Pick a Pearl Experience Grand Opening June 2
By ALLAN TINKER
Perlita (Perla) Bisnan had a dream of building her own business in a small town. Then she met vacationers from McClusky in 2019 while in Hawaii. Rhonda Meckle, Connie Jerome, Brenda Meckle and Pearl Meckle soon were fast friends. The chain of events that developed brought a new business to McClusky, located in the former half/building
that housed the Sease gift and lunch shop at 213 Main Street South. The sparkly clean area inside is cheery, colorful and interesting. There are fresh-water pearls of several colors,
jewelry basics, flowered pens, and facemasks in many designs. Also, ready to serve a special need in the community, is Bisnan’s basic alterations business. She offers hemming,
shortening, button replacement, snap replacement, new buttonholes, patching and taking in of too-large garments. She does no major sewing such as wedding and formal wear. She also makes curtains if the customer supplies the material. The open house is set for 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. on June 2, when coupons drawn from a bowl will offer discounts on
various jewelry items or dollars off of a “pick your own pearl.” There will be cookies, coffee, Pearl Meckle’s doughnuts, soda and juice for visitors. The pearls, still in a preserved oyster shell, will be available to be scooped up and opened, revealing a colored pearl. The pearls are fresh water pearls from several areas: Japan, Australia and the Philippines. They are all-natural, 7-8 millimeters-sized, which is how big they grow in three to four years. The color of the pearl depends upon what in the environment has irritated the oyster as the pearl is developing. If grown in salt water for 12 years or more, oysters will be much bigger. The roundness of the pearl is developed by the movement of the oyster ‘rock and
rolling’ in the water.
