The Northwest Connecticut Arts Council
By Mark B. Oliver
One New England.com is pleased to present the first of what will be an on-going series of articles about the crafts, craftspeople and crafts organizations of New England. Our goal is to identify some of the crafts and craftspeople we feel will both inform and entertain our readers.
We appreciate the cooperation of Northwest Connecticut Arts Council in helping us to identify crafts and craftspeople that we can feature.
History
There are hundreds of arts councils throughout the United States, but unusually for such a culturally rich region, it wasn't until 2003 that the Northwest Connecticut Arts Council was founded. The Connecticut Commission on Culture and Tourism encouraged the Community Foundation of Northwest Connecticut and the Northwest Connecticut Chamber of Commerce to establish the organization and these founding partners have been key to the success of the Arts Council's mission.
Amy Wynn has been the Executive Director of the Arts Council since its inception.
'I moved to Falls Village in 1999 from the New York City metropolitan area and I became actively engaged in various voluntary roles in the local cultural community. This brought me into contact with James Garfield of the Community Foundation, who aware of my background in arts management, thought that perhaps I was the right person to guide a fledging arts council.'
The Arts Council serves a wide geographical region which encompasses 24 towns from Salisbury and New Hartford in the north to Roxbury and Plymouth in the south. A key initial decision was to conduct an in-depth regional cultural assessment. This was a huge undertaking and it wasn't until 2006 that the Arts Council's full website went online. The Arts Council is a service organization and information hub ensuring that culture thrives in the region and that residents are afforded ready access to it.
The Arts Council has just two part-time staff members who are kept exceptionally busy by the wide range of initiatives they have introduced and maintain. In addition to Amy Wynn, Sharon Dougherty is the other sterling member of the team who both organizes and designs the print calender and other publications as part of her duties.
The Events Calender
The Arts Council operates a web based events calender. The calender can be searched by function type, date(s), town or a key word. This helps drive attendances at featured events and provides a 'one-stop shop' for discovering what is going on in the region. All events are also listed on the week-at-a-glance calender on the Arts Council's homepage.
Additionally a 12-Day Culture Outlook is emailed to those that sign up so that they are handily sent information on events they don't want to miss. To sign up simply click here.
Promoting Positive Assets
The Verizon Foundation recently provided a $5,000 grant to Hartford-based Nutmeg Big Brothers Big Sisters, Inc. The grant will help cover technology costs for the school-based mentoring program "Promoting Positive Assets" in the Town of Wallingford and throughout Windham County. Pictured here (from left to right) are Mike Murphy, public relations manager for Verizon Wireless, and Darlene Roberts, director of development for Nutmeg Big Brothers Big Sisters. The photo was taken at the Verizon Wireless Communication Store at 1479 New Britain Avenue in West Hartford.
Hartford-based Captiol Region Education Council (CREC) recently received a $5,000 grant from the Verizon Foundation in support of the organization's Transition to Employment education and job readiness program. The program serves more than 350 adults in the Hartford area annually. Pictured here (from left to right) are Andy Tyskiewicz, division director for CREC, Mike Murphy, public relations manager for Verizon Wireless, and Shirley Thomspon, grants coordinator for CREC. The photo was taken at the Verizon Wireless Communication Store at 1479 New Britain Avenue in West Hartford.
The Verizon Foundation recently provided a $5,000 grant to Bridgeport-based Mercy Learning Center. The funds support the Literacy and Life Skills project, which teaches important reading and writing skills to local women through one-on-one tutoring and full-time, classroom-based learning. Pictured here (from left to right) are Mike Murphy, public relations manager for Verizon Wireless, and Kathy Parisi, development director for Mercy Learning Center. This photo was taken at the Verizon Wireless Communication Store at 1201 Kings Highway in Fairfield.
Farming and Fun in an Unlikely Corner
By Brian J. Berman
On a Connecticut map, the city of Hartford and the town of Ellington are less than twenty miles apart, but at JT Farms, in this small, Tolland county community, the distance seems more like decades than miles. While workers, many of them young relatives of the owner, tend to the livestock and pick corn, the small farm stand on the southern edge draws weekend customers who come and go, unaware of the vast amount of work that goes into growing food. But many also stop by for a different type of sustenance, that which feeds the soul, and is provided by the married couple who came here more than forty years ago. That stand is where Manny and Alice Teixeira can be found most weekends during the clement weather of the summer and early fall, engaging customers, repeat and would-be alike, talking of local goings on, sharing recipes, and charging prices which belie both the value and quantity of the home-grown harvest.
With only a few tables holding myriad varieties of tomatoes, eggplant, corn and squash, against a backdrop of three-hundred acres of prime land, one would not assume this to be a place at all more special than any other roadside market hawking the season's freshest produce. Without the seemingly requisite jars of home-made jams and local breads, the stand itself seems more a 4-H project than a real commercial endeavor. But real it is, and as visitor after visitor exits their vehicle, and walks the few, bare-dirt feet to the once white plastic tables, they are invariably greeted with the same pronouncement: "Here, you like tomatoes?" This welcoming is accompanied by a weathered, deeply-tanned, outstretched hand holding any one of a variety of crimson, vine-ripened fruit, full of sunshine and flavor, sans the supermarket's fluorescent lighting.
Manny Teixeira, 73, lively and a credible doppelgänger for NY Yankees Hall of Famer Phil Rizzuto, is out front, talking up the produce, listening to stories and continually restocking the tables with freshly picked corn, retrieved by himself, or brought out in the bucket of a John Deere 740 Classic Loader, driven by his 15-year-old granddaughter, Jordan Teixeira. As shoppers crowd about the intimate space, knowing with certainty why they came, a woman wearing an orange baseball cap and an infectious smile emerges from the land, or the greenhouse or the small herb garden and begins trading recipes with anyone willing to share, or, more times than not, receive. "I've been sharing recipes for years, then someone's son or daughter will show up and say, 'You gave my mother a great recipe for so-and-so. It's a wonderful link." Alice Teixeira, Manny's wife of 48 years is a more quiet presence as much as her husband is the charmer of the stand. Immediately engaging, she answers the most often asked question - "Is it fresh?" with the same answer: "About twenty minutes old." When asked where all the produce is grown, she says, "Take a few steps this way," and points to the fields bursting with greens and reds only feet away from the stand.
The Connecticut Renaissance Faire
by Mark B. Oliver
History of the Renaissance
Most historians believe the Renaissance began in the 14th Century in Florence, Italy following a unique confluence of factors including the patronage of Florence's dominant family, Tuscan culture and the influx of Greek scholars to the city following the fall of Constantinople to the Ottoman Turks. The resurgence of learning spread throughout Europe and it was during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, in the 17th Century, that the Renaissance finally reached English shores.
Connecticut's Renaissance Faire
Today, the Renaissance has a far different meaning - most notably, as a fair where you get to experience life so long ago in a day of fun and food. Such "Faires", as they are billed", are popular throughout the country and are held annually in most states. While there are some year round events most are short-term outdoor gatherings held during the summer or fall. Open to the general public, the faires emulate this unique period in European History. Most are based during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I and set in England but others celebrate the French Renaissance and some may be set in earlier time periods to include the Vikings, or later to include 18th century pirates.
The Connecticut Renaissance Faire, now in its 11th year, continues to go from strength to strength. It was held this year at the Lions' Fairground, Hebron, Connecticut which was transformed into the English town of Caer Leon for the duration of the festival. The site has excellent amenities and walkways which make traversing the ground somewhat easier than many rain soaked fields and is fully accessible for the disabled.
The Setting
The Connecticut faire was uniquely set during the reign of King Arthur, with the Knights of the Round Table, Sir Lancelot, Morgan le Fey and Merlin being known to most. King Arthur is of course a legendary British leader who defeated the Saxons in the 6th century with much of his story being the subject of folklore and literary invention. The legend of King Arthur which includes the Holy Grail and the sword Excalibur remains popular today as evidenced by the series 'Merlin' that was shown on NBC throughout the summer. One of the lynchpins of Arthurian legend is Camelot, which was founded in Caer Leon.
As is customary with renaissance faires, hundreds of actors, both amateur and professional, wander Caer Leon and interact with members of the public. It is perhaps this more than anything, which sets this type of faire apart from most local fairs. This year, as in past years, there was an extremely welcoming atmosphere at the Connecticut faire and children and adults alike clearly delight in interacting with all manner of folk dressed in period clothing. Forever in character, the performers greeted vistiors with a welcoming 'Good den!' (hello) and before long visitors found themselves saying 'aye' and 'nay' in response to questions from entertainers and friends alike. Sheriff Bracken patroled the town ticketing visitors for all manner of misdeeds such as 'Excessive Jubilation or Other Acts of Frivolity' or 'Being or Consorting with a Suspicious Looking Knave.' This made visitors feel part of the experience rather than merely being observers of it. Some visitors actually arrived in costume, or rented costumes within the grounds and while wearing costumes is encouraged it was by no means necessary and visitors did not feel out of place in street clothing.
The Naugatuck River's Journey Back to Health
By Mark B. Oliver
The Naugatuck River is located in southwestern Connecticut and was an important part of local American Indian culture being a primary source of food. Fish were plentiful in the clean, fast flowing water and the arrival of European settlers did little to change this. Despite the influx of people, the river and its banks remained pristine and well stocked until the industrial revolution.
The Industrial Revolution
Waterbury lies in the basin of the Naugatuck River and had a population of just 5,000 over a century after it was founded, as the lack of suitable farmland discouraged settlers. In the early 1800's, this changed rapidly as textile mills, and manufacturing plants were established and a thriving brass industry was born attracting unprecedented numbers of people.
The demands placed on Waterbury's water supply were immense. The local population required drinking water, the new industries required water for their manufacturing processes and industrial waste was discharged into the Naugatuck River, as was effluent.
Trout Unlimited
Bob Perella is a board member of the Naugatuck / Pomperaug chapter of Trout Unlimited. "Trout Unlimited is a not-for-profit voluntary organization that is concerned with the health and well being of streams and rivers nationwide, and there are 12 local chapters in Connecticut alone."
The Importance of Forests
By Mark B. Oliver
Forests are often regarded simply as places to hike, watch birds or cut logs. In fact they are complex ecosystems that are vital to the wellbeing of not just wildlife but rural and urban human populations.
Forest habitats are perhaps the most difficult to conserve as Patrick Comins of the National Audubon Society explains. "Forests need to be large intact systems of at least 10,000 acres. Even a small viable forest will cross numerous municipal, county and state lines and will involve an even greater number of private landowners. Conservation requires an integrated approach using easements, zoning and appropriate policy decisions together with owner outreach."
Connecticut has unprecedented population levels living alongside many functional resources and ecosystems. People and landscapes are generally more segregated, yet in Connecticut they are more intermixed than the norm.
The Cockaponset Triangle is a large unfragmented forest landscape, which stretches roughly from Lake Galliard at one corner, to the 'Preserve Property' in the East to the Maromas area in Middletown. It represents 10,000's of acres of land where the forest cover is nearly 80% and is a vitally important forest ecosystem. There have been recent successes in helping preserve the Triangle, such as the recent preservation of the Goss Property.
The Ruining of Our Forests
A common misconception is that Connecticut has more forest than at any time in its modern history, however as conservationists such as Patrick are well aware, this is not the case.
"Deforestation occurred on a massive scale when Europeans settled in the East and by the mid 19th Century, there was very little local forest habitat left intact. As agricultural production began to migrate west, forests recovered up until the outbreak of the Second World War. Since then forest landscapes have been reducing and the rate of reduction has increased considerably over the last 20 years."
The Center of Land Use Education and Research conducted a study on Connecticut land use between 1985 and 2006. In that time developed land in the state increased by 144.8 square miles, an increase of 2.9% of the total land available. Meanwhile 175.1 square miles of forest were lost which is nearly 6% of Connecticut's forests.
Watersheds require protection, and forests are a cheap and sustainable means of doing so. Many of the remaining forests are around water supply areas and they protect the supply from contaminants. If forests are lost in these vital areas then water filtration systems will be required to replace them, massively increasing the cost of development.
Forests are carbon sinks in that they remove more carbon from the air than they excrete. As forests reduce and development increases, so does carbon production and areas that were formerly carbon sinks become carbon sources, increasing overall carbon levels. This problem is exacerbated by development across a wide area. A classic example is the construction of out of town retail parks. These require greater energy infrastructure (such as longer power lines and more generators). Residents have to burn more gas in their cars, and the more spread out the development the harder it is to incorporate suitable mass transit solutions. Concentrated developments are key as are the protection and preservation of town centers.
Protecting Birds and Their Habitats
By Mark B. Oliver
Birds are seemingly abundant and seemingly everywhere. Yet increasing human development is threatening the survival of many bird species. Loss of feeding and nesting grounds reduces their number and global warming can change migratory patterns and raise sea levels threatening coastal habitats.
The Historical Record
The National Audubon Society is named after the ornithologist and naturalist, John James Audubon, who catalogued and described North American birds in his famed book 'Birds in America'. Since its incorporation in 1905, Audubon, whose mission is to 'to conserve and restore natural ecosystems, focusing on birds, other wildlife, and their habitats for the benefit of humanity and the earth's biological diversity', has established offices in over 30 states and has numerous local chapters.
Patrick Comins is the Director of Bird Conservation for National Audubon and has held the position for over a decade. He is based at the Bent of the River Audubon Center in Southbury, Connecticut. The center, which lies on over 660 acres of breathtaking land, comprises over 15 miles of walking trails and offers numerous programs to help visitors reconnect with nature.
The Bulkeley Bridge: An Architectural Treasure
By Sam L. Rothman
Each day over 140,0001 drivers pass directly over one of New England’s most important architectural treasures. Most are daily commuters who see only red taillights, tandem trailers and merging traffic.
From roadway level, Hartford bound drivers on I-84 can’t see the nine graceful granite arches they pass over as they cross the Connecticut River each morning. In fact, due to a series of levees and the location of other highways, the most dramatic views of Connecticut’s most unique bridge have been obscured for decades.
Hartford’s River Recapture Project has helped to change that, at least for those who venture off the highway and onto the pathways that now line the banks of the Connecticut River north of the new Convention and Science Centers. Riverside Park on the west bank and Great River Park to the east include paved walkways from which one can best view the one hundred year-old span.
Walkers, bikers and joggers who venture just north of the Mortensen Riverfront Plaza get the closest look. Runners in the annual Hartford marathon pass under span’s first granite arch, near mile 24. If you can see over the railing, the bridge is also visible from the Founder’s Bridge, which crosses the river several hundred yards downstream.
The designers of the 1192-foot long Neo-Classic structure never meant it to be hidden from view, far from it. During the 19th Century a wooden span had connected Morgan Street in Hartford with Connecticut Avenue in East Hartford. The 974 foot-long “Old Hartford Toll Bridge” was constructed in 1818 and for 75 years served as a primary route for horse drawn traffic. In 1885 a Trolley line was added.2 But, far from the picturesque covered bridge one normally associates with New England, the structure was long and ugly and in May 1895, a spectacular fire burned it to the waterline.
The Scoop on Lyme Disease
By Mark B. Oliver
Lyme Disease: Everything You Wanted To Know but Were Afraid to Ask
Despite dating back over a century, Lyme disease was named as recently as 1975 after a cluster of cases were identified in the town of Lyme, Connecticut, but it wasn’t until 1982 that the bacterium responsible for the disease was identified. In the United States, black-legged ticks (hard bodied ticks more commonly known as deer ticks) are the only known transmitters of the disease.
Recent years have seen a large increase in reported cases and this trend appears to be accelerating to the point that congress is considering increasing the Lyme disease budget of the CDC (the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) threefold.
Maintaining the Rural Village Center
New Preston: How One Town is Surviving the Economic Downturn
By Mark Oliver
Over the past several decades, town and village Main Streets have come under increasing pressure from out of town developments. Cheaper retail space and the economies of scale that come with nationwide chains have made it increasingly difficult for local shops to compete and survive, let alone thrive.
This trend has accelerated as the recession has bitten into the pockets of shoppers and retailers alike. While many store fronts across New England go empty, New Preston, a rural village in Litchfield County, Connecticut has bucked the nationwide trend by continuing to support a vibrant retail community.
Making a Difference
New Preston village center is located just south of Lake Waramaug, a natural lake of approximately 680 acres which dominates the local landscape. The lake attracts visitors from across the north-east and it drains southward into the East Aspetuck River which flows through the village center, breaking into a spectacular waterfall directly behind several stores. A cider mill was located at the falls in the 19th century, harvesting the apples from the orchard that lined the river at that time. While the orchard is long gone, the mill has been lovingly restored.
Clearly, this is not your typical village center. The geographical features alone set it apart, which is compounded by the fact that there is no supermarket, post office or drug store. Instead, there are antique stores, an organic ‘market’ and a kitchen goods store amongst others – each a stamp of individualism if not originality, which, for some, like Martin Rook and Richard Walgreen, triggers the entrepreneurial personality.
