Summer Issue - 2016 by OrangeLife Magazine

SUMMER 2016 ISSUE #13

MAGAZINE

Contents SUMMER 2016 ISSUE #13

MAGAZINE

Publisher Paul J. Grimmer, Executive Director Orange Economic Development Corporation Annemarie F. Sliby, Executive Director Orange Economic Development Corporation

Editors Mary Bialy Orange Economic Development Corporation Anna Accetta, Executive Director Orange Chamber of Commerce

Contributing Writers Liz Browning, George Catalano, Alyssa Davanzo, Thomas Falcigno, Elizabeth Keyser, Kimberly Kick, Daina Larkin, Brandon Liebnick, Bob Sigler, Karen Singer, Frank Szivos

Contributing Photographers

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Myla Chadwick, Olivia Falcigno, Paula Severino

Cover Photo Olivia Falcigno

Advertisement & Graphic Artist Paula Severino

Design & Production

Dale J Pavlik

| DJP Design LLC | djpdesignllc.com

Printing RR Donnelly OrangeLife Magazine is distributed semi-annually by the: Orange Economic Development Corporation (OEDC) 605A Orange Center Road Orange, Connecticut 06477 Phone: 203-891-1045 Fax: 203-891-1044 www.OrangeLife.net | www.facebook.com/OrangeLifeMagazine

Submit your ideas and photos If you have an idea for a story you would like to see featured in OrangeLife Magazine, please submit them to: pgrimmer@orangeedc.com Also, we are always looking for seasonal photographs for our covers (June and December). If you have any winter or summer scenes, please send them to the email above as well. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written permission of the OEDC. The OEDC shall not be held liable for typographical errors or errors in the publication or for failure to publish an advertisement. For more information, email PGrimmer@OrangeEDC.com

On the Cover 2015 Memorial Day Parade

| MEET THE ORANGELIFE TEAM

CT BURNS CARE FOUNDATION Changing Lives One Child at a Time COLONIAL PROPERTIES A Family Legacy ELECTION 2016 Student’s Perspective from Inside the Beltway MEMORIAL DAY Day of Remembrance Traces back to 1922 DR. JEFFERY ARNEL A Pain Relief Specialist EDUCATION Child Care Prep Tips for Parents-to-Be KNIGHT’S POWER EQUIPMENT An Orange Treasure and Boston Post Road Landmark

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ORANGE GARDEN CLUB Community Service Through Gardening

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CALENDAR OF EVENTS Fall and Winter Calendar

WAYBACK BURGERS Take the Triple Triple Challenge SHOPRITE SUPERMARKET Opening Slated for Fall 2016 MERLE’S RECORD RACK The Link Between Music’s Past and Present ORANGE POLICE DEPARTMENT Keeping Our Residents Safe HEALTH AND BEAUTY Cosmetic Procedures are on the Rise ALEEZ SALON AND SPA A Stylish and Tranquil Sanctuary RENO’S 2.0 The Ultimate Wood Fired Pizza Experience ORANGE CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH 8th Annual Strawberry Festival: June 11, 2016

AMITY HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETES Shining On and Off the Field CONSERVATION COMMISSION Focus on your Open Spaces SUMMER 2016

Publisher’s Letter After 14 years and 7 months as Executive Director of the Orange Economic Development Corporation, I have chosen to take another opportunity and have officially resigned. As I depart, please know that the reins have been handed over to Annemarie Sliby, who I trust will do an admirable job guiding the OEDC for the foreseeable future. I have a great number of people to thank. First, I wish to extend my sincerest thanks to First Selectman James Zeoli for his guidance over these last several years, as well as the town’s Board of Selectman, all the town employees and to the residents of Orange. My time serving you has truly been memorable and quite enjoyable. Next, I wish to thank OEDC President Alan Fischer and Economic Development Chairman Armand Cantafio for their leadership and years of counsel. I also had the great fortune to have worked with a number of wonderful people who served on the OEDC Board of Directors and the Economic Development Commission. Since it is impossible to thank everyone individually in such a brief statement, please know that I appreciate all of you for all of your efforts. Finally, Mary Bialy, thank you for your effort, time and commitment to making the OEDC run efficiently and effectively. You played a big part in our successes over these last several years. Your support, patience and hard work has not gone unnoticed. So, Issue #13 of The OrangeLife Magazine will be my last. But rest assured, we have built a great team and that team will continue to produce a wonderful community magazine. For a full review of our current and past issues of The OrangeLife Magazine please visit our beautiful website at orangelife.net. Thank you. PAUL J. GRIMMER

Executive Director, OEDC

SUMMER 2016

PUBLISHER’S LETTER

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SUMMER 2016

Changing Lives, One Child at a Time WRITTEN BY: FRANK SZIVOS

A father and daughter were working on a project in the garage when the propane heater to keep them warm accidentally toppled over. In an instant, the daughter’s clothes caught on ﬁre. Her father doused the flames as quickly as he could, but his daughter had sustained serious burn injuries that would require months of hospitalization and medical treatment. For the rest of her life, she would carry her scars on her shoulder, arm, and leg. Burn injuries can happen in a moment and if serious enough, are often devastating and life-altering. The Connecticut Burns Care Foundation and its Arthur C. Luf Burn Camp were founded to support burn survivors, primarily children who have sustained burn injuries that have dramatically changed their lives. HELPING PEOPLE IN NEED

Armand Cantafio of Orange and President of the Connecticut Burns Care Foundation believes it’s his duty to help young burn survivors. Helping people in need is something that is just part of his makeup. “It’s important to give back,” Cantafio said. “I’m certainly not the only one. I have to do these things. I’m not going to sit home and just hang around.” His outstanding career as an engineer and businessman is well documented, but what he wants to be remembered for is his work as President of the Board of the Connecticut Burns Care Foundation and its Arthur C. Luf Children’s Burn Camp with its administrative office in Milford. He joined the board in 1978 and since 2006, has served as president, guiding the growth of the foundation. As the father of three SUMMER 2016

children and grandfather to 12, kids have always been a top priority. “Burn injuries are devastating for anyone, but especially children,” he said. “Our Children’s Burn Camp means the world to our kids. They come to the camp, and receive respect and start on a healing path, regaining their self-conﬁdence. I’m very proud of being involved because burn survivors don’t typically draw a lot of attention. They don’t have a voice. We advocate for them.”

“The camp was definitely a confidence booster,” Rebecca said. “I met kids who were going through similar challenges as me. The camp gave me the chance to take a break from the daily reality of being burned. The camp definitely helped me grow into who I am today.”

Mr. Armand Cantafio President, Connecticut Burns Care Foundation

THE CHILDREN’S BURN CAMP

The Connecticut Burns Care Foundation launched the Children’s Burn Camp in 1991 and settled in Union, CT 17 years ago after starting at other sites. The one-week, sleepover camp, which takes place from July 17-24th this year, serves young burn survivors between the ages of 8-18, and is offered at no cost to the campers or their families. “It’s quite an undertaking to provide a place for these kids even for a week,” Cantaﬁo said. “It might not

“We’re not exaggerating when we say we have seen kids change drastically in a short time,” Cantaﬁo explained. “These kids are amazing and very brave since many have gone through many surgeries to recover from their burns.” WANT A PERMANENT HOME

Connecticut Burns Care Foundation Summer Camp – Children Having Fun

sound like a long time, but we’ve seen what an amazing difference it can make in a child when they return each year.” An Orange resident since 1998, Cantafio points to former camper and now counselor Rebecca Ukaegbu from Massachusetts, who came to camp after fleeing Nigeria where she was injured in a house fire at nine years old. She is a prime example of how the Children’s Burn Camp helped her on a road to recovery and emotional healing. After graduating from camp, she later became a counselor to help young burn survivors like her, who needed guidance in recovering from their injuries. Today, she is a first-year medical student at the University of Massachusetts in Worcester, MA. Her path to reaching medical school after immigrating to MA with her mother, aunt, two siblings and cousins was a serious challenge – one that she met beyond her dreams. She credits the Children’s Burn Camp with helping her be grounded and find the courage to pursue her goal. “The camp was definitely a confidence booster,” Rebecca said. “I met kids who were going through similar challenges as me. The camp gave me the chance to take a break from the daily reality of being burned. The camp definitely helped me grow into who I am today.” The Children’s Burn Camp stretches over 176 acres with a large pond that 10

offers about 80 campers per year a fun and challenging camping experience. For seven days, they participate in an intense schedule of traditional camping activities, such as boating, water sports, archery, ropes course, paint ball, arts and crafts, basketball and volleyball. What makes this camp unique is that every camper has severe burn injuries. MAKING A DIFFERENCE

These dynamic helps children feel comfortable and acclimated to camp as soon as they arrive. Of course, the entire volunteer staff, comprised of firefighters (retired and active), nurses, physical therapists, adult burn survivors as well as camp alumni, help mentor the children. Cantafio also tells the anecdote about a young female camper, whose mother called the Connecticut Burns Care Foundation as soon as her child returned from camp. Her mother thanked the camp staff for “giving her back her child.” The mother said her daughter always loved to be outdoors in the summer, swimming and playing. After she was burned in a freak accident, she wore only sweatshirts and sweatpants (even in summer) to hide her injuries. When the daughter came to camp, she felt at ease and quickly developed a strong bond with her fellow campers. In no time, she lost her sweats and was diving in the water in her bathing suit again, regaining her joy for life that she had prior to the accident.

After all the hard work raising donations for the Children’s Burn Camp, it still doesn’t have a permanent home. Since 1999, the Connecticut Burns Care Foundation has leased the Children’s Burn Camp site from the Boy Scouts of America. While it has been a mutually beneﬁcial relationship, the Connecticut Burns Care Foundation wants to own its camp, which would allow it to expand programs for adult burn survivors. As an example, Cantaﬁo foresees extending services to returning veterans with burn injuries.

“We want to own our own camp,” he said. “We could do so much more, and include more adult burn survivors that could possibly become counselors for the kids.” A Marine Corps veteran, Cantaﬁo still loves his job and the charitable work he does for others. If you call him an extraordinary person, so be it. He just views himself as someone who will always try to do the right thing – especially for burn survivors. “We want the kids at our burn camp to know that we care. When you’re a child with serious burn injuries, you need someone to encourage you to keep pursuing dreams. That’s what we do.” 쮿

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THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS

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SUMMER 2016

Colonial Properties: A Family Legacy WRITTEN BY: DAINA LARKIN

On the surface, Orange is a sweet little town alight with charm, rich in open land and bustling with community activity. At its core it’s proven to be a hotbed for business, especially for those with roots deep in Orange soil. Colonial Properties is a leading commercial real estate agency in New Haven County, started by longtime Orange resident Gary Richetelli in 1978. Almost 20 years later, Gary’s son Mike took the reins, and the business has continued to flourish under his care. The agency handles multi-million dollar commercial and investment properties with extreme care and loyalty, earning it an esteemed reputation after 40 years. EXPANDING INTO RESIDENTIAL

“We pride ourselves on being an independent, locally-owned, and family-operated business,” Mike remarked. “Both my parents grew up in Orange. I live in Orange. We’ve always had a presence here, which plays a role in part of our expansion to focusing more on residential.” Colonial Properties has dealt with the residential market on a select basis, usually in special cases for their commercial clients. Mike seeks to extend the agency’s reach into residential real estate following his 2014 acquisition of Milford-based Nutmeg Realty, that brought several qualiﬁed, experienced residential specialists on board. “This became the impetus for us to grow our residential division,” Mike said. “They’ve been creating traction, building up some steam for us. It’s worked out really well.”

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CLIENT-CENTRIC SERVICE

Mike suspects the success Colonial Properties has enjoyed will translate well into the residential realm, as he carries over the same philosophy and care to this aspect of his business. “We bring the same level of professionalism, putting our clients first when representing them to sell or buy a home, which is often their most valuable asset,” he said. Colonial Properties has been undergoing a rebranding process, with new signs and updated marketing campaigns. Already very familiar with the local real estate market, Mike feels confident going forward. “As a locally owned and operated small business, we can differentiate Colonial Properties from the larger ‘corporate’ real estate firms,” he commented. “We live and work in the Orange market every day; we have roots here and know the market as well as anyone.” Michael Richetelli, Broker/President

GIVING BACK TO THE COMMUNITY

Mike has always been actively involved in the Orange community, being part of the Rotary Club and having served as its President for a time. He makes a point to give back to the town, and Colonial Properties regularly supports community endeavors, including local sports teams and events put on by the Rotary and Lions Clubs.

Being a small and local business has a personal quality that Mike cherishes. “Our clients have access to meet or talk to me at any time to discuss their property,” he said. “That type of accountability and access to the owner of a brokerage is just not feasible with many other ﬁrms.” 쮿

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SUMMER 2016

Election 2016 From Inside the Beltway WRITTEN BY: THOMAS FALCIGNO

From a young age I took a keen interest in government and politics. That interest turned into a passion, which will hopefully turn into a career in public service. Therefore, it was only natural that during my junior year in high school, I was focused solely on attending college in the center of the American political arena, Washington D.C. It got to the point that our minds became consumed with the election. We would analyze who had won or lost the debates, intensely follow every political analyst on Twitter, predict who would drop out next, and develop strategies for what each candidate should do to get ahead. One of us even made a online group chat called “The Loop,” where we could post interesting political articles and comment on the news of the day so we could still talk about the election, even when we weren’t together.

I ended up choosing to attend The George Washington University, which for many years has been known to be the most politically active school in the entire nation. Yes, there are students who major in something other than international affairs or political science, but if you can not name all nine Supreme Court justices and a majority of the President’s Cabinet, you may feel a little left out. PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS

One of the premier marketing pitches that GW sells to potential freshman is the fact that at one point out of your four undergraduate years, you will experience a presidential election cycle in the nation’s capital, just four blocks away from the White House. Countless pictures of GW students running down to the White House after the election is over in November can be found blanketing school brochures. To any normal person, this may seem to be obvious or dull, but to a student like me, this was a moment I couldn’t wait for. As the election began to heat up in the fall of 2015 with the many Republican and Democratic presidential debates, I realized it was quite normal for students at GW to hold debate watch parties. Fraternities, sororities, and other groups on campus would gather in classrooms or theaters in academic SUMMER 2016

THE IOWA CAUCUSES

Thomas Falcigno, George Washington University

buildings to watch debates and cheer on their respective candidates. THE GREAT DEBATES

For me, I preferred to watch the debates with a few of my closest friends in a residence hall room where we could stream the debates on someone’s laptop. Every time the debate went to a commercial it almost became a competition among the few of us for who could get their comments and views expressed to the room before the debate came back on the screen.

Fast-forward to February 1; the famous Iowa Caucuses. For anyone interested in politics, the Iowa Caucuses can feel like Christmas morning. As opposed to rushing down to see what Santa had left under the Christmas tree, students at GW would run to their nearest TV screen in hopes that a projected winner would soon be delivered by Wolf Blitzer on CNN. What I realized on that day was that at GW, students and even faculty planned around the Iowa Caucuses. Events and meetings for student organizations were canceled and I even remember getting an email from my professor noting class would be postponed so “he could watch the Iowa results come in.” This same

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Breaking out of the beltway politics can almost be like adjusting to a new time zone. You come to realize that most Americans don’t pay attention to the everyday actions of every candidate or political ﬁgure. Many Americans are just into getting the big picture of what’s going on. Frankly, I don’t blame them. It can be tiring (and somewhat depressing depending on your political views) having to keep up with every movement of the polls and which candidate attacked another candidate each day. The only reason I do it is because I live and breathe this stuff. I enjoy it, but I shouldn’t expect others to enjoy it as much as I do.

pattern occurred again for other primary contests like Super Tuesday. We are only in the early months of spring and already the election cycle has dominated the GW community. The school has hosted numerous panels and guests, like Jorge Ramos, Anderson Cooper, and Hillary Clinton, for students and faculty to attend.

of the debates? The ﬁrst votes are only a couple weeks from being cast and they don’t know how they feel about the election? Immediately I realized that I wasn’t in Washington D.C. anymore. I was in rural town hundreds of miles away from the nation’s capital and GW.

During that Winter break, I learned a valuable lesson that the world outside of Washington D.C. has other, in this case, more important things to worry about than a presidential election that is more than six months away. While life in Washington D.C. seems to depend on the political drama that occurs during an election year, most Americans simply don’t pay attention until they need or want to, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. 쮿

There is not doubt that presidential elections place the GW community inside a bubble, where the voices can be so loud, you can sometimes forget that there is a world outside the 2016 presidential election. ELECTION APATHY?

When I came home to Orange, Connecticut during Winter break, that bubble I was in immediately popped. When I am with family or friends, sometimes the topic of politics came up with those who were even somewhat interested in the subject. They would ask for my opinion on the state of the election and I would tell them. However, when I would ask for their opinions, the standard answer I would receive is, “Oh, I haven’t been thinking about the election too much,” or “I don’t really know yet.” I responded with a simple “okay,” but inside I was shocked. How have none of these people watched any 16

SUMMER 2016

Celebrating the Townâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Memorial Day Ceremonies for 96 Years

Day of Remembrance Traces Back to 1922 WRITTEN BY: KAREN SINGER

As a crowd gathers on Sunday, May 29, 2016 for the town’s Memorial Day Ceremonies, Kevin Gilbert will be working until the very last moment to make sure the annual event goes off without a hitch. “My job is to worry,” says Gilbert, who has been Memorial Day Coordinator for more than three decades. Nine bands are on the roster this year, including the Orange Elementary School Marching Band, Amity Regional High School Band, New Haven County Fireﬁghters Emerald Society Pipe and Drums Corps, Pyramid Temple of Masons, New Haven Gaelic Highland Pipe Band and the Milford Volunteers Ancient Fife and Drum Corp. The parade will follow the usual route from High Plains Community Center

to Orange Center Cemetery, going down Orange Center Road, past the reviewing stand across from the Green and into the cemetery, where American Legion Post #127 will oversee a second ceremony. FEATURED PARTICIPANTS

The 2016 Parade Announcer is Fred O’Brien. The Grand Marshal is Arnold J. Casola and the Chief of Staff is James T. Dallas. The 2016 speaker is Emily Dewey Trudeau, a veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom, a Deputy Assistant State’s Attorney with the States Attorney’s Ofﬁce for the Judicial District of Fairﬁeld and Chair

of the Connecticut Bar Association’s Veterans and Military Affairs Section. In addition, Gilbert says, “We are going to honor Magdelan (Marge) Cronin, a 100-year-old Orange resident who has made a wreath every year for our memorial ceremonies since the 1980s.” A member of the American Legion Women’s Auxiliary, Cronin carried the wreath in the parade from 1983 to 2005. Her niece, Anna May Pieger, now marches in her place. “We also will have the annual in memoriam to honor the memory of the veterans who died last year,” Gilbert says. Twenty-seven veterans were honored during the 2015 event. HOW MEMORIAL DAY CAME TO BE

The origins of a Memorial Day observance in Orange can be traced to a September 27, 1922 notice of the annual town meeting, in an item “to provide for the observance of Memorial Day.” During the October 3, 1922 town meeting, a nine-member Memorial Day Committee was formed, including Mrs. William A. Knight, Francis A. Haines, Patrick B. O’Sullivan, Walter S. Hine and Robert J. Woodruff. A three-member committee also was appointed “to consider the matter of a war memorial on the Green.” (Originally a wooden tablet, the memorial was replaced by a bronze tablet on a boulder, which was ofﬁcially dedicated on May 29, 1932, at the end of Memorial Day exercises.) 20

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one of the honorees died the night before the parade,” Gilbert says. “We went on with the ceremonies and honored him posthumously.” In 2015, U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal was a last-minute substitute for the keynote speaker. The committee relies on the contributions of “dozens of friends” to make the Memorial Day ceremonies work, according to Gilbert. “Someone donates the reviewing stand,” he says. “Another person donates the two outhouses along the route.”

Don and Mary Jewell Participating in the 2015 Memorial Day Parade

A STORIED HISTORY

In the early days, Memorial Day ceremonies were held at the Orange Congregational Church. Reciting the Gettysburg Address was once an integral part of the program. Town Clerk Patrick O’Sullivan says his father, Thomas O’Sullivan, and his uncle, James O’Sullivan, recited the Abraham Lincoln speech to commemorate Memorial Day in late 1920s. O’Sullivan followed in their footsteps. He recalls winning a 6th grade contest to recite the Gettysburg Address during a rainy Memorial Day ceremony in 1963 at the Mary L. Tracy School.

several ﬁreﬁghters and Orange Police Chief Robert Gagne. Selecting the year’s Honored Veteran and Speaker can be the most problematic. “Historically, everybody says, No, they don’t want to be honored” Gilbert says. “Most of the time we convince them to say “yes.” NEED TO BE NIMBLE

Others supply the sound system, a bus to shuttle people between the fairgrounds and cemetery and other critical services. “The fellow who provides open air cars is no longer with us,” Gilbert adds. “But his sons and grandsons continue the tradition.” This year’s Memorial Day observance begins at 10:30 a.m. on May 29, with a ceremony at the Orange Fairgrounds gazebo. The parade starts immediately afterward. If it rains, the ceremonies will be in the High Plains Community Center. 쮿

Sometimes program changes need to be made quickly. “Several years ago,

By the time Gilbert became Memorial Day Coordinator in the early 1980s, a ceremony in front of High Plains Community Center preceded the parade. “The event was quite small,” he recalls. “It wasn’t until quite a bit later, when the town took down the woods to create the fairgrounds, that we convinced the fair committee to put up the gazebo. “Once that happened, it started growing.” These days the ceremony turnout is increasing, Gilbert says, but far more people are interested in watching the parade. Gilbert begins planning about six months in advance of the annual Memorial Day ceremonies. He works with other members of a town-appointed committee, which currently includes two attorneys, SUMMER 2016

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Dr. Jeffrey Arnel: A Pain Relief Specialist WRITTEN BY: KAREN SINGER

Most people seek a chiropractor for relief from pain. But going when you’re not in pain could prevent its recurrence, according to Jeffrey Arnel, who founded Arnel Family Chiropractic at 233 Boston Post Road more than 22 years ago. “There’s an assumption of health in the absence of symptoms, and that’s a trap door,” Dr. Arnel says. “It’s like saying, ‘I don’t have cavities so I don’t need to brush my teeth.’ “The spine is always being abused, and all of the little micro traumas that happen silently build up over time.”

“I have helped thousands of people since then with common things like neck pain, back pain and headaches, and I’ve prevented surgeries by correcting spines.” A PRINCIPLED CHIROPRACTOR

Dr. Arnel, 52, describes himself as a “principled chiropractor,” which means he relies solely on chiropractic techniques to “identify and correct misalignment of vertebrae to maximize the efﬁciency of the nervous system.” And that, he says, creates optimal conditions for the body’s innate ability to heal itself. A diagram in Dr. Arnel’s ofﬁce compares the spinal column to circuit breakers or a fuse box in a house, SUMMER 2016

with spinal nerves controlling various parts of the body. “These nerves are really carriers of life,” he says. “When there’s a disruption along the route, it’s like you’re stepping on a hose when watering a garden. “By opening up those nerve pathways, you speed up the flow of life.” A native of Far Rockaway, New York, Arnel was a computer operator before attending the Life Chiropractic College in Marietta, Georgia. After graduating with a Doctor of Chiropractic degree in 1991, he worked at his brother’s chiropractic ofﬁce in White Plains, New York for several years before starting his own practice in Orange in 1994. “I have helped thousands of people since then with common things like neck pain, back pain and headaches, and I’ve prevented surgeries by correcting spines,” Dr. Arnel says. He also offers chiropractic care, without cost, to members of the military. “He has saved my life and livelihood,” says Gloria Farquhar, a 66-year-old waitress who has seen Dr. Arnel since 1996. “I feel much better because of him,” adds Frances Brandes, 76, of Milford. Dozens of photographs of smiling patients and written testimonials adorn a waiting room wall. “Nobody comes in here for the ﬁrst time saying, ‘I feel great,’” Dr. Arnel says. “That’s the ideal chiropractic patient.”

Dr. Jeffrey Arnel, Arnel Family Chiropractic

THREE SIMPLE GOALS

Dr. Arnel has three goals for each patient. “Number one to get them out of pain as fast as possible,” he says. “The second goal is to work on correcting the alignment, which is predisposed to relapse. And my ﬁnal goal is for them to segue into a lifestyle that will keep them clear to the flow of life through the nervous system so they can maximize the gift of life from the inside out, not the outside in.” 쮿

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SUMMER 2016

Child Care Prep Tips for Parents-to-Be WRITTEN BY: KIMBERLY KICK, OWNER, THE GODDARD SCHOOL

Expectant parents have a lot on their minds from shopping for playpens, to stocking up on diapers, to baby prooﬁng the house. They also have to make a decision about child care. If both parents are going back to work after the baby’s arrival, one thing that must be added to the checklist is ﬁnding high-quality child care. START EARLY

The best time to begin researching child care providers for your infant is before your child is born. It might sound a little silly to begin your search so early, but there are a few good reasons to do so. Many families reserve their children’s spots early on, creating long waiting lists at many child care providers. A mom-tobe who waits until the last trimester may encounter some restriction in going out and taking a tour, especially if she needs bed rest. The sooner you ﬁnd a provider that you are comfortable with, the sooner you can relax and enjoy the time with your newborn. LOCATION

Another factor to consider is location. You may feel more comfortable having a child care provider close to home, but you’ll need to think about whether this creates problems with picking your child up on time after work due to trafﬁc. You could also choose a location closer to your work, but this could create problems if you ever work from home. If you choose to breast feed, it is more practical to pick a location near your workplace, this way you may be able to go to your baby and nurse. Find out the designated area for breast feeding and if there is a quiet place where you can do this. A few other questions to ask is which parent will be primarily SUMMER 2016

responsible for dropping off and picking up your child, or will you share that role. If you’re sharing the role perhaps you should ﬁnd a child care provider that is centrally located. HEALTH & SAFETY

There is nothing more important than your child’s safety, and when it comes to health and safety there is no question too big or small. Find out if proper hand washing techniques are being utilized. Go ahead and ask about diapering procedures, and whether the location is cleaned every day by a professional. Be clear about any illness policy that determines when children are too ill to attend. Take a tour and see for yourself if the environment is clean and inviting. With all of the concern over immunizations these days, it’s important to ask if the school requires a medical screen and updated immunizations in order to enroll a child, and if the teachers have to provide a medical screen as well. DIRECTOR AND TEACHER QUALIFICATIONS

You’ll certainly want to ﬁnd out if the school employs teachers with education and experience in Early

Childhood Education. Don’t assume that the school requires ongoing teacher training and development, ask about their plans for ongoing professional development. Make sure to inquire whether teachers are required to have ﬁrst aid/CPR training. It’s important to know if children are supervised by sight and sound at all times and if the group sizes are small. Smaller group sizes and low teacher-to-child ratios ensure better supervision and safety. These ratios vary from state to state, so inquire about regulations.

GET ANOTHER OPINION

Getting a third party opinion is not a bad idea either. You shouldn’t base your decision solely on that, but getting input from friends and family deﬁnitely helps in making a decision. To get a real sense of what the typical day is like at the child care provider, you should also make it a point to visit during hours of operation. Plan ahead by asking about other classrooms as well so that you can see the program that your child will attend as he/she grows. 쮿

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SUMMER 2016

Knight’s: An Orange Treasure and Boston Post Road Landmark WRITTEN BY: DAINA LARKIN

Small retailers are outnumbered and loomed over in a world of chain stores and big warehouses, but certainly not overshadowed. Knights Inc., a family-owned power equipment business, far exceeds its competition in heart and roots. The three-generations-strong Knights Inc., headed by John Knight and his brother Fred, has operated out of its Post Road storefront since Frank Knight bought the property back in 1954. The original storefront has been added onto through the years, but it remains very much the same: power equipment prominently displayed for sale, a service garage in the back, and the Knight family ever-present to help customers.

of outdoor power equipment as well as service and parts. While the backbone of the staff is made up of Knight family members, several technicians and experts work in John’s employ to provide the rounded experience customers have come to expect. Knights employees know their equipment inside-out.

GREAT CUSTOMER SERVICE

“We know our customers, and they know if they have a question or problem they’ve got a place to come to where a member of the family will take care of it,” John said. “They appreciate that. People like to buy from a family business. “

A PROUD HERITAGE

Brother John and Fred work alongside John’s son, Bryan, and Bryan’s son-inlaw, Greg. John and Fred’s mother, Doris, manages the books. The family, all born and raised in Orange, is richly tied to the community. The Knights have produced no less than four town Fire Chiefs. John presently holds the title, with Fred before him. Frank held the title before that, right up until his passing in the 80s. John and Fred’s grandfather, who planted the family in Orange in the 1920s, served as the town’s very ﬁrst Fire Chief. John, who began working at the store at age 15, feels proud to uphold the business his father began cultivating out of a basement in the 50s. The company ﬁrst formed under the name “Frank W. Knight Lawnmower Sales & Service.” Today, Knights sells all kinds SUMMER 2016

Doris Knight Surrounded by her Knights - Bryan, Greg and brothers John and Fred

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town events can be spotted at the store’s entrance.

“We know our customers, and they know if they have a question or problem they’ve got a place to come to where a member of the family will take care of it.” Knights depends more on the weather than the economy to bring in business. A snowy winter heralds an increase in snow blower sales; a green summer supports the sale of lawnmowers. John sees storms as boons. “The hurricanes and super storms we’ve had in the past few years have been great for us,” he said. “Even when the economy is down, people will ﬁnd the money to buy generators and chainsaws

because there’s always a need for those things.” LOYAL TO THE COMMUNITY

In addition to the family’s glowing history in the ﬁre department, Knights as a business supports numerous community programs. “We try to support the local organizations, including the little league and police,” John commented. Flyers for upcoming

In order to stay level with its rivals, Knights has to price competitively. However, John (and the store’s loyal customer base) believe the Knights shopping experience is vastly more rewarding. “We offer that extra level of customer service,” John afﬁrmed. “And people just don’t get that elsewhere.”쮿

SUMMER 2016

THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS

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| THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS

SUMMER 2016

Community Service Through Gardening WRITTEN BY: KAREN SINGER

You’ve seen their accomplishments, from road signs and nature trails to winter holiday decorations, at the Case Memorial Library. For the last 85 years, members of the Garden Club of Orange have been on a mission to beautify the town. “Our purpose is to promote and encourage garden skills and knowledge, both individual and civic, and to further an understanding of horticulture, flower arranging, birdlife, conservation and environmental awareness,” says club President Patricia Dray. A PROUD HISTORY

The club was founded on March 21, 1930 by 13 women with a keen interest in village improvement and conservation. Among them were Mrs. William A. Knight, Mrs. Robert J. Woodruff and Mrs. P.B. O’Sullivan, who became the organization’s first president. Initially called the Orange Garden Club, the name was changed to the Garden Club of Orange on September 12, 1934. In the early days, meetings ended with tea and “dainty” refreshments. “I think that garden clubs still have a white gloves image,” Dray says. “But ours is very much a working club.” The garden club’s first beautification project was planting ivy at Orange Center School in 1930, the same year the town’s Board of Selectmen voted to give the organization $100 “for the care of trees about the Green.” Since then, garden club members have played an instrumental role in a wide range of enhancements to the town. In 1939, they helped design and fund the first road signs in Orange. Planting dogwood trees on public and private SUMMER 2016

Annual May Market Sale of plants grown by members

land was a priority from 1953 to 1975. In 1978, club members launched a campaign to fund a sprinkler system on the Green, raising $3,000 for the $6,000 project. In the 1980s, the garden club created a ﬁtness trail at Amity Junior High School, and planned and planted the Handicapped Accessible Nature Trail at Racebrook Tract. MORE THAN JUST GARDENING

Over the years, their civic-mindedness has extended beyond gardening. In the 1930s, club members supported the needy with baskets of food, and tried to ban billboards on private

property and local highways. They baked cookies for the United Services Organizations (USO) during World War II. In the early 1950s, the club made weekly arrangements of seasonal flowers, fruits and vegetables for the Veteran’s Administration Hospital in West Haven, and provided “garden therapy” for the patients. This year, club members are helping residents at the Orange Health Care Center with “garden club-oriented activities.” From the outset, the club has been open to both sexes. In 1931, seven men were associate members, which

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The club is working with Orange Conservation Commission to provide access to the Ewen Preserve and participating in the Connecticut Audubon Society’s Osprey Nation program to monitor and enhance the state’s osprey population. In 2016, members will plant a native oak in a public place in Orange, as part of The Federated Garden Clubs of Connecticut, Inc.’s Native Oak Tree Project

Chairmen Dorothy Zolla and Diana DeFillippo and committee makes monthly visits to Orange Health Care Center to present a recreation program.

meant they weren’t required to participate in projects, meeting displays or hospitality. NOT JUST FOR WOMEN

There are two men on the current roster of 37 active members and 13 associate members. “Gardeners tend to live long and healthy lives,” says club President Dray. “We have two members who have been members for 50 years, and one member, Nancy Matthies, who has been in the garden club for over 60 years.” Matthies joined the club in 1956. “My husband was overseas, and I just needed something to do other than the children,” she recalls. “At that time the club didn’t have a lot of working members, and most of us were at-home moms.” Unlike today, many members are retirees, Dray says, after careers in teaching, nursing and technology marketing. “One of the requirements for membership is you have to have a garden,” says longtime member Lana Ho, who specializes in floral design. “But it does not have to be a big garden.” These days, garden club members sell plants and baked goods during the annual May Market at the Orange fairgrounds, judge floral and horticultural exhibits at the Orange County Fair and conduct a biennial tour of ﬁve homes, that they decorate.

The club has ongoing beautiﬁcation projects at public buildings and open spaces around town, which include weeding and planting annuals on the town Green and decorating buildings for the winter holiday season.

The Garden Club of Orange provides ﬁnancial support for Eagle Scout and Gold Award candidates for major town conservation projects, and offers a $1,000 scholarship annually to a graduating Orange high school student who is planning to major in plant sciences, agronomy or environmental studies. The most recent recipient, Cristian Mortali, is attending the Ratcliffe Hicks School of Agriculture at the University Connecticut, where he made the dean’s list during the fall 2015 semester.

“I think that garden clubs still have a white gloves image,” Dray says. “But ours is very much a working club.”

Several garden club members exhibited horticulture, floral designs and photography at the February 2016 Connecticut Flower and Garden Show in Hartford. And the club will show off its handiwork during a month-long exhibit in June 2016 at the Case Memorial Library.

Learning is an integral part of the agenda. “Our monthly meetings include presentations by experts such as entomologists, landscape and floral designers and horticulturists,” Dray says. “The Club also provides hands-on workshops on growing plants from seeds and floral design, and on-site educational programs at historic gardens.”

“I’ve taken many classes, learned a lot and made some wonderful friends,” she says. “Working together as a group to give back to the community also has been gratifying.”

CONCERN FOR THE ENVIRONMENT

Environmental concerns have become increasingly more important in recent years. Dray says several garden club members have transformed their yards into Certiﬁed Wildlife Habitats, while “others are really looking at how do we protect clean water and clean air.”

For Matthies, the Garden Club of Orange has been a source for personal growth and camaraderie.

Despite the decades, the garden club’s original intent remains intact. Says Dray, “We continue to be very active with civic and environmental projects.” If enough members remain committed to these goals, the Garden Club of Orange could be around for another 85 years. 쮿

SUMMER 2016

THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS

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Up for a Challenge? Try the Triple Triple at Wayback Burgers WRITTEN BY: ELIZABETH KEYSER

Wave goodbye to Jake. Jake’s Wayback Burgers, which arrived on Orange’s Post Road ﬁve years ago has re-branded as Wayback Burgers. The qualities that make Wayback stand out in the fast-casual burger ﬁeld still stand. QUALITY INGREDIENTS

The qualities that make Wayback stand out in the fast-casual burger ﬁeld still stand. The signature Wayback Burgers are made to order from fresh, never-frozen ground beef, griddled and served hot on a toasted bun. The crisp, golden potato chips are fried in house. The creamy milk

shakes are scooped and mixed by hand from hard vanilla-bean ice cream. And the hot dogs just got more flavorful, with a switch to Sabrett’s.

ketchup, mustard, pickles, raw onion, lettuce and tomato. It brings all those classic flavors together: beef, bread, fresh raw vegetables and sweet and spicy condiments.

Food is made in front of the customers’ eyes. The Wayback Classic is two beef patties on a grilled soft bun, with “Our Way” toppings,

Another popular sandwich is the Cheeesy (yes, it’s cheeesy) Burger. It’s like a grilled cheese -- a buttered bun griddled with four pieces of yellow American cheese -- with two hamburger patties inside. There’s also a Triple burger and a Triple Triple burger. That’s nine patties with nine slices of cheese! It’s a food challenge that draws both adults and kids. “People do ﬁnish it,” says Orange Wayback owner Steve Patti. “A high school girl recently ate the whole thing.” The Triple Triple is almost enough food for an entire day. It’s 1,780 calories. CALORIE COUNTS ANYONE?

Wayback’s Delicious Menu Items 34

Calorie counts are listed on Wayback’s menu. Restaurants with more than 20 outlets are required to list calorie counts, but those numbers haven’t changed the way people order, says Steve Patti. “I haven’t seen anyone have only one patty,” he says, “And if they want a milk shake, they get a milkshake.” SUMMER 2016

Patti lives in Shelton but works 50 to 60 hours a week at Wayback. He brought 15 years of marketing experience to his second career as the owner of the Orange Wayback franchise, and he also had restaurant experience. Through high school, college and afterward he worked in a country club as a waiter and a busboy. What all of these experiences have in common is customer service. “I like working with people,” Patti says, “I like serving and giving good customer service. Customer service is customer service and it’s always been something I enjoy.” And Orange customers “are super nice,” he says. “It’s been really great. I am very spoiled.”

Roomy Dining Area for Customers

People come to Wayback to ﬁll that burger craving to indulge and enjoy. Yet I like that I can order just one patty (350 calories), and the milk shakes come in two sizes, junior and regular. A junior chocolate shake is 590 calories and a regular is 960. Listing the calories doesn’t change habits or behaviors, Patti says.

“I like working with people,” Patti says, “I like serving and giving good customer service. Customer service is customer service and it’s always been something I enjoy.” The growth of the Wayback franchise shows the burger boom is going strong. Jake’s Wayback Burgers started in Delaware in 1991. Orange’s Wayback was the 32nd store. Today, there are 115 across the United States (16 in Connecticut). A Wayback Burger opened in Argentina and there are plans to open in 32 countries. SUMMER 2016

COMMUNITY GIVING

Community involvement is part of Wayback’s corporate philosophy. Orange Wayback does fundraisers with many local sports teams at West Haven High, Platt Tech, Amity Pop Warner Football and Orange Little League. The teams pick a night to come eat at Wayback, and Wayback gives a percentage of the proceeds to the team. It’s a fun way of raising funds for the team. “Working with the town, it’s been a great partnership and a great experience,” Patti says.

So what’s his favorite burger? “I go for the Double bacon burger, Our Way, with everything on it,” Patti says, “You can’t go wrong with four pieces of bacon.” Wayback Burgers is located at 185 Boston Post Road in Orange. Waybackburgers.com 쮿

Owner Stephen Patti with the Cheesy Burger and House Made Chips

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| THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS

SUMMER 2016

ShopRite: Opening Slated for Fall 2016 WRITTEN BY: KAREN SINGER

On a chilly Saturday morning in mid-March wires and insulated pipes dangle from the ceiling at 259 Bull Hill Lane, where a renovation project is underway for a new ShopRite supermarket. The floor is an obstacle course strewn with dirt piles and trenches for drainage from refrigerated display cases. If it weren’t for tall, white plastic sheets surrounding those cases and other equipment in the middle of the store, the nearly 64,000 square foot space, formerly occupied by Stop & Shop, would look even more cavernous. Walking around the construction site, Orange ShopRite owner and operator Harry Garafalo describes what customers can expect when the supermarket opens in September or October 2016. “Meat is along the back wall,” he says. So is seafood, next to a produce department stocked with lots of organic fruits and vegetables, on the left side of the store. A pharmacy is near the right entrance, and a bakery and dairy section are along the right wall. Look for a floral department, coffee station and seating section for customers near the left entrance. The store will have 20 to 22 aisles, as well as a sushi chef, custom sandwich counter, custom grill section, olive bar, expanded cheese bar and, Garafalo says, “a different kind of concept of a salad bar, with prepackaged greens.” TWO NEW LOCATIONS

Garafalo has a lot on his plate these days. In addition to opening the new ShopRite in Orange, his company, Garafalo Markets LLC, owns and operates ShopRite stores in East Haven, Hamden, Milford, Stratford SUMMER 2016

Display case showing off a wide variety of Fresh Seafood

and West Haven. The Milford store at 157 Cherry Street is relocating across the street to a brand-new flagship store at 230 Cherry Street, the former Showcase Cinemas site. Scheduled to open in June 2016, the new Milford ShopRite, built by developers Louis and John Ceruzzi, features a 14,000 square foot mezzanine with a culinary center for cooking classes, a community center and customer seating overlooking the 70,000 square foot main floor. “We will be able to do birthday parties and other events up there,” Garafalo says. He describes the Orange ShopRite as a smaller version of the Milford store, with a different layout.

Plans for the new Milford ShopRite were well underway in December 2013, when Stop & Shop announced the impending closure of its Orange store, leaving the town without a supermarket. “We knew this was a good site and thought it was an opportunity for us in an underserved area,” Garafalo says. Orange First Selectman James Zeoli also believed the property would be a “great location” for another supermarket. “There’s a terriﬁc amount of housing around there,” Zeoli says, adding he and other town ofﬁcials worked with Wakefern Food Corporation and Garafalo to get the Orange ShopRite project off the ground.

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Wakefern is a New Jersey-based retailer-owned cooperative, whose members own and operate more than 250 ShopRite supermarkets in New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Delaware, Pennsylvania and Maryland. Stop & Shop’s Orange supermarket closed in early 2014. Its lease at 259 Bull Hill Lane, however, did not expire until November 2015. In the meantime, Wakefern, represented by the Proto Group, a North Haven commercial real estate ﬁrm, negotiated a 20-year lease for the property with Richard Berlin of Shanri Holdings Corp., a Victoria, British Columbia, Canada real estate developer specializing in shopping centers. Garafalo is subleasing 259 Bull Hill Lane from Wakefern. LATEST IN GREEN TECHNOLOGY

The new Orange and Milford ShopRites are equipped with LED lighting, refrigerated cases with doors, variable speed fan controllers and other energy efﬁcient products and technologies, reflecting Garafalo’s commitment to environmental stewardship. “We have green teams in every store,” he says. The new Orange ShopRite will offer an extensive selection of ready-to-eat and ready-to-cook foods, including a “center-of-the-plate” case with various kinds of pre-cooked and cut protein. “For many busy people, cooking has become more like assembling,” Garafalo says.

“They like the fact they can come into a store and buy an already seasoned roast with instructions on how to cook it, and ﬁnd other raw ingredients like peeled potatoes and diced vegetables, which are prepackaged and ready to heat.” NOT JUST GROCERIES

A registered dietician will provide free health and wellness services at the Orange and Milford ShopRites. “They will do a lot of public speaking, health fairs, store tours of nutritional food selections for speciﬁc health conditions and lectures in conjunction with cooking classes,” Garafalo says. “At the end of the day it’s about managing and preventing health problems.” Orange ShopRite customers will be able to place orders online using the ShopRite From Home service, and have them delivered or pick them up at the store. Garafalo expects to hire 200 to 225 employees for the Orange store. Hiring begins about 60 days before the store opens in the fall. “We offer career paths,” Garafalo says, adding he worked his way up the ranks at ShopRite after beginning with a job bagging groceries. Although Vallie’s Automotive repair service will continue to operate at the Orange ShopRite site, there are no immediate plans for a ShopRite ﬁlling station. “At some point we will look to put gas stations in Milford and Orange,” Garafalo says.

Owner and Operator Harry Garafalo Shows off Fresh Vegetable Display 38

The Orange ShopRite renovation project will cost between $7 million and $8 million, including equipment, according to Garafalo. “We are really very excited about the revitalization of that building, and we’re working with a top shelf family with an absolute commitment to their business and their communities,” Zeoli says. “That’s the difference between an absentee corporation and a local family-owned business.” COMMUNITY GIVING

Giving back to the community is a priority for Garafalo, who owns Garafalo Markets with his wife, Ann Garafalo and his nephew, James DeStefano. “We get involved in a lot of fundraising,” he says. Garafalo’ ShopRites raise money for non-proﬁts such as United Way and the Get In Touch Foundation, provide funds and food for local food pantries, and support the Friends of Fisher House Connecticut’s plans for a longterm residential facility in West Haven, at the VA Connecticut Healthcare hospital. In Orange, Garafalo has donated reusable shopping bags to the town’s recycling committee. “The challenge as a small business is to try to serve well the communities we’re in,” Garafalo says. “To do that we have to be able to compete with our larger, better funded competitors.” While constructing a new store, Garafalo enjoys watching the weekto-week changes. “Things start to move faster once the pipes go in and the sheetrock goes up,” he says. His favorite part of the process is seeing people “so excited” when the store opens. At the 2013 grand opening of the East Haven ShopRite, Garafalo recalls, a line of customers stretched around the side of the building. Could the Orange ShopRite opening generate a similar response? “I hope so,” Garafalo says. “Everyone I meet who lives in Orange is very eager to have a supermarket in town. Hope-fully, we can deliver on their expectations.” 쮿 SUMMER 2016

SUMMER 2016

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Merle’s: The Link Between Music’s Past and Present WRITTEN BY: DAINA LARKIN

Neon signs, item displays and block lettering ﬁll the storefront of Merle’s Record Rack, highlighting the store’s services and special inventory. Between the lines, customers are invited to come on in and stand over the fence between music’s past and present. the gap left by the advent of digital. Young audiophiles have joined longtime collectors in the record store, looking for the pure and warm sound that only vinyl’s can produce. In fact, Papa’s vinyl record sales have been yielding the most revenue. According to Time magazine, nationwide vinyl record sales increased by 52.1% in the past year.

A small glimpse of Merle’s large selection of music

A display of tube radios and 1950s nostalgia gives way to row upon row of records, flanked by high-end audio tech. Posters, signed albums and memorabilia cover any spaces between boxes of CDs, glass displays of treasures from bygone eras, apparel racks and framed press appearances. Time feels at once paused and consolidated in this place that resembles a pseudo-museum to music history. Proprietor Michael Papa, an Orange resident, leads Merle’s into its 54th year of business and its 13th at its current location on the Boston Post Road. An owner since 1984, Papa has SUMMER 2016

had an intimate view of the evolution of music technology and the fallout of digital streaming on the industry. “People come here and make a connection to where music has been,” Papa said. “And that’s the feeling that you can’t give someone through an internet signal.” VINYL SALES SURGING

The music streaming platforms such as Spotify and Apple Music have dealt a palpable blow to the music industry, and Merle’s was no exception. However, the recent vinyl record revival has more than bridged

“We get guys who come in from all over the world because you just don’t usually ﬁnd this much music in one place.” Papa likes to compare music formats to pizza. “It’s going to be the best when you sit right down and eat it fresh. That’s your vinyl record,” he said. “When you get it home the pizza’s still going to be good but not like it just came out of the oven; that’s CDs. Well, if you’re going to eat it out of the refrigerator at 2 in the morning, you might as well get an mp3.”

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GLOBAL APPEAL

Papa states that record collectors from all over the world come to Merle’s because of its massive selection of albums. Shelves ﬁle along the store’s length with more boxes of records stashed underneath them. Entire sections are dedicated to crowd favorites, including Elvis and The Beatles, the latter of which Papa says “still sell like they were a new band.” “We get guys who come in from all over the world because you just don’t usually ﬁnd this much music in one place,” Papa said, describing a customer who had traveled to New York from Japan and China, lead to Merle’s by their smart phones. “It’s kind of amazing that someone can show up in your store from Greece, looking for something they might only be able to get in the States. Music crosses all languages.” NOT JUST MUSIC

Merle’s also buys and sells turntables and audio equipment from all over the timeline. The most modern

Proprieter Michael Papa stands proudly in front of his store

ampliﬁers and turntables share space with 1960s record players, tube radios and others. Merle’s offers repairs for equipment of all kinds and from any era, as well as the service of digitizing personal items. Papa and his staff can transfer content from old voice recordings, cassette tapes, ﬁlm reels, etc. and produce a digital copy for the customer.

If not buying, customers can simply enjoy seeing the effects from over half a century of music history. “There’s a whole history lesson here,” Papa said. “I love to share it with the customers, young and old. It’s where music has been and where it’s going.” 쮿

SUMMER 2016

THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS

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| THANKS TO OUR SPONSOR

SUMMER 2016

Keeping Our Residents Safe WRITTEN BY: ALYSSA DAVANZO

For 20+ years, the Orange Police Department has offered burglary patrol to the town’s citizens, providing expert recommendations about the steps necessary for every person to keep their home safe. “A lot of people think that just because they’re in Orange, a burglary is not going to happen, but that’s a big problem,” said Officer Robert Amarone, who has been involved in burglary patrol crime prevention for three out of his ten years of service for the Orange P.D. “What people don’t understand is that it does happen in these small towns, and it happens more frequently than people think. Especially being on the job, I can see it. It honestly happens everywhere.” Both Officer Amarone and Officer Michael Kosh are certified in Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design. Already, they have inspected the High Plains Community Center, the Orange Public Library, Town Hall, the Clark Building and each of the town’s schools. However, safety examinations are not just limited to businesses. “If a homeowner calls us and makes an appointment, we can come out and take a look at their residence,” Officer Amarone said. “We just give some recommendations. Nothing is set in stone. We give our guidance for their safety.” SECURITY EVALUATION

The ﬁrst step in making a secure home is for a homeowner to evaluate their current security measures by identifying every vulnerable area of their residence. Ofﬁcer Amarone says SUMMER 2016

that it is essential for Orange residents to always be conscious of what is happening in and around their homes. The average burglar has only two options for entering a residence: doors and windows. When first arriving at a home for a burglary prevention inspection, Officer Amarone says that he and Officer Michael Kosh will walk around the entire perimeter of the home to make sure that all exterior doors and windows are properly closed and locked, no matter how soon the homeowner plans to return.

people say ‘I haven’t locked my doors in 50 years.’ What they have to realize is that it’s a different time now. It may have been normal the 1970s to not lock up but it is 2016 and everyone needs to be careful.” Assistant Chief Cuozzo says that people must be alert and mindful of distraction burglaries, a crime where a lie, trick or distraction is used on an occupant to gain, or try to gain, access to burglarize a home. “Suspects will pretend to be on ofﬁcial business from such agencies as gas, electric and water companies, and distraction burglars usually work in teams,” Assistant Chief Cuozzo said. “One suspect will distract the homeowner while the other attempts to gain access into the residence. To try and reduce distraction burglaries, it is important that if you do not know who is at the door, do not answer. Check the identity of the person by calling the company he or she claims to be from. If you do let someone into your residence, always close the door behind them and if you suspect something is not right, call 911 right away.” After examining the locks of a home, Ofﬁcer Amarone says that he will then check the motion lighting and see if the brush and shrubbery around the home is trimmed and kept neatly.

Because burglaries are a “crime of opportunity”, an open garage door, unlocked sliding glass door, porch entry or window can easily provide that opportunity to someone who has their eye on a particular house. “We really emphasize how important it is for everyone to lock their doors, because unfortunately not everyone does it in the town of Orange,” Ofﬁcer Amarone said. “Some of the calls that we go on,

Officer Robert Amarone

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THE EXTERIOR OF YOUR HOME

A well-manicured lawn can emphasize that a person pays close attention to their home. In the eyes of a burglar, an overgrown or unkempt lawn suggests a vacancy and possible burglary target. Extremely large trees or bushes can hide burglar activity, specifically around a home’s entry points. “If someone is knocking at a person’s door and the homeowner is unable to see them because of overgrown shrubs and weeds, that is an issue because they won’t be able to recognize who is right outside.” As the seasons change, Officer Amarone says that people should pay attention to different signs that could show that their house is unoccupied. “In the summer, shrubs are extremely important to take care of. On the other hand, during the winter, untouched snow can be the biggest issue,” Officer Amarone said. “When it snows, burglars are going to pay attention to whether or not a driveway is shoveled. We tell the elderly that they should hire someone to get rid of the snow. I do my grandmother’s driveway because it needs to look like someone is living there. If someone actually concentrates and is watching your house, they are going to watch for that.”

SIMPLE PREVENTION TIPS:

왏 Keep all doors and windows closed and securely fastened. An open window or door is an open invitation for burglars. Thieves are also quick to spot weak locks that may be easily forced open. Doors should have deadbolt locks with a one-inch throw and reinforced strike plate with three-inch screws. All windows should have window locks.

왏 Secure sliding glass doors. Place a metal rod or piece of plywood in the track and install vertical bolts. These will help prevent burglars from forcing the door open or lifting it off the track.

왏 Always lock the door to an attached garage. Don't rely on your automatic garage door

DON’T FORGET THE INTERIOR

On the inside of the home, Officer Amarone says that interior lights and electronics should be on timers to give the home the appearance of being occupied. Outdoor lighting can usually be equipped with a photocell that has the ability to activate lighting automatically. “It is important for the lights to kick on once it gets dark. If someone is going away on vacation or if someone is older and wants to feel more comfortable, they should leave a key with a trusted neighbor,” Officer Amarone said. “That neighbor should have the person’s contact information on hand in case of an emergency.” While on vacation, residents are encouraged to have someone pick up their newspapers and mail so that they do not accumulate and alert burglars of the homeowner’s absence. After familiarizing Orange residents with the proper precautions to take, Officer Amarone says that he hopes for safety procedures to become a force of habit for homeowners. BEING DILIGENT

“Obviously we’re not telling people to make their home a fort, but at the same time they should not be lackadaisical,” Officer Amarone said. “Even when I leave my own house, I lock every door and turn on the alarm. In case anything ever was to happen, my house is connected to the police department.” Those interested in arranging an appointment for a home inspection can call the Orange Police Department at (203) 891-2138. While Officer Amarone provides people with his professional guidance, he says that in the end it is every individual’s decision whether or not they take his advice. “I can’t go into a home and make someone lock their door,” Officer Amarone said. “At the end of the day, people are responsible for taking the initiative when it comes to protecting themselves and their loved ones. This is essentially a neighborhood safety plan where everyone watches out for each other. Over the past few years, I’ve notice that it’s getting better but there is still a lot of work to be done.” 쮿 46

opener for security.

왏 Update locks if necessary. 왏 Burglar alarms: Not necessarily a deterrent for the “professional,” but more for peace of mind. Can reduce the amount of time thieves are in your home, and help to notify the police of a problem.

왏 Keep shrubbery trimmed away from entrances and walkways. While large, ornate hedges may be beautiful, they also provide a hiding place for burglars who need only a minute to break in through a window or door.

왏 Secure your valuables in a home safe or lock box.

왏 Photograph your valuables and log their serial numbers.

왏 Apply a personal identification number such as your driver’s license number on your valuables by engraving or with a permanent marker.

왏 Lights with motion sensors are a great way to keep the perimeter of your home well lit.

왏 Create the illusion that you are home by using timers on lights, radios and TV’s. Making your residence appear occupied, even when no one is home, will deter criminals.

SUMMER 2016

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Cosmetic Procedures are on the Rise WRITTEN BY: LIZ BROWNING

According to the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS), Americans spent more than 13.5 billion dollars on combined surgical and nonsurgical procedures in 2015. At Restifo Plastic Surgery, Dr. Richard Restifo and Dr. Johnny Mao have seen a marked increase in both the number and diversity of patients considering cosmetic improvements. As new technologies emerge and the cost of procedures becomes more affordable, the demand is growing.

most people are just looking to make subtle changes that will restore their sense of balance and beauty; what’s amazing is how signiﬁcantly these changes can affect a person’s selfesteem and overall feeling of well-being.” Dr. Restifo and Dr. Johnny Mao.

SUBTLE CHANGES HAVE A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT

“Over the past few years there’s been a steady increase in the number of ﬁrst-time patients eager to explore the ways cosmetic procedures can improve their appearance and boost their conﬁdence,” says plastic surgeon Dr. Richard J. Restifo. “While some patients want dramatic results,

“Looking and feeling our best is what we want for our children as well as ourselves. Of course parents should underscore the importance of living a healthy lifestyle ﬁrst.” TOP SURGICAL PROCEDURES

The top ﬁve surgical procedures for women in 2015 were: liposuction, breast augmentation, tummy tuck, eyelid surgery, and breast lift. For men, the most popular procedures were liposuction, nose surgery, eyelid surgery, male breast reduction and facelift.

WHAT AGE DEMOGRAPHIC HAS THE MOST COSMETIC PROCEDURES?

People between the age of 35-50 had the most surgical and non-surgical procedures performed in 2015; over 5.1 million accounting for 40.4% of the total. This is not surprising given that these years are often characterized by sleepless nights of child-rearing and stressful days in the pursuit of professional goals. Those ages 51-64 had 30.2%, followed by ages 19-34 at 17%. People 65 years old and over accounted for 10.2%, with less than 2% of procedures being performed for people under 18. WHAT WOMEN WANT

Women ages 19-34 most commonly come in to see Dr. Restifo about breast surgery; augmentation or reduction. Those between the ages of 35-45 typically express a desire to reclaim their pre-pregnancy body. As a highly specialized surgeon with over 20 years of experience focused on breast and body procedures, he explains “A lot of mothers want ‘Mommy Makeovers’ because diet and exercise SUMMER 2016

alone can’t achieve the results they want. Pregnancy can cause signiﬁcant loss of breast shape and volume, and it often loosens the abdominal skin and muscles; these changes are often unresponsive to nonsurgical approaches.” Mommy makeovers are designed to restore a woman’s sense of wholeness.

“Cosmetic surgery is just another tool to help people look and feel their best, both personally and professionally. If surgery helps people embrace and enjoy life more fully, it’s a great option.” The procedures are highly personalized and usually include an abdominoplasty with breast surgery; usually an augmentation or lift, or a combination augmentation/ lift.

Dr. Richard Restifo and Nurse Jackie Naser

Although technically, mommy makeovers are elective surgery, many patients consider them to be restorative – physically, psychologically, and emotionally. Patients frequently report feeling a renewed sense of conﬁdence and vitality. MEN AND COSMETIC PROCEDURES

Women are not the only ones seeking cosmetic improvements. According to facial plastic surgeon Dr. Johnny Mao, both men and women believe their career advancement will be bolstered by cosmetic improvements.

He explains, "In the corporate world, there's a lot of emphasis on personal branding. Professionals want to communicate self-confidence, and looking their best is an important part of that. People make an investment to improve their appearance so ultimately they will feel more attractive and approachable. When they feel confident, they act confident. It’s all about having an edge." Not surprisingly, eyelifts and nose jobs are among the most common surgical procedures between ages 35-50, while Botox, lip and cheek augmentation, and laser skin treatments are becoming a regular part of many patients’ noninvasive self-care regimen. WHAT DO YOU TELL THE KIDS?

To those who might be cautious about sending the wrong message to their kids about cosmetic surgery, Dr. Restifo is quick to dispel any issues. “Looking and feeling our best is what we want for our children as well as ourselves. Of course parents should underscore the importance of living a healthy lifestyle ﬁrst. Cosmetic surgery is just another tool to help people look and feel their best, both personally and professionally. If surgery helps people embrace and enjoy life more fully, it’s a great option.” 쮿

Interior of Restifo Plastic Surgery SUMMER 2016

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A Stylish and Tranquil Sanctuary WRITTEN BY: ALYSSA DAVANZO

Aleez Salon and Spa at 500 Boston Post Road in Orange is a full service sanctuary ﬁlled with both stylishness and tranquility. Open Tuesday through Saturday, the salon and spa welcomes men, women and children alike. “This is a non-intimidating place,” said Lee Garvey, owner of Aleez Salon and Spa. “Our team has created something that is upscale but comfortable for everybody to visit. We want people to feel comfortable the moment they walk in the door, and I think that we’ve achieved that. It makes us proud that we’ve built something that people truly like coming to.” A HUMBLE BEGINNING

Aleez Salon and Spa started out as a small salon with one skin care room. “In the beginning, it was just me and my partner’s daughter. We took over an abandoned salon, where we were left with nothing but the chairs and the mirrors,” Lee said. “Over time we decided to move and open a spa alongside the salon. We knocked the walls out and built all seven of the rooms in our spa. We went from a team of two stylists to six stylists and two aestheticians with 3,500 square feet of space – and we still have room to grow.” The salon and spa’s wide range of services don’t just stop at hairstyling, waxing and hair coloring at its full color bar. Aleez Salon and Spa provides customers with high-end, SUMMER 2016

results-based services usually found in New York and in Fairﬁeld County, including glycolic peels, clarifying acne facials, back puriﬁers and body sculpting. AFFORDABLE WELLNESS

“In the places where someone would normally ﬁnd these treatments, it could be very expensive,” Lee said. “We offer the same spa treatments here, but at a fraction of the cost. In a typical salon, the demographic falls across a 10-mile radius. Because

Tranquil Spa Setting sets the mood

of the services that we offer and because of the area that we’re in, our radius is much wider. We get people from far and wide.” The spa uses a medical grade line, with its most popular treatment for adults being the Non-Surgical Face Lift. “We call the hour-long treatment the ‘Super Duper’,” Lee said. “The treatment lifts the sagging and people see immediate results. Then, we work on the other layers of the skin to rebuild the collagen. Because we treat the outer skin and the inner skin, our guests get to see their skin signiﬁcantly improving over a period of time. It’s really amazing and we have such wonderful results with it.” The aestheticians at Aleez Salon and Spa work with plastic surgeons and do pre-op and post-op treatments for those who have had plastic surgery in order for them to heal quicker to reduce their scar tissue. Following any of the spa services, guests can rewind in Aleez Salon and Spa’s relaxation room, complete with blankets, lounge chairs and warm tea.

Stylists working their magic

“Our goal is overall wellness,” Lee said. “We like to call our salon and spa the ‘hidden secret’ of Orange because from the outside you would never know that all of this is in here. People leave here feeling good. At the end of the day, it’s all about feeling good.” 쮿

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| THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS

SUMMER 2016

Reno’s 2.0: The Ultimate Wood Fired Pizza Experience WRITTEN BY: ALYSSA DAVANZO

There is nothing that says summer like backyard graduations, pool parties, family reunions and outdoor corporate events — all surrounded by the mouthwatering smell of wood-ﬁred pizza. Reno & Sons Pizza Company, a state-of-the-art, vintage style pizza truck, provides the ultimate wood-ﬁred pizza experience. “We want to create more of an experience as opposed to your average pizza truck,” said David Reno Kennedy, who owns Reno & Sons with his wife, Stephanie. “It’s an international truck with an authentic Valoriani oven imported from Florence, Italy. We made it look like an older truck, so we have the reliability of now with the flavor of yesteryear.” A LONG AND PROUD HISTORY

David and Stephanie have owned and operated restaurants in Connecticut for the past 20 years. They began their restaurant business journey in 1998 with Carmenuccio’s in Newtown, and then they opened Reno’s on the Orange/West Haven border of the Post Road in 2006. Eventually they moved Reno’s to 500 Boston Post Road in Orange, where they stayed until they closed the restaurant in February 2015. “By the end of our run at Reno’s, it was really hard to let go, but I wanted to watch my kids grow up and spend more time with my family,” David said. “Immediately after closing the restaurant, I started to miss the restaurant. It was such a nice community spot where we always saw friendly, familiar faces.” David says that he would run SUMMER 2016

into friends, acquaintances and people who he didn’t even know in town who would say ‘We are mad at you for closing! We miss your pizza – please open up again!’ RENO’S ON WHEELS

“I would see a lot of food trucks out there of all sizes, makes and with unique kinds of cuisine,” David said. “I always had in the back of my mind that I would love to be on a food truck because I would be able to take the experience to the people.”

Because of Reno’s solid reputation within the community, the truck already has a following. “Community service was a big part of the original Reno’s,” Stephanie said. “We received the Community Service Business of the Year Award from the Orange Chamber of Commerce.” One standout feature that Reno & Sons has is its entertainment system equipped with a 60” flat screen TV with a satellite, stereo, radio and DVD player.

David Kennedy and Sons Ryan and David are ready for business

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“Immediately after closing the restaurant, I started to miss the restaurant. It was such a nice community spot where we always saw friendly, familiar faces.” Paul Perrotti and Chris DeMaio happily making pizza pies

For the truck’s parties, the ﬁrst course is salad, followed by an extensive variety of pizza flavors. “For our salads and pizza toppings, we are going to hit the farmer’s markets and we plan to get local ingredients,” Stephanie said. “Then, as the pizza rush slows down we are going to gear up for dessert and offer Gelato Giuliana made locally in Connecticut.”

SERVICE IS KING

David says that Reno & Sons is staffed with a professionally trained crew, including David and Stephanie’s sons Ryan and David as well as their longtime employees McKenzie and Alyssa, who have worked for Reno’s since the very beginning at the ﬁrst restaurant.

“Like our small family-run restaurant, our service is very personal and we take pride in making sure that every event or party comes off as great as you would hope it would be and become one that is memorable for years to come,” David said. To ﬁnd out more about Reno & Sons Pizza Company, visit www.renospizzatruck.com or call 203-298-9967 to request a quote for your upcoming summer celebration! 쮿

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THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS

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It’s Time for the 8th Annual Strawberry Festival WRITTEN BY: BOB SIGLER AND GEORGE CATALANO

Save the date: Saturday, June 11, 2016 (rain date June 12) from 9am to 5pm – the date of this year’s Orange Strawberry Festival brought to you by the members of the Orange Congregational Church! Once again, we will be at the Orange Fairgrounds on Orange Center Road. This will be our 8th Annual Festival and will offer the most delectable Strawberry treats you can imagine to all comers!

The Orange Strawberry Festival offers a wonderful array of foods starting with breakfast at 9:00 am featuring Chip’s pancakes topped with strawberries. Lunch follows, including hot dogs, hamburgers,

grilled cheese sandwiches right off the grill, French fries and more, and of course, strawberries in every kind of presentation you can dream up from shortcakes to pies, to jams, to ice cream sundaes, and chocolate dipped strawberries as well!! There will be many, many craft vendors of every kind and description dotting the fairgrounds with their tents, Shamrock Farm with beautiful flowers and plants, live bands to keep toes-a-tappin’ and children’s entertainment with rides, games, face painting, and other activities. A pie eating contest (strawberry, of course) will be a highlight of the afternoon! Hay rides for young and old will again be part of the festivities. So you see it’s a real family affair (emphasis on family) with all proceeds going to support the good works of the Orange Congregational Church. 3RD ANNUAL RED CAR SHOW

In addition, (yes, there’s more) the 3rd annual RED Car show will be running from 10 am to 3 pm on the grand lawn of the fairgrounds, with trophies presented concourse style at the Gazebo to each of the Division winners sometime between 2:30 3:00pm! The RED Car show was conceived as a way to fill the huge space of the fairgrounds with an event that recognized the Red Strawberry celebration of the Festival while attracting the demographic of car collectors as part of the attendees. Last year, we attracted close to 70 beautiful, gleaming, and perfectly detailed RED cars and trucks of every era and genre. There were classics, muscle cars, sports cars, custom cars, hot rods, modern era cars, and even a vintage fire truck from the thirties! All and all a great way to kick off your Summer! If you have questions about the Festival, call the Orange Congregational Church at 203-795-9749 or visit their website at www.orangecongregationalchurch.org If you have a specific question about the RED Car show, call George Catalano at 203-799-6748. 쮿

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Summer And Fall Calendar WRITTEN BY: MARY BIALY DOC'S RACE

Fun events to look forward to in the months ahead. ELEMENTARY SCHOOL OLYMPICS

Elementary school students will be able to show off their athletic abilities at this annual event at the High Plains Community Center on Wednesday, June 1st from 3:00 p.m. – 7::00 p.m. Rain date June 2nd. The day includes races, softball throwing competitions and other events. Jim Ronai hosts the Olympics. Medals are presented to the winners. ROCKIN' ROAD RACE

The 7th Annual Race Brook School Rockin’ Road Race will take place on Saturday, June 4th, 2016. This event includes a 5K Race, 2-Mile Walk and Kids Fun Run. To register for this event, visit www.hitekracing.com. BUSINESS & COMMUNITY EXPO

The 14th annual Orange Business and Community Expo will be at the High Plains Community Center on Wednesday, June 8th from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Parking and admission are free. The event includes 58 vendors from Orange businesses and community groups. There will be food, net working and raffles throughout the day. STRAWBERRY FESTIVAL

The 8th Annual Strawberry Festival and 3rd Annual Red Auto Show, is Saturday, June 11th from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (Rain date: June 12th) at High Plains Community Center. It will feature crafters and ﬁne arts, live entertainment children's games, rides, face painting, hayrides and food! SUMMER 2016

The Fourth Annual Doc Whitney 5K Road Race will take place at the High Plains Community Center on Sunday, June 26th. Free entry to 65+ year olds, All others $22.00 - $27.00. To register visit www.hitek.com. Day of race, registration begins at 7:30 a.m. Step off is at 10:00 a.m. All of the proceeds will go to the George “Doc” Whitney Memorial Scholarship Fund. For more information, call Race Director, Joe Riccio at 203-481-7453 or Race Coordinator, Jane Opper, at 203-795-9351. ORANGE FARMERS MARKET

The Annual Orange Farmers Market will take place Every Thursday starting June 30th and ending September 29th from 3:30 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. at High Plains Community Center. INDEPENDENCE DAY CONCERT AND FIREWORKS

The annual 4th of July concert and ﬁreworks will be at the Orange Fairgrounds Gazebo on Saturday July 2nd with a rain date of July 3rd. The concert begins at 6:30 p.m. with music by Queen Flash and the Fireworks will light up the sky at 9:30. ORANGE CHAMBER ANNUAL PICNIC

The Orange Chamber of Commerce will hold its annual picnic at the High Plains Pavilion on Wednesday, July 13th 5:00p.m. where guests will dine on food from the new Reno and Sons Pizza Truck. To purchase tickets, call Anna at 203-795-3328. FIREMEN'S CARNIVAL

The Orange Volunteer Firemen’s Carnival will be at the High Plains Community Center on Thursday, August 4 -Saturday, August 7th.

This annual event attracts visitors from miles away and proceeds go to the Volunteer Fire Association for the purchase of equipment and training costs. www.orangevfd.com/carnival/ index.htm GREEK ODYSSEY

The Odyssey Greek Festival continues at St. Barbara Greek Orthodox Church, 480 Race Brook Road. Saturday, September 3rd – 6th. Hours are Friday - Sunday 12 noon to 10:00 pm. and on Monday 12 noon to 8:00 pm. Free admission and parking on-site and next door at Holy Infant Church. Rain or shine. For more information, call us at 203-795-1347 or visit www.saintbarbara.org ORANGE COUNTRY FAIR

The annual Orange Country Fair will take place at the High Plains Community Center on Saturday, September 17th and Sunday, September 18th with the truck pull competition, Friday night, September 16th. This wonderful agricultural fair includes exhibits, contests, and old fashioned small town spirit that one would expect in Orange TRAIN SHOW

The New Haven & Derby Model Railroad Club will host its annual Model Train Show at the High Plains Community Center, Sunday, Oct. 9th, from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. There will be more than 100 vendor tables throughout the building selling everything railroad- related, from model train cars to miniatures, fullsized oil lanterns, postcards and so much more. Children and adults love the running displays making this a ﬁne family event. TURKEY TROT

The Rotary Club of Orange will host its 4th annual road race, at 8:00 a.m. on Thanksgiving morning, Thursday, November 24th at High Plains Community Center. This race is a USTAF Sanctioned event with splits at 1, 2 and 3 miles. Proceeds beneﬁt the Rotary Club’s humanitarian support and charitable services. See Rotarycluboforange.org for more information. 쮿

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Local Athletes Shining on and off the Field WRITTEN BY: BRANDON LIEBNICK

Youth sports are a key part of the foundation of Orange. Whether it is the facilities or the athletes, they are both ﬁrst rate. TREMENDOUS OFFERINGS

Fred Wolfe Park and the Orange Community Center have the means to provide a great environment for athletes of all ages. Old Tavern’s baseball fields are second to none. Having multiple fields for different age groups helps players develop as they grow up. However, the facilities are just the one part of what makes Orange Youth Sports so successful. Along with the coaches that help mentor and support the athletes, Orange has great participation by the children and young adults of Orange. Playing sports at a young age helps not only physically but it also helps mentally. Along with staying in shape and improving physical conditioning, playing youth sports instills good character, teamwork, and other positive attributes. Everything Orange provides these young athletes with lessons that they will use for the rest of their life. In the classroom, students learn to balance their schoolwork and sports. With less free time, time management plays a huge factor in being successful on and off the field. These valuable lessons are taught at such a young age that the student athletes will keep them as they mature, turning them into young men and women that are very successful. 쮿 60

Chris Winkel

Cassidy Kirby Cassidy has used the many years of playing Softball at the Old Tavern Fields In Orange to help shape who she is an athlete, but more importantly as a person. “I had tough coaches who taught me respect, hard work, commitment, and pushed me to be my very best”. Going through the Orange School System has helped her learn to juggle school work and extracurricular activities. Now at Amity High School Cassidy has been able to use all those invaluable skills to be a two sport athlete (Softball and Volleyball), while also excelling in the classroom. She will continue on to Merrimack College and will be playing on the Softball Team. 쮿

Chris has been playing baseball at the Old Tavern baseball ﬁelds since he was 5 years old and wouldn't change it for anything. “They really imbed a love for the game in you at a young age that you hold on forever.” Having high caliber players all throughout Orange has helped him become a much better player today. “Playing against other talented individuals helps, so when you reach the next level, you’re ready.” He would like to thank his parents and all his coaches that have him on the right path both athletically and as a person to succeed. For Chris that path leads to playing baseball for the University of Connecticut Baseball Team. 쮿

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Myla Chadwick Photography

Katie Koshes

Elise Graham Elise grew up in Orange and started playing basketball at a very young age. From the many years of Rec. league and travel basketball, it all played a role in her success. “Without the caring coaches I have had over the years, I never would have become the person or player I am today and living in Orange has taught me to become a hardworking person on and off the court.” Going to Amity has not only helped her excel at sports, but has also has helped her off the court. “I have learned to balance my schoolwork with practices and games.” Her hard work and dedication has guided her to successful career at Amity, and will play basketball at Fairleigh Dickinson University. 쮿

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Katie has been playing softball for as long as she can remember. Playing Orange youth sports at such a young age helped her gain an immediate interest in Softball. “I was able to have fun and play with my friends, while becoming better and more advanced.” Putting in all that hard work has led to playing and being successful at the high school level. She has also understood the value of growing up in Orange. “It gave me opportunities and eventually let me be able to volunteer and teach others to play as well. Katie will go on to University of Connecticut next fall and will be member of their Softball Team. 쮿

Brian Ronai Brian has used playing sports in Orange to help him learn the fundamentals that are necessary in order to play at the high school and college level. Understanding that you need to be willing to put in the hard work to succeed has helped Brian throughout his life on and off the ﬁeld. “Orange makes sports enjoyable for young athletes,” and it is that enjoyment that has driven Brain to continue to play sports throughout his whole life. Brian will continue his love for the game by being a member of the Yale University Baseball team. 쮿

Eli Oliphant Eli grew up playing baseball at the Old Tavern baseball ﬁelds and has loved playing ever since. Each year has progressed as a baseball player learning new techniques and mechanics. Knowing the importance of mentors, Eli has leaned on his parents and coaches to help him excel as an athlete, but also as a person. “The coaches do a really good job working on the fundamentals of the game.” Eli has had a successful career playing for Amity’s Baseball Team, and will continue on to play for Fairfield University as a part of their baseball team. 쮿

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Notes from the Orange Conservation Commission WRITTEN BY: DAINA LARKIN

The Town of Orange works hard to maintain its beautiful open spaces in a time of rampant development. The Orange Conversation Commission, the town committee dedicated to open space, oversees almost 1,000 acres of public land in town. trails through rich, diverse forest. Birdwatchers and horticulture enthusiasts also ﬁnd enjoyment here, with various native flora and fauna around each turn. The Tract is one of the Commission’s larger properties, and recently the Commission has been encouraging visitors to abide by certain rules that ensure the health of the park. MOUNTAIN BIKING

Look for Barred Owl in your local woods

THE RACEBROOK TRACT

The Commission strives to promote the townspeople to come outdoors and appreciate nature. In turn, the Commission relies on the townspeople to keep the lands clean and safe. Racebrook Tract is a massive site with 230 acres in Orange and 181 more acres in Woodbridge. Visitors can enjoy exploring the four blazed 64

Racebrook Tract is the only property in Orange that accommodates mountain bikers, but the Commission has had trouble keeping bikers on the blazed trails. Some visiting mountain bikers have carved their own unofﬁcial marked trails into otherwise pristine forest, even setting up jumps. The Commission does not maintain or recognize these trails and it discourages using them, both for the safety of visitors and the wellbeing of the land. Similarly, the Commission seeks cooperation from dog owners. Owners who let their dogs loose in the parks pose a safety risk to other visitors; there’s a town ordinance in place that requires the leashing of dogs. Also, when dogs decide to go for a swim, they’re polluting waters. The Regional Water Authority forbids

dogs from swimming in the open space water bodies. And, of course, dog owners are urged to diligently clean up after their animals. NEW DOG PARK

The Town of Orange is undergoing efforts to set up a dog park in town where dogs can play, swim and socialize to their (and their owners’) heart’s content. The Commission continues to bring Orange townspeople together with nature, hosting various events each year: • The Orange and Woodbridge Conversation Commissions come together to present Connecticut Trail Days on June 4th. This annual event invites hikers to embark on a guided walk of Racebrook Tract. • In November, the annual Owl Prowl takes place where visitors walk the trails of the Ewen Preserve at dusk, lead by a birding expert who will encourage wild owls to call. Keep your eyes on the Commission’s calendar for these and other upcoming events, including a bird walk at Turkey Hill Preserve: www.orangect conservationcommission.com. Contact Sharon Ewen, Chair of Conservation Commission for more info: sme71@yahoo.com. 쮿 SUMMER 2016

Orange Marketplace

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THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS

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605A Orange Center Road Orange, CT 06477

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