Lights on the River - December 6
Friday, December 6, as historic
celebrates Lights on the River from 5:00pm to 9:00pm.
It’s an evening of fun and merriment, live entertainment, food, shopping, holiday lights, and the evening ends with a fireworks display over the river.
Apalachin LionsAnnual Winter Coat Drive
The Apalachin Lions are now collecting clean, useable winter coats for those in need. The coats can be left at St. Margaret Mary’s Church, Pennsylvania Avenue in Apalachin. (leave the coats on the table at the right as you exit Mass); at Apalachin United Methodist
Church at 303 Pennsylvania Ave., at the Apalachin Library during its regular hours, or at Johnson’s Pools and Spas in Owego.
The Coat Drive ends November 24.
The Apalachin Lions thank you in advance.
Veterans Day Meal - Friday, November 8 at Owego Elks Lodge
The Owego Elks Lodge will serve up a Veterans Day meal on Friday November 9, from 5:00 to 6:00 pm.
Their in-house cooks will serve traditional spaghetti tossed in a rich tomato sauce with homemade meatballs. Accompanying the main dish is a fresh salad of fresh greens and Italian crusty bread. The meal finishes with a homemade dessert. Dinners are available for pick-up or dine-in starting at 5:00 pm that Friday.
Veterans, their families and the community are invited to this dinner. Membership is not required. Dinners cost $15 each. The Lodge proudly offers complimentary meals for Veterans as a gesture of appreciation for their service.
Meals can be pre-ordered by calling the Lodge at 607-687-1039 by Monday November 4. Leave a message with your
name and phone number. All other meals can be purchased by “first come, first served”. Dinners are likely to sell out, so come early.
Payment can be made at the time of the dinner with cash, check or charge.
The Owego Elks Lodge is located at 223 Front Street in the Village of Owego. All proceeds from the dinner go to the Elks Building Fund. The Elks Lodge provides an affordable place for events, meetings, dinners, and community gatherings. The Elks have finished replacing the roofs of the buildings. Now, extensive work must be done on the porches to make them safe for the members and the public to use.
For more information about the Elks Building Fund or the Lodge in general, , contact the Elks at 607-687-1039.
Thank you for your support.
Tioga County Chamber of Commerce Spotlight on Nonprofit
The Tioga County Chamber of Commerce chose to spotlight Rural Health Network for its amazing services and highly qualified team.
Executive Director Demetra Alberti said, “Rural Health Network is honored to be selected as the non-profit of the month. We have been serving rural people and communities for twenty-six years. Tioga County representatives helped found our agency and we have a long history of partnership with other Tioga County organizations to work to improve health and well-being.”
The Rural Health Network of SouthCentral New York, Inc., serves Broome, Chemung, Chenango, Cortland, Delaware, Otsego, Schuyler, Steuben, Tioga and Tompkins.
The Network is made up of people
who are passionate about creating healthy communities in South Central New York. Their staff includes enthusiastic educators and caring advocates who help constituents maintain healthy habits and manage their chronic diseases. Their board of directors includes experts in the fields of business, education, human services, and health care, along with others who have an interest in building and maintaining healthy communities in our service area. They also have extended partnerships with many organizations and businesses in the area. Through these partnerships, the Network can teach and assist many more rural residents than would be possible working independently. Together, they work to eliminate barriers between rural residents and the health care they need.
Celebrate the Season with O’Tannenbaum Holiday Showcase Opens November 8
O Tannenbaum is the Tioga County Historical Society’s (TCHS) Annual Holiday Display and Auction. Trees, wreaths, and other items donated by the community are displayed throughout the museum as part of a silent auction. The event
culminates on Final Bid Night with entertainment and refreshments. All fundraising proceeds directly benefit the Tioga County Historical Society, a 503(c)(3) nonprofit organization.
The TCHS Museum is located at 110 Front Street in Owego.
Owego/Tioga County’s traditional Veterans Day 2024 will take place at 11:00 am on Friday, November 11, in the Glenn A. Warner Memorial Hall of Owego VFW Post 1371 Veterans of Foreign Wars on Main Street in Owego.
The program will begin with the Presentation of the Colors by the VFW 1371 Honor Guard. St. Patrick’s/Blessed Trinity Deacon and Honor Guard Chaplain Michael Donovan will offer the invocation and benediction. Guest speak-
ers will talk about the significance of Veterans Day. There will be more: Vietnam Veteran Lew Sauerbrey will read the iconic poem “In Flanders Fields.” VFW Auxiliary’s Dorolyn Perry will share the “Red Poppy” story. The program will conclude with benediction, a moment of silence, and the retiring of the colors. For program suggestions contact VFW Post 1371 Veterans Day Chairman Jim Raftis at jraftis2@stny.rr.com.
At the Apalachin Library
719 Main St. Apalachin, NY 607-625-3333
Open Mon, Tues, Thurs: 10am-7pm; Fri & Sat: 10am-2pm www.apalachinlibrary.org
Mahjong Mondays, 2pm-4pm
No experience or registration required.
Storytime
Tuesdays and Thursdays, 10:30am
Join Miss Wendy for read alouds, singing, playing, dancing, and crafts! Tuesday and Thursday each week are the same theme. No registration required.
Zen Before Zzzzzs
Tuesdays beginning Nov. 12, 6pm
Grab your yoga mat and join yoga instructor Sheehan Shotwell for an inspiring yoga practice each week. Note the new start time. No registration required.
Senior Sampler Program Classic Movie “Miracle on 34th St.” and Lunch Friday, November 1, 11am-1pm
Enjoy a screening of this classic holiday movie. Lunch is included and free, but registration is required.
Local Author Talk with Arlene Kucharski Thursday, November 7, at 6pm
Arlene Kucharski will discuss the family tradition of placing dimes to give hope and bring comfort during trying times of loss as detailed in her book "Sign of the Dimes:
Crochet Class for Beginners Saturday, November 9, 10am-12pm
Space is limited and registration is required.
Ollie and Nola Show
Saturday, November 9, 10:30am12pm
Certified therapy dogs Ollie and Nola are back for another Saturday story-time. There will be dog related stories, a craft, yummy snacks, and opportunities to read to the dogs after the program. No registration is necessary, and all are welcome.
Yoga Yoga is back starting Tuesday, November 12. New time: 6pm.
1957 Apalachin Meeting Mafia
Summit Talk with County Historian Emma Sedore
Thursday, November 14, 6pm
An exciting talk about the infamous 1957 mafia summit meeting in Apalachin on its 67th anniversary! Light refreshments available.
Northern Lights Acrylic Painting Class
Saturday, November 16, 11am-1pm Registration is required.
Apalachin Library Board Meeting
Tuesday, November 19, 6:15pm
Members of the community are always welcome.
Afternoon Book Club
Thursday, November 21, 1pm
The book is Shutter Island by Dennis Lehane. Place a hold for this book in the catalog or find it on Libby as an audiobook. The December book will be The House of Silk by Anthony Horowitz. No registration required.
Evening Book Club
Thursday, November 21, 6:30pm
The book is Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon. Place a hold for this book in the catalog or find it on Libby as an eBook or audiobook. No registration required.
Tech Time with Tina By appointment. Call to sign up for some one-on-one help with any tech topic.
November Holiday Closures
Monday, Nov. 11
Thursday, Nov 28
Friday, November 29
Holiday Ukulele Concert
Friday, December 6
Enjoy a holiday ukulele concert by the Tioga Ukulele Group.
Owego Rotary Craft Fair
The 14th Annual Owego Rotary Craft Fair will be held on Sunday, November 17, 9:00am to 3:00pm at the Owego Elks Lodge at 223 Front
Street in Owego. If you have questions, contact craftfair@owegorotary.org
Richmond Hill Schoolhouse
Acquires
National Historical Registry
Sunday, October 13 Richmond Hill
one-room schoolhouse (Silver Lake Schoolhouse #1), Pennsylvania, was nearly filled to capacity as people braved the rain to attend the 1`pm dedication of its reception into the National Historic Registry. Around 170 people filtered in and out of the school throughout the open house.
Vince Hawley, 91, from Apalachin and currently from Johnson City, welcomed the crowd and said he believes that he’s the only living student who attended the school. The current building was built sometime between 1862 and 1870 and closed in 1942 when Hawley was nine-years-old.
As a youngster, his morning job before school was to get water from the spring for the day. He said that everyone brought their sleds to school in the winter time and the teacher rang the bell to gather students back into school. Vince then rang that same school bell for the onlookers and also raised the “switch” (thin tree branch) as a playful warning.
He said there were only two social outlets church and school when growing up in the country and living on dirt roads. That’s where you met people, got to know them, fight with them and possibly marry them, he said. “It was a real culture shock when I moved to the city,” he said, as the group laughed.
Vince Hawley’s father and brother bought the building to use as a hunting cabin, which never transpired, so it became a place for storage. After his brother died and about when Vince retired in 1997, he acquired the building and it took him about four years to clean out the “treasures.” Lots of “nail pounding” went into refurbishing the building, which was buckling in some spots and caved in in others.
Hawley salvaged metal desk parts and rotted wood from desk tops. He re-
built desks using photos and restored the classroom to the early era on one side of the room and the later era on the other side of the room. Families of former students would stop by when they saw him working and gave him report cards, books and other memorabilia from their family’s collections. School books were found in his own family homestead’s attic. He did a lot of research and bought period books, old slates and other items from antique stores and second hand shops “from all over,” he said.
Dan Hawley, Vince’s son, originally from Apalachin and currently from San Diego, California, did the legwork in the lengthy application process, which took over two years. First he acquired a registration in the Country School Association of America National Schoolhouse Registry. Then a Pomeroy Foundation Hometown Heritage Marker was dedicated to Dr. Robert Rose, the original landowner who most likely provided funding and support for the school. His recruitment of Irish Immigrants in Ireland newspapers was a large part of the National Register application as an association to historic events. Rose had written, “schools are abundant and under good arrangement” in Silver Lake and Richmond Hill was the first of eleven schools, according to the 1860 census. The Irish did come and settle in the area, most of whom were farmers.
Refreshments of sub sandwiches and lemonade were available to guests under outdoor canopies at the daylong open house, along with pieces of sheet cake with a colored photo imprint of the school house on the top. “Other than the weather, we had a great event,” said Dan Hawley.
Contact Vince Hawley at vhawley@stny.rr.com to schedule a visit to Richmond Hill School, 1340 WilkesBarre Turnpike, Montrose, Pennsylvania.
Monte Carlo Night Fundraiser set for November 9th
Owego VFW Post 1371 with its Auxiliary and Owego Hose Teams, Inc. will host Monte Carlo Night on Saturday, November 9th from 7 PM to 11 PM. The event takes place at the Owego VFW Post 1371 Hall, 207 Main Street, Owego. A donation is asked at the door but $10 is recommended.
Games will include Black Jack with four (4) tables, Big Six Wheel, Beat the Dealer, Money Wheel, Chuck-of-Luck, 50/50, and Turkey/Ham Raffle. Food, drink and entertainment will be provided to include hamburgers, hotdogs, soup with all you can drink draft beer and soda. DJ Tom Donovan, Jr. of Flat Rats Adventures will be spinning your favorite tunes of today and yesteryear. The Hose Team, VFW, and VFW Auxiliary host two (2) Monte Carlos each year in the Spring and Fall.
Proceeds will be split by the hosting organizations. The Hose Team will use
funds to support its 1866 Amoskeag Steam Fire Engine restoration and Steamer House project. The VFW uses funding for a variety of community programs to include its annual Christmas party and movie for area children.
The Hose Team in partnership with Glen Park Vineyards on Allen Glen Road is also having their Purple People Take Over at the vineyard on Friday, November 8th from 5 PM to 9 PM. Musical guests Latimer Lee will perform classic rock hits throughout the night. Guest bartenders include Emily Smith-Pellicano with her father Hose Team legend Scotty Smith; Becca Maffei & Lori Maley from Tioga County Tourism; and Kaitlyn Ferguson with her father Central New York #1 Ladder Man Larry Ferguson. This is the third year of the event showcasing Owego’s only winery.
Ribbon Cutting at Owego Elks Lodge Emporium
The Tioga County Chamber of Commerce held a Ribbon Cutting Ceremony on Sunday, October 20, to celebrate the 49th Anniversary of the Owego Elks Lodge Emporium at 223 Front Street in Owego.
The Lodge is open on Wednesday, Thursday (Meeting Nights only) and Friday Nights. Dinners are on the first Fridays, except as noted on their calendar.
On the first and third Sundays of every month, the Owego Elks Lodge hosts Emporium, which is an antique show with more than 50 dealers.
The show runs from 9:00am to 3:00 pm. Lodge meetings are on the first and third Thursdays at 7:00 pm, except for July and August, when the lodge meets only on the third Thursday. The main entrance and most of the Lodge is handicap accessible but, the Lodge room is not.
Community Tree Lighting & Christmas Party December 1 in Little Meadows
Celebrate the magic of the holiday season at the Annual Community Tree Lighting and Christmas Party on Sunday, December 1, from 5:00 to 7:00pm at the Little Meadows United Methodist Church, 834 Pennsylvania Avenue in Little Meadows, PA. (Snow, rain, or shine - dress accordingly)
A special guest will arrive around
6:00pm. There will be time for you to take pictures with Santa, so bring your camera.
There will be activities for all ages. Join in the fun with caroling, and ornament making to decorate the tree. At 6:15pm, there will be the countdown to lighting the tree with a special guest.
There will be hot & cold drinks, pizza, and snacks.
Lions Mobile Food Pantry - November 27
The Foodbank of the Southern Tier and the Apalachin Lions will hold a “Walk-Up Mobile Food Pantry” on Wednesday, November 27, from 10:00am to 11:00am at St. Margaret Mary’s Church, 1110 Pennsylvania Avenue in Apalachin.
Pre-registration is required. You can pre-register on Tuesday, November 26, from 8:30am until full - the event is limited to 125 registrations. You can register by phone: 2-1-1 or online at www.foodbankst.org/cfd Remember to bring a cart or bags to carry the food home!
The Terrace
The Friendly Neighborhood Tavern Rt. 434, Apalachin, New York 625-3935
50 Years Ago
November
It’s November 1974. Unemployment reaches a three-year high.
John Glenn and Gary Hart are elected to the Senate.
President Ford announces that he will run for President in 1976.
The Justice Department demands that AT&T break up its communication network.
President Ford and Soviet Secretary Brezhnev sign a tentative 10year agreement to limit strategic offensive weapons.
Hugh Carey is elected Governor of New York. Matt McHugh is elected to Congress. James R. Ayers is elected Sheriff of Tioga County, defeating incumbent Ruton E. Beauter.
WSKG-TV’s “Auction 46” raises $68,000, missing its goal of $75,000.
The Tioga County Bicentennial Committee announces plans to plant nine shade trees in the park surrounding the courthouse next year. The committee will ask each of the county’s nine towns to donate funds for the trees.
The newly remodeled Tioga Theatre in Owego is open and showing
the movie Death Wish. Seats are $2 for adults, 75¢ for senior citizens.
Sales in fabric and sewing machine stores are up 20% because of the rising cost of clothing.
Top songs include You Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet by Bachman-Turner Overdrive, Jazzman by Carole King, Whatever Gets You Thru the Night by John Lennon, I Can Help by Billy Swan, My Melody of Love by Bobby Vinton, and Longfellow Serenade by Neil Diamond.
Movies playing at local theaters include The Longest Yard starring Burt Reynolds, The Odessa File, Disney’s The Shaggy Dog and The Bears and I, Law and Disorder, The Savage is Loose, The Trial of Billy Jack, and Airport 1975 (“Something hit us... the crew is dead... help us, please, please help us!”)
Wednesday night TV shows include Little House on the Prairie, Cannon, Lucas Tanner, Petrocelli, and Manhunter
And, Hello Kitty is “born” on November 1, 1974.
&
for
Charlie rode up a short hill on the back of a tandem bike. His foot slipped off the pedal, the chain fell off, and the bike jerked to a stop. The two bikers fell off while Charlie’s momentum catapulted him forward and he rolled down a grassy hill. He was unscathed and unfazed. Charlie, at 102, doesn’t let anything stop him and was ready to go out on the bike again according his guide Nina Nesky. He’s totally blind and rides with sighted guides from his recreational group on hilly country roads.
Bicycling is just one of Charlie’s many adventures that the group offers: Northeastern Pennsylvania Regional Ski For Light and Sports For Health, Inc., (NEPA SFL-SFH) is a non-profit that enlists the help of sighted volunteers to enjoy activities with Visually Impaired Persons (participants).
Fortunately, Charlie was wearing a new helmet, which was one of five brand new ones donated by Anthony Folk, owner of Chenango Point Cycles in Binghamton. The group is grateful for Folk’s generous donation because their helmets were old and needed to be replaced.
In addition to biking, the group enjoys kayaking, canoeing, SUPing, paddle boating, fishing, tubing, waterskiing, marksmanship, hiking, going on nature walks, climbing waterfalls, bushwhacking, bocce ball, bowling, shuffleboard (inside and out), horseback riding, running obstacle courses, blueberry picking, cross-country skiing and snowshoeing.
Nesky and her husband Bob have volunteered as guides since 2009. Nina loves taking participants out on tandem bikes and although she’s petite, she’s strong enough to take riders who are more than twice her size up and down hills.
Nina recalled another bike incident with Rich, a judge from New Jersey, and a strong athlete and bicyclist. “In the process of navigating a tight U-turn,
Rich fell off the bike and into a ditch,” she said. “He came out without a single scrape or cut. When asked about the ride, Rich replied, ‘She said we were going to the cemetery. She didn’t tell me she was going to bury me!’” The joke became known as “Rich in the Ditch….!”
Nina recalled her introduction to the group: “My very first activity was belly dancing. This is where I met some of the funniest people, including Gilda and Lilly. We shared so many laughs. Since Lilly has no hips, her belly dancing skirt kept falling down. To this day, I still call her ‘No Hips Lilly!’”
Linda Kirk enjoyed her canoe ride on the Susquehanna River as her guide explained in detail what the houses, scenery, and wildlife looked like while they meandered down the river. “I feel like I can see as we go along from your description,” she said to her guide, recalling her sighted days before her vision was impaired.
In addition to the usual lineup of activities, the group went to the Greek Peak Adventure Center twice, once for zip lining, and again for the mountain coaster ride. Last year, the group went to Dick’s House of Sport one week after their Grand Opening and experienced the climbing wall. Charlie, at 102, made it halfway up the wall. “He was quite the celebrity that day, and became a hero to everyone who witnessed his climb” said Nina and continued, “he’s always been my hero.”
Ski For Light/Sports For Health (SFL/SFH) stays at Sky Lake Retreat in Windsor, NY.
If you’re interested in the program as a participant or to volunteer as a guide for winter or summer activities, check out the website nepaoutdoors.org (http:// nepaoutdoors.org/) or contact Director Ed Kenlon at ed@Kenlon.com (mailto:ed@Kenlon.com) or 540-5389190.
Craft Fair - November 23 inApalachin
A Craft Fair will be held on Saturday, November 23, from 9:00am to 3:00pm at the Apalachin United Methodist Church, 303 Pennsylvania Avenue, in Apalachin. The church is across the street from the Fire Station.
There will be a huge variety of homemade crafts, and lunch is available.
The event benefits the Apalachin United Women in Faith.
Tioga County Chamber of Commerce AnnualAwards Ceremony - January 30
The Tioga County Chamber of Commerce announced that its Winter Wonderland themed Annual Awards Night is set to take place on January 30, 2025, at the Owego Elks Lodge.
This prestigious event will honor outstanding individuals and organizations who have made significant contributions to Tioga County.
The evening will commence at 5pm, featuring a cocktail reception followed by a formal dinner and awards ceremony. Guests will enjoy an inspiring program, including keynote speakers from industry leaders, and a showcase of this year’s nomi-
nees.
This year, awards will be presented in various categories to be announced. Tickets for the event are now available to purchase at: https://www.tiogachamber.com/ events/details/awards-2024-1678. Join the chamber for an unforgettable evening filled with celebration, inspiration, and networking opportunities. Dinner will conclude at 7:30.
For more information, contact the Tioga County Chamber of Commerce by phone at 607-687-7335 or via email at: business@tiogachamber.com
Katie Merrit Book Signing Event
A Book Signing Event with author Katie Merrit will be held on Thursday, November 14, from Noon to 4:00pm at the Board of Education Room, 5 Sheldon Guile Blvd. in Owego.
Join Katie for a free book signing event. She will be signing and distributing books in her series: The Road Back to You. The third book in
the series has just recently been released entitled Codependency No More. Two more novels are preparing for shelves now.
Donations and/or book purchases are encouraged. Register at https:// www.tiogachamber.com/events/ details/katie-merritt-book-signing1684.
