The pay-as-you-throw (PAYT) model for food-scrap waste disposal is showing promising signs as a successful program at the Guilford Transfer Station, featuring additional benefits for other forms of waste, as well, according to town officials.
The PAYT model, which encourages Guilford and Madison residents who use the
transfer station in Guilford to dispose of foodscrap materials in bags which are separated from other forms of waste, went into effect in November 2024. Data figures provided to the by the Guilford Engineering Department show that from November 2024 to February 2025, municipal solid waste (MSW) decreased by 36.4%. This is compared to the collection of the same kind of waste from November 2023 to February Guilford Courier
2024. At the same time, food-scrap collection has increased, indicating a trend of desired waste habits per the objectives of the PAYT program to make transfer station’s users more mindful of how they separate and dispose of waste.
First Selectman Matt Hoey said that these figures indicate a “very successful” start for
See Pay page 7
In Harmony
Karen Strawson-Brereton, front, leads a group through Tai Chi exercises at the Nathaniel B. Greene Community Center as part of their Active Adult Programs (55+) on April 1. Classes are ongoing on Tuesdays and Fridays.
community's
Sophia Meade and Addison Smith served as an integral part of Guilford softball's 2024 postseason run as the team's elite battery...............14 The Dynamic Duo The first blooms of spring are starting to appear.........25 1-2-3-4 Spring
PhotobyWesleyBunnell/ TheCourier
Matthew Rader
Rader Helps Guilford with Information Tech, Time, and Talent
By Pam Johnson
Courier Senior Staff Writer
From serving as a Shoreline Chamber (SC) board member and ambassador to assisting the Guilford Preservation Society's (GPS) popular Historical Walking Tours to being a Guilford Rotary Club board member, as well as serving the shoreline with his business, Tech Fix LLC, Matthew Rader offers the Guilford community his time and talent as a volunteer and an information technology (IT) expert.
It's been a very fast start for the Guilford resident. For example, Matthew began serving on the chamber board shortly after joining as a member upon founding his Guilford company on July 1, 2024.
A typical week for Matthew will likely include some part of his role as both an SC board member and ambassador. The SC serves a thriving membership of businesses and organizations in the towns of Guilford, Branford, and North Branford.
"As an ambassador, I go to as many ribbon cuttings as I can between jobs. I meet the new business owner, and I like to do
Person of the Week
something special for them like a Facebook live video or a post to bring some attention to the new business," says Matthew.
Matthew thanks Guilford First Selectman Matt Hoey for bringing the SC to his attention he was starting his business.
"He mentioned that new businesses can really get a lot of value from the chamber," says Matthew, who then reached out to Dee Jacob, president of the SC, to learn more.
"I talked to Dee and really liked what they had to offer me as a new business and helping me to get involved with the town," says Matthew.
See Rader page 11
Photo by Pam Johnson/Guilford Courier
Matthew Rader offers the Guilford community his time and talent as a volunteer and an information technology expert.
The
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Ethan
indoor track history books this winter by breaking seven school records and qualifying for Nationals
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Guilford’s Hometown Newspaper
Letters Editor to the
Leash Law Applies to All Town Preserves
The Guilford Conservation Commission, which is appointed by the Board of Selectmen, is tasked with overseeing our town’s open space preserves for conservation and passive recreation. Conservation includes protection for water quality and wildlife habitat. Passive recreation includes hiking, mountain biking, and dog walking. It’s recently been brought to our attention that dogs allowed off-leash in the East River Preserve are causing harm to wildlife habi-
Vote Yes
As a Guilford homeowner and public school parent, I urge my fellow residents to vote “yes” on the budget on April 8. Reading the budget, you might see a laundry list of mundane items: salaries, equipment, licenses, and fees. But step back and see the bigger picture: the services that make Guilford the wonderful town in which we chose to live. Parks and Recreation provides enrichment for everyone from our babies to our seniors (my child loved the tumbling class as a toddler, and later the introduction to Taekwondo); police and fire departments guard our safety; Public Works clears our roads in winter; Public health abates mosquitos in summer, and, not least, Guilford Public Schools provide top-tier education.
Those critical services cost money. Anyone who has been to the grocery store or paid a utility bill or an insurance premium knows prices have increased. The same is true for these budgets. To continue these vital pro-
tat and recreational users. We’d like to gently remind everyone that Guilford has a leash law that applies to all our town’s preserves. We’d like to urge dog owners to keep their dogs on a leash whenever they’re walking with them on any of these preserves. If you want your dogs to have a chance to run off-leash, you can take them to the Supply Ponds Park in Branford via Short Rocks Road.
Doug Clark, Guilford Conservation
grams—which I think most of us want to do—we have to share the cost.
On March 6, the Board of Finance unanimously, though reluctantly, reduced the Selectmen and Board of Education proposed budgets by almost $1 million. Those reductions hurt; personally, I am scrambling to find camps for July because Pathways was cut. Possible federal cuts mean no room for more without losing other programs we expect from the town and the schools. What is at risk? Not just sports and educational opportunities for our students but benefits like elderly tax relief, which freezes taxes for our senior and disabled homeowners.
Let’s pass the budget on the first vote so we can continue to support our town, our children, and our neighbors with the education and services that make Guilford so great.
NOTE: Call the town clerk at 203-453-8001 or visit the Guilford town website at www.guilfordct.gov to learn how to participate in the following meetings:
3
April 7
Lizzie Rosenthal Guilford
Obituaries
Obituary Giacomo Basadonna Guilford
Giacomo Basadonna, June 27, 1955March 16, 2025.
His mother, Carla, his wife Marilyn with their children, Martino, Alessandra, Gerry (Bria), and Francesca, his brother Alberto with Stefania and their children, Ludovico and Alice, mourn with immense sadness the passing of the beloved Prof. Giacomo Basadonna.
An excellent surgeon, a man of extraordinary intelligence, sincerity, and generosity, always attentive to others, a profound believer, and an affectionate husband and father.
The funeral was held on March 24, 2025, at St. George Catholic Church, 33 Whitfield Street, Guilford.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to APK Charities Corporation, Madison, CT (http://www.APKCHARITIES.ORG).
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Obituary
Brian Hanrahan
Guilford
Brian M. Hanrahan, 68, a longtime resident of Guilford, passed away on March 23, 2025. Brian was born in Port Chester, New York, on March 9, 1957, son of the late Alfred and Catherine (McMahon) Hanrahan. He was the husband of Cynthia (Childs) Hanrahan and the loving father of Ryan Hanrahan of West Hartford and Steven (Jennifer) Hanrahan of Killingworth. Brian was the proud grandfather to Mairin and Callen, the lights of his life, who brought him immeasurable happiness and joy; and brother of Shawna (Ted) Grinnell of Truxton, New York; and loving nephew to Bonnie McMahon of Anchorage, Alaska.
many friends to play bridge. Brian never missed reading the New York Times and completing the crossword puzzle daily. Summers found him at his beloved Owenego soaking up the sun, laughing, and sharing stories with his circle of friends.
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Brian was a graduate of Mamaroneck High School and Fordham University. Before retirement, Brian was a branch operating manager for Graybar Electric Company for 37 years. Brian enjoyed the sun and the beach, vacationing in Lake George as a child, West Hyannisport with his family, and Saint Maarten in later years. Brian loved to ski, was a voracious reader, and enjoyed teaching
His family would like to thank Drs. DeNatale and Jain's vascular teams at MidState and Hartford Hospital for their extraordinary skill and compassion. His wife, Cynthia, would especially like to thank Dr. DeNatale for his continuous care, support, and guidance throughout Brian's many hospitalizations. His phone calls and encouragement provided her tremendous comfort during this most difficult time, and his kindness will always be remembered. The family would also like to thank Brian's friends, who expressed their love and support through visits, phone calls, and a steady stream of texts, uplifting him during such a trying time through their thoughtfulness and love. Friends were invited to calling hours on March 28 at the Guilford Funeral Home, 115 Church Street, Guilford. A Mass of Christian burial was on March 29 at St. George Church, 33 Whitfield Stree. Burial was private. To share a memory or leave condolences, visit www.guilfordfuneralhome.com.
See OBITUARIES page 8
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Pay-As-You-Throw Model Shows Success, Says Town
Continued from page 1
the program.
Town Engineer Janice Plaziak concurred with Hoey’s view, adding that the results are “promising” so far and that the model is “making people do what you hope it would do, [which] is consider what they’re putting in that bag.”
The habits picked up by transfer station users have carried over positively to recycling trends, according to data. Between November 2024 to February 2025, singlestream recycling among Madison and Guilford residents increased by 16.3%, compared to figures from exactly one year before.
For Plaziak, the results indicate that the town has “more fully transitioned to the new program.”
Both Plaziak and Hoey said have relayed positive anecdotal accounts of the program to the which reveal an “overwhelmingly popular” reception to it by both transfer station users and its employees.
Guilford Courier
Plaziak said that anecdotal accounts indicate that transfer station users are “seeing less cost for disposal of their trash on a regular basis,” even by purchasing the most-expensive town-authorized bag of 33 gallons for $3.
“Some of the households can get by with one or two bags, which adds up to three to $6, as opposed to the minimum 9 we were charging before,” said Plaziak.
While acknowledging that “there’s going to be a few that always are the outliers that maybe are seeing an increase in costs,” Plaziak maintained that the feedback has been generally positive regarding the decrease in both costs and MSW.
Hoey expressed gratitude to local vendors in who have provided town-authorized bags for food scraps, including Big Y, Page Hardware & Appliance, and Walgreens in Guilford and Ring’s End in Madison.
Along with providing a cost-saving mechanism for residents, the program, according to Hoey, has had a similar effect for the town, specifically with a reduction in tipping fees for transportation and disposal of collected waste from Guilford.
The first selectman said that the results of the program are especially promising when Guilford and other municipalities in
Connecticut are in a “significantly challenging time relative to solid waste management.” This is considering the closure of the large Materials Innovation and Recycling Authority facility in Hartford which served numerous towns in the state and landfills in Northeastern states which are running out of space for waste transported from Connecticut.
Alternatively, food scraps are transported to an anaerobic digester facility in Southington, where the breakdown of such waste into methane is safely contained.
While the PAYT model is showing promising signs of a successful program early on, the real test for its impact on waste reduction and cost-effectiveness will likely come this summer. Following discussions with the Waste Transfer Station Advisory Committee, Plaziak said that the town wants to give itself “a few more months of operation, particularly getting into the warmer weather, when there’s a little more uptick in population that uses the transfer station.”
“Summer residents tend to use the transfer station and not have a service pick up their trash,” she said. “We’re trying to give it a little more time to really do more analysis of the impacts on waste reduction, increase in recycling, increase in food scrap, recycling, as well as the overall financial impacts of the program.”
Sustainable waste efforts will continue in Guilford when a collection event in which residents will be able to safely and freely dispose of hazardous household waste will take place at Bittner Park on Saturday, April 5. The event will take place between 9 a.m. and noon and is a partnership between the town and the Regional Water Authority.
The satellite hazardous waste disposal event has occurred in Guilford since 2020, and it encourages residents to bring pesticides, herbicides, and other similar items for safe dumping. Cleaners, light bulbs, paint, and numerous other forms of waste will be accepted at the event.
For those who cannot make the event, Plaziak says that disposal of paint is now being accepted at locations such as Page Hardware and Ring’s End.
Additional information and registration for the hazardous waste collection event can be located at: rwater.com/hazwaste.
Letters Editor to the
Continued from page 4
Exceptionally Constrained and Prudent
The Board of Selectmen (BOS) and Board of Education (BOE) 2025-’26 annual budget proposals are exceptionally constrained and prudent. It may not appear that way, given that their budgetary proposals will translate into an overall property tax increase of 4.32%. However, a substantial increase in expenses and a decrease in revenues in the coming fiscal year are beyond the control of our town leaders. More than half of the resulting increase in the property tax rate is due to a surge in health insurance costs, a steep drop in state grants, and a sizeable loss of tax revenue due to a mandated change in the state’s methodology for calculating car tax assessments – negative impacts that the town cannot control. Hopefully, these impacts will be one-time occurrences.
Our town leaders should be lauded for keeping the increase in the portion of the proposed budgets that are in their control and which represents almost all
Must Come Together
Our town and school leaders have created a budget that addresses the needs of all residents, and I support the Town of Guilford/Board of Education (BOE) budget. I encourage my fellow community members to do the same.
The education portion of the budget provides for a safe and healthy school environment for students and educators while maintaining the focus on instruction and learning. The BOE and superintendent have presented a budget that is responsive to enrollment fluctuations and meets students’ needs. The budget maintains safety and school monitor positions.
Our school district continues to be successful and is recognized as such by the State’s Accountability Index and standardized test scores. It also excels in both arts and athletics.
Guilford Youth & Family Services requests remain high. We must continue to support the critical services provided by this agency.
We cannot forget our senior citizens. Meals on Wheels is celebrating its 40th anniversary in Guilford this year. Dr.
their budgetary line items well under the current national inflation rate. Any further reductions in these controllable budgetary line items beyond the nearly one million dollars already made by the Board of Finance would be bone-cutting and likely impact the delivery of municipal services and the quality of student education. It would also be unwise to do so, given the unknowns about inflation and the potential for reductions in state funding of local municipalities due to the seismic budgetary cutbacks underway at the federal level.
Please support our town leaders, as well as our hardworking and dedicated municipal employees and teachers, by voting in favor of the 2025-’26 BOS and BOE budget proposals, and allow them to continue to efficiently deliver the high level of quality services that make us proud to live in Guilford.
Robert Berkowitz Guilford
Elizabeth Adams was instrumental in starting the program here in 1985. What began as a very small program served 36,500 meals last year, and senior citizens were served 7,961 meals at the community center.
The meal program at the senior center is more than an opportunity for seniors to have an economical, nutritious, and hot meal. It also allows seniors to socialize. This includes special lunches and dinners with entertainment. There were also 44 day trips to theaters, museums, restaurants, and many special events. The senior program includes 15 weekly programs for exercise, art, and language. It has provided 6,878 one-way passenger rides totaling 69,542 miles to doctor office visits, grocery shopping, errands, and rides to the senior center.
We must come together as a community to support our town, schools, and senior citizens. I urge you to vote “Yes” on April 8!
Suzanne Carlson Guilford
Obituaries
Continued from page 5
Obituary
John Curran III
Guilford
John “Jay” F. Curran III passed away at home in Guilford at the age of 69 on March 19, 2025, surrounded by his wife and two children. Jay had the pleasure of enjoying a life full of service and friendship along with both personal and professional accomplishments.
Jay was born in Worcester, Massachusetts, the son of Barbara and Dr. John Curran and the brother of Janet (Richard), Patricia, Marianne (Nick), Mark, and Deirdre (Clint). Jay was an uncle to numerous nieces and nephews, along with several grandnieces and nephews.
States Coast Guard. Jay worked as an environmental engineer, working his way up to become the senior vice president of several consulting firms, roles which he held for numerous years.
Jay married his wife Loren in 1992 and celebrated their 32nd anniversary this past July. They enjoyed spending their time on the water, both by boat and on the beach, and kept an active lifestyle, going to the gym, walking, and playing pickleball. They were the proud parents of two children, Caleigh and Jack, who will carry out his legacy.
Upon his retirement, Jay enjoyed time spent at home by the pool with his wife, Loren, and their dog, SeaSea. He was a very involved member of several prayer groups and was a man of faith, attending local Mass on a daily basis.
Obituary Michael Haggerty Sr. Guilford
It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of Michael Haggerty Sr., a loving husband, devoted father, and cherished grandfather. Michael passed away peacefully on March 23, 2025, surrounded by his family.
Born in Bay Shore, Long Island, New York, Oct. 24, 1953. Michael was the eldest of five brothers, Patrick, Timothy, Daniel Haggerty, Joseph, and David Kollen, and the beloved son of Donald Haggerty and Anita Olsen.
Landon, James, Payton, Mia, Olivia, and grand-dog, Moxie.
Mike dedicated much of his time to philanthropy, serving as president of the Sarah Foundation for many years. He was known by many for his dominance on the racquetball court and later for his enjoyment of golf and pickleball. He enjoyed spending time in his gardens, building his own rock walls, and taking care of his meticulous lawn –often quoted saying he “just wanted his lawn to look like center field in Yankee Stadium – nothing more.”
He is a graduate of Northeastern University and, subsequently, Perdue University, where he obtained his MBA. He was a 10-year veteran who served as a lieutenant commander in the United
Family and friends were invited to attend calling hours on March 25 and March 26, which was followed by a funeral Mass at St. George Church in Guilford, and a procession to St. Agnes Cemetery in Branford afterward.
Singers Wanted for Shoreline Soul
Shoreline Soul welcomes singers for an uplifting community choral gospel workshop. Led by professional singer Angela Clemmons, this five-week workshop will culminate in a concert on Sunday, June 8. All sessions are upbeat, engaging, and designed for singers of all levels. There is no sheet music—songs are taught by ear, and practice recordings will be provided. The five sessions take place from 6:45 to 8:45 p.m. on Mondays, April 7, April 21, April 28, May 5, and May 19. The concert, which is free and open to the public, will be on Sunday, June 8, at 3 p.m., with a preconcert rehearsal at 1:15 p.m. The workshop and concert will take place at the First Congregational Church, 122 Broad Street, Guilford. The workshop registration fee is $95. Space is limited. Early registration is encouraged, but registration is only complete after payment has been received. Some scholarships are available. Although the workshop is primarily for adults, youth who are able to follow a lyric sheet are welcome to participate. For more information, contact 203-619-1415 or shorelinesoul@gmail.com.
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
ESTATE OF Joseph Russo, Sr. (25-0086)
The Hon. Peter C. Barrett, Judge of the Court of Probate, District of Madison - Guilford Probate Court, by decree dated March 20, 2025, ordered that all claims must be presented to the fiduciary at the address below. Failure to promptly present any such claim may result in the loss of rights to recover on such claim.
Nicole Malerba, Assistant Clerk
The fiduciary is:
Suzanne Russo c/o CARL GOLDFIELD, MENEO & GOLDFIELD, 157 CHURCH STREET, 19TH FLOOR, NEW HAVEN, CT 06510
Joseph J. Russo Jr. c/o CARL GOLDFIELD, MENEO & GOLDFIELD, 157 CHURCH STREET, 19TH FLOOR, NEW HAVEN, CT 06510
Mike dedicated over 39 years of his life to his career as a financial advisor at UBS Financial Services (formerly PaineWebber), where his professionalism, integrity, and dedication earned him the utmost respect and admiration of his colleagues and clients alike. He leaves an incredible legacy behind, matched by few in the industry.
Above all, Michael was a devoted husband to Patricia Haggerty and an incredible father to Michael Haggerty Jr. and Janel Dang. Michael was also deeply loved by his five grandchildren,
Future Choices 2025
A celebration of Michael’s life was held on April 2, 2025, at Guilford Funeral Home, followed by a prayer service. Burial services were held privately. In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests donations be made to The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research, a cause close to Michael’s heart: https://tribute.michaeljfox.org/tributepage.php?id=3150&np=true He will be deeply missed by his family and friends, and his memory will live on in the hearts of all who loved him. To share a memory or leave condolences, visit www.guilfordfuneralhome.com
Shoreline Arts Alliance presents Future Choices 2025, its 42nd annual celebration of high school visual artists. This juried exhibition showcases the work of talented emerging artists from Shoreline Arts Alliance’s 24-town region, including Branford, Chester, Clinton, Deep River, Essex, Guilford, Haddam, Killingworth, Madison, North Branford, Old Saybrook, and Westbrook. The exhibition takes place at the Flat Rock Gallery, 314 Flat Rock Place, Westbrook, through Friday, April 11 and from Wednesday, April 23, through Sunday, April 27. Hours are Wednesday through Friday from 3 to 6 p.m., and Saturdays and Sundays from noon to 4 p.m. For more information, contact 203-421-6739 or office@shorelinearts.org.
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
ESTATE OF Sylvia Aranow (25-0040)
The Hon. Peter C. Barrett, Judge of the Court of Probate, District of Madison - Guilford Probate Court, by decree dated March 18, 2025, ordered that all claims must be presented to the fiduciary at the address below. Failure to promptly present any such claim may result in the loss of rights to recover on such claim.
Karen M. Parzych, Chief Clerk
The fiduciary is: Jonathan S. Aranow c/o ALPHONSE IPPOLITO, FASANO, IPPOLITO, LEE & FLORENTINE, LLC, 107 MONTOWESE STREET, BRANFORD, CT 06405
Rader Helps Guilford with Information Tech, Time, and Talent
Continued from page 2
Now, Matthew is the guy sharing news of the chamber with other decision-makers who may not be aware of the benefits of membership.
”A lot of business owners don’t know what it is. They may think it’s a huge commitment, and it’s not. You make it what you want. There are a lot of meetings at night like Business After Hours, where you get to go into other businesses and chat with other business owners. It’s really helped me to figure out what other companies are around and to learn more about organizations that support town and chamber events,” says Matthew. ”The chamber supports nonprofits with events like Chili for a Cause, while also advocating for business if there’s some government- or town-related issue.”
The SC is hosting its 8th annual Chili Challenge for a Cause event in downtown Branford on Saturday, April 5 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Shoreliners can sample chili from local restaurants and vote for their favorite, all while supporting a good cause.
Matthew feels privileged to have been asked to join the SC board. It includes a deep bench of dedicated members bringing many talents to the table based on their expertise as leaders of businesses, organizations, and nonprofits.
”I was honored, as a new business owner, and as a younger business owner, that they wanted to get my perspective and the perspective of my generation,” says Matthew.
In this digital age, as someone who serves individual and small-business clients with their IT needs, Matthew says that Tech Fix is a busy company.
”The main goal of Tech Fix is to help residential and small business owners in Connecticut, but specifically on the shoreline, with all IT issues,” says Matthew. ”It’s helping you work with all your devices and all of your vendors. I like to tell people I’m brand agnostic. I work with all brands, and I’m going to be your IT person to get all of these aggravations working for you and to give you a game plan.”
Matthew’s residential services involve “break-fix” work which attention to incidents and issues ranging from slow Wi-Fi to stubborn printers or broken or nonresponsive
Want Help to Get into Art School?
Spectrum Gallery is hosting a new program, Portfolio Development for Art Schools, to help young artists get accepted into their chosen art school. During these oneon-one, two-hour sessions, participants and their art instructor will investigate what each student’s specific art schools are looking for and how to achieve an art portfolio which will increase their chances of admission. The program helps clarify the requirements for the schools of interest, create the assignments accordingly, and review and improve participant skills like shading, coloring, composition, and basic design. The program takes place at Spectrum Gallery, 61 Main Street, Centerbrook. For more information or to register, email barbara@spectrumartgallery.org or visit spectrumartgallery.org.
devices. For small businesses, he provides monthly services covering all IT needs, such as email, files, computer management, virus protection, phones and internet, and other consulting. The niche for Matthew’s business is serving solo entrepreneurs and small businesses with up to five employees.
”They have one point of contact, which would be me. I help with all their new employees, password resets, all of their IT struggles, on a monthly basis. It’s very popular,” says Matthew.
Matthew comes from a unique professional IT background which started at a very early age.
”I started at age 16 at Hartford Insurance company doing websites when it was still dial-up. I had thick glasses, and I was in the cubicle farm with people twice or three times my age. I really enjoyed that experience. I was referred to as the ‘Doogie Howser’ of nerding back then because of my young age,” he says, laughing.
Matthew’s parents supported his interest in learning more about computers. From his self-taught start, Matthew excelled in high school courses, leading to one of his Simsbury High School teachers tapping him for a summer internship opportunity with the insurance company. Shortly after Matthew got started, the company hired him as an employee.
Matthew says that understanding and programming computers has always fascinated him.
”I was just sort of a child prodigy in learning how to do websites when computers were basically just a black screen, and you had to program them and do stuff to use them. I was ahead of the curve there, and I stayed involved in IT and various companies through contracting,” says Matthew. ”Now, I’m in my 26th year at age 43. So, most of my life, I’ve been in IT, and I love it. I love every day and the experiences it brings.”
After working with large corporations, Matthew settled in Guilford in 2010 with a local business, Nerds to Go. He worked with the company for 15 years, including his role as a manager in later years. The company, which was acquired by new owner, abruptly closed in June 2024.
”When it was very abruptly closed, it shuttered the entire IT infrastructure for many businesses that we were working with on a monthly basis,” says Matthew. ”Everything was set for deletion. Basically, they would be
GAC Call for Artists
The Guilford Art Center (GAC) announces a call for artists to submit work for an upcoming national juried gallery exhibition, Dear Mother. GAC is seeking to display artworks incorporating natural elements or depicting natural scenes. It is up to the participating artist how loosely or literally to interpret this theme. Adult artists are invited to submit two pieces via email to aseneco@ guilfordartcenter.org by Friday, April 4. Works will be juried by GAC's in-house exhibitions team. Artists will be notified about selected works by Monday, April 14. The exhibit will be on display from Friday, May 2, to Sunday, June 1. For more information or submissions, visit guilfordartcenter.org.
removed from the internet at the end of June.”
Through his own due diligence, Matthew was able to save those shoreline companies which had recurring volume with the company. From there, Tech Fix was born.
”That’s how I started Tech Fix—to save these companies and to create a company that is very community focused,” says Matthew.
Matthew is also continuing to do his best to alert former Nerds to Go clients—a lot of whom are elderly—that the virus protection they had on their computers as a backup is now deleted.
”I’m really trying to get out there to educate people and let them know where they’re at because it is important that they have protection,” he says.
Matthew is reaching out through his social media to alert individuals. He also ran a lunch and learn event at the community center as a volunteer to bring attention to the issue.
In addition to helping to serve his community through Tech Fix, Matthew enjoys volunteering his time and talent to assist SC, the Guilford Rotary and the GPS Historic Walking Tours. For the GPS, Matthew is working to help digitize and apply QR codes to a lot of programming which currently shared as paper handouts and flyers.
”We also want to be able to run some more tours that we start to do in the warm weather, of all the beautiful homes in the downtown historic district. It’s free, and you get to really learn a lot. It’s a great time. We take a couple hours, walk around the green, and talk about each structure. It’s a beautiful experience,” says Matthew.
In addition to helping guide walking tours, Matthew also volunteers with helping out at the tour kiosk beside the Community House on Church Street.
”It’s a great place where I’m also hoping to have other business owners come out. I’m looking to do some interviews there, which I’m hoping to have live on Facebook this summer,” says Matthew. ”My favorite part of my work and what I do as a volunteer is getting out in the community and helping people.”
Tech Fix LLC is located at 17 Water Street, Unit 4, in Guilford. To connect with Matthew Rader or learn more, visit www.techfixct.com, email mrader@techfixct.com, or call 203-343-2299.
SSILL Opens Spring 2025 Programs
The Schiller Shoreline Institute for Lifelong Learning (SSILL) has opened registration for its spring programs online at ssill.org. The annual membership fee is $35 covering September through June, with benefits that include single talks costing $3 and classes that meet more than once costing $5. SSILL began a little more than 17 years ago and was initiated by Paula Schiller. Its purpose is to provide area adults with meaningful and educational programs while fostering a sense of community. SSILL is run by an unpaid slate of officers with an advisory board and several committees and welcomes anyone looking to volunteer. It is affiliated with the Road Scholar Network and sponsored by the Guilford Parks, Recreation, and Seniors and the Madison Senior Services. For more information or to join SSILL, call 203-453-8086 or visit ssill.org.
Gift Card Promotion Local Eats
Preserve Our Island of Stability
On March 6, the Board of Finance made the difficult decision to cut nearly $1 million from the 2025-’26 budget. Should further reductions be called for, they will directly impact our school children, public safety, senior programs, and other community services.
Some people apparently think there is “fat” in the budget. There is, in fact, none. It is driven almost entirely by increases in health care premiums, contractual obligations, utilities, and other fixed costs. Moreover, according to the Selectmen’s office, we face a projected $383,000 decrease in state grants along with a loss of $513,000 due to changes in
Restart Divorce Support Group
the way motor vehicle taxes are calculated.
Looming over everything is a potential loss of $1.2 million in federal aid, largely for special education, stemming from initiatives in Washington, D.C. Therefore, it is crucial that Guilford voters pass the revised budget at the referendum on April 8.
We live in tumultuous times. Let’s at least preserve our own little island of stability.
Roy Ogren Guilford
Women & Family Life Center (W&FLC) is hosting its Restart Divorce Support Group, a four-part divorce support group facilitated by relationship and divorce coach Thea Bourke. The group will meet 6 to 8 p.m. on Tuesdays beginning April 8 at W&FLC, 96 Fair Street, Guilford. For more information, contact 203-458-6699 or info@womenandfamilylife.org, or visit womenandfamilylife.org.
A Special Shelter Bromance!
Story by Carol Andrecs
Although they are not related and were not rescued from the same location, these two young boys have a blossoming bromance which gets stronger each day.
Wolfie (left) is a short-haired and sleek black cat with golden eyes, and his buddy Gucci (right) is a long-haired black beauty. They can always be found with their heads resting against each other, as they quickly became the best of friends.
Wolfie and Gucci love affection, interactive playtime, treats, and cuddling in the warmth of the sun. They would be heartbroken if they were separated and would probably be happiest in a quiet home with no young children or dogs. Are you looking for a bonded pair of very handsome boys? Stop by our open house to meet these snuggle buddies or apply to adopt them online at www.forgottenfelinesct.org.
Day Plant Sale
Forgotten Felines is holding its annual Mother’s Day Plant Sale on Saturday, May 10 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. All plants must be pre-ordered. To place an order, please fill out the form found at www.forgottenfelinesct.org and return with a check to Forgotten Felines, PO Box 734, Clinton, CT 06413 by Monday, April 21. Plants must be picked up on May 10 at 153 Horse Hill Road in Westbrook. For more information, please leave a message on the fundraising line at 860-669-1347.
Find Your Match at Forgotten Felines
Forgotten Felines holds an open house every Saturday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 153 Horse Hill Road in Westbrook. No appointment is necessary.
Shoreline Chess Club welcomes new members. The club meets from 9 a.m. to noon on Wednesdays at the Guilford Community Center, 32 Church Street. All levels are welcome. For more information, call 203-675-7717.
The nonprofit hospice program of Yale Health at Home has volunteer opportunities in the following areas: patient/caregiver companions; complementary therapies, including massage, Reiki, reflexology, pet therapy, art, and music; bereavement and spiritual support; and veteran-to-veteran. Volunteers receive free mandatory screenings, training, the support and appreciation of a team, and more. Volunteers can choose their preferred towns from those served by the hospice program, which include Branford, Chester, Clinton, Deep River, East Haven, Essex, Guilford, Killingworth, Madison, North Branford, North Haven, Northford, Old Saybrook, and Westbrook. For more information, contact Jo Ann Begley at 203-453-7659 or joann.begley@ynhh.org, or visit ynhhs.org/health-at-home/about/volunteer.
2025 Forgotten Felines Mother’s
Photo courtesy of Tracye Mueller
Guilford Courier Thursday, April 3, 2025
Guilford Softball Battery Shined in 2024 State Tournament Run
By Gabby Maljanian
Sports Editor
Take me out to the ball game! It’s that time of year, as we begin to hear the ping of a ball off the bat and the pop of the ball slamming the palm of the glove. While college softball is underway, the anticipation and excitement of the high school season will soon be upon us.
As we prepare for our local teams to hit the field, it’s an opportune time to reflect on two extremely hard-working and accomplished players that graced Guilford’s fields for the past 12 years. They are both in the midst of their freshman year of college softball, and the mark they made on the Grizzlies softball program was unmatched.
Catcher Addie Smith received multiple unsolicited compliments from umpires throughout her four years catching for Guilford High School softball. It would make the current Division 1, St. Francis University freshman grin. The umpires were impressed with the way Smith framed pitches. The proficiency also had something to do with the battery chemistry between Smith and pitcher Sophia Meade, who is a current freshman at Colby College.
Meade was nearly unhittable in the team’s first three state playoff wins during the duo’s senior year last spring, with Meade pumping strikes into Smith’s glove. The Colby College recruit twirled a one-hitter and struck out 15 batters in a 13-1 win over Stratford in the first round, then blanked fourthranked North Haven (on the road) 3-0 with a one-hit gem that saw her fan 11.
In the quarterfinals, she finished off higher-seeded Brookfield with a 5-3 win in a nine-inning, 123 pitch four-hitter, with another 11-strikeout performance. The win over Brookfield (at Brookfield) earned the Grizzlies a spot in the semifinals vs. the No. 1 team in the state in
School - Athlete of the Month (4/2022 & 5/2024)
•Guilford Courier Sports Person of the Week (5/2022)
•Two-time All Southern Connecticut Conference 2nd Team (2022, 2023)
•Two-time Player of the Game (The “Coach” George DeMaio) (2023 vs Daniel Hand & 2024 vs West Haven)
•All Southern Connecticut Conference First Team (2024)
•CHSCA Class L All-State Honoree (2024)
•CT Class L Senior All-Star Game (2024)
•The “Coach” George DeMaio Player of the Year Award (2024)
•GHS made three consecutive Southern Connecticut Conference playoff appearances (2022, 2023, 2024)
•GHS made three consecutive Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference (CIAC) Class L tournament appearances (2022, 2023, 2024)
undefeated Masuk.
“We played together since we were seven years old,” Smith said of she and Meade. “I knew her pitches so well and knew what she should throw. I knew what to do to maximize her change of speeds and spin.”
Smith said she called all pitches since Meade took over in the circle at the beginning of their sophomore year.
“A lot of people don’t realize what goes into catching. It’s not just kneeling down and catching the ball,” said Smith.
Meade felt a sense of comfortability with Smith, knowing that having her pal behind the plate would give her the reassurance and confidence to pitch well on any given day.
“It was great to have a catcher who knew my pitches, what my pitches were going to do, and where each of my pitches were going,” Meade said.
Although Meade was unable to pitch her freshman year due to an injury, she compiled impressive three-year numbers while in the circle at Guilford High School (GHS) with a 41-21 record, a 1.20 ERA in 423 innings, and 637 strikeouts. Smith was without a doubt the Grizzlies’ most productive hitter the past four years. She compiled a .460 batting average, .560 OBP with 125 career hits, including 20 home runs, 25 doubles, three triples, and 55 walks, with over 100 runs scored, and over 100 runs batted in (RBIs). She also went 2-for-2 in the semifinal loss to Masuk with a double, a single, a walk, and two runs scored.
“I wanted to make the most of the time we had•left,” Meade said. “It was the playoffs. The adrenaline really kicks in during the state tournament. The heat personally raises my adrenaline and gets me going.”
Determination, Smith and Meade said, was the driving force behind their playoff surge.
“I speak for all of us when I say we wanted it more than anything,” Smith said. “That drove me and the rest of us to play our hardest.”
Meade and Smith, two of Guilford softball’s most accomplished players, have since graduated but have left a program that they have helped develop. They had incredibly successful careers on and off the field, and their contributions and competitiveness will be sorely missed. Meade accomplished many things throughout her high school career, including:
•Played four years of varsity softball under head coaches Meghan Wiese (2021, 2022) and Kelliann Connors (2023, 2024)
•Earned varsity letter four times (2021, 2022, 2023, 2024)
•Senior year Captain (2024)
•Two-time Guilford High
•On GHS team that lost 4-2 in the Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference (CIAC) State Tournament Class L semifinal to the eventual champion and No. 1 undefeated team in the stateMasuk
•Career pitching stats: Posted a career record of 41-21 with a 1.20 ERA, 0.95 WHIP, 637 strikeouts, 104 walks over 423 innings (2022, 2023, 2024)
•Recorded 10 or more strikeouts per game in 19 of her 23 starts (2024)
•Competed for the CT Impact Travel Program
Smith was also a very decorated softball player, accomplishing the following things at the high school level:
•Played four years of varsity softball under head coaches Meghan Wiese (2021, 2022) and Kelliann Connors (2023, 2024)
•Earned varsity letter four
See Guilford page 17
Photo courtesy of David Meade
Sophia Meade and Addison Smith excelled as a dominant pitcher/catcher combination for the Guilford softball team during its 2024 state tournament run.
Fishing the Web Comes up Short
Today, when fishermen and women want to be entertained, learn, or chat, they generally turn to the web or open their favorite computer application. Interactions are brief, less personal, and, at best, slightly ambiguous and loaded with likes and bursts of icons. The flavor of thought is missing - often replaced by confusing and unwanted junk. Needless to say, personal touches are minimal, while thoughts and ideas are reduced to acronyms.
If looking for a meaningful conversation, one should seek out a fisher who has been around the block a few times. There are fewer tackle shops around compared to several years ago - even a couple of years ago - leaving would-be fishers to re-invent the wheel. Numbers of in-person fishing shows have trended downward. It is amazing that some of the simplest things young anglers learned about pre-social media are hardly utilized or even recognized today.
There used to be many fishing clubs that not only dotted the shoreline but also cropped up inland. The closest things to those today would be dockside huddles and in-house seminars. As older generations slip by, the available pool of knowledgeable fishermen dwindles. Times are changing, and the demand for hands-on, inthe-water fishing experience is up.
Looking at the bright side, the interest in fishing has grown exponentially. In many cases, the fishery has also grown, but not without pain. Species become overfished before management successfully tackles the problem. Yet, our fisheries manage to sustain themselves through those ups and downs. Waters are cleaner, and more anglers are out on it. To overcome this cycle of fewer in-person exchanges, we need more younger fishers to step up to the plate to carry on what our fathers and forefathers accomplished. We fish for recreation and for food. Eventually, our younger generation will become the educators who foster tradition and not clicks.
CAPTAIN MORGAN’S
On The Water
Weakened low pressure tracked across eastern Canada, sending a surface trough or weak cold front across the area. Low pressure moved off the midAtlantic coast and passed well south and east of the area. A secondary cold front or trough then pushed through before high pressure built from the southwest. It passed to the south as a weak disturbance passed by to the north. A frontal system that was forecast brought precipitation that impacted the area. A stretch of milder weather brought daytime air temperatures into the high 60s and kept pre-dawn temperatures on the high sides of 30s and 40s. Long Island Sound water temperatures hovered around 42 degrees, while westerly winds gusted up to 25 knots, and seas generally ranged around one to two feet. Some days battled with early morning fog but dissipated as the day progressed.
Open season for blackfish and winter flounder was April 1. Nearshore water temperatures rose to 43 degrees - a bit warmer around the rocky breakwaters that absorbed the heat from the sun and warm water outflows from power plants and shallower muddy bottoms from tidal rivers. Water temperatures in the coves and bays, where clear, moving water aerate eggs, may be more conducive to right-handed flatfish at this time rather than stirring up an early tog bite, but that remains to be seen.
In either case, soft natural baits generally have the edge this time of year for these bottom feeders. Rocks and boulder fields that toggers target - as well as the flatter bottoms targeted for winter flounder - are the areas most likely to yield eye-candy fish such as a colossal tog or nice blackback. To fish for and catch these early season fish requires minimal gear, tackle, and natural
baits. For an additional edge, add a chum pot filled with chum consisting of a mix of bi-valves. Cherry blossoms are blooming. We are edging closer to when more holdover striped bass will be filtering into Long Island Sound. Key tidal rivers are already seeing activity, prompted by a rise in water temperatures and the movement of early baitfish. Loading up lightweight gear with soft plastics, hard swimmers, small topwaters, and bucktails can result in catches and releases of early springtime feeders. Breaking out the eight-weight on calmer days would be a good choice along beaches, where baitfish could be corralled.
Inland waters are just asking for anglers to hit the trout waters. We are still in catch-and-release territory for most waters, with the exception being trout management lakes where one fish at 16” through the second Saturday in April is the limit. Catches overall continue to be on a fast track. Stocking is the primary reason. Inline spinners, swimmers, Gulp, and natural baits, like worms and grubs, are connecting with good fish. Fly fishers have also been taking advantage of the calmer days and are hooking up using nymphs, streamers, and dries on hatch-filled days. In addition to the popularly stocked rivers, check out the backwater pools for native brookies.
Anglers should be paying attention to lakes and ponds for largemouth bass, smallies, pickerel, yellow perch, black crappie, etc. Carp and catfish can be found in the brackish to fresh parts of the upper main tidal rivers. Atlantic salmon in the Shetucket and Naugatuck rivers are in play. Although white perch are a semipelagic schooling fish, they prefer the tidal estuaries, are widely spread out, and could be caught on a worm in early spring. Check out your closet tidal river, where it becomes brackish, and perhaps, nudges a cove.
Northeast Saltwater Fishing Club is seeking serious recreational fishers to bolster this wellestablished, traditional organization involved with all aspects of
marine fishing: dynamic tournaments, seminars, and in-house charity/social functions, as well as community service events supporting cancer foundations, Vets, kids, etc. With an eye to the future, these individuals will be brought into the fold with the idea of future growth for themselves and the club. Become one of the ten! Interested parties should contact President Robert Fischbach at fischbach@ccsu.edu or 203-605-6995.
Note: Email us pics of your catches to share with our USA and International fishing friends who keep up with the latest fishing news and frequent social media.
For all things fishy, including
the latest gear, flies/fly fishing, rods/reels, clam/crabbing supplies, fishing trips, 2025 licenses/permits, and much more, swing by the shop (203-2458665), located at 21 Boston Post Road, Madison. Until next time from your Connecticut shoreline’s full-service fishing outfitter and Authorized Penn Premium Dealer, where we don’t make the fisherman, we make the fisherman better.
Tight Lines, Captain Morgan captainmorganusa @hotmail.com captainmorganfish.blogspot.com X (formerly twitter) @captmorgan_usa
Photo courtesy of Captain Morgan
Brian Card of Clinton caught and released this fine brown trout while fishing Lake Pattaconk in Chester using a Gulp worm.
Wienkamp Rewrites Guilford Indoor Track Record Books in Senior Season
By Jenn McCulloch
Special to The Courier
When Ethan Wienkamp was younger, he never would have guessed that he would discover a passion for a new sport in high school. Not only did Ethan find his way to competing in track, but he found immense success, rewriting the Guilford High School indoor track record books during his senior season and aiming to do so this spring with outdoor track.
Ethan was not only excited to break seven school records, but also that his success with track and field led to the realization of a long-time dream — to continue sports at the collegiate level. Next fall, Ethan will attend Tufts University, where he will be a part of the track program.
“It was always a dream to play college sports, but I didn’t think it’d be for track until somewhat recently,” says Ethan, a member of the National Honor Society, who plans to study computer or electrical engineering. “There were definitely a few schools I was considering, but the emphasis was on the quality of education, and Tufts was among the top. When I visited, I fell in love with the team and the environment.”
Track wasn’t always on Ethan’s radar. As a freshman, he joined the cross country team and then played for the freshman basketball team. His cross country coach, Jonathan Rivera, encouraged him to give up lacrosse and try outdoor track in the spring.
Ethan was drawn to the
Sports Person Week of the
sprinting events, finding success with running, in addition to the javelin. While he enjoyed excelling in his events, what endeared track to him went beyond the competition.
“My teammates, especially the upperclassmen at the time, made for a nice team atmosphere and made it fun to go work hard every day to push yourself, while being there to help others, too,” says Ethan. “Going into sophomore year, I realized I probably wouldn’t make the basketball team, so I decided to focus on track.”
Ethan considers his performance sophomore season “average” and “not great but above average” as a junior. While he didn’t have any standout performances, Ethan knew he was on the verge of becoming better.
Last summer, Ethan joined Lebron Athletics Club, working with Coach Nick Lebron and Coach Mike Lee. He worked on improving his times in his events. Ethan also continued to communicate with Rivera about the upcoming cross country season.
“Last summer, I really wanted to work hard and go to meets to put on display what I was capable of for college coaches,” says Ethan. “Coach Rivera has been a really good positive influence and actually helped me decide not to
do cross country this year because my time was better spent practicing sprinting.”
Ethan knew he was improving and had put on 30 pounds since the prior indoor track season, but he didn’t realize how much he’d improved until he ran the first 600-meter race of the indoor season, beating his previous personal record by two seconds. He had also been close to the long jump school record over the summer and knew it was within reach.
“I put a lot of work during the summer and fall into everything — running, jumping, throwing — and I knew I’d be better, but I wasn’t expecting this big of a leap across everything,” says Ethan. “After the first 600, I realized I was in a lot better spot, so it made me excited about the season.”
This past campaign, Ethan broke the school record in the 300 (36.44), 600 (1:24.29), long jump (21-6), 55 hurdles (8.00), and the pentathlon (3,501 points), along with being a member of the 4x400 (3:35.98) and sprint medley relay (3:49.08) teams which also broke the school records this past winter.•Along with the seven school records, Ethan also placed third at Southern Connecticut Conference (SCCs) and fourth at the Class L state meet in the 600. He was a member of the 4x400 relay team that placed fifth at both SCCs.
“This past winter, Ethan had a remarkable and historic season which saw him basically rewrite the Guilford indoor track record books,” says Guilford indoor track Assistant Coach Matt Diglio.
his hard work and training he not only put in this winter but over the summer, in the offseason during the fall, and over the past several years. I truly enjoyed getting the opportunity to not only get to coach and work with him this winter, but also get to know him
Ethan also entered the Bethel Pentahlon Invitational, which was a qualifying event for the Nike Indoor National Championship in New York City. That day he had qualified for the 1,000 and
See Wienkamp page 17
Photo courtesy of Ethan Wienkamp Ethan Wienkamp broke seven school records, qualified for Nationals, and earned All-American honors during the indoor track season for Guilford.
Deep River Horseshoe League Ready to Celebrate its 70th Season
By Gabby Maljanian
Sports Editor
The Deep River Horseshoe League (DRHL) begins its 70th season this year. The DRHL will host league play at 5 p.m. every Thursday beginning on Thursday, April 24 at Deep River’s “unofficial town green” on Main Street adjacent to the First Congregational Church. The league is open for men and women of all ages.
The DRHL has 18 teams that compete on nine pits. Each team features three players from each of the A, B, and C Divisions, and they play six matches per week. The objective is to toss the shoe around or within six inches of a metal stake from 40
feet away. Putting the shoe around the stake (ringer) is worth three points, and getting it within six inches is worth one point. Men 70 years old and women are allowed to toss from a distance of 30 feet. Each game consists of 12 innings, after which the scores are totaled at the end. Scoring is done using a handicap system.
The season ends in the third week of August, with the top eight teams competing for the league championship. Anyone who is interested in playing in the DRHL this year or would like more information can visit www.deepriverhorseshoes.com/ contacts.
Wienkamp Rewrites Guilford Indoor Track Record Books in Senior Season
Continued from page 16
the 60-meter hurdles. Just weeks before Nationals, he found out that his marks in the long jump, shot put, and high jump were enough to qualify him to compete in the pentathlon.
Ethan was excited for the competition, but unfortunately on the day of Nationals, Ethan was struggling with a fever. Despite his sickness, Ethan enjoyed bonding with the other athletes from across the country, and he tallied 3,501 points across the five events to place third in the meet and earn All-American honors.
“At Nationals, he competed against some of the top multi-event athletes in the country,” says Diglio. “Although this was my first season coaching at Guilford, I have been coaching track almost 25 years, and what Ethan did this past season — especially at Nike Nationals — was truly special.”
While Ethan is proud of his work during the indoor season, his focus right now is the upcoming outdoor season. He will captain the squad alongside Enzo Taverna — a role that is familiar as the duo captained the indoor team with James Oberg.
“Being a captain was a big deal because in Guilford’s history, we’ve had a lot of really good captains, so I was happy to follow in their footsteps and really proud of my team and my co-captains,” says Ethan. “This season, personally, I’d like to break as many school records as I can and compete wherever I could to help score points. For the team, we’re 1/2 a second away from the school record for the 4x400, so we’re going to give it hell. James Oberg is
close to a school record in shot put, so we’re eyeing that. As a team, we just want lots of [personal records] PRs and improvement all around.”
Ethan is not only grateful for the support he has received from his fellow captains and his teammates throughout the years, but for all of his coaches and his parents as well. Over the years, Ethan has been coached by Cassie Nemec, Liam Norton, and Ronald Piombino (throwing), with Diglio taking over the indoor program this past winter.
“Coach Diglio is an encyclopedia of track knowledge, and he and Coach Nemec are great mental mentors going into competitions,” says Ethan. “My parents and family have been really supportive and only want the best for me. They taught me how to work hard for what I want.”
Even though Ethan never could have imagined ending up in the record books for Grizzlies’ track, he is happy he found his path. He knows his competition days aren’t over when he graduates from Guilford High School, but he will miss his teammates.
“Senior year has been great, and it’s a little less hard knowing it won’t be my last season ever, but leaving my teammates will be hard because we’ve grown really close,” says Ethan. “My winter season as a whole was incredible, and I couldn’t have asked for a better season, but medaling at Nationals was the pinnacle. Being able to break the school records was really satisfying to see my hard work come to fruition. I just want to carry this momentum into the outdoor season because there is still a lot I want to achieve.”
Guilford Softball Battery Shined in 2024 State Tournament Run
Continued from page 14
times (2021, 2022, 2023, 2024)
•Senior year Captain (2024)
•Guilford High School Athlete of the Month (4/2023)
•Guilford Courier Sports Person of the Week (2021)
•Two-time Player of the Game (The “Coach” George DeMaio) (both in 2023)
• Four-time All Southern Connecticut Conference 1st Team (2021, 2022, 2023, 2024)
•Three-time CHSCA Class L All-State Honoree (2022, 2023, 2024)
•New Haven Register All Area (2022)
•CT Class L Senior All-Star Game (2024)
•CT Class L Junior All-Star Game (2023)
•The “Coach” George DeMaio Player of the Year Award (2024)
•New Haven Register - GameTime CT -
Schedules
Saturday, April 5: vs. Wilton at 11 a.m. Monday, April 7: at Xavier at 7 p.m. Wednesday, April 9: at Daniel Hand at 4 p.m.
Wednesday, April 9: vs. Xavier at 2:15 p.m. Thursday, April 10: at Amity at 3 p.m.
Saturday, April 5: at Wilton at 11 a.m. Tuesday, April 8: vs. Lyman Hall at 7 p.m.
Monday, April 7: at East Haven w/ Hamden at 3:45 p.m.
All-State First Team (2024)
•Player of the Year- Federation Softball Umpires Greater New Haven Catching award (2024)
•GHS made three consecutive Southern Connecticut Conference playoff appearances (2022, 2023, 2024)
•GHS made three consecutive Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference (CIAC) Class L tournament appearances (2022, 2023, 2024)
•On GHS team that lost 4-2 in the CIAC State Tournament Class L semifinal to the eventual champion and No. 1 undefeated team in the state - Masuk
•Career Hitting stats: Slashed a career .460 batting average/.560 OBP, 125 career hits, including 20 home runs, 25 doubles, three triples, 55 walks, 100 runs, and 100 RBIs (2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024)
•Competed for the CT Charmers Travel Program
Saturday, April 5: vs. Sheehan at 3 p.m. Monday, April 7: at Wilbur Cross at 3:45 p.m. Wednesday, April 9: vs. Branford at 3:45 p.m.
Saturday, April 5: vs. Simsbury at 10 a.m. Tuesday, April 8: at Hamden at 5 p.m. Thursday, April 10: vs. Lauralton Hall at 6 p.m.
Saturday, April 5: at New Canaan at 4 p.m. Monday, April 7: vs. Sacred Heart Academy at 4 p.m. Wednesday, April 9: at West Haven at 3:45 p.m.
Saturday, April 5: vs. Waterford at noon Monday,
Boys’ Lacrosse
Outdoor Track
Fun By The Numbers
Like puzzles? Then you’ll love sudoku. This mind-bending puzzle will have you hooked from the moment you square off, so sharpen your pencil and put your sudoku savvy to the test!
How It Works:
Sudoku puzzles are formatted as a 9x9 grid, broken down into nine 3x3 boxes. To solve a sudoku, the numbers 1 through 9 must fill each row, column and box. Each number can appear only once in each row, column and box. You can figure out the order in which the numbers will appear by using the numeric clues already provided in the boxes. The more numbers you name, the easier it gets to solve the puzzle!
1-2-3-4 Spring!
By Liz Egan
Spring is a time of preparation and transformation. As the weather warms and the days grow a bit longer, I try to spend more time outdoors, removing the leaves and debris from a windy winter. Small daffodil shoots have emerged from the soil. Snowdrops, the first blooms of spring. A smattering of crocus among the greening myrtles.
The work of spring brings satisfaction and beauty. Often, my enthusiasm to complete the many chores required has physical consequences for this aging body. This year, I have decided to start early and set smaller goals for each day’s yard work. I choose a single flower bed or patch of lawn or simply blow off the patio, deck, or driveway. Seeing the results is very satisfying.
My home in Clinton was purchased in 2004 “as is.” In addition to the many renovations my husband and I made inside the house, we improved the property. My hus-
band Paul loved the outdoors. He would stay outside working in the yard until dark on many days. His was the lawn, trees, and perimeter beds. My purview was the flower beds. In his honor, I chose to clean, thatch, and reseed the 20’ x 30’ area that was his garden this past weekend. Day one - picking up the many fallen twigs and debris, then raking. Day two –thatching and stiff raking to break up the soil. Day three – seeding. The progress I made each day was rewarded with a daylong rain. Combining this endeavor with raking off a small flower bed or a section of a larger bed provided me with the “I can do this” attitude I needed.
So much of spring is awareness. The rain, combined with the increased warmth of the sun, transforms the landscape. I see a hint of green in my lawn and notice the budding trees as well as the new growth at the base of many small shrubs. Removing the leaves from the base of the shrubs gives them the air they need to blossom again. One hour a day, one day at a time, I do my part to help the
My friend Bev often makes her family’s recipe for 1-2-3-4 cake. She grew up having it for all occasions. When she contributed it to a recent dinner party, I was reminded of the Hurry Up Cake my mother used to make.
flora and fauna I am charged with thrive. recipe for 1-2-3-4 cake. She grew up having it for all occasions. When she contributed it to a recent dinner party, I was reminded of the Hurry Up Cake my mother used to make. This easy recipe
cious cake. Served with fruit and whipped cream, it is a no-fail dessert. I love the way baking and gardening are metaphorically
See 1-2-3-4 Spring page 26
Photo by Liz Egan
Photo by Liz Egan
Photo by Liz Egan
I found a beautiful yellow feather. Larger than the finches that populate my yard, I took it as a sign from my husband that he was with me. His favorite color was yellow.
Snowdrops, the first blooms of spring.
A smattering of crocus among the greening myrtles.
Special to Living
Photo by Liz Egan
For more events, both local and farther afield, or to enter your event online, visit our website, www.zip06.com.
THURSDAY, APRIL 3
Animal Behavior
: 10 a.m. Guilford Community Center, 32 Church St. Presented by Will Rogers from the Yale Peabody Museum Speakers Bureau. Sponsored by the Schiller Shoreline Institute for Lifelong Learning (SSILL). Open to SSILL members (with an annual membership of $35). Cost: $3. For info or to join SSILL, call 203-453-8086 or visit ssill.org.
Transportation Options with River Valley Transit
: 2 to
3 p.m. E.C. Scranton Memorial Library, 801 Boston Post Rd., Madison. River Valley Transit will discuss the details of XtraMile, a new, on-demand service that picks up and drops off riders anywhere in Madison and Guilford for $1.75 one way, and provide an overview of other transit options besides XtraMile that are available to Madison residents. For info, call 203-245-7365 or visit scranton.librarycalendar.com.
Small Business Sales Techniques
: 5:30 to 7 p.m. Online event. Participants will learn how to listen to the needs of their customers, establish trust, make their pitch, and more. Presented by SCORE mentor Eric Munro. Free. Hosted by SCORE Eastern Connecticut. For info or to register, visit score.org/easternct.
Wills vs. Trusts: Estate Planning Workshop
: 6 p.m. Via Zoom. Presented by Erin O. Duques, a partner at the law firm of Czepiga Daly Pope & Perri. Hosted by Women & Family Life Center (W&FLC), 96 Fair St., Guilford. For info, contact 203-458-6699 or info@womenandfamilylife.org, or visit womenandfamilylife.org.
Open Mic Night
: 6 to 7:30 p.m. E.C. Scranton Memorial Library, 801 Boston Post Rd., Madison. Led by Madison Poet Laurate Ed Lent. Sign-ups begin 5:45 p.m. The first 12 to sign up are guaranteed a spot. For info or to register, call 203-245-7365 or visit scranton.librarycalendar.com.
Connecticut’s Sweet Tooth: New London, the Sugar Trade, and Slavery in the West Indies
: 7 p.m. Guilford Free Library, 67 Park St. Presented by Matt Warshauer, professor of history at Central Connecticut State University. Co-sponsored by Witness to History: Slavery in Guilford. Free and open to all. For info or to register (required), call the library at 203-453-8282 or visit guilfordfreelibrary.org.
FRIDAY, APRIL 4
Dedication of Blue Star Marker
: 11 a.m. Rollwood Park, Stonehouse Lane, Guilford (opposite from the Henry Whitfield Stone House). Officiated by News 8 Chief Meteorologist Gil Simmons. Includes local and state dignitaries and veteran organizations. The Blue Star Marker honors the all members of the U.S. armed forces. A reception will follow at the site. Hosted by the Guilford Garden Club. Free and open to the public. Rain or shine. For info, call Shelley Gullette at 203-314-1832.
Five Fridays Lenten Concert Series
: 12:15 to 12:45 p.m. First Congregational Church of Madison, 26 Meetinghouse Ln. Features a performance on the church’s 1929 Möller pipe organ by Walden Moore, former director of music at Trinity Church in New Haven. Sponsored in part by the New London County Chapter of the American Guild of Organists. Attendees listen in the sanctuary or on the Town Green as the music is broadcast through the church speakers. Third of five Fridays through April 18. Free and open to all. For info, call 203-245-2739, ext. 14, or visit fccmadison.org.
1-2-3-4 Spring!
Continued from page 25
entwined in how I live my life. Move a muscle, change a thought. To heal from a recent period of loneliness and despair, I did as my sister instructed and picked up sticks. After every storm, there are many sticks to pick up — the consequence of the gift of a beautiful yard with many trees. At the end of one such session,
I was headed indoors when I found a beautiful yellow feather. Larger than the finches that populate my yard, I took it as a sign from my husband that he was with me. His favorite color was yellow. In the many months since his passing, I have found feathers at significant milestones in my grief journey. I took a picture of the feather and texted my sister, Sheila. No sooner was I finished when I found
Calendar for the Week of April 3, 2025
East Haven Fire Service 125th Anniversary Gala
: 6 to
10 p.m. Woodwinds, 29 Schoolground Rd., Branford. Feature retired EHFD Deputy Chief and current Connecticut Fire Academy Director of Training P.J. Norwood. Includes a sit-down dinner, open bar, and raffles. Tickets: $75 per person. For info or to purchase tickets, donate a raffle prize, or purchase an ad in the program book, email ehfdvolco1@gmail.com or visit facebook.com/ehfdvolco1.
Third Annual Art Gala and Auction: Art from the Heart
: 6 to 10 p.m. Nuzzo’s Farm, 736 E. Main St., Branford. Features art from local artists, live and silent auctions, and more. Emcees: John "Cadillac" Saville. Hosted by the Community Dining Room. Tickets: $55. Proceeds benefit the Community Dining Room and its mission to provide meals and resources to those in need. For info or tickets, visit cdri.betterworld.org/events/art.
Where is Everybody?
: 7 p.m. The Legacy Theatre, 128 Thimble Islands Rd., Branford. For info or tickets, contact the Legacy Theatre at 203-315-1901 or Info@LegacyTheatreCT.org, or visit legacytheatrect.org.
FRIDAY, APRIL 4 THROUGH SUNDAY, APRIL 6
Urinetown
: Friday and Saturday, 7 p.m.; Sunday, 2 p.m. Guilford High School Auditorium, 605 New England Rd. Presented by the Guilford High School Theatre Arts (GHSTA). For info or tickets, visit ghstaps.org.
See page 30
another, and then, looking down, found another. Hadn’t I just scoured the area picking up sticks?
Recently, I have become aware of how challenges have strengthened me. The care of my yard, as well as many trips to the Y, have made me physically stronger. Self-care, quiet reflection, a willingness to ask for help, and some much-needed rest have improved my outlook. Attention to
the wonder of nature, the joy of a child’s laughter, and spiritual guidance have buoyed my soul. The renewal of spring transforms for all parts of my life when I take a moment, step out of the distractions and busy-ness which occupy my mind, and notice the growth that surrounds and is within me.
Page Turners E
very other week, we invite local booksellers to submit suggestions for the best books on shelves now—it’s all part of our mission to keep our readers informed, up-to-date, and entertained. View previous Page Turners at www.zip06.com/pageturners.
— Roxanne, R.J. Julia Booksellers, Madison Lion bySonyaWalger
WaitingontheMoon byPeterWolf
I picked up the book for its cover and was rewarded with exquisite writing, energy, and style that was fresh and fabulous. A story of how we navigate and love a parent despite...Wonderful!!
Peter Wolf is famous as the legendary lead singer of the J. Geils Band, but did you know that he is also a fantastic storyteller? His memoir flows as a series of vignettes that evoke not just the time and place but the mood. A great read!
— Marilyn, R.J. Julia Booksellers, Madison
Superbloom byNicholasCarr
If you’re one of the many currently reconsidering your relationship with technology and social media, Nicholas Carr’s is a must-read! From the telegraph to Facebook, Carr takes a closer look at the promise these technologies held versus their imperfect realities. really inspired me to be more intentional about my communication and more mindful about how I spend my time.
Superbloom
Superbloom — Abby, R.J. Julia Booksellers, Madison
Kate&Frida byKimFay
This epistolary novel follows two young women in 1990s Seattle and Paris who discover the power of books and friendship as they struggle to find their place in the world. It’s as uplifting and comforting as a warm hug.
— Karen, R.J. Julia Booksellers, Madison
Page Turners
Continued from page 28
NineteenSteps byMillieBrown
NoneofThisisTrue byLisaJewell
Nellie Morris lives in East End London during WWII. Dreaming of a bigger life, she finds herself in the midst of war, surrounded by tragedy, love, and hope. Inspired by Millie Bobby Brown’s family experience during the Bethel Green tube station disaster in 1943, is a coming-of-age story showcasing resilience and community.
—Jackie, Griswold Inn Store, Essex
Nineteen Steps
A psychological thriller, an unreliable narrator, and twists and turns that don’t stop are what you can expect from Lisa Jewell’s latest book. Alix, a popular podcaster, meets Josie, a stranger who convinces her to make it on the podcast. First impressions are of perfection, but quickly, Alix starts to question what’s real, and the reader starts to question Josie’s intentions.
— Jackie, Griswold Inn Store, Essex
Abundance byEzraKleinandDerekThompson
This is the next current issues book that every citizen should read—right before calling your state and local reps. There is enough to go around as long as we embrace this ideology right away.
— Mel, R.J. Julia Booksellers, Madison
TheStorySheLeftBehind byPattiCallahanHenry
Another enchanting novel of historical fiction by Patti Callahan Henry! Clara is 8 years old when her mother—a child prodigy author—disappears, leaving Clara and her father heartbroken. Now, with a daughter of her own, Clara is an illustrator, living quietly in a place she loves until she receives a phone call that will take her to England in search of her mother. A beautiful story of love thought lost and love found.
— Marilyn, R.J. Julia Booksellers, Madison
Continued from page 26
SATURDAY, APRIL 5
Branford Early Childhood Family Fun Day
: 9 to 11:30 a.m. Joseph Trapasso Community House, 46 Church St., Branford. Features a free pancake breakfast at 9 a.m., music by Michele Urban and Robert Messore at 10 a.m., children's activities, free eye screening, photo booth, and more. Sponsored by the Branford Community Foundation, Branford School Readiness Council, Branford Early Learning Center, the Rotary Club, Lions Club, and the Branford Community Dining Room. For info, contact 203-980-4385 or branfordschoolreadiness@gmail.com.
Light Pollution: Minimizing the Adverse Consequences
: 10 to 11 a.m. Meigs Point Nature Center, 1288 Boston Post Rd., Madison. Presented by Leo Smith, chair of the Connecticut chapter of DarkSky International. For info or to register (required), call 203-245-8743 or visit meigspointnaturecenter.org/calendar.
Guilford First Saturday Walk
: 10 a.m. to noon. Timberland Preserve, Guilford. Meet at the parking area entrance on Route 80 near Maple Hill Road. Leashed dogs allowed. Hosted by the Shoreline Greenway Trail. Bring water. Wear good hiking shoes. For info, call or text 203-804-9257 or visit shorelinegreenwaytrail.org/events.
The Colorful Hat Circus and Variety Show
: 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. The Legacy Theatre, 128 Thimble Islands Rd., Branford. Part of the Legacy Theatre 2025 Family Series. Tickets: $25. Service fees apply. For info or tickets, contact the Legacy Theatre at 203-315-1901 or Info@LegacyTheatreCT.org, or visit legacytheatrect.org.
Visible Mending
: 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Guilford Art Center, 411 Church St. Tuition: $37.80 for members, $42 for nonmembers. A materials fee of $30 is payable with the tuition. For info or to register, call 203-453-5947 or visit guilfordartcenter.org.
Open House
: 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Allis-Bushnell House, 853 Boston Post Rd., Madison. Hosted by the Madison Historical Society. Visitors can explore the exhibit in the dining room, featuring the Munger family’s early dustless crayons and Reuben Shaler’s 1858 carpet sweeper. Docents are available to provide information and guests can view artworks and artifacts. Free admission. For info or to register, call 203-245-4567 or visit madisonhistory.org.
Chili Challenge for a Cause 2025
Madison Inventors
Documentary Screening:
War Dog
: 1 to 4 p.m. James Blackstone Memorial Library Auditorium, 758 Main St., Branford. For info or to register (required), call 203-4881441 or visit blackstonelibrary.org.
Local Poets Fair
: 1 to 4 p.m. James Blackstone Memorial Library Rotunda, 758 Main St., Branford. Features poetry readings, book signings, music, and refreshments. In celebration of National Poetry Month. Registration not required. For info, call 203-488-1441 or visit blackstonelibrary.org.
The History and Future of Offshore Wind Energy in Connecticut
: 1:30 to 3 p.m. E.C. Scranton Memorial Library, 801 Boston Post Rd., Madison. Presented by Attorney Charles Rothenberger from Save the Sound. Sponsored by the Shoreline Group of the Sierra Club. Free and open to all. For info or to register, email wildwoodsiv@comcast.net or visit connecticut.sierraclub.org/outings.
We've Only Just Begun: A Celebration of The Carpenters
: 4 p.m. Shoreline Unitarian Universalist Society, 297 Boston Post Rd., Madison. Presented by the Madison Lyric Stage. Tickets: $45. Services fees apply. For info or tickets, call 203-215-6329 or visit madisonlyricstage.org.
SATURDAY, APRIL 5 AND SUNDAY, APRIL 6
Books by the Sea
: Saturday, check-in 11 a.m. Sunday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Check-in at R.J. Julia Booksellers, 768 Boston Post Rd., Madison. Second venue is the First Congregational Church (FCC) of Madison, 26 Meeting House Ln. Features the following highlights: an author event with Fiona Davis ( ) on Friday at 4:30 p.m. at the FCC; pastries and prose on Sunday at 10 a.m. at R.J. Cafe and Bistro; an author event with Marcy Dermansky ( ) on Sunday at 11 a.m. at R.J. Julia Booksellers; and a send-off party at 1 p.m. Cost: $160, includes admission, a copy of the books at the event, pastries, and a tote bag. For info or to register (required), call 203-245-3959 or visit rjjulia.com.
The Stolen Queen: A Novel
Author Event: Sara Levine
Hello Dog: A Guide for Humans
Tonadas: A Journey to Spanish Roots
: 2 to 3:30 p.m.
: 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Downtown Branford, between 978 Main St. and 1206 Main St. Attendees can sample some of the best chili from local Shoreline restaurants and vote for their favorite for the title and trophy of Best Chili on the Shoreline. The winning restaurant will also receive a check for $500 from the Shoreline Chamber donated to their Branford nonprofit Charity. Presented by Town of Branford Economic Development. Tickets: $15 on the day of the event, available at Houlihan Lawrence or Allusions Salon & Boutique. For info, email tina@shorelinechamberct.com.
SUNDAY, APRIL 6
Through the Centuries: Music of Inspiration and Peace
: 10 a.m. North Madison Congregational Church (NMCC), 1271 Durham Rd. Features a performance by the NMCC choir. For info, contact the church at 203-4213241 or office@northmadisioncc.org, or visit northmadisoncc.org/lent.
Second Honor Flight Benefit
: 2 p.m. Guilford VFW Hall 57 Mill Rd. Doors open 1:30 p.m. Features music and entertainment by John "Cadillac" Saville. Bring your own snacks. Cash bar. Sponsored by VFW Auxiliary 7666 Guilford. Cost: $20 advance, $25 at the door. Proceeds benefit Honor Flight CT for a Connecticut veteran of WWII, Korean War, or Vietnam War to take a one-day flight to visit the military memorials in Washington, D.C. Raffle proceeds benefit the Veterans of Foreign Wars 7666 Auxiliary. For info or tickets, contact Kathie at 203-823-7946 or Donna Smith at 203-640-0214 or VFW7666auxiliary@gmail.com.
James Blackstone Memorial Library Auditorium, 758 Main St., Branford. Features a performance by pianist Pablo Martinez. Presented by the Branford Musical Arts Society. Funded by the DARO Foundation. For info or to register (required), call 203-488-1441 or visit blackstonelibrary.org.
TUESDAY, APRIL 8
Swamp Forests of Borneo, Republic of Congo, and Wetland Ecosystems
: 10 a.m. Guilford Community Center, 32 Church St. Presented by Katherine Meier, a primatologist and doctoral candidate in Yale University's combined anthropology/environmental studies doctoral program. Sponsored by the Schiller Shoreline Institute for Lifelong Learning (SSILL). Open to SSILL members (with an annual membership of $35). Cost: $3. For info or to join SSILL, call 203-453-8086 or visit ssill.org.
Writing Workshop
: 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Atwater Memorial Library, 1720 Foxon Rd., North Branford. Features the library's kick-off event for a monthly writing group. Led by author Stephen Spignesi. For beginning and unpublished writers, but writers of all levels are encouraged to attend. For info or to register, call 203315-6020 or visit northbranford.librarycalendar.com.
The Stories, Science, and History of Trees with Smithsonian Gardens Greenhouse Horticulturalist Matthew Fleming
The Tree Book: The Stories, Science, and History of Trees
Hot Air: A Novel : 2 to 3 p.m. Willoughby Wallace Memorial Library, 146 Thimble Islands Rd., Branford. Book: . For info, call 203488-8702 or visit wwml.org/events.
: 2 p.m. Online event. Book: . Hosted by the E.C. Scranton Memorial Library through a partnership with the Library Speakers Consortium. Made possible by a grant from the Christine E. Moser Foundation. For info or to register (required), visit libraryc.org/scrantonlibrary.
Bob Ross Joy of Painting: Milky Way
: 5 to 8 p.m. Branford High School, 185 E. Main St. No experience needed. Bring a roll of paper towels. Cost: $39 class fee plus a $39 materials fee (exact change requested). Sponsored by Shoreline Adult Education. For info or to register (required), call 203-488-5693 or visit shorelineadulted.org.
Wacky Wildlife: Butterflies
: 5:30 p.m. Atwater Memorial Library Community Room, 1720 Foxon Rd., North Branford. For ages 6 to 11. Participants learn about butterflies and make a butterfly to take home. For info or to register, call 203-315-6020 or visit northbranford.librarycalendar.com.
Second Tuesday Book Club
Someone Else's Shoes: A Novel
: 6:15 to 7:15 p.m. James Blackstone Memorial Library, 758 Main St., Branford. Book: by Jojo Moyes. New members welcome. For info or to register, call 203 4881441, ext. 315, or visit blackstonelibrary.org.
See page 32
Living Hacks: Tips to Grow a Green Thumb
Living Editor Maria Caulfield
I love plants. I kill plants. No two sentences written on this paper are more antithetical.
But I have to admit that I’m a notorious plant killer—a walking, talking Ortho weed killer, but only for plants. Not the good kind of garden killer.
Unfortunately, I have three favorite plants, all very tough to keep alive: tulips, orchids, and bonsais.
Tulips bloom only a few weeks in spring before they wilt. You need to wait until the following year for any hope to see them again.
Orchids are beautiful exotic plants, but I just can’t seem to get them to bloom again once the flowers fall off the stems. I’ve tried small humidifiers, encased shelters, orchid fertilizers, and all the tips I could find on YouTube. I’ve even talked to them, pleading for them to bloom. No dice.
And bonsais are just in a class all their own. On one recent Christmas, I received a beautiful bonsai from an uncle who told me to put it outside for a bit of time each day. I followed his advice and placed it on my deck—in the middle of February.
I guess he meant when the weather was nicer. Needless to say, what happened to that poor, hapless bonsai.
I’m so bad at gardening that I once killed a hard-to-kill lucky bamboo plant. My husband called it “the unlucky lucky bamboo plant.”
So, I’m probably the last person on Earth with any authority to give any kind of gardening hacks.
But because it’s spring, I sought the help of members of local garden clubs to offer Living hacks to make gardening a little more successful—maybe even for hopeless gardeners like me.
Garden tools should be kept clean to keep plants healthy. Use a cloth dampened with rubbing alcohol (70% isopropyl alcohol) to wipe blades and metal parts of your tools to kill bacteria and fungi. Clean your pruners after using on each plant to prevent the spread of disease between plants.
Eliminate weeds between pavers by boiling water; it’s an organic, nontoxic way to kill small weeds between pavers. It is not necessary to poison your soil with toxic chemical weedkillers. Be careful not to splash good plants nearby.
Use a natural remedy for powdery mildew on plants by mixing 1 tablespoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon liquid Dawn soap, and 1 gallon water and placing the
solution in a sprayer bottle. Use this spray late in the day when the air is still (no breeze) and after the pollinators are gone for the day.
Tips From Guilford Garden Club
Save your eggshells. Crush them in a paper bag or between two sheets of wax paper, or blend them even finer in your food processor. Add them to any seedlings or transplanted plants. This source of calcium is good for houseplants, too. Add a spoonful to the soil two to four times a year. Crushed crab shells, rich in calcium and chitin, boost the calcium in the soil and keep tomatoes from getting blossom end rot.
Save your coffee grounds to spread on the soil around acid-loving plants, such as azaleas, conifers, evergreens, laurels, and rhododendrons. Left on the soil surface, it
may also provide a barrier to slugs and snails.
Grow garlic or chives among roses and flowering shrubs to keep Japanese beetles away. They don’t take up much space, add iodine to the soil, and are a good anti-fungal agent.
Keep a roll of Velcro tape and a pair of scissors in your garden tool carry-all. You can cut a strip of Velcro to safely tie up or hold back unruly vines and shrubs during the growing season.
Do you have powdery mildew or black spots on plants, especially on your roses? Try this easy spray: Mix two 325 mg. tablets of uncoated aspirin per quart of water and ¼ teaspoon liquid dish soap. Shake well and apply as a spray in the morning before the sun gets too high.
For spot applications, spray white vinegar on weeds to kill them.
The best tip for healthy plants is to add compost to your soil. If you have an aged
compost pile that you have started using, don’t forget to keep it covered with a tarp so the nutrients will be available wherever you place it and they don’t leech into the soil right beneath the pile during rains.
Sprinkling baby powder on veggie seedlings may deter rabbits, giving the seedlings a chance to grow strong.
If you don’t want to use a DDT-containing spray to keep away bugs while you garden, try crushing or rubbing the leaves of an aromatic plant on your skin and scalp. You can try sweet basil or any of the mints, including catmint or lemon balm.
One last piece of gardening advice, this time from this humble writer: If you’re a hopeless gardener but want to grow a green thumb, reach out to your local garden club. Members help the community in many ways and are always willing to assist individual gardeners blossom on their own.
Tips from the Garden Club of Madison
Photo courtesy of the Guilford Garden Club
Venezuelan Trumpet Virtuoso Pacho Flores
Headlines Woolsey Hall
The New Haven Symphony Orchestra (NHSO) will kick off summer concerts with ”Danzas Sinfónicas,” a program highlighting the rhythmic and expressive power of Latin American symphonic music, on Sunday, May 4, at 3 p.m. at Woolsey Hall. Under the direction of Music Director Perry So, the concert will feature internationally renowned trumpet soloist Pacho Flores, a three-time Latin Grammy nominee making his highly anticipated NHSO debut.
Celebrating Latin America’s rich musical and dance traditions, the concert will feature elegant Cuban danzón in Arturo Márquez’s Danzón No. 2, energetic tango in Daniel Freiberg’s Historias de Flores y Tangos, and Andean folk influences in Gabriela Lena Frank’s Escaramuza. Silvestre Revueltas’s Sensemayá will pulse with Afro-Caribbean rhythms, and Alberto Ginastera’s Four Dances from Estancia will evoke the powerful malambo dance of Argentina’s pampas.
Music Director Perry So says “We open our summer programming with a blockbuster concert constructed from the powerful symphonic repertoire of our closest geographical neighbors - Latin America. Dance music is everywhere on the program, and the essence of this music is how carefully poised it is between dance on the one hand and impeccable artistry on the other. I am always initially drawn into this music by the driving rhythms
and soaring melodies but find myself digging deeper and deeper into their engagement with some of the weightiest chapters of our shared hemispheric history. We are joined in the second half by my friend and hermano, Pacho Flores, the trumpet virtuoso with the most beautiful, heartbreaking tone I know, and he brings with him two concertos written especially for him to close this season.”
Pacho Flores will make his NHSO debut, performing two concertos written especially for him by Arturo Márquez and Daniel Freiberg, showcasing his extraordinary technical command and expressive artistry. Flores has established himself as one of the foremost trumpeters of his generation. He was awarded first prize in the Maurice André International Trumpet Competition, the most prestigious competition of its kind, along with top prizes in the Philip Jones and Cittá di Porcia competitions. A product of Venezuela’s renowned El Sistema music program, Flores has performed as a soloist with leading orchestras worldwide, including the NHK Orchestra of Japan, the Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra, and the Philharmonic Orchestra of Kyiv.
Flores has received multiple Latin Grammy nominations for his albums, which feature collaborations with major composers such as Arturo Márquez, Paquito D’Rivera, Roberto Sierra, Efraín Oscher, Christian Lindberg, and Daniel Freiberg, and performances with renowned orchestras including the Konzerthaus Orchester Berlin, Arctic Philharmonic, Real Filharmonía de Galicia, and Orquesta Sinfónica de Minería.
Market Your Small Business Using Podcasts
Yoga with Martha
: 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. E.C. Scranton Memorial Library, 801 Boston Post Rd., Madison. Presented by Martha Smith, a certified yoga instructor and chair yoga practitioner at Body Karma Studio in Clinton. Bring a yoga mat. For info or to register (required), call 203-245-7365 or visit scranton.librarycalendar.com.
Pet First Aid
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 9
Community Forum with First Selectwoman Peggy Lyons and Comptroller Sean Scanlon
: 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Branford High School, 185 E. Main St. Cost: $20. Sponsored by Shoreline Adult Education. For info or to register (required), call 203-4885693 or visit shorelineadulted.org. : 8:30 to 10 a.m. Madison Senior Center, 29 Bradley Rd. Covers key updates on the town of Madison, Connecticut’s economic outlook, and additional insights from the comptroller’s office about the state’s labor and housing markets, as well as projections for the General Fund, Special Transportation Fund, and Budget Reserve Fund. Includes light breakfast and beverages. For info or to register, visit madisonct.com.
: 5:30 to 7 p.m. Online event. Presented by podcast producer Jason Connell. Free. Hosted by SCORE Eastern Connecticut. For info or to register, visit score.org/easternct.
Make a Felted Chick
: 6 to 8 p.m. Atwater Memorial Library Community Room, 1720 Foxon Rd., North Branford. Supplies provided. For info or to register, call 203315-6020 or visit northbranford.librarycalendar.com.
Preparing for the Golf Season
: 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. E.C. Scranton Memorial Library, 801 Boston Post Rd., Madison. Presented by physical therapist Corey Podbielski. For info or to register (required), call 203-245-7365 or visit scranton.librarycalendar.com.
Author Event: Barbara “Babs” Costello
: 7 p.m. First Congregational Church of Madison, 26 Meetinghouse Ln. Book:
Every Day with Babs: 101 Family-Friendly Dinner for Every Day of the Week
. Cost: $38 admission for one and a copy of the book, $5 companion ticket. For info or to register (required), call 203-245-3959 or visit rjjulia.com.
THURSDAY, APRIL 10
Rogers and Hammerstein: The Golden Age of Music Theater
: 11 a.m. Guilford Free Library, 67 Park St. Presented by Alan Mann, artistic director at Opera Theater of Connecticut. Sponsored by the Schiller Shoreline Insti-
tute for Lifelong Learning (SSILL). Open to SSILL members (with an annual membership of $35). Cost: $3. For info or to join SSILL, call 203-453-8086 or visit ssill.org.
Vincent Van Gogh: From Paris to Arles to Eternity
: 11 a.m. Via Zoom. Presented by Bob Potter, art historian at the Lyme Academy of Art and docent at the Yale Center for British Art. Hosted by Madison Art Society. For info or to register (required to receive the Zoom link), email Marianne@RTDTECH.com.
Small Business Loans: Issues and Options
: Noon to 1:30 p.m. Online event. Features a panel of lending professionals from a cross section of small business lenders, including Berkshire Bank, the Community Economic Development Fund (CEDF), the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), and Southeastern Connecticut Enterprise Region (seCTer). Hosted by SCORE Eastern Connecticut Chapter. Free. For info or to register (required), score.org/easternct/local-workshops.
Pasta Cooking Class
: 5:30 to 8 p.m. Edward Smith Library, 3 Old Post Rd., Northford. Presented by Matt Yanarella from My Production CT. Participants will learn how to make fresh pasta from scratch. Attendees of the previous ravioli cooking class are requested to allow others to attend this class. For info or to register (required), call 203-484-0469 or visit northbranford.librarycalendar.com.
Continued from page 30 See page 33
Press Release from the New Haven Symphony Orchestra
Photo courtesy of the New Haven Symphony Orchestra Trumpet virtuoso Pacho Flores will headline the NHSO's “Danzas Sinfónicas” at Woolsey Hall.
Collaboration, Classics, and A Country Legend
Inside notes and comments about Connecticut and New York Professional Theater
By Karen Isaacs
Columnist
Hartford Partnership
Aisle ON THE
the audio-described performance is Saturday, May 10.
Iconic Country Singer
Hank Williams: Lost Highway!
Sweeney Todd A Chorus Line
: TheaterWorks Hartford and Hartford Stage are co-producing the Sondheim musical as part of their 2025-’26 seasons. The show will be directed by Rob Ruggiero (artistic director of TheaterWorks Hartford), who has directed multiple musicals at Goodspeed, among other locations. In fact, he is directing at Goodspeed this season. The show will be presented at Hartford Stage, which has substantially more seats and a larger stage. Even an intimate production of the show is costly; the co-production will allow each theater to present the show to its subscribers. It will run from June to July 2026 and be part of each theater’s subscription series. This is not the first time that Hartford Stage has partnered with another Connecticut theater; they partnered with Long Wharf in the early 2000s.
Continued from page 32
Pulitzer Winner
: Last year, by Eboni Booth won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. Beginning Thursday, April 10 (through Sunday, May 11), you can see a production at TheaterWorks Hartford. The premise is that a 38-yearold bookstore worker must confront a world he has avoided with comic results after he is laid off. Tickets are available at TWHartford.org.
Shakespeare Classic Primary Trust
: If you love songs like “Hey, Good Lookin’,” “Your Cheatin’ Heart,” and “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry,” you will want to see Ivoryton’s opening production. is more than just a collection of his songs. It tells the story of his brief life (he died at 29) and his legacy. The show, which is tagged for mature audiences, runs from Thursday, April 3, through Sunday, April 27. Tickets are available at IvorytonPlayhouse.org.
New Musicals in Chester
Romeo and Juliet
: Hartford Stage is presenting Shakespeare’s from Thursday, April 17, through Sunday, May 18. The production will be directed by Artistic Director Melia Bensussen. It stars Niall Cunningham as Romeo and Carmen Berkley as Juliet. Tickets are available at Hartford Stage.org. Multiple student matinees for school groups are scheduled. The open captioned performance is Sunday, May 4;
Mysteries, Murders, Killers, and Thrillers: Crime Writers Reveal Their Secrets
: 7 p.m. Guilford Free Library, 67 Park St. Features a presentation on the process of writing, including book ideas, plot twists, and character development. Presented by writers Pat Dunn, Christine Falcone, Kathleen Kalb, Jamie Kleinkauf, and Ang Pompano. In celebration of National Library Week. Free and open to all. For info or to register (required), call the library at 203-453-8282 or visit guilfordfreelibrary.org.
THURSDAY, APRIL 10 THROUGH
SATURDAY, APRIL 12
Designers Circus Pop-up Clothing and Accessories Shopping Event
: Thursday and Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Guilford Art Center (GAC), 411 Church St. Features creative women’s clothing from local, national, and international designers at discounted prices. Free admission. Open to the public. For info, call 203-453-5947 or visit guilfordartcenter.org.
FRIDAY, APRIL 11
Five Fridays Lenten Concert Series
: 12:15 to 12:45 p.m. First Congregational Church of Madison, 26 Meetinghouse Ln. Features a performance on the church’s 1929 Möller pipe organ by Ezequiel Menéndez, professor of
About Time Starting Here Starting Now Closer Than Ever.
: Goodspeed has announced two new musicals for the Terris Theatre in Chester. The season opens with a new musical revue, , by the well-known team of Richard Maltby, Jr. and David Shire. They wrote , , and It runs from May 24 to June 15. The season concludes with which was launched at Goodspeed’s Festival of New Musicals. It runs Oct. 3 to 26. Seasons tickets are on sale now, with tickets for individual shows available on Tuesday, April 8, at Goodspeed.org.
NYC Notes
The Great Emu War Othello
: The new production of starring Denzel Washington and
organ at the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts, and former director of music and organist at St. Joseph’s Cathedral, Hartford. Sponsored in part by the New London County Chapter of the American Guild of Organists. Attendees listen in the sanctuary or on the Town Green as the music is broadcast through the church speakers. Fourth of five Fridays through April 18. Free and open to all. For info, call 203-245-2739, ext. 14, or visit fccmadison.org.
Author Event: Colm Tóibín
: 6 p.m. R.J. Julia Booksellers, 768 Boston Post Rd., Madison. Book: . Cost: $5 includes admission for one and a $5 coupon toward purchase of a copy of the book at the event or $18.99 admission for one and a copy of the book. For info or to register (required), call 203-245-3959 or visit rjjulia.com.
Military Whist Game Night
Long Island: A Novel
: 6:30 p.m. First Congregational Church of Madison, 26 Meetinghouse Ln. Doors open 5:30 p.m. Includes prizes for top players and a raffle. Cost: $15 per player. Advance purchase required. Hosted by the Women's Club of Madison. For info, contact Joan Powers at 917-601-8194 or jonci1@Verizon.net, or visit womensclubmadisonct.com.
Jake Gyllenhaal may have the highest listed prices (some seats are over $900), but the critics were decidedly lukewarm on the Kenny Leon-directed production. The Broadway musical may be based on the TV series about the creation of a fictional musical about Marilyn Monroe, but producers say it will be significantly different. While character names may be the same, their portrayals and characteristics will be different. New characters are also introduced and a changed storyline. The show is now in previews; it opens Thursday, April 10. Upcoming Broadway openings include the revival of , the Broadway debut of , George Clooney’s Broadway debut in , the musical about Betty Boop, and . Smash Glengarry Gleen Ross The Last Five Years
Goodnight and Good Luck, Boop! Stephen Sondheim’s Old Friends
Karen Isaacs is an East Haven resident.
To check out her reviews for New York and Connecticut shows, visit 2ontheaisle. wordpress.com. She’s a member of the Connecticut Critics Circle, New York’s Outer Critics Circle, the League of Professional Theater Women, and the American Theatre Critics Association.
ONGOING EVENTS
Art Exhibits
Branford Arts & Cultural Alliance (BACA) Gallery
: 1004
Branford Elementary School Art Show
Main St.: For info, contact 203-433-4071 or baca06405@gmail.com, or visit branfordarts.org. : Runs April 23 through April 28.
Walsh Middle School Art Show
Branford High School Art Show
: Runs May 1 through May 10. : Runs May 12 through May 27.
Branford Arts & Cultural Alliance (BACA) Fine Art Gallery
BACA West Winter 2025 Gallery Exhibition
: 360 State St., New Haven: For info, contact 203433-4071 or baca06405@gmail.com, or visit branfordarts.org/events. : Runs through April 30.
Guilford Art Center (GAC)
: 411 Church St.: For info, call 203-453-5947 or visit guilfordartcenter.org. : Runs May 2 through June 1.
Dear Mother
Real estate
A Sanctuary of Convenience and Elegance
Staff Report
Experience the convenience of one-level living in this impeccably maintained home, where pride of ownership shines in every corner.
A gracious entry welcomes you into the open and airy floor plan of this bright, classically designed residence. The heart of the home is the great room, bathed in natural light from numerous windows and anchored by an inviting wood-burning fireplace made more captivating by its floor-to-ceiling stonework.
Entertaining is a delight in the state-of-the-art kitchen, featuring a large granite island, chef-grade stainless appliances, gas range, wine fridge, and functional pantry. The generous dining area is perfect for hosting large gatherings or enjoying intimate dinner parties.
Sliding glass doors off the dining area open to a private rear deck and sunroom, offering a serene retreat during the warmer months and easy access to leisurely swims in the pool. The primary bedroom suite on the main level is a haven of luxury, complete with a luscious bath and sliding doors leading to private deck—fulfilling the high demand for one-level comfort. A spacious mudroom with laundry and half bath complete the main level’s thoughtful layout.
Descend the handsome staircase to the lower level, where flexibility meets function. Two well-sized bedrooms and large full bath are complemented by two additional flex rooms, perfect for a home office, craft room, or exercise space. Summer days are a dream with the above-ground pool and outdoor shower, set within easy reach of the Connecticut shoreline’s many delights. This property is a sanctuary of convenience and elegance. This home is being offered for sale by William Pitt Sotheby's International Realty for $875,000. For more information or a showing, contact Amy Kirst at 203-641-6000 or Sue Knapp at 203-824-4452.
Entertaining is a delight in the state-of-the-art kitchen, featuring a large granite island, chefgrade stainless appliances, gas range, wine fridge, and functional pantry.
The heart of the home is the great room, bathed in natural light from numerous windows and anchored by an inviting wood-burning fireplace made more captivating by its floor-toceiling stonework.
Experience the convenience of one-level living in this impeccably maintained home, where pride of ownership shines in every corner.
SUMMER IS COMING!
It’s not too late to buy that beach house you’ve dreamed of... It’s located in sought after Indian Cove in Guilford and only a short walk to a gorgeous sandy beach! This charming, 2 BR, furnished cottage has been renovated from top to bottom, beautifully landscaped and is turnkey ready. You’ll find the charm of an older beach home with a lovely stone fireplace and bead board walls, but fully updated kitchen, bath and mechanicals. A new 12X16 outbuilding is perfect for overnight summer guests, a studio or a playroom for the kids. A hot tub and use of 2 beaches, a deep-water dock and a boat mooring are all included. Asking $529,900.
Diane and Frank Popolizio
GUILFORD
Holzer and Juliet F. Malin to Tommy Yanbul and Jessica Bohan, $415,000 on March 10
Tidelands Condo
: Blair Watton to Kathie Iannucci, $274,000 on March 10
MADISON
414 Bartlett Drive
KILLINGWORTH NORTH BRANFORD
195 Schnoor Road Unit 17
: William
Farrow to Curtis Gonzalez and Alyidar Ziyadeh, $477,900 on March 10 :
229 Branford Road Unit 346
Wilhelmina J. Sieffert and Douglas A. Sieffert to Adam Szirtes and Mariya E. Moskovets, $397,000 on March 10
: Sylvia Tungvaag to Barry Weissman, $400,000 on March 11
: Marjorie G. Hart to Richard C. and Lisa M. Parmelee, $610,000 on March 11
: Jo Connor to Deborah Murphy and Joseph Mislinski, $1,150,000 on March 14 :
: Matthew and Kyra Luciani to Andrew and Anna Heckler, $925,000 on March 13
13 Deveron Drive
: Estate of Chan
45 Juniper Knoll at Leetes Island
James D. Leonardo and Marie J. Quick to William Welch, $85,000 on March 13
Chuongvan and William Chuongvan to Vidya Krishnamurthy and Satish Ramalingam, $927,000 on March 13
Cecelia Manley to Aleksandr Wilber, $192,500 on Jan. 3
77 Deforest Drive
: Kelly Gallipoli to Daniel Mingione, $521,000 on Dec. 31
20 Norwill Drive
: Jeffrey J. Abbatello to Michael J. Abbatello, $450,000 on Dec. 30
: Peter J. Pielli to Teresa Munson, $184,000 on March 14
82 Hartford Avenue
: Ezra D Levine
32 Augur Road
: Veronica E. Toro to Chelsea and Jordan Hilliard, $415,000 on March 12
: Arnold B. Fowler to 2569 Long Hill Road LLC, $200,000 on March 14
: Stacey C. Pope to Madeline N. Vossbrinck and Michael L. Poage, $980,000 on March 10
Long Hill Road 2569 Long Hill Road 1229 Moose Hill Road 32 Summer Street
: Roger S. Tucker to Holloway T and Beth M. Holloway, $365,000 on March 10
BRANFORD
RET and Ezra D. Levine to Ralph L. Denino and Kathleen Pesce, $2,900,000 on March 11
39 Lovers Lane
: Laureen O. and Darren C. Eller to Eva Vancamp and Tim Schang, $1,165,000 on March 10
: Scott G. and Leah G. Davenport to Michael Pierne and Gina Hunt, $702,500 on March 12
309 Twin Lakes Road
: Stephen W.
Whalen and Nationstar Mortgage to Michael F. Reed, $308,818 on March 13
N/A
: Shirley B Miceli Lt and Nancy M. Watkins to Sandra Krasnitski, $280,000 on March 10
CLINTON
55 Stony Lane 24 Beach Road
: Waterside Bldg & Dev Ii L to Michael Michaud and Jamie Gatto, $650,000 on March 13
: Shawn Gray to Bernard Campbell and Bryan P. Kupke, $359,000 on March 10
22 Ben Merrill Road
: Amanda
: Nancy A. Tomassini to Gregory Buller, $1,000,000 on March 11
NORTH HAVEN
59 Fieldstone Court Unit 59
:
Adelheid H Reshotnik Irt and John M. Reshotnik to Elizabeth A. Toole, $401,500 on March 11
9 Lombard Circle Unit 9
: Ral
: Christopher P. and Patricia A. Buiten to Carley J. Buiten, $276,000 on March 10
: Frank C. Twombly and Joseph E. Olson to Kaitlyn H. Cherry and Kathryn M. Kelly, $750,000 on March 11
: Christina Gonzalez to Rajan Sapkota, $380,000 on March 10
: Bc Inv Propertys LLC to Anthony J. and Lisa A. Lancia, $400,000 on March 14
: Cmgv Holdings LLC to Robert Laprade and Molly Keegan, $740,000 on March 11
: William Cook to Mitul Gada and Sonali Shah, $282,000 on March 10
: Dog House LLC to Robert W. Wilber, $850,000 on March 12 : Mary Kentosh to Margaret and Dennis Blackwell, $300,000 on March 14 : Stefanie D. Acampora to Samantha Collu, $320,000 on March 11
: Christian M.
Gamache and Ryan S. Mitchell to Matthew J. Amatruda and Hannah Hoxworth, $460,000 on March 13
14 Chittenden Hill Road
: Kendra
Tyska and Benjamin Corbett to Carmine and Carmine P. Valentino, $317,500 on March 12
Lantern Court Unit 205
: Lgdbgd
LLC to Carol Wheeler, $330,000 on March 11
16 Woodland Drive
: Mark S. Koelle to Michael W. Allen and Yohana F. Ramirez, $370,000 on March 11
EAST HAVEN
411 Laurel Street
: Stephen Gizo and Pharlene Estiverne to Monika K. Sonemaneevong and Darryl Kendrick, $369,900 on March 12
9 Lombard Circle Unit 17
: Ral
North Haven LLC to William H. and Lynette Murray, $550,850 on March 10
3 Northeast Drive
: Toms Properties LLC to Samantha Incerto and Jordan Aceto, $340,000 on March 11
140 Thompson Street Unit 24E
:
Anandah M. Sutton to Sylvia Roman, $230,000 on March 11
43 Victor Street
: Mohamed Shnan to 2 Sixteen Ventures LLC, $205,000 on March 11
North Haven LLC to William H. and Lynette Murray, $550,850 on March 10
44 Rimmon Road
: Gina Hunt to Lisa M. and Rachel Demartino, $556,000 on March 12
56 Roarke Road
: Mark Bonsignore
Testament and Cathy Gunn to Badr Nagi, $551,500 on March 13
15 Temple Street
: Eagle Estates LLC to James A. Acabbo, $450,000 on March 13
OLD SAYBROOK
235 Essex Road
: Estate of Kathleen
A. Leary and Jonathan S. Leary to Garret Gotthelf and Zavana Schmit, $440,000 on Dec. 30
63 Obed Heights
: Amy and John Smith to Mikhail A. and Sarah Shapiro, $650,000 on Dec. 31
Proposed Road Unit 13
: Ann C Griswold T and Laurie J. Smith to Wwr Mfr LLC, $475,000 on Dec. 30
N/A Unit 6-23
: John P. and Colleen Fournier to Fortitude Marine Enterpri, $19,000 on Jan. 2
N/A Unit 6-3
: John P. and Colleen Fournier to Fortitude Marine Enterpri, $13,000 on Jan. 2
1 Connolly Drive
: Estate of
: Wtby 5 Dev LLC to Anthony M. and Sheila M. Serra, $465,000 on March 13 : Brian R. and Melissa L. Schenck to Shawn and Sarah Gray, $725,000 on March 11 : Daniel S. Savoie to Manuel Poguio and Monica Gonzalez, $250,000 on Feb. 3
: Mitchel Seven LLC to Aaron C. and Teresa A. Von Staats, $295,000 on March 14 : Us Bank Na to Jennifer V. Scoter, $745,000 on March 12
Continued from page 33
Guilford Art Center (GAC)
: 411 Church St.: For info, email galleryonect@gmail.com or visit galleryonect.com.
Artistic License by Gallery One Artists
Susan Powell Fine Art
: Runs through April 6.
: 679 Boston Post Rd., Madison: For info, call 203-318-0616 or visit susanpowellfineart.com.
Spring into Art
Vincent Giarrano: City Color
David Dunlop: Quest for Radiance
: Runs through April 26. : Runs May 2 through May 31. : Runs June 6 through July 6.
Willoughby Wallace Memorial Library Keyes Gallery
:
146 Thimble Islands Rd., Branford: For info, call 203-4888702 or visit wwml.org/gallery.
The Missing Pictures: Photographs by Sean Kernan
: Runs
April 11 through May 26.
Yale University Art Gallery
: 1111 Chapel St., New Haven. For info, call 203-432-0600 or visit artgallery.yale.edu/visit/exhibitions.
David Goldblatt: No Ulterior Motive:
Music
Edward A. Norton VFW Post 7666:
Runs through June 22 104 Mill Rd., Guilford. No cover. For info, call 203-214-5874.
Mondays: 7 to 8:30 p.m. Big Swing Band with Tuxedo Junction.
The Shore Line Trolley Museum:
17 River St., East Haven. Cost: $5 suggested donation. For info, call 203467-6927 or visit shorelinetrolley.org.
First Tuesday: 6 to 9 p.m. Bluegrass acoustic and traditional music.
The Wharf:
Groups and Activities
A Journey Through America’s Past:
Madison Beach Hotel, 94 W. Wharf Rd. For info, call 203-350-0014 or visit thewharfmadison.com. Fridays: 8 to 10 p.m. Acoustic Fridays. Various performers. 10:30 a.m. Thursdays. Via Zoom. Sponsored by the Madison Senior Center, 29 Bradley Rd. Free. Registration is required to receive a Zoom link. For info, contact 203-245-5695 or gillespiee@madisonct.org.
Acoustics Club:
6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Thursdays. E.C. Scranton Memorial Library, 801 Boston Post Rd., Madison. On temporary break for winter. Bring your own acoustic instrument. No registration required. For info, call 203245-7365 or visit scrantonlibrary.org.
Ask-A-Lawyer: A Free Legal Clinic:
5:30 to 7:30 p.m.
Second Tuesday. E.C. Scranton Memorial Library, 801 Boston Post Rd., Madison. No registration required. For info, visit scrantonlibrary.org.
6:30 to 7:30 p.m. First Tuesday. James Blackstone Memorial Library, 758 Main St., Branford. For info, call 203-488-1441 or visit blackstonelibrary.org.
Banned Book Club: Bereaved Parents USA and PS It Hurts Support Group:
10:30 a.m. First Sunday. Madison Senior Center, 29 Bradley Rd. For grieving parents, grandparents, and siblings suffering the loss of children and family members. For info, call Vanessa Pentz at 203-645-7777.
Bingo
: 7 p.m. Mondays. East Creek Landing, 390 S. Union St., Guilford. Doors open 5 p.m. Light refreshments. Cost: $15. Hosted by the Knights of Columbus Council 3928. For info, call 203-453-2801.
Blackstone Fiber Art Community:
6 to 8.m. Wednes-
days. James Blackstone Memorial Library, 758 Main St., Branford. All experience levels in fiber art forms are welcome. Registration is not required, drop-ins welcome. For info, call 203-488-1441, ext. 318, or visit events.blackstonelibrary.org.
Blackstone Library Tour:
10 a.m. Second Saturday. James Blackstone Memorial Library, 758 Main St., Branford. Registration encouraged, but drop-ins welcome. For info, call 203-488-1441, ext. 318, or visit events.blackstonelibrary.org.
Book Club:
Noon to 2 p.m. Third Thursday. Atwater Memorial Library Community Room, 1720 Foxon Rd., North Branford. For info, including book titles, or to register, call 203-315-6020 or visit northbranford.librarycalendar.com.
Chair Yoga with Martha:
6:30 p.m. Fourth Tuesday. E.C. Scranton Memorial Library, 801 Boston Post Rd., Madison. For info or to register, call 203-245-7365 or visit scrantonlibrary.org.
Christ Episcopal Church Choir Rehearsal:
7 to 9 p.m.
Thursdays. Christ Episcopal Church Parish Hall, 11 Park St., Guilford. For info, email admin@christchurchguilford.org.
Christian Science Church Service and Sunday School:
10:30 to 11:30 a.m. Sundays. First Church of Christ, Scientist, 49 Park St., Guilford. Open to all. For info, call 203453-1975 or visit christianscienceCT.org/Guilford.
Christian Science Testimony Meeting:
7:30 to 8:30 p.m. Wednesdays. First Church of Christ, Scientist, 49 Park St., Guilford. Open to all. For info, call 203-453-1975 or visit christianscienceCT.org/Guilford.
Coastal Camera Club Meeting:
7 p.m. First and third Wednesdays. Via Zoom. To register (required), contact wfrprs@att.net. For info, visit coastalcameraclub.org.
Color and Conversation:
6 to 7:30 p.m. Last Monday. James Blackstone Memorial Library, 758 Main St., Branford. Registration is not required. For info, call 203-4881441, ext. 318, or visit events.blackstonelibrary.org.
Community Breakfast
: 9 to 10 a.m. Saturdays. First Congregational Church of Madison, 26 Meetinghouse Ln. Hosted by The Shoreline Soup Kitchen & Pantries, Madison. For info, email mainoffice@fccmadison.org or visit shorelinesoupkitchens.org.
Craft of the Month:
6 to 7:30 p.m. First Tuesday. Creative Loft at the E.C. Scranton Memorial Library, 801 Boston Post Rd., Madison. For info or to register, visit scrantonlibrary.org.
Creative Craft Night
: 6 p.m. Tuesdays. Creative Loft at the E.C. Scranton Memorial Library, 801 Boston Post Rd., Madison. No registration required. For info, visit scrantonlibrary.org.
Dementia and Alzheimer’s Caregivers Support Group:
10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Second Thursday. Edward Smith Library, 3 Old Post Rd., Northford. Free. For info or to register, call 203-484-0469 or visit northbranford.librarycalendar.com.
Duplicate Bridge:
12:30 p.m. Fridays. Joseph Trapasso Community House, 46 Church St., Branford. For info, call 203-915-5987 or email tillerjock@gmail.com.
Ekphrastic Poetry Trust:
3 to 4:30 p.m. Second Tuesday. E.C. Scranton Memorial Library, 801 Boston Post Rd., Madison. Participants create poetry from art. No registration required. For info, call 203-245-7365 or visit scrantonlibrary.org.
Exploring Our Grief Journey: A Grief Support Group:
6 to 7:30 p.m. Mondays. James Blackstone Memorial Library, 758 Main St., Branford. Registration is not required. For info, call 203-488-1441, ext. 318, or visit events.blackstonelibrary.org.
F3 Shoreline Men’s Bootcamp Workout:
5:30 a.m. Fridays. Madison Town Campus, 8 Campus Dr. Free and open to all men. Held outdoors rain or shine. For info, email F3shoreline@gmail.com.
Family Support Group:
6 p.m. First Monday. Via Zoom. Offered by BHcare. A group for family members and caregivers who assist people through their journey of mental wellness. For info, call 203-800-7177 or visit BHcare.org.
Fiber Arts Club:
10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Fridays. E.C. Scranton Memorial Library, 801 Boston Post Rd., Madison. Drop-ins welcome. Bring your own project. For info, call 203-245-7365 or visit scrantonlibrary.org.
Forever Young: A Young Adult Book Club:
6 to 7:30 p.m. Last Wednesday bimonthly. E.C. Scranton Memorial Library, 801 Boston Post Rd., Madison. For info or to register, call 203-245-7365 or visit scranton.librarycalendar.com.
Friday Movie Matinee:
2 to 4 p.m. Second and fourth Fridays. E.C. Scranton Memorial Library, 801 Boston Post Rd., Madison. Registration recommended. For info or to register, call 203-245-7365 or visit scrantonlibrary.org.
See page 39
Goodspeed Musicals Announces 2025 Season at Terris Theatre
Press Release from Goodspeed Musicals
Two-time Tony Award-winning Goodspeed Musicals announces a season of two brand-new musicals at the Terris Theatre in Chester. One is the latest from a Tony, Oscar, and Grammy-winning songwriting team who have a long history with the theatre, and the other is a new musical homegrown through Goodspeed’s Festival of New Musicals. Both musicals are at the early stages of their lives, and the teams will focus on developing the work throughout their time at the Terris. With audience feedback, changes will be made to both the book and score, which is a hallmark of the Terris Theatre. To allow as much flexibility for change as possible, the set and costumes will be kept simple so the show can change daily if necessary. The season will open with the heartfelt new musical revue , which will run from May 24 to June 15. At first, they were . After a few years, they were Now, decades later, the legendary awardwinning writing team of Richard Maltby, Jr. and David Shire complete the trilogy they didn’t know they were creating... . From long-ago love affairs and ambitions of the past to techsavvy grandkids and lost keys, this funny and touching revue features all new songs about people navigating the joys and challenges of growing older while staying young in spirit.
About Time
Starting Here, Starting Now Closer Than Ever
About Time
About Time
Baby Big Starting Here Starting Now Closer Than Ever Norma Rae Saturday Night Fever
The Story of My Life The 60’s Project Miss Saigon The Story of My Life Fosse Big Baby Ain’t Misbehavin’ About Time
Starting Here Starting Now Closer Than Ever On the Town Ragtime
features music by Academy and Grammy Award-winner David Shire (Broadway: , ; Off-Broadway: , ; ; Film: (Academy Award for Best Song), (two Grammy Awards for Album Of The Year)) with lyrics by Tony Award-winning director Richard Maltby, Jr. (The Terris: , ; Broadway: , , , , , (Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical)). Maltby will also direct the musical. completes a trilogy about life by Maltby and Shire that began in 1976 with , , and continued in 1989 with . The production will feature choreography and musical staging by Tony-nominated Marcia Milgrom Dodge (The Goodspeed: , Broadway: ).
The Great Emu War
The Great Emu War
The season will conclude with a new “EMUsical” comedy, , which will run Oct. 3 to 26. Remember that one time that the Australian government sent their army with machine guns
to wage war on emus in Western Australia? Neither do most people…but when Edith, the headstrong warbler, and her flock begin to feed on the wheat of local farmers—the humans take up arms against Australia’s favorite feathered friends. Think of it as Cats but with emus. It’s the most emusing 90 minutes you’ll have in any theatre…don’t miss it! features a book by Cal Silberstein, a West Australian writer, performer, producer, and dramaturg whose works have been performed in the United States and beyond. Music and lyrics are by Paul Hodge, an award-winning writer-composer from Brisbane whose work has been produced Off-Broadway, in London, Edinburgh, and Australia, including at the Sydney Opera House. The Great Emu War will be directed and choregraphed by Amy Anders Corcoran
(The Goodspeed: Christmas in Connecticut; Broadway: Escape to Margaritaville, associate director; Off-Broadway: Unexpected Joy).
“We are proud to play a significant role in the future of musical theatre through our commitment to new musical development,” said Artistic Director Donna Lynn Hilton. “At The Terris Theatre, there is a wonderful synergy of writers putting their work in front of an audience for the first time and an audience that is eager to see something new and help shape it through their feedback. The result is not just an entertaining evening, but an investment in the future that comes with bragging rights to tell the world, ‘I saw it first at Goodspeed!’”
For the past 41 years, The Terris Theatre has been Goodspeed’s home for developing fresh, innovative, and original new
musicals. Many new and reimagined musicals have been developed in Chester before moving on to Broadway, Off-Broadway, national tours, and other regional theatres. Audiences are invited to “see it here first” and enjoy being part of creating brand-new musicals.
Season tickets for shows at The Terris Theatre are on sale now for just $66. Tickets will go on sale to the public on Tuesday, April 8. Goodspeed Memberships for 2025 are available now and provide many benefits to donors at both the Terris Theatre and Goodspeed. For more information, call the Goodspeed box office at 860-873-8668, open weekdays 10 a.m to 5 p.m., or visit www.goodspeed.org.
The Terris Theatre is supported by The Norma Terris/Albert D. Firestone Foundation.
Image courtesy of Goodspeed Musicals
Image courtesy of Goodspeed Musicals The season will conclude with a new “EMUsical” comedy, The Great Emu War, which will run Oct. 3 to 26.
The season will open with the heartfelt new musical revue About Time, which will run from May 24 to June 15.
Continued from page 37 7 to 8:30 p.m. Second and fourth Wednesdays. Via Zoom. Includes guest speaker. All job seekers are welcome. For info or to register (required), call 203-457-0121 or email RussAllen2@aol.com.
12:30 p.m. Mondays. E.C. Scranton Memorial Library, 801 Boston Post Rd., Madison. Bring your own instruments. No registration required. For info, call 203-245-7365 or visit scrantonlibrary.org.
1 to
4 p.m. Saturdays. Harrison House Museum, Barn, and Gardens, 124 Main St., Branford. Open to the public. Free admission but donations are welcome. Runs through September or by appointment. For info, contact 203-488-4828 or info@branfordhistoricalsociety.org.
6:30 p.m. First Monday. E.C. Scranton Memorial Library, 801 Boston Post Rd., Madison. All levels are welcome. No registration required. For info, call 203-2457365 or visit scrantonlibrary.org.
7 p.m. Thursdays and 10 a.m. Saturdays. Via Facebook. Sponsored by La Leche League of Connecticut. For info, visit facebook.com/ groups/LLLofCTDiscussionForum.
6:30 to 7:30 p.m. First and third Mondays. Via Zoom. Sponsored by the E.C. Scranton Memorial Library, 801 Boston Post Rd., Madison. For info or to register (required), visit scrantonlibrary.org.
6 to 7:30 p.m. Tuesdays. E.C. Scranton Memorial Library, 801 Boston Post Rd., Madison. No registration required. All ages welcome. For info, visit scrantonlibrary.org.
Noon. Mondays. E.C. Scranton Memorial Library, 801 Boston Post Rd., Madison. All specimens must be in sealed containers. No registration required. For info, visit scrantonlibrary.org.
Monday Night Mah-jongg:
6 to 8 p.m.
Mondays. Edward Smith Library, 3 Old Post Rd., Northford. Some previous knowledge or experience is helpful, but beginners are welcome. Bring your own mah-jongg set. For info or to register, call 203-484-0469 or visit northbranford.librarycalendar.com.
Sara Levine Helps Kick Off National Library Week
call 203-315-6020 or visit northbranford.librarycalendar.com.
Local author Sara Levine will help kick off National Library Week at the Willoughby Wallace Memorial Library, 146 Thimble Islands Road, Branford, on Sunday, April 6. Levine will read from her latest book, Hello Dog/Hello Human, plus her award-winning picture book Bone by Bone. Afterward, kids will be invited to participate in an activity involving animals and their skeletons. Breakwater Books will be on hand with plenty of Sara’s books for sale and signing. Registration is requested. This event is free, for all ages, and all are welcome. For more details and to register, call 203-488-8702, email staff@wwml.org, or visit www.wwml.org/events/author-event-saralevine.
Local author Sara Levine will help kick off National Library Week at the Willoughby Wallace Memorial Library, 146 Thimble Islands Road, Branford, on Sunday, April 6. Photo courtesy of Sara Levine
1 to 3:30 p.m. Third Friday. Edward Smith Library, 3 Old Post Rd., Northford. For info, including the movie title, call 203-484-0469 or visit northbranford.librarycalendar.com.
Movie Matinee: NAMI Shoreline Family Support Group
:
7 p.m. Last Wednesday. Nathanael B. Greene Community Center, 32 Church St., Guilford. Facilitators trained by the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) offer peer-led support to adults caring for a loved one ages 18 and over experienc-
ing symptoms of a mental health condition. For info, call 860-876-0236 or visit namishoreline.org.
Nimble Thimble:
1:30 p.m. Mondays. Via Zoom. Sponsored by the Madison Senior Center, 29 Bradley Rd. A needlepoint group led by Cynthia Barker. For info or to register (required), call 203-245-5627.
Needle Arts Group:
10 a.m. to noon. Wednesdays. Atwater Memorial Library, 1720 Foxon Rd., North Branford. For info,
Noon to 12:30 p.m. Fridays. Christ Episcopal Church Parish Hall, 11 Park St., Guilford. For info, email admin@christchurcguilford.org.
Noon Meditation Music: Open Mic Night:
6 to 7:30 p.m. First Thursday. E.C. Scranton Memorial Library, 801 Boston Post Rd. Led by Madison Poet Laurate Ed Lent. For info or to register (required), call 203-245-7365 or visit scranton.librarycalendar.com.
Parkinson's Disease Support Group Meeting
: 1 to 3 p.m. First Saturday. Branford Community House, 46 Church St. Includes guest speakers and care partner sharing sessions. For info, email allysonk11@yahoo.com.
Pat’s Picks Movie Club:
1 p.m. Second Thursday. Atwater Memorial Library community room, 1720 Foxon Rd., North Branford. Free. For info, including movie titles, or to register, call 203-315-6020 or visit northbranford.librarycalendar.com.
Poetry Cafe:
11 a.m. to noon. First and third Saturdays. Via Zoom. Sponsored by the James Blackstone Memorial Library, 758 Main St., Branford. Free. To register (required), visit blackstonelibrary.org. For info, email programs@blackstonelibrary.org.
Theater Urinetown
: Guilford High School Auditorium, 605 New England Rd. Presented by the Guilford High School Theatre Arts (GHSTA). Runs through April 6. For info or tickets, visit ghstaps.org.
Yale Repertory Theatre, 1120 Chapel St., New Haven. Runs April 25 through May 17. For info, call 203-4321234 or visit yalerep.org.
Notes on Killing Seven Oversight, Management, and Economic Stability Board Members: Shrek The Musical
: Cabaret on Main Theater, 597 Main St., East Haven. Runs April 25 through May 11. For info, call 203-2089592 or visit cabaret-on-main.com.
To submit an event to the Living Calendar, send an email to news@shorepublishing.com. For more events, both local and farther afield, or to enter your event online, visit our website zip06.com. The deadline for submissions is noon, eight days prior to the publication date.
Book cover courtesy of Sara Levine
Press release from Willoughby Wallace Memorial Library
Photo courtesy of Sara Levine
Guilford Job Network Meeting:
Guitar Club:
Harrison House Museum Tours:
iPhone Photography Collaborative:
La Leche Virtual Meetings:
Madison Movie Chat:
Maker Meet-up:
Master Gardener Clinic:
John Izzo Guilford
Karen Rosenthal Guilford
Kimberly Bailey Madison
Clare Guest Guilford
Robert Teodosio Madison
The Mooney Mishler Team Branford
Kling Donegan Team Branford
Jennifer Gurnell Guilford
Jessica Kimball Madison
The Whiteman Team Guilford
Farmer-Winsch Team Madison
Rose Bevilaqua Madison The Deborah Rowe Team Guilford
