WEEK #40 October 5th, 2026 Dear Customers,             The month of October is at hand for the next four full weeks.  During that span, we will most likely experience some warm days and cooler nights.  Of course it could also be cold and rainy!  October is a transition month and the weather reflects that.  We’ll…

Dear Customers,              In the grocery business certain foods are associated with seasons, holidays or celebrations throughout the year.  For instance, ham or lamb is popular at Easter while American cuisine is ever present at the patriotic holidays; Memorial Day, 4th of July and Labor Day.  Obviously, turkeys are for Thanksgiving and often ham or…

  Dear Customers,             A few weeks ago, about the time the carnival was packing up their gear and heading to their next venue, my wife had a small gathering on my patio to celebrate my birthday!  My son surprised me with two tubs of homemade sourdough pizza dough, and we baked pizzas for several…

Dear Customers,             Remember, not too long ago, when women shared their favorite recipes with friends and family, often keeping them on 3×5” index cards in a small box made just for that purpose.  Some people kept recipe files that were well organized, perhaps even inserting multi-colored tabs to separate the different types like casseroles,…

Dear Customers,             The 107th NFL season is scheduled to begin this week on Wednesday night in the annual NFL Kickoff Game.  It will feature the reigning Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks hosting the New England Patriots.  From that moment until Super Bowl LXI on Valentine’s Day, 2027 you will have the opportunity to either…

Dear Customers,              Saying goodbye to August has always been bittersweet for me.  It’s most likely a throwback to my days growing up in Smethport as a young boy.  September always signified all things associated with back-to-school, earlier bedtimes, homework, stricter schedules and shorter days.  In fact, I had been out of college for several…

Dear Customers,              Summer vacation ends this week for most of the school districts here in McKean County.  Years ago, all the neighboring districts chose their own start dates and end dates for the school calendar.  When the Seneca Highlands Career and Technical school was started in Port Allegany, it just became easier for those…

Dear Customers,              This week marks the 33rd week of 2026.  That only leaves us 19 weeks remaining till New Year’s or about 1/3 of the year to go.  The older I get, the faster times flies by.  I guess it’s true what they say, “when you get over the hill – you pick up…

Dear Customers,              As the calendar approaches mid-August this weekend, I was surprised to notice there were only a little more than 2 weeks of summer vacation left!  Kids go back to school, at least in the Smethport School District on Thursday, August 27th which is actually a bit later than in recent years.             …

Dear Customers,             It’s reassuring how the various seasons generally have the same type of weather every year.  For instance, you can pretty much bet on snow, ice and cold temperatures from January into March.  Then we enter our rainy, muddy season and by the time May & June roll around we’re often blessed with…