In the News (Channel 5): “This is our home: Au Sable Forks”
AU SABLE FORKS, N.Y. — Au Sable Forks, a hamlet located in both Clinton and Essex counties, New York, prides itself on showcasing the best of its history while community members begin carving pathways toward the future.
Sixth-generation New Yorker of the Forks, Sharron Lee Hewston, is a walking textbook of all things happening in town.
"Coming from being a mill head, that means both of my parents were employed at the J&J Rogers company. My father was a cutter and my mother worked in the finishing room," Hewston said.
She serves as the Town of Jay Historian and over the years has created a museum full of treasures from every era of the region.
As packed as the museum might be, Hewston said the true treasure lives outside the museum's walls in the community itself.
"What you're going to find a small hamlet when you have a death in a family, it's made easier by your family or friends or your acquaintances. They will bake for you, they will clean for you... it's been something that I've seen all my life," she said.
But it's not just about preserving the history in Au Sable Forks. Norman Jabaut and his partner set out to turn a notable landmark into a space folks can enjoy for years to come.
"The building was built in 1934. It just celebrated its 90th year...and it initially would seat about 400 people," Jabaut said.
Over the years, the Hollywood Theater, now the Ausable Theater, has taken on different forms.
But after returning to the area he grew up in, Jabaut said he wanted to give the community something that was missing.
"Our mission is to create a space that's available and, like, affordable for artists to use. I know, like using, like, plus the center for the arts or the strand theater," Jabaut said.
The Ausable Theater is set to host a variety of music, theater, and other events to empower artists and the community through creative diversity, all while working to make New York's North Country more welcoming for all.
