Genesee Sun

Mount Morris, York Boys’ Basketball Teams Play to Beat Cancer

MOUNT MORRIS — When the Mount Morris and York boys’ basketball teams play each other on Feb. 3 at Mount Morris Central School, they won’t just be playing to win—they’ll be playing to help end cancer.

Both varsity basketball teams will be participating in a Coaches VS Cancer game in an attempt to match or beat the over $1400 in donations raised at last year’s event. This year’s game is the second game the Mount Morris team has participated in.

Coaches VS Cancer is a national program and collaboration between the American Cancer Society and the National Association of Basketball Coaches that gives basketball coaches, their teams, and local communities a chance to help fight cancer.

Darlene Ferraro has worked with Mike Murray, Mount Morris Central School’s athletic director, in organizing the event. The fight against cancer is something very important to Ferraro, who has been in contact with a representative from American Cancer Society since last year’s event in order to make this year’s event even better than before.

“I got involved because of my own experiences with the horrible disease,” said Ferraro. “I myself am a survivor and my twin sister is now in the battle of her life. My brother was also just diagnosed with prostate cancer.”

The Coaches VS Cancer event goes from 6 p.m. until 9 p.m. Adults cost $2 to get in and students cost $1. All money goes to the American Cancer Society.

Gift baskets and gift certificates donated by local businesses will be on display at the gym entrance. People may donate money for a chance to win the baskets and gift certificates. Attendees may also donate to participate in half-court shots during the game’s half time for a chance to win prizes.

Those interested in donating money may mail checks made out to the American Cancer Society to Darlene Ferraro, 81 Murray Street, Mt. Morris NY 14510. All those who make monetary donations will have their name, or business’s name, included on the Wall of Hope displayed by the gym.

Mount Morris Fully Animated Light Show a Wonder For All

MOUNT MORRIS — A wonderful fully animated light show in Mount Morris has the community buzzing with holiday spirit.

The show, which is put on by Stephen and Tara Disney at 48 Pine Circle in Mount Morris, is in it's fifth year.

When you pull up to the address a sign tells you to tune your vehicle to 106.9 FM and the spectacular blinking lights float along perfectly to the holiday music.

Best of show starts at 5:30 p.m. with the shows rotating every half hour up until 9:30 p.m.

Mount Morris Deli A Treat For Locals and International Travelers

MOUNT MORRIS — Main Street’s Steffanelli’s Deli sells more than the typical deli fare of sandwiches and salads— it sells home-cooked comfort food and relaxation.

When the deli first opened in May 2011, business was tough, said owner Stephanie Wolfe. Since then, Steffanelli’s Deli has acquired a customer base of locals and foreigners traveling through Mount Morris.

“I get people from all over the world,” said Wolfe. “I’ve had people from Australia. I had a lady from Michigan come in the other day for lunch. I’ve had people from Holland here, and the Netherlands. It’s very interesting. I like meeting all the people who come through.”

Before opening, Wolfe, a resident of Conesus, wasn’t sure if running a business in Mount Morris would be successful. Now she’s glad she took a chance when real estate developer Greg O’Connell and Louise Wadsworth approached her about opening a deli.

“I like to cook and I like to feed people, so it all comes together and everyone seems to be happy with that,” Wolfe said.

Wolfe was unemployed when O’Connell and Wadsworth approached her, but she had prior experience running businesses for other people and working with food. Running her own deli business was something new and exciting to try.

She decided to name her business Steffanelli’s Deli after her nickname “Steffanelli.” The name just happened to rhyme perfectly with deli.

In addition to making sure the business had a catchy name, Wolfe had to make sure it was cozy for her customers— something she’s certainly accomplished. The deli’s walls are a light yellow that gives the restaurant warmth even on a cold winter day. The counter is stocked with desserts, sides and salads to tempt the eyes and taste buds. The whole place gives off a vibe that says “Stay awhile”— advice some customers have followed.

“I had a group of ladies in here for three hours yesterday,” said Wolfe with a smile. “It’s comfortable. I like to treat people like they’re coming to my house for dinner.”

Steffanelli’s Deli is also the go-to place for people who can’t make it home for dinner, especially during the holidays.

“I attract a lot of people going to see their families up on Murray Hill and want to bring food up,” Wolfe said. “I’m glad I’m able to help them out that way.”

Everything in the deli is made fresh from scratch. Wolfe said she buys new ingredients everyday to make sure she’s stocked up with the best foods. She also tells her customers to let her know if they want something that isn’t on the menu.

“I try to please everybody,” said Wolfe. “That’s one of my mottos.”

Whether a customer is in the mood for a Reuben and some pasta salad, or macaroni and cheese and roasted vegetables, Steffanelli’s Deli is sure to hit the spot.

The deli is located at 40 Main Street, Mount Morris and is open Monday-Friday from 11 a.m.-7 p.m. and Sundays from 11 a.m.-5 p.m.

Jane’s Pantry Thriving after Almost a Year of Business

MOUNT MORRIS — Jane Oakes bustles around her shop, restocking candy, straightening bags of snack mix and saying “Hello” to customers. When asked how she’s doing, Jane replies “Busy,” with a slight smile that suggests she’s not exactly upset by it.

Jane runs Jane’s Pantry at 84 Main Street in Mount Morris, which opened at the end of last February. Her store is filled with local food items like Nunda Mustard, as well as old fashioned candy, bulk snacks, sprinkles and an entire section of gluten-free goods. Jane, a former Rochester City School District substitute teacher and Genesee Country Museum teacher, makes sure to have the items her customers ask for in stock, whether they’re healthy food, or guilty pleasures.

“I know that there were a lot of us in this area that would drive up to Rochester to get things that our local stores don’t carry,” says Jane. “With the price of gas, I thought it would be a good thing if we had something down here.”

Jane got her opportunity to open Jane’s Pantry through the downtown revitalization grant program. She applied for a small business grant, which helped fund her first batch of inventory as well as a cash register. Now, she makes it her mission to keep the shelves full of those hard-to-find items her customers crave.

“I’ve gotten in products the customers have asked for, and I’ve learned that some products I thought were a great idea really weren’t,” Jane says, laughing. “I’ve learned what my customer-base likes and will buy.”

Jane points to gelatin on one of her shelves and explains that even though it’s great gelatin, most people prefer to buy the name-brand boxed kind. She then points to a section of shelf dedicated to sprinkles.

“Now sprinkles,” she says, “people get excited by sprinkles because you can’t find decent sprinkles in the stores.”

Jane also says her customers have asked her to keep black licorice stocked, which she happily does.

“We kind of specialize in black licorice here,” she says. “I love black licorice. Those of us who like black licorice are ignored in other stores, so I want to make sure my customers are happy.”

Part of making sure customers are happy is having a variety of healthy foods for them to choose from in addition to candy and baking supplies.

“I have some stuff that’s so healthy, people haven’t even heard of it yet,” says Jane. “I have Kelapo coconut oil and people are just discovering that coconut oil is a brilliant thing to cook with. It has good cholesterol, a nice flavor and a good crisping power.”

In addition to providing customers with healthy options to better their lives, Jane also does her part in helping keep the environment healthy by running Jane’s Pantry as a bagless store. Jane urges her customers to either bring their own reusable shopping bags to the store, or to not use bags at all. For those who forget to bring a bag, Jane has a few paper ones for sale for a small fee.

While helping keep the environment safe is a big deal to Jane, so is seeing Mount Morris boom. As a Mount Morris resident, she wanted to be part of the revitalization. Now, almost a year after opening, Jane’s Pantry is a Mount Morris, and Livingston County, staple.