I help Leisure, hospitality and tourism businesses communicate with Customers In a Way that entices both new and former customers to plan a visit.
About Me
I grew up with a real thirst for reading and a love of creative writing, and I really wanted to get involved in the entertainment industry because of my talent and passion for acting. Therefore, while still in high school I attended a class at my local BOCES education center to study Radio and Television Production, which gave me a outlet to utilize my talents on-screen and allowed me to learn the nuances of all the behind-the-scenes work that goes on in those industries. After I graduated high school, I studied the industry further by attending St. Bonaventure University where I majored in Journalism and Mass Communication and later received my Bachelor of the Arts degree. Through doing that, I really honed my writing abilities and decided that I would like to write a novel and become a published author some day. I also worked with a local publishing company, writing for their weekly advertorial newspaper and trying to build up their customer base for their local business directory that they had recently created prior to hiring me.
Samples of william’s writing
Copy Connection About Us
Copy Connection first got its start back in 1984 when Colin Heron and John Osbourne opened their first store out of the old Barnsdall’s building in Bradford, Pennsylvania. They both worked as salesmen for Xerox, and they decided to open their own store to compensate the income from their sales positions. A few years later, they moved their store over onto Chestnut Street in Bradford and the store still resides there today.
After serving the Bradford community’s copying needs for a few years, Colin and John decided they felt that the Olean, NY area could benefit from having its own Copy Connection. They opened the doors to their second location in Olean, located on West State Street in 1992 and hired on Penny VanCamp to serve as Office Manager for their Olean store. Their professional relationship with Penny paid off well for them not only for the Olean store, but for the Bradford store as well.
They hired on Penny’s niece Tonya Turek part-time at the Olean store in 1996, and in 1999, they moved her over to their Bradford store to take on a full-time position. Tonya would go on to become their Office Manager for the Bradford store and she became an integral part of the business, running the store and managing many of the business’ other affairs.
Colin and John tried their hand at running a store based out of Erie, Pennsylvania as well, opening that location in 2000. That location proved not as successful as the Bradford store, and they have since closed its doors. They had also transferred ownership of the Olean store over to former Office Manager Penny VanCamp in 2005. Penny went on to own and operate the business up until the fall of 2012, when she closed the store due to the tough economic times combined with other businesses moving into Olean and offering copy services. The Bradford store has fared better, having less competition in the Bradford area.
A few other things have transpired for Tonya in recent years. She remarried and now goes by her new name Tonya Bisker. In addition to that, Colin and John both decided they wanted to retire from the copy business, and they sold Copy Connection to Tonya on December 30, 2023. As such, Tonya looks forward to providing the Bradford area with their copy shop needs for many more years to come.
Ellicottville Steakhouse Serves-Up Big City Quality With Small-Town Comfort.
Michael Nickolson and his father Gerry purchased an antique fur barn with the sole purpose to use it to store products they needed for their construction company. At the time, they worked as contractors during the summer and switched over to working as ski instructors at Holiday Valley during the winter off-season. Later in 1974, they converted the barn into what people have now come to know as The Silver Fox Steakhouse.
At that point-in-time, they became the fifth sit-down restaurant located in the Ellicottville area. After opening, Gerry managed all of the day-to-day operations of the restaurant and Michael took on the task of training himself how to cook without any formal training. Time went on and they stuck with their time-proven formula for running the restaurant.
However, it proved to be a sad day for The Silver Fox Steakhouse in 2001, as Gerry passed. Michael pressed on, took up the mantle of leadership afterwards, and continues on the legacy of sticking to The Silver Fox’s roots as a high quality and high-class steakhouse.
In keeping with The Silver Fox’s high standards, Michael recently hired on University of Buffalo Business Management graduate and avid Alpine Racing skier Caitlin Croft. Her lifelong commitment to skiing has proven her a perfect fit as Manager at The Silver Fox. Caitlin’s attention to detail and service has caused patrons and staff alike to accept her with open arms.
Head Waitress Emily Arena has worked for The Silver Fox for 3 years now, and has proved herself both organized and precise. Michael had this to say about Emily. “She holds our servers to a higher standard of service, which puts our restaurant ahead of others.”
Emily also owns her own business named “Something Scrolled” where she carves and burns wood into various designs. If you can think it up, she can make it happen. She is also happily married and the proud mother of two wonderful children.
As for Chef Jack Atkinson, Michael had this to say. “Jack’s food creations and sauces rival those of most 4-Star Restaurants! We are lucky to have him in the kitchen. His attention to quality and freshness is impeccable!”
After 39 years, The Silver Fox’s sense of tradition still shines out as a beacon to anyone living in Ellicottville and to all those who visit this worldwide tourist area. Patrons have come to recognize The Silver Fox Steakhouse’s special-touch approach to food quality for its use of Dry-Aged Steaks. During the Dry-Aging process, the steaks go through a 28-day wet-aged time period, which allows the natural enzymes in the meat to break down the sinuous material, allowing them to naturally tenderize.
The steaks get dry-aged next for 21 days. As the process’ name implies, the dry-aging causes the beef to lose some of its moisture. The meat starts off consisting of about 75 percent water and ends up having about 70 percent at the end of the dry-aging process. That may not seem like much of a difference, but it translates into concentrating the meats flavors and the meat-tissue itself becomes more concentrated as well.
According to Michael, “Dry-aged meat is still juicy when you cook it, but the juices are even more delicious than usual.”
The Silver Fox Steakhouse’s staff members constantly change their unique “Special Board” in order to add a sense of diversity to their menu. Their full menu also features appetizers such as Prawns Scampi, Crab Cakes and Asian Splendor as well as entrees like Cab Calloway, Pan-seared Sea-bass and Wasabi Tuna. Along with all these high-quality and extra-delicious menu choices, The Silver Fox Steakhouse also offers their exceptional service, attention to freshness and to detail as well.
In Michael’s own words, “We aim to have every patron leave satisfied with a smile on their face.”
Whenever you find yourself near Ellicottville on the weekend, and in need of some great-quality nourishment served in a high-quality atmosphere, stop on into The Silver Fox Steakhouse to visit Michael and his crew. Also, be sure to check out their site on www.twintiersmarketconnection.com for more company info and their full menu.
Local family provides produce and so much more.
Phil Hershey and his family started selling produce out of his mother’s garage back in 1986 and thus gave birth to his business Hershey Farms Market. Over the years, as the business has grown, he and his family have added onto the building to accommodate their needs. They began selling flowers in addition to selling the produce several years after getting started.
Phil seems well suited for owning and operating a business selling produce, having grown up on a farm and helping his parents run it. His family moved to the Coudersport area when Phil was just two weeks old. He grew up in the Coudersport area and continued to help out on the farm until he graduated from high school.
He then went into doing residential construction and worked in that business for a number of years. After getting out of that he started truck driving for his father when he was twenty-five. He later took over the business from his father and did it himself for a while. After a while of driving trucks, Phil began looking for loads that he could transport home every time he would carry one out somewhere else and that’s when he decided to bring back some coal to sell at his family’s market.
Phil said his wife, Laurel, had thought he was crazy to start selling coal because she didn’t think anyone burned it. Over the years, however, they have sold more and more coal to where it now accounts for about fifty percent of their business.
Phil still owns his own trucks, which he uses to transport products for his market. That has proven quite useful since they now offer many products that add up to a large and heavy load, including the coal as well as bulk landscaping materials. The landscaping materials include five varieties of colored mulch, different varieties of stone such as limestone, as well as sand.
They offer to deliver the coal and landscaping materials out to their customers, or they can stop by the store and pick it up themselves. The Hersheys also sell top soil at their market and customers can purchase it, the coal and the landscaping materials in bulk or by the bag. Phil said that mushroom top soil has proven quite popular since people like to use it for their gardens because it has high levels of both nutrients and fertilizers.
Their customer service has helped to set them apart and Phil had this to say about that, “It took twenty-five years to build up our integrity. We tell people the facts. If we make a mistake, we admit it and correct it. We go the extra mile. Our products are not always the lowest, but we are fair and we always try to keep a good product.”
Laurel said that Phil always tries to work with people to help them out and his honesty has helped him in doing that. Phil has received a lot of help around the market over the years too. Laurel said all of their four children worked at the market during high school and in between semesters during college. Their son Alex still attends Coudersport High School as a junior and he, therefore, still helps at the market.
Laurel said they threaten their kids by saying that either they need to join the military or go to college or they’ll get stuck working at the market. Apparently, they had enough of working there during high school and college because they all moved away as soon as they could.
Steve Gibson has also helped Phil out around the market and has worked for him for fifteen years. Steve delivers the products to the market and keeps the business flowing smoothly. Phil had this to say about Steve’s impact on Hershey Farms Market, “He has been a vital part of this business!”
Therefore, if you find yourself in need of some produce, coal or landscaping materials, make sure you check out their site on www.twintiersmarketconnection.com for further information including their business hours and directions to the store.
Local hotel offers great accommodations along with greater service
Salamanca businessman Merle Watt Senior, along with his daughter Sydney Watt decided to build a new hotel for Salamanca back in 2008. Their brand new unique “Boutique Hotel” offers a variety of specialized rooms to fit anyone’s lodging needs. They committed themselves to providing a relaxed comfortable atmosphere with a variety of amenities to choose from that will make your first stay become a long lasting tradition.
That commitment to customer service carried over when they sold the hotel to Merle’s son Merle Watt Junior. Merle Junior added the Hotel Westgate to his business repertoire, which also includes owning and operating The Wildwood Grill, located in Salamanca as well over on Wildwood Avenue.
Merle Junior utilized his double ownership in August of 2012 when he transferred Mike Franklin over from The Wildwood Grill to manage the Hotel Westgate. Mike had started-off at The Wildwood in October of 2011. He had co-managed there when he first started but later began managing it himself before his transfer.
Mike receives a great deal of help to keep the Hotel Westgate running, especially from sisters Amanda and Lindsey Chase. They both got hired on in March of 2012 and help by doing both front desk and housekeeping work. Their assistance definitely proves helpful with maintaining the cleanliness of the Westgate’s 22 rooms.
Guests of the Westgate will discover that each of their 22 rooms offer a contemporary elegance and gracious style with their custom designed furniture. Each of their rooms also offer guests a flat-screen HDTV, internet access, a safe and a refreshment area. They can accommodate anyone’s needs with their room offerings, which include single, queen, double queen, and king size beds. Mike said they also have a couple suites, which visitors will find quite nice to stay in. They provide their guests with a complimentary continental breakfast as well.
Hotel Westgate sits just about a half-mile from the world class Seneca Allegany Casino, which offers shuttling to and from the casino. Allegany State and National Park also lies just minutes away with year-round outdoor activities for visitors to the area. Ellicottville, NY awaits area visitors as well, offering downhill skiing at both Holiday Valley Resort and Holimont Ski Resort, along with many unique shopping opportunities just 20 minutes down the road.
The staff at Hotel Westgate would love to provide you their knowledgeable, user-friendly and dedicated customer service to ensure that they meet all your needs and desires. According to Mike, their personal touch customer service really sets them apart from many other hotels, especially the bigger chains.
“Since it’s a smaller place, we can get to know some of our regular customers a little better than a larger hotel can. We know some of our customers by first name.”
If you seek nice hotel accommodations provided with great small-town hospitality, look no further than the Hotel Westgate and make sure you can find them by hopping onto their site on www.twintiersmarketconnection.com. While there, check out their business hours as well as directions so you know when and where to find them.
Bradford Pastry Shop Bakes Up Some Magic For The Community
John William’s European Pastry Shop has definitely staked its own claim in the Bradford community. Its extended history in Bradford dates at least as far back as 1928, when it opened its doors as the Davis Bakery. It served as a second location for the original Warren, PA store. Later in 1932, Fred Johnson purchased the bakery and ran it under the Davis Bakery name until it closed down in 1978.
Joseph Frombach, Sr. purchased the bakery in 1980, moving his family from Philadelphia, where they had also owned, and lived above, their own bakery. He did his best to carry on the Davis Bakery tradition. In 1989, Joseph decided to rename the store John William’s European Pastry Shop in memory of his late son John William Frombach. He improved upon the store over the years, adding a café up front in the store taking over some of the space the original bakery used to occupy.
Joseph Frombach, Jr., better known as Joe, took over owning and operating the store and is proud to carry on the bakery tradition as the stores current baker. As a third generation baker who also had eight uncles, in addition to his father, who all worked as bakers, Joe brings the type of service and customer appreciation that only a man with his lifelong years of experience can offer. His family has aided him in his bakery endeavor over the years, with his sons all having worked in the store baking and waiting tables.
Joe also employs a couple waitresses, Barb and Kim, who have become staple employees with the customers over their years of service at the shop. Both ladies are always available to serve your dining needs. Be sure to drop by, especially during their locally famous breakfast hours, and ask either Barb of Kim to serve you up one of their infamous apple strudels.
John William’s has also built itself quite the reputation for its cakes. They offer a wide variety of birthday and wedding cakes, including two of their most popular selections, the Rolled Fondant and the Chocolate Godiva cakes. The Rolled Fondant cake offers a more hard-pressed icing and can be decorated with a variety of designs, pictures and shapes. The Chocolate Godiva consists of a chocolate cake with chocolate fudge icing, chocolate candy coating over top of it and a raspberry flavored filling. They can also provide you with napkins to use while you drool over the Chocolate Godiva.
One service that really sets John William’s apart from some other bakeries and really provides its customers with that down-home feel is their party offering. They specialize in birthday parties as well as cookie and yule log decorating parties. Guests at the parties receive a dinner and drink and then get the backstage treatment as they head back into the bakery and get to decorate their own cake, cookies or yule log and take it home to eat. What makes these parties even more impressive is that John William’s provides this service for the incredibly low price of $24.99.
“And any time you’re in the café, feel free to walk out back and see what I’m doing anytime the door’s open.”
As if John William’s hasn’t offered enough incentive to stop over and see them, Joe has been working alongside The City of Bradford to trade properties so he can add a deck onto the rear of the store building. The deck plans coincide with plans currently underway to install a pedestrian bridge over the nearby creek, as well as plans to reconfigure and restore the parking area behind the store. Joe also approved the city’s plan for Kacy Huston to paint a mural on the rear of his building, and she just recently finished the work. It’s just one of the ways Joe, the city and other local company owners are working together to return Bradford to its glory days.