P&C supermarket saves the day for one Skaneateles family, maybe more …
It was the Wednesday before Thanksgiving — one of the busiest shopping days of the year at any grocery store. Skaneateles’ P&C was no exception.
Enter Amy Tormey, a single mom and school teacher from the hamlet of Mottville in Northern Skaneateles.
Tormey is excited to be finishing off her holiday shopping.
She has come to the P&C for the centerpiece of her family’s meal, a fresh, 15-pound Plainville Farms Turkey, complete with temperature pop-up, for a perfectly cooked bird.
She entered the P&C all smiles and proceeded to pour over the produce.
“Which one is butternut?” she asked into the air.
Another shopper happily directed her to the correct squash.
Tormey then bounced over to the deli, and was having a grand old time, loving the community experience that comes along with shopping at the P&C. Next she made her way to the butcher, Jason Dellastritto, the keeper of her fresh turkey.
He told her that all he had was a 17-pounder. She told Jason, no problem in that case there will be plenty for him to join in. She said they bantered back and forth and then it was on to the check out. There a man forgot his six-pack of soda. One of the cashiers picked it up and chased out after him, but to no avail. A couple of minutes later, he showed back up. Several people teased him about it, Amy said.
So she paid her total and the cashier asked if she wanted the bird on the base of the cart. “I’ll probably forget it, but go ahead,” Tormey said.
You guessed it. She got out to the parking lot, transfered her shopping bags to her car and placed her cart in what she calls, “The thing-y.”
“Now I am starting to feel sick. I can’t believe someone stole my turkey.” Amy Tormey
She hadn’t gotten far when it dawned on her that she had in fact forgotten her bird. But remembering the six-pack she was sure it would be there. She returned to the P&C and first checked the carts outside, no turkey. She checked the carts inside, no turkey.
“Now I am starting to feel sick,” Tormey said. “Someone stole my turkey.”
She went to the manager Kathy Conners, “Tell me people are honest and you have my turkey.”
Conners got on the problem and went to consult Jason the butcher. I have more turkeys that size but only frozen at this point, he said.
The excitement of the holidays begins to get to Tormey and she tears up, “I can’t believe someone stole my turkey.”
At this point Toby from the deli gets involved as well. The P&C people call around to all the P&Cs looking for a fresh turkey. Meanwhile they place a 17-pound frozen bird in some water to get it defrosting for her. Finally a fresh 22-pounder is located in Fayetteville.
I was just starting to feel human again when the butcher called to us, “I have a 17 pound turkey — fresh,” he said.
Apparently another customer wanted to upgrade to a larger turkey, so this one was now available.
“The thing that was amazing is that all three of these P&C managers were not only helping me, but in such a kind way and on one of the busiest shopping days of the year. Then they wouldn’t let me pay for it,” she said. “It was my mistake, so I was willing to pay, but honestly I am on a tight budget and another $40 would have really hurt.”
Suddenly she was right back in the original community spirit she had enjoyed before her turkey disappeared.
“I hope whoever took my turkey needed one,” Tormey said. “That it wasn’t just a prank.
The next day Tormey and her son Kevin Valente, 14 and daughter, Kelly Valente, 12, sat down to a perfect turkey dinner with two additional guests.
“It came out fine that is why I love Plainville,” Tormey said. “And the P&C too.”
