The Walworthians: Edith Pasquini, Artist

The Walworthians

A collection of telephone interviews published in the Wayne County STAR Newspaper and Wayne County MAIL Newspaper, 1994-209

by Kate Chamberlin

~Edie Pasquini, Artist

October 10, 1997

Edith Pasquini is one of the people in our neighborhood. She has a special talent as an artist and entrepauneer. Her Historic Home Town Series replicates building facades on wood.

“I have the historic buildings of Walworth. West Walworth and Lincoln almost complete,” she said,  “As well as The churches in Marion.”

At Canaltown Days in Palmyra, September 13 and 14, Edie will be selling copies of the Zion Episcopal Church, The Western Presbyterian Church, the United Methodist Church  the Baptist Church and St. Anne’s Catholic Church.

Edie has been commissioned by numerous people to commemorate their own homes, too.

She makes a pencil drawing from a photograph of the building, seals the wood and paints in details using colored acrylic paints. She uses a Sears Craftsman band saw to cut out each building’s silhouette. On her originals she signs the front. On each decoupage copy she signs and dates the back. The final step is to weather-proof the back of each cut out.

If it is not a commissioned work, she will keep the original and make copies for sale in her shop, Potpourri of Gifts, 2256 Walworth-Marion Road, Walworth, 315-986-7999.

Edie has copies made at Loram Productions in Webster.

“I like to have laser copies made,” she said. “They can be enlarged or reduced in size and are an exact copy each time. The color has to be exactly right, too.”

She numbers each copy so she knows how many she has, but, she stressed, the last copy is identical to the first copy.

Edie has been painting since her high school days at Rush-Henrietta, but didn’t pursue painting seriously until about ten years ago.    She has been doing her Historic Home Town Series of collectibles since 1992.

“I’ve been trying something new to me,” she said referring to the historic four churches in Palmyra and St. Anne’s. “I’ve painted them on water color paper and laser copied that to make the copies to decoupage onto wood for cutting out. It is a lot easier to carry a piece of paper to the printers than it is a stack of odd wood shapes.”

Edie’s booth for Canaltown will be located on the Episcopal Church lawn at the corner of Main and Canandaigua Streets. Along with her Historic Home Town Series, She’ll have a variety of her creative driftwood Santa Clauses with crafts and paintings by the artists in her shop. If your club or group needs a fund raiser, ask Edie about doing a commemorative building that would be unique to your group.

Pat Salisbury of Cross Stitch Corner will be sharing the booth with Edie, so you’ll get to meet both of these Walworth entrepauners at Canaltown Days.

Thank you, Edie, you add variety and class to our town. You are a Walworthian with the accent on WORTH.

2018 Up-Date: Potpourri of Gifts lost a lot of business when the road in front of her shop took so long to be re-surfaced, so the shop is closed. She enjoys doing fine art projects for friends and family; visiting their camp on Butterfield Lake; and traveling to Germany, Maryland, and Massachusetts to visit their sons.

The Walworthians: Kevin Heald, Red’s Landscaping

The Walworthians

A collection of telephone interviews published in the Wayne County STAR Newspaper and Wayne County MAIL Newspaper, 1994-209

by Kate Chamberlin

Kevin Heald, Red’s Landscaping

September 20, 1997

Kevin Heald is one of the people in our neighborhood. You may have noticed him driving his clean, bright red 54 Ford truck about town.

He is the owner/operator of Red’s Landscaping, Walworth-Marion Road, 986-1499.

“I started into landscaping a long time ago,” he said. “When I was about 6 years old, Mrs. Salerno used to hire me to clean coops and things, but every time she’d turn around, I’d be digging in her perennials. She gave up and taught me a lot about gardening instead.”

Kevin also said he’d learned a lot from working for a variety of farmers. What they had in common was to do things the old-fashioned way: by hand.

He spurns too many power tools and prefers to hand shear shrubs, custom design each landscape and do the work himself.

Kevin admits that during May through July, he has more work than he can handle alone. He trusts Daryl Copt to be his co-worker.

Kevin and his wife, Barb, moved to the old Bulterman homestead about 12 years ago.

“My brother-in-law, Jim Denniston, was into real estate,” Kevin chuckled. “He’d sent us there as a joke, but after we saw it, we told him we wanted it. The joke was on him!”   Kevin and Barb have two children, Tim and Jessica along with several emu and two piglets.

If you look carefully when you drive past the Heals’s, you might see Barb necking (if that is the correct term?) With one of her emus. It is definitely a sight to behold!

Kevin designed the stone walls for the Post Office, Hardware Store and, most recently, the Walworth Fire Hall.

“Each wall is like a snow flake,” he said. “I hand select each stone and fit it next to the others like a puzzle. Each is unique. Each is beautiful.”

Another unique feature in the new Fire Hall landscaping is the lilac that is grafted onto a cherry tree. The blooms will be lilac but the trunk is an interesting shaggy red bark.

Many years ago, the Walworth Garden Club planted shrubs and flowers at the base of the flag pole. They soon died because the Fire Department thought the Garden Club would water them. The Garden Club thought the Fire Department would do it.

“After I finish planting,” Kevin told me, “I recommend the client water everything every other day for several weeks.”

When Kevin isn’t working on landscaping, he likes to tinker with old cars and trucks.

“I have a 61 two-door hard top Impala that    Has been in 5 shows,” he said, “and won each time.”

Kevin plans to participate in the 1997 Marion Car Show.

The red 54Ford he drives is one of the trucks he has restored with meticulous care.

Thank you, Kevin, for helping to beautify our community one garden at a time. You are a Walworthian with the accent on worth.

2018 Up-Date: The Heald’s have developed an R-V park in Macedon along the Earie Canal.

The Walworthians: Carol Doud, “Country At Heart”

The Walworthians

A collection of telephone interviews published in the Wayne County STAR Newspaper and Wayne County MAIL Newspaper, 1994-209

by Kate Chamberlin

July 16, 1997

Carol Doud is one of the people in our neighborhood. She is a proud grandmother of four and the owner of Country at Heart, formerly the historic Auction Gallery, at 2056 Walworth-Penfield Road.

The practice she and her husband have had throughout the years in taking old homes in the Buffalo area and fixing them up to look great has really paid off. Surely you’ve noticed how nice the newly renovated Walworth Firemen’s Hall looks!

Although, the grand opening of Country at Heart was on Saturday, July 12th, we were able to sneak a preview after the Friday night Firemen’s Parade.

Even before I entered the building, I appreciated the access ramp, which would also be handy for dollies moving out newly purchased large items. Just in the wide front door, my husband remarked on all the work they’ve done to clean up the floors, light the interior and apply a fresh coat of paint.

Carol has grouped her country wares in interesting room settings. In her kitchen, an invitation to set a spell’ seems reminiscent because of the large farm table and chairs. Nearby are several old stoves Carol uses to display foods such as pastas in shapes for special occasions, fragrant jams and tasty jellies.

I’m going back for the almond and poppy seed muffin mix!

Her living room features country tables, chairs, hutches and a Homestead line of lamps, shades, fixtures and everything you’d need for just the right lighting in your own home.

The Men’s Den features upholstered furniture with a sport’s theme for the golf enthusiast

The child’s country bedroom is one that is sure to bring sweet dreams! There is a baby cradle that’s sure to become a family heirloom.

“At this point,” Carol said, “I’m not thinking of taking any consignments.”

This is Carol’s second store. She is hopeful that this new Walworth location will be just as successful as her first Country at Heart located in Penfield.

The Doud’s have three grown children, Lanny, Tracy and Danielle. Carol and Larry moved here from Penfield about four years ago after their youngest child was graduated from high school. They purchased the Wyse’s old homestead on Walworth-Marion Road.

“We were on the way to look at another location,” Carol said, “when we went past this home. I told Larry, that place has real possibilities.”

Each Monday, Carol puts away her entrapreneur demeanor and becomes the proud grandmother as she hostesses Jessica, Jenna, Ali and Cassy in her home.

“We moved to Walworth because my husband always wanted to live in the country,” Carol said, “and I like the closeness of a small town.”

Carol has used local folks to help her renovate the building to accommodate Country at Heart.

“Gary Germano and Bob Dentico have been terriffic. If I weren’t so crazy about hearts, I’d be tempted to name this “Bob and Gary’s Place” she laughed.

Originally, the Auction Gallery was owned by the Firemen. They rented it out for special events, but, there are a lot of folks who remember the round and square dances held every Friday night.

“I have a lot of happy memories about those dances,” Arlene Youngman said. “I danced every Friday night in the early 1940s until after I was married. Then, you-know-who doesn’t like to dance!”

Lavern and Beryl Morrison knew of each other from being in school, but, it was the square dancing that brought them together during the late 1940s.

“There was usually a basketball game on Friday night,” Lavern said. “I’d stay for that and then walk over to the dance.”

Gordie and Katie Youngman held their wedding reception in the Firemen’s Hall in 1950.

Thank you Carol, for ushering our historic building into the millennium with grace and dignity. You are a

Walworthian with the accent on worth.

2018 Up-Date: The Doud’s have moved out and Kord’s Pool Supplies has moved in.