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Eggs at Eight to focus on Social Media

Special to The Odessa File

WATKINS GLEN, March 3 -- Social Media will be the next topic of the Eggs at Eight series sponsored by The Business and Education Committee of the Watkins Glen Area Chamber of Commerce.

Eggs at Eight will be held on Tuesday, March 9 at 8 a.m. at Classic Chef’s, Route 14.

Morgen McLaughlin and her staff at Finger Lakes Wine Country will discuss Social Media, an important communication and marketing tool for all types of businesses. Attendees will learn how to set-up a Facebook page that is specific to their business. In addition, they will have the opportunity to learn about some “best practices” to fully optimize their Facebook presence.

Demonstrations on setting up a Twitter profile and how to make and maintain posts will also be covered.

The cost to attend is $10 per person, which includes a full breakfast of one’s choice. Seating is limited and reservations are appreciated, but not required. Attendees are encouraged to bring their laptops if possible to take part in the working demonstrations.

For more information or to reserve space, contact the Chamber of Commerce at 607-535-4300 or email rebekah@watkinsglenchamber.com.

Glenora plans Lounge at Veraisons

Special to The Odessa File

DUNDEE, Feb. 25 -- Glenora Wine Cellars has announced that construction of a full-service Lounge is underway at Veraisons Restaurant, and that it will be up and running by March 5.

"Customers are encouraged to watch history in the making as we post daily updates of the construction on our website," said a Glenora spokesperson. "To view the construction of the Lounge, please visit our website: www.glenora.com."

Glenora Wine Cellars has been in the wine industry for over 30 years, producing award-winning wines. It was the first winery on Seneca Lake in the heart of New York’s Finger Lakes Wine Country. Today the property offers a 30-room inn (the Inn at Glenora) and a gourmet restaurant (Veraisons) joining the winery on the beautiful 40-acre estate.

Chamber team's chef appearance delayed

Special to The Odessa File

WATKINS GLEN, Feb. 26 -- The scheduled appearance Thursday evening, Feb. 25 of the ladies of the Watkins Glen Area Chamber of Commerce as Guest Chefs at Glenora's Veraisons Restaurant was wiped out by poor weather.

The Chamber team's appearance will be rescheduled to May, Chamber President Max Neal said.

The Guest Chef series -- which features local celebrities assisting head chef Orlando Rodriguez as he prepares dinner guests' pasta requests -- runs early each year beginning in January.

It is designed to raise funds for various projects and organizations. A portion of the proceeds from the Chamber team's evening will benefit the Chamber’s strategic planning projects for 2010.

Photo in text: Chamber employees (from left) Miranda Polmanteer, Emily Hubbell, Rebekah LaMoreaux and Katie Strawser.

Tickets available for Auxiliary fundraiser

Special to The Odessa File

MONTOUR FALLS, Feb. 24 -- The Schuyler Hospital Auxiliary has announced that additional tickets are now available for its “Sister Act” fundraiser, re-scheduled for Wednesday, March 3 at Bleacher’s Bar & Grill in Watkins Glen.

Rescheduled due to the weather, the event begins at 5:30 p.m. and includes snacks and desserts during the screening of the movie “Sister Act.” Cash bar and menu items are also available.

The event benefits the Auxiliary’s Scholarship Fund.

For more information, contact Auxilian Midge Franzese at (607) 535-6635.

McKenzie named to Advisory Council

Special to The Odessa File

WASHINGTON, D.C., Feb. 23 -- Brian McKenzie of Finger Lakes Distilling in Burdett, New York has been appointed to the Distilled Spirits Council Craft Distillers Advisory Council.

McKenzie will join an 11-member Advisory Council of small distillers as part of the Distilled Spirits Council’s (DISCUS) new Craft Distiller Affiliate Membership program for distillers producing under 40,000 nine-liter cases annually.

"I'm thrilled to be appointed to this Advisory Council," said McKenzie. "I believe it's important to have a voice in the issues affecting our business, but also think we can be a valuable asset in promoting the principles of the Distilled Spirits Council. I'm happy that DISCUS recognizes the potential impact of the growing craft distilling industry and look forward to being very active in these efforts."

As a leadership body, the Advisory Council’s role will be to coordinate communications with the Washington, D.C.-based DISCUS policy teams, and engage and activate small distillers in their respective regions.

The Craft Distiller Affiliate Membership was created to organize the growing number of small distilled spirits producers across the nation and alert them to public policy issues affecting the industry at every level of government.

In the last decade, the number of small distillers in the U.S. grew from a few dozen to more than 200 today, now making an array of products from white spirits such as vodka and gin to wide varieties of liqueurs, aged whiskeys and brandies.

Hospital Auxiliary schedules Pasta Night

Special to The Odessa File

MONTOUR FALLS, Feb. 7 -- The Schuyler Hospital Auxiliary has scheduled its annual Pasta Night fundraiser for Monday, March 8 from 4:30–7:00 p.m. at the Montour Falls Moose Lodge on State Route 14, Montour Falls.

The Watkins-Montour Lions Club and the Moose Lodge will once again host the Pasta Dinner for the benefit of the Hospital Auxiliary.

Tickets may be purchased at the Schuyler Hospital gift shop or at the door the night of the dinner for $6.00 for adults, or $3.00 for children.

The menu includes pasta, meatballs & sausage, bread, salad, beverage and brownie. A cash bar will be available, as well as take-outs.

Proceeds from the dinner help fund the Schuyler Hospital Auxiliary Health Care Scholarships and other projects at the hospital.

For more information about the Auxiliary, or to volunteer, contact Nancy Pratt, volunteer coordinator, at (607) 535-5129 or visit www.schuylerhospital.org.

Rotary Club offering Community Grants

Special to The Odessa File

WATKINS GLEN, Feb. 4 -- The Watkins-Montour Rotary Club has announced that March 15 is the deadline for applications for community grants from the Club.

Starting in 2010, the Club is offering grants for specifically identified projects or needs. Grants generally will range from $100 to $1,000. A limited amount of funds is available.

“We believe it is part of our mission as Rotarians to support worthy endeavors in the community with financial donations when possible,” said Rotarian Tony Fraboni, chairman of the Club’s Donations Committee.

Guidelines for applying for a Rotary community grant are available on the Club’s website at www.watkinsmontourrotary.com.

Hospital offers health-care scholarships

Special to The Odessa File

MONTOUR FALLS, Jan. 19 -- The Schuyler Hospital Auxiliary is offering scholarships to students who plan to enter the health care field.

Two scholarships are available to graduating high school students who are residents of Schuyler County, and one to hospital employees wishing to further their education in the health care field. Three $1,000 scholarships are available.

Applications may be picked up at high school guidance offices, the Hospital’s Human Resources office or at www.schuylerhospital.org.

Application deadline is May 14, 2010.

For more information, contact Schuyler Hospital Auxiliary members Midge Franzese at (607) 535-6635 or Joan Argetsinger at (607) 535-6622.

Auxiliary donates $27,000 to hospital

Special to The Odessa File

MONTOUR FALLS, Jan. 13 -- The Schuyler Hospital Auxiliary made its annual donation to the Hospital a holiday one, presenting a December check totaling $27,000.

The donation put the Hospital Health Foundation’s 2009 campaign over its fund-raising goal to expand and upgrade the September Hill Women’s Health Facility.

The Auxiliary raises funds throughout the year, through the Hospital Gift Shop, a spring spaghetti dinner, raffles, bake sales, and partnering with the Schuyler Health Foundation on events including November Splendor and Antiques & Tapas.

“We are excited about the September Hill project, and pleased to be able to contribute at such a level,” said Joanne McLaine, Auxiliary President. “All of our volunteer Auxiliary members worked hard this year to make this donation possible.”

For more information about the Auxiliary, or to volunteer, contact Nancy Pratt, volunteer coordinator, at (607) 535-5129 or visit www.schuylerhospital.org.

Photo in text: Rick Stelzer, President/CEO of Schuyler Hospital, accepts a $27,000 donation from the Hospital Auxiliary. From left are Stelzer, Auxiliary Treasurer Rita Tague Carmony, Auxiliary President Joanne McLaine, and Family of Friends 2009 Campaign Chair Jim Howell. (Photo provided)

Gallery features area artist's jewelry

Special to The Odessa File

WATKINS GLEN, Dec. 20 -- The Franklin Street Gallery and Gift Shop now has jewelry made by Janet Tanner of Reading Center available for sale to the public.

A unique aspect of this jewelry is that it is made with African Ceramic Kazuri beads. Tanner began crafting her jewelry in 2007 after learning of the story behind the beads, made by women in Nairobi, Kenya.

Kazuri beads originated in 1975 to provide employment for disadvantaged women in the Kikuyu Tribe. Kazuri beads are handcrafted ceramic and are made from African clay, dug by hand from Mount Kenya. Each bead is shaped individually by hand and painted with high gloss paint in a kaleidoscope of African colors and Kenyan art.

The Gallery is operated by The Arc of Schuyler, a nonprofit organization that provides supports to people with disabilities and their families. The Gallery was established as a community art center to promote the arts in Schuyler County and the surrounding area and to encourage the participation of artists from diverse backgrounds and life experiences. Artist receptions, shows and small group activities also take place at The Gallery.

The Gallery is open Wednesday through Friday from 12 noon to 5 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., and at other times by chance or appointment.

The Franklin Street Gallery is always looking for volunteers to help in its operation. For more information on the Gallery or The Arc of Schuyler, visit www.arcofschuyler.org.

Free mammograms, colon-rectal kit offered

Special to The Odessa File

MONTOUR FALLS, Dec. 16 -- To help uninsured men and women test for cancer risks, Schuyler Hospital is offering a "Post Holiday Sale" to allow individuals to take charge of their health -- no credit card needed

On January 22, 2010, Schuyler Hospital is offering a no-cost Clinical Breast Exam and Mammogram for women ages 40-64 who have no health insurance and have not had a mammogram in the last 12 months.

In addition, women or men ages 50-64 with no health insurance can receive a free take-home FOBT kit to check for colon cancer risks.

To make an appointment, and for more information, contact Schuyler Hospital’s Cancer Services Program at (607) 535-9174 or go to www.schuylerhospital.org

Hospital welcomes back PA Fitzsimmons

Special to The Odessa File

HECTOR, Dec. 11 -- After a brief hiatus with another healthcare system, Paula Fitzsimmons PA has returned to Schuyler Hospital, and is now accepting new patients.

Fitzsimmons’ office is located at Hector Falls Integrative Medicine, where she shares a practice with Dr. Michael Eisman.

At Hector Falls Integrative Medicine, Dr. Eisman and Fitzsimmons combine conventional medicine with integrative therapies such as bioidentical hormones, nutritional supplements, and stress reduction techniques. They offer expertise in women’s health, and adrenal issues.

The practice provides a full range of primary care services for adults, including routine check-ups and the diagnosis and treatment of acute and chronic medical conditions.

For an appointment, contact the Hector Falls office at (607) 546-4091 or visit www.schuylerhospital.org.

Hospital schedules birthing classes

Special to The Odessa File

MONTOUR FALLS, Dec. 4 -- Schuyler Hospital has released dates for its 2010 birthing and breastfeeding classes.

Classes are held on Saturdays, from 9 a.m.-3 p.m., and cover topics including: the signs and symptoms of labor, relaxation and breathing techniques, tools needed to develop coaching strategies, preparation for all types of labor and deliveries, self care and emotional adjustment after giving birth, infant care and breastfeeding techniques.

2010 class dates are (all Saturdays): January 9, March 6, May 1, June 26, August 28, October 16 and December 11.

Classes are $35 per session. However, a scholarship program is available, and no one is turned away.

To enroll in child birthing classes, call the Stork’s Landing Maternity Department at Schuyler Hospital, 220 Steuben Street, Montour Falls, at (607) 535-8639, ext. 2233 or 2234.

Schuyler Hospital has two OB/GYN’s on staff to meet women’s needs at any age: Dr. William Saks at September Hill Women’s Center in Montour Falls, (607) 535-4645; and Dr. Zarmina Aman at 1 First Street (Guthrie Building) in Watkins Glen, (607) 535-7923.

Watkins Promotions is going independent

Special to The Odessa File

WATKINS GLEN, Nov. 23 -- Watkins Glen Promotions will become an independent entity and relocate its office to a new location.apart from the Watkins Glen Area Chamber of Commerce, it has been announced by the Chamber and Promotions Boards of Directors.

Watkins Glen Promotions has been operating under the Chamber, but effective Jan. 1st it will be a stand-alone organization with bylaws, officers, and directors.

Its new location will be at the former NYSEG building on Franklin Street in downtown Watkins Glen. It will retain its current phone number and website.

Watkins Glen Promotions will continue to host its annual events, including the Grand Prix Festival; the Waterfront Festival and Cardboard Boat Regatta; the Falls Harvest Festival; and the Village Christmas.

The Chamber will continue to host its special events, including the Annual Celebration; Golf Tournament; Summer Picnic and Fundraiser; Annual Meeting; monthly mixers; special committee events and any new Chamber events to come.

For more information about the Watkins Glen Area Chamber of Commerce, call 607-535-4300 or visit www.watkinsglenchamber.com. For more information about Watkins Glen Promotions, call 607-535-3003 or visit www.watkinsglen.com/promotions

Chamber members approve new officers

Special to The Odessa File

WATKINS GLEN, Nov. 20 -- Members of the Watkins Glen Area Chamber of Commerce approved the Nominating Committee’s 2010 slate of officers and directors Wednesday at the annual membership meeting, held this year at Red Newt Cellars Winery and Bistro.

Officers elected were Debra Whiting of Red Newt Cellars, Chairman of the Board; Robert Halpin, Attorney at Law, First Vice Chairman; Vivian (Vicki) Schamel of the Village Marina Bar and Grill, Second Vice Chair; Anthony Fraboni of HSBC Bank, Treasurer; and Donna Davis of Sunset on Seneca Bed and Breakfast, Secretary. Tom Phillips, superintendent of the Watkins Glen Central School District, will serve as Immediate Past Chair.

Also elected were three new directors. Brian McKenzie of Finger Lakes Distilling; Joshua Navone of Schooner Excursions Inc./Malabar VII; and Brian Vanderburgh of BV”s Corner Bar and Grille. A 2009 Year-in-Review was presented by Tom Phillips, and the 2010 Strategic Goals were discussed.

The evening also featured a monthly Chamber Mixer, with networking, hors d’oeuvres and wine. The next mixer will be on Wednesday, Dec. 16 at the Seneca Lake General Store, Watkins Glen, with a holiday theme.

Owner Cynthia Dickerman in her store Friday.

Beyond Baskets celebrates 5 years

CORNING, Nov. 7 -- It was a time for celebration at the Beyond Baskets shop at 88 West Market Street in Corning Friday.

It was a five-year anniversary of the store, marked by a grand reopening celebration and a ribbon-cutting, and the presence of Corning Mayor Tom Reed and Mayor-elect Rich Negri.

The store, owned and operated by Cynthia Dickerman, is full of candies and candles and bath items and the work of area artists, along with various antiques, bowls, bird feeders, mugs, baskets, and interesting knickknacks that seem suitable for the decorative corners of area homes. Dickerman specializes in gift baskets, something she has been doing for 15 years, long before she decided on a retail store.

Also featured in the store are handmade bath and body products devised by daughter Laura Dickerman, who has her own business -- Laura's Luxuries. Among her products are bars of soap that have within them small items -- such as race cars, toy fish or other items particularly appealing to youngsters. Her soap is also featured in Watkins Glen, at Jim Guild's Seneca Lake General Store.

WETM-TV was on hand for Friday's celebration, interviewing the owner and the mayor. "It's a good day," said Dickerman. "It demonstrates the vibrancy of Market Street," added the mayor.

Photo in text: The interior of the store has a charming old-fashioned flavor.

Left: Laura Dickerman, who has her own business, Laura's Luxuries. Right: Mayor Tom Reed.

Hospital Auxiliary honors volunteers

Special to The Odessa File

MONTOUR FALLS, Nov. 6 -- The Schuyler Hospital Auxiliary recently held its annual fall meeting at the Glen Motor Inn in Watkins Glen.

A highlight was the presentation of pins honoring 11 volunteers for donating a total of over 26,700 hours to hospital service during the year.

Those receiving pins were Virginia Beebe, Marie Decker, Gretta Preston, Nancy Pratt, Marietta Searles, Doris Fazzary, Midge Franzese, Kathy Fragola, Marilyn Lockner, Annabelle Specchio and Joanne McLaine.

Also at the meeting, Schuyler Hospital Chief Nursing Officer Prudence Ferraro provided an update on the latest swine flu information.

To join the Schuyler Hospital Auxiliary, call (607) 535-5129 or go to www.schuylerhospital.org

Schuyler Hospital going tobacco-free

Special to The Odessa File

MONTOUR FALLS, Nov. 3 -- Schuyler Hospital is going tobacco-free.

As of January 1st, no tobacco use of any kind will be permitted — inside or outside — at any Schuyler Hospital facilities. Currently utilized designated smoking areas will be eliminated.

Survival kits including rubber bands and gum will be available for patients and visitors. The hospital continues to offer cessation classes and nicotine replacement therapy for interested employees.

"This is just one more example of our commitment to the health and safety of our employees, residents and patients," said Rick Stelzer, President/CEO for Schuyler Hospital. "As a healthcare organization and a member of this community, we believe it is our responsibility to demonstrate our ongoing commitment to healthy living."

Scholarships awarded to 2 women

Special to The Odessa File

WATKINS GLEN, Nov. 1 -- Two women -- one from Montour Falls and the other from Dundee -- were awarded Women's Career Enhancement Scholarships by the Southern Finger Lakes Women (formerly Watkins Glen Business & Professional Women) at the chapter's Oct. 19 meeting.

The scholarships were awarded to Jackie A. Collins of Montour Falls and Whendy Wolverton of Dundee during the week proclaimed nationally and locally as National Business Women’s Week.

Collins was awarded a $500 scholarship. She is employed by Schuyler Hospital and is attending Excelsior College to achieve her nursing degree (RN). In her application she stated that she chose a nursing career because she knows she can “make a positive difference in people’s lives.” She has a strong passion for wound care and would like to become a wound specialist in the future.

Wolverton was awarded a $250 scholarship. She works at the Schuyler County Department of Social Services Child Support Unit. She is currently attending Corning Community College in the pursuit of a degree in Business Administration. She also serves as secretary for the Altay Baptist Church and is studying to be a certified lay pastor.

The SFLW said in a press release that it was "impressed with both Jackie and Whendy and commend them for displaying exceptional motivation toward furthering their education while also working full time and participating in community events."

The SFLW started the Women’s Career Enhancement Scholarship program in 2008 as part of its objective of “women helping women.” The scholarships provide assistance to women 25 years of age and older who are furthering their education.

For more information about the scholarship program, contact Karen Cilley at (607) 594-2148. For more information about the Southern Finger Lakes Women, contact Gloria Hutchings at (607) 594-2489 or JoAnne Krolak at (607) 732-1171

Photo in text: Whendy Wolverton, left, and Jackie Collins (Photo provided)

Schuyler Hospital restricts visitations

Sets up separate entrance for patients with flu-like symptoms

Special to The Odessa File

MONTOUR FALLS, Oct. 29 --Schuyler Hospital is restricting children under the age of 18 -- and anyone feeling ill -- from visiting patients, including family members, in order to protect the safety of patients, family, visitors and staff.

The measures are being taken in response to the spread of the Swine Flu (H1N1) virus.

In addition, patients with flu-like symptoms are being redirected from the hospital’s main emergency entrance to a separate entrance – the ambulance entrance at the opposite side of the department. However, between 7 p.m. and 7 a.m., patients should continue using the main emergency entrance, where they will then be redirected as appropriate for treatment.

Masks and alcohol hand cleansers are on hand at all entrances to the hospital. Hand washing is strongly encouraged as the best precaution against the spread of the flu virus.

Additional procedures may be instituted, hospital officials said..

For seasonal and H1N1 flu vaccines, community members are urged to contact their family physician, attend a public health clinic, or make an appointment at Schuyler Hospital’s Primary Care Center by calling (607) 535-7154.

Area residents with questions or concerns regarding seasonal or swine flu should contact Chief Nursing Officer Prudence Ferraro at (607) 535-7121.

Flu information and links are also available at www.schuylerhospital.org

Krolak wins Woman of the Year award

Special to The Odessa File

WATKINS GLEN, Oct. 27 -- JoAnne Krolak, a 33-year member of the Watkins Glen Business and Professional Women (BPW) -- now the Southern Finger Lakes Women (SFLW) -- was named the organization's “Woman of the Year” at its Oct. 19 meeting.

The presentation was made during National Business Women’s Week, which since 1928 has recognized the achievements and honored the contributions of American working women.

Krolak was presented with a certificate, corsage, and a Woman of the Year pin. Presenting the award was Mary Ellen Morgan, State President of New York State Women, Inc., assisted by District VI Assistant District Director Gloria Hutchings.

Krolak received her BA from Elmira College and her MBA from Syracuse University, and works as a Management Aide at Elmira Housing Authority. She has served as president of the group honoring her and has held other executive positions at the District level. She also participates on committees at the local, district and state level and writes Women’s History Month articles each month for New York State’s NIKE women’s magazine.

Krolak belongs to the American Association of University Women (AAUW) and volunteers at the Elmira Correctional Facility and the Interfaith Hospitality Center.

Southern Finger Lakes Women, a Chapter of NYS Women, Inc., works with women, employers and policymakers to create successful workplaces that practice and embrace diversity, equity and work-life balance. The local chapter was founded in 1940.

Meetings of the SFLW are open and held the third Monday of every month. Call Gloria Hutchings, Membership Chair, at 594-2489 or JoAnne Krolak at 732-1171 for more information.

Photo in text: From left, Gloria Hutchings, District VI Assistant District Director; JoAnne Krolak, Woman of the Year; and Mary Ellen Morgan, President, NYS Women, Inc. (Photo provided)

Neal to stay; LaMoreaux being groomed

Special to The Odessa File

WATKINS GLEN, Oct. 23 -- Watkins Glen Area Chamber of Commerce Interim President Max Neal will be offered a one-year contract and Chamber official Rebekah LaMoreaux will be promoted with an eye toward making her President in 2011 under recommendations approved this week by the Chamber's Board of Directors.

The moves, expected to be approved by membership, come in the wake of a search process that culminated in interviews with four individuals by a search committee. One of the search subjects was a woman from Florida, one was a local businessman, and two -- according to reports -- were from within the Chamber office.

LaMoreaux, the Chamber's Director of Operations and Finance, will be promoted to Chief Operating Officer/Chief Financial Officer under Neal's direct supervision.

Neal, a former Chamber president, took over as Interim President earlier this year in the wake of the dismissal of Crystal Ricks following the discovery of "irregularities" in the Chamber books.

The Board, in making its latest recommendations, said the next year "will be a time of mentoring between Max and Rebekah with the thought that Rebekah could, if all performance markers are met, move into the President's position in 2011. The Search Committee, and ultimately the Board of Directors, felt that this option provided the Board the opportunity to retain its local talent and expertise and rely on the people we know and those that know the Chamber during this critical period of transition."

The Board added that it "is confident that this decision is a wise one. We are hopeful that the Chamber team will be in agreement with the decision and support it to the fullest. We are anticipating a productive, stable and rewarding year."

The annual Chamber Membership Meeting will be held Nov. 18 at Red Newt Winery, "at which time the change will become effective," the Board said.

Photos in text: Max Neal (top) and Rebekah LaMoreaux.

Colon-rectal surgery certification earned

Special to The Odessa File

MONTOUR FALLS, Oct. 18 -- Schuyler Hospital’s Dr. Irfan Rizvi recently earned his Board Certification for colon and rectal surgery.

Dr. Rizvi is also board certified in general surgery.

To earn board certification, Dr. Rizvi successfully completed a five-year training program in general surgery and one additional year in colon and rectal surgery residency. He then passed written and oral examinations given by the American Board of Colon and Rectal Surgery (ABCRS).

In addition to being proficient in general surgery, Dr. Rizvi deals with conditions such as, but not limited to, colon and rectal cancer, polyps, inflammatory bowel disease, diverticulitis, as well as anal conditions such as hemorrhoids, fissures, abscesses, and fistulas. He also treats problems such as constipation and incontinence

To make an appointment with Dr. Rizvi, contact his office at (607) 535-7923.

Seneca Lake restaurants on Cuisine Trail

State program highlights cooperation between local ag producers, restaurants

Special to The Odessa File

WATKINS GLEN, Oct. 18 -- – The State of New York Department of Agriculture and Markets has announced that a Cuisine Trail has been approved to showcase local cuisine from Burdett to Lodi, along the east side of Seneca Lake.

It will be one of only five cuisine trails designated by legislation in the state. The mission of the program, says the Schuyler County Partnership for Economic Development (SCOPED), is to promote agriculutural producers and provide marketing opportunites between those producers and the people and businesses they support.

"The goal of the new Cuisine Trail along Seneca Lake," a SCOPED press release noted, "is to feature the use of local produce in the development of a regional identity created by the restaurants along the trail that buy from local farmers."

The trail begins in downtown Burdett and mostly follows NYS Route 414 north to Lodi. Currently, the restaurants associated with the Cuisine Trail are: Smok’N Bones Barbeque, The Grist Mill Café, Skyland Gallery & Café, Stonecat Café, Red Newt Cellar’s Bistro, Suzanne Fine Regional Cuisine, and Dano’s Heurirger on Seneca. "These restaurants have developed a regional identity in the Finger Lakes and are closely associated with local agriculture," the release said.

The application for the Cuisine Trail designation was sponsored by SCOPED, whose executive director, Kelsey Jones, felt that the concentration of unique restaurants along the east side of Seneca Lake would be the perfect foundation for such a trail.

“Having frequented the restaurants in this area, I have always felt that they deserved greater recognition for their imaginative menus and their commitment to using local produce,” Jones said. “My hope is that, as a result of the formation of this trail, many more people outside the Finger Lakes become aware of the fine cuisine that we have to offer.”

Added Debra Whiting, co-owner and Executive Chef of Red Newt Cellar’s Bistro: “This area is ready to be recognized for the memorable cuisine that is available. Just as we are becoming renowned for the vineyards in our region, the cuisine that we offer goes hand in hand with the wine that we produce.”

SCOPED earns Best of Watkins Glen Award

Special to The Odessa File

WASHINGTON D.C., Sept. 30 -- The Schuyler County Partnership For Economic Development (SCOPED) has been selected for the 2009 Best of Watkins Glen Award in the Economic Consultant category by the U.S. Commerce Association (USCA).

The USCA "Best of Local Business" Award Program recognizes outstanding local businesses throughout the country. Each year, the USCA identifies companies that they believe have achieved exceptional marketing success in their local community and business category. These are local companies that enhance the positive image of small business through service to their customers and community.

Various sources of information were gathered and analyzed to choose the winners in each category. The 2009 USCA Award Program focused on quality, not quantity. Winners are determined based on the information gathered both internally by the USCA and data provided by third parties.

USCA is a Washington D.C.-based organization funded by local businesses operating in towns, large and small, across America. The purpose of USCA is to promote local business through public relations, marketing and advertising.

P&C donates $1,400 to Schuyler Hospital

Special to The Odessa File

MONTOUR FALLS, Sept. 17 -- The Watkins Glen P&C recently donated over $1,400 to the Schuyler Health Foundation --a total representing the hospital’s share of the day’s sales during the Aug. 5 Celebrity Bag-a-Thon at P&C.

A check for $1,439.32 -- a record-high from the annual event -- was presented to the Schuyler Health Foundation as its share of the proceeds. The donation is more than twice the previous record amount donated by the store.

Funds will go toward the Foundation’s 2009 Family of Friends fund-raising campaign, which will help improve women's health services at Schuyler Hospital’s September Hill Women’s Center.

“We are fortunate to have P&C so generously support our bag-a-thons since 1996,” said Jim Howell, Family of Friends Campaign Chairperson. “We owe a big thank you to the P&C, and to all the people who came shopping that day, for making our fund-raiser a success.”

For more information, or to donate to the campaign, contact the Schuyler Health Foundation at (607) 535-8879 or go to www.schuylerhospital.org

Photo in text: From left to right are P&C Store Manager Doug Moore; Schuyler Health Foundation Executive Director Jim Kuehl; and Campaign Chairperson Jim Howell. (Photo provided)

Hospital welcomes new speech therapist

Special to The Odessa File

MONTOUR FALLS, Sept. 13 -- Amy Thompson, M.A., SLP, has joined Schuyler Hospital’s Rehabilitation Services staff as Speech-Language Pathologist.

Thompson specializes in assisting persons who have suffered stroke or traumatic brain injury (TBI), and deals with progressive neurological diseases such as Parkinson’s Disease and Multiple Sclerosis; Autism Spectrum Disorders; speech or language delays and disorders in school-age children; stuttering; voice disorders; head, neck and oral cancer; swallowing disorders (dysphagia); persons requiring Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC); and Tracheostomy and Laryngectomy patients requiring speech devices.

Thompson completed her clinical fellowship at Carl T. Hayden VA Medical Center in Phoenix, AZ . She received her M.A. in Speech-Language Pathology and her B.A. in Audiology & Speech-Language Pathology from Wayne State University in Detroit, MI.

To make an appointment, call (607) 535-8616 or go to www.schuylerhospital.org

Dr. Spaulding earns recertification

Special to The Odessa File

MONTOUR FALLS, Sept. 13 -- The American Board of Family Medicine (ABFM) recently announced that Dr. Stephen A. Spaulding successfully completed his Recertification Examination.

Board certification confers a standard of excellence in knowledge and practice through the examination process, and also through working diligently in maintaining skills during the 7-year cycle between examinations.

To achieve ABFM recertification, a family physician must verify the completion of 300 hours of acceptable continuing medical education over the past 6 years; possess a full and unrestricted license to practice medicine in the U.S.; and successfully complete a one-day, written examination of cognitive knowledge and problem-solving abilities. The examination covers disciplines of the specialty including, but not limited to: adult medicine; care of newborns, infants and adolescents; maternity and gynecological care; community medicine; care of the older patient; human behavior and mental health; and care of the surgical patient.

Founded in 1969, the ABFM is the second largest medical specialty board in the U.S. Its purposes include improving the quality of medical care available to the public, establishing and maintaining standards of excellence in the specialty of Family Medicine; improving the standards of medical education for training in Family Medicine, and determining by evaluation the fitness of specialists in Family Medicine who apply for and hold certificates.

For additional information regarding the ABFM, go to www.theabfm.org

To make an appointment with Dr. Spaulding in his Montour Falls office, call (607) 535-6080.

Chef William Cornelius and WENY reporter Laura Hutchinson talked during the party.

Ribbon-cutting, party mark opening at BV's Bar & Grill

WATKINS GLEN, Sept. 10 -- A party and a ribbon-cutting ceremony signaled the opening Wednesday of BV's Corner Bar & Grill at 401 E. Fourth Street, Watkins Glen, on the corner of Perry Street.

Owner Brian Vanderburgh and his wife Cathy served as hosts for a private party from 5-8 p.m. that was followed by an opening night running to 1 a.m.

Various local dignitaries were on hand for the party, including Watkins Glen Mayor Judy Phillips, who cut the ceremonial ribbon; County Administrator Tim O'Hearn, county Legislator Stewart Field, and business leaders. Celebrity chef William Cornelius is the BV's chef, and created the menu with Vanderburgh.

The event was covered by WENY-TV, with reporter Laura Hutchinson inteviewing Vanderburgh for the 11 p.m. news. He told her that he was confident in the success of the business when he purchased the building in June because -- despite the nation's economic troubles -- "the economy is steady in Upstate New York, where there has always been consistent growth. That's what we expect to see here: consistent growth."

The building formerly housed Bianco's Restaurant. A highlight of the new business is a wraparound deck with tables sheltered by umbrellas.

Vanderburgh -- who was born and raised in Newfield, and has lived and worked in Las Vegas, New York and Chicago -- plans to provide food theme nights and theme weeks.

Photo in text: Brian Vanderburgh and wife Cathy.

Left: Watkins Glen Mayor Judy Phillips cuts the ceremonial ribbon. Right: Mayor Phillips with BV's owner Brian Vanderburgh after the ribbon-cutting.

Left: County Administrator Tim O'Hearn, with Watkins Glen Public Works Superintendent Mark Specchio in background. Right: County Legislator Stewart Field.

Left: The staff was in an upbeat mood. Right: Bob Beardsley was among the guests.

Food samples were available at stands throughout BV's during the party.

Marketing firm taps new art director

Special to The Odessa File

ELMIRA, Sept. 3 -- Craig Hills has joined the staff of Howell, Liberatore & Wickham, Inc. as an art director, it has been announced by Fred Wickham, president and creative director of the Elmira-based marketing firm.

“We are excited to have the creative vision that Craig brings as part of our team,” said Wickham. “His design style, energy and imagination make him an excellent asset to the agency as we continue to provide unique design solutions to meet our clients’ needs.”

As an art director, Hills will contribute to the development, execution and production of creative concepts for a variety of media.

A graduate of the Art Institute of Pittsburgh, Hills has a bachelor of science degree in graphic design and has completed freelance design work for Bianco’s Italian Restaurant, the Allegheny County Housing Authority, Huntington’s Disease Society of America, and the Ellsworth Avenue Association.

Howell, Liberatore & Wickham, Inc. offers strategic communication services ranging from market research and brand development to the creation and implementation of advertising, sales promotion and public relations.

Photo in text: Craig Hills (Photo provided)

Parallel tracks along Seneca Lake are near the Magee Point Landing development property, located to the left near the vehicles.

Project grants flow into Glen, Montour Falls; sales tax up

WATKINS GLEN, Sept. 2 -- Grant money for various key development projects in Schuyler County were announced Wednesday, opening the way for development on several fronts -- primarily in Watkins Glen and Montour Falls.

Restore NY grants of $1,190,000 for the development of a restaurant and apartments off of Salt Point Road at Magee Point Landiing in Watkins Glen and $776,500 for renovation of the Rural Urban Center in Montour Falls into a combination of apartments and commercial space were unveiled late in the morning. Funds will be administered by the respective village governments.

Those announcements followed closely the receipt of word by county officials that $300,000 of Stimulus Funds channeled through the state Department of Transportation have been approved for a local bus service connecting Burdett, Watkins Glen, Montour Falls and Odessa.

And at the same time, word was received that while the state sustained an 8% drop in sales tax over the first seven months of the year, Schuyler County was among four counties that showed an increase from the same period the year before.

All of that played against the backdrop of a visit Wednesday by U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY) (pictured above) to Watkins Glen to announce a $349,680 Rail Line Relocation grant for the rail line running between the Cargill and US Salt plants in Watkins Glen.

Restore NY Grants

The Restore NY Communities Initiatives program -- designed to aid municipalities in rehabilitating or removing obsolete or rundown commercial and residential properties to make sites attractive to residents and businesses seeking new investment opportunities -- provided the full $776,500 requested for the Rural-Urban Center renovation.

Developer Bruce Nelson, who is currently renovating the Montour House on Main Street in Montour Falls into apartments and business offices, will be the developer for the Rural-Urban Center project -- expected to get under way after completion of the Montour House, likely this fall.

The Rural-Urban Center, owned by Schuyler County and recently home to some county offices and various agencies, will be sold through a Local Development Corporation for $225,000 to Nelson, who plans to develop eight apartments and commercial space there. The project cost is an estimated $2.5 million.

The Magee Point Landing project -- by developer Bill Benedict -- is in the permit stage, with Benedict in talks with the state Department of Environmental Conservation and the Army Corps of Engineers. The property is occupied by an old village facility that houses the Electric and Streets departments -- both of which will be moving to the new Shared Services Facility on South Decatur Street when that structure is completed.

Benedict plans a restaurant overlooking Seneca Lake, which is just across the Finger Lakes Railway tracks from the building. He also plans upscale apartments on the upper floors. A village spokesperson said Benedict had requested more than $2 million from Restore NY. The grant amount was $1.19 million.

Said Kelsey Jones (pictured on right in photo at right), Executive Director of the Schuyler County Partnership for Economic Development (SCOPED) -- an organization that seeks out grant money for area projects -- the Restore NY funding is good news.

The grants, he said, will help "return two properties, one county and one village, to the tax rolls, and both will provide badly needed housing. We have worked closely with both projects, and wrote the application" for the Rural-Urban Center project.

Railway Project

The location of the Finger Lakes Railway in relation to the Benedict project played a role in the $349,680 grant -- announced by Schumer at a press conference in a SCOPED meeting room in Watkins Glen, not far from the waterfront and the rail line.

Two parallel rails are currently located by the Benedict project property -- one used as a "runaround" on which various cars often sit idle for extended periods.

This, said Schumer, is not acceptable to developers who want to present the most attractive projects possible. And, he said, there was a safety concern, what with engines often running "backward, and essentially blind" for periods on the track.

The grant will enable the Railway to streamline the operation past the Benedict property and at another similar runaround to the east, leaving single tracks there, with new runarounds constructed at either end of the salt plant-to-salt plant run. That will enable the train engines to pull cars in both directions, eliminating current back-up -- or "push" -- maneuvers.

Deborah Najarro (pictured at right) of the Railway's Community Relations Department said that if all contracts are signed as expected, work could begin in about a month-and-a-half, with completion of the project in the spring.

"This grant could not have come at a better time," said Schumer. "The Village of Watkins Glen has experienced a surge in tourism this summer and they are primed for economic development along the waterfront. Relocating the track will allow developers to take advantage of the area without putting their customers and tenants at risk. It will also allow the track to be used for more than just freight, opening up tourism opportunities and reducing traffic on residential roads."

This visit constituted the annual one made by Schumer to Schuyler County. After leaving the press conference, he was heading for the State Fair in Syracuse.

Before departing, he announced that he has asked the Secretary of Agriculture to enact emergency measures to help offset losses being sustained by dairy farmers who are earning "about $11 per hundredweight" for milk that "costs $23 per hundredweight to produce." The relief requested is for six months, he said. "After that, all indicators show that prices will be better. But in the meantime, hundreds of dairy farms could go under. They're really hurting."

The Bus Line

County Administrator Tim O'Hearn (pictured at right) announced that word of the $300,000 transportation grant with Stimulus Funds was received late Tuesday. It will enable the county to purchase three medium-sized buses -- estimated at 30 passengers each -- and contract the delivery service, possibly to the Arc of Schuyler, which already has a county pact. "It would be a reconfiguration of that agreement," said O'Hearn.

The buses -- once the service is instituted -- would run regularly "among the four villages, from Burdett to Odessa," with Watkins Glen and Montour Falls in between. While a schedule has not been finalized, O'Hearn said that "ideally it would be a Monday to Friday, 9 to 5 operation, run hourly."

He said that with this start-up money, and "with the state and federal aid it will generate," the service "should be self-sufficient," especially with "fare-box revenues" figured in. The county had previously looked at contracting out the entire service to an existing bus company, but had found it "cost prohibitive."

"The Arc," he added, "could realize state and federal aid, too, by having some of its route public. So it's a win-win situation."

He said he envisions the service becoming operational in the late spring or early summer of 2010.

Sales Tax

The report from State Comptroller's Office on Sales Tax, meanwhile, painted an encouraging picture locally. Schuyler County was one of only four counties showing an increase in sales tax for the first seven months of the year compared to the same period last year. The others: Tioga, Seneca and Genesee.

Seneca County showed the largest increase -- about 13% -- while Schuyler showed an increase of about 8%, Tioga 6% and Genesee 2%.

That report, said SCOPED's Jones, "is another piece of good news."

Photos in text:

From top: Senator Chuck Schumer; the Rural-Urban Center; Senator Schumer and SCOPED Executive Director Kelsey Jones; Deborah Najarro of the Finger Lakes Railway; and County Administrator Tim O'Hearn.

US Salt hosts tour of BioMass project

Special to The Odessa File

WATKINS GLEN, Aug. 11 -- US Salt recently hosted a tour of its new BioMass construction project.

Several local elected officials attended, along with members of the Schuyler County Partnership for Economic Development (SCOPED) Board, the Industrial Development Agency Board, the Environmental Management Council, The County Planning Department and others.

Also in attendance were Sarah Clark, Regional Director for Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, and David Marion, Chief of Staff for Congressman Eric Massa.

US Salt is Schuyler County’s largest manufacturer. Its environmentally friendly biomass technology will take the leftovers from logging operations and other wood debris and convert it to energy. The project will enable the salt-mining facility to lower its energy costs.

Photo in text: Pictured in front of the new biomass boiler under construction is Sarah Clark of Senator Gillibrand’s office, speaking on the left with Bill Moler, Senior Vice President of Inergy Midstream; Frank Pastore, US Salt plant manager, in the center; and IDA Board member Richard Owlett, speaking with a senior project engineer on the right. (Photo provided)

Franklin Street Gallery is now open

Special to The Odessa File

WATKINS GLEN, July 31 -- The Franklin Street Gallery and Gift Shop, an effort of The Arc of Schuyler, is now open.

The gallery, at 209 N. Franklin St. in the village, displays and sells work by local and regional artists. Among the pieces on exhibition this summer are historic Watkins Glen racing prints by Robert Gillespie, watercolors by Linda McIntyre and Joe Stevenson, photographs by Steve Knapp and Joe Stevenson, sculptures by James Nugent and the work of many other artists.

Art at the shop ranges from photographs and paintings to jewelry and sculpture. Most of the items on display depict or were inspired by the beauty of the Finger Lakes Region. Work by artists who receive supports from The Arc of Schuyler is also displayed.

The Franklin Street Gallery and Gift Shop is a community arts center, with space available for classes, workshops and performances. In addition, volunteers are being sought to assist with gallery operations, classes and events. For information on scheduling an event, or for questions about the gallery, contact John Cleary at 607-535-3580, ext. 128 or e-mail gallery@arcofschuyler.org.

HSSC taking over shelter management

Special to The Odessa File

WATKINS GLEN, July 30 -- Effective Saturday, August 1st, The Humane Society of Schuyler County will assume the management and operation of the Schuyler County Animal Shelter on VanZandt Hollow Road.

The Schuyler County Legislature recently authorized a contract between the two entities in an effort to further promote collaboration between public, private, and not-for-profit organizations with a goal of providing a higher level of constituent services at a lower cost.

The Humane Society has functioned as an all-volunteer, not-for-profit 501c3 organization in Schuyler County since 1987. The Society provides financial assistance for spay/neuter services and operates a low-cost spay/neuter clinic for the pets of income eligible county residents, shelter dogs and stray and feral cats.

Through the spay/neuter clinics, the organization has completed over 5,000 surgeries. The Society also runs a cat adoption program, and has placed over 700 cats into permanent homes. In 2006, the organization purchased Dr. Fielder’s former veterinary practice on County Route 10 in Alpine, which now serves as its office and spay/neuter facility.

“It has been our long-term goal to provide services for both area dogs and cats. We are thrilled to be collaborating with the county to deliver these services," said HSSC President Georgie Taylor. "We will be extending the level of care we provide for the cats in our custody to the dogs of the county. This is an enormous endeavor and another significant milestone for the organization.”

“The Humane Society will provide county residents with one point of access for both area dogs and cats,” said Tim O’Hearn, County Administrator. “While this will greatly simplify and expedite the process for people seeking to redeem or adopt animals, it will also ensure a high level of care for our homeless pet population while significantly reducing the costs associated with this service to local taxpayers.”

“Initially, public adoption hours will remain Saturday 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.," said Taylor. “The hours will be expanded as more volunteers are trained. Our goal is to place medically and socially healthy dogs into permanent, loving homes as soon as possible.”

Effective August 1, all inquiries regarding the adoption of dogs or cats should be directed to The Humane Society at 546-7710. Pets available for adoption can also be seen on the Humane Society website at www.schuylerhumane.org or by visiting Petfinder.com.

All calls regarding lost or stray dogs or concerns regarding possible animal cruelty should be directed to the Schuyler County Sheriff’s Department or Animal Control Officer Renee Hatch at 535-8222.

Hospital scores high on patient survey

Special to The Odessa File

MONTOUR FALLS, July 17 -- Schuyler Hospital in Montour Falls recently received high scores in patient experiences, according to a report released by Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS).

The national survey rates patients’ perspective of hospital care, and Schuyler Hospital rates at or above the national average in numerous categories.

According the HCAHPS, Schuyler Hospital scored above the national average for controlling patients’ pain, explaining medicines before dispensing, and nurses communicating well with patients.

Schuyler Hospital equaled the national average on giving information about what to do during recovery, overall rating of the patient experience, and in whether patients would recommend the hospital to friends and family.

HCAHPS results allow consumers to make fair and objective comparisons between hospitals -- and provides comparisons of individual hospitals with state and national benchmarks -- on 10 important measures.

Consumers can compare Schuyler Hospital’s data to any other hospital at www.hospitalcompare.hhs.gov

For more information, contact the hospital at (607) 535-7121 or visit www.schuylerhospital.org.

Hospital wants you to 'Buckle Up Baby'

Special to The Odessa File

MONTOUR FALLS, July 11 -- Before the green flag dropped on this year’s IndyCar race at Watkins Glen International, Schuyler Hospital and the local community the hospital serves already had their prize in hand -- a $2,500 donation from CARA (Championship Auto Racing Auxiliary) Charities.

CARA Charities’ “Buckle Up Baby” program is designed to provide car seats to families in need. Since 2005, the honor of distributing those funds locally has gone to Schuyler Hospital.

“CARA’s mission is to serve as a vehicle for charitable giving in the communities that embrace the motorsports family,” said Jim Kuehl, Executive Director of Schuyler Health Foundation. “The Schuyler Health Foundation is pleased to help put CARA Charities’ donation to work improving safety for children in Schuyler County.”

Schuyler Hospital distributes the car seats through its Stork's Landing Maternity Department. Mothers planning on giving birth or local families with small children can apply for a car seat by contacting Schuyler Hospital’s Stork’s Landing at (607) 535-8639, extension 2233.

The Arc names new marketing assistant

Special to The Odessa File

WATKINS GLEN, June 5 -- The Arc of Schuyler has announced the hiring of John P. Cleary to the position of Marketing Assistant.

Cleary will facilitate the organization's internal and external communications, work on special projects and serve as a member of the organization's management team.

Cleary was a reporter and columnist for the Star-Gazette newspaper for 14 years. In his most recent position, he served as a volunteer recruiter and trainer for an in-school mentoring program in Elmira. He lives in Elmira with his wife and children.

"We are very pleased to have John Cleary join our team here at The Arc," said Jim Wilson, executive director of The Arc. "John brings a wealth of both personal and professional experience that will serve The Arc and the Schuyler County community well." Wilson indicated that Cleary will be accessible and involved in the community in general.

Cleary may be reached at (607) 535-6934, ext. 128, or by e-mail at jcleary@arcofschuyler.org.

The Arc of Schuyler provides supports for people with disabilities and their families. For more information on its programs, visit www.arcofschuyler.org.

Photo in text: John Cleary (Photo provided)

Knapp Winery wins 12 medals

Special to The Odessa File

ROMULUS, May 28 -- Knapp Winery recently won eight medals in the Tasters Guild International Wine Judging and four medals in the New World International Wine Competition.

In the Tasters Guild judging, Knapp won a gold medal for Kat Knapp White, two silvers for Cayuga White and Superstition and five bronze medals for Curiosity, Vignoles, Riesling, Merlot and Cabernet Franc. These will be listed in the member report in the June issue of the Tasters Guild Journal and online at tastersguild.com.

“Kudos to Chris, our Vineyard Manager,” said Steve DiFranscesco, Knapp Winemaker. "The grapes in the various wines are impeccable.”

Tasters Guild International is a Wine and Food Appreciation Society based in Grand Rapids, Mich., with administrative offices in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. and Washington D.C. Its 22nd annual wine judging was held at the Secchia Institute for Culinary Education in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Forty experienced judges from around the country completed more than 2,100 evaluations of wine from 36 states/provinces and 13 countries between April 29 and May 2.

Awards given to Knapp in the New World International Wine Competition included four silver medals for 2007 Chardonnay, 2007 Dry Riesling, 2007 Cayuga White and NV Concord. That competition has been held annually since 1990. Knapp was again chosen from a group of hundreds of entries.

“We are pleased to win more awards from such prestigious organizations,” said Gene Pierce, co-owner of Knapp Winery & Vineyard Restaurant. “Team Knapp is working hard to provide the best possible wines and customer service possible.”

September Hill offers lending library

Special to The Odessa File

MONTOUR FALLS, May 26 -- Thanks to a grant from the Fingerlakes Regional Perinatal Forum, Schuyler Hospital’s September Hill Women’s Center is offering a “Mother’s Lending Library.”

Received in the summer of 2007, the grant has allowed September Hill to purchase books and videos / DVDs for new parents on topics including: prenatal care, prenatal nutrition, breastfeeding, labor and delivery, postpartum, postpartum depression, infant care, fetal growth and development, infant growth and development, teen pregnancy and infertility.

Materials may be borrowed for a period of two weeks and up to five books/videos may be borrowed at one time. This library is open for use during September Hill’s regular business hours.

For more information, contact Schuyler Hospital’s September Hill Women’s Center at (607) 535-4645 or visit www.schuylerhospital.org

Hospital now offering massage therapy

Special to The Odessa File

MONTOUR FALLS, May 26 -- To add to a variety of services, Schuyler Hospital is now offering massage therapy two days each week.

Chandra Russell, LMT, CIMT, is offering 60- and 90-minute massages in the hospital’s private Rehabilitation Services rooms on Mondays and Wednesdays.

Available modalities include Swedish, deep tissue, connective tissue, and sports massages; as well as energy work. Reflexology and aromatherapy are also available.

For further information, or to make an appointment, call (607) 535-8616 or go to www.schuylerhospital.org

Watkins BPW installs its new officers

Special to The Odessa File

WATKINS GLEN, May 24 -- The new officers of the Watkins Glen Business & Professional Women’s (BPW) local organization were installed at the group's May 18 meeting at Carol Bower’s Catering.

Installing Officer was Mary Ellen Morgan, BPW/NYS First Vice-President. New officers installed for 2009-10 are:

Secretary: Eileen Wesneski
Treasurer: Judith Coyle
Vice President: Onalee Stamp
President-Elect: Karen Cilley
President: Patricia Butler

BPW/USA provides members with professional development, networking, grassroots activism and career advancement resources. Its mission is to achieve equity for all women in the workplace through advocacy, education and information.

Watkins Glen BPW meets on the 3rd Monday of each month. For more information about membership, contact Gloria Hutchings at 594-2489.

Photos in text:

Top: New officers, from left, are Eileen Wesneski (Secretary), Judith Coyle (Treasurer), Onalee Stamp (Vice President), Karen Cilley (President-elect), and Patricia Butler (President). At right is Mary Ellen Morgan, BPW/NYS First Vice-President.

Bottom: Club members recognized for their years of service were, from left: Janice Brew (41 years); Judith Coyle (20 years), Mildred Denson (53 years), Margaret Jensen (35 years), JoAnne Krolak (33 years), Sally Rigden (10 years), and Rosanna Smith (63 years). Not pictured were: Mary Ellen Morgan (34 years), Helen Swank (42 years), Gloria Hutchings (21 years), Martha Evans (32 years), Marjorie Stermer (38 years), and Margery Thyer (41 years).

Seneca Harbor Station has new chef

Special to The Odessa File

WATKINS GLEN, May 7 -- Seneca Harbor Station has appointed Larry Wills as its new Executive Chef.

According to a restaurant spokesman, Wills brings more than 25 years of culinary skill "and a passion for the art of cooking" to the waterfront restaurant and Captain Bill’s cruises.

Wills graduated with honors from the Culinary Institute of America in 1992. Since then he has worked in a range of restaurants, from small, white tablecloth ones to large multi-unit establishments.

Previously, Wills was the Corporate Chef for Phillips Seafood Restaurants. He has also held the Executive Chef position for the Ravens Stadium, home of the Baltimore Ravens, catering parties of up to 15,000 people. He was selected to join the food service team at three NFL Super Bowl games.

From there, Wills became the Executive Chef at Steamboat Restaurant, a 150-seat fine dining restaurant on the water in Galesville, Maryland. At Steamboat, Wills featured upscale fresh seafood dishes using high-quality ingredients and making everything from scratch.

“I am looking forward to bringing fresh ideas and exciting new specials to Seneca Harbor Station while raising the bar on the entire guest experience,” he said.

Photo in text: Seneca Harbor Station Executive Chef Larry Wills (Photo provided)

Search continues for Visitor Center venue

Special to The Odessa File

WATKINS GLEN, March 6 -- The Watkins Glen Area Chamber of Commerce is continuing its search for a suitable venue for a new visitor center.

The search, part of the Chamber's Vision 2020 strategic plan, was undertaken with an eye toward establishing what the organization calls "a much-needed, practical, yet welcoming, educational, and exciting center."

The Chamber, in a press release, said it "plans to create a state-of-the-art center as a critical component to the number one growing industry in Schuyler County and the Finger Lakes Region -- tourism.

"The new visitor center will play a key role in the continued revitalization of the Village of Watkins Glen’s Franklin Street and the designated Empire Zone," the release said. "The visitor center will house interactive kiosks, historical and educational exhibits, interactive displays, 24-hour visitor services, potential tenants, commercial and retail opportunities and more."

The Chamber, the release noted, "has ended negotiations with one landowner this week, but continues to seek viable venues for the visitor center."

"We are moving the Chamber forward as a vital asset to our businesses and community," said Tom Phillips, Superintendent of Watkins Glen Central Schools and Chairperson of the Chamber. “We as members of the Board are united behind this effort to secure funding for the development of the new center. We can and must support the move to the future while ensuring our current viability."

“First impressions are extremely important,” said Crystal Ricks, Chamber President/CEO.. “Many times the visitor’s first opportunity to understand more about what Schuyler County has to offer is from the visitor center. The inadequate facilities now do not make a good impression of what we represent, which is a world-class destination.”

The current center is a small building on the corner of North Franklin and First Streets in Watkins Glen.

The Chamber is seeking partners and funding for the new visitor center. If you would like to view the strategic plan, become a partner, donate funding to the project or want more information on the Chamber, contact Ricks at 607-535-4300 or e-mail her at crystal@watkinsglenchamber.com

And now a word from … the author in me

By Charlie Haeffner

ODESSA, 2004 -- When I was a child, I dreamed of someday making a living writing.

My future, I liked to think, was in the creation of novels.

I loved to be transported by novelists of my childhood to other worlds -- of danger, of beauty, of drama, of sports, of pathos.

I loved nothing better as a present than a good book.

If I got nothing but books for Christmas, that was okay by me. Keep the socks and the underwear and the ties, thanks. Just give me those books.

Eventually, I stumbled into journalism as a profession -- employed what I knew of writing, and learned something more about it every day.

Then, eventually, I stumbled out of journalism and, in my spare time, tried my hand at writing the novel I had longed to produce so many years before.

I didn't really think I could do it -- but I tried.

My first effort, I must say, was something approaching atrocious.

A friend I had worked with -- a fellow journalist -- read it and critiqued it, and found me wanting.

I tried writing another book, though, after a suitable period of mourning for my mutilated ego. What I produced was better … but still not very good.

Then, a couple of years later, I was inspired one night -- imbued with a spirit -- to write about an island my family and I had frequented when I was a very young boy.

The island is called Bois Blanc -- "White Woods" in French. It's located in Northern Michigan. I guess it never left my soul; was just waiting to emerge. And in a torrent of words, I fashioned a story based on my memories.

I showed it to only a couple of people outside my immediate family, but the reaction was encouraging. One professed to love it, and one wanted a sequel.

And so I tackled that sequel. It was quite an exercise, for I took some mythology, some religion, and a healthy dose of family history, and mixed it all together. That it came out coherent amazed me. But lacking confidence, I put it on the shelf.

About this time, the spirit moved me to do more than write about the island. One October, when the snow could conceivably have been falling there, I herded my family into our van and traveled to Bois Blanc. We stayed in a little shanty which -- had winter decided to visit -- would have left us easily frostbitten. But the days turned to Indian Summer, and the three-day stay was glorious.

From that visit, we established contact with people I had known in my childhood, forty years before, and lined up lodging the next summer in a house in the heart of the island's sole municipality -- a village called Pointe aux Pins (Point of Pines or, more commonly, simply The Pines).

With that visit in my experience bank, I went back and revised portions of the sequel, since part of it was set in the current day. I wanted things in the book reasonably reflecting reality, even though the story had fantasy elements.

And then the book went back on the shelf.

In the ensuing two or three years, my family established a routine -- an annual visit of two or three weeks each summer on the island. Along the way, my eldest brother started going there, too, with his family -- also after forty years of absence.

And along the way, that sequel got pulled down from the shelf and dusted off and read by extended family members, and judged acceptable, even though I had turned family history upside down as a matter of plot device. And eventually I was emboldened to take advantage of emerging technology -- the ability to publish my own works relatively inexpensively through the Internet.

And I became that author I had long before wanted to be -- published, with the fruits of my labor within sturdy, shiny covers.

To say that I am commercially successful would be untrue. But I have readers up there on the island and on the nearby mainland, and readers among a retirement community to which my mother belongs in Florida, and readers among old friends, and readers in my wide-flung family of cousins.

Most of them seem to like the books. Some are positively effusive.

Eventually, I wrote a third novel, set on the island but unrelated to the first two. It involves a portal and famed gangster John Dillinger and an old farmer I remember from my island childhoods who is long since deceased.

I published the story -- like the others, in paperback -- and circulated it on and near the island.

Again, success measured in numbers eluded me.

And then I started another novel -- about an Ojibwe woman born more than 700 years ago … and still alive today. It's called The Maiden of Mackinac, Mackinac being an island not far from Bois Blanc -- a tourist mecca of sorts. I circulated a hundred laser-printed, spiral-bound copies, and plan on publishing in traditional book form soon. Maybe the numbers will be there this time.

Maybe.

And yet … I can't but feel that success is not always in the numbers.

Sometimes success is simply in the doing.

For instance, will this website ultimately capture enough readers and enough advertisers and enough sponsors to make it worth a continued effort?

I don't know.

But even if it doesn't, does that make it a failure? Or is the success in the trying -- in, first, the dreaming, and then in the doing?

****

The books I wrote and published and circulated in Northern Michigan -- a region called the Straits of Mackinac -- go by the following titles:

Island Nights, subtitled Book One of the White Woods Chronicles.

The Islander, subtitled Book Two of the White Woods Chronicles.

And, finally, Cabins in the Mist.

The first book was originally titled Summer Nights, since I was moved to write it on a summer night reminiscent of those on the island of my childhood. I changed the name to Island Nights at the suggestion of a retired professor who frequented the island. It wasn't that he didn't like the original; it was that I didn't, and asked for replacement candidates.

The second book was originally titled Autumn of the Moose, again not anything I particularly liked. The title was keyed to a plot point, but of course any prospective reader wouldn't know that. And so it seemed lacking. I'm kind of partial to its current name because of its simplicity and the question it might raise in a reader's mind as to whom it refers. Ambiguity I like.

The third title, Cabins in the Mist, came easily -- was my first choice for that book, and it held. Since key scenes occur at the site of some old rundown cabins in the island interior -- purportedly used by Dillinger after he had undergone plastic surgery back in 1934 -- and since the site serves the narrative as the aforementioned portal, the title worked.

And my newest concoction, The Maiden of Mackinac -- well, that title was in place before I ever wrote a word. That was a case of the title driving the narrative -- waiting for the narrative to catch up to it.

Those first three books are available, actually, in places other than the Straits region. I have some copies, listed in a Classified on this website. And you can purchase them online through Borders.com, Walmart.com, Amazon.com, and Xlibris.com.

You can just sign on to one of those sites, type Haeffner in the search box, and hit the button. Presto, there should be a listing of the books, with ordering instructions. The author's name appears as A.C. Haeffner. That's me -- my formal tag. The A and the C are my initials, but more importantly they belonged to my father and grandfather and great-grandfather and so on. Tradition won out.

Anyway, that's how you find the books.

Not that I'd push them on you.

I'm not really pushy.

But I'd say they're pretty good.

Entertaining, I think.

And thought-provoking.

And well written.

But don't take my word for it.

No, no. Don't do that.

Do this instead:

Find out for yourself, if you'd like.

And then let me know what you think.

The Glory Girls

A professionally bound, hardcover book was published two years ago to commemorate the state title won by the Odessa-Montour girls basketball team. Copies were given to each player on the team, and a number were sold to parents, friends and relatives.

There are still some remaining -- a limited-edition run of a high-caliber keepsake.

Titled "The Glory Girls," it contains 160 pages and nearly 200 photos. The book contains articles, interviews, game-by-game statistics, first person accounts from a couple of players (including state Class D Player of the Year Stefanie Collins), views from the players' parents, and much more.

If you wish to secure a copy, call the book's co-publisher, Charlie Haeffner, at 594-3594, and then send him a check or money order made out in his name for $29 plus $4 shipping. Mail it to: Charlie Haeffner, P.O. Box 365, Odessa, NY. Be sure to include your address and, if possible, a phone number.

There are also a handful of the books available with special, leather-like covers. The cost of those: $49 each plus $4 shipping.\

And for a look at one of the key chapters in the book, go to Features.