Mathew Ingles

Your grandparents earned money selling to their neighbors. And, they didn’t need an annoying pyramid scheme to do it. Selling what you have extra, and helping out neighbors in your spare time can be more valuable than you think. In most places in the world, the idea of doing business with your immediate neighbors is not that unusual. People are bartering and trading over fences and across hedgerows. The family works for the family, and generally speaking, the money stays local. Your local produce stand or Farmers Market can be an amazing resource. They often specialize in seasonal items that can be extremely affordable. Stock up on tomatoes and make tomato sauce, or freeze a bunch of broccoli. Save money and keep money local. Not that long ago we had the same sort of system here in this country. The porch-to-porch economy! The farmer would sell her eggs off her front porch. She might take that money and give it to the shoemaker in town to make shoes. The shoemaker might give it to the baker for bread. And the baker would use it for eggs! Not only was all this going on convenient, but it was also economically prosperous! The money moved around town. Everyone got what they needed, and everyone was paid fair for their work. Nowadays we take our paychecks and we hit the box store or the mega website and spend our money where it zips off to some bank account far, far away. In most places in the United States is it still legal to sell a vast amount of things off your front porch. Rules vary from state to state. There are foods you can legally sell off your front porch. There’s also a lot of handmade goods that we could be providing for each other. So things like bread, jam, desserts, and candy could be something we get from each other. Tea, herbs, and spices, and pet treats are all things a lot of us use. Also, lots of handmade things. Everything from birdhouses to shirts. Kid’s toys and artwork. The depth of this micro-economy is almost endless. Food, art, and crafts are just some of the things we could easily market to each other. If we can find a way to meet more needs within our community, the stronger our local economies will be. When you hire an Uber driver to take you for a spin that driver makes about 30% of the fare. The rest gets collected by a multimillion-dollar corporation. I’m sure if your fare was less than $25, and the driver’s pay was more than 10, you’d both be a little happier. By embracing a porch-to-porch economy we cut out a lot of this middle man profit. It’s likely why we don’t hear much encouragement for this kind of thing. Large corporations have their hands in everything from classified ads to Christmas tree sales. It’s possible that in this country we’ve forgotten to cherish the right to have this sort of super local-economy functioning. Consider the fact that maybe that economy is slowly being taken away. How many businesses can you call local anymore? How much of your spent money stays within your community? I’m guessing it’s less and less all the time. It’s become a pretty cliche thing to say that we should shop locally. But, if you hunt around you might find that a lot of businesses in your community can provide you with a better product or service for a better price than you pay now. So is there a way to get the gears of our local cash machines cracking again? Absolutely. Start by looking around your area to see what you can obtain locally. Now you might say, I can’t afford to buy things locally because they’re cheaper from large corporations. That may be true for some things, but not all of them. When it comes to second-hand finds, local is king. Things like lawnmowers, garden utensils, outdoor equipment, and furniture don’t always need to be bought brand new. And, if you can find a local source for classifieds, even better. Or, find a community board that lets people trade messages and flyers. You might find something in your area called a local exchange. They act as time banks, providing the community with a place to barter goods and services and act as a local record-keeping system for things traded. Some even print local currencies. Look for a local exchange close to your community. Born and raised in Upstate New York, Mathew lives in a wooded valley north of the Susquehanna River with his wife and kids. His first book "Simple Sutras" was published in 2014

Letchworth State Park in Western New York is one of the foremost exquisite scenic areas in the US, and undeniably a jewel in the Empire State’s crown. A USA Today poll found Letchworth State Park voted best in the nation out of 6,000 contenders, and in 2020, the park topped an identical list, again! There are several sets of waterfalls at Letchworth State Park. It’s worth taking the time to see them all. The nice thing about this park is it doesn’t require a lot of walking if you don’t want it to. You can drive to just about every attraction. Letchworth is popularly cited as the “Grand Canyon of the East”, and has no problem living up to that reputation. Every time I visit the park it takes my breath away. The sheer size of it all is nearly unfathomable and can’t be captured in photographs. This 14,350-acre scenic park supplies year-round recreational activities and accommodation, including three large waterfalls: the Lower, Middle, and Upper Falls, each chiseled by the Genesee River that thunders through the gorge then rambles through the park. Along with the breathtaking scenery, the park’s accommodations include pavilions and picnic areas, playgrounds, and 66 miles of hiking trails within the park, but you will easily bike or drive to every spot of interest. There are two large swimming pools, cabins, campsites for tents, trailer sites with dumping stations, and horse riding trails. This bow in the river is something to see. The sheer size of this place can’t be seen in photos. Take a look at the people standing on the edge of the cliff in the foreground. Then, look at the size of the full-grown trees on the hogback ridge. Activities within the park include hiking, fishing, biking, whitewater rafting, and kayaking, geocaching, and hunting (wild turkey and deer when in season). During the winter, the park facilitates snowmobiling, skiing, snow tubing, and drawn sleighs. The William Pryor Letchworth Museum tells the story of the park from the prehistoric era to modern times. The museum holds the collections of benefactor William Pryor Letchworth, including Native American and pioneer artifacts. The museum also details the work of the Civilian Conservation Corps in the park. Because of the social distancing as of late, you might find that some of the park’s amenities are not available. You’ll certainly find the basics like restrooms, but don’t assume things like gift shops and food concession will be open. Letchworth State Park is hands down one of the most amazing things you’ll ever see. Take the trip. You won’t regret it. Born and raised in Upstate New York, Mathew lives in a wooded valley north of the Susquehanna River with his wife and kids. His first book "Simple Sutras" was published in 2014. Cover photo credit: Jim Vallee

Have you seen Jimi Hendrix? He’s in Elmira, NY. It’s a fact. I met him myself. At least he might think he is. And, over 5,000 people agree with him. I was in the mall, and there he was, bopping and grooving to some unheard music. He smiled. I said hey, and we talked for about five minutes. It was immediately apparent that this was an interesting man. Challenged and imaginative. Lighthearted and a bit enchanting. I admit it, the thought popped right into my head. I couldn’t help it. He had the smile, the eyes, the hair, the music, and the jean jacket! This guy was Jimi Hendrix, or at least he seemed to be. A few months later I’m crawling around on Facebook and find an entire page dedicated to this guy. To the Jimi Hendrix of Elmira, New York. I hadn’t just bumped into a character, I met a local Legend. Thousands of people recognize this man as Jimi Hendrix. They greet them on the street. They take their pictures with him. They talk with him and eat meals with him. And they share it online with each other. An entire community built around one simple, interesting man. I don’t know Jimi’s real name. And honestly, if I did I wouldn’t share it in this article. While this fandom of Elmira Jimi’s is a beautiful thing, it has a gray side. Some people feel like Jimi is treated like a “circus animal”. People using him for photo ops, and Facebook posts. Perhaps it’s not possible to have fame of any kind without some exploitation. A few years back a collective of people worked to connect Jimi with his lost son. I remember reading through the posts. The son himself was posting in the group. I remember another person saying to him “We love him, don’t expect too much.” I can’t pretend to know him as it seems many people do, but it seems evident in a quick conversation that Jimi has a fantastic perspective of the world. He sees things in a brilliant imagination of private planes, and cops and robbers. Wild stories and elaborate plans. There’s no doubt to me that it’s this dramatic perspective of Jimi’s that makes him so intriguing. Born and raised in Upstate New York, Mathew lives in a wooded valley north of the Susquehanna River with his wife and kids. His first book "Simple Sutras" was published in 2014

New York State is home to the largest salt mines in the country. They’re in our backyard. Or, possibly even under it. 1000ft underground and 20,000+ acres. Are these massive underground mines safe? Livingston County, NY, just south of Rochester, is the location of the Retsof mine, which began operation in 1884. Mining 1000 feet below ground, they extracted salt from what was to become the largest mine in the USA. The mine remained in continuous operation until 1994 when it began to take on water. What started as a small leak in the Retsof Mine quickly became a big one. Water started to flow into the mine at a rate of 20,000 gallons an hour. They struggled to pump the water from the mines but were not able to keep up. Holes were drilled in the ground and cement injected in hopes to stop the leaks with no success. The company fought to save Retsof mine, but ultimately extracted what they could, and abandoned it. Water eroded the giant pillars of salt that held the roof of the mine up and led to the collapse. The ground above sank in as much as 12 feet. Natural gas began to vent from the land all around the county. And, wells went dry and have never come back. Geologists say that the mine will continue to collapse and the land will keep sinking over the next 100 years. Three years after the Retsof Mine collapsed a company called American Rock Salt began a new mine just six miles north of the old mine. That new mine is now the largest in the nation and second-largest in the world. Operated by 400 workers, the mine produces over 18,000 tons of rock salt daily. The mine is estimated to last another 80 years. Tompkins County, NY is the location of the Cargill salt mine. The mine covers over 18,000 acres and is a half-mile underneath Cayuga Lake. At 2400′, it’s the deepest salt mine in the world. Cargill purchased the mine in 1970 and it has been run continuously since. It employs over 200 workers and produces some 10,000 tons of salt a day. Cargill is the largest privately-owned company in the world. These two mega mines provide New York State and other states with the road salt used throughout the winter months. The salt is mined continuously 24/7 and 365 days a year to meet these demands. New York is one of the largest consumers of road salt in the nation. Since the collapse of the Retsof mine in 1994 scientists and activists have voiced understandable concern about the operations of the mines. The American Rock Salt mine is a massive estimated 20,000 plus acres. A collapse would mean the decimation of the local area. While the American Rock Salt mine is a concern, the real worries are with the Cargill mine in Lansing. Because the mine exists directly below the second largest of the Finger Lakes its environmental threat is far greater. A collapse of the Cargill mine could mean the salinification of the lake, killing everything in it, and ruining the drinking water for thousands of people. Some geologists theorize that the water level of the lake could drop as much as 25′. In 2017, Cargill sought permission from the state to drill a second shaft into the mine to expand the mine to the north. This fired up activists who rightfully pointed out that a second entrance to the mine increases the risk of flooding. Permission was granted and the tunnel was dug. The mine has operated since without incident. Activists pointed to the fact the mines are monitored by New York State who happens to be the largest customer, creating a conflict of interest. Whether or not the mines will have a long term environmental impact remains yet to be seen. The mines will continue to operate and grow. And, so will the demand for salt.

Thirty feet below Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn, there’s a tomb of stone. Its story is of a steam locomotive suspended in time, a man with a vision, and a city that holds all the keys. The world’s first subway tunnel was nearly forgotten until an urban explorer located it 120 years after it was sealed. The question is, did he also find a locomotive buried under Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn? In 1844 the Long Island Rail Road chose to bury a section of the line under Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn to avoid accidents between the train and local pedestrians. Fifteen years later the Cobble Hill Tunnel was sealed, possibly with a locomotive inside, and its location was lost in history. Fast forward to 1980. A Brooklyn man named Bob Diamond hears a comment on a radio show about an unknown tunnel underneath the city. Using old maps, he digs his way from a defunct utility hole 30 feet under Atlantic Avenue. With the help of friends, Bob Diamond hauled off the dirt bucket by bucket from the hole in the middle of the street. All his digging paid off when he reached a concrete wall. He says that when he smashed through, a rush of cold air came out. Diamond found himself peering down into a vast, open space. He knew he had located the Cobble Hill Tunnel, and it was intact. The tunnel was half a mile long and massive, with enough room for two train tracks side by side, A 17′ arched stone ceiling, and limestone block walls 22′ apart. An absolute engineering marvel for the age. Wooden stairs had to be built to get Bob and friends down to the floor. The far end of the tunnel is capped by a very thick stone wall. Diamond spent the next 30 years leading tours in the tunnel. He started a trolley museum with plans of opening up and running trolleys through Cobble Hill’s famed tunnel. One thing remains a mystery. The tunnel is said to have been sealed with an 1836 wood-fired locomotive inside. It was noted in a historical book as being the place that John Wilkes Booth may have hid his diary. That locomotive has yet to be found. Diamond’s logical conclusion is that it, along with the tunnel’s lost marble station, existed on the other side of that stone wall at the other end of the tunnel. A private engineering firm was hired to scan the area from above ground with special equipment. They determined that there was a large steel object buried below at the end of Atlantic Street. The story caught the interest of the National Geographic Channel. They worked together with the city and Diamond to plan an excavation of the wall at the end of the tunnel and film a documentary about the process. In 2010 the whole thing came to a halt. The city and the executives at National Geographic are rumored to have had disagreements. The city canceled the documentary and sealed the tunnel once again, banning Diamond and everyone else from entering. The city is denying access to this day, and the story is fading into history once again. It seems we may have to wait another century before we know the truth. Why is it so important that we save this tunnel? So what if there’s a locomotive buried under Atlantic Avenue? A rich history makes for a prideful neighborhood. And a prideful neighborhood makes for a good neighborhood. If the tunnel were opened and the trolleys installed, it would increase business and tourism. Maybe Cobble Hill Tunnel will see the light of day again. Visit Bob Diamond’s website, www.BrooklynRail.net Born and raised in Upstate New York, Mathew lives in a wooded valley north of the Susquehanna River with his wife and kids. His first book "Simple Sutras" was published in 2014

I grew up near Sacandaga Lake. It’s not a lake, it’s a reservoir. But, it’s been there so long they call it a lake. This picture hung in a diner near Northville, New York. I’d see it there when I was a kid. Steam engine sitting, almost hovering there. The story was they didn’t get the engine out of the reservoir in time, and it was still there, at the bottom of the lake. At about the age of 12, I was sitting with a family friend who was a diver. He told me an in-depth story of working his way through the weedy, murky depths to the engine feeling his way along the side to the front wiping it off with his hand and exposing the headlight. It was an amazing story. But it was that, just a story. By way of the reinforcement of local lore, many people believed that the engine was set at the bottom of the lake. You could say it was common knowledge. It wasn’t really until the birth of the internet that the truth was sifted out. In the 1930s they flooded the reservoir. The engine was being used as the hall track that was being taken up. The train had in fact, made it out of the lake. I admit it, part of me was heartbroken when I found out the train wasn’t actually at the bottom. The folklore was better than the truth. But, sometimes the truth is more unbelievable. While I may have been fascinated with the idea of a steam engine at the bottom of a lake, the city of New York tossed nearly 2500 subway cars into the ocean in the early 2000s. Photo credit, as well as the top photo and bottom two photos, goes to Stephen Mallon. The train cars were piled up in yards around the city and needed a new home. After some research and some environmental studies, it was determined it would be a good idea to use these cards to create artificial reefs for fish. They were stripped of anything that might be toxic, loaded onto barges, and pushed into the ocean over several years. Take a look and appreciate this photography by Stephen Mallon at www.stephenmallon.com Born and raised in Upstate New York, Mathew lives in a wooded valley north of the Susquehanna River with his wife and kids. His first book "Simple Sutras" was published in 2014

What is it about a small town that can help us curb the spread of a virus? Is living in a small town safer? And, is all this change going to affect how we interact as a community? Two words. Population density. Population density is a major consideration when it comes to the spread of viruses. As we saw in the early stages, viruses spread rapidly in dense populations like major cities. Small town life allows us to interact with our community and get what we need without having to expose ourselves to lots of risks. What are some of the things we can learn, especially from the small-town life of the past, that can help us today? Obtain Products Locally If you remember in April when covid first began to spread many of the meatpacking facilities had to shut down. The cost of meat immediately doubled, or more. This wasn’t the only supply chain affected. Milk and produce also were interrupted. Huge waste occurred. And the virus spread quickly through large facilities. This highlights the need for small-scale local production as opposed to large-scale production and transport. In most of the world, local food production is still very much a reality. By obtaining as many goods as we can from our community we grow our local economy, and ensure that they don’t have to travel through lots of hands to get to us. Return of the Schoolhouse We all know that it wasn’t too long ago every neighborhood had its schoolhouse and it contained a small number of students, and a teacher or two. The tiny schoolhouse has its benefits. Students create bonds with the local community, and teachers are very accessible to the parents. This prior model is ideal in a world where large masses of people is not a good idea. It may be possible that students going back to school this fall is the major contributor to the numbers skyrocketing again. I’m sure people will resist switching to the small schoolhouse model, finding it difficult to justify the expense of current large schools. But, it seems that the mass production of our children’s education is no longer in our best interest. The Resurgence of the Small Business The shift in our society since the onset of covid-19 has been devastating. Families have lost loved ones and livelihoods. But, this change in our lifestyle is going to present new economic opportunities. If we can roll with these changes, maybe people can find growth within our communities. The idea of getting in my car and going to the store is not appealing to me. Fighting traffic for 45 minutes, bustling through a parking lot to grab ahold of a shopping cart that 200 other people have held that day, push it through a crowded store trying not to touch anything, knowing that we’re all sharing the same immediate space and everyone has got their hands on everything anyway! I know I would love to have someone delivering milk, eggs, and bread. Yes, large companies are rushing in to pay people next to nothing to grocery shop for you and bring it to your door, and they charge you a fortune to have it delivered. We don’t have to let it go this way. The situation presents opportunities. I would rather pay a local person to deliver my food from a local grocery store. When that large company isn’t skimming 90% of the delivery, everyone else makes out better in the end. By taking some lessons from our roots, and considering how these changes in our lives are going to affect us on a local scale, as well as a global scale, it will be possible for us to affect the way our community cares for itself. Maybe we could be stronger than ever. Twin Tiers Living welcomes Mathew to the Local Writer's section. His blog, RambleNewYork.com, offers a look at some of the best New York State has to offer. Born and raised in Upstate New York, Mathew lives in a wooded valley north of the Susquehanna River with his wife and kids. His first book "Simple Sutras" was published in 2014.