Skaters dance to life in Oneonta
By Ted Potrikus • Special to www.AllOTSEGO.com
Decades ago, the holiday season wasn’t complete without a trip to Oneonta’s Main Street for a look at the festive decorations in the windows of Bresee’s Department Store. Two pairs of mechanical skaters and mechanical elves took center stage, all of which came to Oneonta after being on display throughout the 1940s in the windows of Macy’s Manhattan flagship.
When Bresee’s decided to update its display in the 1950s, the Catella family of Oneonta acquired the decorations — and for decades later, displayed them for all to see in the front yard of their home. “People would drive by the Catellas’ on Belmont Circle in flocks to see them,” said Carla Balnis, herself a lifelong fan of the family’s annual display. “Families, children, grandchildren. People took their dates to drive past.”
