Kane, A Star In The Forest; Season 3, Episode 77

My grandfather bought a nail file in Kane, PA almost 100 years ago. I still have it...but I'd never been to Kane. Turns out I really should have! Kane, "the star in the forest," is another small central PA town that punches above its weight. There's the iconic Texas Hot Lunch (I interviewed owner Mike Bechakas, and had two of his very, very good Texas Hots), two distilleries, two wineries, a drive-in theater, a great coffee shop, a famously good butcher shop, a wonderful restaurant and a cut-above pizza place...and that's just the usual STAG stuff, there's the whole Allegheny National Forest right there!  You know I'm kind of obsessed with the whole Texas Hot/Coney Island hot dog thing. Well, to prepare for my interview with Mike, I dove deep into the internet, and found a guy who's even more obsessed...and he's gone way down that rabbit hole and come back with some great history. Check it out here! There's still mystery to it, but this answers a lot of questions.   There was so much, I did something I've never done before: I interviewed the town's mayor. Brandy Schimp is in her 9th year as mayor of Kane -- she was the Pennsylvania Mayor of the Year in 2024! -- and she did indeed have her finger on the pulse. She actually dragged in a colleague to the interview, so you get a twofer: Kate Kennedy, who's the director of the Kane Area Development Center. They're both Kane natives, and they were very fun to talk to.  I went out to the Kinzua Bridge State Park and saw the cast-down remains of the mighty railroad trestle, and the skywalk they've made of what's left. Very cool, and even though the skywalk is under renovation right now (it's going to be open for leaf-peeping in the fall), the view and the visitor center is worth a visit.   Back home, I've got a plug for Riversongs, the annual fundraiser for environmental education here in beautiful downtown Millheim. Since it is Millheim, there's live music from two bands, a raffle, and plenty of good beer. Come on out on March 29th!   What I'm Drinking Today is the incredibly crisp and refreshing Allagash House Beer, which my old friend and new book collaborator Em Sauter brought me when she visited last week to work on our new book project. The Smack Dab In The Centre segment is about the wonderfulness of hanging out by a firepit, because it's that time again! I note three Centre County spots where you can do that.  Next episode will be...something. Look, I have something really good lined up for four weeks from now, but I'm still looking for something for the next episode. I'm working on it.   So...see you in two weeks! Until then? TELL YOUR FRIENDS ABOUT THE PODCAST! Seen Through A Glass is sponsored by the Happy Valley Adventure Bureau. Come visit Centre County!   This episode uses these sounds under the following license: Creative Commons CC BY 4.0   https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ "Champ de tournesol" by Komiku at https://www.chosic.com/free-music/all/ arrow-impact-87260 Sound Effect found on Pixabay (https://pixabay.com) "Glow" by Scott Buckley | www.scottbuckley.com.au  Music promoted by https: //www.chosic.com/free-music/all/ All sounds sourced by STAG Music Librarian Nora Bryson, with our thanks.