Project365- Day 8

Just after I decided to take on this challenge- Megan arrived back home from Tru North with one of Alex's favorite things in this world to eat-- PIZZA- so it seemed like a good thing to write about- but I didn't know all the details I wanted- so I had to email my father for help! (He’s a walking genius I tell you- even in what he calls his senile state- he knows more facts about everything than most people in their prime!) - Anyways-- a little background on the Pizza place-


In the small hamlet of Flackville, NY located on the corner of St Lawrence County Route 10 and New York State Route 68, a few miles from Ogdensburg toward Canton, there is a business establishment named Tru-North Pizza. Prior to it’s use for that purpose it was long a combination garage, gas station, and country store owned by Paul and Esther McKeever. The McKeever family bought the store from Harry Cross in the 1960s. Harry and his wife had run the establishment for twenty to thirty years before selling it to the McKeever family. Esther McKeever was the former Esther Cox, whose parents ran a greenhouse a half mile from Flackville on the road to Lisbon. (Thanks dad for this info)

As a child growing up about 1 1/2 miles from Mckeevers it was a place I visited often- I have to say I absolutely ADORED Esther - as I got older and started to drive I'd stop in there for gas, a candy bar-- whatever and Esther was always so so nice and chatty-- asking about my parents, how everything was going - just general conversations I'm sure she had with nearly everyone who went into there- but she always made you feel right at home. When I was growing up, you'd walk in the door and to the right used to be the checkout counter and you could count on her to be there everyday.

Sometime after I graduated from high school - which was 1989- their son took over the business and renamed it Tru North- he established it as a well-known deli/pizza place in the area and it complimented the deli/pizza place he already owned in nearby Heuvelton. Scott ran it for many years until selling it to Shelly Jock Bebee a few years ago who continues to run it to this day.

Shelly has continued on with the Pizza/Deli items and expanded it to include Friday fish fry’s and other items - and the outside gas pumps that are most likely original to the store still pump the gas for all the locals. Shelly has become a HUGE supporter at the local school my kids attend - she provides HUGE goodie bags for monthly FROG club recognitions, donates pizza's for dances, sells pizza's below costs to groups so they can make money for trips and the list goes on. The community is very lucky to have someone like her not only sharing/giving all she can, but also carrying on this business that was established so many years ago.

Now that you have a little history about Tru North-- don't forget to stop in and say hello to Shelly and the staff the next time you are out and about- the pizza is delicious!