PORTLAND, NY - On Route 5 in the Town of Portland sits a well-kept, impressive, yet modest, lake house. Many of them, in fact. One in particular has a history that some say sets it apart. It is said to have a Hollywood connection. Locals say it was used several summers by Oscar-winning actor Paul Newman.
In the early 80's, the daughter of Newman and his wife actress Joanne Woodward took classes at the Chautauqua Institution. People remember seeing the star in stores, coffee shops, and coming and going from the cottage in the town of Portland.
Ed Miller is an area realtor, who not only listed the property, but also owned it. He says he had trouble searching property records because he purchased it from a trust, but from what he was told, Newman used it as a stop-over on his trips to the races at Watkins Glenn.
So on this day after the Oscars (And 2 days after the 40th anniversary of the release of my favorite Paul Newman film "Slap Shot") we dig into the lore of a Hollywood actor, decades ago, enjoying the beauty and seclusion of Chautauqua County.