Upstate Life Fall 2018 by The Daily Star

! TA - I E ON EE FR KE Tâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S

F A L L 2018

Old mill was Preservation electrifying through paint Site may have been cursed

Driven

givinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;

Subaru dealership not just about selling cars Family Day Trips, Hospitable tribute, DIY: Easy holiday gifts

& More!

Local artist all about animals

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Fall 2018

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UPSTATE LIFE magazine

Fall 2018 | 3

FALL 2018

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VOLUME 12

ISSUE 5 Upstate Life Magazine, Winner, New York State Associated Press Association First-Place Award for Specialty Publications, is published by: The Daily Star, 102 Chestnut Street Oneonta, New York 13820 © 2018 - All rights reserved.

Drivin by givin’ Subaru dealership not just about selling cars

Homemade for Halloween Make your own face paint

Old mill was electrifying Site may have been cursed

Publisher Fred Scheller

Preservation through paint

Editor Joanne Arbogast

Local artist all about animals

Graphic Designer Tracy Bender

Family Day Trips The view from Vroman’s Nose

Advertising Manager Valerie Secor

Cookin’ with Collins

Interested in advertising in Upstate Life Magazine? Call toll-free, 1-800-721-1000, ext. 235

A NICE autumn meal

Only Natural

We invite you to email your comments to: upstatelifeeditor@thedailystar.com

Fall beauty favorites

Hospitable tribute

On the cover

Doctor/author chronicles 200 years of Bassett

DIY: Easy holiday gifts Beautiful gifts for just about everyone on your list

Thrifty Finds Fierce females of fall

It’s the best time of the year Oh by golly does Sidney get holly jolly

Business Directory Meet the locals

Ben Guenther and granddaughter Hailey Guenther Decker share a moment. JESSICA GUENTHER

| UPSTATE LIFE magazine

Fall 2018

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR I just picked up the Summer 2018 issue of Upstate Life magazine and was intrigued by Allison Collins’ article about LaRae Maldonado of Otego having lived in Carrow, N.Y. I was born in 1951 while my father was principal of the Cairo School, near Catskill. While my family lived in Cairo, I was born in Catskill which had Greene County’s only hospital (which is now long gone). Cairo is a suburb of Catskill, across the Hudson River and a bit south of Hudson where the Hudson River Air Dogs group is located. I have never heard of Carrow but I am very familiar with Cairo. I am imagining that Ms. Collins is not familiar with the region and made a phonetic mistake about what LaRae said. It is probably not worth correcting but if there is a Carrow out there somewhere, please let me know where it is located. Catskill is the county seat of Greene County. You might suggest that Allison check her map of New York state. — Tom Pritchard, of Milford Editor’s note: Mr. Pritchard is indeed correct. Writer Allison Collins responds that he “sounds like a delightful fellow and I’ll have to make a trip to the map store. I checked with LaRae and I did hear her wrong.”

***

Enjoyed this issue (Spring 2018), especially the one about the young man restoring the Andrew Mann Inn. Every time I drive by, I think “What a shame.” Now, I know it is in good hands. — Diana Heeman

UPSTATE LIFE magazine

Fall 2018 | 5

Cover story

Driven W

givin’

Subaru dealership not just about selling cars STORY BY ALLISON COLLINS

Back to school supply drive for OFO Head Start.

PHOTOS BY JESSICA GUENTHER

| UPSTATE LIFE magazine

ithin two minutes of meeting Ben Guenther, owner of Five Star Subaru in Oneonta, he’s showing off clips of his 2-year-old granddaughter dancing to British reggae. Despite decades in the business, it’s evident immediately the 59-year-old entrepreneur is not your average car dealer. The Providence, R.I., native established the Five Star name not by spending advertising dollars, but backing charitable causes. His business model is unorthodox and his focus is turned ever outward — be it on family, the Oneonta community or the cosmos. “I like to think of (Five Star) as a community service business that funds itself by selling cars on the side,” Guenther said. “We use that as our storefront, but in the background, what we really are, is a business that tries to help our area.” Guenther, who started selling Subarus in the early ‘80s in Rhode Island after responding to a newspaper ad, said operating a dealership with a mission is something he envisioned for years.

Fall 2018

Five Star Subaru dealership located at 331 Chestnut Street, Oneonta.

It’s about getting people out there and “ knowing that this is a great area to live in.

Because I started coming up here as such a young person, I really felt like this was my area, this was my home … so all of this is my engine to do what I want to do, a stepping stone to further help people. Ben Guenther

“This is a business model that I had worked on at other dealerships and thought they should get ahold of being part of the community, but I could never sell it to anybody or convince them it was the right thing to do,” he said. “Honestly, maybe we’d be more successful in business by doing what (other dealerships) do, but that’s not why we do it. We do it because we feel good about it.” Guenther, a lover of nature, cosmology, photography and music, added, “Car sales never fit exactly who I was, so I basically turned it into who I was.” Guenther purchased Five Star, which began as a Subaru-specific dealership in 1993, in 2005. Though he remembers “falling in love” with upstate New York during childhood visits in the late ‘60s, Guenther said, he moved to the region with his wife, a Cherry Valley native, and daughter in 1986. The combination of area clientele and the Subaru product, Guenther said, made

”

Oneonta the perfect place to implement his philosophy. “I love the Subaru product. I think it’s a great product and very affordable and it fills a need in this area for all-wheel drive, safety and dependability,” he said. “I’ve been in business a long time and our Subaru customers are the greatest—they take care of their vehicles, do all their servicing and they’re generally very educated, smart buyers. They’re often animal lovers, outdoorsy and the majority of our customers are in the medical or education field.” “I find that our customers appreciate what we do, so they’re also good people,” he added. “They get our message and what we’re trying to do.” “Getting it,” Guenther said, extends to his roughly 45-person staff, too. “My business partner Blaine (Jennings)—he and I have been friends since ’89— got it,” Guenther said. “Blaine said, ‘This is cool’ and the staff gets it, so we all pull together on the whole program.

And I refer to it as ‘we,’ because the whole business is a team effort—you don’t work for me, you work with me.” Guenther noted that Five Star draws “mostly from Otsego and Delaware counties,” though said buyer demographics are “wide open,” from young people to grandparents. Five Star, he said, sells roughly 1,000 new and used Subarus annually. Chuckling, he added, “We do Subaru.” Guenther said he hopes to keep his future full of philanthropy. “Once we take on (a cause) to support, we tend to continue it annually,” he said. “I don’t think we’ve dropped any. Our portfolio just keeps growing.” Backing so many fundraisers and nonprofits, he said, not only generates exposure for those events, but also the place he’s made his community. “It’s about getting people out there and knowing that this is a great area to live in,” Guenther said. “Because I started coming up here as such a young person, I really felt like this was my area, this was my home … so all of this is my engine to do what I want to do, a stepping stone to further help people.” For more information or to learn about upcoming Five Star events, visit wedosubaru.com or find “Five Star Subaru” on Facebook. UPSTATE LIFE magazine

Fall 2018 | 7

Ben Guenther, left, and Terry Potter of Millenia Entertainment in New Berlin, appear at the America concert at Neahwa Park in Damaschke Field.

In support of good causes Since establishing a community-minded Subaru dealership in 2005, the list of causes Ben Guenther supports or sponsors has grown long. Annual Five Star-backed events include the Susquehanna Balloon Festival; Hometown Fourth of July festivities in Oneonta; Otsego County Conservation Association’s Earth Festival; First Night Oneonta; the Goodyear Lake Polar Bear Jump; the Pit Run; and American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life. Five Star also regularly sponsors activities and fundraisers by local nonprofits such as LEAF: Life Enjoyed Addiction Free, the Catskill Choral Society, the Oneonta YMCA, Oneonta World of Learning, Orpheus Theatre, Catskill Area Hospice, the Oneonta Concert Association, Opportunities for Otsego, the Susquehanna Animal Shelter and Family Services Association. “If someone comes to us and they have a good cause or fundraiser, we will try to help,” Guenther said. “We’re always looking for ways to support people who are helping people. We want to help them get more exposure.” Five Star typically assists causes close to home, Guenther noted, in Delaware and Otsego counties. “We always look at how many people they’re helping,” he added, “and if they’re helping kids, I have a huge soft spot.” 8

| UPSTATE LIFE magazine

Fall 2018

Subaru Loves to Care event at Gilbert Lake.

We always look at how many “people they’re helping, and if they’re helping kids, I have a huge soft spot. ” Ben Guenther

Guenther has consistently collaborated with Foothills Performing Arts Center in Oneonta. “We do a lot with Foothills,” he said. “We feel that’s a nice hub in our community and I’m constantly bringing shows in or supporting them in one way or another.” Guenther said concert sponsorship, specifically, took root following the death of his father. “My first big concert at Foothills was Gordon Lightfoot,” he said, noting that the March 2011 show generated $25,000 for the arts venue. “That’s when I knew this would work. Him dying gave me the drive to say, ‘You know what, I’m not scared to try any of this.’” For a complete list of Five Star’s community causes, visit fivestarcars.com. Area nonprofits, email wedosubaru@gmail.com for more information. +

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Holiday Fun

Homemade for

FACE PAINT

hether you’re a kid or a kid-at-heart, choosing a Halloween costume each year is an opportunity to reinvent oneself, even just for a few hours. It’s a chance to become a favorite movie character, super-hero (or villain), or put your own spin on classics like the witch, ghoul or vampire. No matter what persona you’re recreating, adding face paint will take your look to the next level, and it’s a fun way to get really creative with your costume. Store-bought face paints are often pricey and can also be harsh on the skin, especially for little ones. Instead of hitting the store, try whipping up your own homemade face paints with this simple recipe. It’s a fun craft project you can do with children and everyone will have a blast customizing their own colors to match their costumes.

S TO HO DP STORY AN

Make your own

N A

KR US IN SKI

Need some inspiration? Websites like Parenting.com have easy-to-follow tutorials for some of the most popular designs for kids. You can also find lots of ideas on Pinterest, and YouTube is chock-full of videos with step-by-step instructions. The possibilities are limitless!

1. & 2. Add equal parts cornstartch and lotion together and stir to create a thick mixture. 3. Add a bit of moisturizing oil such as sweet almond oil or apricot kernel oil and stir.

| UPSTATE LIFE magazine

Fall 2018

F A C E

Ingredients and supplies: Cornstarch All-natural lotion Moisturizing oil (such as sweet almond oil, jojoba oil, or apricot kernel oil) Non-toxic washable craft paint in an assortment of colors Small food containers with lids Glitter eye shadow powder (optional)

P A I N T

Directions: 1. To keep your table clean and paintfree, create your work station by laying down newspaper. If you’re doing this project with children, it might also be helpful to give everyone an apron to keep clothes from having to go in the wash from an accidental spill or mishap. 2. On your work station, lay out a small container for each color you want to create. 3. In each container, add equal parts cornstarch and lotion (about 1 tablespoon each), then stir to create a thick mixture. 4. Add a small amount of the moisturizing oil to each container; start with ¼ teaspoon and adjust as needed to create a smooth (but not watery) consistency. The oil helps to keep the paint smooth and prevents caking and drying while also boosting the moisturizing benefits of the lotion in your face paint. 5. Now it’s time to mix up your colors. Start by adding small amounts of the

washable paint into each container, making sure to gently stir so that the color is evenly distributed throughout the mixture. You can keep to single colors or mix and match different colors to create your own customized shades. 6. If you want to add a bit of shimmer to your paints, add a small pinch of glitter eye shadow powder into your mixed paints and stir well. 7. Once you have all of your colors mixed and ready to go, you can get to painting. Apply the paints using makeup sponges, brushes, or applicators. Or, if you have a steady hand, you can even use cotton swabs. As with all face paint, be careful to avoid the areas around the mouth and eyes. 8. When the Halloween parties and trick-or-treating have come to a close and it’s time to store away your All Hallows’ Eve alter-ego, you’ll find that removing your face paint is as easy as can be. Simply lather up a washcloth with warm water and your favorite face soap, and gently wipe away the paint.

Make your own dyes If you’re feeling really adventurous you can take your homemade face paint a step further by replacing the washable paints with your own homemade dyes made from fruits and vegetables. While it takes a bit longer than using the pre-made colors, the process is pretty simple. Just chop up 1 cup of your selected fruit or veggie and add to a small saucepan, covering with about 2 cups of water. Simmer on medium for an hour, remove from the heat, and allow to cool before straining into a glass container. When choosing your fruits or veggies, think about what colors you want to create and experiment with different produce items to see what shades each one offers.

4. Add in the craft paint color of choice and mix well. 5. Add glitz with glitter eye shadow or body power. 6. Mix up different colors to create your own unique designs. 7. The finished product in blue.

UPSTATE LIFE magazine

Fall 2018 | 11

History

Old was

ELECTRIFYING STORY AND PHOTOS BY ALLISON COLLINS

The Worcester Stone Mill is located on the outskirts of town, at the end of a dirt road appropriately named Mill Street.

| UPSTATE LIFE magazine

Fall 2018

Worcester historian, 86-year-old Marilyn Dufresne, reviews decades of accumulated mill research in her Worcester home.

Site may have been cursed

hrouded in legend – curious deaths, rumored hauntings and a supposed curse – the Worcester Stone Mill slouches at the outskirts of the town, a onetime economic driver crumbling softly into history and a hillside. Nestled low in the curve of an old dirt road, the mill sits open to the elements, its slate roof collapsed and glass missing from all the windows. Fallen, moss-covered support beams crisscross the mill’s would-be interior, punctuated by persistent vegetation and small pools of brackish, littered water. Beyond it flow the Schenevus Creek and immutable highway traffic. The mill’s story is a sad, but familiar one in small upstate communities. Changing industry and technology robbed it of its function long ago and, despite an ardent historical society in Worcester, property disputes have stymied rehabilitation efforts. According to Worcester historian Marilyn Dufresne, the three-story stone-andbeam structure dates to the mid-1800s. “We don’t have a lot of records,” she said, “but we assume it was (built) around 1840.”

Marilyn Dufresne discusses the mill’s onetime stature, illustrated in this poster from 1978.

“

I’m just so enthralled with it. I love this story and all the people that devoted their life to it and died.

”

Marilyn Dufresne

Riches to ruins In its heyday, it was used variously as a cider, grist, saw and clover mill; ice harvest storage site; and felt bobbin-manufacturing plant. The mill last served, Dufresne noted, as a mushroom farm in the 1950s. Calling the 8-acre parcel on which the mill sits “quite a complex,” Dufresne said, “It was beautiful and it’s got such a wonderful history. It’s just terrible, the shape it’s in.” Dufresne, an 86-year-old Worcester native and vice president of the town’s historical society, said her love affair with mill legend began in 1997 while researching subjects for the town’s bicentennial book. Since then, she has delivered many talks on the mill to regional preservation

groups and local students. “I’m just so enthralled with it,” she said. “I love this story and all the people that devoted their life to it and died.” Though first owned by Dr. Aborn T. Bigelow (and a few other men between 1867 and 1878), Dufresne said, the mill’s “real story” begins with William Van Benthuysen and his son, John.

Let there be light The senior Van Benthuysen bought the mill in 1878, but died shortly thereafter. In 1890, the property’s passage to John Van Benthuysen marked what should’ve been a bright chapter in Worcester’s history. “John kept it and he decided was going to give Worcester electricity,” Dufresne explained. Van Benthuysen felled his own trees for telephone poles, she said, transporting the lumber with a team of oxen and later installing a second mill waterwheel at his hoped-for hydroelectric plant. “A Bicentennial History of the Town of Worcester” notes: “In January 1899, a carload of machinery was switched off at the local rail station. The material was from the Edison Light Works and represented all of the equipment necessary for the new electric plant.” ? UPSTATE LIFE magazine

Fall 2018 | 13

Van Benthuysen was tireless in his pursuit of modernizing Worcester, Dufresne said, and it was that blind determination that proved his undoing. Local legend remembers townspeople hanging lit, flaming rags from Van Benthuysen’s just-set telephone poles, Dufresne said, claiming that a more-expedient means of “lighting up” Worcester. “People in town made so much fun of John,” she said. “But this man worked until March 1899 and at last, Worcester had lights. A week later, he died.” She added, “At the time, to give Worcester electricity …and bring it out of the dark was a wonderful thing.”

Night becomes

day

‘Gory thing’ Though not well-loved during the long and tedious process of lighting up Worcester, John Van Benthuysen was, in the end, lauded for the fruits of his labor. And, not long after those first bulbs flickered, Van Benthuysen was lavishly memorialized in his obituary. The March 30, 1899 edition of The Worcester Times reported: “The doubts are over. Worcester’s electric lights are burning. On Monday evening, the button was pushed which turned the night into day and the streets into fairyland. Scores of globes burst into flame and flashed like jewels amid the branches of the trees while Main Street looked for all the world as if it were under the spell of some wonderful magician’s wand.” Mere weeks later, Van Benthuysen’s obituary from a May 1899 edition of the same publication reads: “(Van Benthuysen) owned, among other things, the Worcester stone mills, which included grist mill, saw mill and the electric light plant. His last business act was to do what no other citizen had the courage to do: He furnished Worcester with an electric light plant. This plant alone is a monument to his memory, and its lights will shed undimming luster on his name and rob it of its shadows.” According to “A Bicentennial History of the Town of Worcester,” the steadfast champion of electricity was “weakened by overwork and worry,” which led to a fatal bout of pneumonia. John Van Benthuysen died on May 8, 1899, at the age of 45. 14

| UPSTATE LIFE magazine

Fall 2018

John Van Benthuysen’s death saw Charles Austin, a regional tycoon in the late 19th century, purchase the mill in November 1899. Later that year, Austin sent his son Wilber and Wilber’s wife to Worcester to oversee operations locally. “They lived at the Worcester Inn,” Dufresne said, “but by 1902, Wilber had gotten typhoid fever and died.” “So, here was Worcester without anybody to run the mill,” she said, “but Charles (Austin) said, ‘I’ll do it.’” Before Charles Austin could assume an onsite role, Dufresne said, he was killed in a freak accident involving a streetcar and a hook-and-ladder fire truck. “He was up in the Utica area, in charge of electrification up there,” she said, “and the fire ladder hooked him right in the neck and he died.” Tutting, she added, “Gory thing.” Harry Shafer, a New Jersey import, was next to try his hand at mill management, Dufresne said, only to be shot (three times) by

rankled mill worker Lewis Multer. The gunfight spared Shafer’s life and earned Multer nine years hard labor. John Riese, who assumed ownership in 1910, proved dedicated (often sleeping with his feet atop the generator, letting any lull in motion wake and alert him to mill malfunctions), but his management marked the beginning of the end. Excepting the mill’s mid-century stint as a mushroom farm, it never again knew industry.

Historical hoodoo Dufresne blames the curse. The purported “hoodoo,” as Dufresne calls it, started with Chief Schenevus. “Chief Schenevus and one of his sons went to a delegation of Indians in (what is today) Schoharie County,” she explained, “and on the way back, the chief said, ‘I can’t go any further,’ so his son made a bed of leaves and twigs. He laid his father there and gathered logs to build a big fire.” According to lore, Dufresne said, the chief ’s resting site was very near – if not on – what would become the Worcester Mill complex. “The son started for Schenevus and thought, ‘I can’t let my father be killed by wild animals,’” Dufresne said. “So he went back, found his father near death and did something he didn’t want to do: He took out his knife and killed his father, then went to the stream and dug a hole and buried his father. Ever after, that stream was called Schenevus Creek and now – with all these things put together, all these men dying (while) working so hard to preserve the mill – I figure it’s a curse.” Smiling, Dufresne added: “I’m a big one for ghost stories.” +

The 8-acre parcel on which the mill sits is denoted in the lower-right quadrant of this antique map owned by Marilyn Dufresne.

Future looks dim Haunted or not, the mill holds a special place in the collective memory of Worcester residents. For many the mill property was the site of fond family functions, first kisses and fruitful fishing trips, said Marilyn Dufresne of the Worcester Historical Society. Unsurprisingly, the historical society has long wanted to preserve and restore the ailing mill. The issue, she said, lies with the property owners’ unwillingness to sell. “Carolyn Judd came up from North Carolina,” Dufresne said, in the mid-to-late ’60s, at which time she purchased the property, using the mill for hay storage and the grounds as “a little farm.” Dufresne said Judd had Worcester-area relatives to whom she eventually sold the 8-acre complex. Throughout the Judds’ ownership of the stone mill, pond sites, mill house and surrounding land, Dufresne said, the Worcester Historical Society has never been shy about its desire to purchase the site. “We’ve been interested since 1985,” she said. “They always said, ‘we’ll think about it.’ The historical society has begged through the years … but the Judds wouldn’t sell it and it’s gone on to their children.”

2 4

Dufresne said the family continues to visit their property – despite its lack of electricity or modern amenities – each summer. Recently, she said, members of the historical society became optimistic, only for their hopes to be dashed. “Three years ago,” Dufresne said, “they led us to believe they would sell it. Worcester was all excited and the historical society was all excited – we had a meeting on it and everything. But they’ve (since) said, ‘you’ll never get it.’” This is particularly lamentable, Dufresne said, as the historical society was prepared to seek state-issued grant funding for a full rebuild. Now, she said, the fate of the former site of so much industry seems sealed. Unfortunately it appears “they’re just going to let her fall in,” Dufresne said. 1. Stones in the mill walls have either eroded or, Marilyn Dufresne said, been stolen by vandals over the years. 2. Collapse of the mill’s slate roof, Marilyn Dufresne said, marked the onset of serious deterioration. 3. Behind the mill flows the storied Schenevus Creek. 4. Most of the mill’s windows have been boarded up and, in other places, crumbling holes have formed in its stone sides.

UPSTATE LIFE magazine

Fall 2018 | 15

Art

Preservation Through Paint Local artist all about animals

STORY BY ALLISON COLLINS

uick to smile, freckled and with a gently lilting brogue, Caroline Fay’s easy Irish charm belies the fierce eco-artist within. Fay, 34, arrived stateside roughly a year and a half ago following a childhood spent in the Irish countryside, a seven-year stint in London and lots of international travel. Since settling in a 19th century store-turned-studio in Walton with her Londoner husband, Fay has deepened her focus on environmental conservation through art while launching Big Little Art Studio, which debuted last November.

PHOTOS CONTRIBUTED

When not hosting classes for the community, the classically trained realist creates art documenting earth’s endangered species with subtle sociopolitical commentary on mankind’s treatment of the planet. “Obviously I want my art to have an impact,” Fay said. “There are two reasons behind doing art – one is for my own sanity; I love painting so much and it’s therapeutic. I love just getting in the zone, creating something and having control over what you put on a canvas. But the other side of it is spreading awareness with art and opening people’s eyes a bit.”

From left: “Lily,” part of Caroline Fay’s pet portraiture line, Vincent Van Woof; Caroline Fay at home in her Walton studio; portrait of dogs, “Inky” and “Sheba,” by Caroline Fay.

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Fall 2018

Creature comfort The seed for conservation-minded work took root, Fay said, during her time in London. “At home in Ireland I wasn’t inspired — I needed more culture — so I moved to London,” she said. “I was living in a warehouse community full of amazing artists and musicians and … it was actually there, around all these interesting and inspiring people, that I became more environmentally and politically aware. “It really opened my eyes,” Fay added. “In Ireland, it’s just not as raw and in your face. In London … I really tried to focus on what the heck it is I’m trying to say with my art. I stripped everything away and started thinking about what it is that I love and what I’m passionate about it and I realized I’ve always loved nature, animals and the human connection.” Honing in on preservation through paint became, then, a proactive way forward. “It’s really hard not to get depressed as you learn about all this stuff … so my body of work is trying to tell a story,” Fay said. “The animal population is disappearing at an alarming rate and it’s mostly down to human activity. I try to touch on the poaching, pesticides, neurotoxins — all the things contributing to the loss of these amazing creatures — with my paintings, so that I’m building a catalog to raise awareness and speak to the risks facing these creatures.”

Planetary pictures Increasing awareness, Fay said, means highlighting as many endangered species as possible. “When I started doing endangered species, I wanted to do everything from the well-known to the lesser-known,” she said, mentioning work that depicts bees, beetles and even vultures. “I want people to look at these animals in a different light, and not just the ones we know and that are much-loved. They’re all just as important as each other.” She plans to continue forging local connections while eyeing a bigger professional and planetary picture. “With the studio, I’m just going to keep on working, running classes and hopefully setting up an after-school program,” she said. “But future-wise with my artwork, I want to get involved with some environmental groups and gather more knowledge. I would like to learn a bit more about environmental concerns and eventually find a charity I can put proceeds from my paintings into, because I’d like to help in other ways than just showing my artwork. “When I think about what I think of as success,” Fay added, “it’s getting my artwork out there. (I want) to get a really good, solid body of work together that I can exhibit wherever I can; the goal is probably to get to New York City.” ?

Caroline Fay works on a painting of the Brooklyn Bridge in her Walton studio.

Reaching for outreach Caroline Fay’s Big Little Art Studio, located at 51 North St. in Walton, is all tin ceilings, rough-hewn wood, paintspecked smocks and heart. Offering arts-and-crafts classes for adults and children, private tuition, “arty parties” and more, the space is Fay’s way of cultivating an arts-loving public in Delaware County. “Within Walton, I want to really get into the community side of things,” Fay said. “(The town) has been so welcoming to us, it’s amazing, and people are very grateful that (the studio) is here. “In this town, it’s really important that there’s more to do and art is a really good outlet,” she added. “It’s really good for connecting people — getting them out of the house, communicating and telling stories — and art can help change the social and economic culture of a place. That’s something I would like to have an impact with.” Fay said she plans to grow Big Little Art Studio beyond a site of instruction and into a center for outreach. Inspiration, Fay noted, followed her involvement with the Stagecoach Run Art Festival of Treadwell. “At the end of Stagecoach, we thought, ‘This is great and we have a good team; now we need to do something in Wal-

ton,’ so we came up with the Walton Art Walk,” she said. “We have a committee, it’s growing and we’re planning to do it next July.” The festival-style event, Fay said, will feature “loads of different artists and craftspeople and musicians.” Accessible artwork of varied media will be displayed in windows throughout Walton and at the Walton Theater, joining street vendors and a downtown marketplace, she said. “We’re going to have 4-H, the Arc (of Delaware County) and children involved. It will be open to everyone. People sometimes feel intimidated about going into a gallery, but this won’t be a highbrow art event — they’ll be something for everybody. “It’s very exciting,” Fay added. “And it could be really, really good for the town. Once you bring art to a community, it’s a good way to grow it and make it better.” She will also collaborate with the Arc this fall, bringing residents into the studio for customized art courses. Past workshops have included youth and adult paint ‘n’ sips, block-printing, clay play and mandala-making. For a list of upcoming events, find “Big Little Art Studio” on Facebook or call (607) 297-8855.

“Percy” the dog, as captured by Caroline Fay.

Captured

on canvas

Caroline Fay showcases the lighter side of her love of animals through her pet portraiture line, “Vincent Van Woof.” “The whole basis of my work is endangered species and environmental concerns … but from that came painting portraits of animals,” she said. “It’s a separate thing from my other art, but it’s very connected to the reasons why I paint animals.” Fay has been doing pet portraits for roughly three years and has about 30 to her credit. “A couple of years ago, I got commissioned to do my housemate’s dog in London,” she said, “and it just grew from there.” Fay counts pet portraiture clients in England, France, Ireland and locally. Though she noted most pet commissions come from young pet owners, she said, “It could be anybody.” “It’s been mostly word-ofmouth,” she said, “and they’re usually done as gifts. They make a good personal gift — something really different, unique and thoughtful.” The commissioned 18

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portraits range in size from miniature to over-the-mantel wall hangings that capture not only the faces of folks’ best four-legged friends but their personalities, too. “I work from photographs,” she explained. “I’ll ask for a couple of well-lit photos, from different angles, that show (the animal’s) personality and I try to get a bit of background — whether it’s gentle or playful.” Though the majority of her pet portraits portray dogs, Fay said, she has also captured cats and is open to commissions of all critters. “I’m quite diverse when it comes to what I can paint,” she said. “I just enjoy practicing everything, so I … want to keep it interesting and I enjoy the challenge of painting different (subjects).” Fay, who has painted pets living and passed, said the work always makes for a meaningful exchange. “I love being able to give somebody that joy when they hand it over,” she said. “It’s a special gift.” To learn more, find @vincentvanwoof on Instagram or email caroline.fay@gmail.

(Having) my monkey in “ Brooklyn was probably the

biggest thing I’ve been a part of, and that made me think, ‘I just want more of this.’ Caroline Fay

”

Continued from Page 17 Last spring, “Mangabey,” a large oil-on-canvas painting of a baby mangabey monkey, was featured in Brooklyn Waterfront Artists Coalition’s national juried show, “Wide Open 9.” “(Having) my monkey in Brooklyn was probably the biggest thing I’ve been a part of,” she said, “and that made me think, ‘I just want more of this.’” Fay has previously exhibited extensively in her hometown of Cavan, Ireland, and in London. In 2016, her work was included in the “London Irish Art Exhibition” housed in Central Hall, Westminster Abbey. Locally, she was part of a two-person Binghamton exhibit in August and has been involved with the Stagecoach Run Art Festival. Her work is also regularly showcased at the Artisans’ Guild of Oneonta. In addition to her endangered species pieces, Fay paints human and animal portraits, landscapes and murals and offers workshops for artists at all levels. To learn more, visit carolinefayart.com. +

Caroline Fay’s “Mangabey” painting of a baby mangabey monkey, part of her endangered species series. UPSTATE LIFE magazine

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Family Day Trips

V The view from

Vroman’s Nose H

ave you ever been to Vroman’s Nose? It’s an absolute must during the leaf season. It’s a hill that rises up above the Schoharie Creek Valley, just south of Middleburgh. Take Route 30 south from Middleburgh and turn right on Mill Valley Road. You will soon reach the parking area. It’s not just any hill; it’s one with a fabulous view from the top of a fine south-facing cliff. The view stretches out, down the valley for miles. And it is an easy climb to get up there. Vroman’s Nose is the sort of location that is ideal for those of us who write popular science articles. It’s a scenic location which you will enjoy visiting, but it is also a place steeped in fascinating science – in this case 20

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that’s our geology. We want you to go there, climb the hill and then disappear into an ice age past. Take a look at our photo; it’s the view you will get on a fine summer’s day. It was taken from the top of that cliff. Down below is the bottom of the Schoharie Creek Valley. There is something special about this valley floor. Notice how flat it is; that’s a bit unusual. Typically, valley floors should slope gradually toward the river. There may well be a floodplain, but not as broad and not as flat as this one. And then notice how steeply the slopes rise above the valley floor. The slopes and the valley floor don’t match. The slopes are too steep and the valley floor is too flat. Nature is presenting us with a problem and, as scientists, it is up to us to

find a deeper meaning here. The steep valley slopes are easy; they were carved by a glacier, the Schoharie Creek Valley glacier, as it advanced southward. That was perhaps 14,000 years ago. Glaciers, such as this one, rub up against bedrock valley walls and carve steep slopes. But what about the flat valley floor? We have done some exploring down there. We always bring a barbeque skewer along when we are working on glaciated landscapes. Whenever we stick the skewer into the ground in the Schoharie Valley, it slides right in. It never hits a rock, there is only sand, silt and clay there. That’s how it is that we know that the valley floor was once an ice age lake bottom. Our skewer easily slides into the lake deposits. And, lake deposits are almost always flat.

The view from the hill stretches out and down the valley for miles.

Vroman’s Nose is named after the Vroman family who were settlers in the Schoharie Creek Valley. They are still there and some of them spell it Vrooman.

COLUMN AND PHOTO BY ROBERT AND JOHANNA TITUS We have visited a long ago ice age past, and have discovered a glacier and a lake. With this newly acquired knowledge we can stand atop the Vroman’s Nose cliff and travel into the past. Now we look down upon a passing glacier. The ice fills the valley. We cannot see any movement of the ice, it is so slow, but we can hear popping and cracking sounds. Slow as it might be, the ice is moving and, being so brittle, causing it to fracture loudly. Its slow motion has been enough to cause it to be fractured by crevasses. We look down upon what is called the dance floor ledge. It has a polished look to it. And there is more, that polished surface has a series of long, straight, north-to-south scratches on it. Those scratches were created

when cobbles were dragged across the ledge while the ice was still moving down the valley, back when this glacier was larger. That was just a few centuries earlier. What a vivid reminder of the ice age past we have here. Now, in a flash, we travel forward through time. The glacier is gone; the climate has warmed and the ice has melted away. But there is still ice to the north and it is damming this part of the Schoharie Creek Valley. Now the valley before us is not flooded with ice; it is flooded with water. This is Glacial Lake Schoharie. Its waters extend all the way down the valley and they rise up to within a few feet of the ledge atop Vroman’s Nose. This is, on this day, Vroman’s Island! +

Contact the authors at randjtitus@ prodigy.net. Join their facebook page, “The Catskill Geologist.” Read their blogs at “thecatskillgeologist.com.” UPSTATE LIFE magazine

Fall 2018 | 21

Food

COOKIN’ with COLLINS

COLUMN AND PHOTOS BY ALLISON COLLINS

efore Disney’s 2007 film, I’d never heard of ratatouille. But the traditional, vegetable-heavy peasant dish from the modern Nice region of France is believed to have originated in the late 1770s. And, despite recent popularity thanks to an animated mouse by the same name, part of what makes ratatouille so great is its timeless simplicity – it relies on easy-tofind veggies, basic herbs, and a few kitchen staples. That’s it. It’s unfussy to prepare and can be presented as creatively or casually as you like. In its early days, ratatouille appeared at its most rustic: a tossed-together, roasted stew of vegetables. In French, the verb “touiller” means “to stir” and “rata” is generally considered antiquated French soldier’s slang for “chunky stew.” The contemporary, layered version of the dish – think a rainbow of uniform, often spiraling vegetable slices – came out of kitchens in the 1930s. Ratatouille is comforting and filling enough to feel cozy for fall and a great way to use up end-of-summer bumper crops. It’s delicate, while also being hearty. Though the dish can be varied according to taste or whatever you have on hand, ratatouille typically uses eggplant, zucchini, some form of tomatoes and garlic. I like to also use summer squash and bell peppers, but other popular add-ins include potatoes, sweet potatoes, onions and mushrooms. And, whether served as a side or a meatless main course with a crusty baguette, ratatouille is as inexpensive as it is delicious —always a plus.

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Fall 2018

Finish plated ratatouille with additional parmesan cheese and serve with French bread, for mopping up extra sauce.

A NICE autumn meal Cozy up with some chunky ratatouille

Try to find squash, eggplant and peppers that are about the same size.

TIPS



For a slightly lighter version, substitute halfand-half or milk for the heavy cream. 

To ensure small slices of eggplant, try looking for Japanese or Fairy Tale varieties. 

If you have time, sprinkling salt over the sliced eggplant before cooking will draw out excess moisture. Just pat dry with a towel before adding to the dish. 

I like to use cornstarch in place of traditional flour for the béchamel to keep this gluten-free, but either works.  Allow your cream to sit at room temperature while you prep the veggies. Taking the chill off the cream will help it blend smoothly into the starch for the béchamel. 

3 Recipe, Page 24

1. Ratatouille’s reliance on easy-to-find veggies and basic ingredients makes it an inexpensive option. 2. Keeping the sliced vegetables grouped according to type makes it easy to stack and add them to the pot later. 3. A béchamel, or traditional white sauce, is all about equal parts fat and thickener, with cream or milk streamed slowly in as it cooks. 4. Bring the béchamel to a low bubble and whisk constantly until you feel it thicken, careful not to let it scorch or stick. 5. Stir together the tomato sauce and béchamel right in the pot. 6. Grab the sliced veggies in handfuls to make layering quick and easy. 7. Once all the veggies are squeezed in, sprinkle with parmesan before baking. The sauce will be bubbling and your kitchen will smell amazing when it’s time to pull the ratatouille from the oven.

UPSTATE LIFE magazine

Fall 2018 | 23

CHUNKY RATATOUILLE 1 medium zucchini 1 medium yellow summer squash 1 medium (or two small) eggplant 1 red bell pepper 1 orange bell pepper 1-2 tbsp. butter 1 heaping tbsp. cornstarch 1 c. heavy cream Pinch nutmeg 1 jar good-quality tomato sauce (you’ll use roughly 2 cups) 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 tsp. dried thyme ½ tsp. red chili flakes (more or less to taste) Kosher salt Black pepper ¼ c. – ½ c. parmesan cheese, to taste Slice all veggies into thin discs, roughly the same thickness. Arrange in like rows as you go; this will make layering easy later. Set aside. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a small saucepan, prepare a béchamel, or traditional white sauce. (Don’t be scared. Fancy French name; easy sauce.) Melt butter over medium heat, being careful not to burn. When butter is melted, whisk in cornstarch and allow to cook until incorporated. At this point, mixture should be golden and paste-like. Slowly whisk in cream, continuing to mix until lump-free. Add nutmeg and salt and pepper to taste. Allow sauce to come to a low bubble until thickened. Sauce will coat the back of a metal spoon when done. Remove sauce from heat and set aside. Lightly spray the bottom of an oven-safe casserole dish with oil. Pour in roughly 2 cups tomato sauce. To the tomato sauce, add minced garlic, thyme (or similar dried herbs), chili flakes, salt and pepper. Stir béchamel into tomato sauce. Layer veggies over tomato-béchamel mixture. Alternating colors, you can create a spiral, rows or whatever looks good. Grate fresh parmesan over veggies. Bake covered at 375 degrees for 50 minutes. Finish off uncovered for 10 minutes. Sauce will be bubbling up around the veggies. Remove from oven and let stand at least 10 minutes. Serve warm, with additional parmesan cheese. +

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Fall 2018

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UPSTATE LIFE magazine

Fall 2018 | 25

Only l a r u t a N Made with pumpkin and brown sugar, this body scrub is a gentle exfoliator.

our kitchen is stocked for Thanksgiving and you’re ready to take on the holiday prep. Before you dive into the hustle and bustle, take a moment and treat yourself to some home “spa moments” with these fun and easy beauty recipes using two Thanksgiving staples — pumpkin and cranberry. With autumn comes “pumpkin spice” everything — from lattes and coffee flavorings to cookies, muffins and even ice cream. But have you ever thought about incorporating this fall-favorite gourd into your beauty routine? This season, protect your skin from the chilly autumn winds with a rejuvenating pumpkin-packed face mask and body scrub. For both recipes, you’ll want to use organic pureed pumpkin, and be sure to choose pure pumpkin without any added spices. Alternatively, you can make your own puree. Start by removing the rind and cutting the flesh into small pieces. Boil for 10 minutes and mash into a smooth paste; allow the mixture to cool before using. 20 26

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Pumpkin is amazing for rejuvenating the skin, thanks to its high levels of alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs) and fruit enzymes which smooth and brighten the skin. A pumpkin face mask is a great way to get all the benefits from this nourishing gourd. To make the mask, combine 2 tablespoons of pumpkin puree with 1 tablespoon of honey. (Honey is a humectant, which means it draws moisture from the air to your skin — how amazing is that?!) Apply the mixture to your face (be careful to avoid your eyes) and leave on for 15 minutes. Take this time to relax; make it a quiet moment to read, lie down and soak in some soothing music, or even meditate. After your mini spa moment, rinse off the mask with warm water and enjoy your gorgeously smooth glowing skin! You can also use pumpkin in a fullbody scrub using pumpkin puree and brown sugar. This is a wonderfully effective, yet gentle, exfoliator and the combination of pumpkin and brown sugar feels just right for fall. To make your own scrub, combine

beauty favorites

COLUMN AND PHOTOS BY ANNA KRUSINSKI

3 tablespoons of brown sugar with 1 tablespoon of pumpkin puree. You can also add ¼ teaspoon of your favorite oil such as jojoba oil or coconut oil for added moisturization. Apply while in the tub or shower by gently working the scrub into your skin using circular motions (this helps increase circulation to the skin) and rinse off with warm water.

Anna Krusinski has been creating and selling natural bath and beauty products for nearly a decade. Contact her at anna@shopwillowandbirch.com.

Healthy skin — from the inside out

Raw pumpkin seeds (also known as pepitas) make a tasty snack with a skin-loving boost. These crunchy little bytes are packed with essential fatty acids to keep your skin supple and smooth. They’re also great for preventing acne because they contain vitamin E and zinc to control oil production and promote healing. Cranberries are another regular at the Thanksgiving table…and it also does wonders for your skin! These little ruby gems are filled with antioxidants and vitamins B3 and B5 to rejuvenate dull, dry skin. Create a moisture-packed face mask by combining equal parts pureed cranberries and plain yogurt, which contains alpha hydroxy acids to smooth the skin and tighten the pores. Whisk the mixture to create a smooth, creamy consistency. Apply to your face and let sit for 15 minutes before rinsing with warm water. If you have cranberry juice on hand, you can also make a hair rinse for shiny, strong locks. Combine 1 cup of 100% pure cranberry juice with 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar. (I like to make this mixture in a small squirt-top bottle for easy application.) After shampooing, apply the rinse to your hair, making sure to apply equally on the roots all the way down to the ends of your hair. Let sit for 5-10 minutes before rinsing with cool water. This rinse will help remove build-up from hair products, leaving your hair soft, bouncy, and beautiful. While you’re busy prepping for Thanksgiving and planning your holiday season, take some time for yourself and try these beauty-boosting recipes. Not only will you treat your skin to loads of beneficial vitamins and nutrients, you’ll also create an opportunity to break away from the busyness of the season and enjoy a few moments of peace and relaxation, and we can all use more of that during the holidays. +

1. Pumpkin is high in alpha hydroxy acids for silky smooth skin. 2. Cranberries are full of antioxidants and are wonderful for restoring dull, dry skin. 3. Use a small squirt-top bottle to easily apply your cranberry hair rinse. 4. Cranberry juice and apple cider vinegar are a perfect match for soft, shiny hair. UPSTATE LIFE magazine

Fall 2018 | 27

Author

Hospitable tribute Doctor/author chronicles 200 years of Bassett Several years into his retirement from decades of doctoring, John Davis, 88, became an author with the 2015 publication of “Bassett Hospital in Cooperstown, New York: 200 Years of Health Care in Rural America.” Davis’ 350-plus-page opus charts the origins and evolution of medicine in the village and region he fell in love with more than 60 years ago. “I had grown up in a village similar to Cooperstown and I was attracted to living here,” Davis, a Buffalo native, said. “I was attracted to the whole ambience of Cooperstown, but I was most attracted to Bassett.” Davis got his first taste of the facility when, in 1956 and fresh out of Harvard Medical School, he began a two-year residency at the Mary Imogene Bassett Hospital. So enamored was he with the place and its people, Davis returned years later (after adding three years of U.S. Army captaincy abroad, a wife and four children) as Bassett’s first gastroenterologist. “I got drafted from 1958 to ’61 as part of the U.S. Army presence following WWII,” he explained. “I was (in Germany) for three years, had a great time and then I was fishing around for a job. I managed to get a fellowship in psychosomatic medicine in Rochester … and after I completed my fellowship, I looked around various places, but where I wanted to come back to was Bassett.” That was in 1964. “I thought the senior physicians and faculty at the time were just outstanding,” he said. “I was blown away by these people, so that really helped me to decide. Cooperstown 28

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… is just a wonderful place to live and work.”

Then and now

Doctor-turned-author John Davis with his book, “Bassett Hospital in Cooperstown, New York: 200 Years of Health Care in Rural America” at his home outside of Cooperstown.

STORY AND PHOTOS BY ALLISON COLLINS

His 31-year career as a clinician, medical teacher and director of medical education, paired with an aptitude for writing and his love of the area, made Davis the right man to chronicle Bassett’s two centuries. “About eight years ago, Dr. William Streck called me into his office and said, ‘I’d like you to write a history of Bassett hospital,” he said. Streck, Davis noted, served as Bassett’s CEO from 1984 to 2014. Though nearly as grueling as years of late-night calls and cutting-edge surgical procedures, Davis said, producing the tome was a rewarding experience. “I began working on this thing with a word processor and I was getting nowhere,” he recalled. “Then I got an editor, (Felicia Halpert) and everything began moving and it was fun. We worked together seamlessly and she retaught me how to write.” Halpert’s guidance, Davis said, lent the work structure and ultimately led to a late-night revelation. “(Streck) said, the best thing you can do is not write about anything going on in recent years, just stick with the old stuff,” Davis recalled. “I didn’t follow his advice.”

Mix and match “It was beginning to take shape chapter by chapter,” he explained, “then one night, in the middle of the night, I got the idea to do 200 years: 1815 to 2015.” Honing in on the 200-year concept, Davis said, yielded fruitful relationships with local historians and preservation groups.

My perception of “Bassett’s history

John Davis’ story is also the story of Bassett’s onetime namesake, Dr. Mary Imogene Bassett. The Mary Imogene Bassett Hospital began in 1918 as a temporary military hospital.

“I started to get really interested in the hospital’s early history and I was getting incredible information from the New York State Historical Association,” he said. “There are several great local historians around here and I had people feeding me all kinds of tidbits along the way,” Davis added. “Without that, I wouldn’t have gotten anywhere.” Inevitably mixed with the history of the hospital and its founding families — the Bassetts, Coopers and Clarks — is Davis’ own history. “My perception of Bassett’s history began when I came,” he said. “Since then, my ideas, awareness and feelings toward Bassett have been the center focus of my life, so the book is written from this vantage point.” Davis said the mix of history and anecdotes, gleaned from personal experience and 70 interviewees, helped guide the work from academic to accessible. He also made a point of including input from not only doctors, but nurses, hospital administrators and more. “I wanted to make it clear the history of Bassett relates to

John Davis’ work, published in 2015, charts 200 years of Bassett history.

began when I came. Since then, my ideas, awareness and feelings toward Bassett have been the center focus of my life, so the book is written from this vantage point. John Davis

its entire spectrum of employees,” he noted. “So I tried to do that and I hope it’s very easy to read and readable. It’s got all kinds of photos and we had a really good time. “With writing, you have these ideas and you have to express them in a way that would be interesting and easy,” Davis said. “The book is written with several audiences – the general public and the Bassett community, while also hoping to do something useful.” Production of the book was funded, Davis said, by the Friends of Bassett Health Care, Inc. “My payment,” he noted, “is satisfaction.” Davis continues to share his work every chance he gets. “I give talks – 70 or 80 so far – regionally, for hospitals and history groups,” he said. “I still have work to do and I’m glad to be able to do it.” Davis’ book is available in the gift shops of Bassett’s Fieldstone Building, the Farmers’ Museum and the Otesaga Hotel as well as at Oneonta’s Green Toad Bookstore and F.R. Woods on Main Street in Cooperstown.

”

The book includes a touching dedication from John Davis to Dr. William Streck, the former Bassett CEO who requested Davis write the hospital’s history, and the many Bassett employees who facilitated the work.

John Davis’ book is available at several Oneonta- and Cooperstown-area locations, including in the Bassett gift shop.

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Fall 2018 | 29

Patients are primary John Davis’ book takes readers from 1815 to 2015. According to the inside flap, the work chronicles “Bassett’s early days as a recovery hospital for “nerveshocked” World War I aviators (through its) transformation … into the keystone hospital of a lauded rural healthcare network.” In his time with the network, Davis witnessed some of Bassett’s most significant changes: an increased focus on teaching, expansion, shifting patient-doctor dynamics and acquisition. A reputation as a go-to teaching hospital is one Bassett has cultivated over many decades, Davis said, and continues to foster today. “I gradually morphed into teaching and being head of the Medical Education Committee,” he said, “and the director of Medical Education in the 1980s. “It’s an interesting concept, because the teacher learns more than the learner,” Davis added. “Bright, young minds keep you on your toes and … I was in charge of

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med students who came from Columbia University, Albany Medical College and all over the country. That arrangement started in the ’30s.” The challenge now, Davis said, as New York state experiences an outmigration and rural health care faces challenges concerning funding and geographic distance, is keeping academic hospitals such as Bassett appealing to up-and-coming practitioners. “People are interested in making enough money to make a decent living and we have to attract people interested in this academic framework specifically,” he said. Davis has watched Bassett grow from its Fieldstone Building, built with locally quarried stone, to a six-hospital, 32-clinic network servicing a nine-county area. “When I came to Bassett, the Fieldstone Building was it,” he said. “Now it’s exploded … and this is the major healthcare provider in this economically troubled center of upstate New York. Bassett is the largest employer in Otsego County.” With expansion and modernity, Davis

said, came changes to the patient-doctor relationship. “In my day, medicine was doing good for people. You wanted to do your best and you weren’t told you had to see so many patients in an hour,” he said. “We have to adapt; there’s no going back. It can be very difficult, particularly for older physicians, to master this epic medical system, but … if you don’t have patient care as your primary mission, you don’t have anything.” One of the network’s most fraught changes, decades in the making, was the merger between Bassett and longtime competitor Fox Hospital. “The complexities of Fox and Bassett are difficult,” Davis said, “and things did not work out well until recently, in 2010, when finally the two institutions merged.” At that time, Davis noted, Fox became the sixth hospital in the Bassett Healthcare Network. Davis details the tensions, originating in the late ’20s between Dr. Mary Imogene Bassett and Fox surgeon-in-chief Dr. James Greenough, in his book. +

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STORY AND PHOTOS BY ANNA KRUSINSKI

Handmade

DIY: L et’s face it, holiday gift-giving can sometimes leave you feeling stressed, confused and overwhelmed. Between family, friends, co-workers and everyone in between, the gift list can feel never-ending. One way to simplify your holiday shopping is to incorporate some homemade DIY gifts. This Lavender Sugar Body Scrub makes a beautiful gift for just about everyone on your list. It’s especially nice as an extra little gift for teachers, co-workers, friends and even hostess gifts for holiday parties. This recipe is really simple to make; you can even get the kids to help for a fun craft project on a snowy day! In this scrub, the granulated sugar and strawberry seeds offer gentle exfoliation to rejuvenate the skin. The jojoba oil is luxuriously lightweight oil that is wonderfully moisturizing and nourishing for the skin. Potassium cocoate is a natural surfactant, which means that it acts like liquid soap and gives the sugar scrub a bit of lather. (You can find potassium cocoate online at DIY sites like www.bramblberry.com.) For an extra special touch, you can also include a copy of the recipe with each jar so that your recipients can try making their own sugar scrub once they’ve finished enjoying your creation.

EASY HOLIDAY GIFTS Lavender Sugar Body Scrub This recipe makes four ½ pint canning jars. Feel free to adjust the amounts to make however many or few you need for all your gift-giving. Ingredients: 3-1/4 cups granulated sugar 4 tablespoons jojoba oil 4 teaspoons potassium cocoate 4 tablespoons strawberry seeds

Strawberry seeds and granulated sugar offer gentle exfoliation in this body scrub.

Everyone on your list will love to receive this luxurious Lavender Sugar Scrub.

4 droppers of lavender essential oil Directions: 1. Sterilize the jars by wiping the insides with rubbing alcohol and a paper towel. 2. In a small bowl, mix together the jojoba oil and potassium cocoate. The mixture will become cloudy and thick. 3. Add the lavender essential oil and use a spoon to thoroughly mix the ingredients. 4. In a separate bowl, mix together the sugar and strawberry seeds. 5. Add the liquid ingredients into the sugar and strawberry seeds. Use a spatula or gloved hands to fully combine the mixture. 6. Spoon the mixture into the jars. * To use, apply to damp skin (avoiding the face) while in the shower or tub. Gently scrub in circular motions. Rinse off with warm or cool water.

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Fall 2018

Dress it up Part of the fun with DIY gifts is getting creative with decorating your creations. You can dress up the canning jars by painting designs on the outside of the glass before filling the jars, or dress up the tops by placing a square of decorative fabric over the lid before screwing on the top band of the cap. Or, use a variety of containers like re-used moisturizer jars, candle containers, or spice jars — the possibilities are endless! (When re-using containers, just be sure to thoroughly wash them beforehand and wipe down the inside of each jar with rubbing alcohol and a paper towel to sterilize the container.) Note: To prolong the shelf-life of this scrub, only use containers with water-tight caps or lids. (Water may cause bacteria and mold to grow, and a water-tight seal will help prevent water from being splashed into the container during use.) When using, it’s also helpful to scoop the desired amount into a small bowl to bring into the shower or tub for use. +

ms Handmade ite d an ue iq un a add h uc to thoughtful ay lid ho ur yo to gift-giving.

MAKE IT YOUR OWN

Have fun experimenting with different ingredients to create your very own unique creation. Here are some ideas to get you started:

H Make it a coffee scrub by swapping out a portion of the granulated sugar with richly aromatic ground coffee. For this blend, you can also swap out the lavender essential oil with a few drops of vanilla absolute to complement the fragrant coffee. Yum!

H You can replace the jojoba oil with any lightweight moisturizing oil. Some great options include coconut oil, sweet almond oil and apricot kernel oil. Use one oil, or a mixture of your favorites.

H The strawberry seeds in this scrub offer gentle exfoliation, but you can replace them with other natural exfoliants like lavender buds, poppy seeds, or ground chamomile.

1. Make this a coffee scrub by replacing some of the sugar with ground coffee beans. 2. Jojoba oil is a wonderfully moisturizing, lightweight oil that leaves your skin feeling silky soft. 3. Get creative and swap out the strawberry seeds with other natural exfoliants, like lavender buds and chamomile flowers.

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Fall 2018 | 33

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Fashion

Fierce Females of

Big Easy

fall

COLUMN AND PHOTOS BY SIERRA SANGETTI-DANIELS

Big Easy

’80s Western

ew York, London, Milan and Paris; Fall 2018 fashion embraces familiar fabrics in a completely novel way. Be it varying prints, statement coats, or silky scarves, fall ’18 is the necessary reminder that with a new season, comes fierce fashion.

UPSTATE LIFE magazine

Fall 2018

Thrift y Finds

Model: Lexington Swartwood Coat: Salvation Army, Oneonta, $7 Shoes: Shakedown Street, Oneonta $1 Double striped track pants: Salvation Army, Oneonta $2 Got an effort to emulate? All you need is an oversized street style statement coat. Luckily for us, these can be found in the Salvation Army right in Oneonta, N.Y. If you’re an Upstater looking to embrace a simple downstate trend, the Big Easy is calling your name. This look is all about embracing the cooler side of fall, and living in Upstate New York, we know that all too well. Whether it be florals, animal prints, or bold colors, designers like Chanel, Louis Vuitton, and Givenchy proved the Big Easy is the fall trend that allows you to insert your personal style in a stand-out way.

’80s Western

The Heartland Model: Vanessa Pellegrino Table runners styled as scarves: Salvation Army, Oneonta, $1 Basket bag: Salvation Army, Oneonta, $8 Floor length coat: Salvation Army, Oneonta, $4.50 Start with a floor-length dress and just never stop. No, but really, you can’t do this look wrong. Calling all fabric lovers: this one’s for you! The Heartland brings together the best of all-American patchwork; quilting, crochet and everything in between. This look is for the lavish: the ones who believe that when it comes to clothes, less is definitely not more. Add a jacket, scarf and colorful socks, then leave the varying textures to do the rest. Remember to get creative; the best fashion is weird, edgy and doesn’t necessarily “match.” So, don’t be afraid to add multiple layers. Different textures, fabrics, and colors allow your personality to shine through, and if you don’t believe me, just ask Calvin Klein himself.

Model: Sophie Bille Ruffled trimmed denim shorts: Salvation Army, Oneonta, $3 White shoulder pad blouse: Salvation Army, Oneonta, $3.50 Red cowgirl hat: Salvation Army, Oneonta, $1.50 1980s pearls and bow necklace: Salvation Army, Oneonta, $1 Pair big shoulders and big hair, with denim and a cowgirl hat. Oh, and don’t forget the bold red lip. Think “Golden Girls” meets Annie Oakley. This trend seen on the runway by Calvin Klein, Zimmermann and Tibi combines the best of the ’80s and everything we’ve always loved from westerns. Be it glitter, fringes, kitten heels or snakeskin booties, ’80s Western is a collaboration we haven’t seen before and that only makes it that much more exciting. Credits Stylist: Sierra Sangetti-Daniels Assistant stylist: Vanessa Pellegrino Hair and makeup: Crystal Mallett

Sensual Scarves

The Heartland

’80s Western

Sensual Scarves Model: Diandra Sangetti-Daniels Wrist decor scarves: Shakedown Street, Oneonta, two @ $3 each Bold feather earrings: Shakedown Street, Oneonta, $5 Start with a scarf and end with a knot, and yes, it’s really that simple. Sensual Scarves is a look for those with a vision. With prints, silks and/or “bombastic handkerchief-hem dresses,” this trend welcomes animal prints, bold patterns and simple solids alike. For those looking for a more modest attire, use a black bodysuit, like Versace did, as a base to style the scarves around. This look came to Paris courtesy of Richard Quinn. We saw scarves styled as shirts, pants and headbands, showing us that when it comes to styling scarves, there are infinite right ways to do it. +

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Fall 2018 | 35

It’s the best time of the year Oh by golly does Sidney get holly jolly

BY ANNA KRUSINSKI

he weeks leading up to Christmas are an exciting time; there’s the anticipation of exchanging gifts with family and friends, spending quality time with loved ones throughout the holiday season and, of course, the little ones eagerly awaiting Santa’s arrival. For many of us, the town Christmas parade is a fun way to ring in the holidays and share in the joys of the season with our community. Sidney’s annual Holly Jolly Days parade is a perfect example of the quintessential community Christmas celebration. Sponsored by the Holly Jolly Days Committee of the Sidney Chamber of Commerce, the parade has been a part of the town’s holiday traditions for more than a decade and continues to be a local favorite, with hundreds in attendance each year (and growing). Each year, Sidney’s main thoroughfare is dressed up with snowflake lights on the streetlamps, a cheery beacon lighting the way for the parade. Families, children and kids at heart line up along the street and excitedly await the opportunity to cheer on the holiday floats and join in the spirit of the season.

Fleet of floats A major draw of the Holly Jolly Days parade is the float decorating competition. Last year’s theme was “The 12 Days of Christmas” and many of the float décor was inspired by this theme, featuring lots of Christmas lights, fun holiday characters and piles of giant, decoratively wrapped gifts waiting to be opened on Christmas morning. Some groups chose more unconventional modes of transportation and came through the parade on motorcycles and tractors, while other floats stirred the crowd by handing out free treats to parade-goers. In celebration of the area’s farms, there were even a few cows walking through the parade decked out in bells and baubles. Another float awed spectators with an elaborate “Polar Express” float shaped as a train complete with lights, music and characters. For

| UPSTATE LIFE magazine

| Fall 2018

those who couldn’t make it to last year’s parade, the event was also live-streamed on the Sidney Chamber of Commerce Facebook page for people to follow along in the festivities from home. Each year, the impressive assortment of decorated floats culminates in a competition with a panel of judges awarding trophies and cash prizes. It was touted that 2017 was the biggest parade yet, with a total of 23 entries. Every year, the parade gets bigger and bigger, with the 2018 parade will be another record-breaker.

Ho, ho, ho For the kids, there is also the exciting opportunity to meet Santa in his workshop and get a photo with the jolly ol’ man himself. Across generations, the visit with Santa has been a time-honored tradition. It’s a rare and special chance for the kiddies to spend a moment with Santa to share with him all the ways they’ve been good boys and girls over the past year — and, of course, to let him know what’s on their Christmas list. Another highlight of the parade is the annual tree lighting ceremony in the heart of the village. Lit with thousands of lights, the tree takes center stage as the town enjoys Christmas carols and rings in the holiday season together. As an extra special treat, local businesses offer discounts and special deals for attendees on the night of the parade. This year, “Big Chuck” from WDOS will reprise his role as emcee for the parade to introduce the floats as they grace the crowd, cheer everyone on, and keep the holiday spirits high for parade-goers. The 2018 Holly Jolly Days parade will be held Nov. 30 and will feature an assortment of decorative floats, performances from the local Sidney dance groups, live entertainment, a juried float decoration competition, and a visit by Santa. For more information, follow the Sidney Chamber of Commerce’s Facebook page and the event page for the Holly Jolly Days parade. +

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Entertainment

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(Arts, Entertainment, Recreation, Travel, Events, Museums)

(Banks, Financial Advisors, Insurance)

THE CHERRY BRANCH GALLERY

bieritz insurance

Windows & Doors Kitchens & Baths A&J’s Windows & Doors Kitchens & Baths

The Cooperstown Crier 102 Chestnut St., Oneonta, NY 607-432-1000 www.coopercrier.com

4189 State Hwy. 28, Milford, NY 607-286-7856 www.anjwindows.com

2 5 M A I N S T. C H E R R Y VA L L E Y, N .Y. 1 3 3 2 0 (607) 264- 9530 I N F O @ C H E R R Y B R A N C H G A L L E R Y.C O M

Cherry Branch Gallery

25 Main St., Cherry Valley, NY T H U R S607-264-9530 DAY - S U N DAY: 1 2 - 6 P M info@cherrybranchgallery.com

Home & Garden

Finance & Insurance

(Home & Garden, Remodeling Bath & Kitchen)

Bieritz Insurance

Ben Novellano 209 Main St., Cooperstown, NY 607-547-2952 • 607-263-5170 (Morris) www.bieritzinsurance.com

CarpetsPlus COLORTILE

61 South Main St., Oneonta, NY 607-353-7433 Carpetsplusoneonta@hotmail.com

Leatherstocking Group, Inc.

Cherry Valley Hardware LLC

Residential Mortgage Financing

The Daily Star 102 Chestnut St., Oneonta, NY 607-432-1000 www.thedailystar.com

Aqua-Tec Water Services Inc.

Gilboa, NY 1-800-853-5453 • 607-588-9413 www.waterwellsandpumps.com

Leatherstocking Group, Inc.

Delaware & Ulster Railroad

Rt. 28, Arkville, NY 845-586-2 • www.durr.org The Franklin Railroad and Community Museum

Matthew B. Schuermann 31 Pioneer St. #3, Cooperstown, NY 800-547-7948 • 607-547-5007 www.leatherstockingmortgage.com

Cherry Valley Hardware LLC

38 Genesee St., Cherry Valley, NY 607-264-3489

Auto, Motorcycle & Campers (Automobile Dealers, Auto Body & Painting, Auto Clubs, more...)

572 Main Street Franklin, NY 13775

“Quality you can trust.”

Clapper Construction

Otego, NY • 607-434-1512 www.clapperconstructionNY.com

The Franklin• johncampbell8@gmail.com Railroad and 607-829-2692 Hours Open: Last Sunday Community of Each Month, 1:00pm Museum to 5:00pm or by Appointment

607-829-5890 or 607-829-2692 572CallMain St., Franklin, NY Admission: Free Handicapped Accessible Find us on 607-829-2692 johncampbell8@gmail.com

Burr’s Body Shop

State Farm Insurance

Health & Fitness

9741 State Hwy. 23, Oneonta, NY 607-278-6031 www.burrsbodyshopandtowing.com

(Medical Centers & Clinics, Dentists)

Titan Drilling Corp.

264 Co. Hwy. 38, Arkville, NY 1-800-GO-TITAN • 1-845-586-4000 www.titanwelldrillingny.com

Five Star Subaru

90 Crystal Creek, Walton, NY 607-865-4913

Eternal Flame

Farm Market Eternal Flame Farm Market

Teresa Millias

61 Conklin Rd., Walton, NY Call or Text: 410-459-9958

Local Author, Worcester, NY tmillias12197.blogspot.com

United Health Services

331 Chestnut St., Oneonta, NY 607-432-0201 • wedosubaru.com

Cody-Shane Acres

Melissa Manikas 29 Pioneer St., Cooperstown, NY 607-547-2886

For Service Call...

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Tweedie Construction Services, Inc.

P.O. Box 96 Gilbertsville, NY 13776

90 Crystal Creek Rd., Walton, NY 607-865-4916 • 607-865-4913

THUNDERROAD Collision & Restoration

607-783-2289

Gilbert Plumbing &www.gilbertph.com Heating

PO Box 96, Gilbertsville, NY • Service• Contracts Available • Kitchen & Bath Renovations 607-783-2289 www.gilbertph.com

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Oneonta Family YMCA

110 Clarence Musson Rd, Gilbertsville, NY 607-783-2890 • www.thunderroadcr.com

20-26 Ford Ave., Oneonta, NY 607-432-0010 • www.oneontaymca.org

Hearths A’Fire

7352 State Hwy. 23, Oneonta, NY 607-436-9549 www.hearthsafire.com

| UPSTATE LIFE magazine

Fall 2018

Business Directory Meet the Locals Home & Garden

Non-Profit Organizations

Restaurants

Shopping & Retail

(Home & Garden, Remodeling Bath & Kitchen)

(Family, Community & Civic Organizations)

(Full Service, Casual Dining, Fast Food)

(Appliances, Clothing Apparel, Accessories, more...)

ASBURY GARDENS

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248 River St., Oneonta, NY 607-432-8703 www.newasburygardens.com STOP DOWN TO OUR

Heart of the Catskills Humane Society

Fiesta Mexican Grill & Cantina

Tremperskill Country Store

P.O. Box 88, 46610 State Hwy. 10 Delhi, NY • 607-746-3080 www.heartofthecatskills.org

19 Clinton Plaza, Oneonta, NY 607-431-9898 www.fiestamexicanoneonta.com

27905 State Hwy. 28, Andes, NY • 845-676-4550 www.catskillsregionalharvest.com

1024 County Hwy. 1, Andes, NY 845-676-3244

Susquehanna Animal Shelter

Lucky Dog Farm Store & Cafe

Cooperstown Natural Foods

Clinton Plaza, Oneonta, NY 607-432-4862 www.wolfwilde.com

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35796 State Hwy. 10, Hamden, NY 607-746-8383 • www.luckydogorganic.com

61 Linden Ave., Cooperstown, NY 607-547-8613

Wolf Wilde Goldsmith

Personal Services & Care (Salons & Spas, Funeral Homes, Driver Training, more...)

Reinhardt Home Heating

The Red Barn Clubhouse

Rt. 23, West Oneonta, NY • 607-432-6633 www.reinhardthomeheating.com

Yoder’s Quality Sheds, LLC Yoder’s Quality Sheds, LLC

278 Atswell Rd., Richfield Springs, NY 315-858-0841

Plaide Palette

2322 Rt. 7, Cobleskill, NY 518-254-0275 • www.cobleskillgc.com

Cherry Valley, NY 607-264-3769 • www.celticart.com

Tokyo Japanese Cuisine

5006 State Hwy. 23, Oneonta, NY 607-432-4401 www.shopsouthsidemall.com

Tuning In - Tuning Up

Oneonta, NY 607-433-2089 www.tuningin-tuningup.com

Southside Mall

211 Main St., Oneonta, NY 607-431-9999 • tokyooneonta.com

The Tepee

7632 US Hwy. 20, Cherry Valley, NY 607-264-3987 info@thetepee.biz

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Fall 2018 | 39