The good, the bad and the ugly

This week we had the best and the worst of life on the North Fork. The best is really great and the worst is really horrid, so let’s talk about the best first.

By now everyone is aware that both the Polebridge Mercantile and the Northern Lights Café have new owner/caretakers. Management of both places is tremendous. Owners, partners and employees are friendly and helpful. The Merc and the Café have  both received floor to ceiling cleaning and electrical and propane service has been brought up to code without changing the old-time North Fork atmosphere.

As important as looks and smiles the food is as good as it has ever been. Stuart and Flannery have brought the baked goods to new heights and there are now three tables for patrons, where you can sit and enjoy your pastry with a hot cup of coffee. I tend toward cinnamon rolls and apple or cherry turnovers, but there is a big assortment of sweets and goodies, as well as hot breakfast sandwiches and homemade soup and sandwiches for lunch.

Same thing at the Northern Lights Café, where you get great food, served with a smile, at a fair price. Local favorite is Friday night pizza with a choice of green (veggie) and red (meat) of supremo with everything.

In addition to a renovation of the café the “modern” cabin in back of the café has also been completely redone.

To celebrate, Bob and Karen Reiswig and John and Joyce O’Hare hosted a housewarming party last Saturday. Everyone was invited and asked only to bring an appetite.

All of us gorged ourselves with a constant stream of good food coming from the kitchen and great B.S. from a wide selection of neighbors and friends.

The café and mercantile are friendly places with friendly people. We all wish them success and many years of it.

Over the years the North Fork, like everywhere  else, has neighborhood spats. In the early 1930s two North Fork homesteaders were shot and killed by a neighbor. One was a dispute over a woman and the other was a trespass issue. Since then there have been all types of hassles. Most are just arguments that resolve themselves over time. Once in a while there is violence. That happened again last week.

One neighborhood was unhappy with the other for constructing a building that invaded his privacy and putting in an outhouse that threatened his water supply. One thing led to another and one neighbor burnt out the other — including the offending outhouse!

He has been arrested, jailed and is now out on bond. It will no doubt be months before the issue is resolved. I just hope that one stupid act is not followed by multiple stupid acts. Let the law take its course! What do you think?