June/July 2015 Editor Nancy DiPace Pfau Number 25 2015 GARDEN PARTY RECAP!

If you attended this years Garden Party, the newest venue was sure to catch your eye Lobstah Rolls at the American Hotel served by the ever irrepressible Doug Plummer and Garth Roberts! The weekend got off to a rather chilly start with near freezing temperatures on Saturday morning but the warmth of our visitors smiles helped create another fun weekend. Mark your calendars for the next big all village party Harvest Festival Weekend on September 19 and 20! A SPECIAL THANK YOU TO BRUCE BUTTON AND LEE PUBLICATIONS FOR THEIR CONTINUED SUPPORT IN PRINTING THE CHATTER!

HISTORIC PHOTO REENACTMENT! To round out Memorial Day weekend, a troop of us gathered at the Stone House to recreate the cover photo from the book, Sharon and Sharon Springs! A number of changes from the 1890 photo of the Gardner Family: no children, casual clothes, and friends become family in todays Sharon Springs! Pictured top left to right: Doug Plummer, Michelle Curran, Richard and Nancy Pfau. Denise Kelly, Garth Roberts, Megan Holken, Maureen Lodes, Peter Cozzolino. Joe and Rosemarie Trapani, Josh Kilmer-Purcell, Brent Ridge.

BLACK CAT NEWS As part of our celebration our 10th year, the Black Cat Caf is hosting a tea on Wednesday, July 8th at 4:00 PM. Come savor our delicious treats, savory and sweet, to accompany Nancy, who will discuss and sign copies of her wonderful new book at the Black Cat Cafe. This signing is with Nancy DiPace Pfau, Historian for the Town of Sharon & Village of Sharon Springs. In her new book "Sharon and Sharon Springs" she tells the story of the town and village from the days of the native people and early Europeans, who came to bathe in the health-promoting waters, to the 21st-century renascence with the arrival of creative artists and entrepreneurs Set in rolling hills with vistas over the Mohawk Valley, the areas mineral springs supported a magnificent Spa era of grand hotels and wealthy guests from the 1840s until the 1880s, when the Christian elite moved to Saratoga, to be replaced by Jewish visitors. Ms. Pfau describes these transitions and their effect on the town and village, emphasizing throughout her main theme diversity and the accommodation of diversity, which make Sharon Springs unique in its region. Other original features of this study are the highlights of the last twenty years -- the success of the American Hotel, revival of Main Street, including the Black Cat, and the impact of the national acclaim for the Fabulous Beekman Boys. As well does Ms. Pfau include more than 50 photographs from her collection and others, & many previously-unpublished photographs from the collection of the Historical Society. The author also came across the oldest extant map of the Village in 1847, discovered in 2015 in a private collection. Ms. Pfau received a bachelors in history from Syracuse University and a masters from Columbia University. Published by Arcadia Publications as part of their Images of America series, the book is receiving national and international distribution in bookstores and online. Arcadia plays an important part in the preservation of local heritage, making history available to all. Tony Daous books will also be available his Guide to Sharon Springs has just received an award from Otsego 2000.

During the recent Best of NAMA (National Agri-Marketing Association) awards banquet, held in Kansas City, MO, Bruce Button, Vice President and General Manager of Lee Publications, Palatine Bridge, NY, received the prestigious Dil-worth Award.

The Dilworth Award for Innovation honors true originality in volunteer ef-forts by an individual or chapter. Bruce worked single-handedly for over fi ve years to see that a student chapter was started at the State University of New York, Cobleskill. The student chapter has gotten off to a great start with his guidance. They attended their fi rst NAMA convention, participating in the Stu-dent Marketing Competition.

In addition to working with the student chapter, Bruce represented Region 6 as a Regional Director and then stepped in as the Eastern chapters president when asked, a role he continues to fi ll, while fulfi lling his duties at Lee Publi-cations.

Founded in 1965, Lee Publications, Inc., is a family owned business pub-lishing targeted trade publications for the agricultural, heavy construction, aggregate, commercial horticulture, and solid waste industries.

Marvin Kokes, National President of NAMA, presents the Dilworth Award for Innovation to Bruce Button, Vice President and General Manager of Lee Publications.

Photo by Chuck Zimmerman, AgWired

THE SHARON SPRINGS COMMUNITY COOKBOOK

First, to everyone who has submitted recipes for the Cookbook, many, many thanks! Without you, your memories, and your recipes, we would have no Cookbook. This has turned out to be a historical document that reflects our changing times and culture in a way that has far surpassed the expectations of Pauline Brown, Karen Cookson, and me. We currently have over 400 recipes, and plan to use them all. The recipes reflect our Dutch, French, German, Irish, Italian, Norwegian, Puerto Rican, Polish, Russian, Sicilian, Southern, Native American, Jewish, Mexican, and Swedish traditions what a melting pot we are! They were submitted by current (both year-round and summer) residents, former residents, relatives of current residents, folks employed in local businesses who live outside the Village and the Town, and some of our frequent visitors. We are hoping for a first-sell day at Harvest Festival and are striving very hard to make that happen for you and our visitors. Thank you for helping bring this project to fruition and your efforts to support the Sharon Springs Food Pantry. Kathy Merrick

The Sharon Methodist Church, seen here around 1890, is home to the food pantry today.

CONGRATULATIONS KELLY BUTTON! Kelly Button, proprietor of The New York House Bed & Breakfast, won First Place in the Cake and Cookie division at the Schoharie County Maple Festival this spring. She did a variation on her delicious Pumpkin Cake with Brown Butter frosting. Maple syrup from the Stone House Sap House was substituted for the sugar in the cake and frosting recipes and the pecans and pepitos were glazed in maple syrup for the topping. Kellys original recipe appeared in an earlier edition of the Chatter!

IROQUOIS CRADLE BOARD Art is in the perception The hand is simply the tool to produce what you conceive Its visual and spiritual essence produce a work of art Which is comprehensive as a whole, meaningful and beautiful At the same time. It may be quill work, a beaded rosette, a pair of moccasins a Cradleboard, a paintingEach thing speaks for itself, A message for all to see and enjoy. By doing this we learn to respect and honor all living things This can be called the art of Life. Oren Lyons, artist and Onondaga Faithkeeper, Turtle Clan, 1980

Pictured above are Lucinda Brazile and her infant son who lived on Main Street, Sharon Springs, during the 1840s and 1850s. The family were members of the Methodist Church located on Highway 20, across from the Sharon Springs Central School (see photo page 5). This year the Fenimore Museum celebrates the 20th year of the Thaw Collection of Native American Art.

MUSINGS AND REMINDERS FOR SUMMER *Some events you will not want to miss: 1. June 20 and 21: Northeast Antique Power Association Annual Tractor Show at Sunnycrest Orchards Farm Market! 2. June 20: Customer Appreciation Day at the Tee Pee, starting 11:00 AM! 3. June 27: Strawberry Festival at Kanatsiohareke Mohawk Community, starting at 10:00 AM. 4. July 1st: Opening Summer Concert at Chalybeate Park 7 PM! Every Wednesday night through mid-August! 5. July 8th: Book signing and tea at the Black Cat Caf! 6. July 10th: Opening night at Glimmerglass Festival the Magic Flute set in a Native American village! 7. July 19th: GRAND OPENING of Chalybeate Park! *Sharon Springs, Inc. has started renovations on the Imperial Bathhouse in preparation for creating a Korean style spa. Plans include restoration of the Sulphur Temple, a separate building for traditional sulphur baths, gardens, pools, hotels, restaurants and more. *The Roseboro Hotel under Ron Ketelsons leadership continues to evolve. It is nice to drive by to see flowering plants hanging on the porch and a great deal of rehabilitation effort in the making. *In neighboring Cobleskill, the venerable Bulls Head Inn, has reopened after an intensive restoration bringing this lovely building back to its historical roots. *The Sharon Historical Museum, on Main Street, across from the Imperial Bathhouse, is open daily in July and August from 1-4:00 PM.