NORWICH – It’s no secret that lifelong upstate New York resident Herman Sherwood-Sitts is a construction worker.

Over the years he’s had a hand in numerous local construction projects, pouring over 300 yards of concrete for the County Road 33 bridge, operating a jackhammer during construction of the original Morrisville State College Norwich Campus, operating a man-lift while erecting the red steel for the new YMCA and framing steel studs at the new Oxford Veteran’s Home.

What might surprise people, however, is Sherwood-Sitts’ passion for writing. That and the successful publication of his first short novel in December of 2010.

“Cross Cut Alley” is an engaging piece of young adult fiction which tells the tale of young Benny Black and his faithful dog Max, set in a fictional small town in New Jersey approximately 50 years ago.

Filled with a wealth of imagery which faithfully recreates the feel of small-town America in the early 1960’s, the book addresses a number of moral issues – from bullying, friendship, kindness and family to racism, crime and corruption.

Locales such as Smitty’s Diner, J.B.’s Service Station, Vinnie’s Pub and, of course, Cross Cut Alley itself, are instrumental to the flavor of the tale, not to mention the various individuals who populate the small town of Hammer Mill.

“It’s a journey from boyhood to the man he has to become,” stated Sherwood-Sitts of main character Benny. “It’s a comparison of the 1960’s to modern times and it shows that, in reality, we aren’t all that advanced.”

As to how the longtime construction worker originally got interested in writing in the first place, Sherwood-Sitts said that story goes back to his own childhood.

“When I was in the seventh grade I had an English teacher, I think her name was Mrs. Miller, who was the inspiration behind my first story,” said Sherwood-Sitts, a 1974 graduate of Sherburne-Earlville Central School. “She gave us an assignment to write a short story about anything we would like and when we received the paper back the next day, it was covered from top to bottom with red ink.”