Upstate Life Winter 2021

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WINTER 2021

Representative Reflections: Sen. James Seward Looks Back on 34 Years of Service

Otsego Outdoors Offers New Ways to Explore Animal Shelters Adapt & Thrive through Covid-19 Crisis Delhi’s Frisbee Family Continues Sweet Syrup-Making Tradition

Set in Stone How a Grave Romance Became ‘Cemetery Lovers’

& More!

WINTER 2021

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VOLUME 15

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Otsego Outdoors Offers New Ways to Explore

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Animal Shelters Adapt & Thrive through Covid-19 Crisis

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Get Outside and Reconnect with Nature

Delhi’s Frisbee Family Continues Sweet Syrup-Making Tradition

8 10 Wild Warblers & Fowl Friends this Snowy Season 13 Set in Stone Learn More About Your Backyard Visitors this Winter

How a Grave Romance Became ‘Cemetery Lovers’

Representative Reflections: Sen. James Seward Looks Back on 34 Years of Service

16 20 The Old Walls Talk Cookin’ with Collins 24 Valentine’s Day-cor: 26 28 Geology Day Trip 31 Business Directory

DIY Projects to Make the Holiday Memorable

The Ice Cone at Kaaterskill Falls

Meet the Locals

Isabel Griswold cross-country skis at Fortin Park in Oneonta on Monday, Feb. 17, 2020. | Winter 2021

Publisher Fred Scheller Editor Denielle Cazzolla Managing Editor Allison Collins Graphic Designer Tracy Bender Advertising Director Valerie Secor Interested in advertising in Upstate Life Magazine?

Call toll-free, 1-800-721-1000, ext. 235

On the cover

Bonjour, Breafkast: Making Crepes at Home

| UPSTATE LIFE magazine

Upstate Life Magazine, Winner, New York State Associated Press Association First-Place Award for Specialty Publications, is published by: The Daily Star, 102 Chestnut St., Oneonta, NY 13820 © 2021 - All rights reserved.

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

Remembering Oneonta’s Roundhouse

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ISSUE 1

JULIE LEWIS | THE DAILY STAR

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Otsego Outdoors Offers New Ways to Explore

local historians and outdoor enthusiasts for e live in a breathtakingly beautiful part of America; upstate day-long experiences that combine outdoor

BY CAITLIN OGDEN New York stuns in spring, sumactivities, such as hiking and biking, with mer, fall and winter. shopping and eating.

This year, as the pandemic caused by the Not everyone owns the equipment needspread of COVID-19 forces the world to ed to participate in the activities they may avoid gathering indoors in cinemas, restauwish to try, but Otsego Outdoors has that rants, bars and other entertainment venues, covered. With a tab for equipment rentals it’s a good time to get outside and reconand retailers, you don’t need your own kayak nect with nature. to hit the water. If Santa denied your request Whether you are a hiker, skier, ice skater for a pony, you can log on and locate where or snowshoe-er, and regardless of skill level, to book a ride on a well-schooled trail horse there are activities for everyone in Otsego and view the vistas from horseback. And if County. If the choices sound overwhelming, you’re a local equipment retailer, Otsego then you must not have heard of Otsego Outdoors is a great way to get your product Outdoors – the online, searchable database in front of a target audience. of outdoor activities in Otsego County.

Click to Connect Launched in 2017, Otsego Outdoors Beyond otsegooutdoors.org, find is a collaboration between Otsego 2000, “Otsego Outdoors” on Facebook or follow Otsego Land Trust and Otsego County @otsegooutdoors on Instagram. The group’s Conservation Association. The Otsego social media sites provide platforms for Outdoors website, otsegooutdoors.org, residents and visitors to share pictures and states that its goal is “to promote the use of connect over experiences on the trails, while publicly accessible trails in Otsego County. also being a resource for education and volOtsego Outdoors welcomes your help in unteerism. There are even advertisements encouraging more people to discover and from local retailers. enjoy outdoor adventures and explorations “Facebook and Instagram are two key in Otsego County.” ways to highlight the many special natural Jeff O’Handley, program director for places within a five-, 10- or 20-minute drive Otsego County Conservation Association, in Otsego County,” Pope said. said partnering to create and promote Otsego Outdoors was a natural fit.

The group’s Facebook page is also a way to learn about the latest outdoor activities coming to the area, “‘The Three Otsegos’ as we jokingly call ourselves, work in difsuch as a bike trail recently opened in New Lisbon, connecting ferent areas of the environmental sphere, but one area where we Texas Schoolhouse State Forrest (which is not, in fact, in Texas) overlap is promoting outdoor recreation,” O’Handley said. “The to Gilbert Lake State Park. Otsego Outdoors is growing as a Otsego Outdoors project was conceived as a service to the comresource, so check back periodically to see what new locations munity and a nice way for us to collaborate on a big project.” and experiences have been added.

The point of Otsego Outdoors isn’t just to promote local acAdditionally, Pope noted, social media furthers the county’s tivities to residents, or even to attract sport tourism to the area, marketing goals, showcasing images and interesting facts to Ellen Pope, executive director of Otsego 2000, said. Another of its goals, she said, is to “highlight the outdoor recreational areas prospective residents while connecting people who are drawn and activities that add so much to the quality of life here and to the outdoors, whether they are already tied to the area or which might help to attract people and families to move here.” looking to start a job or business here.

Before Otsego Outdoors, Pope noted, many area natural rePope said people should watch in early 2021 for the launch sources, such as state and county parks and water access points, of Otsego Outdoors’ Winter Challenge Patch Program. The existed, but there was no one place on the internet where they program will feature eight competitive winter activities in public could be found. parks and forests around the county. Once one of the eight is completed, participants will earn an embroidered patch and a Search for Fun car sticker. When the weather turns warm again, Pope said, there There are many ways the Otsego Outdoors website can be will also be a Spring Challenge Patch Program. searched. If you are looking for an activity, select it from a dropdown menu toward the top of the page. Whether looking for Though the weather is cold now, there may be no better time a challenge or an easy outing, you can select your desired skill to layer up and try something new outside than in a year where level. You can also search within a geographic area. If you have so many of us are dying to escape the home office and Zoom special criteria, such as ADA-compliant accessibility, something meetings. Many will forgo the mid-winter trip to Florida this year, with no fee, or dog-friendliness, you can add those criteria in, choosing instead to stay home and stay safe, but that doesn’t too. mean we all need to be inside by ourselves when the great outdoors is calling. And that mask we’re all a little tired of wearing?

In the era of the stay-cation, Otsego Outdoors also offers an Turns out, it’s not so bad when it’s 20 degrees Fahrenheit. + “Itineraries” page, featuring curated recommendations from

Look for the launch of Otsego outdoors’ Winter Challenge Patch Program in early 2021.

Animal Shelters Adapt & Thrive through COVID-19 Crisis

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he pandemic caused by the spread of COVID-19 has impacted people nationwide, turning working parents into full-time home-schoolers, rattling the global economy and, for many, causing lasting health challenges and grief.

Yet, with true American spirit, many have striven to make the best of a bad situation. One silver lining to emerge from the COVID-19 crisis may just be curled up on the couch next to you as you read this. With more time, people in the area and across the state and county have opened their hearts and homes to animals in need.

BY CAITLIN OGDEN

“

The adoption rates haven’t slowed. We’re still seeing incredible adoption rates through this pandemic.

The community has absolutely not let the animals be left behind.

”

— Stacie Haynes, executive director of Susquehanna SPCA in Cooperstown

Steve Hiscox of Oneonta Fence Company, at DVHS to fix a kennel fence, adopted a cat in place of payment for the repair work.

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Adoptions Abound Deb Crute, director of shelter operations at Heart of the Catskills Humane Society in Delaware County, said the start of stay-at-home orders coincided with an adoption rush at the Delhi shelter.

“We had a lot of long-term residents of the shelter, both cats and dogs, find homes, which was incredible,” she said. “We pre-approved applications, so people could make one trip here to find an animal. We screened all our adopters very well, to ensure pets wouldn’t be returned to the shelter. We felt confident that those pets being adopted out went to situations that would last and, so far, we’ve been right about that.”

Stacie Haynes, executive director of Susquehanna SPCA in Cooperstown, said the same was true for the Otsego County facility.

“A lot of people saw in the news that adoption rates were up,” Haynes said. “People who had never adopted before were coming in to adopt or foster.”

Haynes noted that she’s seen the trend continue, even after mandated lockdowns.

“The adoption rates haven’t slowed,” she said. “We’re still seeing incredible adoption rates through this pandemic. The community has absolutely not let the animals be left behind.”

In Sidney, Delaware Valley Humane Society manager Erin Insinga said, shelter life through the pandemic has proved “a whirlwind.”

“We saw the best and the worst of the six years I’ve been here,” she said.

“We’ve had the best adoptions I’ve seen in 15 years of rescue work. We’ve seen dogs that have been here for years go home. There was a huge increase in adoptions and long-term shelter residents got to go home.”

The animals didn’t just go to local homes either, directors said; as shelters in New York and neighboring states cleared, adopters traveled to find their next furry friend.

“The larger urban shelters are even lower on animals to adopt,” Crute said. “People are coming from other parts of the state and even Connecticut, Pennsylvania and Vermont.”

The author adopted Cat Taztrophy, known as Taz, in March, naming him for the pandemic caused by the spread of COVID-19.

Pets & People In Need As Insinga said, the year hasn’t been exclusively easy for animals in the area, the families that love them or the shelters that work to support both.

Susquehanna SPCA and DVHS offer pet food pantries, where community members can come and pick up pet food. The pantries are designed to help people keep their animals while enduring financial crises.

“We offer a 24-hour pet pantry,” Haynes said.

“People can come by and pick up what they need.”

Haynes noted that, while people have been utilizing the resource, no one has abused it, ensuring supplies for everyone.

“The community takes care of us,” she said, “and we like to take care of the community right back.”

Insinga, too, said she’s observed an increased community need.

Representatives from Awestruck Ciders present DVHS shelter manager Erin Insinga with cash “We’ve seen a huge increase in need for the pet and material donations from their Pints for Paws fundraiser in December 2020. Awestruck food pantry,” she said. “Many people feed their matched the $700 raised by the fundraiser, and Staffworks will further match that total.

PHOTOS CONTRIBUTED

animals before they feed themselves, and I don’t want them to have to choose.”

Like Susquehanna’s pantry, DVHS’ is open to all.

“We don’t have income requirements; people can just come and take what they need,” Insinga said. “It’s just really hard to see so many people struggling. You’re only as good as the community that supports you, and you have to reach out to the community to give back. We’re in a position to make a real difference.”

Creative Thinking Combats Fiscal Frustrations Other obstacles face each shelter. While adoptions have been up, fundraising has been down, as shelters have needed to eliminate the in-person fundraising events that typically bolster their annual budgets. However, shelters have gotten creative.

Heart of the Catskills turned its annual dog walk into a virtual dog walk, held drive-thru bake sales and hosted a virtual tree auction, in which community members bid on decorated Christmas trees.

“People have been incredibly generous and understanding,” Crute said.

“It’s been such a huge gift.”

Individual donors and sponsors have also stepped up to the plate, directors said.

“A lot of people shared their stimulus checks with us,” Crute said, “and we are incredibly grateful for that.”

Staffworks’ “Save a Life” campaign has continued, working with DVHS and Susquehanna SPCA to match community funds.

“Last year, in 30 days, $77,000 was raised for the shelter from Nov. 30 to Dec. 31,” Insinga said. During the fundraiser, she noted, Staffworks matches all gifts until $10,000 is raised, and then every additional $5,000 raised by the shelter is matched with another $1,000 from Staffworks.

Though animal lovers cannot provide a home for every stray, and not everyone can grow their four-legged family during this pandemic, we can all appreciate the area shelters providing at-need animals with safety, warmth and love. So, when you log on to order Fido’s next bag of kibble, consider sending one to an animal shelter, too. Or if social distancing is getting you down, consider adoption. Your new best friend may be sitting in a kennel now, dreaming of cuddling on the couch and bingeing Netflix or hitting a hiking trail with you. And working from home just isn’t the same without a cat sitting on your keyboard the whole time.

For more information, visit dvhs.org or call 563-7780; visit sqspca.org or call 547-8111; or visit heartofthecatskills.org or call 746-3080. ä

How to Help As the spread of COVID-19 continues, it can be difficult to determine how to help shelters. Haynes said Susquehanna SPCA can always use cat and dog food donations, for the shelter residents and restocking the community pet pantry. Sheets and blankets, used for making snuggly animal beds, are also always needed.

DVHS asks that community members stay vigilant for situations of abuse and neglect.

“We have seen a big increase in cruelty cases this year,” Insinga said, noting that Delaware County does not have a humane officer or task force, like Otsego County. Animals rely on reports going to the sheriff’s office.

“Be a voice for the voiceless,” Insinga said. “If you see cruelty or neglect, if you see dogs freezing, call the sheriffs, because they have to go and check on the animal.”

Heart of the Catskills is still accepting volunteers on a limited, COVID-safe basis. They also accept donations of food and supplies, which can be bought online and shipped to the 46610 state Highway 10, Delhi shelter. “The community has been sending boxes from Chewy and Amazon,” Crute said, “and monetary donations help get us through.”

Be a voice for the voiceless. “ If you see cruelty or neglect, if you see dogs freezing, call the sheriffs, because they have to go and check on the animal.

— Erin Insinga, Delaware Valley Humane Society manager

”

Construction of Susquehanna SPCA’s new shelter is seen earlier this year.

SPCA Plans for its Fur-ever Home Through the past year’s struggles, construction has continued on Susquehanna SPCA’s new shelter.

“It’s looked like not much has been happening at the new shelter site,” Haynes, said, noting that most of the interior work is underway. “The exterior walls are up, the roof is being shingled and the inside framing is occurring.”

The new shelter will be a significant change for Susquehanna SPCA, as, unlike its current building, this one was envisioned and planned as an animal shelter.

“It’s designed to house 60 animals at a time,” Haynes said. “It

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will have vents and drainage to keep smell down and the less smells, the more we can decrease the stress on the dogs.”

This, she noted, will make the animals more adoptable, too.

“Instead of dogs being stressed in kennels, they will be looking at you saying, ‘Hey, I am ready to go home,’” Haynes said.

There are tentative, pandemic-dependent plans for a grand opening, Haynes said.

“It will be quite the endeavor to make grand opening plans because of COVID,” she said, “but we hope to do it in the next six to eight months. We will wait to do it big if we can.” +

The Frisbee House New York State Education Sign, 1932.

Delhi’s Frisbee Family Continues Sweet Syrup-Making Tradition

BY CHRYSTAL SAVAGE

H

according to Gideon, continues to “help out arvesting maple syrup is an age-old phenomenon. Believed to have with gardening, washing the eggs and sharing originated among indigenous tribes, their wisdom and stories from over the years.” before European settlement in North Syrup Savvy America, the tradition is at least hundreds Gideon recalls helping on the farm and with of years old. Maple trees, maple leaves and maple syrup production from a very young maple syrup are trademarks of the northern age. At 12 years old, Gideon “took over the United States and Canada, but there’s plenty bucket business.” With a riding lawnmower, a of maple closer to home, too. wagon and some milk cans, Gideon collected Gideon Frisbee is an eighth-generation the sap and sold it to his father, saving up the Frisbee living in rural Delhi. He is part of the — Wyatt Frisbee money throughout high school and ultimately fifth generation to reside on Riverdale Farm, buying his first truck with his sap savings. where four generations of Frisbees live and “I have always enjoyed doing it, despite still doing things work, producing, among other things, more than 100 gallons of maple syrup annually. on the farm the old-fashioned or more traditional way,” Gideon said. Gideon noted that making syrup is also savvy, as it is A History of Harvesting produced seasonally, typically between February and April, a Judge Gideon Frisbee, one of the village’s settlers, built the time when there is not a lot going on agriculturally, and can Delhi Frisbee farm and homestead in 1797, now the Delaware be sold all year.

County Historical Association, Library and Museum, on state Gideon’s eldest son, Wyatt Frisbee, 6, named for his ancesHighway 10. tor, is not quite at an age when sap collecting or syrup making In 1919, Wyatt and Laura Frisbee bought and began is particularly interesting or exciting. But Wyatt is happy being operating Riverdale Farm and Forest. The farm went through the family’s go-to taste tester. various changes then, including adding a sap house and “The best thing to put syrup on is definitely pancakes, and maple syrup production. In the 1920s, Wyatt Frisbee, Gidesausage and eggs,” Wyatt said. on’s great-grandfather, built the sap house and began syrup operations.

Because syrup is a healthy natural sugar, the Frisbee adults add it to their morning coffee. “It adds a unique flavor,” The farm transitioned to Will Frisbee and his wife Lucille in the 1960s. The couple, in their 90s, remains on the farm and, Gideon noted.

best thing “The to put syrup on is definitely pancakes, and sausage and eggs.

”

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Tapping into Tradition

CONTRIBUTED

The first drops of gallons of Frisbee syrup are seen after hours of boiling in the family sap house.

The farm does not use any vacuums or osmosis.

The collection and syrup-making process at Riverdale has remained essentially unaltered over the decades, with minor changes made just to increase efficiency.

By upgrading to stainless steel equipment, yearround ultraviolet resistant tubing and maintaining the wood-burning and other elements, every hour of cooking produces approximately one gallon of syrup.

“It’s definitely a labor of love,” Gideon said. “There’s not much to do on the farm during that time, so it works out well. Like Judge Gideon Frisbee in the town, we wear many hats on the farm. The tradition of syrup production in our family is one we take pride in continuing.”

The Frisbees of Riverdale Farm and Forest sell their family-made maple syrup year-round (or until out of stock) locally and through Etsy.

Visit riverdalefarmny.com or etsy.com/shop/riverdalefarmny for more information. +

CONTRIBUTED

Gideon Frisbee eyes boiling sap on the family farm.

Wyatt and Gideon Frisbee, of Delhi, are seen checking the ultra-violet resistant tubing in December.

CONTRIBUTED

Riverdale Farm and Forest sap house is pictured during winter maple syrup production.

PHOTOS BY CHRYSTAL SAVAGE

The tradition of syrup “production in our family is one we take pride in continuing. ” — Gideon Frisbee

The Delaware County Historical Association Library and Museum, at 46549 Route 10 in Delhi, is seen in this undated photo.

WILD WARBLERS & FOWL FRIENDS this Snowy Season

BY CHRYSTAL SAVAGE

C

entral New York is home to a vibrant variety of feathered feeders, at home in the skies above the rolling Catskills or the clear waters upstate streams and rivers.

Husband-and-wife bird lovers Dr. Charles Scheim and Sandy Bright guide those wanting to learn more about their backyard visitors this winter. Bright, a self-proclaimed “longtime birder” and treasurer of the Delaware-Otsego Audubon Society in Oneonta, coordinates DOAS’ annual Christmas Bird Count and writes “Bird Sightings,” a DOAS newsletter column.

Seed-Dominant Winter Feeders: Black-Capped Chickadee: The black-capped chickadee is one of the most frequently spotted feeder birds in upstate New York during the winter months. Chickadees can be distinguished by their small size, round appearance and contrasting black crown. According to Scheim, “Chickadees are bold and curious birds, so much so that, with patience, birders can even induce chickadees to take seeds from their hand.

“Chickadees,” he continued, “are very adept at locating food sources, and often other species follow flocks of chickadees around, anticipating the bounty these gregarious creatures will find.”

Chickadees are ranked second among the six birds frequently sighted in the area, according to CBC data.

Northern Cardinal: The northern cardinal is no stranger to the area, especially through the snowy season. Cardinals are often distinguished by their bright red coloration, small body and crest. Female cardinals differ, having a more dusty-brown or gray tone, with a red beak and sometimes wings, tail or underbelly.

Black-capped chickadee 10

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According to Scheim, “Cardinals are an example of a species in which the male and female have quite different plumage, known as ‘sexual dimorphism.’ Cardinal males are a brilliant red, designed to attract mates and intimidate competitors, while females are a duller tan color, designed to help camouflage them as they sit on a nest of eggs or young.

“In most North American bird species,” he continued, “only the males sing, but female cardinals do, sometimes crooning a duet with her partner.”

Cardinals are ranked sixth of the six frequently sighted area birds, based on data collected by the CBC. Black-capped chickadees and northern cardinals tend to be seed feeders, and are often attracted to suet containing black oil sunflower seeds.

Variety Winter Feeders: Downy Woodpecker: The downy woodpecker is a less frequent visitor of the bird feeder than those preferring seedheavy diets. This woodpecker incorporates a variety of insects, bugs and fruits into its diet. Distinguished by their somewhat small and stocky appearance, black-and-white markings, a red-spotted head and elongated, pointed beak, the downy woodpecker stands out among others in the bird class.

“Woodpeckers are examples of cavity-nesting birds,” Scheim said. “Rather than fashioning a nest of twigs or grasses in the branches of a tree, woodpeckers excavate holes in tree trunks large enough to accommodate them and their young. These holes are often used later by other species, such as screech owls, wrens, and bluebirds.”

Downy woodpeckers rank fifth among the six birds frequently

Male northern cardinal

Male downy woodpecker

spotted in the area. as bullies to other birds and small animals. Standing much taller than others White-Breasted Nuthatch: The in this variety, with the exception only of white-breasted nuthatch is less widely the American crow, its blue body, white recognized to the untrained eye, but still underbelly and tall crest make it an area among the most common to the region staple. through winter. Set apart by their neckless appearance, short tail legs and blue“Blue Jays cache food in many placgray coloration, nuthatches are otherwise es,” Scheim said. “They come to feedchickadee-like, with their black caps and ers, collect food in their throat pouch general size and shape. and then fly off to hide these morsels With a little practice, Scheim said, the in a variety of places, to which they will nuthatch proves easy to identify. return in leaner times.”

“Nuthatches are commonly seen clingBlue jays rank third of the six birds in ing to the trunks of trees or large branchfrequented sightings in the area.

— Dr. Charles Scheim es,” he said. “They generally move in a The American crow and blue jay are head-down position from a high point to known among the birds in the CBC’s a lower point, searching for food in the observation for consuming just about crevices of tree bark.” anything. Nearly any suet component White-breasted nuthatches are fourth among the six will attract them, whereas deterrents include squirrel baffles most-spotted area birds. and feeders designed to discourage larger birds and seed-raidDowny woodpeckers and white-breasted nuthatches tend ing pests. toward a variable diet of many different components and are According to Bright, the number of frequent sightings reattracted to suet containing mixed seeds. ported by the CBC requires that several things be considered.

are “boldChickadees and curious

birds, so much so that, with patience, birders can even induce chickadees to take seeds from their hand.

”

Omnivore Winter Feeders:

American Crow: The American crow is one of the most recognized and unliked feeder birds known to the area. Easily identified by their large stature and shiny, jet-black bodies, American crows are hard to miss.

Because crows not only eat insects, bugs and fruit, but also eggs, nestlings, other small animals such as frogs and even trash, they are not a fan favorite.

According to Scheim, “Crows are very intelligent birds, known to be able to understand analogies, enjoy play and create tools. There are many accounts of crows’ success in solving a complex series of tasks designed by scientists with the ultimate goal of obtaining food rewards. Googling ‘crow intelligence’ will reveal a plethora of articles and videos on the subject, including the assertion that they compare favorably (in some aspects) with 7-year-old humans.”

The American crow ranks No. 1 among the six birds most frequently sighted in the area.

Blue Jay: Not unlike its predecessor in this category, blue jays are frequently spotted, easily identifiable and often regarded

Crows are significantly less likely to be found at your feeder than in the wild, she said. They are also large and endure a variety of poor weather conditions, whereas many other birds seek shelter.

Bright noted that mourning doves, found nesting in branches, on the ground and even in window sills, and the American goldfinch are also seed-dominant winter feeders and can be attracted to food sources that appeal to the black-capped chickadee and northern cardinal, as well as flower and nyjer seeds.

Sheim noted that, while the American goldfinch is one of the more common winter feeders in the area, it is often overlooked or misidentified, as the goldfinch’s plumage changes with the seasons.

“In summer, males are a bright yellow,” he said, “and females a duller yellowish-green. Their winter plumages are quite different from their summer versions, so much so that new birders can mistake them for a different species.”

For more information, visit doas.us or whatbirdsareinmy backyard.com. ä

ARTWORK BY BISWAJIT DAS

White-breasted nuthatch

American crow

Blue jay Winter 2021 | UPSTATE LIFE magazine | 11

Homemade Suet Recipe modified from Boeckmann, The Old Farmer’s Almanac With food scarce through winter, Bright said, many kinds of feeders will attract different kinds of birds.

“With lots of birds coming to the same place to feed,” she said, “disease can become a problem, so feeders need to be kept clean. Some sources recommend cleaning them a couple of times a month, especially during damp weather when seeds can rot and (become) moldy more quickly. Also, the ground beneath feeders should be raked frequently. Water is probably even more important than food on bitter, cold days when natural sources are frozen. A heated birdbath can provide this.”

Bright recommends tube, suet, nyjer, tray or platform feeders to achieve different results. The inclusion of different ingredients can influence which birds frequent your feeder.

What you’ll need: • 2 parts melted fat (beef fat or lard) • 2 parts yellow cornmeal, oats or millet • 1 part natural peanut butter (optional) • Any species-specific attractants (optional), such as black oil sunflower, mixed, flower and nyjer seeds

• Small container or mold • Kitchen pot • Large spoon • Measuring cups • Freezer or cold outdoor space during winter • Suet feeder(s) Directions: • Melt the fat in a saucepan on low heat until liquified.

• Remove melted fat from heat and let sit for several minutes.

• Stir in the remaining ingredients and cook for a few minutes; include any additives from the recommendations now.

• Pour into small containers and refrigerate until mixture hardens.

• Store suet in the freezer until ready to use. Use this suet recipe during the winter months only, as the fat component will melt in warm weather. This recipe can be made and stored all year, as long fat is accumulated.

• Fasten feeders securely and enjoy your winter bird community. +

PHOTOS BY CHRYSTAL SAVAGE

Set in Stone

Dale Utter looks toward the abandoned Packer Mason Cemetery in the town of Preston in this undated photo.

BY ALLISON COLLINS

How a Grave Romance Became ‘Cemetery Lovers’

M

ount Upton residents Tina and Dale Utter found love in a graveyard.

Tina, a self-described lifelong cemetery lover, said she and Dale met in the mid-2000s, but their relationship and shared devotion to cemetery maintenance and research was cemented amid the stones.

“For me, it started when I was a child,” Tina said. “I would visit my grandparents … on Long Island and we would go to an ancestor’s gravestone – he’d died in the 1600s and has one of those above-ground graves – and I was just fascinated.

“As an adult, I attended a workshop in that same cemetery in 2010 and my first taste of what to do with gravestones was in that original cemetery,” she continued. “When we met in 2012, we sort of dated by doing cemetery work.”

“We actually met (online) and … I learned that she liked cemeteries and had been interested in them her whole life,” Dale said. “I moved back home, saw her love for cemeteries and we went into them together, looking at the stones, and started learning all about it. It evolved to doing resets of stones that were down, then repairing and we’ve been doing it ever since. We dated in the cemeteries and really got to know each other and I learned to love it as much as Tina.”

Carving Out a Mission Today, the Utters perform volunteer and commission work throughout the state, preserving the past and perpetuating their passion. Together, they’ve published “Cemetery Lovers,” a column

recounting their graveside adventures, in regional weekly newspapers since 2016, and they received the Association for Gravestone Studies’ Fred Oakley Certificate of Merit for work in abandoned cemeteries in 2019. Tina also authored “Meet Me in Heaven: A Collection of Epitaphs from the Simple to the Sublime,” published in 2004. The Utters are Find A Grave contributors and members of the Central New York Cemetery Network, under the auspices of the New York State Archaeological Association, and the Guilford Historical Society.

Though fueled by fascination, Dale said, their work is vital.

“There’s such a great need for it throughout the state and actually the country,” he said. “And there’s not many, if anybody, out there doing it.

We’re cleaning, repairing and resetting (stones) if they’re down or leaning, but we also like the history involved with the stones and we’ve gotten very much interested in the carvers that did these stones and trying to identify who they were and the work they did.

“We’ll fix a stone or two and then we get attached,” he continued. “We just can’t walk away and let (a cemetery) get overgrown again. So, we mow it and we’ve started to put up signs where there weren’t any (because), if it has a name, it’ll get more attention and it won’t disappear.”

Fixing a stone, the Utters said, typically involves a horizontal break on marble, repaired using a dry, lime-based mortar mixed with water. The mortar, they said, is “used to coat both surfaces of the break, then we put the stone back together, ä

A numbered stone is seen at Preston Poor House Cemetery in Chenango County in this undated photo.

PHOTOS CONTRIBUTED

The Utters restored this Civil War veteran’s stone in a Nichols, New York cemetery.

Winter 2021 | UPSTATE LIFE magazine | 13

clamp it, put a bag over it for a few days and let it cure.” The Utters have repaired roughly 150 this year.

“There are so many that are neglected and need help,” Tina said. “We’ve worked in 12 New York State counties, but we focus mainly on Chenango and some in Delaware and Otsego.

Anything cemetery-wise, we’re interested in … and we’re willing to do almost anything. We do prefer small cemeteries that we can do in their entirety – they might be on a farm or a private family cemetery. Right now, we’re mowing six abandoned cemeteries and they’re all very special to us.

“We do get paid sometimes,” she continued. “A cemetery association might hire us and we’re working in two or three (cemeteries) where we have a commitment to do 30 to 50 stones a year, so that offsets our gas and materials, but we prefer to do volunteer work.”

Tina noted that they’ve established a sign fund to make and provide signage for area cemeteries, with posts already erected in Gates Family Cemetery of Norwich, Blackman Cemetery in Oxford and Stewart’s Corners in Plymouth.

“To me, (putting up a sign) is the final thing you can do that just finishes the project,” she said.

Research & Writing Cemetery work, the Utters said, happens year-round.

“We sleep, breathe and eat cemeteries,” Tina said. “Whether we’re writing or in the car visiting, it’s constant.”

“Once the weather gets good, we’re outside working until we can’t,” Dale said. “During winter, we go out and visit cemeteries and do more research of carvers and more writing.”

And when it comes to the stones and their carvers, the Utters said, the older the better.

“Wherever we go, we always have a shovel and the tools we need, for if we see a stone that’s down and recognize it’s something special – something prior to 1850,” Dale said. “We especially like the old sandstones, which are the earliest gravestones in our area; after 1850, a lot of them were marble and would come from factories already done and they’d just carve the name and epitaph, but the original craftmanship and artistic ability was really displayed prior to 1850.

“A lot of times, the epitaphs on these older stones (are things) you don’t see later on,” he continued. “They were very individualized, sometimes saying the reason they died, like, ‘Killed by an unruly beast’ … and it’s a lot more interesting and personalized than what you see in the Victorian Age.” “We like the very simple folk-art designs from itinerant carvers,” Tina said. “They’d travel around and carve as they went, so they’re very simple and there may be mistakes on them, but it’s just beautiful carving.”

That aspect of their work, Tina and Dale said, has proven inspiring.

“We want to write a field guide to central New York grave carvers,” she said. “That’s in the planning stages now. So, somebody could take (such a field guide) out to a cemetery, look at the characteristics on the stone and come up with who carved it.”

Because of the primitive nature of such early stones, Tina and Dale noted, it’s often up to the researchers to name the carvers, letting the work guide them. Dale noted that one regional historic carver is known as Coffin Man, for the “little coffins he always did on the side of the stones,” and others go by “Chisel Man,” “Fancy D” and “Rainbow Man.”

Spreading the Cemetery Love The Utters said they hope to instill their interest in others.

“We determined a long time ago that there’s too much to do

Dale Utter is seen placing the top back on a grave in Spencer Cemetery in the town of Unadilla.

Tina Utter works on a clamped stone in Stewart’s Corners Cemetery in the Chenango County town of Plymouth.

We sleep, breathe and eat “ cemeteries. Whether we’re writing or in the car visiting, it’s constant. ” — Tina Utter

every cemetery around that needs help,” Dale said. “We would like to show people how to do something so they can in turn go and do it themselves.

“It is so rewarding if you see a gravestone and you can’t see a thing, you have no idea what it says, and you put some water and a soft brush to it and then you can see a name and a date and an epitaph,” he continued. “People really identify with that.”

“We hear all the time from people, ‘I will never look at a cemetery the same,’” Tina said. “Or they say, ‘Every time I go by a cemetery, I think of you guys’ and that’s a real compliment. We have things we’ve written up on how to read a gravestone, how to clean it, what are the types and how to reset … and we’ve had a really good response to doing cleaning workshops.”

Hoping to grow interest among young people, Tina noted, the Utters have worked with a Delaware County 4-H group and expect to collaborate with a Unadilla Boy Scout on an Eagle Scout project involving cemetery maintenance. They also have resetting and repair workshops planned for later this year in Orange County.

Plotting Along The Utters said, like the stones they save, they’re in it for the long haul.

“We love it,” Tina said. “The hours just fly by and that’s a sign you’re doing something you love. We like being outside and we like feeling like we’re making a difference and preserving a piece of history – it’s all of that.”

“We like physically working and the whole history aspect of it,” Dale echoed. “We’ll do a stone, then come home and get online and find out more about this person – why they died, what they did for a living – and we learn a lot about times past and the people, so there’s a lot of different elements. It beats sitting home and watching TV. As long as we can, we’ll mow lawns and put up stones and when we can’t do that, we’ll research. As long as we can walk, we’ll be doing something cemetery- or gravestone-related.”

For more information, find “Cemetery Lovers” on Facebook, call 607-895-6131 or email stonecroft@citilink.net

From left, fellow cemetery researcher Mary Dexter and McGraw historian Mary Kimberly are pictured with Tina and Dale Utter in the McGraw cemetery, where the Utters restored and reset six Revolutionary War stones, earlier this year.

Work Worth Remembering Though they’ve traveled the country in search of neglected stones and forgotten spaces, the Utters said, some of their most interesting discoveries have been close to home.

“Just this past year, we worked with the McGraw historian … to put up six Revolutionary War veteran stones,” Tina said.

“So, not only did we meet a great friend, but we thoroughly enjoyed doing this. People come to us and we really can’t say no if it involves a vet; we meet new people and get involved and it kind of snowballs and it’s all good.”

“The stones had been moved from one cemetery to this one and had been laying under a tree for 100 years,” Dale said. “(The historian) wanted them up during her lifetime … and it was very satisfying to get those six stones back up and know that they’ll hopefully be around for a long time for other people to see and enjoy.”

In Chenango County, the couple has been working on what they called one of their most interesting sites since 2013.

“One of the most interesting and meaningful cemeteries

we’re working in currently and that has also been our longest project (is) the Preston Poor House Cemetery,” Tina said. “It was totally overgrown, and it was very rewarding as we started to clear the cemetery, which is fairly large, to start to see the numbered stones. They’re just numbers, because it was a poorhouse.”

Today, the property houses a low-income residential facility for adults, she noted, though not in the original building. The cemetery, Tina said, lies across the road.

“It was not attended to in about 30 years,” she said, “and it had these huge honeysuckle bushes that we had to chainsaw out. It’s taken us six years before we could even think of bringing in a lawnmower.”

“There are about 155 numbered stones, but it’s just numbers on little marble stones,” Dale said. “And it’s part of another, older cemetery, where there are maybe 10 stones with a name and date, and about another 70 primitive stones – just a field stone on edge with no date, no initials, no nothing, but you know it represents a burial – so we figure there are about 250 burials in this cemetery.” +

Representative Reflections:

Sen. James Seward Looks Back on 34 Years of Service I love people; I love “ working with and serving

the people. I worked very hard at the job and found it personally very satisfying to have the opportunity to represent the area where I was born and brought up and educated.

”

— James Seward, New York State senator

PHOTOS CONTRIBUTED

Oath of Office

Sen. Seward speaks to fellow members of the New York Senate last year.

I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter: So help me God.

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A

fter 34 years as a New York State senator, James Seward, R – Oneonta, retired on Dec. 31, 2020. In his three-plus decades of service, Seward said, he experienced frustrations, triumphs and a public battle with bladder cancer and, later, the virus caused by COVID-19.

Through it all, Seward said, the political path proved gratifying.

Seward represented New York Senate District 51, covering all of Cortland, Otsego and Schoharie counties and parts of Cayuga, Chenango, Delaware, Herkimer, Tompkins and Ulster counties.

A Political Education

BY ALLISON COLLINS opportunity to represent the area where I was born and brought up and educated.”

Seward credited his roots and connection to the people of the 51st District with keeping him close to home.

“I did, on two occasions, have the opportunity to run for Congress,” he said. “The natural progression perhaps would’ve been to go to Congress, but, after giving it really serious thought, I decided I could have more impact on what was happening as a member of the state Senate, so I decided to stay. By that time, I had gained some seniority and held some leadership positions. The idea of being one of 435 members of the House of Representatives … I just felt I could do more good right here.”

“I was first elected in ‘86 and took office on Jan. 1, 1987,” Seward, 69, said.

“I served 17 terms. When I think back – Sen. Seward is seen in his early years in this Pits & Peaks it’s not that I ever specifically thought I undated photo. would be a New York State senator for Seward said, of all the challenges this long – but even in grade school, he faced, striking a balance between in fifth and sixth grade and then my teen years, I was always family and political life topped the list. interested in what was happening around the world, current “My children were 8 and 2 when I was elected, so they events and government and politics. kind of grew up with me being a senator,” he said. “It was being at the state capital and away from home, but also “I had some great teachers who helped cultivate that back in the district. I’ve always had a multi-county district interest,” he continued. “I grew up in Oneonta and went to that required a lot of traveling, attending meetings and Oneonta public schools, then I got active in the Republican moving around the district.

Party, helping candidates and getting to know different officials at the local and state level, and it evolved.”

“That demand on time has always, on a personal level, Seward said the cultural climate of his college years, spent been very challenging,” Seward continued. “I worked very at Oneonta’s Hartwick College, were catalytic. hard to block out time for family time and attending my children’s school and sporting events, but it was always difficult “Vietnam was raging and very controversial,” he said, notto juggle. It’s a very time-consuming and time-demanding ing that he graduated from Hartwick College with the Class position, as a state senator representing several counties.” of 1973. “It was polarizing, and many people were demonstrating in the streets against the war.

Seward said managing the state’s political diversity proved, at times, difficult.

“It’s one thing to demonstrate in the streets, and that’s people’s right and part of our freedoms as Americans,” “New York State is a very diverse state in many ways – Seward continued, “but my thought, even back then, was, politically, geographically, upstate versus downstate – and in order to really make changes, you should be in the room that’s reflected in the state legislature,” he said. “Even where the changes are made. I wanted to have a seat at the though I would always work across the aisle with members table and that led me to a more formalized role of getting of the other party – I’m results-oriented and wanted results directly involved in the sphere of decision-making. Right out for people rather than finger-pointing – that’s challenging, of college, I went to work with other state legislators who because New York is such a diverse state. were representing this area.”

“For many years, we had chronically late state budgets Seward said he worked in that capacity for “12 or 13 just because we couldn’t come to terms and pass it on years,” until Delhi native and former state senator Lloyd time,” Seward continued. “That has improved under this Stephen Riford, Jr. chose not to seek reelection in 1986.

Governor Cuomo, but (the budget) would be due every year “That’s when I decided to run for the Senate,” Seward on April 1 and, for a number of years, we went into August said. without a state budget, so that was frustrating, not being able to come up with the right compromises to even pass a That victory led to Seward’s 34-year tenure. state budget.”

“Even though there have been longer terms … it’s rare to Upstate demographics, Seward said, also have him worbe there as long as I have,” he said. “Out of 63 senators, I’m ried. third in seniority.

“I’ve been concerned with the out-migration of people “There are days it’s not all peaches and cream,” Seward from the upstate region,” he said. “Most of the counties continued, laughing. “But for the most part, I derived a lot in the upstate region are either flat or have actually lost of satisfaction from serving the people of the area and helppopulation in the last number of years. New York leads ing to move our area forward. I love people; I love working the nation in terms of the number of people who leave with and serving the people. I worked very hard at the the state and that has been … frustrating. I think ä job and found it personally very satisfying to have the

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4 1. Sen. Seward joins students, parents and teachers from Center Street Elementary in Oneonta in 2011 for ‘International Walk to School Day.’ The program, in conjunction with Safe Kids Otsego County, promotes pedestrian safety and a healthy lifestyle. 2. Sen. Seward visits Webcrest Farm in Bovina Center to announce $100,000 in state funding for continuation of the ROPS rebate program with Edward Weber in this 2013 photo. 3. Senator Seward and his wife Cindy are seen at campaign headquarters in Oneonta following Seward’s 2014 victory. 4. Sen. Seward is seen dedicating the Davenport Veterans of Foreign Wars Memorial Highway in this 2014 photo.

people leave to seek a more affordable place to live and a state where there are more economic opportunities and that’s led, unfortunately, to a negative trend of losing people, particularly young people.

“We’ve worked hard over the years to turn that around,” Seward continued, “but there’s still so much more we need to do. I want the upstate region to be (a place) where people can not only stay, but can attract even more people and be in a growth situation, but the trend has been the other way.”

Seward said he’s enjoyed several legislative triumphs.

“In my first 12 years in the Senate, I chaired the Energy Committee,” he said. “During that time, I authored the Power for Jobs bill, which became law, which provides low-cost economic development energy for businesses and employers of all types that retain and create jobs. That was in my earlier time, but it was a major accomplishment. And I think back to the STAR program, which gives homeowners, particularly senior citizens, a break on taxes. I would get letters from senior citizens once we put that into law saying they were very thankful and that, without the STAR program, they would not be able to afford to stay in their home, so that’s very satisfying to hear stories like that as a result of legislation I was involved in.

“Another satisfying aspect of the job is what I’d call community development and generally helping to improve our

area,” Seward continued. “I’ve been able to help both colleges; SUNY Oneonta was the only campus that did not have a field house, and I worked hard to help get that funding.

Now, Dewar Arena serves not only the college, but the community, too. I’ve really enjoyed … bringing resources into the area for higher education, local libraries and fire departments.

We work very hard to bring resources from the state level down into our communities to help with the quality of life and our economic future.”

But one-on-one constituent aid, Seward said, has meant the most.

“Being a state senator – being able to reach into the bureaucracy and straighten matters out – has given me the opportunity to assist and help constituents with their individual problems with state government,” he said. “The most dramatic example of all that is that, on two different occasions in the last few years, people have come up to me and said, ‘Senator, you saved my life. I came down with cancer and my health insurance carrier was refusing certain treatments, but I called your office and you intervened … and they reconsidered, and I was able to get the treatments I needed.’ It’s hearing stories like that … that’s very satisfying. The legislation and working on the budget and delivering money for the area are all important parts of the job, but the most satisfying part is helping individual constituents with their problems and concerns.”

Health Hurdles & Reflecting on Retirement Seward, who announced he would not seek reelection in January 2020, said health concerns drove his decision.

“There’s no question that the last 14 months have been very challenging for me from a health point of view,” he said. “In October 2019 I was diagnosed with a recurrence of (bladder) cancer and I’ve since been in chemo treatments. I’m responding very well, to the point where I’m scheduled to be able to end those soon, but it does take its toll.

“That was ultimately what led me to reassess my priorities,” Seward continued. “That’s when I decided to not seek reelection back in January, after consulting with my family and my physicians. If I couldn’t go 100% through a campaign, then I felt it was time to step aside. Thirty-four years is a good run.”

Seward said that choice concretized with his contraction of the virus caused by COVID-19.

“Because I was a cancer patient … I was trying to be careful in the very early days of the coronavirus,” he said, “but I tested positive in late March. I was hospitalized at Albany (Medical Center) for about 19 days and in the ICU on a ventilator for part of that. Things were not good, but I believe in transparency and it all played out. Being in a public position, I felt the public had a right to know what was happening. Thankfully, I rallied … and, even though it’s been a long recovery, we’re able to function fully and I’m fully engaged.”

Seward said he plans to remain political through retirement, while prioritizing the personal.

I hope to be able to, on a part-time “basis, continue some service to the people. That’s in my blood and part of who I am, so stay tuned. ” — James Seward, New York State senator

“After 34 years of a pretty hectic schedule in the Senate and performing those duties, I want to take time to smell the roses a bit and spend more time with my family,” he said. “I have two granddaughters in the area, so I’m not going anywhere. Even though I’m retiring from the Senate, I’m not retiring from my commitment and dedication to the area and the people who call this area home.

“I hope to be able to, on a parttime basis, continue some service to the people,” Seward continued.

“That’s in my blood and part of who I am, so stay tuned.” +

Sen. Seward views his plaque on the Oneonta High School Wall of Fame, added in October 2015.

Left: Sen. Seward is named an honorary Oneonta firefighter after announcing a $250,000 state grant to assist in the purchase of a new ladder truck in this 2015 photo. Right: Sen. James L. Seward learns how to tap a maple tree under the guidance of Future Farmers of America students from Mount Markham Central School and Sherburne Earlville Central School in this 2019 photo.

Winter 2021 | UPSTATE LIFE magazine | 19

Oneonta’s D&H roundhouse is seen, fully operational, in this undated photo.

DAILY STAR FILE PHOTO

PHOTO COURTESY OF HUNTINGTON MEMORIAL LIBRARY, ONEONTA

Remembering Oneonta’s Roundhouse

A view of the remaining portion of the roundhouse, which had been partially demolished in 1954 after operations there were abandoned, is seen in 1993. The foreground shows an area where a large turntable was once used to route steam locomotives into repair stalls.

I

t’s been 25 years since Oneonta was known as an active “railroad town.” In an area now designated as an industrial park, just off Chestnut Street and down the hill on Fonda Avenue, the remains of what used to be the city’s industrial community of shops for the Delaware and Hudson Railway can be seen still.

One of those long-gonewes, as a hub of the railroad yards.

Thousands worked in that essential round building until the early 1950s.

This could easily explain why there is a Roundhouse Road in the contemporary industrial park, or other recognizable names throughout the area, such as the band, “Roundhouse Rockers.”

End of an Era Sadly, as The Daily Star reported on Saturday, Feb. 17, 1996, “The Delaware and Hudson Railroad car shop closed its doors for good on Friday, eliminating the last railroad jobs in Oneonta.” At that time, the shop had 28 workers.

Since 1870, when the very first repair shops were located in the village, on land provided by Harvey Baker in what is today’s Sixth Ward, Oneonta was considered a major railroad town. Before this, Oneonta had been a stop on what was known then as the Albany and Susquehanna Railroad, its depot found on what is today’s Market Street, not far from the entrance to Neahwa Park. The railroad arrived in Oneonta in 1865, completed to Binghamton in 1869.

Population began growing in the village, as did the railroad yards with the need for additional employees. A small roundhouse was built, for use in repairing and maintaining locomotives along the entire A&S line, soon renamed the Delaware and Hudson.

As one-time local historian Edwin R. Moore wrote, “Through the years, additional land was acquired, the yards extended and more buildings put up, including, in 1906, the largest roundhouse in the world.”

The Old Walls Talk

BY MARK SIMONSON 20

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Largest Grew Larger By the early 1920s, nearly onethird of Oneonta’s population was at work in the D&H Railroad yards. The D&H roundhouse needed to operate constantly, as it served as the center of maintenance and repairs for the steam locomotives.

Around this time, steamers were getting larger. An engine was brought to the roundhouse and placed on a large turntable. The table turned to a certain track and the engine was moved to a maintenance or repair area.

D&H management decided to install a much larger turntable in the roundhouse in 1924. The new table was designed to accommodate a locomotive up to 104 feet long.

The Oneonta job was completed at 3:25 p.m. on Jan. 7 in a phenomenal seven hours and 15 minutes, or 10 hours and 45 minutes over a previously set record of installing roundhouse turntables, according to Jim Loudon’s book, “The Oneonta Roundhouse.”

Starting the Decline Many of us have been in enough workplaces to know that feeling of dread when new technology is introduced: the kind employees are told from “corporate” is better, more efficient and will save money.

Delaware & Hudson Railroad workers in the roundhouse probably had this feeling on Wednesday, Sept. 3, 1952. That was the day a diesel-powered locomotive made the first long-distance trip along the D&H line from Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania to Whitehall, New York, stopping in Oneonta.

It wasn’t likely a big surprise to any of the Oneonta roundhouse workers. Conversion to diesels on the D&H line had been underway since the end of World War II. Steam locomotives were put in storage for reserve power and emergencies only. Passenger service continued through 1952, and by this time, diesel locomotives powered the trains between Albany and Binghamton.

If a D&H employee working in the roundhouse was worried about job security, he had every right to be. The roundhouse was a vital place for steam locomotive maintenance and repair, but steam technology was being phased out.

Sure enough, about a week after that first long-distance train came through Oneonta, The Oneonta Star reported that 105 men were to be furloughed for “at least a four-day period.”

Those cuts left 173 men in the roundhouse, compared the 354 employed therein as recently as 1950. Machinists, boilermakers, sheet metal workers, blacksmiths and laborers were idled, based on seniority.

A steam locomotive was last used in Oneonta in 1953. Demolition began on the roundhouse in 1954, taking 36 stalls out of 52 that had been once used for maintenance and repair. The remnants were used temporarily for storage by local companies, but the structure remained largely unused and deteriorated until 1993.

The Canadian Pacific Railroad ordered the final razing of the roundhouse in December of that year.

The final shoe dropped with the closing of the small car shop a little over two years later. While the familiar train whistles are regularly heard in Oneonta today, the trains stop here no more.

DAILY STAR FILE PHOTO

Crews are seen demolishing the remains of the roundhouse in December 1993.

PHOTO COURTESY OF HUNTINGTON MEMORIAL LIBRARY, ONEONTA

An aerial view of the demolished roundhouse shows the footprint of the once massive structure.

The Walls ‘Talk’ Anew While one era ended sadly, there’s been a happy ending for the bricks of Oneonta’s roundhouse, used as they were to inform another chapter of history about 14 miles away.

In late 2002, Hanford Mills Museum in East Meredith became the owner of nearly 18,000 roundhouse bricks, offered by the owner of the old D&H property, Wayne Treffeisen. In September and October of that year, Hanford Mills board members Matt Kent, Gordon B. Roberts, Ken Kellerhouse, Jerry Pelligrino and a host of family and friends busied themselves picking bricks from the ground. The bricks were stacked on pallets and transported to the museum grounds for use in a steam-powered boiler and engine project.

It was back in 1881 that the Hanford family began expanding its mill business in East Meredith. At that time, the Hanfords used the waterpower from Kortright Creek and a mill pond to power their seasonal ä

MARK SIMONSON

A portion of the 18,000 bricks collected by Hanford Mills Museum in 2002 and used by the museum for a steam-powered boiler and engine project, completed in 2003, is seen in this undated photo.

sawmill. But there were times when low water levels or droughts presented serious issues. So, the Hanfords installed a small vertical steam engine in the basement of their mill. By 1895, they needed even more power, so they purchased and installed a large boiler and more powerful steam engine. Sometime around the 1930s or ‘40s, the Hanfords stopped using the engine and boiler, and scrapped them.

The old bricks were used by Hanford Mills Museum to restore an 1890s-era steam-powered boiler and engine project, completed in 2003. +

City historian Mark Simonson grew up in Oneonta, but like many, left to explore opportunities elsewhere. He returned in 1997.

Before returning, Simonson worked in public relations, marketing and broadcast journalism. He worked locally in Norwich and the greater Binghamton area, and for a short time in Boston.

Simonson was appointed Oneonta City Historian in 1998. Since then, he has been doing freelance research and writing for a twice-weekly column in The Daily Star. Additionally, Simonson has published books about Oneonta and local history in a five-county region.

Through his years of research, Simonson has come across many interesting stories about old buildings in the upstate region. He will share those stories in this and upcoming editions of Upstate Life.

Bonjour, Breakfast: Making

Crepes

the vendor were just as much a part of the experience as the eating. I ordered crepes filled with ham and cheese, sauteed mushrooms, Nutella and banana, chocolate and strawberries – if I could put it in a crepe, I did.

When I got home and tried recreating the French fare, I failed miserably. It took me years to find a recipe I liked and that worked well. For a time, I abandoned the effort, assuming you just couldn’t make good crepes at home.

This recipe has proven reliable and user-friendly, but the crepes are not the fastest cook. Individually, they cook quickly, but, because you must work in batches, cooking all the batter does take a bit. It’s worth it, though, making these crepes perfect for a lazy winter weekend breakfast.

They roll and stuff well, hardly ever tear and, most importantly, they’re delicious. Filled with a sweet-tart cream cheese spread and topped with mixed berries, they’re nearly as indulgent as Paris in your 20s. Bon appetit!

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1 1. Though fancy and French, crepes require only simple, on-hand ingredients. 2. Mixed berries make a sweet crepe filling. Prepare fruit before blending the batter, so it’s ready to scoop and fill. 3. Keep an unwrapped stick of butter ready to coat and recoat your pan between crepes. 4. The cream cheese filling, which can be made and stored beforehand, adds a sweet-tart note to these crepes. 5. Wait until small bubbles form in the surface of the poured batter and the crepe edges begin to lift from the pan before flipping. 6. Once ready to flip, the crepe is nearly cooked through, so stay close after turning. 7. Spread cream cheese filling and mixed berries on finished crepe before rolling.

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GRAPHICS CREATED BY BLUELELA | WWW.FREEPIK.COM

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n college, I studied abroad for a semester in a sleepy little English village. It was a life-changing time, full of the kind of unfettered indulgence only found in one’s early 20s. I ate, drank, spent and danced too much, but I also got to travel to the continent for a pittance, seeing (and tasting) much of Europe.

A weekend spent in Paris was mostly rainy and full of misadventures, but the food was something to remember.

There is nothing like fresh-from-the-oven pain au chocolat or baguettes and very, very smelly cheese eaten while strolling art-lined avenues. And wine picnics on the grass beneath the Eiffel tower watching its lighted fretwork blink to life at twilight? Unbeatable.

It’s the crepes – purchased from street carts and slathered in fillings savory and sweet – that I remember most.

There was a sense of theater around their creation: the whip-fast flick of the T-shaped wooden spreader on a hot, flat rounded griddle and the faltering French chit-chat with

at Home

Stuffed with fresh fruit and a tart cream cheese filling, these crepes make an elegant breakfast treat.

Cookin’ WITH

Collins CREPES TIPS  You can buy an inexpensive crepe pan and the special wooden, T-shaped spatula, but I’ve found a heavy-bottomed cast-iron skillet and a small rubber spatula work great.  To avoid sticking or sweating, place a square of wax or parchment paper between crepes before placing them in the oven.  The first crepe is usually the worst, so consider pouring slightly less batter in the pan for this one.

After that, I tend to hit a rhythm.  If making these gluten-free, I’ve had the best luck with Cup 4 Cup flour. King Arthur’s all-purpose gluten-free flour blend is a close second.  The cream cheese filling can be made beforehand and stored in an airtight container in the fridge.

COLUMN & PHOTOS

BY ALLISON COLLINS

Recipe: Modified from “Gluten-free Blender Crepes” at thereislife afterwheat.com Crepes: 1 c. 2 % or whole milk, or half ‘n’ half ½ c. water 2 eggs 2 tbsp. melted butter ½ tsp. salt 1 ¼ c. flour (or gluten-free all-purpose flour blend, if making gluten-free) ¼ tsp. xanthan gum, if making gluten-free; if not, omit ½ tbsp. granulated sugar 1 stick of butter, for coating the pan Cream Cheese Filling: 8 oz. softened cream cheese ¼ c. granulated sugar ¼ c. sour cream or buttermilk

1 tsp. vanilla extract ½ tbsp. lemon juice or rice vinegar Mixed berries of choice Directions: Preheat oven to 200 degrees Fahrenheit.

Combine all filling ingredients, beating or mixing until smooth. Set aside.

Prepare berries, if using.

Set aside.

Combine all crepe ingredients in a blender, mixing until smooth.

Heat your pan (see Tips) over medium-high heat.

When your cooking surface is hot, coat liberally with butter (roughly 1 tbsp.).

Pour in enough batter (approximately ½ c., depending on the size of the pan) to thinly coat most of the skillet. Some recipes will tell you to swirl the pan here, but spreading the batter with a

spatula works, too.

Reduce heat to medium.

Watch the crepe carefully and don’t fear the flip!

Wait until the edges begin to brown and crisp slightly, with bubbles forming on the surface of the crepe, then flip with a spatula in one swift, confident motion. If the crepe tears, you’ve flipped too soon.

Once flipped, allow the crepe to finish cooking, roughly 30 seconds, and remove to a plate. Place finished crepe in the prewarmed oven.

Recoat pan with butter and repeat the process with remaining batter.

Spoon cream cheese mixture and berries onto individual crepes and roll to close. Top with a dollop of filling and additional berries, if desired.

Yield: Approximately five crepes. +

Day-cor: DIY Projects to Make the Holiday Memorable

BY CHRYSTAL SAVAGE Unsure what to get that special someone in your life this Valentine’s Day, but want it to come from the heart? Here are three sweet DIY projects for every skill level sure to please your partner, parents or any other special person in your life when you celebrate them this Feb. 14.

A Heart-y Holiday Wreath (Expert) What you’ll need: • A foam wreath of any shape or size desired; for this project, consider a heart-shaped form, which can be found at most craft stores or major online retailers • Themed decorative variety (i.e. ornaments, faux flowers, etc.); consider experimenting with different sizes • Scissors, pliers and any other tools needed to manipulate decorative items • Hot glue gun or other adhesive • A thick string • A hook or peg that will withstand the weight of your wreath • A pencil and piece of paper Directions: Reference photos for guidance.

Step 1: Begin by sketching out a design. Be sure to make your blueprint as close to an approximate scale as possible.

Tip: Trace circular objects to get the right shape and proportions.

Step 2: Create a wreath hook by first creating an upside-down U shape with the string. Next, with the loop at the top and back of the wreath, pull the two ends together and toward you. Then, pull the two ends through the loop, still holding the string by the loop. Begin wrapping the loose ends over the lower portion around the loop where the base meets the wreath. After several loops, pull the ends back through the

A Perfect Pop-Out Card (Intermediate) What you’ll need: • Three pieces of craft paper in varying designs or patterns of the same or similar color scheme. In the example, white, patterned and solid-colored paper is used.

• A pencil and a ruler • Scissors • An invisible dry glue stick • Markers 26

| UPSTATE LIFE magazine

| Winter 2021

loop, tying a secure knot. Remove excess string with scissors.

Step 3: Attach larger pieces to the wreath first, using adhesive. Work down to the smallest pieces, filling gaps along the way. Don’t be afraid to layer your decor.

Step 4: Allow your wreath to dry before hanging.

Directions: Reference the photos for guidance.

Step 1: Measure, using a ruler’s edge, and cut a 3.25inch square on the patterned piece of craft paper.

Repeat this step once, if you would like a heart on the outside of your card in addition to the pop-up.

Step 2: Fold one of the square pieces in half with the pattern side (if applicable) facing in. Using the pencil, trace half a heart, nearly touching each side. Cut heart out and repeat on second folded square (if applicable).

Step 3: Cut the white piece of craft paper to 5.25 by 8 inches and fold lengthwise or top over bottom when the page is in portrait orientation; left over right when the page is in landscape orientation.

Step 4: Lining up the crease of the white page with the crease of the heart, trace the heart on the cover side of the white sheet.

Step 5: Folding the page in half again, cut around the traced heart, leaving a small section on each side attached.

Step 6: Crease the heart portion of the page opposite to the rest of the sheet, creating a pop-out effect.

Step 7: Cut the solid color piece of paper to the same size as the white, or allow for a border if desired.

Step 8: Glue the white piece of paper to the solid color piece of paper, making the white the interior of the card and color the exterior.

Fold the card, creating a crease on the new cover piece. Note: Do not put glue on the pop-out heart portion of the interior.

Step 9: Glue one heart to the pop-out portion of the card and the other to the cover, if applicable.

Step 10: Once the pages have dried, use markers to fill the interior and exterior of the card with sweet phrases or messages.

Note: Any size paper can be used, but the ratio should be maintained for balance.

A Charming Paper Chain (Easy) What you’ll need: • Construction paper of mixed colors • A Sharpie or other writing utensil • Scissors • A stapler and staples • Pencil Directions: Reference the photos for guidance.

Step 1: Holding the page in landscape, measure and cut equal, vertical strips from various sheets of construction paper. These strips can be as thin or thick as you would like, but sized for a single line of handwriting.

Tip: The thickness of a standard ruler is a great way to simplify the measuring process.

Step 2: Write sweet notes of admiration, encouragement or other loving phrases to whomever will be the recipient of this gesture. Repeat until strips are full.

Note: If you plan to have your chain taken apart (i.e. every day for a month), writing on the entire slip is fine. If your plan is for the chain to remain intact, only write on the left or right side of the slip, as turning the links into hearts covers the middle portion of the strip.

Step 3: Staple the first strip so that it resembles a teardrop with the two ends laying flush on top of one another, keeping the text facing outward.

Step 4: Line up the next strip (making sure the text faces the same direction and is on the inside or outside - depending on your preference - of the link if you committed to only writing on half the strip). Before stapling the strip, put the narrow end of the new strip on top of the wide end of the last strip, pushing the pieces toward the point of the previous strip until the shape of the former piece resembles a heart. Staple the narrow end of the new piece and the wide end of the old piece together. Repeat until complete.

Step 5: Complete the chain by pulling down

the center of the final loop into another heart shape and stapling it in that form. Hang or display as desired.

This Valentine’s Day, if flowers and chocolates have lost their luster, turn to your creative side. The effort is sure to wow whomever you’re celebrating this season! +

During the coldest weather, water tumbles from the lip of the falls, hitting the cold rock below and freezing into a growing cone – or cones – of ice.

The Ice Cone at

Kaaterskill Falls

BY ROBERT AND JOHANNA TITUS

W

e always wonder where to send you and your family in the middle of winter. After all, it gets pretty cold out there this time of the year.

Everyone must be sufficiently bundled and, with so much ice and snow, wintertime exploration presents fall hazards. But usually there is some decent weather, even during the coldest months. And, it’s not uncommon for all the snow and ice to melt. So, why not watch for a good stretch of weather and plan a family geology trip?

spectacular. Artists, hikers and tourists have been making the wintry trek since the early 1800s.

The platform was constructed a few years ago, so now is a great time for your visit.

A Wonder of Winter

The view from the recently constructed platform at Kaaterskill Falls is seen in this undated photo.

Visit with a View Our goal is Kaaterskill Falls.

Head east on state Route 23, continue east to state Route 23A, just past Prattsville.

Continue to Haines Falls and turn left onto North Lake Road (county Route 16). Follow that to a right turn onto Laurel House Road. Park in the lot at the end of the road and look for the trail posted to lead you 28

| UPSTATE LIFE magazine

to the falls. It’s a very easy walk, provided the snow has melted, with a fine viewing platform at the end of the trail.

See photo above.

This winter walk has been famous for centuries. The attraction is the ice cone, which typically forms each winter.

See photo next page. During the coldest weather, water tumbles from the lip of the falls, hitting the cold rock below and freezing into a growing cone – or cones – of ice.

Some years are better than others, but the view is always

| Winter 2021

The view is largely unchanged, appearing as it would have at the end of the Ice Age. Back then, massive amounts of meltwater began carving the canyon we see today. The lip of the falls is a rugged mass of sandstone, holding up well in the face of that erosive flow of water. Below that sandtone is a thick sequence of relativesly soft red shales. These are very easily eroded and have been carved away, creating a sizable overhang. Every few centuries or so, a mass of that sandstone collapses. That has been going on for millenia and the process created the falls, but the ice cone is the star of the winter show here. It is an unforgetable sight. +

THOMAS MÜHL | PIXABAY.COM

Geology Day Trip

Contact the authors at randjtitus@prodigy.net or find their Facebook page “The Catskill Geologist.”

Ice cones formed nearly every winter make the main attraction at Kaaterskill Falls.

PHOTOS BY ROBERT AND JOHANNA TITUS

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6460 State Hwy. 12, Norwich, NY 607-334-3400 • www.oliverscampers.com

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Tremperskill Country Store

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TREMPERSKILL COUNTRY STORE

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Mill Pond Inn & Tavern

102 Main St., Jefferson • 607-376-5050 www.themillpondinn.com

Personal Services & Care Bettiol Chiropractic

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Winter 2021 | UPSTATE LIFE magazine | 31