Here - Coastal Connecticut Magazine

Transcription

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LIFE. STYLE. BEACH
COASTAL
CONNECTICUT
LIFE
After Labor Day
Where to Hike, Bike, and find Peace
and Quiet at the Shoreline
NEW VISIONS FOR THE SOUND
A DAY IN ESSEX
The Kate’s
Chuck Still on Life
and Music
DRESSING UP FOR FALL
FALL 2013
Live Well!
Eat Well
Drink Well
Celebrate Well
Feel Well
Be Well
Spa Well
saybrook.com 860.395.2000
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FIRST LIGHT
COASTAL
CONNECTICUT
LIFE. STYLE. BEACH.
Publisher & Founder
MARK J. SPEHAR
[email protected]
Editor in Chief
JOHN GAFFNEY
[email protected]
Creative in Chief
LESLIE SINGER
[email protected]
Executive Director & Operations
TONI ALLENDE
[email protected]
Design & Production
SUSAN DUMAS
[email protected]
Director of Photography
MOYA MCALLISTER
[email protected]
Contributing Editors
EDWARD RICCIUTI, CHRIS PAGLIUCO
Contributors
SHERRI DALEY, CARLA ROVER,
LIZ NEIGHBORS, JULIE BIDWELL,
CHEF RONALD HOOK
Advertising Art Director
LAURA BERKOWITZ GILBERT
[email protected]
Proofreader
LINDA COSTA
Coastal Connecticut Media
Managing Director
EMIL N. SPEHAR
Board of Advisors
EDWARD ANGELINI, ESQ.,
RAYMOND CHELSTOWSKI,
FRANK BOMBACI SR.,
MICHAEL J. KLINGENSMITH,
DANIEL J. OSHEYACK, ANDY ABELS,
JOHN J. LIPUMA, HEATHER JO PURCELL,
JAMES D'ALESSIO, CHUCK STILL,
SUSAN NORZ
Assistant to the Publisher
ARDEN KATHERINE SPEHAR
For Advertising, contact:
Mark Spehar [email protected]
For Subscription Information, go to:
http://www.coastalctmag.com/#!sign-up/c1tuq
Welcome to Coastal Connecticut.
My best,
All content including but not limited to text, photos, graphics are the sole
property of, and copyrighted by Coastal Connecticut Media, LLC. Reproduction without permission from publisher is prohibited. We take no
responsibility for images or content provided by our advertisers.
Mark J. Spehar
P.S. See you at Fresh Salt!
Coastal Connecticut magazine is the property of Coastal Connecticut
Media, LLC., 91 Riverview Road, Suite 4b, Niantic, CT 06475 ©2013
coastalctmag.com
coastalctmag.com | September 2013 | COASTAL |
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PHOTO: MOYA McALLISTER
M
any folks cautioned me
against this. And with
good reason: tablets,
smartphones, laptops,
the cloud, social media.
“Really, Mark, a magazine?! Yup, a magazine ... a necessary magazine. Call me
a traditionalist, but simply because
something is digital doesn’t automatically make it better. When doing the research for this venture, it became clear
to us that many discerning, sophisticated
folks who populate the Connecticut
Shoreline still place enormous value
on the visceral connection that can be
found only in the printed word.
That connection of being alive in
this area of Connecticut. It’s life. It’s
style. It’s beach. We intend to celebrate
the spirit, culture, and personality of the
diverse terrain that stretches east to
North Stonington and north to Essex. At
Coastal Connecticut magazine, we don’t
define “social” as the number of friends
we have on Facebook. We define it by
You ... the community, our readers ...
connecting or rather RE-connecting with
the people who make up our beloved
shoreline. We define it by, there’s that
word again, more traditional values. A
return to civility, to service, and to engaging one another in face-to-face ways
as opposed to text-to-text. Our stated
mission is to deliver bright, relevant editorial content (both traditionally and digitally) that celebrates and explores the
unique lifestyle, color, and personalities
that make the Connecticut coastline so
singular in its appeal. In this region of
the state, we place a great deal of stock
in reliance, things that can be counted
on—a mind-set we affectionately refer
to as the “New Yankee.” Rest assured,
the content of the magazine will speak
directly to that mind-set, both visually
and intellectually. A friend of mine recently remarked that “the people who so
cherish this community are smart. They
take great pride in where they live and
values they represent. Why isn’t there a
magazine that speaks to that?” So it is
with Coastal Connecticut magazine.
The response has been quite flattering to date. We have some affiliations to
look forward to that will further serve
our readers. Look for us as the opening
night sponsor at The Moondance International Film Festival on September 26
in Mystic, CT. (See the story of the festival’s move from Colorado to Mystic on
page 70.) We also look forward to our
2014 partnership with the Harkness
Summer Concert Series, held annually
in Waterford at Harkness Memorial Park.
So I invite you. Let’s revisit what it
truly means to be “social.” Get out there.
Visit the array of businesses and restaurants advertised in this issue. Seek out
the unique individuals we profile in the
magazine. Let’s come out from behind
our tablets and phones and make friends
in the manner in which it was originally
intended ... in person. We’re smart
around here. Let’s talk about that.
Lastly, please do tell us what you
think of our premier issue. Post a comment on our Facebook page or shoot us
an e-mail. Of course, you can always
write me a note and mail it. I promise ...
I’ll write you back.
COASTAL
CONNECTICUT
Life. Style. Beach.
LIFE. STYLE. BEGINNINGS.
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FIRST LIGHT
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THE INTELLIGENT BEACHCOMBER
The importance of being downtown.
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TIDINGS
Comings, Goings & Chartings;
The BoDeans play the Kate; the
Bombaci’s play promoter; and
Kathrine Dickson plays the
big screen.
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L I F E . S T Y L E . F E AT U R E S .
22 LIFE AFTER LABOR DAY
Where to bike, where to hike, where
to kayak, and where to find quiet now
that the crowds have gone.
28 A DAY IN ESSEX
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A photo essay on the perfect place
to spend an afternoon no matter
what the season.
Apples are perhaps the Shoreline’s most
distinctive fall product. From Branford to
Stonington, the Shoreline has orchards,
great supplies, and no shortage of cooking
experts to get them from the tree to the table.
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40 SOUND VISION
The world of marine biology and
George McManus.
COVER PHOTO: Kayaks rest on their racks in front of the high sea
grass along the banks of the India River near Clinton, Connecticut.
(Photography by Moya McAllister.)
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| COASTAL | September 2013 | coastalctmag.com
ILLUSTRATION: COURTESY DESIGNER STEVEN ALAN
34 APPLES
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L I F E . S T Y L E . D E PA R T M E N T S .
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GREEN
Coywolves, bears, and cougars
are knocking at the door.
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AUTO
The strange, slow, and messy
world of autocross.
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FASHION
Coats for all seasons, all styles,
and all people.
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LOCATION
Ivoryton is the best-kept secret
in Connecticut.
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FISHING
The simple pleasures of casting
on the Sound.
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ARTS
Mystic gets its own film festival
and arts advocacy group.
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CULTURE
The Garde Arts Center fills its
role as an Art Deco hero.
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PEOPLE
Chuck Still on life and music
at the Kate.
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L
et me break the gate with Coastal
Connecticut magazine by talking
about Los Angeles. I hate Los
Angeles. Love the people
actually, because they have a
special brand of reality out there. They
descend from dreamers and haven’t let
go of dreaming. I can respect that. Just
like here in New England, we descend
from realists and keep a firm hold on
that reality.
The thing I hate about LA is its lack
of heart. I’ve spent way too much time in
LA once upon a couple of jobs ago, and
there’s just no center. Nothing that pumps
from the middle. That’s why you have
these peripheral pumps of highways and
margins of beach communities. There’s
no magnetic force that attracts people
toward some kind of community. Therefore, you get this sprawl of faux Spanish
stucco and people living on hills that
have expiration dates.
I live where I live more for the center
than the margins. Beaches and marshes
here are unique because they’re surprising. Drive from the center of Old Saybrook, turn for the causeway, and tell
me you don’t feel that little feeling in
your ribs like you’re seven and just found
an arcade. That’s all good. But the downtowns on the Shoreline and river coasts
are what make the beaches sparkle. No
downtown Branford; no Branford Point.
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PHOTOGRAPHY: SHUTTERSTOCK (FACE); MOYA MCALLISTER (SKY)
BEACHCOMBER
INTELLIGENT
No Guilford Green; no harbor. And on up
the line. No town; no beach.
Problem is we take the relationship
for granted. We take care of beaches here.
We’ve had to take special and expensive
care of beaches in most towns because
hurricanes are now apparently annual
events. In Madison, for example, there’s
a downtown development plan on the
table but the damage to Middle Beach
NO DOWNTOWN;
NO BEACH
Everyday Decisions
Connect Beach Street
to Main Street
BY JOHN GAFFNEY
Road and the beach piers don’t fix themselves. Can’t help that.
But there’s also an initiative to renovate and expand the library. And there’s a
gap in the middle of town from a summer
fire that makes Main Street look like it’s
missing its two front teeth. I’d argue that
fixing Main Street is more important than
fixing Middle Beach Road.
Most downtowns on the Shoreline are
set up for huge success. We have greens,
iconic white churches, and location. Now
it’s time to make some smaller, more frequent and equally important decisions. If
there’s a Walmart purchase that takes away
from a local shop, consider that decision.
It’s complicit in the health of downtown
regardless of where you live. If there’s a
chance to encourage a major retailer to settle where foot traffic will help other businesses (yes, Verizon, I’m talking to you),
town governments should do that.
From Branford to Stonington, towns
struggle with the economic pressure that
the rest of the country deals with. Big box
retailers take shopping trips. Retailers face
the e-commerce behemoth in almost
every category outside of restaurants.
They are not unstoppable. Common
sense you take care of the beach and you
take care of your businesses. I’ve never
heard anyone say “yeah, let’s go for a
walk by the beach and come home and
see what’s on Amazon.”
But you will take a walk by the beach
and take a trip through town on your way
home. The challenge is to make sure our
towns are living up to that promise.
.
John Gaffney is the editor of
Coastal Connecticut magazine,
loves the Shoreline, and lives in
Madison, CT.
PHOTOS: SHUTTERSTOCK (2)
the
Elegant
A CASUALLY
BOUTIQUE
23 Main Street, Essex, CT 06426
860.767.1298 | [email protected]
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EVERYBODY ONE,
EVERYBODY TWO,
EVERYBODY THREE
nless you live on a houseboat with no electricity, or
maybe you’re boycotting
Comcast, you are familiar
with the BoDeans. They’re
the group behind “Closer
to Free,” the ubiquitous,
flash-mobbed Smilow Cancer Center anthem. “Everybody wants to be ...”
You get it. Here’s the catch. You know the song,
but there’s a lot more to the band behind it.
The BoDeans are playing the Kate in Old
Saybrook on September 26. They will play
“Closer to Free.” It won’t be their best song.
U
The band has been through some major personal changes over the past year, but they
have a strong new album and a catalog that
cuts across Americana, Everly Brothers-style
pop, and Springsteenish working man’s rock.
They started in 1986 straight outta Waukesha, Wisconsin, also home to a guy named Les
Paul. That year they hit with their first record
“Love & Hope & Sex & Dreams,” and the single
“Runaway.” It put the band into the Top Ten list
for Album of the Year in a few critics’ circles,
and led them to win a Rolling Stone readers’
poll as “Best New American Band.” It showed
some serious Buddy Holly and Elvis Presley
PHOTO: TESSA TORRENCE
TIDINGS
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chops. When Rolling Stone asked Springsteen himself who he was listening to in those heady days of
1986, he said the BoDeans. Robbie Robertson’s first
solo record featured the band on guitars and harmony vocals. In fact, Sammy Llanas, who along with
Kurt Neumann formed the group’s core, became a
bit of an MTV draw for his performance on Robertson’s “Somewhere Down the Crazy River.” After TBone Burnett checked in to produce their second
record, and they sold out a club tour, the BoDeans
were saddled with potential. They hit it for that second record. They lost it on the third. Although that
record produced the best song you will hear at the
Kate, a Chuck Berry blessed “Good Work.”
The records came and went. A 1991 song called
“Good Things” got its share of FM airplay back and
then “Closer to Free” spiked after becoming the
theme song for the Fox series “Party of Five.” Llanas
left the band in 2010, but the BoDeans under Neumann’s leadership have returned with a more stripped
down sound. Its newest record, “American Made,”
takes a little bit of the John Mellencamp playbook and
merges it with the more country-and-western twang
of The Mavericks. It’s as solid as anything the AltCountry movement has produced. The BoDeans are
a good ticket.
.
TOP
5
IF YOU’RE
GOING TO
SEE THE
BODEANS,
HERE’S OUR
RECOMMENDED
PLAYLIST
Angels—Buddy Holly lives, from their first
1 record. Great harmonies. Maybe the
quintessential BoDeans song.
For Me Somewhere—Big twang and great
2 lead vocals. The band has always had a
country edge and this track could have been stolen
off a Patsy Cline record.
From the 2008 record “Still”—Think U2
3 meets The Everly Brothers.
Stay—Some more tech-friendly production
4 and tight vocals from the 2010 record
“Mr. Sad Clown.”
Everything You Wanted—Great jingle-
5 jangle tune with accordion and fiddle. From the
2012 American Made.
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BOMBACI’S
SUMMER PROJECT
The man behind bringing music back to the shoreline has his
roots in Old Lyme and a passion for music. To think it all
started with his son's senior project.
FRANK BOMBACI SR. AND JR. FLANK LEON RUSSELL IN AUGUST.
PHOTO: MIKE THUT
TIDINGS
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STONEWEAR
ESSEX, CT
One North Street Essex, CT 06426
(860) 767-2559
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music. For Bombaci, it’s the fulfillment of family
It’s a basic father and son story with a muand passion.
sical twist. The father: Frank Bombaci Sr. was
“Music has been a passion all my life,”
born and bred in New Britain and now lives in
Bombaci Sr. says. “Being a fan and being a faOld Lyme. The son: Frank Bombaci Jr., born
ther, it was the right fit for me and something
and bred in Old Lyme, is currently studying muI could easily share with family and friends.”
sic and business at New Orleans’ Loyola UniShare he has. BOMB’s in-school mission is
versity. Back in the 80s, Bombaci Sr. would take
dedicated “to the enrichment of youth experihis wife and son to Harkness Memorial State
ence and education through music in the supPark in Waterford to see the local talent and
port of burgeoning musical talent, programs,
touring acts that passed through in the summer.
and services in our schools and communities.
It made an impression on both father and son.
Through our music initiatives, Bring Our Music
Fast forward to June 2009. Frank Jr. is
Back, Inc. fosters the artistic development of
graduating Old Lyme High School and wants
youth restoring, nurturing, and preserving
to put together a concert as a senior class projmusic as a viable art form
ect. He and the old man
both in our schools and
remember the old days
“Music has been a passion
communities where fundat Harkness, which had
all my life,” Bombaci Sr. says.
ing has been severely cut.
stopped the concerts, and
“Being a fan and being a father,
In providing performance
they work together to get
it was the right fit for me and
opportunities, music mena special use permit for the
something I could easily share
torships, and internships
site. It was a great night
with family and friends.”
for youth—we are able
for the Old Lyme seniors,
to give young talent a
their musicians, and their
voice, venue, and on-stage shared experience
parents. Four years later, father and son are still
with national recording artists.”Bombaci and
on the concert project.
his son have worked to fill Harkness with great
That project has become Bring Our Music
music and great memories. For Bombaci, who
Back (BOMB) and the associated summer conis a huge fan of New Orleans music, it’s hard
certs at Harkness Memorial that this summer
to beat The Preservation Hall Jazz Band’s
attracted: The Duke Ellington Orchestra, Judy
performance in 2012. And Count Basie’s orCollins, and Leon Russell. Far from that senior
chestra was a special night. Leon Russell, a
project in 2009, BOMB is bringing a platform
rock legend.
for local musicians to play with national acts.
Next year, he wants to take the music and
In fact, the Jazz Chorus from The Hartford
the experience higher. “I want to get more naAcademy of Arts performed this summer with
tional acts and more acts that cross generathe Ellington Orchestra. Along with the Kate in
tions,” he says. “For me, it’s all about getting
Old Saybrook, the Harkness has become the
younger people to the park.”
leading venue on the Shoreline for summer
.
PHOTO: MIKE THUT
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)BSLOFTT.FNPSJBM4UBUF1BSL8BUFSGPSE$5t$PODFSUTQN
(BUFTPQFOQNt3BJOPS4IJOF3BJOTJUFUPCFBOOPVODFE
On behalf of Bring Our Music Back we would
like to thank you for a great 2013
“Summer Nights at Harkness” concert season!!
Save the dates for our 2014 Summer Nights at Harkness:
July 17, 24, 31 and August 7, 14
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STONINGTON’S LIGHTHOUSE
OPEN FOR BUSINESS
The Connecticut Shoreline has many postcard-worthy
lighthouses, one of which recently sold at auction. However, only one of them is accessible by foot. The 1840
Stonington Lighthouse and museum is old school in
design and about to get a makeover.
T
here are 10 gorgeous lighthouses
that grace the Connecticut shoreline
between New Haven and Stonington. Nobody visits them. Many are
simply not open to the public. Others you can walk up to but not into. For the few
that are open, it is necessary to make arrangements well in advance. To visit the lighthouse of
Faulkner's Island in Guilford, for example, you
need to schedule your visit around the departure of migrating birds, some or which are aggressive and others an endangered species. The
iconic New London Ledge Light is mysterious
and beautiful, but you'd need to walk on water
to reach it.
Public accessibility seems to be a feature that
the Stonington Historical Society has valued ever
since it acquired the structure. In 1925, when the
organization converted the lighthouse to a museum open to the public, it was the first such
conversion in the nation. Since then, the museum has been filled with some truly amazing
museum pieces, many important to Stonington's, as well as America's, maritime past. John
Mason's sword, English projectiles from the
British attack on Stonington during the War of
1812, scrimshaw and whale baleen from the
age of sail, even a glass floor over the thirty-foot
cistern used by the former lighthouse keepers,
are just a few of the treasures creatively dis-
PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK
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It’s dining with
a whole lot of
pizzazz.
After you satisfy your taste buds at one of our fine
restaurants, indulge your good taste at our unique
collection of shops. It’s a delicious experience
you won’t want to miss. Call 1.888.226.7711 or
visit mohegansun.com.
Shops: Bare Minerals • Brewster’s Trading Post • Brighton Collectibles • Brookstone • Caché • Cascade Electronics
Chico’s • Citizen Watch • Clay Pipe • Coach • Dylan’s Candy Bar • The Essentials • Everything Under The Sun
Galina’s • Godiva Chocolatier • Landau • Lush • Lux Bond & Green • Margaritaville’s Smuggler’s Hold
The Old Farmer’s Almanac General Store • Once Upon A Time Toys • Oriental Fine Arts & Crafts • Puma • Sephora
Spin Street • Sun Shoes • Sunglasses USA • Swarovski • Tiffany & Co. • Tommy Bahama • Trading Cove • Trailblazer
Yankee Candle Restaurants: Ballo Italian Restaurant & Social Club • Ben & Jerry’s • Bobby Flay’s Bar Americain
Bobby’s Burger Palace • Bow & Arrow Sports Bar • Chief’s Deli • Dunkin’ Donuts • Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana
Geno’s Bagels, Sweets & Subs • Geno’s Fast Break • Geno’s Pub • Hash House A Go Go • Imus Ranch Coffee
Jasper White’s Summer Shack • Jasper White’s Summer Shack Express • Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville
Johnny Rockets • Johnny Rockets Express • Krispy Kreme Doughnuts • The Lansdowne Irish Pub & Music House
Michael Jordan’s 23.sportcafe • Michael Jordan’s Steak House • The Original SoupMan • Seasons Buffet
SolToro Tequila Grill • Starbucks Coffee • Sunrise Square Food Court • Todd English’s Tuscany • Virgil’s Real Barbecue
Wok-On by Geno’s Fast Break
Coming Soon: bluwire
Conveniently located in Mystic Country.
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played. Unlike so many lighthouses, Stonington's Old Lighthouse Museum invites you to
make the 29-step (plus ladder) climb, as so
many keepers have in the past, to the top of the
light to enjoy a view of three states.
Today, the Stonington Historical Society is
continuing this theme of accessibility. Thanks
to grant support from the Connecticut Trust for
Historic Preservation, the Society is in the process of planning a new, universally accessible
entrance to the museum, along with the first
major restoration of the old granite structure
since 1925. Included in the current version
of the plan is a new, largely glass entry pavilion, positioned off the rear of the building,
complete with modern amenities, in a style
that purposely contrasts and sets off the gothic
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terpretive exhibits for the lighthouse, supported
by a grant from Connecticut Humanities. The
new research is also now available in a new
book. The Society recently published, The Old
Stonington Lighthouse and Its Keepers by Boylan and Wade. Their research, completed at the
National Archives in Washington, D.C., reveals
harrowing stories of its earliest keepers, Capt.
William and Patty Potter, along with their 11
children. There are details of harsh living conditions within the lighthouse resulting in disease and even tragic death. The finances of the
lighthouse were subject to cronyism and
intrigue, which, at times, threatened to paralyze the operation of the light. The book, profusely illustrated, is available through the
Society’s website.
NEW LONDON LEDGE LIGHTHOUSE
style of the old building and the natural
landscape to everyone, both physically and
intellectually.
Historical Society Director Mary Beth Baker
thinks that the most exciting part of the project
is the discovery of new information about the
lighthouse and its keepers, research uncovered
by two local residents: James Boylan, retired
professor of history and journalism at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst and founding
editor of the Columbia Journalism Review, and
Betsy Wade, longtime editor and columnist at
The New York Times. Based on the BoylanWade research, Baker is currently working with
the staff at Mystic Seaport on several new in-
If you have the means, simply buying a
lighthouse might be the best way to ensure
convenient access to a lighthouse in Connecticut. The Saybrook Breakwater Lighthouse, of
CT license plate fame, recently sold at auction
in August to a private resident. For the rest of
us, the 1840 Old Stonington Lighthouse remains by far the most accessible, historic lighthouse in Connecticut (both inside and out). It
has survived shoddy initial construction, the
harsh elements off the Atlantic, and even government redundancy. It is certainly fortunate
that the Stonington Historical Society is working to keep the lights on, if not the beacon
shining, in the old lighthouse.
.
PHOTO: TODD A. GIPSTEIN
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Voted Best Gift Store on the Shoreline
29 WHITFIELD STREET ON THE G U I L F O R D G R E E N
203 453 0202
M I X D ESI G N S TO R E .C O M
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KATHERINE DICKSON
and THE EXPENSIVE GIFT
T
he potent alchemy of talent, ambition, and resolve rarely communes with a disregard for fame,
but in Katherine Dickson, a
range of skills in acting, songwriting, and dance has produced a love of the
creative process, not the spotlight.
“I just found that I could do these things,”
she says, when asked to explain her talent
and success not only in film, but as an actress,
model, and singer-songwriter, and then shifts
the subject to praising her colleagues. It isn't
an issue of esteem. Madison-based Dickson
has been a star for most of her life—she
knows that her ascent wasn't by chance.
“Hard work is the secret,” said Dickson. “You
just have to work really, really hard.”
Premiering as the face of La Flor products at 3, then winning the Spanish language
TV talent show Star Search at 7 before going
PHOTO: YOLANDA PEREZ
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OF THE
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“Cannes was very exciting,” said Dickson, “but the most moving thing
was to see how people reacted so positively to the film. They understood
that this was something unique, despite the fact that our approach was
so different.”
on to become a staple on the then newly
formed Telemundo, Dickson is a triple-threat
diva, minus the histrionics and thirst for cloying press. It is not that she despises the accolades, she simply doesn’t need them.
Dickson has of late focused
on film, creating a body of work
that deconstructs the architecture
of the expected—twisting and
splicing genres and coaxing
depth out of sound bites with
lyrical, mind-bending monologues. Dickson’s latest short
film, Alma and Alex, recently
premiered at The Cannes Film
Festival’s Short Film exposition
to critical acclaim.
“Cannes was very exciting,”
said Dickson, “but the most
moving thing was to see how
people reacted so positively to
the film. They understood that
this was something unique, despite the fact that our approach
was so different.”
The film is an avant-garde
journey through the world of returning soldiers and their families. The film’s experimental
structure, as well as the evocative performances from Dickson
and Juan Carlos Diaz, who plays
Alex, made the film an audience favorite.
“It was a planetary effort,” said Dickson.
“So many people—the director Chris Chan
Robinson, my coauthor Paola Mendoza, my
costar Juan Carlos Diaz—came together to
make this happen, and we had great support
from NYU in producing the film.”
Dickson has been diverse in her acting
choices, favoring depth over pop sizzle. Although Dickson has appeared in A-list productions such as Weeds and the
Angelina Jolie film SALT—she
has avoided the expected roles
for beautiful Latina actresses—
the sexy, vapid maid, the pottymouthed trophy wife—and has
taken on roles in smaller indie
films, which gave her the freedom to show her versatility and
native talent. Dickson, after suffering a traumatic brain injury in
2001, found that her recovery
gave birth to an unfettered creativity and an indefatigable resolve. Hardship, for Dickson,
was precious—an expensive gift
that took years to fully receive.
“I discovered that I could do
so much more than I thought—I
had an accident but I learned
that I did not have to be limited
in anyway.” Dickson stated that
her injury forced her to challenge her beliefs that one was an
actor or a singer/song writer or
a dancer—rather than an artist
with an unlimited palette of creative choices. “My message—my mission, if
you want to call it that, is to tell others that
one must never stop creating.”
.
View Alma and Alex at guapafilms.com.
“I discovered that I could do so much more than I thought—I had an
accident but I learned that I did not have to be limited in anyway. My
message—my mission, if you want to call it that, is to tell others that one
must never stop creating.”
Taking its inspiration from watermelon tourmaline, a rare and unusual gem,
E. F. Watermelon’s goal is to present the finest and most extraordinary pieces
of custom jewelry, antique and estate jewelry, gemstones and objects d’art.
Design service is available to create unique new jewelry or to restore and renew
treasured family pieces.
In addition, we offer the largest collection of Simon Pearce glassware and
pottery in southeastern Connecticut.
24 Lyme Street, Old Lyme, CT
(860) 434-1600
PHOTOS: MOYA McALLISTER; SHUTTERSTOCK (LEAF)
L FE
AFTER
LABOR
DAY
BY JOHN GAFFNEY AND BOB WOODS
L
Let’s talk about numbers. First, dollars. In Connecticut, Tourism is a $4 billion business. Most
of that is spent on the 253 miles of Long Island Sound Coastline. Another important number
here is one. Because after Labor Day, the Connecticut Shoreline is not crowded with renters
and part-time residents. The concept of peace and solitude, what Thoreau called “my
intimacy with nature,” is what defines the beauty of the Connecticut Shoreline after school
is in and the crowds are gone.
In Maine, this sense of crowd-to-solitude transition is so desired and dramatic that natives crowd the overpasses on Route 95 so they can wave good-bye at best and shout obscenities at worst. That doesn’t happen here. But that sense of space and relief is just as
tangible here. The crowded beach becomes a peaceful walk. Route 1 has more character.
And the downtowns that knit the 253 miles are all discovery and opportunity.
We’ve assembled some more active pursuits for life after Labor Day in the following
pages. But even with those, we have some favorites that make the shoreline brilliant and
vital. You might have checked them out in the past. We go back again and again. Here’s
our top 10 Life After Labor Day list.
23
10
1. The Niantic Boardwalk: Once you get
past the outlets of Westbrook, the Shoreline
returns to its more manage-able centers of
commerce. Downtown Niantic is rarely on
the top 10 day trip priority list but it’s simply
what this area is all about. The Sound to
one side. Cool little shops on the other.
Maybe you grab some lunch or dinner. Buy
a book. Or do nothing.
6. Take a winter walk around Saybrook
Point Inn. At Christmas-time, the Point is
beautifully lit and all spa and marine
ambiance.
7. Drive North from Old Lyme: Route 148
in Lyme northerly to the Lyme/ East Haddam
town line is an authentic New England run
full of great old houses and sweeping
landscapes.
2. Sunset at Stony Creek: We can take
or leave the Thimble Island ferry. Sitting
at Stony Creek late in the afternoon
or evening is a little pocket of peace.
Completely unique.
8. Go to Mystic. Downtown Mystic. Olde
Mistick Village is the destination closest to
95, but downtown Mystic is arguably the
most scenic on the shoreline.
3. Drive Route 146. Brandford to the
Guilford Green. Go slow. Take in the
marshes. Heads up for Ospreys. And you
might need to get out and take a picture.
9. See a show at the Garde Arts Center.
Without traffic, New London is a 45-minute
jump and well worth dinner and a show at
the art deco theater.
4. Walk the Guilford Art Galleries: The
retail side of the Guilford Green has quietly
built a substantial community of artists. Both
the green side of the retail strip and the area
behind the stores are full of galleries.
10. Have a meal in Stonington Harbor.
Edgartown is too far to drive. And not
much prettier than Stonington. If we
had to pick one, The Dog Watch with a
relaxing atmosphere of beautiful nautical
photography and stunning views of
Stonington Harbor. Noah’s is more
casual fine dining with pub. On the water,
Skipper’s Dock has dining on the pier
overlooking the harbor. Lunch and Dinner
daily, Sunday Jazz Brunch, Cozy Maritime
Lounge, lobsters galore.
5. See a movie in Madison. Madison Arts
Cinema has been upgraded and is still the
best bet on the shoreline for independent
film. If Woody Allen lived on the Shoreline,
he would see a film there and go across the
street for ice cream at Ashley’s afterward.
DRIVES
Take route 156 from downtown Niantic and
head west for truly one of the most scenic,
gorgeous, and most historic drives on the
Shoreline. A summation: Views of the
Saybrook Point Lighthouse, past the old
Hallmark ice cream stand (now AC
Peterson) for shakes and burgers,
past the bucolic Old Lyme Yacht
Club, which sits on Hamburg Cove,
gorgeous views of boats, the cove
itself, and clear across to Old Saybrook.
Long winding roads past old colonials and
farmhouses, and past the 112-year old
Hamburg Fairgrounds. The road winds slowly
and beautifully past the Nehantic State Forest
Park into the town of Lyme.
156 dead ends at Route 82. Take a left
and the scenery continues. Farm stands,
campgrounds, lakes, historic sea captain
homes, rolling hills, and acres of hand-built
stone walls. Here you enter Hadlyme. Be
sure to stop at the Hadlyme Country Market
for fresh-baked peach cobbler and a cup
of Ashlawn Farm coffee (locally produced
organic coffee in Lyme, CT). The road then
leads you directly into downtown East
Haddam, home of the historic
Goodspeed Opera House and the equally
famous Gelston House, directly on the
Connecticut River. A perfect way to end the
drive with dinner and a cocktail.
The entire ride, one way, takes a little
over an hour and truly showcases the
absolute beauty and charm of the CT
shoreline and the CT River line in all its
splendor. Perhaps most importantly, though,
it’s a delicious way to avoid I-95 in the
summer or any other time, for that matter.
T
But of all the great drives from Branford
to Stonington, we’ve picked one.
TAKE A HIKE
Some of the best hiking is near the Sound
and rural reservoirs.
H
Hiking is a snap along the all-terrain shoreline. We’re
blessed with coastal paths that overlook the Long Island
Sound, well-groomed trails through woodsy state parks,
and a well-kept-secret gem of rugged routes around a
chain of reservoirs.
A relaxing and healthy way to traverse the coast is
along the Shoreline Greenway Trail. Nearly complete, it
will stretch 25 miles from Lighthouse Point on New Haven
Harbor to Hammonasset Beach State Park in Madison.
SGT is the effort of an all-volunteer, nonprofit organization
to connect adjoining towns along wide, hard-packed trails
and boardwalks for use not only by hikers but also
bicyclists, runners, walkers, baby-carriage pushers, and
cross-country skiers. Check their website for details:
shorelinegreenwaytrail.org.
You wouldn’t necessarily think of the South Central
Connecticut Regional Water Authority as a steward of the
land. Yet the nonprofit corporation owns 27,000 acres of
pristine property and nine reservoirs thay, besides supplying
water to 15 towns, also preserves more than 60 miles of amazing
hiking trails—that hardly anyone knows about, much less uses.
Purchasing a one- or two-year permit, granting members-only
parking and access, is an incredible deal. Go to
rwater.com/community/recreation.
New and rarely used trails define the
Shoreline hiking scene.
PEDAL PUSHERS
Plenty top picks regardless of your gear or expertise.
PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK(2)
A
Avid road cyclists—you know them for their skinny-wheeled bikes,
spandex shorts, and logo-laden jerseys—regale in the shoreline’s
diverse, and gorgeous, riding routes, from flat shore-huggers to
thigh-burning hill climbs. Now that summer has simmered,
traversing those roadways is even more enjoyable—and less
sweaty—regardless of your equipment, attire, or prowess.
Head east from Branford for coastal flats. Boston Post Road/
Route 1 is less trafficked, but still busy, so venture south. Opt for
Route 146 into Guilford, then steer off the Post Rd. again at W.
Wharf Rd. in Madison to ogle the Gold Coast manses. In Clinton,
Beach Park Rd. to Shore Rd./ Groveway to Grove Beach Rd. is a
scenic stretch. A personal favorite is Route 154 in Old Saybrook,
especially alongside Willard Bay to Saybrook Point.
For challenging hills, head north of Route 80 in Guilford. Climbing Great Hill Rd. will loosen you up for a wicked decent to Route
77. Take 77 north to Durham and the confluence of Routes 77, 17,
and 79, but turn right and pedal across hilly Higganum/Candlewood
Rd. Turn left on Foothills Rd., then left on Weise-Albert Rd. for a
lung-screaming ascent. Or take Candlewood to the end, turn left
on Route 154, then quickly left onto Christian Hill Rd. to Brainard
Hill/Bartholomew Rd., prepared to gasp for air at the summit.
Mountain bikers, if disdaining spandex, have it good around
here, too. There’s a jiggly jaunt around the Branford Supply Ponds.
The New England Mountain Bike Association cut trails through
Rockland Preserve in North Madison. In the New London/Stonington
area, Bluff Point State Park boasts uncrowded fire roads and a link
east to Haley Farm State Park.
Both road and mountain bikers
will find less crowded trails.
25
The concept of peace and solitude,
what Thoreau called “my intimacy with nature,”
is what defines the beauty of the Connecticut Shoreline
after school is in and the crowds are gone.
KAYAKING
Bountiful rivers, inlets, and currents test a kayaker’s stamina on the Shoreline.
other estuaries to extend your cruise.
The lower Connecticut River’s tricky tides, currents, and
winds test a kayaker’s stamina. Consider putting in along the
river’s calmer estuaries before venturing into open waters. A
multisensory sampling begins at the Lieutenant River state boat
launch in Old Lyme. Paddle downstream less than a mile to
intersect with the Connecticut River or upstream for 2-plus
miles, watching for bald eagles that nest atop the high shores.
Beginners and easy-goers will appreciate Messerschmidt
Pond in Westbrook, accessed from a state-run launch on
Route 145. The pond’s 73 acres mix open waters with idyllic
nooks and crannies—and opportunities to abandon ship
for a dip.,
.
John Gaffney is the editor of Coastal Connecticut magazine.
PHOTO: JERRY WYLIE/ CONNECTICUT COASTAL KAYAKING HTTP://WWW.CTCOASTALKAYAKING.COM
H
Have you noticed how many cars have sprouted metal antlers?
That’s what those J-shaped rooftop kayak carriers look like when
they don’t have one or two of the sleek, brightly colored boats
lashed to them. The ubiquity of carriers indicates how popular
kayaking is along the shoreline. And why not, considering our
bounty of navigable waters.
Touring the Thimble Islands—off Stony Creek in Branford—
by kayak is an intimate way to explore that historic archipelago.
Launch from the public beach, and in moments you’re less than
an inch of plastic from the surface, gliding through typically still
waters enveloping the isles.
Paddling the East River, bordering Guilford and Madison,
reveals a tidal marsh eco-system. Drift past tall green grasses,
sod banks crawling with crabs and mussels. Spy egrets, osprey,
herons, and other water birds. Divert into the Neck River and
Essex isn’t the first town that comes to mind when you think
of Coastal Connecticut. But the look, feel, and spirit are right
in step with Madison, Guilford, Old Saybrook, or any of the
coastal towns. Essex has its own shoreline. The Connecticut
River defines Essex like the Sound defines the Shoreline. And
it packs more history into its downtown area than arguably
anywhere in the state outside of Hartford and New Haven.
In Essex, any day begins and ends with the Connecticut River.
Even for those who have lived in Coastal Connecticut for
decades, it offers something to discover and explore every
time. We recommend starting at the Harbor. It is where
the shipbuilding industry started and still thrives in Essex.
It goes back to 1814 when Essex became one of the very
few American towns to ever be attacked by a foreign
power. The British occupied the town and burned ships
and part of the town.
Now it repairs, restores and maintains yachts of all sizes
and styles. Start at the water, and then head downtown.
A DAY
IN
ESSEX
PHOTO ESSAY
BY JULIE BIDWELL
Essex Town Park (lower left) is in the
town center. Start there with views of
the Connecticut River and launch a canoe
or kayak to discover Essex's coves and
shorelines. Breakfast or lunch is well-served
at Abby’s, which is on the water and has
food presentations on par with any in
town. After that, The Wine Bar at The
Griswold Inn is an underrated treasure.
It is extremely well lit and the selection is
among the best anywhere in New England.
The Gris itself needs no introduction. One
of the oldest continuously operated inns in
the country, The Griswold Inn opened its
doors for business in 1776 and has been
catering to yachtsmen and overland
travelers ever since. But The Wine Bar
is the newest addition and was given the
Award of Excellence by Wine Spectator
in 2012.
The second half of any day in Essex
moves from the River to Main Street.
The downtown area is loaded with
opportunities for high-quality and
unique clothes, art, and atmosphere.
Start with a walk down Main Street
where history seeps out of every
cobblestone and picket fence (upper
left). Shopping ranges from The
Griswold Inn’s gift shop (above) to
Carli Freeman’s Essex Art Gallery.
A nautical, rustic atmosphere
accompanies a pint at The Black
Seal, and style in Essex has
been curated by Jim D’Alessio,
proprietor of J. Alden.
Where you find
good soles
RM
Robertson Madison
A Life Style Boutique
designer shoes,
accessories and apparel
sophistication, style, quality,
from europe, los angeles and
new york city
HOURS
MONDAY-WEDNESDAY: 10AM - 5PM
THURSDAY: 10AM - 8PM
FRIDAY - SATURDAY: 10AM - 6PM
SUNDAY: 12PM - 5PM
69 WALL STREET MADISON, CT 06443
PHONE: 203-421-6799 FAX: 203-421-6940
WWW.ROBERTSONMADISON.COM
APPLES
THE
SHORELINE’S
GARDEN
OF
EDEN
BY CHEF RONALD HOOK | PHOTOGRAPHS BY MOYA MCALLISTER
T
here is arguably no more sensual experience of fall in
New England that can compare with the simple apple. The biting taste. The mix of cinnamon and baking juices that signal a new season and coming holidays. And apples are perhaps the Shoreline’s most
distinctive fall product. From Branford to Stonington, the Shoreline has orchards, great supplies, and no shortage of cooking experts to get them from the tree to the table. In fact, the Shoreline
boasts 20 varieties ready to pick and enjoy from mid-September
until late October.
As a spa chef, I know no other fruit that serves so many
masters. Every autumn I find myself asking the same question:
How many ways can I prepare an apple? Pie, butter, cobbler,
strudel, sauce, crisp, on and on. And if I am truly that lazy, I just
rinse one off and bite in. With all the additional seasonings and
enhancements available, for me, the flavor, texture, and experience of enjoying an apple right off the tree cannot be beaten.
“We look forward to September and the cooler
weather because local apples will be regularly
available. We use different varieties on
our fall menu, which features our signature
apple strudel.” —Dagmar Ratensperger
Sweet, crisp, and juicy is the sign of eating a truly fresh apple.
Add the walk through the orchard, fresh cool air, and maybe the
first chance you’ve had to wear some clothes with long sleeves
in months and you have the essential Shoreline fall experience.
Although we like to think of apples as the American food,
they have been grown in Asia and Europe for thousands of years.
They were brought to the U.S. by pilgrims as saplings to plant in
their new country as a touch of home. They did not grow well in
the new surroundings, but they also planted seeds from the apples they ate on the trip over.
An apple tree will start bearing fruit
years after it is planted. A dwarf tree starts
bearing in 3–6 years. It takes the energy
from 50 leaves to produce one apple.
Not the best for eating, but they were just fine for cider. This
certainly helped our forefathers get through the early struggles.
Let’s talk health benefits. The cute little phrase we have all heard
growing up has been scientifically proven. Dr. Oz has called apples the “age-defying miracle food.” Among many other benefits,
they supply our intestine with healthy bacteria (one apple has
5 grams of fiber from pectin), and apple skins are rich in triterpenoid compounds (that prevent cancer cells from forming).
I’ve included my favorite recipe in here, along with a chart
for picking the right variety. My recommendation is to try them
with your favorite cheese as a snack. They can also be sautéed
with some onions, Calvados (apple brandy), and cream to enhance your pork chops and, of course—endless dessert possibilities. FYI, properly stored apples will stay fresh for up to 90 days,
so keep them chilled and away from strong-smelling foods.
Enjoy early and often.
.
Chef Ron Hook is the former Executive Chef of the Doral Saturnia Spa
and Canyon Ranch. He lives in Madison. [email protected]
35
NATIVE APPLES
OCTOBER
SEPTEMBER
macoun
Fuji
Macouns are highly regarded for their aroma and
sweet-tart, juicy flavor. Excellent for snack and
desserts and good for all culinary uses. Developed in
1909 from Jersey Black and McIntosh parents.
Ripens in mid-September.
Red blush with green and yellow stripes. Crisp,
firm, juicy flesh. Developed in Japan in 1939.
Ripens in October.
Gala
Jonagold
Red-orange, with yellow stripes. A sweet crisp flavor
and texture. Very good for salads and sauces.
Introduced in 1934. Ripens in late September.
Bright red with gold. Crisp and juicy, Jonagolds are
good fresh, in salads, and for cooking and baking.
Introduced in 1968 from Golden Delicious and
Jonathan parents. Ripens in October.
cortland
eastern red delicious
A larger apple good for baking, with a deep, purple-red
color. Their white flesh doesn’t brown when sliced so
Cortlands are a standout for fruit salads, dipping in
toppings, or eating with a plate of sharp cheddar
cheese. Ripens late September.
The unique shape of this red apple tapers to a fiveknobbed base. Sweet, tender and juicy. Best for
crunching out of hand and in fruit cups and salads.
Developed in 1872, Red Delicious is America’s most
plentifully grown apple. Ripens early October.
ida red
Golden delicious
Bright golden red. Their tangy taste mellow at maturity.
Excellent for snacks and all culinary uses. Developed
in 1942. Ripens in late September.
Golden or light-green, with pink blush. Tender, mellow,
sweet. Wonderful fresh and in salads. Developed in
1912. Ripens in October.
empire
rome
Deep red skin brushed with gold and green. The
Empire is mildly tart-sweet. It has a juicy quality and is
good for all culinary uses, including as a dessert apple.
A newer variety introduced in 1966 from McIntosh and
Delicious parents. Ripens late September.
A medium large, bright red, round apple with a slightly
tart taste. Rome is considered one of the finest baking
apples available. First propagated from seed in 1828.
Ripens mid-October.
pippin
liberty
Green with yellow highlights. Tangy sweet.
Best for cooking and baking. Dates back to 1700.
Ripens in September.
Green-yellow skin with a red semi-stripe. Flesh is
cream-colored, sweet and juicy. Introduced in 1978, a
cross between a Macoun and Purdue. An all-purpose
apple. Ripens in early October.
honey crisp
crispin (mutsu)
Produced from a 1960 cross of Macoun and Honeygold. Exceptionally crisp and juicy texture. Its flesh is
cream colored and coarse. A large apple excellent for
desserts. Ripens late September.
Greenish yellow to yellow. Good for cooking.
Introduced in U.S. in 1968. Ripens mid-October.
spartan
Baldwin
Red and green skin. Juicy, tart-sweet taste is good
for snacks and salads. Introduced in 1936.
Ripens late September.
Pale greenish-yellow flushed with purplish-brown.
Juicy, with trace of sweetness. Stores extremely
well. Developed in Massachusetts in 1740.
Ripens mid-October.
Jersey mac
Northern spy
Bright red with yellow highlights. Good eating apple
with aromatic, medium-firm flesh. Introduced in 1971.
Ripens mid-August.
Large red and green skin, spicy tart flavor.
A favorite for apple pies. Developed in 1800.
Ripens late October.
APPLE PICKING TIME
Bishop’s orchards
1355 Boston post road
Guilford, cT 06437
203.458.picK (7425)
www.bishopsorchards.com
The Granddaddy of apple orchards.
You can pick, pack, purchase and
also browse an excellent selection
of pies.
rose orchards 33 Branford road
North Branford, cT 06471
203.488.7996
over the last hundred years the farm
has alternated from an orchard,
which was decimated during the
hurricane of ‘38, to a dairy farm, and
back again to an orchard in the early
‘70s. Great dairy bar and animals for
the kids.
scoTT’s cT ValleY orchard
274 Kelsey hill road
deep river, cT 06417
http://scottsfarms.com
scoTT’s YaNKee Farmer
436 Boston post road (rte. 1)
east lyme, cT 06333
860.739.5209
www.scottsyankeefarmer.net
Winston and diane scott have
maintained a rich history and two
beautiful farms that are well worth
visiting for the drive and the varied
fruits and vegetables including, of
course, apples.
WhiTTle’s WilloW
spriNG Farm
1030 Noank ledyard road
mystic, cT 06355
860.536.1418
Well-known for their Granny smith
selections and the most easterly
destination for shoreline apple
farms.
36
now open sundays
Join us for
breakfast, lunch
and coffee klatsch!
specializing in
bavarian & austrian
pastries, cakes &
strudels, scones,
cupcakes, wedding
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247 main street
old saybrook, ct 06475
new!
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dagmarsdesserts.com
860.661.4661
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white sugar
apples
brown sugar
Oat flakes
flour
cinnamon
lemon
NO-FAIL CINNAMON APPLE CRISP
serves 8
INGREDIENTS
PREPARATION
½ cup firmly packed brown sugar
Preheat oven to 450˚F.
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
juice of ½ lemon
3 lbs. good baking variety apple (Macoun, Empire,
Pippin, Ida Red, Northern Spy) cored and sliced
1 cup all-purpose flour
1. Butter or spray a 10-inch pie dish.
2. Combine sugar, cinnamon, and lemon. Add apples
and toss to coat.Transfer mixture to prepared dish.
3. Combine flour, oatmeal, sugar, cinnamon, and butter in
medium bowl. Using pastry blender or fingertips, blend
ingredients until coarse meal forms. Spread mixture evenly
over apples. Place dish on sheet pan to catch drips.
1 cup sugar
4. Bake crisp 20 minutes. Reduce oven temp. to 350˚F and
bake crisp until apples are tender and topping is golden
brown, about 30 minutes.
1½ sticks chilled unsalted butter, cut into pieces
Let stand 15 minutes before serving.
½ cup old-fashioned oatmeal
butter
“See, when I look at the Sound, I don’t see the
same things that other people do,” he says.
“I don’t see water. I see life. It’s important to
understand that the Sound is made up of
millions of microorganisms.”
BY JOHN GAFFNEY | PHOTOGRAPHS BY MOYA McALLISTER
George McManus is out of his element. It’s a late summer afternoon
and he sits in the corner of a coffee shop in downtown Madison
draining what looks to be the last of an iced coffee. He’s one of those
guys who exude an authentic outdoors vibe. A tanned well-weathered
face. A signature gray mustache. He’s calm at the table, but his blue
eyes contain an energy that betrays his demeanor. McManus was built
for the sea and a laboratory. When he talks about them, he’s in
command, bright-eyed. Closer to his element.
McManus is a Madison resident and marine biologist at the
University of Connecticut Department of Marine Sciences at the Avery
Point campus in Groton. While most people get up in the morning and
go to work, he heads to his lab and checks on gene sequences in onecelled animals. And while most people on the Shoreline live here to be
close to the Long Island Sound and the beaches, McManus’ relationship
to the Long Island Sound is much more visionary and even intimate.
“See, when I look at the Sound, I don’t see the same things that
other people do,” he says. “I don’t see water. I see life. I see a million
little plants and animals and things that make up that water. It’s
important to understand that the Sound is made up of millions of
microorganisms.”
McManus studies zooplankton, which, according to most scientific
source material, is the collective name for a wide range of organisms
that “need to ingest food to grow and reproduce and are specially
adapted in a variety of ways to a floating existence.” He calls them his
“critters,” and when he puts a drop of Sound water underneath a microscope at his laboratory in Groton, it comes to life with those
critters that are his term of endearment for foraminifera, radiolaria,
tintinnidae, heterotrophic flagellates, and the like. These microdenizens
of the Sound are the foundation of McManus’ professional life, and
they have also formed his approach to local shoreline conservation
and his scientific philosophy. They are also a flash point for current
issues like pollution and global climate change.
Before you understand McManus and his passion, understand
that the critters he studies are an essential building block and bellwether
for the environmental health of the Sound.
According to the Woods Hole Oceanographic
Institute (WHOI), zooplankton live virtually
everywhere in the ocean, but the largest
number are in the upper layers of the ocean
and Sound where there is enough sunlight to
support phytoplankton, the first link in the
food chain and food for many zooplankton.
The zooplankton—like copepods, krill, and
pteropods—are food for larger plankton, fish,
and even whales. If the abundance of zooplankton declines, the consequences for large
ocean animals would be sudden and severe.
And they are tied to climate change.
Again, WHOI reports that in certain global
areas, especially polar regions, scientists are
studying how climate change will alter ocean
ecosystems by investigating links between
ocean properties such as temperature, the seasonal timing of phytoplankton and zooplankton
growth, and fish and whale populations. According to McManus, excessive industrial
and residential pollution can cause algae
“blooms” that are related to the health of
zooplankton. Algae blooms have poisoned
Sound waters and shellfish in the past and
can do so again.
McManus’ current research projects focus
on two questions. First, what is the role of
ciliate “mixotrophy” (a metabolic strategy
that involves both feeding and photosynthesis
using chloroplasts from ingested prey) in
coastal food webs? In more basic language,
McManus has identified and is experimenting
with some types of zooplankton that have the
ability to both ingest food for energy and
turn it into chlorophyll. These “critters” are
both plant an animal. Kind of like a human
being that could eat a salad and then use that
food to absorb energy from the sun. What
does this form of life say about evolution and
the ability to be completely agile in survival
techniques in the era of climate change?
His second question asks if the zooplankton
in the Long Island Sound could be the same
species that live in the South China Sea. This
project requires both field sampling and cultivation of ciliates, and aims to study diversity
on scales ranging from weekly changes at a
single location to global biogeography. In collaboration with Smith College in Massachusetts,
his lab uses gene sequencing to create species
and community “fingerprints” of ciliates. He
can then make comparisons with other species
and communities in different parts of the world.
“It used to be that gene sequencing was
a huge event,” he says. “Now you do it every
day. One thing I’ve learned is that you have
to keep reinventing yourself in science, and
42
Individual plankton cells can be picked with a
drawn capillary pipette, using mouth suction.
In this way, clonal cultures can be started from
a single individual and genetic variation within
a population can be assessed by sequencing
the DNA of individuals.
I’ve learned that well enough to keep up with
the younger people in the lab. There’s a lot of
room in the diversity question and it’s not
limited to Long Island Sound.”
His two main studies are funded by the
National Science Foundation. He’s not the
only scientist using the Sound as a lab or a
conduit to the bigger climate picture. Long Island Sound Study (LISS), a National Estuary
Program sponsored by the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA), and other government agencies are committing serious dollars
to study both shores. Its project, Sentinels of
Climate Change: Coastal Indicators of Wildlife
and Ecosystem Change in Long Island Sound,
is part of LISS’s Sentinel Monitoring for Climate Change program. As defined in the LISS
Sentinel Monitoring Strategy, a “sentinel” is
“a measurable variable (physical, biological,
or chemical environmental indicator) that is
susceptible to some key aspect of climate
change.” The Sentinel Monitoring program
aims to identify and study sentinels that can
serve as a “canary in the coal mine” to help
provide early warnings regarding potential
effects of climate change, facilitating appropriate and timely management decisions
for the long-term health of the Long Island
Sound ecosystem.
Says Mark Tedesco, director of the EPA
Long Island Sound Office: “Evidence of climate change is now visible in our local ecosystem. The broad scope of this project will help
managers make better informed decisions on
protecting a wide range of vulnerable species
and habitats in the Sound.”
Locally, McManus was involved in one
of the most high-profile conservation battles.
The Griswold Airport site near Hammonasset
Beach State Park was embroiled in legal
battles since 2000 over a proposed luxury
housing development named Madison Landing.
Local conservationists were concerned that
the wastewater produced by the development
would endanger the ecosystem of the area’s
wetlands. McManus, as chairman of the Madison Conservation Commission, was instrumental in fighting to get the town to buy the
property and convert it to parkland. Despite
the economic concerns that hung in the balance
between a $10 million expenditure for parkland
and the tax revenue from more housing, the
town approved the purchase. To date, all of
the deteriorating buildings from the old airport
have been removed. About half of the land is
being preserved for passive recreation and
environmental protection, including a coastal
forest, extensive salt marshes, and a small
freshwater wetland. Three multipurpose athletic
INSET PHOTOS: PROFESSOR GEORGE MCMANUS/UCONN
{
A collection of single-celled plankton from Long Island Sound. Some of these
organisms contain green pigments and are thus photosynthetic. All are about
50 micrometers in diameter [about the same size as the width of one human hair].
}
the dinoflagellate Ceratium
a chain forming diatom
the ciliate Strombidium
with its red eyespot
the dinoflagellate
Peridinium
a second Peridinium
species
a scanning electron
microscope picture
of Strombidium
fields are being constructed on the site. The
entrance portion of the Park has recently been
enlarged by the state’s granting an additional
8 acres along Route 1 to the town. This will
bring the total Park area to about 50 acres.
McManus is not a politically charged,
rah-rah type. He doesn’t talk about global
warming as a political issue nor does he
espouse any dramatic theories behind its
causes and potential drama, even though his
work in Madison did cause a few flare-ups.
He is a scientist first and foremost. He stresses
evidence and data. He does, however, think
that the communication of science can improve.
“The problem with climate change is
that it is complicated,” he says. “You need to
have some objectivity to study it, and the
more we learn about it, the more we should
spread objective knowledge. I don’t think the
press does a good job of communicating
exactly what’s going on. It’s all happening
very fast, and I think there needs to be a
Dr. McManus with Michael Tian, a research associate, and Amanda Liefeld, an undergraduate
student who has worked in the lab each summer
since 2011.
better link between science and the public.
My part is to talk to kids, talk to teachers,
and be a scientist.”
So when he looks out at the Long Island
Sound, whether it’s from the beach at Ham-
monasset, the Surf Club in Madison or his
campus lab in Groton, George McManus sees
life and its changes. He sees it in a detail that
can be seen as the most basic foundation of
life and the most complicated. His “critters”
are the Long Island Sound brought to life.
And despite pollution and climate change, he
still loves what he sees.
“I’m very optimistic about the long- term
health of the Sound,” he says. “It is much
cleaner now than it was 40 years ago. You
had toxins, heavy metals, effluent sewage,
and more pollution in general. Then people
became aware and we made changes. Technology will help improve the health of Long
Island Sound. It’s when people take their eye
off the ball that problems start. People have
to remain vigilant.”
.
John Gaffney is the editor of Coastal
Connecticut magazine.
43
LIFE. STYLE. GREEN.
FANG AND CLAW JUMP THE PICKET FENCE
The isolated stories about wild animals around Shoreline neighborhoods
aren’t so isolated. And they will become more frequent.
BY EDWARD R. RICCUITI
“N
ot dogs. Wolves.” That is
the gist of how noted
Canadian biologist Douglas Pimlott replied when,
back in the early 1970s, I
asked him about “coydogs,” supposed dogcoyote hybrids that were prowling northern
New England woods, and filtering down to
coastal Connecticut. Despite Pimlott’s worldclass scientific reputation and status as a father of Canada’s environmental movement,
few biologists accepted his assertion that
coyotes had interbred with wolves north of
44
Coyotes are the first
wave of an invasion
of the burbs and urbs
by large carnivores;
read that as
American black
bears and cougars.
the Great Lakes while expanding their range
to the shores of the Atlantic. DNA tests described in 2009 indicate Pimlott was right.
Athough some of them do carry a few stray
dog genes, eastern coyotes, the same coyotes
that now prowl every nook and cranny of
coastal Connecticut, are part wolf. The coydog of yesteryear has morphed into the
“coywolf,” a moniker some biologists now
apply to these big aggressive beasts. And
they are a presence in coastal Connecticut.
In fact, all kinds of predatory and large
animals are becoming a common source
of YouTube videos and news reports.
Moose, bears, and even cougars (non-human ones) are part of a general expansion
of coyotes in general from their original
territory on western prairies and plains to
every state except, obviously, Hawaii. What
is more, coyotes have adapted to life in
the suburbs and even the heart of big cities
such as New York; Washington; D.C.; and
Chicago. They’re here.
Coywolves are a far cry from that
goofy coyote cartoon character that is repeatedly outwitted by an equally ditzy
roadrunner. Their wolf heritage was tragically emphasized the same year as the research was reported when two of them
cornered and killed a 19-year-old woman
in a Nova Scotia park, behaving like wolves
bringing down a deer. A rest stop on Interstate I-95 in Branford was the site of the
first Connecticut attack on a human by a
coyote—or coywolf—on September 24,
2006. The creature bit a New York City
woman on the leg, then ran into the
woods. An Old Lyme man had to fight off
a coyote that went for him while he was
mowing his lawn in 2011.
Coyotes are notoriously fond of dogs
as food. Letting a small dog outside when
Garbage is for both fast
food and the contents
of bird feeders a
bonanza for bears.
coyotes are abroad is like putting it on a
Ritz cracker. It is not just Muffy that is in
danger. In March 2012, coyotes killed a 75pound dog in the center of Madison.
Sometimes weighing well upwards of
60 pounds, eastern coyotes are twice the
size of typical coyotes. Ohio State University
biologist Stanley Gehrt, who has studied
the 2,000 coyotes in the Windy City, predicts
coyotes are the first wave of an invasion of
the burbs and urbs by large carnivores;
read that as American black bears and
cougars. Fang and claw, it seems, have
jumped the white picket fence. Black bears,
which have been breeding in Connecticut
LIFE. STYLE. GREEN.
45
snag deer in the suburbs of many western
cities. Two years ago, years of denial by
biologists that a truly wild cougar—not an
escaped pet—could exist in Connecticut
were put to rest when one was killed by
an SUV in Milford. DNA showed that it
traveled here from the Black Hills of South
Dakota, where a burgeoning cougar population is sending expatriates far and wide.
The state Wildlife Bureau documents
no other wild cougar sightings. But people
since the 1980s, penetrate even the state’s
most populous areas. State wildlife biologists
estimate the number of resident bears totals
up to 500 and is growing. In recent months,
bears have been reported to the state’s
Wildlife Division from Clinton, East Haddam,
Guilford, Haddam, Killingworth, Lyme,
Madison, and North Stonington. And that
is just those officially reported, not every
bruin seen.
Popular culture tends to confer a benign
aura on black bears. Science says differently.
A recent study by Dr. Stephen Herrero of
the University of Calgary found that 88
percent of the 63 people he recorded as
killed by black bears in North America between 1900 and 2009 were killed to eat.
46
Ninety-two percent of the predatory attacks
were by males, not mothers defending
their cubs, as traditional wisdom has held.
Normally, however, bears more likely
prefer blueberries to human flesh. They
are omnivorous. For bears, and coyotes,the
living is truly easy amidst human habitation
because neither is picky about diet. Garbage
is for both fast food and the contents of
bird feeders a bonanza for bears. The bear
or coyote next door needs far less foraging
range than its wilderness counterparts and
is often fatter.
Unlike coyotes and bears, cougars
need meat on the hoof, meaning deer,
which Connecticut has aplenty. Cougars
regularly swoop out of the mountains to
keep seeing them in towns like East Haddam and Killingworth. Killingworth locals
living around Buell Hill claim that a cougar
has frequented the neighborhood for years
and sometime suns itself on a boulder
there. I believe them. Last winter, in pristine new-fallen morning snow over my garden, I saw tracks that had been left the
night before. They matched those assigned
to the cougar in a National Audubon Society guide to wildlife tracks. I trust the
guide. I am listed in the front matter as its
consultant. On a woods road at the edge of
my property, I found scat, filled with deer
hair, which also seemed to be a match for
a cougar’s. I have seen cougar scat deposited, first-hand. Years ago, when I was
a curator for the New York Zoological Society, a hand-reared cougar cub from the
Bronx Zoo spent some time in my home.
Even in the heart of cougar country,
attacks on humans are relatively rare, but
incidents have increased in recent years, a
function of more contact with people.
Deaths attributed to cougars since 1900
total about 20 people.
Not only carnivores, moreover, but
other large creatures once confined to the
LIFE. STYLE. GREEN.
PHOTOS: SHUTTERSTOCK (3); D.E.E.P.
Coyotes are notoriously fond of dogs as food.
Letting a small dog outside when coyotes are
abroad is like putting it on a Ritz cracker. It is
not just Muffy that is in danger. In March 2012,
coyotes killed a 75-pound dog in the center
of Madison.
48
Two years ago,
years of denial by
biologists that a truly
wild cougar—not an
escaped pet—could
exist in Connecticut
were put to rest when
one was killed by
an SUV in Milford.
DNA showed that it
traveled here from
the Black Hills of
South Dakota, where
a burgeoning cougar
population is sending
expatriates far
and wide.
killer standing in the middle of the trail
with a loaded gun.”
The standard explanation for the presence of wildlife next door is urban sprawl,
but that is only half the story. The traffic is
two-way. Wildlife, prospering due to conservation programs, is overflowing from
wilderness sanctuaries, which is why moose
and bear populations have expanded from
northern New England to our coastline.
They have advanced along with the regrowth of forests over land previously
cleared for lumber and agriculture.
Beyond that, there is no better wildlife
habitat than the patchwork of woodland
and lawns, parks, golf courses, and playing
fields found in places like coastal Connecticut. The edges where these different
ecological communities meet—called an
“ecotone”—provides the best of all worlds
for wildlife, a little of this and a little of
that. It is a bountiful ecological mix created
by people that opens a new world for
wildlife.
.
Edward R. Riccuiti is a Killingworth-based
award-winning science and nature writer.
He has written for Field & Stream and The
Atlantic Angler, among other publications.
LIFE. STYLE. GREEN.
PHOTOS: SHUTTERSTOCK (3); D.E.E.P.
wilderness are invading human turf, scaring
soccer moms, prowling backyards, living
in parks, and stalking downtown streets.
Looking back to June 1998, a sign of things
to come in coastal Connecticut occurred
when a car carrying a married couple
slammed into a moose on Interstate 95,
near the Old Saybrook-Westbrook border.
Nowadays, moose are so common in
Connecticut, they have lost their shock value.
At least 100 now roam the state, which is
believed to be the extreme southernmost
limit of their natural range. They have been
reported in about half of the state’s 169
towns, mostly in the northern part of the
state but as well in our coastal towns, notably
East Lyme, Essex, and Guilford.
Studies show that vehicular collisions
with moose are 30 times more likely to
result in a human death than those with
deer. Hit a moose and there is a one-in-50
chance you will not come out of it alive.
When cow moose are with calves in spring
and bulls juiced up during the fall rut,
moose can be exceedingly dangerous. In
places like Alaska, where moose are abundant, they regularly stomp and sometimes
kill people. Not long ago, the Huffington
Post quoted an Alaskan biologist as warning
residents to “assume every moose is a serial
Extraordinary
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LIFE. STYLE. AUTO.
AUTOCROSS
People In Cars Behaving Badly
BY SHERRI DALEY
he movie starts. You want that
parking space right in front of the
theater. In your peripheral vision,
you see a woman with a carful of
kids narrow her eyes and shift into
first. She’s 100 feet closer and for her it’s a
straight shot. You, on the other hand, have
to negotiate through four rows of cars with
an interesting pattern of empty spaces.
Chances are you’re going to miss the
opening scene. You know, the one where
the scantily clad heroine slyly drops that
all-important clue on which the entire plot
depends.
But if you were a dues-paying member
of one of the two Connecticut car clubs that
host a surprisingly little-known motorsport
called “autocross,” you’d be eating popcorn
while Mom cruises the parking lot. Because
you would know how to negotiate that
T
“Autocross is a
chance to get
out and clear my
mind” says Navy
machinist mate
2nd class Justin
Bullard.
parking lot in a way most traffic-bound
mortals would not.
“I’ve been a member of Fairfield
County Sports Car Club since 1966,” says
John Williamson of Trumbull. He ran his
first autocross in 1961, called gymkhana
then, but quit 10 years later. “My son talked
me into getting back into it.” Williamson is
a tall, athletic man who doesn’t look anywhere near 76. Both he and his son Dave
participate in a sport that may need explanation for some.
Autocross is one of those events you
can hear before you can see. Nearly a hundred cars rumble into line to negotiate a
short but snarly course of tight turns
marked by orange traffic cones in a space
about the size of four football fields. One
car at a time screeches around the cones,
sending out the blue smoke of burning
rubber before shuddering to stop under a
time clock. The whole thing sometimes
takes less than 30 seconds. Thirty hair-raising, heart-stopping seconds—like the drop
of a roller-coaster … if you were the roller
coaster. Mark Eastwood, a 56-year-old
medical equipment salesman from Madison, says, “Autocross gives me a chance to
really wail out in my car.” He drives a 2003
Mustang GT, which he has had up to 85
miles an hour at a location in Thompson,
Connecticut. On most courses, participants
rarely get out of second gear.
“It is racing,” admits John Brennan, 28,
of Bridgeport, an advertising executive and
current president of FCSCC, “but it’s accessible to more people because it’s more
about skill and handling, so the skills you
use in autocross make you a better driver.
And it’s a lot less expensive than racing.” He
smiles at that. “A lot less expensive.” Annual
autocross dues are only about $35; entry
fees about the same.
Becca Nell, a 34-year-old commercial
real estate project manager who lives in
Norwalk and a relatively new member,
agrees that autocross is readily accessible
because of its affordability. “You can use
your own car,” she says. “No one has to
buy an expensive race car and trailer it to
events. I drive in my Nissan 350Z. John
drives a Nissan 240SX. But also because it’s
low-risk: you spin out, you knock out a
couple of cones; you don’t crash into another car or flip off into the infield. We have
a lot of beginners.”
Williamson Sr. is quick to add that although average speeds around an autocross track seldom exceed what we drive
on the highway, corners come at you faster
than during a Formula One race.
On a typical Sunday, there might be a
Lotus 6, a few Honda Civics, a Subaru STI
and a Mitsubishi EVO, some 4-door sedans,
Pontiac Fieros, Mustangs, Mercurys, and
even a stationwagon. Participants and spectators range anywhere from young gearheads with their patient girlfriends, similarly
obsessed middle-aged husbands, seniors
of both sexes sharing their latest times,
families with strollers, dogs on leashes,
and curious onlookers hanging onto the
outside of the chain-link fence.
“It’s definitely a family event,” says
Dennis Polio, 68, of New Haven with one
hand resting on the fender of his taxicabyellow 1964 Corvette. People mill around
him greeting one another like folks at a
family picnic. “When I met my wife, she
had a Corvette. It’s what got us together.”
He pats the car. “Joyce won her class in
this car.”
Justin Tang, 25, a PhD candidate in the
mechanical engineering department at Yale
University, says autocross lets him enjoy all
the work he’s done on his 1986 Nissan
300ZX. “The more time I spend behind the
wheel racing, the better and faster I get.”
“Autocross is a chance to get out and
clear my mind,” says Navy machinist mate
2nd class Justin Bullard, who probably
needed that after returning from deployment last year. Bullard, 24, who lives in Waterford and is stationed in Groton, finds
other benefits from autocross. “It’s a chance
to learn about how a car is engineered and
research how to best use all the technology. It’s fun to take what the engineers designed and throw it all out the window and
create the car yourself.” It’s also a great outlet for networking for Bullard & Sons auto
shop, which he runs with his dad.
Lest you think that autocross just attracts gearheads, thrill-seeking narcissists,
and parking lot neurotics, both clubs contribute a great deal to the state’s safety by
offering teen driving courses.
Robert Doiron, 60, is a passionate car
enthusiast, as well as a successful remodeling contractor, but his job as CART’s
“When I met my wife, she had a Corvette. It’s what got us together.”
51
So, think again about that parking
space in front of the movie theater. With
the skill you developed dodging cones in
autocross, you may beat that harried mom,
but it’s doubtful that you’ll get there as fast
as seasoned autocross drivers get around a
cone-infested parking lot with a dozen
hairpin turns and no straightaways.
.
WHERE TO CROSS
Fairfield County Sports Car Club
www.fcscc.com
Contact: John Brennan, president
FCSCC hotline: 203.920.9006
[email protected]
Connecticut Autocross & Rally Team
www.cartct.com
Contact: Bob Doiron, president
[email protected]
out. The competition draws him in. Becca
Nell? Well, she admits that the camaraderie
was more important to her … until she won
her first trophy. That “healthy competition”
part is pretty seductive.
Sherri Daley is a Fairfield-based freelance
writer who has written about everything from
cancer treatments to Joshua Bell’s violin for a
diverse range of publications from Car and
Driver to The New York Times.
PHOTOS: PROVIDED BY SAID HU(4)
s
52
which, incidentally, makes FCSCC their
largest contributor.
“It’s a great combination of camaraderie
and healthy competition,” Brennan points
s
current president includes the overseeing
of Teen Education for Advanced Car Handling (TEACH), a program developed with
the Berlin, CT, police department to help
young people become better drivers, with
an emphasis on skid and traction control,
braking techniques, and proper steering.
FCSCC also focuses attention on the
future citizens of I-95 by hosting in the Tire
Rack Street Survival course every year, a
national driver education course sponsored
by—among others—BMW, the Sports Car
Club of America, and Michelin. The Street
Survival Course not only educates drivers
about their driving skills but also about responses to traffic situations and other drivers on the road.
And if you decide to try to outrun a local
police chief, thºink again. FCSCC invites local
police chiefs to compete in their own miniautocross, which the chiefs take very seriously. Fighting crime is important, but so is
winning the annual Chief’s Challenge.
Having nothing to do with screeching
around traffic cones, the club contributes
$10 of every entry fee to the Southern Connecticut Special Olympics. “We’ve contributed over $50,000,” says Brennan,
LIFE. STYLE. FASHION.
FALL TRENDS
BY ELIZABETH NEIGHBORS
T
here are the fall coats you see in Vogue,
ELLE, and Fashion Week coverage. And
then there are fall coats for the Shoreline.
The right look for fall outerwear out here is
a mix of utility, color, and body type.
54
Boutiques on the shoreline and north
reflect the energy of the shoreline
changes with the seasons. The crowds
change. The colors change. Whether
preparing for the first days of school or
reminiscing of school days gone by,
we feel fall in the air. It’s time to tuck
away our warm-weather favorites, slip off our
flip- flops, and create or update our wardrobe for the
new season.
Fall fashions, especially on the shoreline, are inspired
by the colors of nature: the dune grasses, the mums,
and beach plums. We see sunflowers, sage, or sedum
and sense it’s time for change in
our closets ... coats, jackets,
accessories ... it’s time to
change. Change is good.
{
“Colors come and go in trend but as a bespoke tailor,
I will say you should always choose colors that suit
you; work with your own unique personality and
those which make you feel at your best.”
—TIMOTHY EVEREST
}
ILLUSTRATION: COURTESY DESIGNER YOANA BARASCHI
vivacious
Here are some examples. Check the fall color palette from
ELLE and you’ll see white, black, and gray. That can work
extremely well anywhere, anytime. But outside of urban
areas, women and men have a chance to dial color
down when the days get shorter or boost it up. Even
the ultimate color authority, Pantone®, stated in its
recently released Fall Fashion Color Report that “This
season, designers express the many moods of ––fall with
skillfully arranged collections that will enhance and enliven
customers’ outlooks as the colder months set in. Similarly,
colors come together to create moods that range
from sophisticated and structured to lively and
vivid, encapsulating our inherent need for
wardrobe variety to reflect emotions that
run from thoughtfully introspective to
irrepressibly elated.”
SILKWORM
23 Main Street, Essex
860-767-1298
silkwormonline.com
A
linden green
perfect choice for keeping
cozy on chilly fall days is with
warm earth-tone colors of the
BB Jacket by Beth Bowley. Rae Ann,
of Silkworm in Essex, says this woolblend jacket is the perfect piece to
take you into the cooler fall months.
The zigzag pattern is a beautiful blend
of earthtone colors affording the
versatility to wear with both black
and brown. Beth Bowley is not sold
in department stores. This
unique jacket will be your
“go-to” for all occasions;
comfortable and chic,
Beth always has a way
of making the woman
on the go look put
together at all times.
KIMBERLY BOUTIQUES
71 Whitfield Street
Guilford Green
203-453-2554
shopkimberly.com
986 Farmington Avenue
West Hartford Center
860-523-4894
K
imberly Mattson Moster of Kimberly Boutique is passionate about Creenstone’s
outerwear. This is a classic down coat in
brick color. “We love Creenstone.” Their designer
Jetske Kool does an amazing job of bringing new
trends as well as innovative fabrics to outerwear.
Her perfectly tailored coats fit like a dream and,
more importantly, are warm and wearable.
Creenstone understands the need for color in a
women’s wardrobe and uses it in a sophisticated
way. Autumn Winter 2013 Creenstone’s color
theme was inspired by stained glass windows.
This coat by Creenstone comes in both brick as
shown and also a more neutral silver (retails for
$850). This down coat is made of a durable highperformance fabric and has fur trim.
{
“Almost nothing else but color can instantly
change your mood or outlook when you put
it on. Color provides instant confidence.”
—RACHEL ROY
}
TRACY BRENT COLLECTIONS
76 Broad Street, Guilford
203-458-9100
tracybrentcollections.com
T
racy of Tracy Brent Collections
says warm, functional coats
are a must for Connecticut.
Her emphasis for fall stays focused on
individualism, unique design, a warm
personal environment. Tracy gathers
designers from around the world,
combining designer fashion with more
reasonable-priced quality merchandise,
understanding the reality of how
women dress these days.
STONEWEAR
1 North Main Street, Essex
860-767-2559
stonewearessex.com
D
acai
Here’s a great example of the style,
functionality, and flexibility needed
for the various seasons of the Shoreline. You don’t have to give up femininity or style while keeping it functional. The white quilted Stamford
jacket by Happy Goat Lucky is sophisticated and classic whether you wear
a rich black underneath or a brighter
color. The outfit combinations are in
keeping with the fall black and white.
{
“Wear a color that secretly makes you happy. It can be something
small or even a hidden bra strap, a toenail polish, belt, wallet, or
jacket lining. I find added enjoyment just about every day
figuring out a tiny little color clash or pop or glint of metallic.”
—MARCIA PATMOS
}
ILLUSTRATION: COURTESY DESIGNER NICOLE MILLER
eborah Thompson,
owner of Stonewear in Essex, is a
fan of a diverse blend of
jacket styles and colors.
She loves black and white
plaids, wool, and earthtone colors that afford
the versatility to wear
with both black and
brown. Stonewear
specializes in outerwear not sold in
department stores.
She likes European
fashion for the
American woman.
CASUAL TO EVENING WEAR
TRACY BRENT
COLLECTIONS
Personal wardrobe consultants will assist you in the selection
of fabulous clothing, handbags and accessories.
76 Broad Street • Guilford • By the Green • 203.458.9100
www.tracybrentcollections.com
coastalctmag.com | September 2013 | COASTAL | 3
Store Hours: Mon–Sat 10–6 • Sun 12–5
ANCHOR & COMPASS
163 Main Street, Deep River
860-322-4327
anchorandcompass.com
S
turbulence
J. ALDEN CLOTHIERS
17 Main Street, Essex
860-767-7633
Toll Free 877-9-J.ALDEN
www.jaldenclothiers.com
A
s traditional as a New England
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58
{
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}
ILLUSTRATION: COURTESY DESIGNER STEVEN ALAN. COLOR SWATCHES & LEAF ILLUSTRATIONS REPUBLISHED WITH PERMISSION OF PANTONE
age, the owner of
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LIFE. STYLE. LOCATION.
THE HIDDEN VILLAGE
How Ivoryton Became Essex’s Best-Kept Secret
BY CHRIS PAGLIUCO | PHOTOGRAPHS BY MOYA McALLISTER
aking a left and a quick right toward downtown Essex is almost a
reflex off of Route 9 at Exit 3. Three
Connecticut icons are all located
in that vicinity—the Connecticut
River Museum, the Griswold Inn, and the
Essex Steam Train—all of which command
praise in any Connecticut guidebook worth
its weight. Suggestion: Forget to take that
right. Drive on.
If you continue on, driving only about
two miles further, you’ll find the hidden village of Ivoryton, CT, another gem within
the city limits of the town of Essex. Those
who only travel to Essex for the Easter
Brunch might be surprised to learn that it is
in Ivoryton that the bulk of the population
T
60
of Essex lives and, quite often, celebrates.
Average age: 30. Today it is here in the west
end of town that much of the growth and
development within the town of Essex is
occurring. It is where some of the most dynamic, interesting, and family-oriented
events and destinations await discovery.
If Essex village encapsulates much of
the first half of American history, it is in
Ivoryton that best handles the second half.
In the mid-nineteenth century, waterpower
and the steam engine developed into the
chief means of production and transportation. No longer did business start and halt
with the tides and currents of the Connecticut River. It was the visionary mind of Ivoryton native Samuel Merritt Comstock who
first harnessed the water power of the Falls
River, made available by Ivoryton’s hilly terrain, into the production of a variety of ivory
products. In time, Comstock, Cheney and
Co., along with Pratt, Read and Co. of neighboring Deep River, began to specialize in
the production of piano keyboards and actions (the mechanism that translates pressing the key to making a sound).
During the height of the Victorian era,
a piano was an important sign of wealth
and sophistication for the new, burgeoning
middle class resulting from the industrial
boom. During this time of wrenching social
upheaval, pianos also came to be an important form of recreation within the safety
of the family parlor. Comstock, Cheney and
Clockwise: Downtown Ivoryton’s
future and past with kids
grabbing a sugar rush at Gather,
old playbills from the Ivoryton
Playhouse, Gather serves as the
country store, the famous tree
sculpture and standing at the
mic from Always … Patsy Cline.
in fact, was initially laid out according to
its distance from the large metal gate at the
mouth of the driveway in front of Comstock’s house.
Drive past the mansions (for the day)
onto any of the surrounding side roads,
onto Comstock Avenue or Cheney Street,
and you will see the smaller factory workers’ houses, all of the same standard design,
that Comstock constructed and then rented
to his workforce. Back on Main Street, the
former general store, library, community
hall, and local inn were all his creation and
served to provide a life good enough for
the workers to shun unionization. The immigrant population, guided to town
through a company agent stationed at Ellis
THEATER PHOTOS: ANNE HUDSON/IVORYTON PLAYHOUSE
Co. was poised to corner the market in piano keyboard and action manufacture. In
1884, 3/4 of all the ivory to enter the United
States passed through the towns of Ivoryton
and Deep River, CT.
Drive into Ivoryton along Main Street
and you will be greeted by the large Victorian houses owned by the former corporate
managers of the company, including Comstock himself. Any visitor would be hardpressed to find more pristine Victorian architecture anywhere in the state. Ivoryton’s
period houses are graced with the high turrets, sharp roof angles, “gingerbread” trim,
and other features all of which were designed to mimic a castle. Similar to the piano, this house style was a response to the
harshness and instability of the new industrial society. Ivoryton itself never experienced the cutthroat labor wars associated
with the period primarily because of Samuel
Comstock’s embrace of welfare capitalism,
a business strategy designed to reduce labor
strife by providing sufficient housing, entertainment, and education to the labor
force. Consequently, the entire village of
Ivoryton is literally the incarnation of Comstock’s vision. The location of each building,
61
Island, first stayed at the Ivoryton Inn before moving on to one of the three ethnic
neighborhoods in the village. There were
areas designated for the Swede, Polish, and
Italian immigrants that manned the factory.
Ivoryton is so well preserved that it is in
the final stages of candidacy for inclusion
on the National Register of Historic Places.
Phil Esser, the architectural historian responsible for assembling the application
recalls the first time he visited Ivoryton:
“Like an auto collector who stumbles
gleefully upon a rare gem tucked away in a
garage, my first experience of Ivoryton
evinced a similar response. Though I had
briefly read the history of the company
town nestled in the hills of Essex, I could
not help but be struck by the sheer beauty
and integrity of the houses and streetscapes.
It is an extraordinary experience to, after
almost a hundred years, revisit the vision
of the creators of the community and the
insular lifestyle that had once thrived there.”
Ultimately, the radio and then the television eclipsed the piano as the primary
form of home recreation. Predictably hard
times found their way to the one-horse village. It was in the 1980s that the piano factory, by then having consolidated with
neighboring Pratt, Read and Co., transferred
to the town of Central, South Carolina, leaving Ivoryton to suffer the fate of so many
New England manufacturing towns in the
1970s and 1980s.
Today, Ivoryton, like downtown Essex,
has embraced her historical legacy and is
62
experiencing an impressive grass-roots revitalization. The center of all the activity lies
in a short half-mile stretch of Main Street
beginning with two adjacent buildings in
the heart of the village. Five years ago,
Ivoryton resident Deanna Pinette opened
“Gather,” a shop consisting of an eclectic
mix of antiques, vintage clothes, and sweet
treats. Pinette seems to know everyone in
town by name, to the point where you get
the impression she purchases specific items
with specific people in mind. In the back
of the store is the new location of Essex
Books, which hosts a wide assortment of
books and a steady stream of local author
talks. In many ways, Gather serves the same
function as the old Rose Brothers general
store, the original occupant about a hundred years ago, a nexus for visitors and locals alike to get that thing you just can’t wait
for. Just down the sidewalk lies the Ivoryton
Library, the oldest library in town (there are
two). While residents appreciate the convenient location, and an outstanding children’s section in the lower level, the library
is also a repository for one-of-a-kind artifacts
related to the Piano Factory. Pop in to see a
four-foot set of ivory tusks, an original portrait of Samuel Merritt Comstock, and a
working piano action. Reading nooks, especially attractive on cold winter days,
abound in the quintessential Victorian building. Further on, the Ivoryton Tavern has
gained a reputation for excellent burgers
and beer in a relaxed atmosphere. Even the
old Falls River, which now follows a slightly
From the Monster Burger at
Ivoryton Tavern (bottom right)
to the eclectic selection at
Gather, the town is finding
a sense of identity outside of
being part of Essex.
different path as the result of a biblical-sized
flood in 1982, has been attended to with
the construction of a mile-long path, complete with detailed history markers, maintained by the Essex Land Trust.
For visitors, Ivoryton also boasts two
must-see destinations. The Ivoryton Playhouse was once and still is a leader in the
performing arts in the state. Although the
building was first constructed as a recreation hall for the Comstock employees and
their families, after only 19 years it was converted to a playhouse. From the 1930s–
1960s, the playhouse experienced its first
heyday with many prominent Hollywood
actors and actresses, including Katherine
Hepburn and Marlon Brando, performing
there during summers. Prosperity has returned to the playhouse under the brilliant
leadership of Jackie Hubbard serving as
Artistic Director for the Ivoryton Playhouse
Foundation. There is not a bad seat in the
280-seat theater. This fall’s lineup includes
I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change,
and The Seven Year Itch along with a holiday show in December. On the grounds
of the Playhouse sits an amazing sculpture
by local artist Kris Conners. Carved from
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AT T E N T I O N A DV E RT I S E R S
Get Ready For Winter!
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Today it is here in the
west end of town that
much of the growth
and development within
the town of Essex is
occurring. It is where
some of the most
dynamic, interesting,
and family-oriented
events and destinations
await discovery.
an enormous tree stump, a relic of Hurricane Irene, the head of an elephant is
found on one side, and an actor memorizing lines while sitting under a tree is on the
opposite. The Ivoryton Park, complete with
gazebo, offers plenty of shade to relax on
the adjoining property. For those looking
for an elegant place to stay or eat in town,
the Copper Beech Inn, now under new
ownership, is a great choice. Dine in the
opulence of what once was the home of
Archibald Welsh Comstock, Samuel’s son.
Beyond being steeped in history,
Ivoryton shares something else in common
with Essex Village: frequent community
events that rely heavily on local participation and creativity. The fall and winter are
busy times for Ivoryton. In October, the
Ivoryton Library hosts an annual 5k road
race, named Run Local/Read Local, which,
unlike others, includes a mile in the woods
along the Falls River during the height of
lea-peeping season. Awards for the best
costume make for some mysterious critters
scampering along the wooded paths. The
following weekend, always the weekend
before Halloween, is the Ivoryton Pumpkin
Festival in which Ivoryton residents and
others carve hundreds of jack-o’-lanterns
for lighting. The display stands are always
filled with amusing references to the local
organizations that carve in support of the
event. Each December, the Ivoryton Alliance, the local business partnership, hosts
Ivoryton Illuminations. In an unabashedly
64
gaudy celebration of the holidays, downtown businesses throw off all restraint and
attempt to cover what seems like every
square foot within sight with colored lights
(some of which flash to music heard over
a local radio station). Each of these events
is friendly to families with the type of entertainment that is light on the budget such
as storytelling, face painting, letter writing,
or cookie decorating.
Ivoryton is not pristine and its renovation is not complete, but in many ways, that
is part of the attraction of the village. It is a
place where people work and live. It needs
to be functional, as well as beautiful, every
day of the week, not just for tourists on
weekends. The town of Essex recognizes
the importance of Ivoryton’s development.
This year the town was awarded a $435,000
grant from the state of Connecticut that will
continue to work toward the town’s goal of
creating a “Village for the Arts.” The improvements will undoubtedly further accelerate economic and cultural development.
First Selectman Norm Needleman is thrilled
about the changes, stating, “The town of
Essex is extremely excited about receiving
this grant to help the continued renewal of
Ivoryton ... [which has] become a vital economic center.”
.
Chris Pagliuco is an Ivoryton resident. When
not teaching high school history, he writes on
topics in Connecticut history and serves as the
town historian for Essex, CT.
5 PLACES NOT TO MISS
IN IVORYTON, CT
Check in early at the Copper Beech
Inn on Main Street, Ivoryton, then
check out Chef Gaspar Stantic’s
menu at the new “The Oak Room”
restaurant, to plan your evening meal.
1
2
3
4
5
Take a short walk down Main Street to
Gather where you can pick out that
stylish vintage jacket, a seasonal
treat, and catch up with the local beat.
Bring that coffee just a few steps further and explore the pristine victorian
architecture of the Ivoryton Library, a
historic artifact in its own right. Poke
around the piano factory artifacts
housed throughout the building.
Reflect back on the legacy the
Ivoryton Playhouse has had on
American theater before seeing the
up and coming stars of your own time.
Walk across Summitt Street to digest
the play you just saw with family and
friends at the Ivoryton Tavern and
Cafe. Enjoy a beer, popcorn, a game
of darts and the Ivoryton Tavern’s acclaimed burgers before returning to
your sumptuous room at the inn.
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LIFE. STYLE. FISHING.
THE SECOND SEASON
Fishing the Sound After Labor Day
BY EDWARD R. RICCIUTI
s seasons cycle, the sun cools, and
the air crisps, coastal Connecticut
fishing enters its second season.
In my experience, it’s the best
one. The water temperatures in
the Long Island Sound peak. So does the
variety of fish. So many, in fact, that it
verges on species gridlock. The marine traffic is two-way, with summer residents
preparing to leave and fall visitors arriving.
Only at this time of year, for example, do
false albacore and Atlantic bonito, lookalike small cousins of tuna, enter coastal
Connecticut waters.
These living torpedoes that rip through
the water when hooked, usually weigh between four and 10 pounds, although rarely
A
“Albacore eat on the run, at
25 miles an hour, so by the
time we maneuvered to the
location of a school, it was
already half a world away.”
they can reach twice that size. I have not
caught many bonito, except for a few on
the choppy waters of Outer Southwest Reef
off Westbrook. One of my most memorable
fishing trips, on the other hand, was right
after Labor Day in search of false albacore,
which are also known as little tunny. To
my delight and surprise, I actually landed
one— and a sizeable one, at that.
With brothers Shawn and Mike Sodergren, second-generation airline pilots from
Killingworth, we set out one sunny day last
fall from Clinton Harbor toward Orient Point,
Plum Island, and Great and Little Gull Islands. It’s called by some anglers “Albacore
66
“As seasons cycle, the sun cools, and the air crisps, coastal Connecticut
fishing enters its second season. In my experience, it’s the best one.”
BON I TO
Another great fighter that tend to swim
deeper waters off the Shoreline.
B LU EF IS H
They’re thick in the Sound in the fall and
provide great action even for the beginner.
S TRI P ED B A SS
Maybe the best sportfish on the Sound,
and the fall is prime time to fish them.
TAU TO G
Also called Blackfish, they can grow up
to 25 pounds, but smaller fish up to three
pounds are more typical.
Alley.” We looked above for white flashes
of birds working baitfish and below for the
longitudinal splashes of albacore as they
slashed through schools of prey.
We followed the fish to Montauk, then
around the South Fork until we were off the
Hamptons on a voyage of 14 hours by the
time we returned to Clinton. We finally
caught up with the school off the Montauk
Point Lighthouse. With a medium-weight
spinning rod and a shiny new Deadly Dick
lure on the end of the line, I hooked up
what turned out to be a 10-pounder, which
promptly rocketed for the open ocean. The
line, unspooling so fast I almost feared it
would ignite, was near its limit when I finally
turned it and, after a full quarter hour, got it
to the boat, where we weighed and released
it. As fare, the desirability of a false albacore
is the converse of its fighting qualities.
Some of the other visitors occasionally
shock anglers who are unaware that
species more typical of Southeastern waters
ride the Gulf Stream north to coastal Connecticut in the fall. The bang at the end of
the line may well be a wahoo or a king
mackerel instead of a bluefish. Other exotics
67
include cobia, jacks, and kingfish, says marine biologist Dave Molnar, of the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP). Peak time for tropicals:
mid-September, according to a study by the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
The visitors join the scup, fluke, black
sea bass and blackfish that anglers have
sought on the bottom all summer long. As
fall takes over and waters start to cool, bottom fish are less dispersed and instead
bunch up, just as up above birds flock up
prior to their migration. The bottom fish migrate to deeper waters. Bluefish, like birds,
are about to head south, but before they do,
gather in schools that produce monster
“gator” blues, approaching 20 pounds.
While local stripers hang around all year,
large numbers of them are also migrating.
From Maine, they gather and sweep south
around Cape Cod and off Rhode Island.
There, some continue south while others
peel off into the Sound, making for the rivers
Thames, Connecticut, and Hudson. No time
of year is better for big stripers at the mouths
of the Thames and Connecticut than after
Labor Day has passed. When the rest have
departed, the blackfish remain, well into December, when only the lonely are on the
briny, bundled up and happy. The largest
blackfish I ever landed was almost 10
pounds, caught on a December day when
the air temperature was in the twenties and
not another boat could be seen.
Actually, says Diane Lippold, service
manager of the Boat Center, a marina and
boat seller on the Hammonasset River in
Madison, boats start to come out of the water
right after Labor Day, which for me marks
the beginning of the second season. By October, few pleasure craft remain to block a
fishing drift because she says, “the only boats
left belong to hard-core fishermen.”
While local stripers hang
around all year, large
numbers of them are also
migrating. From Maine, they
gather and sweep south
around Cape Cod
and off Rhode Island.
It is even better for the shore angler.
For the first time since May, surf fishermen
can set their sand spikes along the entire
two miles of beach at Hammonasset Beach
State Park in Madison. When the blues roar
by just off the beach, rods in the spikes bow
to the water one after the other, like trees
bending in the wind. Other state parks with
shore access, like Harkness Memorial in Waterford, Rocky Neck in Niantic, and Bluff
Point in Groton, remain open while crowds
disappear. Of all, Bluff Point offers the best
chance of hooking up with a false albacore
and landing it in a flurry of foam amidst the
backwash. Beaches aside, perhaps the two
best state-operated shore fishing sites are
Ferry Landing, by the DEEP Marine headquarters at the mouth of the Connecticut
River in Old Lyme, and the magnificent fishing pier that juts 500 feet from Fort Trumbull
State Park into the mouth of the Thames
River in New London. Ferry Point has a long,
fenced boardwalk that puts fishermen just
above the water. The pier, which can hold
more than 100 anglers comfortably, has
freshwater outlets and a large parking area.
It is illuminated and open 24 hours. Biologist
Molnar is sky high on fishing opportunities
there, especially around the pilings that support the structure. You might not hook up
with a false albacore but just about any other
sport fish that frequents the marine waters
of coastal Connecticut shows up there.
.
Edward R. Ricciuti is a Killingworth-based
award-winning science and nature writer.
He has written for Field & Stream and The
Atlantic Angler, among other publications.
Anglers and other boaters plying Long Island Sound from
late September through early October often see monarch
butterflies flitting past their vessels, sometimes even landing
momentarily. Virtually all of them are navigating in a southerly
direction. People unfamiliar with the story of the monarch
sometimes wonder why these little insects are so far out on
the water. Truth is, these seemingly fragile, orange-and-black
insects are only beginning a trek that will take them much
farther, all the way to the Sierra Madre Mountains of Mexico.
Monarchs from eastern North America overwinter in about a
dozen spots in mountain forests about two miles above sea
level. Conservationists are worried about monarchs declining
due to loss of milkweed, the only food their caterpillars consume.
The 2012 overwintering population was lowest in years.
68
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LIFE. STYLE. ARTS.
A MYSTIC NIGHT FOR A MOONDANCE
A new arts advocacy organization kicks off in Mystic by relocating
one of the leading domestic film festivals.
BY CARLA ROVER
Bob Denatale’s The Art of Dreaming is one of the Mystic Moondance Film Festival’s award winners. It is an indie film that mixes horror with
psychological drama.
ndy Warhol once said that “being
good in business is the most fascinating kind of art. Making
money is art and working is art
and good business is the best
art.” He would have liked Hans Hartman.
Hartman is the driving force behind a
new organization called Mystic Moondance,
which is bringing a community-oriented arts
support and advocacy group to southeastern
Connecticut. Its stated mission: Perfecting
the art of business to help you with the business of art. And he has also been the driving
force behind bringing a major domestic film
festival—also called Moondance—from
Boulder, Colorado to Mystic. Mystic Moondance is up and running. Moondance Film
Festival opens September 26.
“I was looking to bring a film festival
to support the launch of this organization
and we found a great fit,” says Hartman.
“People in Mystic understand the arts. By
the arts I don’t necessarily mean arts and
crafts. We’re going to support and give
A
70
guidance to filmmakers, artists, and musicians. We’re going to help artists in this area
understand the business of art.”
The Moondance Film
Festival has been called the
“American Cannes,” with a
history of premiering
international sleeper hits
and critically lauded
documentaries ...
Hartman has been in the entertainment
industry since 1968 and has worked in almost every stage of the production process.
In 1978, Hans started working behind the
camera and started editing film in the mid-
70s and video in the early 80s. As the digital
migration came about, he learned several
digital film and editing processes and taught
a 35mm filmmaking course and created
“The Young Film-maker’s Workshop” in Orlando, FL. Hans has also been recognized
by the state of Connecticut and appointed
as a Commissioner to the Advisory Board
of the Department of Economic and Community Development. In 2002, he formed a
new production company to focus on film
and digital cinema called H2Films. Hans
brings all his years of experience to H2Films
and has completed several films under that
banner. These include Shadow Raven: Fading Thoughts, Heist, Apart From This, The
Raven, Rehab, and Crippled Creek. His latest film production is PROFILE, a political
film about terrorism and torturous interrogations. He is passionate about building the
infrastructure needed to bring more films
and projects to Southeastern Connecticut.
The Moondance Film Festival has been
called the “American Cannes,” with a history
“People in Mystic
understand the arts.
We’re going to support
and give guidance to
filmmakers, artists
and musicians.We’re
going to help artists in
this area understand
the business of art.”
.
The 25,000 Mile Love Story is one of Moondance's documentary winners. With limited distribution, it is an excellent film about Serge Roethli,
who many consider the best endurance athlete on the planet.
of premiering international sleeper hits
and critically lauded documentaries from
parts of the globe virtually unknown in Hollywood as a source of filmmaking talent—
such as The Marshall Islands and
Tasmania. Subversive, cerebral, and uncompromising in its thematic diversity,
Moondance, according to founder and Executive Director Elizabeth English, needed
a new frontier to settle into in its 13th year.
Her gut led her to the East Coast and extensive research into the right new home for
the festival.
“I don’t want to put down the other areas that were considered, but Mystic had no
peer.” The coastal beauty of the region was
an added bonus, but Mystic’s embrace of
the arts, said English, drew her to permanently bring the festival, which has been
held in Colorado since its inception, to the
community. “The village was so enthusiastic,
I was blown away by the support offered.”
Moondance began in 2000 in Boulder,
CO and quickly rose to an international
LIFE. STYLE. ARTS.
D’ora is another Moondance semi-finalist. It
is a UK film about a young girl from a village
deep in the Romanian countryside who
decides to escape.
stature, stealing the spotlight from the older,
and heavily sponsored Sundance Film Festival. The festival was founded after the
Columbine Massacre and some, according
to English, believe that the festival’s insistence of socially relevant programming is
a politcized response to a dark chapter in
American history.
“Many people think that Moondance
is only about non-violent films—but that
isn’t our primary emphasis,” said English.
The festival’s core values are the promotion
of inclusion, raising social awareness and
inspiring positive change, according to English. “At our heart we are about the story—
bringing those stories to audiences they
could not reach otherwise.” The festival
was named Moondance in 2000 as a
tongue-in-cheek response to the 1999 Sundance Film Festival’s exclusively malehelmed roster of winners. “Our focus is on
storytelling and films which engage,” said
English, who stated that the festival seeks
to give a stage to stories from underrepre-
71
sented populations as well as fresh takes on
familiar themes. Participants have hailed
from more than 90 countries and former
sponsors have included the Writer’s Guild
of America, Oprah Magazine and Starbucks.
The 2012 festival presented awards for
animation, documentaries, feature films
screenplays, film scores, and multimedia,
as well as television screenwriting. It had a
diverse, multinational list of winners ranging from Feature Documentary winner Blue
Velvet in the Sinai, a moving exploration
of human and dolphin interaction by British
team Gulrukh Kan and Shaun O’Connor,
to Feature Film winner, Sound of Crickets
at Night by The Marshall Islands’ Jack
Niedennthal and Suzanne Chutaro. It is a
haunting story of an elderly nuclear test
survivor from Bikini Atoll. The 2012 festival
brought films that made critics’ international
Top 10 lists to eager American audiences.
SEPTEMBER 26–29
“We want to showcase stories which
are not only well-written, but which inspire
people to want to make a difference,” said
English. A film industry veteran, English
has worked as a screenwriter, producer,
actor and film technician in Hollywood for
more than 22 years. “I looked at the festivals
which were around in 2000 and I realized
that there was a need for something different, a festival that could show great storytelling by women and by filmmakers from
countries which are just not familiar to
many audiences.”
The festival will be held September
26–29 at the Olde Mistick Village Art Cinemas and will feature more than 100 films
as well as a Filmmakers’ Market networking
event.
.
OLDE MISTICK VILLAGE ART CINEMAS
Carla Rover is a freelance writer and an expert
in the convergence of technology and the arts.
FEATURE NARRATIVE FILMS
FILM
DIRECTOR
COUNTRY
• A Fish Story
Matt Bitman & Sam Roberts
USA
• Aayna Ka Bayna (Victory Shall Be Ours)
Samit Kakkad
India
• Dovid Meyer
Moshe Paul Mones
USA
• Khalti Doka Varti Paay (Upside Down)
Ajay Singh
India
Robert Hatch
USA
• Clutter
• D’ora
Diane Crespo
USA
Delia Antal
United Kingdom
• Felix
Roberta Durrant
South Africa
• La Clinique de l’Amour
Artus de Penguern
France
• Loon Lake
Wanja Sellers
Italy
• Man Up and Go
Randy Bacon
USA
• Risky Business: A Look Inside America’s Adult Film Industry
David Mech
USA
• Secret Life, Secret Death
Genevieve Davis
USA
• The Art of Dreaming
Bob DeNatale
USA
WINNERS
FINALIST
• Masque
SEMIFINALISTS
72
LIFE. STYLE. ARTS.
73
LIFE. STYLE. CULTURE.
MEET THE NEW GARDE
New London Hosts Stellar October.
he Garde Arts Center is one
of the underappreciated
venues in New England.
Maybe even the Northeast.
And it’s right on the Shoreline.
Created in 1985 as a nonprofit performing arts organization in order to save and reuse
the historic Garde Theatre, it is
one of the few remaining historic
movie palaces in Connecticut. Its
history is as storied as movies
themselves. The theatre was built
during the height of the movie
palace era as a “photoplay house”
by architect Arland Johnson, under the direction of Arthur Friend,
a New York movie studio attorney who at the time was building
six movie houses in Connecticut
and Massachusetts. Named after
Walter Garde, a Hartford and
New London businessman, the
Garde Theatre opened on September 22, 1926, with the silent
film “The Marriage Clause” starring matinee idols Francis X.
Bushman (1883-1966) and Billie
Dove (1903-1997). The Garde was
hailed by the press of that time
“one of the finest theatres in New
England.” Typical of the era, the
theatre was a stage for vaudeville
as well as film. Variety acts of music, comedy, acrobats and magic, were interspersed between the showing of feature
films, comedy shorts, and newsreels.
For decades the Garde Theatre played
a central role in the community life of New
London and Southeastern Connecticut. Its
ornate Moroccan interior, giant screen, and
marvelous acoustics ensured that Warner
Bros., who purchased the Garde for $1 million in 1929, would maintain it as one of
the region’s most stunning and viable
movie theaters. The Garde’s nontheatrical
events included a national touring production of the play Tobacco Road in February
1953, and a televised showing in October
T
74
New London’s Garde Arts Center
has it’s roots in
Hollywood’s Gilded Age.
1964 of the Sonny Liston-Cassius Clay boxing match.
In 1988, the Garde hired its first executive director, Steve Sigel, and began presenting a full spectrum of performing arts
series: dance, musical theatre, contemporary music, and family events. Notable performances from that period included Marvin
Hamlisch, Itzhak Perlman (both in 1989),
Johnny Cash and Tony Bennett in 1990, The
London Symphony Orchestra conducted by
Michael Tilson Thomas in 1992, and two
sold-out concerts by Bob Dylan in 1998.
In 1988, the State of Connecticut
awarded $750,000 to replace the theatre
heating and air-conditioning system, the
first of several major facility grants three
successive Governors shepherded through
for the Garde. In October 1998, the Garde
opened with its new lobbies and storefronts and, one year later, the theatre
opened with the theatre interior restored.
The Oasis Room began to be consistently
used by 2008 for mostly jazz, folk and popular music. The adjacent Mercer Building
provides dressing rooms for the Oasis
Room. The corner storefront of the Mercer
Building on State and Meridian Street
houses the Garde Gallery a community arts
and meeting space.
.
“THERE’S A NEW SHOP IN TOWN...”
14 Wall Street, Madison, CT
ph: 203.779.5343
>
October
at the Garde
MUSIC & BOUTIQUE SHOP
G re a t B a c k t o S c h o o l S t u f f ! !
Backpacks, Hoodies, Bahas, and more!
New & Used CDs • Eco-Friendly Products
Locally Made Unique Goods • Organic Yoga Wear too!
Incense • Tapestries • Funky Clothes • Jewelry • Accessories • Gifts
325 Main Street | Niantic, CT | 860/739.9018 - Open 7 Days Year Round
www.facebook.com/tumbleweedsct for more info!
MANHATTAN SHORT FILM FESTIVAL
October 5
You be the judge! The Garde participates for the
fourth year in a row in this global film festival.
View 10 nominated films selected from the world’s
best filmmakers and then vote for the Best Short
Film of 2013.
SPELL OUT LOUD WITH CARSON KRESSLEY
October 19
Join Queer Eye for the Straight Guy’s, Carson
Kressley as he hosts this community-wide
spelling bee showcasing the teams of
contestants from around the region. Features
a post-bee book signing with Carson Kressley.
TAKE 6
October 8
The most awarded vocal group in history (10 Grammy
Awards) celebrates their 25th anniversary and the
release of their new album, One.
EASTERN CONNECTICUT SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
October 26
Toshiyuki Shimada, Music Director and Conductor
Featuring Vijay Venkatesh, Piano
Our Clients have lost
THE FABULOUS 50s SHOW
October 29
Featuring Jay Siegel’s Tokens; Linda Jansen, original
lead singer, and her Angels; and Jimmy Clanton.
55,000 lbs
since 2011
Lori lost 138 lbs. & 85 inches in 11 months
We asked Lori...Why Us? “It Works!” This is why it works!
Before
After
“One on One” Private
weigh-ins & appointments
with your own weight loss
coach
Weight & body
composition analysis
Body measurements every
2 weeks
Blood Pressure screening
Nutritional counseling
Before & after photos
Educational Support
Groups
Guest Speakers
Protocol friendly menus &
recipes
FREE
Specialized Yoga
(discounted price)
Daily Motivation via
social media
informational seminars every Tuesday.
Please call or register online.
Niantic Professional Center
8 West Main St., Niantic, CT
860-739-0471
[email protected]
www.weightnolongerllc.com
PHOTO: JUDY SIROTA ROSENTHAL
AGAINST THE TIDE
Chuck Still is the executive director of The Katherine Hepburn Cultural Arts Center
in Old Saybrook. Since 2009 he has been instrumental in bringing classic film, opera,
plays, and music to the Shoreline. Through the end of the year, the Kate will host John
Mayall, Tim Shelton & NewFound Road, and Mystic Ballet among other events.
We invited him to recap some of his experience for “Against The Tide.”
I
am not a music promoter. I came at the Kate from a
way, feeding off each other. If the audience feels it, the
regional theatre background but my last theatre also
band does, too.
featured a celebrity series. So I knew that side of the
The night of the Newtown shootings, we had a show.
business a little bit, but music, which the Kate does a
The artists were concerned about performing and asked
lot of, is more an avocation than a vocation. I listen to
me to say a few words. I did. Everyone acknowledged what
a wide variety of music, but a lot of what we’ve done at
we all were feeling. Then the performers did their work
the Kate in that realm is on-the-job training. I am far more
and the audience was lifted. Music can’t heal the world,
experienced with theatre, opera, and dance than I am
but it can offer hope and optimism. I love to watch a
promoting music. Just so you know.
smiling audience leave, and we have a lot of them.
My first concert was embarrassingly Bread at the
If I wasn’t doing this, I would be running a regional
Chattanooga Memorial Auditorium when I was 15.
theatre somewhere.
I took Karen Anchors, whom I was sweet on at the time.
I live here because it is beautiful and I love the seasons.
My best concert was probably a Christmas show at the
I’ve lived in 13 states and I’m a Southerner, but I love New
Bottom Line in New York, which introduced to me several
England (I guess I saw too many Hallmark specials with horse-
folk performers who have played the Kate. Some of the
drawn sleighs while I was growing up). I came to the Kate
recent best, though, have been at the Kate: Booker T., Mavis
because of this beauty and the people who interviewed me.
Staples, Eileen Ivers, NewFound Road, the Swingle Singers.
I started doing theatre in summer stock right after
Seeing someone in our room is nearly always eye-opening.
college and fell in love with it for a variety of reasons.
There are many dream bookings—David Gray, Paul
Some of those reasons are way back in the rearview
Simon, Dave Matthews, all of whom would sound great
mirror, but some remain. Probably the best one is cited
in our room of course—but the real dream bookings are
above. There is nothing like making people happy. There
those we can almost afford who I think are great right
is nothing like watching a group of people rise to their feet
now—the Lone Bellow, Delta Rae, folks like that.
as one and thinking, “We put this together, these people,
these performers, this place. We brought them this.” You
The good thing about music is its ability to transform
the group, the cathartic experience that happens when the
can’t beat that. It’s like watching your kids open Christmas
performers and patrons interact in a subliminal organic
presents 200 times a year.
Music can’t heal the world but it can offer hope and optimism.
I love to watch a smiling audience leave, and we have a lot of them.
.
79
Twenty years from now you will
be more disappointed by the things
that you didn’t do than by
the ones you did do.
So throw off the bowlines.
Sail away from the safe harbor.
Catch the trade winds in your sails.
Explore. Dream. Discover.
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