​People are fascinated to learn under the original Corning Opera House stage were two dressing rooms, one for female and one for males. In the center of the stage was a trap door that led to either room. When the Adams County Free Press purchased the building in 1935, the dressing rooms were painted entirely black and became the Darkroom. 

​Life is like a road – it has bumps, cracks, potholes, construction, and obstacles, but in the end, it gets you to somewhere! The pandemic years seemed like we were stuck on the dirt road in the mud! 

​The 1896 Corning fire destroyed the bank that was located at 800 Davis Avenue. The limestone basement walls stood as a reminder of what was, until 1900 when FC Reese stepped in with a Big Dream to purchase it. After finding investors for $50 a share, meeting with city council members, the current building was built in 1902 for $15,000. The Corning Opera House opened in September. The Gauthier family’s Big Dream opened the Adams County Free Press in this building in 1935. Next came the Dan Field family’s free press Big Dream about 1980. In 2000, the Corning Opera House non-profit had a Big Dream which culminated in the restoration in 2012.

​Recently I was looking at some vintage Valentine’s Day Cards similar to the ones I remember receiving in elementary school. Our classes would spend an afternoon turning shoeboxes into beautiful master pieces of art for our personal mailboxes. It was so exciting to sneak your mail into your classmates mailboxes. Valentine’s Day afternoon P-A-R-T-Y-T-I-M-E!