house & home dec. 2015

Vol. 1 Iss. 7DECEMBBER 2015

“I love decorating, and I love Christmas”“I love decorating, and I love Christmas”A Victorian Christmas

Christmas Decorating

Doʼs and Donʼts

Organize room by room

Local contractors discuss ʻwinterizingʼ

home

DECEMBER 17, 20152 House & HomeTHE BRADFORD ERA • OLEAN TIMES HERALD • THE SALAMANCA PRESS

3DECEMBER 17, 2015House & Home THE BRADFORD ERA • OLEAN TIMES HERALD • THE SALAMANCA PRESS

Though winter has been slow in arriving this year, there’s no doubt it’s on its way.As cold weather sets in for the season, local contracts sug-

gest homeowners can keep their homes warm in a variety of ways while staying energy-effi cient.

According to Dana Oakes of Anderson-Shortell in Olean, N.Y., to maintain warmth while saving on energy costs, “The best thing is to make sure you’re using high-effi ciency heaters and boilers. Those are your best energy savers.”

Effi ciency ratings can be found on the labels of big appli-ances, and a mark of 95.6 percent or higher is considered “high-effi ciency,” Oakes said.

Oakes also noted it’s important to keep windows and doors well insulated and to install new, insulated windows whenever possible.

“You lose the majority of your heat out of windows and doors,” he said.

Nick Shembeda of Shembeda Plumbing and Heating in Olean agreed with Oakes and added that older, one-pane windows can be insulated with a special plastic covering found at home improvement centers. The plastic can be applied to windows using a hair dryer.

As for doors, Shembeda recommended purchasing adhesive threshold sealer.

“You can also put draft socks in front of (the door),” Shem-beda said, “which is like an insulated bean bag that keeps cold air from coming in through the cracks.”

Shembeda also recommended checking basements and crawl spaces for cracks in the foundation and sealing them.

“Cracks in the foundation can lead to frozen pipes,” he warned.

Shembeda also suggested having heating and cooling sys-tems checked by plumbers once a year.

“Just like anything else in life, you’ve got to maintain (your heating systems),” he said.

Rob Granger of Yes Foam in Olean recommended home-

owners get their air infi ltration levels checked by a licensed pro-fessional before the winter really sets in. He explained that air infi ltration is when outside air enters homes accidentally through doors and windows.

Granger suggested buying a humidifi er for winter months.“Humid, moist air holds heat,” he said.

Local contractors discuss ʻwinterizingʼ homeBy Diana McElfreshSpecial to House & Home


Brightly painted wooden soldiers march up the stairs and con-tinue their trek on stained-glass window sills. Lights, greenery

and shimmering garland sparkle in every room.Frank and Eileen Skrobacz’s Victorian home at 231 N.

Fourth St. is a Christmas showcase, inside and out.“I love decorating, and I love Christmas,” Eileen Skrobacz

said.Even when it’s not Christmas, she keeps a wall of holiday

items in her front room.“I’ve done that ever since we were married,” she said. “It’s a

way to keep Christmas all year.”Skrobacz also sets a creative table in her dining room,

changing the theme each month.The Skrobaczs have lived in the house for 13 years and

raised two daughters, Annie and Maria, there from the time the girls were in middle school. Frank Skrobacz is a buyer for

Keystone Tool and Dye in Westons Mills, and Eileen Skrobacz teaches English at Olean Intermediate Middle School.

The corner house, painted cream and burgundy, was built in the 1800s by a man who owned a meat company. The current owners fell in love with the house as soon as they saw it.

“It reminded us of my parents’ house on Fulton Street,” Skrobacz said. “Growing up there I was used to a big house with tall, tall ceilings, and with this house, my husband doesn’t have to duck in archways and doorways like he did in other houses we’ve lived in. He’s 6-foot-4.”

Skrobacz remembers always going all-out for Christmas because her mother also loved decorating and would trim six fi replace mantels in their home.

“I only have three mantels here,” she said.One in the family room is hung with stockings and trimmed

with small fi gurines. An entryway fi replace takes visitors back to

By Deb WuethrichSpecial to House & Home

Victorian Christmascontinues on page 8

Olean home brings tidings of Victorian Christmas

Deb Wuethrich/Olean Times HeraldHome owner and teacher Eileen Skrobacz surrounds herself with a festive atmosphere in her Victorian home.


an earlier time with its Victorian-themed decorations, including an old sled propped nearby.

“Our neighbor was going to get rid of it, but I said, ‘I want it!’” Skrobacz said.

Several of the decorations she made by hand, such as some wooden trees, red blocks that spell out “Christmas” and a ce-ramic Nativity set. Others are from years of collecting, such as the parade of snowmen that surround the house’s third mantel in a cozy front room.

“Every year the day after Thanksgiving, my husband brings the totes down from the attic,” Skrobacz said.

There are now at least 40 of them that have to be hauled down three fl ights of stairs.

“We try to have it done by Sunday,” she added.She estimates the process takes “a good 30 hours,” with

both working approximately 10 hours per day to get everything just right. To stay organized, Skrobacz labels every tote and

makes notes of which items go in which room and whether it is on a mantel, shelf or table.

Her favorites include a large, white angel trimmed in gold and other pieces that belonged to her parents. It sits on a large, custom-built bookcase that also belonged to them and brings fond memories to Skrobacz. There are also stories to every or-nament and decoration.

When Skrobacz was a junior in high school she visited her brother, who was stationed in Germany, and brought home some delicate pieces, including a Nuremberg angel for a friend. A couple of fragile pyramid pieces are packed away, but almost everything is on display every year.

“We’ve also gone to Broadway Market to get the good stacking Santas that are kind of hard to fi nd anymore,” she said.

Family and friends help add to her angel and snowman col-lections. They also give her snow globes.

“I also go to a lot of craft shows and fi nd things there,” Skrobacz said. “I try not to buy — but I can’t help it. I just love Christmas.”

Victorian Christmascontinued from page 7

Deb Wuethrich/Olean Times HeraldA fi replace in the entryway is decorated with a Victorian fl air.

Deb Wuethrich/Olean Times HeraldGenerous window light bathes the entryway at the Skrobaczs’ Victorian home.


While resolving to lose weight or quit smoking are popular New Year’s resolutions, many people decide the dawn of a

new year is a great time to get organized. The holiday season can interfere with one’s ability to stay or-

ganized. The arrival of new gifts, decorations decking the halls and overnight guests can make it seem like rooms have been turned upside down. But the end of the holiday season provides a great chance to sort through belongings and start organizing in earnest.

Men and women who want to get organized can consult with a professional organizer or tackle the job on their own, potentially enlisting the help of others in the household.

Step 1: Assess the damage.It can be diffi cult to get organized without fi rst taking inven-

tory of your home. Go through all of the rooms in the house and decide what your goals for each room are, jotting those goals down as you go.

See if the rooms have more storage potential than you’re utilizing, particularly those rooms that are overrun with items. Storage can include shelves on walls, new furniture or modifi ed closet spaces. Again, jot down your ideas so you can refer back to them later on.

Step 2: Set up a sorting plan.Organizing may involve sorting through belongings and

getting rid of things you no longer use. One of the easier ways to handle sorting is to purchase three different containers or make three different piles. The fi rst one will hold items you will keep, the second includes items that can be sold or donated and the last will house items that you will discard or recycle. Separating belongings in this manner can help you stay on task and remove some of the stress from getting organized. Simply move the containers that are no longer needed from the room when you’re ready to organize the remaining belongings.

Step 3: Schedule your cleaning days.It may take a couple of sessions to get certain rooms clean,

so plan ahead for that. For example, you may need a day to sort and toss items, another day to prep the room with organi-zational enhancements and yet another to put everything back. Separating tasks into manageable sessions will help you reach smaller goals that eventually add up to your larger goal of get-

ting more organized.Plan project days when you can devote time with few, if any,

distractions. You may want to ask a friend or family member to take care of your children or pets for a few hours while you are tackling your tasks. Organizing around the trash pickup sched-ule can help, too. This way discarded items are quickly out of sight and out of mind.

Step 4: Prepare your day.Have all of your necessary equipment on hand in advance

of Day 1. This eliminates having to go on the search for sup-plies, which can prove distracting. Make sure you are well rested and have eaten a hearty meal. Set an alarm for how long you want the organizational session to go. If you work until you reach the point of fatigue, you may not be inclined to fi nish on another day.

Step 5: Reward yourself.Every time you fi nish an organizational session or goal, treat

yourself to something nice, such as a dinner out or a massage. Choose something relaxing that makes you happy.

Step 6: Repeat the process.When one room is organized, establish your plan for the next

room. Once you see the success that comes from the fi rst room, you can use that as motivation to do the others at your own pace.

Getting organized may take some time, but it can be well worth the reward when a home is clean and everything has a place. TF15C726

Organize room by room

What Is The Future of the Antiques and Collectibles Show Circuit?


In late September 2015, I received an email from a friend. An announcement from Dan Darby, General Manager of U.S. Antique Shows announcing the cancel-ation of the March 2016 New York Pier Show was attached. Darby stated: “Dealer participation in the 2014 and 2015 March Pier Shows was less than desired, with 2015 slightly lower than the preceding year. This continues a more than 10-year trend that has seen the Pier Antique Show reduced from a 2-weekend, 3-location event to its current 2-day run at Pier 94.” The announcement suggested the March show concept was postponed, not abandoned. A 2017 March Pier show is possible. The trade is advised not to hold its collective breath.

In its heyday in the late 1990s and early 2000s, the New York Pier Show, under the direction of Irene Stella and Stella Show Management, was one of America’s premier antiques and collectibles shows. At its peak, the Peer Show required three New York passenger terminals to house it. One terminal was devoted to antiques (Classic Pier), a second to collectibles (Twentieth Century Pier), and a third (American Pier) to a mix of the two. The show was an adventure, the atmosphere electric, and the selection of objects an “I have died and gone to heaven” moment.

In May 2013, Irene Stella retired, sold the New York Pier Antique Show and Antiques at the Armory Show to GLM (U.S. Antique Shows), and announced the restructuring of her company. Stella Show Management Company now manages “Country Living Fair” shows in Atlanta, Columbus (OH), Nashville, and Rhinebeck (NY). These shows focus on decorating with rather than collecting antiques and col-lectibles.

Is the cancelation of the March 2016 New York Pier Show an anomaly or symbolic of a trend marking the decline of the traditional antiques and collectibles show? Forget anomaly. The Pier show cancelation is one of several 2015 bellwethers suggesting the intermediate and long-term future for some antiques and collectibles shows does not bode well.

In January 2015, Richard H. Worley, the chair of the advisory committee for the Philadelphia Antiques Show, informed dealers in an email “there will not be a Phila-delphia Antiques Show in 2015.” The show was scheduled for April 11-13. He cited high Convention Center costs and the inability of the show director to expand the dealer roster and achieve other expansion goals as reasons for the cancelation. The email indicated an effort will be made to regroup for an April 2016 show.

EMG (Events Management Group) canceled the 48th Virginia Beach Antiques Show scheduled for August 7 to 9, 2015. The cancelation announcement noted: “Given the cost of facility rental, increased advertising rates, the current state of the economy, and the general decline in the antique business world, we do not have enough participating dealers to be able to present the high-quality show that you [at-

tendees] have come to expect from Events Management Group…we have examined all options and have found no reasonable solution to the current situation and cannot move forward with this show now or in the future.” EMG is not making promises it is not prepared to keep.

Barn Star Productions canceled its August 7, 2015, Pickers Mart Antiques Show scheduled for Concord, New Hampshire. The show was more than 20 years old. It was one of the many activities associated with Antiques Week in New Hampshire.

Specialized antiques and collectibles shows show similar signs of stress. The Feb-ruary 7-8, 2015 Antique Sporting and Collectibles Show at the Sunnyview Exposition Center and Winnebago Fairgrounds in Oshkosh, Wisconsin was canceled. The good news is that Nona Amour acquired the show and has announced a return of the show on February 5 and 6, 2016.

Many antiques and collectibles shows take place in older venue locations. A closure or renovation impacts a show. School construction postponed the 2015 White House Antiques Show held at the Hawken School in Gates Mills, Ohio. Miami Beach is planning a major renovation of its convention facility, a project that is slated to take more than a year to complete. Dealer angst as to where the show will relocate already has reached fever pitch.

Many antiques and collectibles shows that have not canceled face serious challenges. Although the secondary market price for antiques and collectibles has stabilized following the impact of the 2008-2009 Great Recession, the same cannot be said for the antiques and collectibles show circuit. Many show promoters continue to struggle to match 2013 and 2014 numbers. Stabilization and turn-around is the exception, not the rule.

[Author’s Aside: This is a not a sky is falling, the end is near column. Antiques and collectibles shows will not disappear. They are a viable sales venue in the trade.]

The golden age of the antiques and collectibles show circuit was the 1980s and 1990s. A return to those glorious days is an ardent wish of many old-timers. It is a dream, not a reality. The 2008-2009 Great Recession, the Millennials and Genera-tion Z, and the digital age caused change that cannot be reversed.

The cited cancelations indicate that antiques and collectibles shows at all levels within the marketplace are encountering problems. The cancelations are the visible signs. Concern beneath the surface is quietly, but quickly spreading. Grumbling is becoming prevalent among promoters, dealers, and customers, especially those indi-viduals who have been involved in the trade for more than two decades.

The avoidance of the blame game is critical. Promoters complain about increas-ing costs involved in building rental, insurance, and advertising. Their show dealer base is aging. Dealers grouse about the increased cost of booth rental, inventory, and overhead expenses. Buyers whine about high prices, lack of merchandise, and the high cost of attending a show.

By Harry L. RinkerHarry L. Rinker, LLC

continues on next page


Although all these issues have merit, the key is for the three groups to accept reality and work together to fi nd solutions. The three groups are dependent on each other. Those who argue that the antiques and collectibles show circuit has a pendulum that swings between market strength resting with the seller and the buyer are mistaken. Selling and buying antiques and collectibles is not a test of will. It is a partnership between the parties involved that, hopefully, results in a win-win-win situation for the three groups.

Who in the trade is in a position to create the dialogue that will bring these three groups together? My fi rst choice would be a consortium of antiques and collectibles trade papers. If there is no interest there, then I look to the show promoters to take the lead. Show promoters are the only group among the three that is organized.

Nature abhors a vacuum. The same is true for the antiques and collectibles show business. When an antiques and collectibles show location vacuum exists, show promoters will step in and fi ll it.

Norm Schaut, the founder of the fabled Atlantique City, is an example of the “never say die” antiques and collectibles show promoter. After selling Atlantique City to Krause and watching the show deteriorate and fail to the point where Krause could not fi nd a buyer for it, Schaut used his entrepreneurial skills to launch an Atlantique City-style show at the Philadelphia Expo Center in Oaks, Pennsylvania. Although unsuccessful, Schaut did not give up. He created the “Antique City Fun Fair,” held in Lehigh University’s Rauch Field House located in Saucon Valley, Penn-sylvania. In its fourth year, it is now operated by William Thomas.

In 2010, Allison Kohler of JKM Shows fi lled the Atlantic City, New Jersey, show void. I had the privilege of appearing at the fi rst March show. Allison remains com-

mitted to the Atlantic City venue. Although attempts to establish a spring/fall show pattern were not successful, the March show, now at Harrah’s Waterfront, remains viable. I applaud Allison for her persistence and willingness to experiment. She tried to return to the Atlantic City Convention Center for an April 11-12, 2015 show. Unfortunately, the show was postponed.

To end on a positive note, many of the mid-size and smaller antiques and col-lectibles shows have or are close to stabilizing. A strong cadre of show promoters is working hard to see that the antiques and collectibles show venue survives. There will be additional show cancelations. However, when reading a story about a show cancelation in a trade periodical, check the advertisements and reports of those shows that do take place as scheduled. Applaud and support show promoters’ efforts to launch new shows. Finally, spread the word that visiting an antiques and collectibles show is a fun adventure.

Harry L. Rinker welcomes questions from readers about collectibles, those mass-produced items from the twentieth and twenty-fi rst centuries. Selected letters will be answered in this column. Harry cannot provide personal answers. Photos and other material submitted cannot be returned. Send your questions to: Rinker on Collect-ibles, 5955 Mill Point Court SE, Kentwood, MI 49512. You also can e-mail your questions to [email protected]. Only e-mails containing a full name and mailing address will be considered.

You can listen and participate in WHATCHA GOT?, Harry’s antiques and collectibles radio call-in show, on Sunday mornings between 8:00 AM and 10:00 AM Eastern Time. If you cannot fi nd it on a station in your area, WHATCHA GOT? streams live on the Internet at www.gcnlive.com.


McKean County, Pa.

Bradford Area School District150 Lorana Ave.P.O. Box 375Bradford, Pa. 16701 |814-362-3841

Otto-Eldred School District143 R.L. Sweitzer DriveDuke Center, Pa. 16729814-817-1380

Smethport Area School District414 S. Mechanic St.Smethport, Pa. 16749-1522814-887-5543

Kane Area School District400 W. Hemlock Ave.Kane, Pa. 16735814-837-9570

Port Allegany School District87 Clyde Lynch DrivePort Allegany, Pa. 16743814-642-2590

Potter County, Pa.

Austin Area School District138 Costello Ave.Austin, Pa. 16720(814) 647-8603

Coudersport Area School District 698 Dwight St.Coudersport, Pa. 16915 814-274-9480

Northern Potter School District745 Northern Potter RoadUlysses, Pa. 16948814-848-7506

Oswayo Valley Area School District277 Oswayo St.Shinglehouse, Pa. 16748814-597-7175

Cameron County, Pa.

Cameron County School District601 Woodland Ave.Emporium, Pa. 15834814-486-4000

PA SCHOOL DISTRICTSCattaraugus County

Allegany-Limestone Central School District3131 Five Mile RoadAllegany, NY 14706716-375-6600

Cattaraugus-Little Valley CentralSchool District207 Rock City StreetLittle Valley, NY 14755716-938-9155

Ellicottville Central School District5873 Route 219Ellicottville, NY 14731716-699-2368

Franklinville Central School District31 North Main StreetFranklinville, NY 14737716-676-8029

Gowanda Central School District10674 Prospect StreetGowanda, NY 14070716-532-3325

Hinsdale Central School District3701 Main StreetHinsdale, NY 14743716-557-2227

Olean City School District410 West Sullivan StreetOlean, NY 14760716-375-8018

Portville Central School District500 Elm StreetPortville, NY 14770716-933-7141

Randolph Central School District18 Main StreetRandolph, NY 14772716-358-6161

Salamanca City School District50 Iroquois DriveSalamanca, NY 14779716-945-2403

Southern Tier Catholic School andArchbishop Walsh Academy208 North 24th StreetOlean NY 14760 716.372.8122

West Valley Central School District5359 School StreetWest Valley, NY 14171716-942-3293

Yorkshire-Pioneer CentralSchool District12125 County Line RoadYorkshire, NY 14173716-492-9304

Allegany County

Alfred-Almond Central School District6795 Route 21Almond, NY 14804607-276-2981

Andover Central School District31-35 Elm StreetAndover, NY 14806607-478-8491

Belfast Central School District1 King StreetBelfast, NY 14711585-365-9940

Bolivar-Richburg Central School District100 School StreetBolivar, NY 14715585-928-2561

Canaseraga Central School District4-8 Main StreetCanaseraga, NY 14822607-545-6421

Cuba-Rushford Central School District5476 Route 305Cuba, NY 14727585-968-1556

Fillmore Central School District104 Main StreetFillmore, NY 14735585-567-2251

Friendship Central School District46 West Main StreetFriendship, NY 14739716-973-3534

Genesee Valley Central School District1 Jaguar DrBelmont, NY 14813585-268-7900

Scio Central School District3968 Washington StreetScio, NY 14880585-593-5510

Wellsville Central School District126 West State StreetWellsville, NY 14895585-596-2170

Whitesville Central School District692 Main StreetWhitesville, NY 14897607-356-3301

NY SCHOOL DISTRICTS


Christmas Decorating Doʼs and Donʼts

As Twin Tiers residents drum up holiday cheer this Decem-ber, a lack of snow certainly isn’t dampening the mood.

We thought we’d give you some tongue- in- cheek decorating advice, so that you can deck your halls with some solid tips — and a few laughs.

DO upgrade your lights! LEDs are becoming more afford-able every year. They glow brighter and use less electricity, and the bulbs last longer than the little incandescent lights.

DON’T throw out your old ones just yet. Especially if they’re still working. Go ahead and replace the strands that aren’t lighting up. But more lights means you have a better chance of being the brightest house on the block. Besides, your mother taught you not to waste perfectly good things. You really don’t want a lecture from her over Christmas dinner, right?

DO check your light bulbs individually. If you have the time and want to get that half- lit strand working, go through the strand, one bulb at a time, removing each and replacing it with a new bulb. If there is only one dead light, this method should fi nd it. Multiple dead bulbs are usually harder to fi nd.

DON’T try to remove bulbs with your teeth. This almost sounds like useless advice. The kind of statement that doesn’t really need to be said, until you actually try to remove the bulbs by hand. Inevitably, a hard- to- remove bulb will frustrate you, and you may be tempted to try to gain a little leverage by using your teeth. This is not a good idea, and it will create an im-mediate and striking painful sensation in your face. It may not be as painful as a police offi cer using a Taser on you, but it is a similar sensation.

DO use infl atables! Lighted, infl atable lawn decorations are all the rage; in fact, one house on Looker Mountain Trail in Rixford has over 100 of them! They’re cute.

DON’T forget to take them down. Imagine the horror of a dozen infl atable cartoon characters in Santa hats colliding with a pickup truck driving by after a wind gust.

DO decorate your yard with reindeer! Reindeer are cute and a very popular holiday decoration.

DON’T be surprised if your deer is shot by a hunter. You

may want to make sure your deer is covered in lights, or obvi-ously cartoonish, to prevent an overzealous hunter from taking a shot.

DO put a light-up Santa in your yard! Light-up Santa Claus decorations have been around for a long time. Some vintage decorations are actually worth a lot of money!

DON’T use a seated Santa. Or else your yard will suddenly be fi lled with a long queue of schoolchildren waiting to sit on his lap.

DO use plastic hangers for outside decorations. They are affordable and easy to use. They’re also easy to remove, which will make a big difference if you are trying to remove them in ice and snow after the holidays. They don’t damage your shin-gles or siding, and they help mount the lights evenly.

DON’T use nails or screws to hang lights, for a few rea-sons. The fi rst is that if you try to drive a nail or screw a nail in between the wires, you may nick the wire and damage the lights. The other is that if you wrap the wire around a nail, you may create another unwanted consequence. If you remember from science class, a wire carrying an electric current wrapped around a piece of metal creates an electromagnet. Considering the number of nails and wires you’ve used to hang your lights, you are dealing with multiple electromagnetic currents. This could cause an electromagnetic fi eld to resonate with the fi llings in your teeth, and you’ll start to pick up a radio signal in your head.

DO set up a nativity scene through which Christians and non-Christians alike can appreciate the story of the birth of Jesus — whether you view it as myth or Gospel truth, it’s a good reminder that Christmas isn’t just about gifts, cookies and offi ce parties. There is more to the story, and it involves peace, love and a powerful message about a baby born in a feeding trough.

DON’T be THAT guy. You know — the one that gets of-fended when someone wishes him “Happy holidays” instead of “Merry Christmas.” Nothing says “Jesus is the reason for the season” like an good, old-fashioned store boycott or a rude exchange with a stranger! Let’s let peace on Earth and good will to men be at the center of whatever holiday it is that we cel-ebrate this season.

By Josh HatcherSpecial to House & Home

house & home dec. 2015

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