What is a community to you? Is it the church in which you were raised? Is it a political action you share with others? Is it the members of your writing group or your water color class or your yoga class? Is it a group of your high school or college friends who gather together for dinner once a month?
Can a community grow around a business? The answer is yes. The Valley has been fortunate that at least two businesses — founded by women with big personalities, talent and determination — gave rise to communities. They are Elmer’s Store in Ashfield and Beehive Sewing in Northampton.
Nan Parati, the long time proprietor of Elmer’s, came to Ashfield in 2005 to work on the Green River Festival. As I think of her journey, the words of the song, “Wasn’t That A Mighty Storm,” run through my mind because it tells of the hurricane that wreaked havoc on Galveston, Texas, while another hurricane, Katrina, was the catalyst for the changes in Nan’s life.
When circumstances enabled Nan to purchase Elmer’s Store, she called a town meeting to learn how the people wanted the building used. The majority felt the town needed a restaurant. Without restaurant experience, she jumped in.
Tess Poe, the founder of Beehive, always did creative work, although her training in geography and regional planning, acquired at Mount Holyoke and the University of Massachusetts Amherst, led her to a career in “progressive nonprofits” in Washington.
She returned to the Valley and opened Beehive on Pleasant Street in 2012. Tess saw the need for a place where people could be creative, or, where they could simply mend or alter their clothes.
She recognized that space is an important factor in creativity, but, using “the kitchen table just doesn’t cut it.” Having researched the economics of sharing common space, she decided to give hobbyists a place to work and the curious a place to learn how to sew.
I discovered Elmer’s by accident. My daughter and I, curious about raw milk, trekked to Ashfield one warm summer day, when Sidehill Farm was still based there. Circling back through town, we found something inviting about Elmer’s. I told my daughter that it looked like a place where good things were available. We ordered Italian sodas and browsed the craftwork offered in a room off the dining space. I decided to come back for food.
The food reflects both Elmer’s roots, starting with the Gray family’s pancake recipe. It also reflects Nan’s. Where else can you get grits, Cheerwine and, if you’re lucky, shrimp etouffee? My visits to the restaurant have always been happy, whether it was for breakfast or for Friday night dinner, sitting with people I did not know before I walked into the room but who offered a place at their table and great conversation.
Nan’s connection with music has enriched not just Ashfield but the entire Valley. While Ashfield has deep artistic roots, Nan kept those roots growing by hosting local festivals, open studios and concerts.
Beehive, too, was an accidental discovery, as I seldom traveled that far down Pleasant Street. I passed by one day and noticed the sign. Again, I vowed to drop in to discover what Beehive is, as many people do. What drew me was the good lighting and the large tables.
During my time as a stay-at-home mother in an isolated semi-rural village, I made clothes for myself and my children as an outlet for my frustrated creativity. I would place a large, folding piece of cardboard, marked with a grid on my bed, then lay out fabric and pattern pieces on it.
As the cardboard surfaces are no longer available, I was happy to find this studio space, along with the guidance and advice of Tess. There are people who never made garments or never quilted who learned the foundations with Tess’ help.
Unfortunately, changes are on their way. Nan has sold both Elmer’s and the Inn at Norton Hill to a German couple, and Tess closed Beehive on April 21.
I haven’t spent as much time at either Beehive or Elmer’s, first, because of a full teaching schedule, then, because of family needs. My sewing remains in a basket, untouched, and I miss Friday dinners. The second weekend of April was freer for me than most and I took the material I hope will become a quilt for my grandson’s 5th birthday to Beehive where women were making shorts, a jacket and a backpack for themselves while sharing information, comments on the music and witticisms.
The next day, I went to a reading of a local writers’ group at the Inn and sat in its beautifully painted dining room and listened to the craft of several Hilltown authors.
Both days were special. As long ago as the 1970s, my age peers were saddened by the lack of community they saw in the United States. I think the sharing of food, of music and of crafts builds communities.
These businesses — based ultimately on the humanities and crafts, and stemming from the visions of two special women — will be missed. Elmer’s and the Inn will continue but they will be different. Beehive might become an online venture. Either way, their absence will be felt.
Thank you, Nan Parati and Tess Poe for your gifts.
Susan Wozniak, of Easthampton, is a retired journalist and writing professor who writes a monthly column. She can be reached at opinion@gazettenet.com.