake Ontario aboard his sailboat Pleiades. When he’s not sailing, he supports his aquatic addiction as a technical/freelance writer. He is also a frequent contributor to Living Aboard, Good Old Boat, BackHome and Dollar Stretcher magazines. Rich’s first novel, Taking the Tracks is currently being edited for publication. He resides on an 80-acre farm near Hannibal.

He loves his wife of 34 years, his dogs, and cutting his own firewood. He cannot, however, abide the taste of peas.

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607-277-6821 READER ACTION NUMBER 164

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T H E

K I T C H E N

To Braise or Not to Braise?

story by Chef Eric K. Smith, New York Wine & Culinary Center photos by Jennifer Srmack

B

raising is a favorite method of cooking among chefs. By first searing with dry heat and then adding a flavorful liquid, cooks enjoy the best of both worlds. When done properly, it is, by far, the king o’ cooking techniques. The toughest and cheapest cuts of meat can be transformed into moist and succulent meals by simply searing the meat on all sides before adding moisture and then cooking “slow and low” for hours. Over time, the heat breaks down the connective tissue and collagens in the meat. In the home, pressure cookers and crockpots are ideal for the slow cook phase of braising.

The little bits of meat on the bottom of the pan are called “fond.” Fond is the base of French sauces and is a vital part of any braise. The fond, when combined with natural liquid from the mirepoix (onions, carrots and celery) and wine, brings a robust meat flavor to the braise. When the meat is finished, the braising liquid can be reduced to sauce consistency by cooking

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See a video of this cooking demonstration online at www.LifeintheFingerLakes.com.

Try This Recipe at the New York Wine And Culinary Center

Class: Seasonal Chef Demo and Wine Pairing-Lunch and Learn Date: December 19 & 26 Location: NYWCC Demonstration Theater Time: 1:00-2:00 pm Cost: $25.00 per person Instructor: Chef Eric Smith Featured Recipe: Braised Beef Short Ribs with Smashed & Roasted Garlic Potatoes paired with two New York State wines.

To register visit www.nywcc.com or call 585-394-707

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it at a simmer until the excess water steams out, enhancing the flavor. The sauce is done when the liquid coats the back of spoon.

The method for braising is as follows

• Season meat with kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper.

• Sear meat in a small amount of fat until golden brown on all sides.

• Remove meat to a resting tray.

• Add and caramelize vegetables.

• Add tomato paste.

• Add wine and reduce by half.

• Add stock and bring to boil.

• Reduce heat to a simmer.

• Add the meat back.

• Cover and place into a 300-degree oven and cook for 1 to 6 hours, depending on the cut of meat, until soft and fork tender.

Some popular braised items that I am sure most people have had include beef short ribs, pork spare ribs, pot roast, osso buco, coq au vin and the

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Brussels sprouts from my fall 2008 article. A lot of chefs now are taking braising to the next level by braising fish, vegetables and other new wave ideas.

Pottery...

P tt

Stewing: Bite-sized pieces of meat, seared, then submerged in flavorful liquid and cooked on the stovetop at a slight simmer until fork tender.

Braising: Whole portion-sized pieces of meat, seared and covered half to three quarters of the way with liquid, then covered and finished in a lowtemperature oven.

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until caramelized and golden brown.

Stir in the tomato paste and cook until it’s smooth. Pour in the red wine and reduce by half. Add the stock, bring it to a boil and reduce to a simmer.

• Place the meat back in to the pan.

Toss in the fresh herbs and the bay leaf.

Cover with a lid or aluminum foil and place into oven. Cook for at least three hours, no more than six hours, until meat is fork-tender.

• Remove meat to a platter and strain sauce. Reduce sauce if desired.

To serve: • Place Smashed Red Potatoes (recipe follows) in center of serving plate.

• Arrange Roasted Garlic Potatoes (recipe follows) around the Smashed Red Potatoes.

• Place Braised Beef Short Ribs on top of the potatoes; spoon braising liquid and braised vegetables on top of ribs.

Smashed Red Potatoes (serves 4-6)

Braised Beef Short Ribs (serves 4-6) • 2 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil • 2-3 pounds beef short ribs, bone-in • 2 cups onion, diced • 1 cup carrots, diced • 1 cup celery, diced • 3 cloves garlic, chopped • 1 tablespoon tomato paste • 2 cups New York dry red wine • 4 cups beef stock • A few sprigs of fresh herbs like thyme and rosemary • 1 bay leaf

Preparation: • Preheat the oven to 300°F. • Heat a large braising pan over medium high heat and coat the bottom with canola or vegetable oil. Season the meat on all sides with salt and pepper, place the flattest side down into the pan and sear vigorously until golden brown on all sides. Remove the meat to a separate platter.

• Add the carrots, onions, celery and garlic to the braising pan, and cook

READER ACTION NUMBER 156

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• 2 pounds red bliss potatoes, cut into quarters • 6-8 cloves garlic • 3 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves picked • 3 sprigs fresh rosemary, finely chopped • 1/2 cup olive oil • 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter (continued on page 82)

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PHELPS

Where community and tradition thrive ome home to Phelps this winter. Our small friendly community is nestled in the beautiful Finger Lakes region of upstate New York. Centrally located on State Route 96 between Rochester and Syracuse, we are the ideal bedroom community. Our farms, town and village are unspoiled by heavy industry and reflect the bond between people and the land. Since 1789, farms, canning industries, mills and agricultural implement industries have shaped Phelps' growth. Enjoy our stunning architecture, or view our falls as winter settles in on Flint Creek and the Canandaigua Outlet that flow through the heart of the Village. In Phelps you'll find a full range of services, from shops to restaurants and bakeries, arts and community centers to museums, banking and churches to business enterprises. For more information about Phelps and our many special events got to PhelpsNY.com

©1999 Thomas Kinkade

C

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F O O D

Catching a Friday Night Fish Fry

by Jan Bridgeford Smith

T

wenty-five years ago, my husband introduced me to his Friday night dinner ritual. On those evenings, a distinctive aroma would waft into the house before he even opened the back door. Once in the kitchen, he would place a brown paper sack on the counter and begin pulling out his epicurean treasure purchased at his favorite seafood market in Ithaca – two large pieces of fried fish, wrapped in white paper, a side container of coleslaw and an order of fries spilling out of a red-checked paper boat.

Photo by Jennifer Srmack

Though the market is gone and we left the Ithaca area a dozen years ago, our Friday custom of a fish fry dinner continues. A menu staple across the Finger Lakes, this dinner, along with its sandwich counterpart, can be found at eateries large and small, inexpensive or upscale. In the winter months, it’s a favorite fundraiser meal offered in volunteer fire halls and church kitchens. Prompted by curiosity and my stomach, I decided to undertake an imperfect investigation on the meaning and measure of the Friday night fish fry dinner.

In his book Fish on Friday, Brian Fagan notes that from the beginning of Christianity, Friday, the day of Christ’s death on the cross, was established as a weekly day of penance for the faithful. Bread, vegetables and later fish, could be consumed, but meat was forbidden on pain of mortal sin. Meat was a costly food considered by some early Christian theologians to be responsible for inflaming passions and promoting gluttonous appetites, to do without it encouraged bodily and spiritual discipline. For more than 2,000 years, Catholics have observed meatless Fridays as a visible sign of their faithfulness and penance, especially during the 40-day period leading up to Easter Sunday known as Lent.

From the early 1800s through the first half of the 20th

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century, the Finger Lakes region saw an influx of immigrants from the traditionally Catholic countries of Italy, Ireland, Poland and the Catholic provinces of Germany. With the arrival of these settlers, Roman Catholic churches and parochial schools became commonplace, as did the obligation to abstain from eating meat on Fridays. The frying of fish for those Friday meals likely has roots in cuisine traditions stretching from the cooking fires of Caribbean-born slaves to the fishing shacks and camps found on every lake and stream throughout the Finger Lakes. But it would not be until the latter part of the 20th century that the omnipresent fish fry dinner we know today truly came into its own, for reasons that include everything from more women in the workplace to improved cooking technology to better methods for the packaging and shipping of fresh fish. Based on my conversations with a small number of area restaurateurs, this last detail – fresh fish – is crucial.

Daut’s Restaurant Kevin Dautrich, owner and head chef of Daut’s Restaurant in Auburn, says the flavor key for his popular fried fish dinner lies in using fresh, 100-percent canola oil. Kevin serves his lightly breaded, deep-fried boneless, skinless haddock with homemade tartar sauce. When I asked about the most popular side dishes for the dinner, Kevin laughed and said, “Auburn is a French fries and gravy town.” Be sure to save room for one of the homemade desserts that are regularly prepared in Daut’s kichen. On the Friday night I visited, the place was filled with customers of all ages. The atmosphere is that of a small, friendly pub where people gather after work for a drink, a laugh and a reasonably priced meal. Though Daut’s has only been in business for seven years, Kevin said it’s gained a loyal, local following.

Photo by Jan Bridgeford Smith

Parker’s Grille and Tap House Sean St. Pierre, manager of Parker’s Grille and Tap House in Newark also cites fresh fish coupled with consistency as the key to a great fried fish dinner. Parker’s uses a beer batter made with amber ale to coat their haddock fillets prior to frying. The specific recipe was developed in the kitchen at the original Parker’s Grille and Tap House in Geneva. With its even, honey-colored crispy shell, the fish inside the battered layer remains firm and moist. Consistency, Sean says, comes in staying with a proven recipe, prepared the same way each week and buying from the same fish supplier. Though the restaurant

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Daut’s Restaurant

10 East Genesee Street, Auburn 315-252-7175 www.dautsrest.com Open 7 nights a week for dinner and for lunch on Fridays and Saturdays

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Consider living and working in beautiful Upstate New York.

Parker’s Grille and Tap House

206 South Main Street, Newark 315-331-3663 Open 7 days a week for lunch and dinner Parker’s in Geneva 100 Seneca Street, 315-789-4656 Parker’s in Auburn 129 Genesee Street, 315-252-6884 The Phelps Hotel

90 Main Street (NYS Rte. 96), Phelps 315-548-5200 Open 7 days a week for lunch and dinner

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Glenwood Pines

1213 Taughannock Blvd. (NYS Rte. 89), Ithaca 607-273-3709 www.glenwoodpines.com Open 7 days a week for lunch and dinner Doug’s Fish Fry

8 Jordan Street, Skaneateles 315-685-3288 206 West Road, Cortland 607-753-9184 www.dougsfishfry.com Open 7 days a week for lunch and dinner

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only serves fried fish on Friday nights, Sean says it’s a popular favorite that brings in repeat customers from week to week. Parker’s has a casual, pub feel with televisions over the bar always tuned to a game. This is a restaurant that easily accommodates diners of all ages.

Phelps Hotel For a change from the pub ambience, I visited the Phelps Hotel located in the center of downtown Phelps. The Hotel, an imposing structure, has been serving food off and on since 1868. After

READER ACTION NUMBER 149

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WINTER 2009 ~

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F O O D

The Gift of Love!

A gift certificate for a champagne hot air balloon ride from the gorge of Letchworth State Park. 600’ gorge and over 20 waterfalls!

Full time commercial pilot “rising above the rest” since 1987. Scheduled sunrise & sunset, 7 days from May - Oct. Check our web site for a holiday gift certificate special!

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Glen Iris Inn Letchworth State Park

The historic Glen Iris Inn overlooks magnificent Middle Falls on the Genesee River and is surrounded by the natural beauty of Letchworth State Park. Our accommodations vary from charming guest rooms and suites at the Inn, efficiency rooms at Pinewood Lodge, and rental homes throughout the park. Enjoy a memorable dining experience at Caroline’s, the restaurant at Glen Iris.

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sitting vacant for almost decade, the Sullivan family bought the building in 1993 to save it from further deterioration.

In 2000, the family took over the restaurant business located on the first floor of the grand building. Joanne Sullivan, owner and manager, says they’ve been building a steady clientele ever since. As might be expected, the Photo by Jan Bridgeford Smith hotel’s dining room and bar harken to another era. The garnet-colored walls are lined with ornately framed photos of nineteenth century people and scenes. A bar area immediately adjacent and open to the dining room features a stained glass panel and lots of dark wood. Cod is the fillet choice for the hotel’s fried fish dinners. In addition to the fried fish, the head chef also prides himself on his fresh vegetable sautés and homemade desserts, including an award-winning crème brûlée. According to Joanne, it’s the one recipe that only the chef knows ... and won’t tell.

Glenwood Pines Glenwood Pines, overlooking Cayuga Lake, is on Route 89 just a few miles north of Ithaca. It has been in the Hohwald family for 30 years. Three years ago, Matt Muraca joined Ken and Corey Hohwald in the ownership and management of the restaurant. When national food critic Michael Stern wrote a review for www.roadfood.com he made special mention of two Glenwood favorites, the Pinesburger and … the fish fry.

The Glenwood kitchen uses fresh not frozen, haddock fillets, lightly breaded then fried to a light, golden brown.

Fresh fish and fresh oil, according to Muraca, are the basis for a perfectly done fried fish. Muraca also credits Glenwood’s abiding popularity with the restaurant’s Photo by Anya Harris consistency in its menu offerings, food quality and long-time staff. “When you come here, you know what you’re going to get,” he said on the afternoon we met. A casual atmosphere best described as comfortable tavern, the Glenwood is a favorite of locals. Pinball machines, a bowling game and full-size pool table are located in the front dining/bar area. A small dining room separate from the bar, as well as a lower-level dining porch, offer diners a fabulous view of Cayuga Lake.

Doug’s Fish Fry April 1, 1982, Doug and Clara Clark opened a small business in Skaneateles that specialized in hot dogs, ice cream and fried fish, available seven days a week. Doug’s is a landmark in the Finger Lakes area when it comes to fried fish sandwiches and dinners. Though Doug is now retired, he franchised the business to his longtime associate, Mark Edwards. Mark started at Doug’s the second week it was open … and he never left. Both men credit the restaurant’s success to their unwavering commitment to fresh ingredients, regardless of price fluctuations.

Doug’s buys direct from a handful of Boston fish and seafood suppliers and has it delivered,

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Photo by Jan Bridgeford Smith

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fresh to the kitchen, five days a week.

Starting with the hand cutting of the fillets, everything on Doug’s menu is prepared onsite – tartar sauce, coleslaw, hand-cut potatoes, onion rings, chowder and a host of other selections – by staff who have been with the restaurant for years. Doug says it takes a “feel” for the food from prep through cooking, draining and placement on the plate to produce a quality fish or fry every time.

Doug acknowledges that mastering the techniques only comes with experience and mentoring.

In addition to the “feel factor,” the eatery uses only real butter, real cream, local fruits, dairy products and vegetables, as well as 100-percent peanut oil regularly filtered for freshness several times each day. While it may be tempting to coast on the restaurant’s laurels, Mark dismisses the idea. Doug and Mark agree, “You’re only as good as the last meal served.” Doug’s offers a friendly, family-oriented atmosphere with diners placing their orders and picking up their selections right at the “kitchen” counter, deli-style. Self-seating in the newly added dining room makes this a relaxed, casual dining experience. While there are other restaurants called Doug’s Fish Fry in the Syracuse area, Doug’s Fish Fry in Cortland is the only other establishment franchised by the original Doug!

The fish fry dinner – and the fried fish sandwich – is a regional food to be sought out and savored. Restaurants, pubs, taverns and all manner of roadside bars offering a Friday night fry abound in the area. There’s a price, atmosphere and flavor to suit everyone’s tastes. I suggest exploring them all in search of that perfect piece of tender, flaky fish, moist and smooth, perfectly fried. What could be a better pursuit on a cold and blustery Lenten night? And remember, as that first bite tickles your palate, not only are you indulging in an act that warms the body, according to ancient ritual, this meal will also soothe your soul.

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An Enchanting Hobby Local Handspinners Feel Drawn to the Wheel photos and story by Kari Anderson Pink

O

n a sunny day in September, people from across the Finger Lakes Region gathered at the Hemlock Fairgrounds to find things for their hands to do during the short, dark, chilly days to come. Many of these people shared the same obsession: spinning. For two days, spinning wheels whirred at the Finger Lakes Fiber Arts Festival, while devoted handspinners shopped for fiber they could turn into yarn.

The festival, which is 15 years old, is sponsored by the Genesee Valley Handspinners Guild (GVHG). The 24year-old guild has more than 150 members and continues to grow each year. “We are a young, vibrant group,” said President Caroline Baker-Drake. “Our members range in age from 12 years old to 75 or so.” Members of the GVHG come from Monroe, Ontario, Wyoming and Wayne Counties, and beyond. Sheep, llama and alpaca farmers who attend keep the handspinners stocked with the fiber they crave.

What’s the draw?

Ron Tyler, of the Genesee Valley Handspinners Guild, demonstrates the “great wheel” at the Finger Lakes Fiber Arts Festival in Hemlock.

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Spinning is hardcore do-it-yourself. It takes a long time to spin enough fiber to make the 2 pounds of yarn required for a sweater. But the handspinners I met all described a similar captivation with the hobby, even if they were drawn to it initially for different reasons.

“I’m a very tactile person,” explained Caroline. “I loved knitting, but when I came to the Fiber Arts Festival for the first time, it opened a door for me to a whole new extension of that hobby.”

While spinning is not usually done to make money – the task is so labor intensive that to be paid per hour would be cost-prohibitive – some do spin to save money. “I bought 3 ounces of cashmere and silk fiber for about $30,” noted Tina Turner, the guild’s vice president. “The skeins of lace-weight yarn that I made would have cost me over $100 if I had purchased them ready-made.”

Spinning not only allows a person to make yarn cheaper than he could buy it in the store, it also enables him to create whatever color and texture he wishes. “Spinning can be a new challenge for knitters who want to tap into their creativity by making yarn their own way,” added Ron Tyler, an active member of GVHG. It’s this opportunity for creativity that Louise Smith, owner of the Sheep and Wool Shop in Marion, likes best.

“I love putting the colors and textures together when I spin. I can blend alpaca with llama or silk. There’s a nice challenge of creating something that’s uniquely yours.”

Louise decided to learn to spin after she opened her yarn, fiber and bead store. “When I started my store 22 years ago, I was raising sheep, and I thought it would be really cool to open up a yarn shop even though I didn’t know how to knit or spin,” she told me. “I was either stupid or naïve, but I soon caught up and learned how to do both.”

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Louise eventually taught spinning at her store and has created new devotees, such as Debbie Suffoletto of Webster.

Debbie, who has been spinning for more than 15 years, views it as a therapeutic hobby. “After working all day, I can block everything out and just spin,” she recalled.

“I can smell the scent of the wool, feel the fiber going through my fingers, listen to the whir of the wheel, and see the bobbin filling up.”

This multi-sensory experience has a calming effect on those who do it. “Some people meditate or pray while they’re spinning. One of our members even says he spins to keep his blood pressure down,” added Ron Tyler.

How to start

One of the drawbacks to spinning is that it does require an investment of both time and money. Spinning wheels are not cheap, but if you know where to look or who to ask (namely a GVHG member), you may be able to find a used wheel for a couple hundred dollars. New spinning wheels can be purchased at several regional stores, including these.

• The Sheep and Wool Shop in Marion, 315-926-5765 • Susan’s Spinning Bunny in Danby, 866504-7236 • The Village Yarn & Fiber Shop in Rochester, 585-586-5470 Spinning wheels come in a variety of styles. The old-fashioned “great wheel” or “walking wheel,” reminiscent of Sleeping Beauty, is not commonly used anymore.

Many spinning wheels today fold up and have built-in handles to make them easy to carry, and they come with one or two treadles (pedals), depending on your preference.

You can choose from wheels with ornately carved spindles to those that are sleek and modern. Spinning wheels can even be made from wheelchairs and PVC pipes.

A drop spindle, which retails for under $10, is a cheaper and more portable alternative to a traditional wheel. A drop spindle looks similar to a children’s toy top, and it spins on the floor as it wraps the newly formed yarn around itself. Some handspinners swear by the drop spindle as an economical way to test out spinning.

Others admit they could never quite get

the coordination required to spin it and compare the experience to walking while chewing gum.

Once you have a spinning wheel or drop spindle, all you need is the fiber. In addition to the stores listed above, there are plenty of Finger Lakes farms who supply fiber for spinning. Here are just a few.

• Black North Fiber in Clarkson, 585-964-5892 • Fingerlakes Woolen Mill in Genoa, 315-497-1542 • Golden Oak Farm in Honeoye, 585-229-5545 • High Bid Farm in Brockport, 585-637-0656 • Knox Farm Fiber in East Aurora, 716-655-7203 • Mohair by Chris Miller in Rush, 585-334-7373 • Nether Walnut Hill Alpacas in Lyons, 315-483-6443 • Spring Wind Farm and Fiber Studio in Marion, 315-926-5427 • Stoney Elm Alpacas in Walworth, 315-524-9205 The staff at these stores and farms should be able to point you to a spinning instructor, but in case you’re still looking, try contacting one of the following.

• Debbie Santolla in Rochester, 585-442-2989 • Weaving & Fiber Arts Center in Rochester, 585-461-1770

2.

3.

The GVHG is a tremendous resource for new and seasoned handspinners alike.

Check out its website at www.gvhg.org.

The group meets at the Presbyterian Church in Victor from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on the third Saturday of each month. A word of caution to those who go: you may

4.

1.This yarn has not been dyed; it was spun from the wool of a black sheep whose fleece had bleached from exposure to the sun.

2. From dying the wool to spinning the yarn to knitting the sweater, Debbie Suffoletto did it all on this project.

3. Mattie Alleyne's spinning wheel has a detachable bobbin, fold-up treadle and built-in handle for easy portability.

4. As the wheel spins, the yarn winds around the bobbin, gradually filling it up.

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Canandaigua Handmade Jewelry, Handbags, Beads and More A Victorian Bed and Breakfast

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FREE Horse Drawn Wagon Rides will be provided at the following times in downtown Canandaigua: December 5 to December 20 Saturdays and Sundays 1 to 4 p.m.

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December 10 and 11, 2009 Enjoy touring houses and business lit up in competitive holiday décor and lights.

Free tour buses will again be available to the public, as well as delicious holiday cookies and hot beverages. Starting December 10 in the afternoon, pick up a map at the chamber or download the map from the chamber’s homepage to take your own family and friends on a tour.

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20 ~

A Finger Lakes landmark for classic gifts, extraordinary accessories for home and garden, handcrafted jewelry, apparel, fine stationery and whims w h i m ses! ie s!

Fine Chocolates • Candies Gift Baskets • Corporate Gifts NY & Finger Lakes Products Sugar Free Chocolates • Fudge

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169 South Main Street • Canandaigua, NY 14424 www.sweetexpressionsonline.com • (585) 394-5250

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M A D E I N T H E F I N G E R L A K E S

The

Unofficial Handspinner’s Glossary If you wish to indulge your curiosity and learn more about spinning, you will inevitably hear some unfamiliar terms. This list may give you some insight into the language of handspinners.

• Batt – carded wool in a flat sheet; can be split into 1-inch sections to create rovings • Bobbins – spools of yarn • Drafting – technique of pulling a very thin strip of fiber out of a bundle so it can be fed onto a spinning wheel • Drop spindle – similar to a child’s top, it spins yarn as it twirls on the floor • Fiber – encompasses everything spin-able, either carded or combed • Fleece – wool sheered off the back of a sheep • Grease fleece – unwashed wool that still has natural oils in the fiber • Handspun – yarn created on a spinning wheel as opposed to a machine • Roving – long strips of carded fiber • Top – fiber often used in felting; fibers are combed to be perfectly parallel • Treadles – foot pedals that, when pumped, make the wheel spin

Kari Anderson Pink lives in Victor with her husband and three children. In addition to writing, she plays the harp, piano and organ professionally and also teaches skin care and makeup artistry. Visit her website at www.redheadharp.webs.com.

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form an addiction to the art of handspinning and an irresistible urge to buy wool.

Debbie Suffoletto is now drawn to fiber like a magnet, and the colors of the wool soon have her mind racing with ideas of what it could become.

“When I see fiber, I want to work with it,” she said. “It calls my fingers.”

Office locations: 200 North St. Suite 301, Geneva (315) 787-5353

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READER ACTION NUMBER 152

www.doctormiked.com

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O F

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A New Use for Grapes Finger Lakes Distilling Opens Its Doors photo and story by Jason Feulner

Brian McKenzie

O

ver the past few years, more and more wineries have sprung up around the Finger Lakes, with the total number now exceeding 100. In terms of wine, visitors to the region have never had as much choice as they do today. Adding even more beverage options to a Finger Lakes visit, a new operation opened this past summer, one that does not make wine, but rather spirits. Finger Lakes Distilling, located in Burdett along Route 414, wants to alter the preconception of what a regionally crafted drink can be made of.

That is not to say, however, that grapes do not enter into the equation.

The Finger Lakes Distilling tasting room and production facility is located in the middle of a lush, mature vineyard that yields the fruit needed in some of the

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spirits created there. The distillery is a tall, sleek building inspired by traditional Scottish whisky distilleries. Patrons enter the second story from the rear of the building. The long wood floor in the tasting room is made from refurbished Kentucky barn wood. Large internal windows overlook the pot and still on the first floor below, with a 20-foot-tall copper rectification column reaching up to eye level, glistening in the sunlight.

Finger Lakes Distilling is the brainchild of Brian McKenzie, a young Elmira native with a background in finance and banking. McKenzie has always enjoyed spirits, and while he realized that the Finger Lakes Region is well suited to winemaking, he imagined that the potential existed for distilling as well.

“The main problem,” McKenzie recalled, “is that New York distilling laws did not allow for direct sales to customers. We had to lobby for a change in the distilling law to make this business possible.” Finger Lakes Distilling is officially designated as a farm distillery, much like the farm wineries that are open for customer tasting and sales.

One of the main elements of McKenzie’s business plan is to use as many local products as possible. Vodka, a neutral spirit, can be made from any sugary or starchy plant matter, including grapes. The distillery makes its vodka from grapes grown in the Finger Lakes, imparting floral and fruit flavors to the vodka that are not often found in massproduced versions made from grain. The gin produced there uses grape vodka as a base, then adds a special blend of local botanicals and imported juniper that gives the gin some familiar tastes but with an enhanced profile. Additionally, the corn whiskey offered for sale is made from local corn, and the maple-flavored

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apple brandy is made from local maple syrup and apples.

While many of the products made at Finger Lakes Distilling are approachable and flavorful, the distillery anticipates that not everyone likes or has experience with strong spirits. In addition to the aforementioned spirits, the distillery also offers a series of cassis, blueberry, and raspberry liqueurs with a lower alcohol content. The sweet fruit flavors are derived from soaking local fruit in a neutral spirit. The liqueurs can stand alone or be utilized in cocktails.

Most consumers who enjoy sweeter wines would have no problem sampling the liqueurs offered in the tasting room.

Finger Lakes Distilling is defined as a craft or micro-distillery in that it specializes in very small batches of handcrafted distilled spirits. Many commercial distilleries have the capacity to produce more spirits in a day – or perhaps in just a few hours – than Finger Lakes Distilling might make in a year. Craft distilleries do not necessarily compete with larger operations in a direct sense, but they do offer some alternatives.

Adherents to craft distilling cite the attention to detail that produces subtle flavors and smooth profiles in the spirits.

“It’s been a growing movement,” McKenzie explained. “Our small size allows us to be experimental and we can stress the local sourcing of our products.”

As involved as Brian McKenzie is in the processing, distilling, tasting and blending of spirits, he is not the master distiller. That honor goes to Thomas McKenzie, who is not related to Brian.

In fact, distiller Thomas McKenzie is not a native of New York, but hails from Monroeville, Alabama. The two McKenzies met at a craft distillers’ conference several years ago, and Brian con-

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vinced Thomas to help him start the business. A friendly man with a deep Southern accent, Thomas claims his trade was “bred into me” after learning generations of distilling secrets from his family. At one point or another, Thomas also gained experience in brewing and winemaking, a background that makes him feel comfortable making a variety of distilled products from all kinds of natural ingredients.

The German-manufactured copper still that Thomas uses to make the spirits has a capacity of 300 gallons. Much like wine, spirits begin with simple fermentation of fruit, grain or other glucose-bearing substances. The fermented liquid is then placed in the distiller and heated until the alcohol vaporizes. The tall rectification column that sticks up from the still allows for an interaction that purifies the alcohol by promoting condensation on a number of plates that are cooler

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than the vapors with which they come in contact. As the vapors travel up the column, they become more concentrated with alcohol, and are ultimately condensed again to form a high-proof spirit.

Beyond what is already available in the tasting room, Finger Lakes Distilling plans to release a rye whiskey during the coming winter months. The distillery is also aging some brandy in small oak casks that will be released in a few years.

Over time, the distillery hopes to add a variety of products to its lineup to attract customers of different drinking persuasions. Although there are many different kinds of spirits, Brian McKenzie emphasizes that all future products will have as much of a local emphasis as possible, which means that some popular liquors will prove impossible to make. “Rum is made from sugar cane and there’s not much sugar cane in the Finger Lakes,” he jokes. “There’s

Ski

also not much agave around here to make tequila!”

Ultimately, Finger Lakes Distilling is a grand experiment in a region that is accustomed to destination drink producers but is dominated almost exclusively by wine and its related products.

An associate member of the Seneca Lake wine trail, Finger Lakes Distilling is betting on visitors to cast aside their preconceived notions about spirits and embrace something new. “Some might be scared of high-proof liquor,” Brian McKenzie admits, “but we think most visitors will find something here that they like. We want to be known as the region’s distillery and be appreciated for our handcrafted products made with passion.”

Jason Feulner writes for www.lennde vours.com, a New York wine website. He lives in Syracuse.

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WINTER 2009 ~

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The Eighth Annual

Life in the Finger Lakes P Grand Prize

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Three trucks on display during the 2009 Brockway Truck Show • MIHAI MIROIU • Ithaca

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s Photography Contest I

t never fails. Every year around the first week of

September I start to wonder if we’ll receive enough submissions to our annual photo contest. But, sure enough, with the deadline looming, I start to receive 20 or more submissions a day.

This year was a recordbreaker in terms of the sheer number of photos sent in, and I must say, the quality keeps getting better year after year.

All the photos were taken within the 14-county area designated as the Finger Lakes Region. The photos were judged according to the following criteria: first, the “wow” factor – does the image have an immediate impact on the viewer? Second is photo quality – good composition, lighting and focus. Last comes creativity – does the photo show the viewer something in a new way?

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First Place

Icelandic horses, taken at Sand Meadow Farm, Mendon ANDREA BARBER • Honeoye Falls

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Third Place

Great Bend at Letchworth State Park JANE D. GOTOWKA • West Henrietta

Second Place

“Lost and found again” at Long Point State Park on Cayuga Lake ADAM BAKER • Ithaca

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First Place

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A snow-and-ice-covered coin operated binocular at Letchworth State Park, Upper Falls • PAUL LOSSOWSKI • Rochester

Third Place Beech tree DANIEL SCHLEGEL Webster

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Osprey, Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge • DAVID CHALUPA • Victor

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“Clouds of Gull,” a perfect July afternoon by a field near Penn Yan LLEWELLYN LAFFORD • Penn Yan

Reflecting on George Eastman’s Legacy, George Eastman House, Rochester KORY YERKES • Canandaigua

Rope circle at Myers Point Marina in Lansing SUSAN VERBERG • Ithaca

Seneca Harbor at Watkins Glen BILL HORN • New Castle, Pennsylvania

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Life is good in the Finger Lakes!

Come join us!

KENDAL

®

EQUAL HOUSING OPPORTUNITY

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A NOT-FOR-PROFIT LIFE CARE COMMUNITY READER ACTION NUMBER 111

2230 N. Triphammer Rd. Ithaca, NY 14850 607.266.5300 800.253.6325 www.kai.kendal.org

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Reflections of a

Rural

Schoolteacher

Photos courtesy Josephine Howe Howland and Finger Lakes Images

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by Michele Howland Banaszewski

D

riving along the back roads of the Finger Lakes region today and passing by a one-room schoolhouse set along the edge of a farm field, travelers might think they had gone back in time and were experiencing a scene commonplace 100 years ago. A horse and buggy are hitched to a rail, bicycles are propped along a fence and children are playing games in a dusty schoolyard.

Mendon Rural School 7 in Mendon Center was such a place. It was also part of the proud heritage and lasting legacy of Josephine Howe Howland. Josephine’s father, William Howe, attended Rural School 7 in the 1880s, and her mother, Gertrude Henehan, came there from Victor to teach from 1910 to 1912. Growing up in Mendon Center, Josephine also attended the school from 1920 to 1928. After earning her teaching credentials, she returned to teach in that same one room during its final decade in operation, 1936 to 1946. Her family’s 70-year association with Mendon Rural School 7 ended when voters approved centralization and the school was closed.

In many ways, the hamlet of Mendon Center has not changed much since Josephine’s days there. It’s still a cluster of just 20 or 30 homes and farms with a population of perhaps 125 neighbors. The school once stood on the corner of the Bushman family farm near the triangle of roads intersecting at Mendon Center.

Recess was the highlight of the day for students at Mendon Rural School #7, circa 1942.

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Reflections of a Rural Schoolteacher

Top: Gertrude Henehan and her students at Mendon Rural School # 7 circa 1910 Middle: Josephine Howe’s students at Mendon Rural School #7 circa 1938 Bottom: A Mennonite school house in the Finger Lakes Region, present day

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Josephine would walk the short distance from her home to the white clapboard schoolhouse every morning at 7:30, across the schoolyard with its water pump, swing set and makeshift basketball hoop. The side entry led past the woodshed and the boys’ and girls’ outhouses. Her classroom was simple, furnished with merely her desk and piano, two bookshelves, an exhibit table, the class bench in front of the black board, and 32 desks arranged in five straight rows. The smallest desks for the youngest children lined the center, and the larger desks for the older students formed the outside rows.

The younger children were always eager to graduate to the outer rows.

Coats were hung along the inside wall to keep them warm, but Josephine always made sure that muddy boots were left at the entrance.

By 9 o’clock her students were at their seats. Each day began with the Pledge of Allegiance, after which Josephine would accompany the children on piano while they sang “America the Beautiful” or other songs from The Golden Book of Songs, still available today.

Then it was time for learning.

Children of all ages through eighth grade were educated simultaneously in one room by one teacher. Josephine had 27 students in her first year. She kept an orderly but caring classroom, and her students helped her make it work by paying attention and learning from one another. Grouped by grade level, the children came up to the front bench in turn for their lessons.

This process was repeated until all of the 20 to 30 students in eight grade levels had lessons in each of the seven or eight subjects – reading, math, English, history, geography, science, and a little health and art. While some children were at the bench, others were busy with workbook assignments.

The free time between each grade’s lessons made the workbooks essential. At the end of each day, students took turns washing the blackboard and tidying up the room.

Even then, twice a year, all stu-

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Southern Tier Plastic Surgery Associates, P.C. Cosmetic & Reconstructive Surgery dents from fourth grade up were given tests in all subjects from the State Board of Regents. These were not simple fill-in-the-blank or multiple-choice tests; all the answers had to be written in complete sentences!

Though she relied on paper-andpencil, drill-and-practice workbooks and state tests, Josephine’s teaching was hands-on whenever possible. Her science kit contained magnets, iron filings, prisms, test tubes, a microscope, and her field guides to insects, birds, mammals, wildflowers and trees.

Students explored the geodetic maps that were charted at the turn of the last century and were fascinated to be able to locate their homes. Through excursions to a nearby geological survey marker, students learned that they were 462 feet above sea level.

Josephine was always fond of Arbor Day, which meant her lucky students got some extra time outdoors. All the children pitched in to rake up leaves and pick up downed branches and windblown litter from the schoolyard. Once the chores were completed, they would walk to White’s woods to identify violets, trillium, skunk cabbage, frogs and last year’s birds’ nests. A little stream flowing through this woodland was always good for at least one wet foot.

When spring finally arrived, fresh flowers appeared on Josephine’s desk – lilacs, daffodils, roses – all from the students’ homes. A beautiful lilac bush, a huge locust tree and a black walnut tree were on the school grounds. Their identification, no doubt, was part of her lesson plan.

Art took a back seat in those busy days, but there was always time to decorate for holidays. The Weekly Reader covering current events was helpful, especially for the older grades. The Monroe County Traveling Library, a huge van lined with shelves of books, stopped by every three weeks and delivered lots of books. Annually, a physician and dental hygienist came and set up shop in a corner of the classroom to perform the state-required exams and talk about healthy habits.

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Schoolteacher

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Recess at a Mennonite schoolhouse

The Monroe County Extension agent came to teach lessons on raising small livestock and planting gardens.

One time, trying to motivate the children, he told them about the prizes they could win at the Monroe County Fair. Then, he asked one student if he would like to grow a garden. The student answered, “Nope. My dad does that already, and I only get to pull the weeds!” Noting the lesson didn’t go over too well, Josephine was well aware that her students came to school each day after handling plenty of farm chores.

Many of Josephine’s pupils were excellent students, but always three or four were, sadly, lost. Because teacher’s aides and special education teachers back in the 1930s and ’40s were unheard of, the children helped each other when one of them had a hard time or got behind due to illness. Every winter, there was a wave of chicken pox, measles, bad colds and long-lasting coughs.

During World War II, all 23 of Josephine’s students collected scrap metal for recycling to help the war effort. Over 2,000 pounds of scrap were piled on the school grounds, all in a two-week period. When the metal was sold, the proceeds were divided among the students for their U.S. Savings Stamp books.

Wartime sugar and gasoline rationing was also handled through the schools – one more job for the busy schoolteachers. All members of the district applied to Josephine for their rations, whether they had school-aged children or not. Josephine determined each family’s monthly allotment based on their occupation and family size.

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EACH HOTEL IS INDEPENDENTLY OWNED AND OPERATED

Many families shared their rations, and considered the sacrifice a small price to pay for their security.

All of this for $22 a week!

Josephine recalled a time when she encouraged a student to be teacher for a day. At the end of the day, she asked the young boy how it went. He answered, “Well, I know now I’ve got to do something easier for a living.”

With her understated pride, she added, “He’s a doctor now.”

She always had a knack of keeping track of her students, not only in their daily lessons, but long after their graduations. She kept an old autograph book, bearing many of their signatures, where she folded away yellowed newspaper clippings announcing their graduations, engagements, marriages, promotions, ordinations and even deaths.

She kept boxes of class photographs, and she proudly saved quite a few notes of appreciation written to her by former students, decades after her one-room school was closed. Just days before her death at age 94, she was still reminiscing about her teaching, naming students she’d had at Mendon Rural School 7 more than 70 years earlier.

In the end, she lamented that she and others had not been proactive, soon enough to preserve more of this past. By the mid-1990s, 50 years after the doors of Mendon Rural School 7 were closed for the last time, no physical evidence of the old schoolhouse remained.

However, this schoolteacher had one thing wrong. “Now extinct,” she once noted, referring to the disappearance of the one-room rural schools.

Pleasantly surprised, she rediscovered them when she moved to Yates County in 2003 to be closer to her family.

During the last few years of her life, she enjoyed many car rides on back roads throughout the Finger Lakes, discovering one-room Amish and Mennonite schoolhouses, one after another, which brought back fond memories. Today, the rural roads through most of the Finger Lakes’ counties are home to many one-room schoolhouses, so much like Josephine’s in Mendon Center.

READER ACTION NUMBER 101

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Photographs by Steve Knapp

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L

iving on Keuka Lake gives photographer Steve Knapp the opportunity to

capture Keuka Lake in its many seasons. Here we see the lake during winter, with three separate views of the bluff that makes Keuka Lake a unique body of water among the Finger Lakes. It’s “y” shape is unlike any other Finger Lake, providing multiple layers of hill and water to entice the viewer.

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Weddings

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WINTER 2009

The Finger Lakes, in part because of its beautiful scenery and hometown atmosphere, is fast becoming a wedding destination.

{Cutting-Edge CAKES

Preserve Your DAY With PERFECT PICTURES

{

Photo by Neil Sjoblom

Visit www.LifeintheFingerLakes.com/weddings to read more about preparing for a Finger Lakes wedding 43

{C

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UTTING-EDGE

W

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}

CAKES

hen it comes to your wedding reception, the food choices are endless. You could have salmon, pasta, chicken, tofu, or steak – and these are just the main courses. No matter what you choose for the meal, the one thing you’ll surely have on the menu is wedding cake. Beyond feeding people, the cake will be a Photo courtesy Lona Cakes focal point at the reception, so you Photo courtesy Camerons Bakery want to make sure you pick the right person to create it. in mind when choosing this iconic Sharon Briseno, of Camerons confection.

Bakery in Auburn, and Lona Isenberg, of Lona Cakes in Ithaca, FLOWERS AND FLAVORS offered their take on the current wedBoth women agreed that wedding ding cake trends in the Finger Lakes. cakes with fountains, pillars and piping They also gave tips on things to keep have gone the way of mullets and pow-

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IN THE

FINGER LAKES

stories written by Kari Anderson Pink

der blue tuxedos. Instead, today’s brides are choosing shorter stacked cakes covered in smooth fondant.

Decorations such as a simple ribbon and fresh flowers are popular with customers of Camerons Bakery, while Lona says realisticlooking sugar flowers are well-liked in Ithaca.

As for flavors, the simplicity of a traditional white cake can be a money-saver as well as a safe choice for feeding a crowd.

Chocolate mousse is the second most popular, says Sharon, while Lona adds that red velvet cake is also becoming an attractive option.

Time of year is important when it comes to the wedding cake, both in terms of decorations and flavors. For winter weddings, brides opt for all white

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with sparkles and snowflakes, says Lona.

Summer wedding cakes incorporate fruit flavors and are often decorated with beach-themed toppers, according to Sharon. In fall, spice cakes are popular and are usually decorated with autumn leaves.

A MAN’S CAKE “Groom’s cakes are a nice way to add a second flavor to the menu,” notes Sharon. “The groom’s cake is a smallerscale cake made to represent the groom in some way. It could be his job, a favorite hobby, team, pet or most anything else he is interested in.”

Because of shows like Ace of Cakes and Food Network Challenge, couples are intrigued by cakes that don’t look like cakes, says Lona. The groom’s cake is an opportunity for couples to move away from a traditional-shaped cake and toward something more fun and colorful. If couples don’t want to serve two cakes at the wedding, Lona suggests serving the groom’s cake at the rehearsal

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dinner or slicing it and giving pieces as favors as guests leave the reception.

SLICK TRICKS Cupcakes are a money-saving option. Because there is no cutting involved, the couple can forgo hiring a cake cutter (a fee that some reception sites automatically include when there is a traditional cake). The baker provides a stand that holds the cupcakes in the shape of a tower.

Another way to scale back on costs is to have a small “show” cake that people can see, with extra undecorated sheet cakes in the kitchen. “The cakes are cut in back and brought out in slices, so no one ever knows which cake they’re eating,” explains Lona. She does advise couples to have their baker provide the sheet cake and not get one from the grocery store. This ensures that the quality is consistent among all the pieces of cake that are served.

If your heart is set on a huge cake, but the number of guests doesn’t warrant

it, bakers can use dummy cakes to increase the size of the presentation.

The dummies are frosted and decorated just like the real cakes.

BAGGING YOUR BAKER When you go to choose your cake, Lona says it’s helpful to bring pictures of what you like. “It’s like getting a haircut.

If you just describe it, you’re less likely to get exactly what you want, but if you bring a picture, the chances that you’ll leave happy are much higher.”

When choosing your baker, Sharon warns couples to rely on professionals who are used to transporting and setting up elaborate cakes. She has seen amateur bakers try to repair cakes that were damaged or destroyed due to shoddy assembly or incorrect transporting methods. If the cake is ruined en route to the wedding, there won’t be time to come up with an alternative solution, so take Sharon’s advice: “Choose a professional for the most important day in your lives.”

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PRESERVE YOUR DAY WITH PERFECT PICTURES

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or some couples, photographing their wedding means passing out disposable cameras and letting the guests snap away.

If, however, you’d like to be assured that you’ll end up with pictures that are of lasting quality, taken in appropriate lighting, and have visual balance, you’ll want to hire a professional.

START YOUR SEARCH Master photographer Neil Sjoblom, based in Geneva, says the place to start looking is the Web. “Viewing a photographer’s website is a good way to determine whether the style of photography suits your tastes. Whether you’re looking for something traditional (like your mother’s wedding album) or a more contemporary ‘magazine style’ approach – or a mix of these styles – the Web is an excellent resource to begin your search,” explains Neil, adding, “just beware that there are also a lot of fly-by-night photographers on the Web.” How can you tell who’s credible?

One way is to check their trade affiliations. “Associations like the Professional Photographers Society of New York State (PPSNYS) have high ethical standards, valuable training programs, and a network of photographers in case one of its members becomes ill,” says Neil.

“Being an active member in good standing of an association like PPSNYS is usually a good indication of the photographer’s integrity.”

also allows you to read their personality.

A high-energy, take-charge person will make sure you get what you want by creating photo ops and telling people where to go and when. Someone who is low-key will unobtrusively blend into the background, visually documenting the event as your day unfolds. Perhaps you want a balance of both.

Interviewing a photographer personally will let you know what to expect the day of your wedding.

PLAN TO MEET Even if you like what you see on the Internet and you know the photographer is reputable, you should meet with him or her in person before you sign a contract. There are a couple of good reasons to do this. First, you’ll see the evidence for yourself. “Prints are the true test of quality,” notes Neil. “It’s easy to make things look good on the Web, but it takes much more effort to print out high-quality, high-resolution images, particularly big enlargements.”

Meeting a photographer in person

SHOWCASE THE SCENERY Because the Finger Lakes is such a gorgeous region, Neil says most couples choose to feature at least some outdoor scenery in their wedding pictures. If it’s a nice day and the sun is shining, great, but don’t fret if it rains. “There is a lot you can do under the canopy of porches or gazebos,” he says. “Some of my favorite wedding pictures have been taken on rainy days, where everything glistens. And if you are lucky, you may even catch a rainbow in the shot.”

DOCUMENT YOUR DAY

Photos by Neil Sjoblom

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When it’s time to have your pictures printed, there are now more options than ever. While the traditional leather-bound albums containing matted prints are still in demand, many couples are opting for magazine-style coffee table books. These are paper bound, with the images displayed on smooth pages and arranged in creatively designed spreads.

Another option is the “image box.”

“This is a new concept,” says Neil. “It looks like an album but contains matted prints ready for framing.”

If you’re looking to save money on pictures, some photographers will sell a CD or DVD of high-resolution images that the customer can print herself or email to others, which saves on the cost of reprints. However, Neil warns against trying to cut corners on wedding photography. “Consider that long after the wedding is over, the cake has been eaten, and the flowers have wilted, the only thing left will be your wedding pictures, so don’t skimp on the photography.”

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s soon as you become engaged, reserve your wedding and reception sites, says Michael Erb, founder of www.cnyweddings.com, a wedding planning website. Some people may even choose the site first and then pick the wedding date based on what’s available.

As owner of Michael E Mobile Sound, a DJ business based in Camillus, Michael often finds himself doubling as a wedding planner for couples who hire him. When I asked his advice on a timeline for planning a wedding, Michael chuckled at the assumption that lead times are black and white. Rather than guarantees, he stresses that suggested lead times are just that: suggestions. “Popular reception halls are booked one to two years in advance. Some are in such demand that they run their bookings almost like a lottery – by only letting people call to make reservations on certain days at specific times of the year. On the other hand, the VFW hall down the street probably won’t be booked as early as a place like Geneva on the Lake.”

After you book your venues, says Michael, secure the entertainment. He suggests a lead time of nine months to a year for hiring a band or a DJ. “The more popular entertainers are going to be booked early. It all depends on how well-known they are, so use common sense,” he explains.

Hiring a photographer would be next on the list, followed by the caterer, baker and florist. A shorter lead time is possible for businesses large enough to accommodate more than one wedding in a single day. For example, florists, bakers and caterers can potentially supply multiple weddings at once, so their lead time could be more flexible. Six to nine months is a good rule of thumb, says Michael.

While more lead time may be what the experts advise, less is what most couples are giving. “Ten years

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ago, I was booking my DJ business a year to a-year-and-a-half in advance.

By December, I would have 80 percent of the following year booked,” said Michael. “Now I have more couples calling me with only four to six months notice, and the year is only 50 percent booked by December.”

CUTTING

COSTS

With all the expenses of planning a wedding, finding ways to save money is important to most couples.

One option is to have a smaller reception and still have a high quality wedding. More couples have gone this route during recent economic times, Michael says. “They may invite only 60 to 90 people instead of 150 to 200 people. By cutting the guest list, they don’t have to sacrifice the quality of the reception.”

Because summer is still the peak wedding season, couples may find better deals – and better availability – if they choose to marry at other times of the year or even other days of the week. If your favorite venue is booked on Saturdays, shifting the wedding to a Friday evening or Sunday afternoon may allow you to get the location of your dreams.

Getting married in the “off-season” may also allow you to get better deals from wedding vendors.

If you’re going to sidestep the summer and push your wedding to the spring or fall, remember that there is a downside: the cooler weather can make outdoor venues a risky choice. If you’re set on getting married among the fallen leaves or newly blooming tulips, make sure you have a backup plan – or at least a matching coat and umbrella.

Kari Anderson Pink lives in Victor with her husband and three children. In addition to writing, she plays the harp, piano and organ professionally and also teaches skin care and makeup artistry. Contact her at karijanderson@hotmail.com.

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READER ACTION NUMBER 154

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P R O F I L E

The Red Bird story and photos by Bill Banaszewski

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Cardinals will come year-round to feeders that are supplied with black-oil sunflower seeds.

Unlike the scarlet red color of male cardinals, females are buff brown with tinges of red in their crests, wings and tail feathers.

When spring arrives male cardinals can be heard throughout the region singing their oft repeated “Purty-purty-purty.”

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he vibrant red color and the rich song of the cardinal have captivated naturalists for centuries. In the late 1800s, naturalist William Bengley wrote, “The melody of its song is said to resemble that of a nightingale. In spring it sits on the top of the highest trees and with its loud and piercing notes makes the forest echo.”

Likewise, James Audubon wrote, “Go where it may, it is always welcome and everywhere a favorite, so rich its song, and so brilliant its color.”

So appreciated were cardinals for their cheerful song and stunning red color that during the late 1800s they were trapped and sold as cage birds for $10, and they would sing for the pleasure of their owners. Fortunately, that practice was outlawed in 1918 with the passage of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. Formerly found only in southern states, cardinals were first observed in the lower Hudson Valley of New York in 1910, and then only during the summer months. During the 1940s cardinals began expanding their range throughout the northeast.

When I moved to the Finger Lakes Region in the late 1960s, cardinals were common during the summer, and as the practice of winter bird feeding exploded, so, too, did the number of cardinals that stayed yearround. Today, they are one of the most widely recognized birds of the region and are the official state bird of seven states.

Male cardinals, often called the “red bird,” are scarlet to crimson red. It

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is believed they were named “cardinal” because their color matches the distinctive red robes worn by Catholic cardinals. Studies have shown that the brighter the red plumage of males, the more success they have in attracting females. However, that carries risks.

Predatory hawks are not colorblind and are also attracted by their bright red color. Such dangers notwithstanding, their vibrant red color against the pure white of a new-fallen snow is a sight to behold.

Female cardinals are a more subdued buff-brown with tinges of red on the wings, tail feathers and crest.

Both sexes are adorned with prominent head crests, black faces and chins, and orange-to-red conical bills that are ideal for feeding on seeds.

The singing of cardinals varies with circumstances and with the changing seasons. Only a few female North American songbirds sing, and female cardinals are among those that do. Once breeding territories have been established in the spring, females actively sing duets with their mates. Their most common song is the oft repeated, “Purty-purty-purty.”

When alarmed and danger is near, cardinals warn others with a sort of metallic chirp, “Tsink-tsink-tsink.”

I recently observed a male cardinal in my yard, chirping louder and louder and then becoming extremely agitated. Soon, a red fox emerged from the woods directly beneath the cardinal. I was surprised that he continued to chirp even after the fox left, but I shortly discovered the reason for his continued agitation: a broad winged hawk was perched in a nearby tree.

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Cardinals eat a wide variety of seeds and fruits, including juniper berries.

Cardinals prefer shrubby forest edges and nest in dense tangles of shrubs and vines. They are monogamous. The female builds the nest with vines, grass and hair. She lays two to five white eggs speckled with brown dots and produces multiple broods each summer.

Male cardinals are studs. They aggressively protect their territory by fighting off intruders. I have often seen males fly into windows and car mirrors where they see their own reflections. They are attempting to drive off what they believe is another male intruding on their territory.

Once hatched, young birds develop quickly. After they fledge, both sexes look similar to the adult female. In early fall they begin molting, and the young males start developing their characteristic bright red feathers.

I enjoy watching cardinals at my bird feeder, and I am intrigued by the interaction between the sexes, especially how the behavior of the male changes from season to season. For example, during the winter the male seems con-

cerned only with his own well being, filling his belly with sunflower seeds and chasing away other birds – even his own mate. As winter wanes and the days get longer, the male and his mate arrive at the feeder together, and the male is much more tolerant.

Ahhh – but when spring arrives and love is in the air, the stud changes his behavior. He sings duets with his mate and when they come to the feeder together, the female perches nearby, fluttering, looking pretty – generally doing what ladies do. After the display, the male picks up a sunflower seed, brings it to his mate, and after tenderly touching beaks, he carefully places the seed in her mouth. This thoughtful and tender affection continues until breeding is complete. My wife suggests that there is a lesson to be learned here, boys. Pay attention and learn from the behavior of male cardinals – but only from spring through summer.

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Steve Brown, mill yard foreman at Sanzotta Logging & Lumber near Red Creek, poses with his dog Harley.

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photos and story by Rich Finzer

hen we think about life in the country, we often envision scenes of rolling fields, pristine wooded glades or orchards laden with bounty. But there’s more to country living. For despite the beauty that surrounds them and the land that sustains them, country folks need to earn a living. Some might farm – one or two might sell locally grown vegetables at a roadside stand, or they could operate a rural manufacturing facility. Yep, you heard correctly, some rural denizens harvest raw materials and produce finished goods from them: at a country sawmill, like Sanzotta Logging & Lumber, near Red Creek.

During a recent visit to the mill where I purchased a pickup load of sawdust bedding, I spoke with mill yard foreman Steve Brown about what it’s like to transform massive logs into the various products they sell. After we loaded my sawdust, Steve took me around the place for a good look at the entire operation. It was a real education. Steve also introduced me to his “assistant” Harley, his dog who had been “working” at the mill for about six months and was fast becoming a valuable addition to the crew. An individual of few words, Harley prefers letting his actions bespeak of his intentions.

By Steve’s reckoning, he cuts an average of 1,500 board feet of sawn lumber per day. That may not sound like much, but as the mill is open at least six days a week (sometimes seven), that translates into a yearly production of 475,000 board feet. If you’re unfamiliar with the board foot measurement, it equates to a piece of wood 12 inches x 12 inches by 1-inch thick, so their annual production could be thought of as a single 12-inch plank roughly 90 miles long!

Most of the planks and beams the mill cuts are 10- to 12-footers, though occasionally they cut longer stock if a customer requests it, the longest being 27 feet.

That’s big, and in truth, it would be out of the ordinary for most customers to require lumber of that length.

However, some of their accounts are post-and-beam builders or Amish farmers who frequently require big beams for the sills and structural framing used in traditional wooden barns or custom built homes. According to Steve, the mill’s latest order of large

Photo: Jupiter Images

A 12-foot veneer-grade (grade 1) maple log measuring 17 inches in diameter (graded to the USFS standard) is being loaded into a neat pile using logging machinery.

planks was for 30 red oak 4 x 16s; for use as bed planks on a heavy equipment trailer. And while it’s fun to throw around some gee-whiz numbers, the bulk of the mill’s production consists of 1- to 2-inch-thick rough sawn planks.

Rough sawn wood is just as the name implies: green timber that isn’t kiln dried or run through a planer to remove the raised grain. It’s used primarily as planking for outbuildings and horse stalls – really anyplace where functionality trumps aesthetics. While the mill cuts a small percentage of hardwood logs, most of their output is produced from eastern white hemlock.

Hemlock is a traditional building material and has several extremely useful properties. It is relatively knot free, dries quickly, and provided it doesn’t make ground contact, is nearly impervious to the effects of wind and weather.

Most wooden barns with

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A Cut Above their batten and board exteriors are planked with hemlock. If left unpainted or untreated, hemlock gradually lightens to a silvery-gray color and will withstand exposure to the elements for nearly a century before finally rotting.

Additionally, after hemlock planks cure, their superior insulating characteristics make them ideal for stall construction in an otherwise unheated barn.

What happens to the “leftovers”?

A white oak log is ready for its turn in the saw house.

A “small” pile of wood chips

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At a mill like the one Steve runs, no part of a log is wasted. The outer slab wood (the round part) is bundled and sold by the pickup load. Folks cut it up to burn in their wood-fired furnaces and stoves. Smaller chunks of slab wood are chipped and sold to another local processor who converts them into wood pellets. Log ends and top logs are split into firewood and sold by the truckload.

Smaller diameter logs, particularly soft maple and white ash, are cut into billets 4 inches thick. When they accumulate a sufficient quantity, Steve and his crew cut these into the slats and rails used to make apple and onion boxes. Other pieces of scrap are used to fuel the outdoor wood furnace that heats their small office building. Lastly the sawdust, which was my original motivation for visiting, is sold for stall bedding.

It’s too bad we all can’t practice this level of efficiency. As an example, if we plant sweet corn and a stalk yields but two ears, we don’t eat the rest. But trees

A member of Steve’s crew looks on while the saw makes a pass.

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are different. Unlike a stalk of corn which grows to maturity in about threeand-a-half months, a 20-inch oak log was on the stump for over 60 years before it was cut. And even if Steve planted a sapling to replace it, he probably wouldn’t live long enough to harvest it. Think about it this way: the white oak log in the photo was but a humble acorn around the time World War II ended. So what happens to the leftovers? There are none.

The Numbers Many of us have seen a pile of landed logs stacked by the roadside. Most likely, they’re headed for a sawmill.

However, many folks are unfamiliar with the meaning of those letters and numbers painted on the ends. So let’s use the white oak log in the photo on page 54 to help break the code. Painted on the end are the numbers 2019; (I tried rolling it right side up, but at roughly 1,000 pounds, it staunchly resisted those efforts). This means the log is 20 feet in length and at its smallest end measures 19 inches in diameter. The number 4 written below was a bit confusing to me though. The United States Forest Service, or USFS, has established a hardwood log grading system, numbering one through three.

When I questioned Steve about this apparent inconsistency, he explained that the log in question was part of a custom order for posts and beams eventually destined for Long Island Sound, where they would be used to construct a massive beachside pergola. The mill estimated they would need a dozen large logs to fill the order. However, as they would be arriving over the course of about two weeks, the felling crew decided to number them one through 12 so Steve would be able to track their arrival. It was nothing more sinister than that.

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1.800.636.2424

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contains hidden flaws, which aren’t revealed until the saw has done its work.

When this happens, Steve lays those planks aside. Despite their flaws, they’re far from useless.

When I decided to plank the interior walls of my pole barn-turned-stable, I paid a visit to Sanzotta’s to see what kind of a deal I could swing on some second-quality, 10-foot hemlock planks.

I lucked out. Steve had a large pile of just what I was seeking. The ends were severely cracked, but no matter. I took them home, trimmed a few inches off each and they worked nicely. I saved some money and Steve kept two dozen planks from falling under the hammers of the chipper. I didn’t end up with any waste either. I dried the broken scrap, and the following spring used them to help fuel my evaporator when I made maple syrup. Unlike fossil fuels, burning wood is carbon neutral. The carbon dioxide released as the wood burns is the same that the tree removed from the air while it was growing.

Thus far, I’ve focused primarily on the logs and the finished products the mill turns out. But obviously, the star attraction of any sawmill is the saw.

Steve employs a large horizontally mounted band saw to do his work. The unit automatically moves forward and, after each pass is completed, automatically returns. Then the band/blade is lowered to a predetermined depth, and the process is repeated. Once the outer slab wood has been removed and a flat

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surface established, hydraulic arms rotate the log until the flat side is facing downward and the process is repeated. After the log has been squared up, Steve can get down to cutting whatever planks or beams are called for in an order.

If your future travels will take you anywhere near Red Creek, you might want to pay a visit to Sanzotta Logging & Lumber. It’s located on Legas Road, near NY Route 370W. If you call them at 315-754-6481, they’ll be glad to give you precise directions. When you arrive, you can discuss your lumber needs with Harley, as he usually has plenty of time on his hands – rather, paws – or you can always talk to Steve.

The country sawmill is not as commonplace as it once was. During the 19th century when much of the eastern United States was heavily forested and the land was being cleared for farming, small sawmills were ubiquitous. Trees were plentiful but transporting them to a mill site was difficult. So mills were built where the logs were found and the lumber produced was used to build the houses, barns and outbuildings a new farmstead would require. These days, with modern equipment and machinery replacing the two-man buck saws and draft horse teams that hauled the timber; the number of mills needed to supply the public with rough sawn wood has dropped. But country sawmills will never completely disappear. And collectively, they represent a real-life link to our pioneer past.

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They Relish the R

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e Research

The ladies of the Waterloo Research Club enjoy any excuse to dig into a good topic

story by Tina Manzer photos by Mark Stash

I

The May meeting of Research Club at the home of longtime member Nancy Cox featured the good silver, the good china, and a great presentation called “The Russian Revolution – Moscow to Ufa” by Jean Nicholas.

know about Research Club because my mother has been a member since the mid-1960s. In addition to attending the club’s meetings every other Monday afternoon, she would prepare a paper each year or so on a topic corresponding to a theme the club had chosen. While there were many topics, I remember the one on the Middle East, her quotes from Anwar Sadat, and the way she pounded on the keys of the manual typewriter upstairs, putting her words on erasable-bond paper. She loved it; I thought she was nuts. Who writes a paper for fun?

In addition to my mother, there are currently 17 other women in Waterloo, mostly retired teachers and librarians, who do just that. What’s more, after they’ve completed the research and written the paper, they present it to the other members during the club’s meetings. The oral presentation is limited to one-half hour only, “but we always run over, especially if it’s good,” the ladies told me.

The Waterloo Research Club is just one of many in our area and across the country begun by women who needed intellectual stimulation, but were often denied a university education. “My impression was that in the 1800s, ladies were looking for an intellectual outlet so they formed a club, and this was not unusual,” said Nancy Cox, a former music teacher,

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Betty Kemak, a Research Club member for over 40 years, is currently working on a paper about Charles Schultz’s Snoopy.

who hosted the Research Club meeting I attended last spring. “My mother was in a club in her hometown and it was exactly like this one. Mother would agonize over her paper, but they would all research different topics and find out wonderful things that they never would have known otherwise.

“Anything you haven’t done, and you spade into new ground for, is interesting for all of us. That’s why women started Research Club in the first place,” she said.

In Hamilton, New York, members of the Fortnightly Club feel the same way. Begun 115 years ago by wives of Colgate University faculty members and other women in the community, the club’s goal was “to practice mental uplift and broadening,” noted an NPR broadcast called “Women’s Clubs Evolve for a New Generation.”

The club’s setup sounds much like Waterloo’s, but their meetings at the Hamilton Public Library feature two

20-minute presentations instead of one longer one. “Writing those papers is such fun and such agony, particularly when I see all those pearls of wisdom lying on the floor as I try to get my presentation down to 20 minutes,” noted one of the Fortnightly ladies, a 94-year-old who’d been a member for 25 years.

She loved it; I thought she was nuts. Who writes a paper for fun?

Researchers (from left) Christine Pohlig, Bea Contant, Ruth Marshall, Gloria Cramer and Jan Day.

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Signs of the times Waterloo’s club was founded in 1912; the first meeting “was organized at the home of Miss Wright and Mrs. MacLean, 93 Virginia Street,” according to the club’s archives. “Its object shall be to cultivate the study of travel, history, art and literature by readings, discussions and such miscellaneous work as may be suggested.”

And so it has been for 97 years.

The first themes were foreign countries; Italy was the focus from 1912 to 1913, followed the next year by Germany, then Scotland, England, Ireland,

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France and Greece. A two-year break devoted to nature study, American writers and American literature gave way to more foreign countries until 1934, when it was overtaken by many years of art.

The themes began to reflect the times. Throughout Word War II, they displayed their patriotism by researching art – strictly American art – for six straight years. In the 1950s, they moved quickly from “Families in Fiction,” to “Women – Power for a Better World,” “Folk Groups of the United States” and “Greatness In Our Times.” It was during the 1950s that the Middle East first appeared as a theme. It would be visited again and again, most recently in 2003.

Lately, a pot luck-like theme called variously “Issues and Interests,” “A Potpourri of Exciting Topics,” or “Wherein We Pursue Our Greatest Individual Interest, Presently” has been popular. It’s each member’s choice and the topics of their papers are often of local interest.

The ladies have enjoyed presentations about area barns, cemeteries and people. The life of Jemima Wilkinson who, in 1776, pioneered a utopian spiritual community in the wilderness surrounding Seneca Lake, was a memorable topic. A recent presentation on the Van Cleef and Mynderse families of

Seneca Falls included a visit to a historic property there. The presenter, Ruth Marshall, gave a tour dressed in period costume.

“We are interested in so many things,” said Marilyn Nellis, a retired college professor. “I love the excuse to get my teeth into a topic.”

Social learners Research can take up to a year, they told me, and they use a variety of resources that run the gamut from library books to personal interviews.

“The paper I did on the Mennonites was one of my favorites,” said Mrs. Cox. “I visited them and developed a friendship that lasted a long while.”

Many of the ladies use computers now along with encyclopedia software.

They absolutely love the Internet; Wikipedia is a favorite site.

They agree that the social aspect of Research Club is important. They enjoy each other’s company, and admit that they often get carried away talking and laughing. “Some of my best friends are sitting here,” said Mrs. Cox. “Isolation is a problem, particularly for older people. While we have cell phones and e-mail, and some here may even Twitter, we all still need to have direct contact with one another.

Research Club is an opportunity for a group of quite different people to

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It’s considered an honor – club president Ruth Marshall, seated, is invited to pour.

come together, share experiences and share each other.”

Up until a few years ago, almost all meetings were held in the members’ homes. It’s one of the reasons they keep membership at no more than 24. Refreshments are a Research Club ritual and are served prior to the formal meeting and presentation. If the venue is a member’s home, the hostess always selects another member “to pour” (the tea). It’s a quaint custom that borders on formal, but speaks to a graciousness that has always characterized this group.

There is no reason to think that the club won’t go on for another 97 years. They foresee that it will become a more relaxed and contemporary group, just as they are compared to the club’s earlier members. Recruitment is done when needed and over the years, many mothers have invited their daughters. Former president Phyllis Dunlap was recruited by her mother, Dorothy Baldwin. Until her death at age 96 in September, Mrs. Baldwin held the distinction of being the oldest living Research Club member.

The ladies told me their love of learning continues to bring them together. “We will never tire of hearing the different presentations and perspectives,” they said.

As editorial director at Fahy-Williams Publishing, Tina Manzer writes every day for fun.

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O U T D O O R S

Letting the Cat Out of the Bag

by John Adamski

B

elly up to the bar at any Finger Lakes watering hole on a Saturday night and ask this question: “Has anybody ever seen a cougar?” My money says you’ll get several positive responses and even more “No, but my buddy has!” answers. Plenty of people are convinced – and convincing – that they have seen a “big cat” and are more than willing to share the details of their sightings over a frosty mug of suds.

Is it the beer, or has the cougar really taken up residence in the Finger Lakes? Enough sightings have been reported that at least two organizations have been monitoring the accounts and the state’s own wildlife management agency has softened its stance somewhat on the existence of the big cats in New York.

At one time, Puma concolor, the cougar, was the mostwidely distributed land mammal in the Western Hemisphere, ranging from Canada to South America and from the Atlantic to the Pacific. Although it roamed throughout New York during colonial times, the Eastern Cougar has been absent from the state since the 1890s. Officially, the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) considers the cougar to be an extirpated species. But, DEC wildlife offices receive enough reports of animals that are believed to be cougars that many of the claims are investigated. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service lists it as an endangered species in New York, leaving the door open for possible cougar occupation from a federal perspective.

The cougar is known by many names, including catamount, mountain lion, panther and puma. It is the secondlargest North American wildcat after the jaguar, with an average mature weight of 125 pounds. Adults stand 30 inches tall at the front shoulder and vary between 5 and 8 feet in length, which includes a thick, gracefully curved 30-inch tail. Males are larger than females.

Beginning in the late 1700s, cougars were intentionally and relentlessly hunted to the point of local and regional extermination.

There was no tolerance for a large wildcat that could potentially prey upon domestic fowl, livestock and maybe even humans. By the mid-1800s, every state offered a bounty for each lion that was killed.

Furthermore, human encroachment onto remaining cougar habitat drove

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remnant populations out of their historical ranges altogether.

Today, except for a small population of panthers that inhabits the Florida Everglades, cougars are pretty much confined to the Rocky Mountain States and areas west of the Mississippi River. Or are they?

Bruce and Mary Anne Thon are a husband-and-wife team of investigators for the Eastern Puma Research Network, which is headquartered in Maysville, West Virginia. The Keuka Lake couple has co-authored a book entitled Ghost Cats of Central New York that chronicles more than two dozen accounts of individual big cat sightings in the Finger Lakes Region. The stories are intended to give readers a picture of why the researchers believe that the cougar is alive and reproducing in Central New York.

Scott Van Arsdale is a 25-year veteran and endangered species specialist with the DEC, working out of the Stamford office in Region 4. But when it comes to cougar investigations, he is apt to find himself heading off to wherever the action is. In his own article, published in the February 2008 issue of the New York State Conservationist magazine, he makes the point that – especially in cases of clustered sight-

Photo of cougar by Bill Banaszewski.

Photo illustration by Mark Stash

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ings – perhaps the DEC was being too hasty in dismissing cougar reports. He decided to start a log of cougar sightings, which after its first year contained 44 reports in east-central New York alone. His list of cougar sightings now tops 100 reports annually.

According to its website, www.easterncougarnet.org, The Cougar Network, based in Austin, Texas, is a research organization that has documented a modest number of confirmations of cougar sightings from the northeastern United States, including one in New York’s Adirondack Mountains in 1993. But it tempers those claims with this statement: “Unlike the Prairie and Midwest regions where cougars appear to be filtering in from known western populations, the origin of cougars in the Northeast is uncertain. Cougar experts and state wildlife agencies believe that they are all likely intentional releases or escapees.”

That’s a statement that Van Arsdale agrees with. He says, “While it’s certainly possible to see a cougar in New York – nothing’s impossible – there is no proof that a breeding cougar population exists anywhere in the state.

Any sighting is probably a pet cat that was released because it became too much to handle or is one that escaped from captivity.” That position frustrates the Thons. Mary Anne calls it “the DEC company line” and asks, “Why is the state so adamant that wild cougars couldn’t exist here when so many people are seeing them?”

That is precisely what challenges Van Arsdale the most. “People are seeing something. If it’s not a cougar, what is it?” He is determined to investigate any cougar sighting with an open mind in order to either prove or disprove its authenticity. “If it’s a case of mistaken identity, then I want to know that, too.”

It’s the lack of physical evidence that’s the most perplexing. In South Dakota, with a known annual population that ranges between 220 and 280 mountain lions, road kill statistics look like this: 40 in 2005; 56 in 2006; and 67 in 2007. New York has never recorded a single road-killed cougar despite annual sighting reports that number in the hundreds – and this state has more highways. Van Arsdale makes it a point to personally visit sites where there is a good chance of finding physical evidence to prove whether the animal seen

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was, in fact, a cougar. He has yet to find any physical evidence such as hair, tracks, or droppings that would prove the presence of a single wild cougar.

Logistics come into play as well.

Fifty percent of regional big cat reports claim that the normally tan-colored animal was black. If a verifiable cougar sighting is so rare, then seeing a black, or melanistic color phase, would be even rarer yet. Mary Anne Thon notes that if a small cougar population contained even a single black animal, then that genetic trait could be easily reproduced.

During the 1970s, when I was director of fish and wildlife management at Whitney Park near Long Lake in the Adirondacks, three staff members who carpooled together came into my office early one snowy morning to exclaim that they had just seen a cougar. All three were veteran woodsmen and were familiar with Adirondack flora and fauna. To a man, they claimed to have seen a 100-pound cat with a very long tail bound across the road in front of them and they stopped to watch as it headed up an unplowed logging road. I grabbed a camera, went to the scene, and took a photo.

Those tracks measured 4 inches across with a walking stride that was 24 inches between prints. The hind feet stepped precisely into the tracks made by the forefeet, giving the appearance of a two-legged animal, a definite cat-like gait. More curious are the drag marks in the snow between strides, which could have been made by a long tail. I invited Dr. Rainer Brocke, then professor of biology at the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry, to examine the tracks. It was his opinion that they were made by a very large bobcat, and he didn’t account for the suspicious drag marks.

Needless to say, the Whitney employees were indignant over Dr. Brocke’s assessment. In their defense, I will say that even a very large bobcat stands no more than 24 inches tall at the shoulder; is just over 3 feet in length; weighs under 40 pounds; has a spotted coat and a short stubby tail; and makes a footprint smaller than 3

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These tracks measured 4 inches across with a walking stride that was 24 inches between prints.

More curious are the drag marks in the snow between strides, which could appear to have been made by a long tail. Opinions on what made these tracks range from a large bobcat to a cougar.

inches across. However, since I did not see the animal that made the tracks, I can only speculate on what made them.

And while I have the highest regard for Dr. Brocke’s expertise, I also have faith in the credibility of the three men – a tough position for me to be in, indeed.

The existence of cougars in the Finger Lakes Region, or anywhere in the state for that matter, can be an emotionally charged topic. In researching material for this article, I did so with an open mind. And I tried to write it without bias, respecting the opinions of everyone I interviewed. But during that research, I discovered some things that muddy the waters of credibility. Fabrications, hoaxes and Internet/e-mail rumors run rampant.

Photos purporting to show a cougar in someone’s backyard or stalking a deer in the north 40 were proven to have been taken out West. None of the photos that I have seen are conclusive.

One popular rumor says that the DEC has been releasing cougars to

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control deer populations, even naming fictitious personnel who participated in the release. Other accounts describe cougars that were seen with ear tags or neck collars in an attempt to link purported sightings to the state. On its website, www.dec.ny.gov, the DEC categorically denies these allegations with this statement: â&#x20AC;&#x153;This is not true. The DEC has never released cougars, despite what you may hear to the contrary.â&#x20AC;? It also states in part, â&#x20AC;&#x153;To date, no hard evidence has been produced that would prove the existence of cougars living and reproducing in the wild in New York ... no tracks, scat, dead cougars, photos, videos or audio tapes. No wild cougar carcasses have been documented in New York since 1894.â&#x20AC;?

Is it possible to see a cougar in New York? In Scott Van Arsdaleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s words, â&#x20AC;&#x153;nothingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s impossible.â&#x20AC;? The fact that a pair of 4-foot alligators turned up in a marsh in Wayland a few years back proves that. Could there be a viable cougar population in the Finger Lakes Region? The official answer is no, but that same answer applied to moose in the Adirondacks 25 years ago and to coyotes long before that.

According to The Cougar Network, which seems to speak with authority, â&#x20AC;&#x153;There are a modest number of confirmations in the Northeast.

Vermont, Maine, New Brunswick and Quebec wildlife personnel are taking credible cougar reports very seriously.

The origin of cougars found in this area is still a mystery, since the Northeast is very distant from known populations in the West and Midwest. There is no evidence of a breeding population, and most cougar experts believe that any animals in this region are almost certainly of captive origin. The presence of South American genotypes in many of the DNA-positive hair samples indicates that at least some of these animals are of captive origin. The occurrence of some of these samples in seemingly unsuitable Boreal habitat also raises questions.â&#x20AC;?

So the question remains, are there cougars in the Finger Lakes Region? I guess the answer depends on whom you ask.

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(585) 330-8258 • www.caprinirealtors.com

L AND

OF

KEUKA VIEW-A gorgeous and "forever" view of the tip-of-bluff over active vineyards. Circa 1835 restored home, detached garage/apartment, and active vineyards on a 2+ acre parcel.

Perfect for the "gentleman farmer" in all of us, and it's right on the "Wine Trail". $399,000

L AKES R EALTY

OWASCO LAKEFRONT

50' of Level Year Round East Side Owasco Lakefront 4BRs, 2 1/2 baths, 3-story plus full walkout basement. Located in nice cove. Fabulous views from main floor and second floor decks. 50' of beautiful east side frontage. Large main floor LR plus eat-in kitchen, formal dining area, half bath and laundry.

Second floor has 3 BRs, and one huge room used as master with gas firplace. Third floor could be a master suit. Full, finished walkout basement. 3 Car detached garage. 2.8 acres of land total. Woodburning fireplace in dining room. Newer roof and blacktop driveway.

Jeff Trescot, 25 Conroy Jackson Crossing, Owasco $749,900

70 ~

wrap-a-round decks, and 189ft. of all natural lake frontage.

This is soooo amazing! $1,325,000

Broker 315- 497-3700 www.jefftrescot.com jefflcre@aol.com

W W W. L I F E I N T H E F I N G E R L A K E S . C O M

Mark Malcolm II “Keuka Lake’s Top Agent” 315-536-6163 Direct www.markmalcolm.com

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NAPLES 6722 Pine Bank Road $1,700,000 Price Reduced!

Joe & Megan DiPasquale nothnagle.com/910706

nothnagle.com

REAL ESTATE

WATERFRONT HOME

Get More information, photos, guided tours and maps. Visit nothnagle.com/MLS#910706

Enjoy one of Canandaigua Lake’s finest! A rare opportunity on nearly 5 private, tranquil acres with your own waterfall and breathtaking views. Enjoy 4000 square feet of updated living space with additional guest/boathouse for those last minute guests in for the weekend. Double docks and your own private beach for the summer enjoyment.

585-737-0619, 800-295-2797 PC61607

HOME OWNERSHIP WITH BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY

CAYUGA LAKE EASTSIDE Immaculate yearround lake home features master suite with private bath and porch, fireplace in both sitting areas, new maple kitchen w/ skylights and pantry, vaulted ceilings, Perfect for entertaining, Det two car garage plus steel building great for boat storage, 120 ft level frontgage, all public utilities, 30 mins. to Ithaca, one hr to Syracuse or Rochester. $382,000

For more details and photos go to www.lakecountryrealestateNY.com Located in the heart of the NY's Finger Lakes, CATHARINE COTTAGES is only a quick jaunt to many local attractions. A unique hospitality business with four log cabins and a separate owner residence. A rare opportunity to own and generate income. For more info contact Sharon McRae at (607) 654-9303 or vist us at www.realtyusa.com.

View all waterfront listings on our website.

Contact Midge Fricano, Broker, GRI. CRS. 315-729-0985 email: lakcountry@aol.com

Lake Country Real Estate, Inc. 121 North St., Auburn, NY • 315-258-9147

A Great Gift!

The 2010 Calendar Go online TODAY to order your 2010 calendar!

www.LifeintheFingerLakes.com

$13.99 (FREE shipping/handling)

FINGER LAKES UPSTATE NEW YORK Lake homes, Estates, Farms, Land on & around Seneca & Cayuga Lakes, the largest of the Finger Lakes; List, Sell & Vacation Rentals.

No One Exceeds Our Marketing Plan!!

Senecayuga is a member of all four of the Multiple Listing Services, covering all Eleven Finger Lakes.

www.senecayuga.com

Mel Russo Lic. Real Estate Broker 315-568-9404 senecayuga@aol.com WINTER 2009 ~

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S P O R T

Snowkiting

W

inters in Syracuse are known for being bleak and dreary. So on one glorious sunny Sunday in February, my brother Jim and I went out to Oneida Lake to walk on the ice. We had a trek to Frenchman’s Island in mind. From the boat launch at Oneida Shores Park, I was surprised to see what looked like a large kite being flown off to the east. Since the shoreline blocked our view of the lake ice, we decided to go investigate to see what was going on.

After perusing the gazetteer and negotiating several back roads, we ended up at Borio’s restaurant parking lot.

Here we left the car and followed snowmobile tracks around the back of the building where the kites were being flown. People were attached to them and were gliding across the ice effortlessly, something neither one of us had seen before. This was such a novelty I decided to talk to one of the kiters before hiking over to the island.

Perfect moment for us, one of them had stopped not too far out from Borio’s to adjust his kite. After we introduced ourselves, Brian Vanderslice, aka “Slice,” gave me the lowdown on one of the fastest growing winter sports, snowkiting.

While it helps to be in good shape, it does not require as much upper body strength as one might think; it’s actually more about skill than brute strength.

72 ~

W W W. L I F E I N T H E F I N G E R L A K E S . C O M

story and photos by Phillip Bonn

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Relatively easy to learn, you can be zipping along in no time with just a pair of skis or a snowboard and a kite.

Snowkiting, also known as icekiting, can be done in any icy or snowy open area. Considering that kiters can reach speeds of 30 mph, having plenty of maneuvering room is essential. Also, it helps greatly if there are no overhead obstructions like power lines to get the kite tangled in. Most people can learn to icekite within one day, with many beginners learning to go upwind as well as downwind.

History and equipment From what I recall Slice telling me, it seems some alpine skiers used a parachute to ski on a frozen bay in Erie, Pennsylvania, back in the mid 1980s.

Stunt kite flier Lee Sedgwick and a group of fellow enthusiasts are credited as some of the founding fathers of icekiting. Since then, the sport has grown tremendously with a groundbreaking journey to the North Pole and back, and guided kite-powered adventures through Alaska.

A word of warning, however: snowkiting can be very hazardous and should be learned from an instructor and practiced with care. While it helps to be in good shape, it does not require as much upper body strength as one might think; it’s actually more about skill than brute strength. A harness worn around your waist enables you to “hook in” to the power of the kite. This gives you the advantage of having most of the kite’s pull absorbed throughout your body, not just in your arms.

First you’ll need a trainer kite; something around 2 to 5 meters is a good size for a beginner. Next, use any skis that you have or a snowboard. Use what you have used on the ski slopes, because anything will work except ice skates. Skis offer you the advantage of being able to walk around, so you can walk back to launch your kite. Downhill ski boots are required of course, and a helmet is a must unless you want to test your skull hardness against the hardness of the ice! I noticed that all the kiters had knee and elbow pads as well – not a bad idea when you think about it.

READER ACTION NUMBER 144

5624 East Avon Lima Rd Rts 5&20, Avon, NY

585-226-3430 www.avonstoveandfireplace.com avonstove@frontiernet.net

Do your Holiday shopping at Fox Run Vineyards...we have wine perfect for Holiday sharing beautiful gift baskets no room charge for parties booked in January west side of Seneca Lake 8 miles south of Geneva 800.636.9786

Come to our Café foxrunvineyards.com

READER ACTION NUMBER 158

Full service hearth retail showroom, including all alternative heat sources: • Masonry fireplace re-construction • Hearth accessories, pipe and maintenance products • Custom fireplace with tile or decorative stone • Gas, Wood, Pellet Coal, Corn, Etc. • Take Advantage of tax credit (30%) up to $1500 • Financing, 1 year NO interest, NO payments READER ACTION NUMBER 160

WINTER 2009 ~

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Founded in 1974

B O O K

Gregory L. Schultz D.M.D., P.C. A Passion for the Profession.

A combination of excellence in skills and enthusiasm for patients’ care.

L O O K

The Finger Lakes Ignite Authors’ Imaginations

by Laurel C. Wemett

I

t is always a pleasant surprise to see the new titles that find their way to the magazine for review. This selection is especially varied – books on Finger Lakes history, cooking, adventure, mystery, the trials of growing up and the environment. While not all the authors still live in the region, the area clearly continues to ignite their imaginations. Unless otherwise noted, look for these titles at your favorite brick-andmortar bookstore or shop online. Prices may vary depending on the outlet.

KEUKA FAMILY DENTISTRY 209 Liberty Street, Bath, NY 607-776-7656 E-Mail: gls@keukafamilydentistry.com READER ACTION NUMBER 112

THE CHESHIRE UNION Gift Shop & Antique Center

Located along the

Canandaigua Wine Trail.

The classrooms in our 1915 schoolhouse are filled with a mix of unique merchandise to meet all your gift-giving and decorating needs.

• • • • • •

Lang Center Webkinz Jewelry Candles Books Framed Prints

• Crystal Wine Glasses • We Feature Local Products & Artwork

VISIT OUR SCHOOLHOUSE DELI

4244 Rt. 21 So., 5 miles South of Canandaigua

Call for Hours

585-394-5530 www.cugifts.com READER ACTION NUMBER 104

74 ~

Wine Country Cooking from Glenora Wine Cellars Editors Thomas Pellechia and Michael Turback 2009 Side Order Books www.sideorderbooks.com Paperback: $14.95

G

lenora Wine Cellars, with its scenic location on the western shore of Seneca Lake, has produced world-class wines since 1977.

The winery now includes a 30-room inn and the Veraisons Restaurant.

This collection of more than 80 recipes from Executive Chef Orlando Rodriguez is grouped with wine pairing suggestions by Glenora winemaker Steve DiFranscesco. Focusing on regional wines and ingredients, it will appeal to anyone with a desire to try new wine country cuisine.

Each chapter of the cookbook is dedicated to a particular wine variety. Recipes from appetizers to desserts will appeal to a modern palate. Offerings range from Balsamic Glazed Chicken Wings, paired with Niagara wine for a patio picnic, to Crème Caramel paired with Cayuga White. One recipe per page results in an attractive and easy-to-read presentation. At the bottom of each page, a quick reference called “Kitchen Stories” offers a tidbit or background on the recipe or its ingredients.

Crown of Serpents

By Michael Karpovage 2009 Jacks River Communications www.crownofserpents.com Paperback: $19.99

C

rown of Serpents is a fast-paced mystery novel that interweaves Native American history and folklore with contemporary crime in the Finger Lakes region. The hero, a U.S. Army field historian and combat veteran, Jake Tununda, himself half-Seneca Indian, must (continued on page 76)

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Theaters, Wineries, Artists and More

NAPLES Monier Manor

Monica’s Pies Our Famous Grape Pies Available Year Round Several Varieties Available Daily

Call us to order your favorite!

Open 7 days a week 9am-5pm 7599 Route 21, Naples

585-374-2139 www.monicaspies.com

Bed & Breakfast 154 N. Main Street, Naples 585-374-6719 Come visit our first class B&B and enjoy our luxury accommodations and amenities.

Bruce & Donna Scott

Special Packages Available Wine Tour Packages ❧ Romance Packages In Room Massage ❧ Golfers’ Packages

www.MonierManor.com

Naples ... the grape pie capital of the world, is nestled in the glacier-made hills of the Finger Lakes. Here, at the south end of Canandaigua Lake in Ontario County, you will find a plethora of outdoor activities, accommodations, restaurants, shopping and natural beauty. From skiing and boating, to hiking and fishing, to golfing and theater, to local artists and open studios, Naples has it all. Come visit today.

Visit www.naplesvalleyny.com to learn more about what Naples has to offer.

• Serenity, renewal, rejuvenation.

• Located in the heart of the finger lakes wine region.

• Award winning views and romantic suites with private spas, fireplaces & more...

Come and visit us!

Henderson’s

Naples, NY

Naples & Finger Lakes souvenirs available here!

1-877-554-6271

Phone: (585)374-2080

www.thevagabondinn.com

103-107 South Main St., Naples, NY 14512

Naples Pharmacy

Affordable gifts for everyone on your holiday list!

HOT ANYTHING & EVERYTHING SAUCE

Widmer Wine Cellars is home to: ˜ Brickstone Cellars ˜ ˜ Manischewitz ˜ ˜ Lake Niagara ˜ Open Seasonally, Call for Details Buses Welcome

Widmer Wine Cellars 1-800-836-LAKE (5253) www.widmerwine.com 1 Lake Niagara Lane, Naples, NY 14512 A member of The Canandaigua Wine Trail

Carole Battle

POTTERY | GLASS | JEWELRY | WOOD PHOTOGRAPHY | PAINTING | FABRIC | SCULPTURES Our Gallery Offers so many original, affordable and imaginative creations from 200 Finger Lakes artisans, you’ll find yourself returning again and again.

OPEN YEAR ROUND: M-SAT 11AM-5:30PM, SUN NOON-5PM

118 N. Main St., Naples, NY 585.374.6740 www.artizanns.com

The original sauce with a multitude of uses. Use it as a marinade, topping or an additon to recipes.

SWEET & SPICEE GLAZE: Apply it to meats during the last few minutes of baking or grilling. A sweeter milder flavor used as a “finishing” sauce.

Produced by K & S Foods Naples, NY 585-534-9257 WINTER 2009 ~

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B O O K

Casual Dining with City Style Ambiance ~ We’ve added a wood fired oven for Entrees, Pizza, and Fresh Baked Breads ~ Seasonal Menu Changes ~ We use the freshest ingredients and when possible local produce and meats ~ New! Eight beers on tap ~ We feature local and artisanal beer and spirits ~ Eclectic Wine List, supporting the Finger Lakes and Wines from Around the World ~ Happy Hour 4:30-6:30 Tues.-Turs. (great food and drink specials!) ~ We’re your place for Special Events HOURS OF OPERATION: Tues-Sat 4:30-10:00 Sun 4:30-9:00 106 Seneca Street Geneva NY 14456 (315)789-4070 • Halseysgeneva.com

OUR FRIENDLY AND ENGAGING STAFF LOOKS FORWARD TO SERVING YOU READER ACTION NUMBER 143

™

TASTE THE ARTISTRY

TASTING ROOM GALLERY & GIFT SHOP

Mon-Sat 10 am-5 pm • Sun noon-5 pm 658 Lake Road, King Ferry, NY 800.439-5271 • 315.364.5100 www.treleavenwines.com READER ACTION NUMBER 113

76 ~

L O O K

decipher the Masonic code contained in the journal of an early American Revolutionary War officer who fought against the Iroquois Indians.

Alex Nero, a wealthy Indian casino owner, acquires the journal, hoping it will lead him to an ancient shaman’s Crown of Serpents, once protected by the White Deer Society, a secret cult. The cruel casino magnate already has a museum of rare Native American artifacts that includes the grizzly “Scalp Room.” Nero wants the crown, now buried deep in the caves under the abandoned Seneca Army Depot, to make himself invincible.

Karpovage takes Tununda and the reader on a suspenseful adventure in the heart of Iroquois country to thwart Nero’s sinister plan. Along the way, to outwit Nero’s murderous bodyguards, Tununda is helped by the attractive Rae Hart, a state police investigator, who adds some romantic interest.

“You Wanna Go to Willard?”

By Linda M. Holbrook 2008 BookSurge Publishing www.booksurge.com Paperback: $15.00

W

illard was a psychiatric hospital located in Romulus. Closed since 1995, the mere mention of “Willard” can still illicit a negative reaction, recalling a time when becoming institutionalized could impose on someone a life isolated from the rest of society.

This fictional work draws on the experiences of first-time author Linda M. Holbrook. At the outset, the youthful protagonist, Laura hears that question, “You wanna go to Willard?” in the emergency room of a hospital after experiencing a near mental breakdown. The threat calms Laura down. Yet her relations with her farming family in the 1950s and 1960s remains strained at best. There are personal successes, like the showing of her championship cow, “Brenda” at the fairs, but when one of her brothers encourages her to leave home after high school, Laura feels she must strike out on her own. Not believing she is capable of attending college, Laura soon marries a man who turns out to be very controlling, and that relationship brings another set of challenges.

Although the difficulties with her family relationships never completely disappear, through trial and error, Laura gains confidence, self-assurance and greater happiness on her journey to adulthood.

Overhalls and Leftovers

By Al Jensen 2005 Bear Over The Mountain adjensen@aol.com Paperback: $22.95

T

he focus of this book may be growing up in Penn Yan, at the north end of Keuka Lake, but the tales are typical of small-town America in the 1920s and 1930s. In this collection of 40 short pieces, Jensen, whose relatives have resided in the Finger Lakes for six generations, recalls walking around town,

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E n j o y i n g

G o d â&#x20AC;&#x2122; s

C r e a t i o n

Finger Lakes Tram

Canandaigua Lake, 2007

summer cottages on Keuka Lake, winter ice boats and many more topics. A chapter on a subject as ordinary as laundry is bound to remind older readers of the habits of their youth and introduce younger people to bygone routines.

Naturally, given the title, a chapter is devoted to what the author says they called â&#x20AC;&#x153;overhalls,â&#x20AC;? referring to bib overalls, once the ubiquitous uniform of everyone from farmers to house painters. In reference to â&#x20AC;&#x153;Leftovers,â&#x20AC;? the other half of the bookâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s title, Jensen savors the memories of his familyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s meals. He describes how any unused remains ultimately were turned into â&#x20AC;&#x153;a weekâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s supply of delicious dog food.â&#x20AC;?

These are warm and often amusing recollections. The book is illustrated with a fine selection of photographs that help to bring the stories to life.

Twinkle Toes and The Riddle of the Lake

By Susan Peterson Gateley 2009 Ariel Associates/Whiskey Hill Press www.silverwaters.com www.chimneybluff.com Paperback: $15.95

T

he notion of three landlubber cats sailing one of the Great Lakes is the perfect plot twist for author Susan Peterson Gateleyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s latest book. The action unfolds through the

2052 Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Neil Road â&#x20AC;˘ Macedon, NY 14502 â&#x20AC;˘ 315-986-1937

www.fingerlakestram.com Designed, built & serviced right here in upstate New York!

READER ACTION NUMBER 139

A Taste of Something Special a short drive from Canandaigua Lake

Whether itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s dinner for two or a family get-together, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll enjoy delicious gourmet cuisine in a relaxing setting thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s perfect for any occasion.

7 West Main Street, Clifton Springs, NY 14432 Lunch and Dinner served Tuesday-Saturday 2ESERVATIONS RECOMMENDED s #ALL WWW WARlELDS COM

READER ACTION NUMBER 145

Warfieldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s makes every meal memorable.

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B O O K

…

bubbling over with art that’s sublime and things that tell time, whimsical crocks, frippery and frocks, bushels of books, some even for cooks, jewelry and posies, quilts that are cozy, fabrics and notions, soaps, herbs and potions, amusements and toys for girls and for boys!

The Kitschen Sink 210 Elmira Rd • Ithaca,NY 14850

(607)277-4914 www.kitschensinkithaca.com READER ACTION NUMBER 162

Taughannock Farms Inn

L O O K

perspective of a cranky but determined cat named Twinkle Toes. She and her mother, Dusty, and her cousin, Miss Piggy, reluctantly accompany “Skipper Sue” across Lake Ontario to Canada in the yacht Ariel. Along the way, the feline protagonist regularly “converses” with Harry, a seagull, among other lake dwellers.

The book will appeal to youthful readers and adults alike. A strong underlying ecological theme steers the reader to learn about some of the disappearing species on the lake.

Gateley’s narrative captures cat attitudes perfectly, and Pat Cooper’s illustrations add appeal. The journey through fair weather and foul naturally tests the cats’ endurance. From seasickness to repeatedly sneaking ashore, the trio’s amusing escapades help illuminate the serious changes in the lake’s environment.

Part two of the book is called “Skipper Sue’s Notebook.” It offers a lengthy appendix filled with fascinating historical data and essays on assorted ecological topics.

Cascade Falls: A Scrapbook of Cascade Mills on the Keuka Outlet Trail Compiled and arranged by Leona Jensen jensenrk@linkny.com 2007 Bear Over The Mountain Spiral bound softcover: $36.00 Not available in stores. Send check (which includes postage) to Leona Jensen, P.O. Box 181, Dresden, NY, 14441.

A portion of the proceeds is contributed to Friends of the Outlet.

Memorable Dining and

22 Exquisite Guest Rooms with a spectacular view of Cayuga Lake • An Evening Out • • A Special Occasion • • An Overnight Getaway • • Banquet Facilities •

READER ACTION NUMBER 119

78 ~

T

he Keuka Lake Outlet, which carries water from Keuka into Seneca Lake, is rich in history. In the mid-19th century, the falls powered mills and the state opened the Crooked Lake Canal for boat traffic. After the canal closed, a railroad was built on the towpath. By 1972, train use, already in decline, was seriously impacted by Hurricane Agnes. By the 1980s, a local group interested in recreational use of the ravine formed the Friends of the Outlet to preserve its heritage.

Author Leona Jensen has a long involvement with Friends of the Outlet and the Keuka Outlet Trail. Her spiral bound book includes the history of the whole outlet while focusing on Cascade Falls, the second falls of Keuka Outlet. Because of its inaccessibility, this was the site of the last mill using waterpower to be developed.

Known as Cascade Mills, it used waterpower to grind grain and make paper.

Later, it became the world’s largest producer of carbon bisulfide. The mills are almost all gone now, and a hiking trail today runs along the outlet’s waterway.

An overview and chronological entries are combined with numerous illustrations, old newspaper clippings, interviews, maps and photographs. Jensen has also produced books on Penn Yan and Keuka Lake.

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Theft at George Eastman House

By Sally Valentine 2009 North Country Books www.northcountrybooks.com Paperback: $9.95

T

READER ACTION NUMBER 155

©1998 Thomas Kinkade

his mystery moves from a classroom to one of Rochester’s most historic house museums, the George Eastman House. Aimed at readers ages 9 to 12 (grades 4 to 6), the book is a fictional account of how fifth grade teacher Mrs. Levine introduces her students to photography and George Eastman, the founder of Eastman Kodak. After learning how to make sun prints and a camera obscura in school, a class field trip to Eastman’s home is interrupted by the theft of a valuable candlestick. A chaperone, the older brother of one of the students, is accused of stealing the antique. Of course, photography helps solve the crime.

A former teacher herself, Valentine creates an engaging class of typical elementary school students.

The teacher typically responds to some of their more taxing behaviors with heavy sighs that the students rank on a 1 to 10 scale, injecting the story with good humor.

As with Valentine’s first book, The Ghost of the Charlotte Lighthouse, study guides and vocabulary worksheets can be downloaded to add an extra learning experience.

Holiday Gathering

Gift Items Available 3 Church Street, Phelps, NY 14532 315-548-8544 • 585-734-8048 Call for hours. www.kinkadegalleryofthefingerlakes.com READER ACTION NUMBER 153

READER ACTION NUMBER 167

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ATTRACTIONS

Patterson Inn Museum

National Memorial Day Museum Waterloo, NY Open Tue-Sat 10A.M. - 5P.M. April 8 - December 15

59 W. Pulteney St., Corning, NY 607-937-5281 Open Mon-Fri 10am-4pm

TH

(315) 539-0533

Museum complex features a tavern c1796, log house c1850, schoolhouse c1878, agricultural barn and blacksmith.

www.PattersonInnMuseum.org

TH

And by appointment

The National Memorial Day Museum commemorates the founding of Memorial Day through period rooms (1866) and exhibits that highlight the service and sacrifice of our Veterans.

Yates County Genealogical & Historical Society Museums 200 Main Street, Penn Yan

The L. Caroline Underwood Museum and the Oliver House Museum, home of Yates County history. Research center, period rooms, changing exhibits.

Hours: Tues-Fri 9am-4pm, Saturdays by appointment

315-536-7318 www.yatespast.org

Schuyler County Historical Society Historic Maritime District

607-535-9741 • 108 N. Catharine St. • Montour Falls, NY 14865

Celebrating 27 Years!

Historic 1828 brick tavern, eleven exhibit rooms.

Winter Hours

Open Daily 1-5pm July & Aug. 10-5pm

Since 1982

West 1st Street Pier, Oswego

Tues.-Fri.: 10am-4pm Saturdays closed Museum closed (Dec 18 - Mar 1)

315-342-0480

www.schuylerhistory.org

www.hleewhitemarinemuseum.com

Seneca Falls Historical Society THE GRANGER HOMESTEAD presents

Festival ofTrees

We maintain a 23-room Queen Anne Style Victorian Mansion circa 1890, as a home of a wealthy Victorian family.

55 Cayuga St., Seneca Falls (315)568-8412 • www.sfhistoricalsociety.org

Seward House We invite you to visit Seward House, the historic home of statesman William H. Seward and his family.

NOV 16TH  DEC 6TH Mon-Wed: 1-5pm Thurs & Fri 1-7pm Sat & Sun & Fri after Thanksgiving 11am-5pm $ 5, Seniors $4, K-12 $1 PHOTOGRAPHY BY KORY YERKES

295 N. Main St, Canandaigua www.grangerhomestead.org 585-394-1472

Home for the Holidays Sat Dec. 12 3-8 PM

“The Holiday Boutique” Crafters & Artisans fill the Museum Dec. 4 & 5: 10am-6pm, Dec. 6: 12-4pm Lunch served 11-2 Friday & Saturday

Museum Hours: Tues. - Fri. 10-4pm, Sat. 10-1pm Closed Sun. & Mon.

Admission Adults $4, Students $2

80 ~

Join us for this fun event full of holiday food, historic Homes & Buildings in Phelps, NY

Buy Tickets: (315) 548-4940 Lite (appetizers & dessert) OR Full Dinner Tickets www.phelpsny.com/phelpsfun/historical-society/ Holiday Open House Dec 6, 1-3 PM at Howe House, 66 Main St. Phelps

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Seward House features an extensive collection of Civil War memorabilia and early Alaskan artifacts.

33 South Street Auburn (315)252-1283 www.sewardhouse.org

TROPHY TROUT PRIVATE TROUT PRESERVE Catch 1 to 10 Pound Trout Exclusive Access by Appointment Only No License Required. No Closed Season. No Limit.

Barbless Artificial Lures and Flies Only Please Call for Information and Directions

607-546-7308 • 607-546-8217 • 570-877-2605

Finger Lakes Free Range Farms 4644 County Route 4, Burdett, NY 14818

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ATTRACTIONS INDEX OF ADVER TISERS FREE information by mail. Life in the Finger Lakes offers you the opportunity to request free brochures and information from our advertisers. Simply circle the numbers on the adjacent postage-paid card and mail.

The advertisers will send information directly to you.

For a quicker response, visit www.lifeinthefingerlakes.com/vendorinfo.php and request information from advertisers online.

Pg. 57 Antique Revival ................................Info #103

Pg. 79 The Jewelbox ..................................Info #167

Pg. 73 Avon Stove and Fireplace Co. Inc. ..Info #160

Pg. 33 Kendal at Ithaca ..............................Info #111

Pg. 16 Balloons over Letchworth ................Info #124

Pg. 74 Keuka Family Dentistry ....................Info #112

Cr. S. Main & Washington Sts. Wayland, NY

Pg. 37 Belhurst ..........................................Info #100

Pg. 76 King Ferry Winery Inc. ....................Info #113

585-728-3610 or 728-5108

Pg. 57 Belhurst Winery ..............................Info #150

Pg. 78 The Kitschen Sink ..........................Info #162

Pg. 39 Best Western Vineyard Inn ..............Info #101

Pg. 65 The Loomis Barn ............................Info #114

Pg. 7

Cover 3 Lyons National Bank ........................Info #115

Brawdy Marine Construction ..........Info #151

Pg. 62 Bristol Builders ................................Info #129

Pg. 5

Pg. 23 Bristol Harbour ................................Info #102

Pg. 68 Merry-Go-Round Playhouse ............Info #125

Pg. 38 Bristol Mountain ..............................Info #136

Pg. 21 Michael DeCicco, M.D. PLLC ..........Info #152

Pg. 61 Cayuga Lake Wine Trail....................Info #130

Cover 4 New Energy Works TimberFramers ................................Info #117

Pg. 9

Cayuga Ski & Cyclery ......................Info #164

Marvin Windows & Doors ..............Info #116

Pg. 74 The Cheshire Union Gift Shop ........Info #104

Pg. 61 Niles Gourmet Country Market ........Info #137

Pg. 55 Clark Meadows at Ferris Hills ..........Info #146

Pg. 13 Phelps, NY ......................................Info #157

Pg. 62 Clifton Springs Hearing Center ........Info #134

Pg. 83 Red Jacket Orchards........................Info #126

Pg. 21 Community Bank ............................Info #105

Pg. 83 The Shops at Ithaca Mall ................Info #138

Pg. 66 Cornell University Sheep Blankets ..Info #128

Pg. 37 Southern Tier Plastic Surgery..........Info #141

Pg. 66 Dr. Konstantin Frank Wines ............Info #106

Pg. 68 Southside Hearing Center ................Info #142

Pg. 73 Elizabeth Brewster House ................Info #144

Pg. 83 Spa Apartments ..............................Info #118

Cover 2 Elm Croft Manor Bed & Breakfast....Info #135

Pg. 78 Taughannock Farms Inn ..................Info #119

Pg. 66 Esperanza Mansion..........................Info #107

Pg. 79 Thomas Kinkade Gallery ..................Info #153

Pg. 68 Finger Lakes Community College ....Info #159

Pg. 39 Timber Frames Inc ..........................Info #120

Pg. 56 Finger Lakes Premier Properties......Info #131

Pg. 56 Timberpeg East Inc..........................Info #121

Pg. 77 Finger Lakes Tram Company ..........Info #139

Pg. 17 Valicenti Advisory Services Inc. ......Info #140

Pg. 15 FingerLakes1.com............................Info #163

Pg. 67 Vanguard Printing............................Info #123

Pg. 17 Fitch Construction / Four Seasons Sunrooms ................Info #127

Pg. 77 Warfield's Restaurant ......................Info #145

Pg. 67 Five Star Bank..................................Info #132

Pg. 79 Watkins Glen Area Chamber ............Info #155

Pg. 73 Fox Run Vineyards ..........................Info #158

Pg. 49 Watkins Glen Harbor Hotel ..............Info #154

Pg. 3

Wayland Historical Museum

Open Sun 2-4PM Mon 10AM-Noon By appointment

Glenn H. Museum 8419 State Rte 54 Hammondsport, NY 14840 Ph: (607)569-2160 www.glennhcurtissmuseum.org

Waterloo Premium Outlets ..............Info #122

Pg. 38 The Furniture Doctor Inc. ..............Info #108 Pg. 65 Geneva On The Lake ........................Info #109

MARKETPLACE ADVERTISING

Pg. 42 Gleason Geothermal ........................Info #165

Accommodations ........................................Pgs. 86-87

Pg. 16 Glen Iris Inn ....................................Info #161

Attractions ..................................................Pgs. 80-81

Pg. 76 Halsey's Restaurant ........................Info #143

Canandaigua ......................................................Pg. 20

Pg. 12 Handwork ........................................Info #156

Naples

Pg. 2

Hilton Garden Inn ............................Info #110

Real Estate ..................................................Pgs. 70-71

Pg. 57 Homewood Suites Ithaca ................Info #147

Shop Here! Retail & Business ....................Pgs. 84-86

Pg. 63 Hope Lake Lodge Resort ................Info #166

Wineries ......................................................Pgs. 24-25

Pg. 11 I.D. Booth ........................................Info #148

Weddings ....................................................Pgs. 43-48 (See www.LifeintheFingerLakes.com/weddings)

Pg. 55 The Inn on the Lake ........................Info #133

............................................................Pg. 75

A Great Gift!

The 2010 Calendar Go online TODAY to order your 2010 calendar!

www.LifeintheFingerLakes.com

$13.99 (FREE shipping/handling)

Pg. 15 Internal Medicine Associates ..........Info #149

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Gift Subscriptions for the Holidays

I N

T H E

K I T C H E N

(continued from page 12) Preparation: • Place potatoes and garlic in a large stockpot, cover with water. Bring to a boil and let boil for about 45 minutes or until fork tender. Strain the potatoes and garlic into a colander and set aside.

• Meanwhile, put the oil and butter into the stockpot and heat until the butter is melted. Put half of the potatoes back into the pot along with the fresh herbs; smash with a potato masher. Add remaining potatoes and smash them into the potato mixture; season to taste.

Roasted Garlic Potatoes

The Premier Magazine of the Finger Lakes Region

GIFT Subscriptions

1st Gift............................$13.95 2nd Gift ..........................$11.95 Each Addʼl........................$9.95

A Subscription for YOURSELF

3 Years (12 issues)........$28.95 2 Years (8 issues)..........$21.95 1 Year (4 issues)............$13.95

Canada, add $15. Overseas, add $30.00 postage per year. U.S. funds only.

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800-344-0559 Fax: 315-789-4263 subscribe@lifeinthefingerlakes.com www.LifeintheFingerLakes.com

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(serves 4-6) • 2 pounds red bliss potatoes, cut into quarters • 1/4 cup olive oil • 6-8 cloves garlic, smashed and minced • 3 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves picked • 3 sprigs fresh rosemary, finely chopped • 1 teaspoon Kosher salt • 1/2 teaspoon pepper, freshly cracked Preparation • Preheat the oven to 450°F. • Place potatoes in a large bowl, add enough olive oil to lightly coat. Toss in the garlic, thyme, rosemary, Kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper to mix well.

• Place the potatoes on a sheet tray.

(Don’t overcrowd the tray, or the potatoes will not get crispy).

• Place the potatoes in the oven and cook for 35-45 minutes.

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C A L E N D A R

DECEMBER 4…Deck The Halls Friday, 1 to 5 p.m., Saturday and Sunday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. is our 18th annual Deck the Halls on the Seneca Lake Wine Trail. Go to your assigned starting winery and begin a weekend of fun and festivities while sampling holiday wines and great food.

877-536-2717 4…3rd annual “Lights on the River” Festival 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Downtown Owego comes alive with lights and holiday decorations. Music and enterainment throughout the downtown area. Feel the real old-fashioned spirt of Christmas as stores run sales and specials to delight the shoppers.

Fireworks at 8 p.m. at Drapper Park.

800-671-7966 4…A Christmas Story 8 to 10 p.m. at Ti-Ahwaga’s Performing Arts center annual holiday tradition. Ralphie, The Red Rider, Scud Farkas, the Christmas Turkey ... it’s all here and it’s all fun. $15 General,$12 Senior Sunday Matinee, $8 Children 12 & under. Also on Dec. 11 and Dec. 13.

607-687-2130 4…Geneseo Farm Toy Show Auction Friday, December 4, 7 p.m. Show is Saturday, December 5, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Biggest farm toy show in the East. 140 dealer tables in 3 large rooms. Contact Doug Harke. dharke@rochester.rr.com 585-243-3882

Offered by the Spa Apartments The Spa Apartments has put together a package of services and amenities most seniors are looking for.

Prices start at $525 a month with all utilities included.

• • • • • • • •

Meal Program Transportation Cable TV Nursing Service Activities Elevators Individual Heat Control Large Gracious Lobbies

• • • • • • • •

Front Door Intercom Laundry Room Laundry Service Arts & Crafts Emergency Call System Housekeeping Room Service Emergency Maintenance

• • • • • • • •

Fire Systems Library Trips Entertainment Large Porches Walk Areas Picnic Areas Full Kitchen and Bath

Nestled in the quaint little village of Clifton Springs, NY. Clifton Springs Hospital & Clinic is connected to our building.

Downtown shopping is only steps away.

Call today for a tour.

315-462-3080 www.spaapartments.com READER ACTION NUMBER 118

5…28th Annual Home Tour & Auction Tour beautiful historic Owego Homes followed by an auction at the Owego Elks Lodge 223 on Front Street. Afternoon home tour 1 to 4 p.m., $10.00.

Evening tour 6 to 8 p.m., $15.00. Auction at 8:30 p.m. Reservations only.

607-687-0785 5…A Christmas Carol by Kim Tenreiro Adapted from Dickens’ tale, Kim Tenreiro will perform a dramatic interpretation of this classic at All Things Art in Canandaigua on Saturday, December 5 at 7 p.m. and again at a Sunday matinee on the 6th at 2 p.m.

585-396-0087 5…Sparkle Bring your whole family for the 35th annual Sparkle on December 5th from 5 to 9 p.m. on Historic Market Street, Corning. Watch the streets come alive with a unique variety of shopping, entertainment, and delicious food. Enjoy ski and snowboard demonstrations, live ice sculptures, real reindeer, photos with Santa, horse and carriage rides, holiday music, a cookie recipe contest, activities for children and more!

607-937-6292 12…A Classical Christmas Christopher Seaman conducts the glorious sounds of the RPO with the Rochester Oratorio Society performing excerpts from Bach’s Christmas Oratorio, Vaughan Williams’ Fantasia on Christmas Carols, and more. $22-$60 8 p.m. www.rpo.org 585-454-2100

READER ACTION NUMBER 126

READER ACTION NUMBER 138

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Retail & Business

MAKE YOUR OWN WINE

www.fallbright.com Secure online shopping Winemaking Information

4 North Main St. Honeoye Falls 14424

Fall Bright, The Winemakers Shoppe • Keuka Lake 10110 Hyatt Hill, Dundee, NY • 607-292-3995

We are a FULL SERVICE salon and spa! call 585-624-1000 www.ccandcospa.com

f i ng e r L a k e s s o a p c o .

Wholesale Natural Soap Outlet Now Open!

15 State Route 224, Van Etten, NY 14889

www.fingerlakessoap.com

“YOUR FINGER LAKES CHOICE FOR QUALITY CONSTRUCTION AT A FAIR PRICE”

• Remodeling & Renovations • New Home Construction

Thinking About Building Green?

THE CHRISTMAS HOUSE

As a Certified Green Professional, we can give advice on making your home more environmentally friendly

The Charm of an Old Fashioned Christmas Awaits You… 361 Maple Avenue • Elmira, NY 14904 Folks from the beautiful Finger Lakes Region have enjoyed millions of cups of coffee from Finger Lakes Coffee Roasters for over twelve years. Our travels and roasting experience allow us to locate the highest quality beans from all over the globe. Freshness is guaranteed. Please visit us or purchase a bag of beans online!

www.fingerlakescoffee.com 800-420-6154

Visit our locations.

Farmington Corner of Routes 96 & 332 (CVS Plaza) 585-742-6218

Pittsford Plaza Monroe Ave. (Next to Michael’s) 585-385-0750

Strong Memorial Hospital Thompson Hospital

(Rt. 17/I86, Exit 56, Left on Madison, Left on Maple)

Visit our 2nd location at the Arnot Mall, Exit 51A

www.christmas-house.com • (607) 734-9547

Copper Beacons Herb Shop

Our specialty is organic culinary and decorative herbs Fresh herbs / Dried herbs and spices Specialty teas / tea accessories Herbal products / crafts One-of-a-kind theme gift baskets Plus much more Come visit the Farm

3883 County Rd. 143, Trumansburg, NY 14886 Thu.-Sat. 11-5, Sun. 1-5 • 607-387-5240 ecollins@FLTG.net • www.copperbeacons.com North of the village of Trumansburg, left off Rt. 96

LW EMPORIUM Gifts, Antiques & Home Décor and

WHISTLE STOP ANTIQUE CENTER

10am-5pm Tues thru Sun • Closed Mon

6355 Knickerbocker Road off 104 in Ontario 315-524-8841 • www.lwemporium.com

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(315) 531-9074 • www.djbuilders.net LOCALLY OWNED AND OPERATED FOR OVER 25 YEARS

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Retail & Business SHOP

HERE!

WWW.FINGERLAKESCOFFEEHOUSE.COM

15 State Route 224, Van Etten, NY 14889 607-589-9901

7531 County Rt. 13, Bath, NY 14810 • 607-776-3737 Email@FingerLakesWellness.com

home accessories • notable finds • unusual accents

P

Discover...

22 CASTLE STREET IN GENEVA, NEW YORK WWW.ANNIEWALKERS.COM

TUESDAY THRU SATURDAY • 10:00 A.M. – 5:00 P.M.

Two Floors of Distinctive Gifts, Including Our Year ’Round Seasonal Shops Visit During Normal Business Hours.

Open Sundays in Nov. & Dec. 2 West Main Street, Clifton Springs 315-548-4438

Finger Lakes from Space

Rochester’s Choice Award Best Indian Restaurant, 2002-2005, 2007 & 2008

Over 700 REAL LOG HOMES Built in the Finger Lakes Area Since 1971.

Call for Monthly OPEN HOUSES www.loghomeguy.com www.realloghomes.com

Call Ed Schoen • 800-736-4360

AUTHENTIC INDIAN CUISINE

7343 ROUTE 96, VICTOR, NY (585) 742-2030

Open Daily for Lunch & Dinner Call Us About Catering Your Next Office Party or Family Event!

ROUTE 96

POSTER Take the Finger Lakes home with you with this stunning poster of the Finger Lakes Region from Space! The photograph, taken by satellite, consists of high-detail satellite imagery with overlaid map information. The map detail consists of cities, towns, main and secondary highways as well as airports, the Erie Canal, state parks and many other features of interest. There is no other poster of the Finger Lakes as beautiful and informative as this one. Poster size - 25˝ x 39˝.

SNOW FUN! X-COUNTRY SKI PACKAGES • SNOWSHOES

KAYAK SHOWROOM 100’s of Kayaks & Small Boats Kayak Trailers,Thule & Yakima & Roof Rack Systems

VISIT OUR SHOE OUTLET

Paper Poster: $22.95 • Laminated Poster: $29.95

Specialty Fitting • Large Sizes Special Orders & So Much More!

Call 1-800-331-7323 to order.

1035 Owego Road (Rte 96), Candor, NY

Dealer inquires invited.

www.atwatervineyards.com

Call 607-659-POWER (7693)

New York State Hops Crisp Seneca Lake Water All Natural Malts 223-301 N. Franklin Street Watkins Glen, NY 14891

607.535.9797 www.roosterfishbrewing.com

Toll Free 866-70-KAYAK • powerandpaddle.com

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HERE!

ACCOMMODATIONS C A L E N D A R

Lake Country

Patchwork Fabric, Books, Patterns, Classes Monday-Saturday 10-5 â&#x20AC;˘ Sunday 11-4 67 Shethar Street, Hammondsport â&#x20AC;˘ 607-569-3530 patchwork@infoblvd.net â&#x20AC;˘ www.LakeCountryPatchwork.com

(continued from page 83)

JANUARY 2010 09â&#x20AC;ŚThe Metropolitan Opera Live in HD Series Presents Straussâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Der Rosenkavalier 1 p.m. showing Straussâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s comic masterpiece of love and intrigue in 18th-century Vienna stars Rene Fleming as the aristocratic Marschallin and Susan Graham in the trouser role of her young lover at the Regal Cinemas in Ithaca. Music Director James Levine conducts a cast that also includes Kristinn Sigmundsson and Thomas Allen.

607-266-7964 19â&#x20AC;ŚDinosoaur Jr. One of the seminal rock acts of the nineties has reunited in recent years and found renewed fandom from a new generation. Dinosaur Jr. will debut in Ithaca on Tuesday, January 19 at Castaways to kick of DSPâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s winter/spring season. www.dansmallspresents.com 607-280-2900

Visit Beautiful Belhurst Premier Attraction of the Finger Lakes 2 Exceptional Restaurants 3 Luxurious Hotels Wine & Gift Shop 2 Magnificent Ballrooms

Rte 14 South, Geneva 315-781-0201 www.belhurst.com

Bonnie Castle Farm Bed & Breakfast Bonnie Castle Farm Bed and Breakfast offers a haven of warmth and charm overlooking the east side of Great Sodus Bay in the Finger Lakes.

29â&#x20AC;ŚSymphony 101: The Great Romantics Christopher Seaman conducts the music of Brahms, Mendelssohn, and Dvorak at the Performance Hall at Hochstein, Rochester. $24 general admission 7:30 p.m.

585-454-2100 Host: Georgia Pendleton

31â&#x20AC;ŚMemorial Art Gallery Exhibition: Fashioning Kimono Art Deco and Modernism in Japan: Ninety-seven extraordinary examples of kimono created between the 1890s and the 1950s tell the story of how Japanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s traditional national dress was influenced by technological advances in silk production and exposure to Western cultures. Included are simple undergarments; everyday kimono and intricately embroidered and padded ceremonial costumes.

All are drawn from the famed Montgomery Collection in Lugano, Switzerland.

585-276-8900

6603 Bonnie Castle Rd. â&#x20AC;˘ Sodus Bay Wolcott, New York 14590 (315) 587-2273 â&#x20AC;˘ (800) 587-4006 www.virtualcities.com/ny/bonniecastle.html

6 ,"

/

FEBRUARY

FRANKLIN STREET Gallery

209 North Franklin St., Watkins Glen, NY

607-535-2751 Wedding, Housewarming & Special Occasion Gifts by Regional Artists

11â&#x20AC;ŚPhilharmonics: Valentineâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Weekend Guest conductor Justin Brown conducts some of the most beautiful and passionate music for the most romantic day of the year at the Eastman Theatre in Rochester. $20-60 7:30 p.m.

585-454-2100 14â&#x20AC;Ś11th Annual Antique Show The 11th annual Canandaigua Classic Antique Show and Sale will be held at Finger Lakes Gaming and Racetrack, Farmington, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Over 35 quality antique dealers are expected.

Admission is $5. Appraisal opportunities from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Proceeds will go toward the upgrade of one of the carriage barns at the Granger Homesteadâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Carriage Museum in Canandaigua

W E B Wed.- Fri. 12-5PM & Sat. 10AM-3PM Additional hours by appointment or chance

www.arcofschuyler.org 86 ~

E X T R A

For more events, explore our online calendar at www.LifeintheFingerLakes.com.

W W W. L I F E I N T H E F I N G E R L A K E S . C O M

*Â?i>Ă&#x192;i V>Â?Â? vÂ&#x153;Ă&#x20AC; Ă&#x20AC;iĂ&#x192;iĂ&#x20AC;Ă&#x203A;>Ă&#x152;Â&#x2C6;Â&#x153;Â&#x2DC;Ă&#x192; Â&#x153;Ă&#x20AC; Ă&#x152;Â&#x153; Ă&#x20AC;iViÂ&#x2C6;Ă&#x203A;i > vĂ&#x20AC;ii LĂ&#x20AC;Â&#x153;VÂ&#x2026;Ă&#x2022;Ă&#x20AC;i°

,AKEFRONT $R 'ENEVA .9

A Great Gift!

The 2010 Calendar Order on our website:

www.LifeintheFingerLakes.com

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ACCOMMODATIONS

P

eaceful country home that compliments the Finger Lakes.

Yale Manor Bed & Breakfast

563 Yale Farm Road Romulus, NY 14541 315 585 2208 www.yalemanor.com

4343 Routes 5 & 20, Canandaigua, NY

Comfortable * Affordable * Centrally Located Best Rates for Skiers!

Bristol Views Bed & Breakfast

Check out our Casino Package, 2 nights stay, $25 to gamble, & 25% off food @ Casino Package only $150!

6932 County Rd. 12 Naples, NY 14512

Your home away from home!

For reservations or Information

585-374-8875

585-394-2800 or 800-727-2775 On the web— www.fingerlakesinn.com

www.bristolviews.com Henry and Barb Owens

Clute Memorial Park & Campground 155 S. Clute Park Drive Watkins Glen, NY 14891 Ph: (607)535-4438 • www.watkinsglen.us

Family Fun for Everyone!

Campground

Pool • Laundry • 3 Pavilions • Frisbee Golf • Camp Grocery Store • 30-50 Amp Service • Seasonal Sites • Wireless Internet Access • Planned Activities • Water and Sewer Hookups

4 Authentic Log Cabins 3 mi. west of Waterloo Premium Outlets. Call for directions.

1475 W. Townline Rd., Phelps

315-781-5120 www.juniuspondscabinsandcampground.com

A beautiful wedding venue, located high above Canandaigua Lake with breathtaking views. Our seven landscaped acres offer access to hiking trails, waterfalls and relaxation. A recent letter noted “20 years of B&B’ing and we finally found the BEST.”

Finger Lakes Mill Creek Cabins

Winter Rates Plus Ski & Stay Packages

2382 Parmenter Road Lodi, NY 14860

607-582-7673

The Candlelight Inn Bed & Breakfast Antique furnished c.1828 Federal/Greek Revival, subtly elegant, not pretentious.

Charming rooms with private baths, TVs, AC, fireplace/jacuzzi suite, delicious breakfast. Small village inn near the Finger Lakes, Ithaca, Cornell, Ithaca College. www.candlelightinnny.com

Two, fully furnished, pet friendly cabins nestled on 42 secluded acres near the national forest and wine trails. Available year round.

www.fingerlakescabins.com

Best Western Victor Inn & Suites

Dryden, New York Listed on the National Register of Historic Places

(800) 579-4629 or (607) 844-4321

THE CLIFFS AT SODUS POINT A BED & BREAKFAST ON LAKE ONTARIO This is just one of the views from our Bed & Breakfast which is situated on 5 plus treed acres with 340 feet on the water.

Restaurants, marinas, golf, gift shops, fishing, and galleries surround the Cliffs. Spend some time with us and we guarantee you will leave relaxed.

Kings, Double Queens, Spa Suite, Mini Suites Complimentary deluxe breakfast Wi-fi • Over 70 Chanel's of cable Indoor pool and spa, Newly built 24hr business and fitness center

7961 Lake Road, Sodus Point • 315-483-4309 info@thecliffsatsoduspoint.com www.thecliffsatsoduspoint.com

7449 State Rte. 96, Victor, NY 14564 585-924-3933 • 866-373-9679

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O F F

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E A S E L

Quilting a Dream

by Laurel C. Wemett

T

ucked away inside Melissa Fox’s cedar chest is a fabric wall hanging featuring a large golden sun appliquéd onto a heavenly blue velvet background. Now the quilted hanging keeps company with Paddington Bear and Ernie dolls, but it once decorated the wall of her children’s room. Tiny celestial bodies floating beyond the sun’s curling rays were created with paint and drops of bleach, recalls Fox. “I’m the only one who knows what is on the back,” continues the maker, pointing out the hanging’s silvery reverse side.

Fox has been making Klimt Dream, 50 inches by 33 inches, 2007. Materials: cotton fabrics, textile paints, glass and metal things with fabric for much of beads, polyester/cotton and rayon threads, ribbon, embroidery floss, cording, polyester batting. her life. Her skill as a seamstress, fine arts training and those of the paintings of the Viennese artist she admires. love of detail are evident in all of her creations. “I started “I’m drawn to fabric because it has such potential,” says sewing with a machine at age 12, when my mother sent me Fox. “You begin with a two-dimensional pattern, but you to a summer class at a local Singer store, though I remember sewing doll clothes by hand and helping my grandmother on can manipulate fabric in so many ways – draping, shaping, her treadle sewing machine before that,” recounts Fox. painting, embellishing,” explains the artist. “You’re limited At the Rochester Institute of Technology, she majored only by your imagination. There’s something about a ‘handin illustration, earning a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. She made’ object that’s very appealing to me, and fabric is such attended graduate school at the University of Massachusetts, a part of that.”

Amherst, for art education. With her husband John, an Everyday objects in Fox’s hands become beautiful and accomplished photographer and furniture maker, she moved functional. The mother of four has made quilts with traditionto Canandaigua in 1977 when he received a teaching al patterns and uses quilted elements in placemats, tea cozies appointment at Finger Lakes Community College. and other linens for the home. Tiny bits of fabric, ribbons and In 2008 Fox’s Klimt Dream, inspired by Gustav Klimt, the embroidery accent her jewelry, trinket boxes, ornaments and early 20th century Art Nouveau painter, was part of a fabric other one-of-a-kind creations which she sold for a time in a art show at the Ontario County Arts Council. “I love Klimt,” local shop. When she was education director for six years at admits Fox, flipping through a book of his paintings which the Granger Homestead, Fox made crazy quilt Christmas influenced her art quilt. In the center of her large art fabric stockings for their Festival of Trees silent auction.“They were hanging, her daughter Jessica is shown asleep, her prone form a fun challenge I gave myself, starting with a single color.” defined by an appliquéd white muslin nightgown, its volumiFox says her work is all over the U.S. and one quilt is in nous folds accented by tiny hand sewn beads. The background Japan, although none are currently on public display. They fabrics form a rich multi-colored landscape. More beads and have all been made specifically for their owners. To contact painted highlights create an endless array of patterns, like Fox, e-mail her at jrfox@frontiernet.net.

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“Our local Board members define us as a true Main Street bank… … FOC U SED, Our local Board members keep us focused on meeting the needs of the local marketplace, making sound banking decisions and doing what is right for our customers, the community and the Bank.

RESP ON SIB LE, Responsible lending practices have kept LNB in a strong financial position. We did not participate in the practices that caused the current banking problem and we chose not to participate in the Federal bailout program.

CONSIST EN T, We’ve never stopped lending. LNB has consistently provided solid consumer and business loans vital for the restoration of our local economy and will continue to do so going forward.

T RUST ED.” Our conservative approach and sound financial position along with FDIC insurance coverage make us a safe, trusted option for all of your banking needs.

For over 150 years we’ve celebrated the tradition of taking care of our customers’ needs. We’re here when you need us – today, tomorrow and for generations to come.

LNB Board of Directors: left to right: James E. Santelli, Santelli Lumber Co.; Theodore J. Marshall, Marshall Companies; Andrew F. Fredericksen, Fredericksen & Sirianni, LLP; Clair J. Britt, Jr., The Lyons National Bank; Robert A. Schick, Lyons Bancorp, Inc. & The Lyons National Bank; Dale H. Hemminger, Hemdale Farms & Greenhouses; Carol A. Snook, The Lyons National Bank; Thomas L. Kime, The Lyons National Bank; James A. Homburger, Real Estate Broker; John, J. Werner, Lyons Bancorp, Inc. & The Lyons National Bank (retired); David J. Breen, Jr., Herrema’s Market Place

Learn more about LNB and read a message from the President at www.lyonsbank.com.

READER ACTION NUMBER 115

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25 years of great clients.

Farmington, NY

READER ACTION NUMBER 117

newenergyworks.com

585.924.3860

info@newenergyworks.com

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585.924.9970 pioneermillworks.com Farmington, NY