April  2013…….No.  13…..Vol.  2    

SIGNS OF SPRING!!  

After  our  somewhat  snowy  winter,  many  of  us  have  been  longing  for  Spring!  So  the  first  sighting  of  a  redwing  blackbird  caused  excitement  even  though  the  day  was  a  snowy  one.  The  robins  are  out  in  force,  the  chipmunks  scurrying  about,  and  the  snow  piles  are  rapidly  receding  although  green  grass  will  take  a  bit  longer  to  emerge.    And  until  the  end  of  May,  we  can  count  on  a  few  cold  snaps,  so  be  prepared.  

Along  Main  Street,  the  re-­‐opening  of  The  American  Hotel  and  204  Main  Bistro  are  good  harbingers  of  springtime.  Stop  by  the  Cobbler  &  Company  to  enjoy  the  spring  bulbs  decorating  the  storefront.    Mohawk  Valley  Living  sent  a  team  to  feature  “Springing  into  Spring  at  the  Springs”  –  be  sure  to  watch  the  March  31st  and  April  7th  shows  at  www.mohawkvalleyliving.com.  

   CHALYBEATE PARK UPDATE

 The  Committee  for  the  Restoration  of  Chalybeate  Park  is  organizing  a  park  

cleanup  day  for  Saturday,  May  4th.  Hope  to  see  many  Chatter  readers  there  –  since  the  flooding  in  September  2011,  FEMA  has  done  some  massive  regarding,  including  the  removal  of  the  concrete  wall  from  the  defunct  swimming  pool  making  the  park    area  about  twice  as  large.  The  new  plans  will  be  unveiled  on  the  4th,  so  come  on  out!    

     

MAY 4

May 4th,10am-2pmJoin your neighbors and others who love Sharon Springsin kicking off the restoration of Chalybeate Park.

Bring your shovel. Bring your gloves. Bring your smiles.

Refreshments will be provided by “Mos Delicious” catering company!

HARD WORKERSOF ALL AGES NEEDED!!

BANK ROBBERIES IN SHARON SPRINGS by Sandy Manko  

The  bank  heist  on  January  23,  2013  wasn’t  the  first  bank  robbery  in  Sharon  Springs.    Many  of  us  remember  the  robbery  in  1982.      That  was  when  the  bank  was  located  downtown  next  to  the  Roseboro  Hotel.    Police  arrested  3  men  in  connection  with  the  hold-­‐up  and  recovered  the  $17,000  that  had  been  taken  -­‐  just  6  hours  after  they  learned  of  the  armed  robbery  at  the  Sharon  Springs  branch  of  Central  National  Bank.    One  man  was  from  Fort  Plain,  one  from  Nelliston,  and  the  third  from  Van  Hornesville.  

Approximately  10:30  a.m.  on  Fri.  Dec.  17,  1982,  two  men  wearing  ski  masks  and  gloves  and  armed  with  a  sawed-­‐off  shotgun  and  starter’s  pistol  entered  the  bank  and  demanded  money  from  the  3  employees.    Bank  Manager  Helen  Wardwell  and  tellers,  Linda  Lape  and  Dorothy  Farro  gave  $17,291  to  the  two  men.    No  one  was  hurt  and  no  shots  were  fired.  The  two  men  fled  in  a  blue  Ford  LTD,  which  police  found  abandoned  about  20  min.  later  on  Beechwood  Road  about  two  miles  from  the  bank.    Police  also  found  the  masks  and  gloves  and  determined  the  two  men  had  used  a  second  car.  

Through  interviews  with  people  in  Sharon  Springs,  they  established  the  make  and  color  of  the  second  car,  a  brown  Chevy  with  a  toy  beagle  in  the  back  window.    All  three  men  were  arrested  about  4:00  p.m.      The  shotgun,  pistol  and  money  were  later  recovered  off  McPhail  Road,  a  short  distance  from  Sharon  Springs.The  tellers  were  interviewed.    Dorothy  Farro  said  “We  just  started  filling  the  bag  up  as  fast  as  we  could.”    The  bank  manager,  Helen  Wardwell  and  the  other  teller,  Linda  Lape,  thought  friends  were  playing  a  joke.“I  couldn’t  believe  it  was  happening,”  said  Mrs.  Lape,  an  employee  of  the  bank  for  seven  years.    “I  thought  that  any  minute  they’d  pull  off  their  masks  and  they  would  be  someone  we  all  knew.”  

“The  big  man,  the  one  who  came  to  Dorothy’s  window,  got  up  on  the  counter,  threw  the  bag  over,  and  told  us  to  fill  the  bag  up,”  said  Mrs.  Wardwell.      “He  was  waving  his  gun  awfully  close  to  Dorothy,  so  without  thinking,  I  said  to  him,  'Get  off  that  counter,’  It  was  a  stupid  thing  to  say  and  he  didn’t  get  off.”  The  men  made  the  3  women  lie  on  the  floor  when  they  left,  Mrs.  Lape  said,  and  the  entire  robbery  took  no  longer  than  3  minutes.  Edward  Spraker,  spokesman  for  Central  National  at  bank  headquarters  in  Canajoharie,  said,  “So  far  that’s  the  first  holdup  and  we  hope  the  only  holdup.”  Dorothy  Farro  later  wrote  a  poem  to  “commemorate”  the  robbery:    

It  was  Dec  17  in  1982,  On  a  Friday  morning  about  10:02  When  a  sudden  “swish”  sound  in  C.  N.  B.  At  Sharon  Springs  office  alerted  me  –    On  looking  up  two  “black  holes”  I  did  see,  And  behind  them  a  mask  peering  ghastly  at  me.  I  suddenly  realized  before  the  crook  spoke,  We  were  being  held  up  –  armed  robbery  –  no  joke!  There  were  two  of  them  armed  –  with  guns  in  our  faces.  They  demanded  our  money  while  we  stayed  in  our  places.  This  done  they  ordered  us  flat  on  the  floor,  While  they  instantly  turned  and  rushed  out  of  the  door.  We  spring  to  our  feet  and  hit  the  alarm,  Which  I  couldn’t  do  sooner  without  risking  harm,  In  a  very  short  time  the  Village  was  covered,  With  police  officers,  bankers,  and  newsmen  who  hovered.  Before  the  sun  set  the  culprits  were  caught,  We  were  open  for  business  more  cautious  in  thought.  $17,000  recovered,  the  guns  were  taken,  The  robbers  in  custody  then  were  the  shaken!  Through  all  of  this  our  Christmas  tree  stood,  Giving  strength  and  hope  with  the  promises  of  good.  The  robbers  themselves  without  any  reason,  In  their  red  and  green  jackets  were  dressed  for  the  season!  

 Then,  on  March  27,  2001,  a  bank  robber  was  killed  in  Sharon  after  a  high  speed  chase.    He  was  an  

Oneonta  man  who  had  robbed  a  bank  in  Colonie  and  possibly  other  bank  heists.  The  driver  was  seen  throwing  a  bag  out  of  the  van  window  near  I-­‐88.    The  bag  was  recovered  and  contained  the  money  from  the  robbery  and  a  toy  gun.    The  high  speed  chase  that  began  on  I-­‐88  ended  on  Short  Road  in  Sharon  Hill.  

The  Times  Journal  quoted  Sheriff  John  Bates  who  said,  “This  incident  shows  more  and  more  that  Schoharie  County  is  no  longer  isolated.    Things  happen.    People  travel  through.    Things  are  changing.”  This  brings  us  up  to  the  present  and  the  bank  robbery  which  happened  in  January.    We’re  thankful  no  one  was  hurt.    Let’s  hope  we  don’t  have  more  bank  robberies  to  reminisce  about  in  the  future.  

Luna cakes and music  Luna, Cakes by Design from Sharon Springs, was represented on Broadway with the Opening night cake of Cinderella. The Event was themed Cinderella and the Princes Wedding Reception. It was held at the famed and beautiful Gotham Hall in Manhattan. The Wedding Cake was a 7 tiered cake with 6 cake pumpkins surrounding. The cake served was our rich chocolate cake with raspberry ganache and raspberry filling and chocolate buttercream and our silky vanilla cake with raspberry filling and vanilla buttercream. The cake was the center piece of the room with spot lights high-lighting it. Photos of the wedding party as well as Cinderella and the prince were taken around the cake. Everyone danced and enjoyed the evening. We're happy to report that Cinderella didn't have to leave at Midnight. And...Everyone lived "Happily ever after..."  

       "Songs From a Glass Half Full" A Musical Revue by our very own Drew Taylor and Robert Cioffi originally performed in Sharon Springs, was presented at the ReVision Theatre in Asbury Park, NJ. The cast performed to full houses and standing ovations. We will be producing a cast album later this year so keep your eyes and ears open for a CD release. Exciting things happening!    

   We (Leila and phil durkin) LoVe PaRiS . . .

France had never been my first choice for travel. I favored Mexico and Italy ~ warm cultures with words I could wrap my tongue around. Three trips later, I am now a bit of a Francophile, too . . . sort of. The language still eludes me. I am picking up odds and ends of sentences and can, for the most part, get around on the Metro and order a meal - with help from my husband. The odd thing is when we are there it feels familiar and comfortable ~ as though it were home. I try not to be one of those people who becomes a zealot, throwing comparisons into every conversation, “Well, in France they do this or don’t do that.” But, it does happen from time to time. I am impressed with the country’s cultural pride and the value placed on whole foods. I am not fooled into thinking it is perfect, though. Questions arise that never get answered. Such as, why are there no washcloths in the hotels? If they love butter so much why don’t we ever get a pat of butter with a baguette. I have grown bold enough to ask for it - they do have it, hidden away for Americans. And, what could possibly be the reason for taking the seats off the toilets? I find the most memorable experiences in traveling aren’t always the big ones, but in the everyday moments of chance meetings & fleeting visions. And so it was on this trip. Our friend Joseph, an artist, works in his Paris atelier during the winter. I don’t know of another artist who is as prolific and still as enthused about making art - even after 50+ years of doing so. As we were walking from his studio to his apartment to have dinner I lagged behind, dreaming, catching snippets of the conversation ahead of me. As I glanced up, it occurred to me I was witnessing a timeless scene: a tired artist, hat and clothes disheveled, a bit of a limp ~ stopping at the Boulangerie for baguettes on the way home. The next day, after seeing an extraordinary exhibition of Chagall paintings, we headed to Le Select in hopes of some literary inspiration. We chose an outdoor table to soak up the sun. At the next table was an older woman who caught my attention. She was having an animated conversation with the waiter, while smoking, drinking, eating, and writing down notes on a yellow legal pad. Of course, I had to meet her. She began by telling us that she was 85 and doing the best work of her life. She apologized for her appearance and was quick to tell us she was beautiful when younger. As a scripteur she had traveled to New York where she had danced with Bing Crosby and Cary Grant. She went on to say that the renowned director, Francois Truffaut, loved her voice - enlisting her to do a voice over in “400 Blows.” Coincidentally, a movie we had just watched. Sitting there seemed like we were a cliché. The Parisian café, a writer, café & croissant . . . For austerity I did take out my notebook and jotted down a few profound notes.

The list of things to do and see in Paris remains long . . . but, we will save it for next year’s trip.   New Store Opening in Village  Mark your calendar for June 1st as Sustainables at 183 Main St. in Sharon Springs will be opening its doors! Sustainables will carry a wide variety of organic, bulk foods, local meats, produce, health and beauty products, gourmet coffee and tea and much more! Check out sharonspringssustainables.com or contact us for more info at sharonspringssustainables@gmail.com      

NEWS FROM ADELPHI PAPER HANGINGS  

Looking  for  a  new  wallpaper  for  your  hallway?    Recently  Adelphi  was  commissioned  to  develop  two  new  (well,  new  for  us  –  early  and  mid-­‐19th  century)  ashlar  patterns.      These  architectural    patterns  were  composed  of  relatively  large  blocks,  often  about  18  inches  wide  and  9  inches  high  and  were  commonly  used  in  hallways  and  staircases  –  high  traffic  areas.    The  thinking  was  that  if  a  spot  were  to  be  damaged  then  a  replacement  block  could  be  cut  from  a  spare  roll  and  pasted  over  the  blemish.  

Their  popularity  seems  to  have  spanned  most  of  the  19th  century;  one  “sandwich”  of  wallpaper  we  acquired  from  a  home  in  Savannah,  Georgia  had  4  different  ashlar  patterns.  

The  earliest  of  these  new  patterns  comes  from  the  Cooper-­‐Hewitt  Museum  in  New  York  City;    while  we  can’t  be  certain  it’s  probably  a  French  pattern.    It’s  composed  of  not  quite  authentic  looking  marble  blocks  delineated  with  a  green  and  blue  ribbons(?)  and  rosettes.      We’re  producing  this  for  a  designer  in  New  York.  

The  second  ashlar  comes  to  us  from  Dundurn  Castle  in  Hamilton,  Ontario.          Their  fragment  is  not  as  complete  as  but,  as  it’s  a  smaller  pattern,  there’s  enough.    Though  I’ve  visited  the  site  Chris  has  and  said  the  building  contains  a  cock  fighting  pit  in  the  basement.    No  mention  of  wallpaper  there.  

 Black Cat News

Black Cat is still open 7 days a week; we're still at the Farmer's Market every Saturday 9-2 (Cooperstown.) Black Cat picnics for Glimmerglass can now be ordered at Blackcat-alog.com Dinner Club continues for at least another music and live music is back. Tony's new cookbook is available online or at the Cafe, and also on Amazon. We're re-doing the front once the weather permits and adding a "porch" and tables.  

Farmers Market Farmers Market will have one more winter market at the Library on Saturday May 4th, then we are back to our normal schedule starting June 1st. Every Saturday, rain or shine, at the Roseboro, from 9am to 2 pm though October 26th. Join us for fresh local produce, meats, eggs, bread, cheese, baked goods, fruits, flowers, and some occasional special guests. Join us on Facebook or check our website for more info www.sharonspringsfarmersmarket.com

Dance News

Students of Studio North had a busy month in March! The Sr. Dance Company performed "Amahl and the Night Visitors" under the direction of Patrick Calleo at the beautifully restored St. Peter & St. Paul Church in Canajoharie. Our "Student Choreographer's Showcase" took place the following week in the auditorium at Sharon Springs Central School. This annual event affords our older advanced level students to experience the art of choreography. Their responsibilities included holding auditions, dancer selection, rehearsal scheduling, choreography and costume design. Our younger intermediate level dancers benefited by gaining performing experience. March culminated with an exciting Acting Workshop taught by our own wonderful actor, Drew Taylor who taught them to be "in the moment" both on and off stage. April is proving to be no less busy! Betty will teach at the annual Dance +23 Festival at the National Museum of Dance in Saratoga Springs. Studio North students will attend this event which features over 20 classes taught by visiting guest artists. We are now preparing for our annual performance in May. Studio North presents "A Salute to Broadway" on May 24 at Sharon Springs Central School (more details in the next Chatter).  

 

   

VHG is gone, but the INVENTORY isn’ t . . .

Cobbler & Co. ~ Women of the cloud forest fair trade jewelry Sterling silver jewelry, great selection of earrings Cooperstown Art Association ~ art supplies; papers, paints & more Cooperstown natural foods ~ your favorite greeting cards The Tepee ~ functional & lovely fair trade baskets - market baskets and more. ~ if you are interested in boxed notecards, fresh water pearls, rings & misc. inventory for resale - and/or spinning card racks, contact me at: villagehallgallery@gmail.com ~If there is an artist you would like to get in touch with, let me know - I will connect you. Thank you!

   

Sharon historical society program The 2013 season kicks off this Monday, April 15th, since the March program was postponed due to snow. Meetings are held in the Library Conference room at 7 PM on the dates listed below. Programs are free and open to the public but membership is only $10 a person! April 15th: Josh Kilmer-Purcell and Dr. Brent Ridge: Their Amazing Year! May 20th: Tony DiPace and Tom Reynolds will talk about the iPad Revolution at SSCS June 17th: Rosemary Sibbern: Aspects of Native American Art September 16th: Karen Cuccinella: My Schoharie: Murders and Funky Stuff October 21st: Carl Waldman and Chris Campbell: The Historical Landscape:Hills, Valleys, Rivers and Two Towns. November 18th: Video Night, Kathy Venette and others will bring in DVD’s or Videos of scenes from Sharon’s past. The Sharon Museum complex will be open daily 1-4 PM July 1st through August 31st as well as during Garden Party weekend, June 1 & 2 and Fall Harvest Festival, September 21 & 22. Mark your calendars: special dates MEET THE ARTIST – April 27th Jeanne Hidenbrand 5-8 PM at The American Hotel GARDEN PARTY WEEKEND – JUNE 1ST AND 2ND featuring the grand opening of the new Beekman 1802 in the former Village Hall at 187 Main Street. Town Historian, Nancy Pfau, and Architectural Historian, Mitchell Owens will give a tour at 2 PM culminating with an English Tea at Edgefield B&B hosted by Dave and Dan Wood. FALL HARVEST FESTIVAL – September 21st and 22nd. Don’t miss the 3rd annual Harvest Hop! VICTORIAN STROLL – December 7th. Dress up and join us!

Decisions looming for imperial baths? Between newspaper articles and reporters requesting information, there appears to be

something afoot in the village. Patsy Nicosia’s article in the local Times Journal on Wednesday, April 10th, featured interviews with Mayor Cousineau and other village trustees suggesting that the village is looking into finding someone new to restore and reopen the baths before they deteriorate even further. Here’s the link to her excellent article: http://www.timesjournalonline.com/details.asp?id=81148 Since Wednesday, several village officials have received phone calls from reporter Joe Mahoney of the Oneonta Star asking questions about the baths. He has spoken with a representative of the group of investors who have allowed the buildings to decay since buying them in 2005. The representative assured the reporter that Sharon Springs, Inc. plans to begin the work of rehabilitation soon. Stay tuned; hopefully by the next Chatter we will have concrete evidence of a “happening!”

Then:

Now: