Today marks the beginning of Cider Week FLX, a celebration of the reemergence of craft cider production in the Finger Lakes, through Oct. 12. “People have always made hard cider here [in the Finger Lakes],” said Eric Shatt, who, along with his wife, Deva Maas, owns Redbyrd Orchard Cider in Trumansburg. “Before Prohibition, cider was the main drink.” The resurgence of the flavorful beverage has been slow but steady…. Read More »
“Most people from out-of-town don’t know what a spiedie is or how to pronounce it,” says Dave Pessagno, event coordinator for the annual Spiedie Fest and Balloon Rally, in Binghamton. “A spiedie (pronounced spee-dee) is marinated cubes of [primarily chicken, pork or sirloin] meat put on a metal skewer, then cooked on a grill.” Soaked overnight in a special sauce, the spiedie has come to be the Southern… Read More »
About 20 miles southeast of Rochester, nestled deep in the hills of Victor, N.Y., is Ganondagan (pronounced “Gah-non-dah-GAN”). The 4,500 inhabitants of this vibrant Seneca Nation farmed and hunted this land long before the Dutch, English and French traders arrived in the 1600s. Following the invasion of foreigners, Ganondagan experienced years of violence. According to Meg Joseph, executive director of the nonprofit organization Friends of Ganondagan, French settlers… Read More »
When hearing the words Mormon and theater, for many, the first thought is likely the Broadway smash hit “The Book of Mormon.” But every summer, more than 35,000 people journey to the Finger Lakes region, to the historical base of the Mormon faith for a very different theatrical experience — the Hill Cumorah Pageant. A search to better understand the New York roots of the Church of Jesus… Read More »
Looking at his cello, Chris White doesn’t just see an instrument but a world of possibilities. Mr. White, founder and director of New Directions Cello Association & Festival (NDCA&F), began cello lessons when he was eight-years-old, and eventually received his Masters degree in music performance from Ithaca College. Non-classical rhythms and non-traditional styles interested him from the beginning. In 1993, Mr. White was inspired to bring together the… Read More »
After losing some good friends to AIDS, John Barry became a staunch advocate for the HIV-positive population. Beginning his career as a case manager at the Southern Tier AIDS Program (STAP), he currently serves as the organization’s executive director. STAP started out as a task force in 1984. By 1986, with the help of a $50,000 grant from the New York State Department of Health, the organization established… Read More »
“When you can personally connect yourself to history, then it becomes your history and thus more interesting and important to you,” says Town of Fayette Historian and Waterloo’s National Memorial Day Museum docent Blaine Elkie. The Village of Waterloo, New York bears the distinct title “Birthplace of Memorial Day” and honors veterans and fallen soldiers for the 148th time this year, an annual tradition which was the brainchild of… Read More »
You might think the warmer months are the best time to plan a weekend getaway to the Finger Lakes, but I say “Not true!” If you want to get a taste of life in a small town surrounded by breathtaking scenery, then the tiny village of Trumansburg should top your list of places to explore in 2014. If you’re adventurous enough to brave the cold and discover the… Read More »
Confident that he could craft any piece of machinery to perfection — be it wheeled or winged — Glenn Hammond Curtiss was an innovator who was correct more often than not. Born in 1878, Mr. Curtiss’ entree to the world of mechanical engineering began in the 1890s while racing bicycles for Hammondsport bike shop owner Jim Smellie. Mr. Curtiss subsequently opened his own bicycle storefront in 1899, succinctly… Read More »
George Eastman’s story is a classic tale of being in the right place at the right time, with the right skill set. A self-taught man, he was employed as a bank clerk and first assistant bookkeeper at Rochester Savings Bank from 1874 to 1880. Mr. Eastman took up photography in his spare time, reading all the European photography magazines he could get his hands on and apprenticing with… Read More »