Smethport Web — by Nathan Muller

The Smethport Sweet Shop received a classic wooden advertising sign from Perry’s Ice Cream Company this week, capping the Elderberries’ restoration project of the ice cream parlor with a symbolic “cherry”.

The idea for finding the wooden sign originated with Phillis Barnhart, who runs the ice cream parlor at the Sweet Shop. Unable to locate one, a sign was requested on behalf of the Sweet Shop by Ross Porter, who contacted Mr. Rick Grabowski in the Perry’s organization.

Upon receiving the request, Mr. Grabowski spearheaded the effort to locate the out of production advertising sign and then personally delivered it to Smethport. He followed up with Ross Porter via phone message that the mission to secure a sign for the Sweet Shop had been completed.

“This unique brand of personal attention and follow-through commitment reflect very positively on the entire Perry’s organization,” Porter said in a letter to Bob Denning, President and CEO of Perry’s in Akron, New York.

“Ross did a good correspondence job with our territory manager to get the cone,” said Phillis Barnhart. I am very happy with it. They are not being produced anymore, so it was wonderful of him to find us one that was not in use.”

The Elderberries Sweet Shop is a non profit organization operating through the Smethport Senior Center at 119 W. Main Street. The Sweet Shop exclusively scoops Perry’s Ice Cream. The sign is mounted in front of the historic ice cream parlor and will be seen by the estimated 5,000 vehicles that pass through the Borough each day.