Taking Pride In Their Community in Bloomville

BLOOMVILLE – Pressing cider is a fall activity and despite temperatures that were more summer-like than fall-like on Sunday, members of the greater Bloomville community turned out for what  has become an annual event in the park.

Young and old  took a turn at cranking the handle to press the apples or  grind them into pulp ready for the press.

The reward was getting to watch the apples compress down into juice that was poured into jars and dispensed to anyone who wished to enjoy some freshly pressed cider.

It is one of the events sponsored by the Bloomville Community Pride ,  a non-profit group dedicated to helping maintain the park in the center of the hamlet. They will host Halloween in the Park on Friday, Oct. 31 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. and invite the community to stop by for a hot dog and a treat.

In November they bring Christmas magic to the park by setting up  trees decorated by members of the community, with a cash prize for the best decorated or themed tree. The event takes place from 1-3 p.m. on Nov. 29th, just after the Thanksgiving holiday.

The magic arrives on Dec. 6 with the lighting of the trees in the park and a visit from Santa and Mrs. Clause, S'mores, hot chocolate, Christmas caroling and more.

Bev Rockefeller said the cider pressing grew out of an anniversary wish. "They asked me what I wanted  to do for our anniversary and I said I wanted to press cider," she said. "When we were on the farm there were lots of apples and I wanted to make some into cider. I think we've done it every year since." 

Her husband, John, found a small press and a grinder. Now it is a community event with several gallons of cider handed out on Sunday. There is also an electric press, but most have fun working the wheels for the press or the grinder manually. "I think this is our third year at the park," said Rockefeller. "We decided to make it an annual event for the public and hold the picnic so everyone gets to take some cider home."

The only cost was a dish to pass for the community picnic.

Lexi Rockefeller helped out by designing a cutout board with a fall theme for the Bloomville Cider Fest to provide a fun photo opportunity for visitors. It also provides a nice fall scene that is lighted to welcome visitors to the hamlet.

Community Pride is an organization that has been around for a while. It started as a way to raise funds to provide planters along Rt. 10 through the hamlet. People can adopt a flower barrel, which is planted with spring flowers and then switch out with mums for the fall. At Christmastime there will be Christmas themed flags with lights. 

The Pride committee was started as far back as the 1970's when some of the folks in the community had the idea to form a not-for-profit to raise money and find areas to improve the small community and  express their pride in the community. It was a much larger group at that time with many more volunteers, according to  the Rockefellers. The annual Wing Ding was held to raise money and the hope was that they could help refurbish properties and keep young families in the community.  The group went dormant for a while, but has been revived with some new enthusiasm and a slight change in the name.

Their numbers are much fewer now and they aren't able to do as much. Mostly due to the lack of volunteerism that affects almost every organization. They help the town maintain the park, through monetary donations and volunteers who mow, weed wack and do other things to keep the park looking nice.

It is a focal point for several local families whose youngsters play in the park. The park is owned by the town of Kortright and recently Heather Smith sought permission as part of the Pride committee to do fundraising to help add equipment to the existing playground equipment.

In addition to the park, they do the flower barrels along state Rt.10, with people sponsoring a barrel for spring flowers and then swapping them out for mums in the fall. Now they have the veterans banners, with several new ones added, sponsored by local families. They will be taken down after Veteran's Day and replaced with the seasonal Christmas banners.

John Rockefeller said the great thing about Sunday's event is that there were several young people showing interest in the projects. 

One member has  started a little lending library, switching out the books every so often. Several members of the community are dedicated to BCP, which sponsors a Community Day on Memorial Day, a Lawn Sale Day in the summer, the Cider Fest and the Christmas Magic.

The park is also used by the Little League minor leagues each year and the Pride Committee is always seeking volunteers, simply visit the Bloomville Community Pride page on Facebook.

Chase Rockefeller dumps pulp into the press during Sunday's community cider pressing event in Bloomville. He was one of several teens and many adult volunteers on hand to help keep the cider flowing.

A good crowd turned out to press some cider, enjoy some conversation and a picnic on Sunday as the greater Bloomville community held a cider pressing event and community picnic in the park, sponsored by the Bloomville Community Pride group.

Lexi Rockefeller designed this cut-out mural to provide a fun backdrop for visitors to take photos during the Cider Fest held in Bloomville on Sunday. Posing for a photo were: Anna Smith, Emma Smith and Alyssa Tucker. A few lights have been added to light it up at night.

John Drake stands next to a bin of washed apples ready to go into the grinder and cider press at Sunday's Bloomville cider pressing event and community picnic.

Nora Trimbell works the handle to press cider during the community cider pressing event sponsored by the Bloomville Community Pride committee last Sunday in the Bloomville Park. There was also a picnic.