New Haven magazine March 2010

MARCH 2010

www.newhavenmagazine.com

ELM CITY SHRINK

ACTS OUT HER ANGER

ANSWERING TO A HIGHER

IT’S FIVE O’CLOCK

IN UNCASVILLE

AUTHORITY IN

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New Haven I March/2010

Nicole (Snooki) Polizzi finds an Elm City hookup

A middle-aged Jewish psychotherapist enters the ring

07 BODY & SOUL

43 WORDS OF MOUTH

The whole world smiles with dentist Jack Levine

08 ONE2ONE A Westville rabbi answers to a higher authority

Anthony DeCarlo

37 BIBLIOFILES

PHOTOGRAPH:

06 INTEL

Discover Derby’s legendary Mattei’s Deli

46 DISCOVERED It’s always five o’clock in Uncasville

13 HIGH SCHOOL CONFIDENTIAL Teens’ trials and triumphs — in their own words

22 A LANDMARK REBORN The legendary Madison Beach Hotel rises anew

28 OPEN HOUSE A creative couple transform a diamond in the rough

Plate roast lamb prepared by Downtown at the Taft.

New Haven

| Vol. 3, No. 6 | March 2010

Publisher Mitchell Young, Editor Michael C. Bingham, Design Manager Larissa Philllips, Design Consultant Terry Wells, Contributing Writers Brooks Appelbaum, Duo Dickinson, Liese Klein, Cindy Marien, Caitlin Marquis, Melissa Nicefaro, Tashema Nichols, Joanna Pettas, Steven Scarpa, Cindy Simoneau, Chelsea Jacob Tyler, Editorial Intern Alyssa Casey, Photographers Steve Blazo, Anthony DeCarlo, Senior Publisher’s Representatives Mary W. Beard, Roberta Harris

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New Haven is published 12 times annually by Second Wind Media Ltd., which also publishes Business New Haven, with offices at 85 Willow St., New Haven, CT 06511. 203-781-3480 (voice), 203-781-3482 (fax). Subscriptions $24.95/year, $39.95/two years. Send name, address & zip code with payment. Second Wind Media Ltd. d/b/a New Haven shall not be held liable for failure to publish an advertisement or for typographical errors or errors in publication. For more information e-mail NewHaven@Conntact.com.

OUR COVER Devan Tate of Hillhouse High School’10.

PHOTOGRAPH BY Anthony DeCarlo.

Photo location: New Haven Business Center Cover Design and Typography by Terry Wells.

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INT EL

Shelling Out For Shellfish Hartford: If you wondered if you were getting scalped on your scallops, or why your shrimps weren’t as jumbo as the price you’re paying, you are not alone. Consumer Protection Commissioner Jerry Farrell Jr. says state inspectors have taken more than 800 packages of shellfish off stores shelves across Connecticut. The commish says ice was making up 4.5% of the weight of the shrimp, scallops, and other seafood items, twenty six different items were effected.

The New HavenSnooki Connection In the inaugural episode of “Snooki Comes North to Connecticut,” the reality TV “star” of the MTV hit Jersey Shore disses Jerry Springer at Foxwoods. In our second installment, Nicole Polizzi hooks up with her new Elm City boyfriend, Emilio Masella, a 21-year-old personal trainer at the Gold’s Gym in New Haven. Masella says the pair met on Facebook a year ago

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and they’re now in an “exclusive” arrangement. He believes the couple are a good match, telling the Newark Star Ledger: “She really speaks what’s on her mind, she tells it how it is, which is nice.

She talks to me for me. A lot of girls hit on me for how I look, but she actually got to know me.”

Among the items revealed by the Yankee Institute to generate interest in the site: referees and umpires were paid more than $250,000 by the Department of Education; the Department of Corrections paid Guida Dairy $2.8 million for milk; and Crystal Rock was paid more than $3,000 for providing bottled water to the governor’s office.

Yale Beats Harvard

Let the Sun Shine In HARTFORD — The objective of a new Web site, CTSunlight.org, launched by the conservative think tank the Yankee Institute, is to disclose how every Connecticut tax dollar is being spent. The product of two years of Freedom of Information requests, the site allows users to search for every state employee’s salary and payment to any state vendor by every department or agency. According to Fergus Cullen, the Yankee Institute’s executive director, “We believe transparency and disclosure of how government spends tax dollars puts downward pressure on spending”

NEW HAVEN — Yale and Harvard are numbers two and one, respectively, in the size of their endowments. But both schools saw those funds shrink by about a quarter in 2009, putting a damper on expansion and other programs.

Yale, however, recently earned lower interest rates on 15-year tax-exempt bond than a similar bond offered by Harvard. Despite the setbacks, both schools are still ranked AAA by the bond rating companies. Bloomberg News reports that Connecticut investors were bullish on Yale bonds, and their demand helped lower the yield Yale had to pay, with bonds due in July 2025 yielding only 3.35 percent.

Yale’s endowment fell to $16.3 billion from $22.9 billion in the 12 months ended last June 30.

Harvard’s fell to about $26 billion over the same period, from a peak of $36.9 billion in 2008.

Unearthing Early Battlefields UNCASVILLE — The New London Day reports that archaeologists and researchers are mapping sites of where “hundreds of Pequot Indians were killed by colonial and Indian forces”. The research effort, whose objective is to designate the region as a historic battlefield, is led by Kevin McBride, a UConn archaeology professor and director of research at the Mashantucket Pequot Museum and Research Center. A grant from the National Park Service’s American Battlefield Protection program is paying for most of the work, but the Pequot tribal nation, owners of Foxwoods Resort Casino, is also helping to fund the effort. As McBride told the Day, “The Pequot war is a very interesting window into that period. There’s more known about that period than any other part of tribal and early colonial history and that’s because of the war and all the documentation that went with it.”

B O D Y & SOUL

Levine (center) and company are all smiles on a recent sojourn to Jamaica.

The Whole World Smiles with Him Elm City dentist practices compassion at home and abroad

By KAREN SINGER

J

ack Levine treats dental disease and infection “in a very traditional way” — but cares for his patients in a less conventional manner.

“I just have a different style,” says Levine, a holistic dentist whose practice extends far beyond the confines of his New Haven office.

He travels abroad several times a year, volunteering his services in developing countries like Nepal and Uganda, and

does pro bono work closer to home for organizations including the New Havenbased Integrated Refugee & Immigrant Services (IRIS).

Levine eschews amalgam fillings, which contain mercury, advocates prevention with herbal tooth and gum tonics and “a bit of homeopathy.” Sometimes he refers patients to chiropractors, naturopathic physicians and “other complementary people” in a network of alternative

practitioners.

“Holistic dentistry is about combining mind, body and spirit in a way that respects the client, allows them to participate in their own decision-making, develops a partnership in the relationship and welcomes them as if they were a guest in your own home,” Levine says.

The difference is apparent from the moment you walk into his Orange Street office, where he does what he calls “distinctive, restorative dentistry.”

In the waiting room, patients can enjoy a cup of tea or request a chair massage. In the treatment rooms, dental chairs are padded for comfort, and you can tune out the dental work by listening to music on wireless headphones.

Smiling women and children in far-flung places peer from the office walls in photos Continued on 26

new haven

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A Westville rabbi is at the center of the growing movement of Chabad

PHOTOGRAPH:

Steve Blazo

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the smile natural by design

R

abbi Yossi Hodakov of New Haven’s Westville neighborhood is one of a growing contingent of members of an Orthodox Chasidic Jewish movement that traces its roots to the 18th century but began to blossom in the U.S. over the past 25 years.

Chabad Houses (centers of community) have sprung up in diverse locations throughout greater New Haven and Connecticut. While Chabad is not embraced by all Jews, a growing number of Jewish families have been inspired to greater spiritual involvement by it. This ‘upstart’ movement is rooted in tradition, but not only those that stretch back thousands of years. New Haven publisher Mitchell Young interviewed the 40-year-old Rabbi Hodokov for ONE2ONE.

vvv What is Chabad?

There are many different answers to that question.

I guess that shows why you became a rabbi.

I’ll try to give an answer instead of answering with a question. Chabad is a movement, it is also a philosophy, a way of life. The Chabad movement began a couple of hundred yeas ago in Russia, it was an outgrowth and built upon the Hasidic movement that was founded

by Rabbi Israel Baal Shem also called Baal Shem Tov [1698–1760]. Ball Shem Tov was the founder of Chasidism. His successor was known as the Maggid or the Preacher of Mezeritch [Rabbi Dov Ber].

In the third generation of Chasidism his disciples each took upon themselves to teach in different regions. One of those was Rabbi Shneur Zalman, who came from Liadi in White Russia. He brought it upon himself to bring his teaching to what was considered the toughest location, Lithuania, where the seat of the greatest Talmudic institutes were [the Talmud is the central text of mainstream Judaism].

Wasn’t the Chasidic movement a challenge to these people?

PHOTOGRAPH:

Steve Blazo

What Chasidism introduced, or I should say re-introduced, to Judaism emphasized the emotional parts, and a personal connection to God on many levels.

Someone who did not have the knowledge of the Torah [the Five Books of Moses,

Judaism’s founding legal and ethical religious texts] could still have a deep and personal connection to God. So this was like the original Protestants in conflict with the Catholic church?

The sense was the scholars really ‘got it.’ The simpler people by virtue of the respect that they showed to the Torah scholar, that’s what made them valuable.

But on the part of the scholar and on the part of the simpler people they felt they were lacking to really be able to live as Jews.

So this was the source of the conflict and the movement?

The Bal Shem Tov came along and taught God does not only want the mind, but that God wants the heart, and that sincerity can outweigh many other things. You have on the one hand a scholar who is arrogant because of his achievements and on the other hand a humble, simple person that serves God with sincerity. He does the best he can to say the prayers, to observe the holidays and to help another person. Might he be far greater than the arrogant scholar?

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So was this an anti-intellectual movement?

That was not his point. You have to serve God according to your ability, depending on what your ability is — to not only serve God through the rote and ritual, but to develop an emotion, a little fire in your belly. He introduced song into prayers. It is difficult to find a Jewish melody that pre-dates Hassidism.

linked for life.

So earlier the style of prayer was reserved?

Yes. Rabbi Shneur Zalman, known as the Old Rebbe, introduced a broader idea.

He said emotions come and go and you can’t always expect to be inspired. It’s important to develop a philosophy in which an individual has the ability to contemplate and mediate and can use thoughts about godliness to awaken and to create an emotion where there may not be.

Today most Jews and Gentiles wouldn’t know how to tell the difference between a Chabad follower and other Orthodox Jews, would they?

There are ways to tell. Chabad Chasidism dress differently. We dress conservatively,

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fair question. However, it goes back to the country of origin; they are maintaining their way of dress. Chabad Chasidism largely came from Russia and the style of dress there was very different, although the way we dress today is not typical Russian dress of the 19th century. It is more typical American from the 1930s and ‘40s. That came about because the seventh Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson, dressed in a very different way. He was the son-in law of the sixth Rebbe, who had three daughters and no sons.

So the ‘business’ went to the son-in-law?

One son-in-law was killed by the Nazis; one was in charge of the Chabad Yeshiva system; the other [Schneerson] worked under his father-in-law in the headquarters of the main Chabad institutions. He was generally [reserved], even a secretive kind of person. He never acted like he was the Rebbe’s son-inlaw. He was humble about the extent of knowledge he had, and he would do things to put people off. He intentionally dressed in what was considered then a more modern style — a short jacket. rather than a long coat, wearing a modern hat rather than the traditional round hat. When he became Rebbe he just kept dressing that way.

Were you born into this movement or did you make a decision to join?

‘We are not looking to convert the non-Jew to be a Jew, and not to convert the non-Chabad person to be a Chabad person, but to experience the warmth and depth, the life, the spirit of Judaism.’

I was born into it and made a decision to stay. My parents both lived in Crown Heights in Brooklyn [and] were part of the Chabad community. I grew up going to Chabad schools.

How old were you when you ‘decided to stay’? Was it an experience that made you decide, and did you parents allow you to choose?

That’s a very good question. I can’t say there was a point where my parents said, ‘You have to decide where you are going to go.’ It was a cumulative development as I got to meet people with different ways of living.

I understand that there is some form of arranged marriages — is that accurate?

not necessarily dark suits. In some schools they insist on white shirts, some they don’t, and the fedora, the black hat you see.

Why this black fedora hat?

Most of the Chasidic Jews were in Poland or Austria and their way of dress even during the week was with a long coat and a round ‘beaver’ hat. On the Shabbos 10

march 2010

[holy Sabbath] they wear a fur hat. Even the previous Rebbes of Chabad wore those fur hats on Shabbos.

No, completely inaccurate, although there might be some communities where that still is happening.

I’ve been in Brooklyn a lot lately and seeing a lot of those fur hats. I thought, ‘This isn’t conservative — it’s kind of peacocky or even vain.’ If I said that would I be insulting someone?

Some of these guys don’t look like much but their wives are very attractive. Are you sure there isn’t some arranging going on?

No, I don’t think you would; it is a very

We’re a very lucky people — all that prayer pays off! Of course, you’ll have to ask my wife if she agrees. I did

pick my own wife but we do have a more traditional approach through a ‘matchmaker.’ In our case a name came up; the matchmaker suggested it.

Is that like a dating service where you meet someone? Or is it like, ‘Here’s the person’? Was there any pressure to choose the person?

I didn’t experience any. The matchmaker is someone who takes time to find out what boys are available, which girls, and their interests and personalities. Is this someone who wants to live in Crown Heights or somewhere else? Someone who would like spiritual work, or education or business? There are basic things you might want to know in advance. You are starting with the idea [that] you are only meeting for the purpose of marriage. You have the basics and you meet a few times.

Do they actually ‘date’?

We went on many dates, but we were not just dating to have fun or spend time.

The purpose of the date is to see if we are compatible — in goals, in personality, do we feel comfortable with each other? I’m not talking about falling madly in love.

Is there something that irks me and I’m not going to go ahead with it? I was not

coerced in any way. As I said, I was very lucky.

Where does the ‘falling in love’ part enter the equation or does it?

Would it be cliché to say ‘every day, all over again’? Next week it will be 15 years since I first met my wife. I look back now and see that you mature as a human being and your feelings deepen. But I also look back and what I thought I was feeling, it seems childish. But I was only 25 then.

How did you decide to be a rabbi? And does it mean the same to be a rabbi in Chabad as it does in other Judaic sects?

It’s a wonderful question. The Rebbe strongly encourages that every student in the Lubavitcher [named for a city in Russia where the Chabad movement was based] system be ordained as a rabbi regardless of what you plan to do with your life. The word Lubavitcher means City of Love. My father works at the post office, but he is an ordained Rabbi. To live as Jew there are questions that arise.

Often we see young men come to offices in New Haven. Who are they trying to convert?

Students in Chabad Yeshiva spend their

A Taste of the

Pacific Northwest April 24, 2010

Featuring:

Friday afternoons visiting Jews in offices at places of business to share some Torah thoughts, provide an opportunity to put on tefillin [a set of leather straps worn by observant Jewish men during weekday morning prayers] or to distribute Chabad candles.

But you’re not trying to convert people?

No, that is the difference [from missionaries]. It is to bring the water to the people who haven’t come to the water, Jews. And if we come in contact with non-Jews there are also the Seven Noahide Laws, which were given at Sinai for all mankind. The Ten Commandants were given at the Revelation, but Jews have a total of 613 commandments.

What are the seven laws?

Not to worship idols, not to have immoral relationships, including adultery, not to commit murder. Not to eat a limb off a living animal — in others words slaughter it properly so you don’t torture the animal.

Also not to curse God and not to steal and [seventh] to establish courts of justice.

Six prohibitions and the one positive: to establish a justice system.

Do you mean your own community justice system? Or do you mean the larger society’s

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justice system?

Society — the fact that there should be law and order. Does the American justice system exactly follow what Torah law would prescribe? Not necessarily. But the main issue is that we develop an awareness that there is a Supreme Being and there is right and wrong.

So are Chabad adherents traditional or do they simply dress traditional? For example, an Amish person wouldn’t be using a cell phone or e-mail.

The tradition is to use whatever you have at your capacity. One of the teachings is the understanding that not only every living being but every thing that exists in this world has a purpose, and you can use every thing in this world for a good purpose. There is nothing in our religion that forbids us from using technology.

The question is what you use technology for. You can ask the same thing about a knife: Is a knife a good thing or a bad thing? You can use it to put butter on your toast or to kill someone, God forbid.

There are those things we are obligated to do, then there are the things we’re not allowed to do. Most things in the world are in a middle-ground category. Any new developments we embrace as tools for

enhancing our lives as a whole — to live better as Jews and to help other people.

There are Chabad houses in many places across the country where we wouldn’t assume there were that many Jews. What is responsible for this proliferation?

It primarily began in the 1940s [when] the Sixth Rebbe arrived in the U.S. He had been in the Soviet Union where he started an underground movement of Jewish schools and synagogues. He had to leave the country [eventually landing in the U.S. Once here] he sent out immediately to go to different communities and bring whatever was needed to help the Jewish community there. He sent Rabbi Moshe Y. Hecht to New Haven to establish a Jewish day school. There was a very sizable Jewish community here and there were flourishing afternoon Hebrew schools, but no Jewish day school. There’s only so much you can learn in a couple of afternoons per week. He passed away in 1992. Now his son is headmaster of the school [New Haven Day School] on Derby Avenue in Orange.

If there is a problem is there a decisionmaking hierarchy?

Yes. The Rabbi Hecht is the senior Chabad representative in the New Haven

region. Rabbi Hecht, his father and later [the son] developed different [Chabad houses] around New Haven — in Milford, in Wallingford, in Hamden, on the shoreline. There is an organizational structure, but day to day there is a lot of autonomy. Each location is expected to function on its own and be financially independent. As we are in close proximity, there are many programs where we work together. We are doing a big Purim program [for example]. But Rabbi Hecht is the boss of the New Haven region.

When you wake up in the morning, what is your ‘job’?

Generally I am here to help any Jew. A couple had a baby boy, yesterday they called to ask, ‘Where do we get a mohel [to perform mandatory circumcision]?’ We’re here and available. Each Chabad rabbi will try to assess which needs he’s best suited to serve. My own primarily responsibility is in the school. I teach in the Southern Connecticut Hebrew Academy [formerly the New Haven Hebrew Day School].

You said the Sixth Rebbe had three daughters. Why couldn’t one of them be a rabbi? Are women in a subservient role?

Not in a subservient role. But men and Continued on 42

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s there a time of life more fraught with anxiety than high-school years? Perched precariously between childhood and adulthood, many find their teenage years to be among the most challenging times of life — physically, intellectually and socially.

What’s it like to be in high school today?

And how can parents understand what their teenagers are going though in order to better help them cope with the vagaries of almost-but-not-quite adulthood?

We ask a number of area students in public and private high school to answer that first question, and to describe how they see themselves as members of their own school communities. Eight of them accepted the challenge. Here are their stories, in their own words.

HIGH SCHOOL FARO A NICE S S I L E

By M

True teen confessions of how they see themselves, and their world

STUDENT PHOTOGRAPHS:

ANTHONY DECARLO

Location: New Haven Business Center

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The New Ace of Cakes

M

ost kids grow up with ambitions such as being a firefighter, a police officer, a vet or the ever-popular pop star. I was not like most kids.

At the age of seven, I had already decided that I wanted to work with food when I grew up. My enthusiasm for all things culinary was sparked when my father and I would watch Dessert Circus every Saturday afternoon. This was the first cooking show my young eyes had ever seen, and to this day, the Food Network is pretty much all I watch.

As the years passed, my career choice was narrowed down to becoming a pastry chef.

This was decided when I was ten years old, and my ambition hasn’t dimmed one bit.

This past June I even landed a job working in a bakery — how perfect!

This job entailed working in the store with customers, but every once in a while I could venture into the bakery, where all the baking goes on, and do little things here or there. When I landed the job, I was told by a handful of people that it was a bad idea, for it would turn me off to the idea of being a pastry chef. While it’s true that working at Emerald Bakery in Milford has opened my eyes to all the complications of owning a bakery, I’m thrilled to say that it has only increased my desire to pursue a career in the culinary arts.

One of the best parts about my choosing to be a pastry chef is how it has been received by my friends and family. Not one person has said anything but kind, encouraging words, which honestly surprises me. For friends’ birthdays, bake sales and other social events, I’m always asked to make something — not that it’s necessary even to ask! It’s extremely heartwarming to know that not only do people now know me as “The Baker,” but they respect me for my enterprise.

While my first taste of the culinary arts came from all those afternoons watching Dessert Circus, I’m continually inspired by other chefs. There are a multitude of chefs on the Food Network who have cultivated my interest in all things food. For example, on the hit show Ace of Cakes, Duff Goldman, along with his motley crew of cake decorators, crank out ingenious cake after ingenious cake. Keep in mind, Goldman is the only one of his crew with formal training! It’s remarkable to see what someone can create with

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just a passion for the craft and a vivid imagination.

a level of expertise that I hope to acquire someday.

Another Food Network all-star who has inspired me is Giada DeLaurentiis (Everyday Italian). She received her training in Paris, which is something I have often dreamed of. All of her dishes are tantalizing, but her desserts in particular really blow me away. She has

So, this is me! I’m a future pastry chef whose passion has been growing for the past nine years. Right now I’m just a 16year-old girl working in someone else’s bakery, but mark my words — in not too many years, you might be coming to mine.

Emma Gold Hamden Hall Country Day School ‘11

v

Jackie Fickes Academy of Our Lady of Mercy/ Lauralton Hall ‘11

The Legacy

L

egend has it that Lauralton Hall is haunted. Young, naïve freshmen are warned by not-so-sympathetic seniors to beware of walking through the chilly white catacombs alone, where the ghosts of the Pond family (to whom the mansion previously belonged) spend their afterlives.

Personally, I’m not much for ghost stories, and I’m not related to the Ponds. Yet every day, I see the faces of relatives not physically present watch me make my way down the hall. Just this morning, I passed my great aunt Gail en route to an English test on Poe’s philosophy of composition.

Heading toward a biology lab on cell respiration in yeast, I was greeted by the smiling face of my mother’s cousin.

Contrary to what you may be thinking, I don’t usually

hallucinate in the hallways.

There just happen to be a few of my relatives’ pictures hanging gracefully on the walls. My great aunt’s and my mother’s cousin’s are framed, while my own cousin appears in a photo of a group of girls taped to the guidance director’s door.

The faces of my mother and aunt stare back at me from a bulletin board depicting life at Lauralton in the 1970s.

As you may have guessed, I am not the first young woman in my family to attend Lauralton Hall. I am just one in a long line of females in my family — my mother, grandmother, aunt, great aunts, cousins, etc. — who have donned a navy blue jumper and knee socks and called themselves Crusaders.

That’s exactly what made me realize before I even stepped foot in a classroom that 200 High Street would become my home away from home Continued on 15

Dreisen Heath Hamden Hall Country Day School ‘10

The Helper

T

he scenic picture inside of a brass frame that hangs above my bed reads, “Do Unto Others as You Would Have Them Do Unto You.” As my Golden Rule, I try to make this a top priority in my life by living and breathing those words.

By assisting those who are less fortunate than I, I know that my calling in life is to lead by example, and to show others how to lend a helping hand. Since birth, my parents have instilled in me that I was put on this earth to help the underprivileged. As a young leader, I realize that I have to physically do something actual to make an impact on the world around me.

My typical life as a teenager is not only absorbed by TV, music and fashionable clothes; it is also focused on my lifelong commitment to helping those in my

community. Material things are all fine and dandy, but there is more to life than such superficial things. Nothing is more heart-wrenching than seeing people in despair or in need, especially those who are hungry. This sparks my mission as a leader — to lead by commitment, perseverance and dedication all while doing good deeds toward others.

My high school career has definitely helped me to hone these skills. Through different leadership roles in student government I have learned valuable lessons in motivating and encouraging my classmates to contribute their time in serving others.

My most challenging project to date has been organizing the community service project for my entire grade. I had the privilege of undertaking this task in both tenth and 11th grade. Just as a leader assumes risk, Hamden Continued on 20

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Monica Yanez West Haven High School ‘10

Coming to America

S

tepping on American soil for the first time felt the same as stepping on any other patch of land. What made it different and significant was that from this step on, my life would change completely.

Coming to America gave me a feeling of both excitement and fear. I was ready to embark on a new journey in my life, but I was afraid to expect the worst. However, I knew my journey to America would provide me with a lifechanging experience.

Remembering is like living the past once again. Even thought I’m a high school senior, my memory still flashes back to the horrible experiences I had to go through in my youth. Coming to America at a young age was a very difficult experience.

What made it more difficult for me was not understanding

Patrick Madley East Haven High School ‘12

The Future President

W

hy do I think I would make a great President one day? At the very center of the answer to this question are the personal qualities I possess. Another is my community involvement.

Lastly is my ability to bring issues of the people to local and state officials to make their concerns heard.

I think that I would make a great President because I have many of the attributes of a President. I step out of my comfort zone to help other people. I always look out for the best interests of the people. If someone asks me to help him with something, I do — no matter how nervous I might be.

I would always be honest, trustworthy, fair and above all respectful to everybody.

I earned the respect of my

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or speaking English. As a result, starting school became the most challenging task.

Not being able to understand the day’s work in class or communicating with anyone created a difficult environment. I was not able to do any of my work because I could not understand the simple directions. The struggle to speak and understand the English language became the most challenging obstacle.

As a young girl, the experience of coming to America taught me a very important lesson in life — nothing worthwhile comes easily. In order to achieve greatness, one must be prepared to face hardships.

The struggles I encountered in my life encouraged me to begin anew and create a better life for myself.

Education is the foundation of a successful future. Without Continued on 21

peers by standing up for them in all ways possible, whether it required going to the principal, superintendent or even the Board of Education to express their concerns. I’m well known for attending every single Board of Education meeting. When there is an issue that will affect my peers, I make sure I state my opinion and theirs.

Last year I won an election in my school to become sophomore class president.

Along with that, I will be student representative to the Board of Education, beginning at the first Board of Education meeting next year.

My respect and kindness, I have been told, are behind my success.

I also think I would make a great President because I am very active in the community. I volunteer every other Friday night at the East Haven Teen Center Continued on 21

normal at this school; I guess I didn’t get the memo. After my first day of school I figured I would go through my junior year invisible. As the days passed, I made a few friends and began to build my social circle.

I made friends with the students in my AP classes and was eventually convinced to join the track team. With bright eyes and high hopes I joined the team. With my plucky “stick-to-itiveness” and asthma, joining the track team seemed like the perfect recipe for disaster. Being on the track team was a chance for me to try something different, a chance to reinvent myself at this new school. That would have been fine if I was fast; however, I was quite slow compared to the other runners, so this meant I wouldn’t win any medals at track meets.

Devan Tate Hillhouse High School ‘10

One thing that came from participating in track was the many new friendships that blossomed. I began to write and express myself in my English class and I had some of my art and literary work published in the school’s literary magazine, The Gleam.

My work in the magazine earned me a Gleam award.

I also joined the Drama Club, where I met more people who had the same interests as me. I landed a role in our school’s production of Joe Turner’s Come and Gone, and for once my Southern accent came in handy while playing the frugal character Seth. As the end of my junior year came I moved up the social ladder and developed many new friends and with the help of my supportive art teacher, I was able to attend Center for Creative Youth (CCY), a pre-college program focusing on the arts where I spent five weeks at Wesleyan University. The experience was one of the most amazing things ever to happen to me. I met so many unique people and developed my artistic craft.

The New Kid

M

oving from Columbus, Miss. to New Haven was not easy. However, trying to assimilate into a new school my junior year proved even harder. I felt like I was living in a Lifetime movie, being the starry-eyed new kid trying to fit in with the popular kids, but I soon learned what was popular at Columbus High School was not the same as popular at James Hillhouse High School.

At my old school, being popular meant you dressed a certain way and your family had a certain amount of money.

But at Hillhouse, being popular meant

you were most likely an athlete or loud and rambunctious and well known. It seemed as if the academically inclined students were among the lowest of the low. I wondered how I would fit in with a group of students who have probably known one another for years. My first day was awkward; everyone looked at me like I was an alien. I smiled and tried to be as polite as the Southern gentleman in me allowed. No matter how nice I tried to appear, I had no luck making new friends, so I sat alone in class and at lunch. I later found refuge in the library every lunch period to avoid sitting alone.

Greeting everyone with a smile was not

Once I returned to Hillhouse for my senior year I was more focused and invested more time in my schoolwork. I pushed my limits to achieve higher things; I was able to participate in Drama Club, International Club and Best Buddies Club, and was active in my senior class.

I worked harder than I had ever worked before to accomplish my goal of attending Morehouse College. Instead of going out with friends or taking a break, I worked hard and persevered and was able to earn high honors for both marking periods.

This and the recommendations of my counselor and teachers allowed me to gain admission to Morehouse College along with several other universities. I guess now I have reason to smile. v

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The State Champion

A

lthough the football season ended on December 5, the season wasn’t really over for me until I signed the national letter of intent with the University of New Hampshire. On the morning of February 3, when I signed my letter, I was excited. I’d been excited ever since I committed to New Hampshire back in September after I attended one of their games. From that moment on, I knew that this was the college I wanted to attend.

The University of New Hampshire is exactly what I was looking for from both an academic and athletic standpoint.

Looking back on the events of the last year or so, I remember all the hard work it took to get me where I am today, beginning with the football camps I attended this past summer at Boston College, UConn, Georgetown and the University of New Hampshire. Camps took up a big part of my summer, but I knew it would be worth it in the end.

When pre-season camp started up at Notre Dame, the team was ready to get back on the field and work toward a common goal: a state championship. Our first game was against Fairfield Prep, and we were walked off that field with a smile [following a 48-6 win], and a new focus: Xavier. Xavier was a tough game. We lost by one point [29-28]. Although that one point ruined a perfect season, we became a stronger team. Losing to Xavier was a terrible feeling that no one wanted to experience again, a loss that inspired us to come back and beat Cheshire [40-36] and Hand [28-14] later in the season.

Cheshire, my hometown team, was a great game and came down to the last 13 seconds of the game. Beating my hometown was a great feeling, especially after coming back from a 14-point deficit.

Then came our Thanksgiving Day game against Hamden. Commonly known as “The Green Bowl,” this was yet another huge game because we needed to win in order to advance into the playoffs. After trailing at halftime 15-14, we came back to win 31-15 and make it into the playoffs, where we beat previously undefeated Conard on their West Hartford field.

That win placed us into the Class L state championship game against Pomperaug.

We knew Pomperaug would be a tough opponent and that it would be a close game. It came down to the fourth quarter and the final score was 28-21. Pomperaug came down to our four-yard line with 18

march 2010

about two minutes to go. They fumbled the ball, which I was able to recover. That was a great moment for me because I was able to make a game-changing play.

With ten seconds left in the game, Conor Keniry intercepted a pass to seal the win. We were ecstatic to win the state championship and know that our hard work paid off.

Rob Bowman Notre Dame High School/ West Haven ‘10

Being a state champion has been a great experience. I am now sincerely looking forward to other great experiences in college where my goals are to help the University of New Hampshire win a national championship and to be successful in my chosen pursuit of a business degree. v

Blake Acquarulo Hamden Hall Country Day School ‘12

Joe Cool

I

t’s a typical Monday morning. A group of girls in the hallway is discussing the past weekend’s social events, a band of geeks huddle over a game of Scrabble and a bunch of jocks converse over the “Top 10 Plays” on that morning’s SportsCenter. And then appears, standing at the other side of the hallway, is her. She doesn’t fit in with any of these groups, and yet she can relate to all of them. She was best friends with those girls in middle school, is on the math team with those geeks, and she challenges the jocks to a pickup game of basketball every week. In their eyes and her own, she is a cool kid — the one who can relate to anyone and does just a little bit of everything.

Being “cool” is all about being adaptable, being relatable and being a role model. In my short year and a half in high school, I have found that

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high school life is too short not to take advantage of all the opportunities that we as students are presented with.

I have involved myself in everything I can, from sports teams to after-school clubs.

Because of this, I have made many new friendships that I hope to keep for the rest of my life. I have no fear of walking down a hallway at school and giving hugs to upperclassmen, while last year I would more likely have been seen running the other way. I never planned on it, but I have found myself more and more becoming “The Cool Kid.” However, being “cool” is so much more than just being popular. It’s also about being approachable and being a leader. I try to lead my fellow classmen as much as I can, and I also like to lead myself.

I make my own decisions and, in a way, being independent makes me cool. I don’t care if people call me a “nerd” for Continued on 21

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Jackie Fickes Continued from 15

for four years. I never had any doubts as to whether I belonged at Lauralton — it practically runs in my blood.

There is something unique about attending Mass in the chapel where my father proposed to my mother, or about wondering how many of my relatives have carved their initials on the desks my friends and I now occupy. It’s haunting to learn about World War II in history class knowing that my grandmother sat in the same classroom during the storming of the beaches at Normandy, or about the Vietnam War when my mother may

Dreisen Heath Continued from 15

Hall afforded me the opportunity to venture out into our community and find a project that 70 high school students could participate in. As junior class president, the weight of this project was put upon my shoulders, and I gladly accepted the challenge. The responsibility of organizing almost 30 weeks of service at a downtown New Haven soup kitchen

have discussed it in a current-events class.

It’s even more sobering to think that somewhere down the road my daughter could be sitting in the same chair I sit in every day, learning about the Iraq War or the historic importance of Barack Obama’s presidency.

Even more meaningful is the idea of the legacy I uphold. Lauralton Hall is filled with the traditions of faith, service and friendship, and similarly my family’s history is infused with the traditions of Lauralton Hall. If I were to count forward from my grandmother’s first day of high school to the graduation day of my younger sister, who will be a Lauralton freshman next fall, I would mark over every Tuesday evening was overwhelming.

However, I could not have done it without the hard work of my fellow classmates.

That experience gave us a life lesson that we all benefited from. Not only did we work as a team, but we donated our time as well as our hearts.

The act of giving is rewarding because it allows the giver and the receiver to share equal satisfaction.

I take pride in providing the happiness

75 years during which the women in my family have crammed for tests, laughed and grown in these hallways. I feel blessed to be among them.

As I finish typing this essay, I picture how proud my grandmother will be when she reads it in print. She is just as proud as I am that the women in our family have followed in her Lauralton footsteps. And I can’t help but wonder if, 50 or 60 years from now, I might open New Haven magazine to read an article about Lauralton Hall written by my own granddaughter. It may not be a ghost story, but I think that it will remain the stuff of legend. v

for others. The satisfaction of seeing a smile on someone’s face is priceless; it makes me think of how fortunate I am to live the life I live. I also understand that leadership is not something that is given to you; leadership is something that you give to others. No one person can eliminate poverty, malnourishment or suffering, but a group of driven and caring people in a school community can definitely make an impact. And we have! v

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Monica Yanez Continued from 16

an education, one is nobody. By learning the English language and breaking all the obstacles in my life, I am able to progress in my education and become somebody in life.

It was a struggle at the beginning, but it was worth it. As the years progressed, I came to understand, speak and read the

Patrick Madley Continued from 16

for seventh- and eighth-graders. I am active in clubs at school such as Students Against Drunk Driving (SADD) and the Environmental Club. I also spent most of my summer last year working with the town and school to start a recycling

Blake Acquarulo Continued from 19

joining the math team or if they call me “goody two-shoes� for joining the school’s community service club. I like being different, unique and true to myself. I try

English language. This experience brought out a more conďŹ dent and determined me.

I became involved in my community and school activities. I am ranked in the top ten percent of my graduating class — something I never imagined. I am captain of the girl’s varsity soccer team as well as the girl’s outdoor track and ďŹ eld team.

In addition, I am involved in various extra-curricular activities, both inside and outside of school. America has given me the opportunity to become a better student program at the schools in town. I have also volunteered at Haz-Waste Central at the Regional Water Authority to collect waste which otherwise could have harmed the environment. I also have started a collection for Haiti relief at my school.

Another reason I think I would be a great president is because of my ability to bring the issues of the people to state and local to make an impression that will last longer than just a day. I like to live my life the way I want to live it and I believe that this is what makes me one cool kid.

I believe that “coolness� can be achieved by anyone who wants it and is willing to put the extra effort in. All one needs

and continue to excel in my education.

Coming to America has been the greatest and most important journey I have ever experienced. It has provided me with an open view of the American culture that I have come to love. In addition, America has provided my family and I with many opportunities to choose from to succeed in life. I am thankful for all the opportunities I’ve been given and the amazing experience of living in America. v ofďŹ cials. I was active in the November election by helping at the polls and at campaign headquarters. Mayor CaponeAlmon said that one day I’ll be President.

The job of President is a daunting one, but one I would welcome. Certainly my goals are lofty, but ones I am eager to pursue and conďŹ dent in my ability to meet them.

v is motivation and drive. Being cool isn’t just a label, it’s a lifestyle. It is all about being true to yourself and getting involved in your school and its activities. If I can inspire other people to follow in my footsteps, I will have ofďŹ cially embraced the true meaning of being cool. v

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othing but four holes remained on the bathroom wall after one couple packed up after their final stay at the Madison Beach Hotel. Most hotel guests requested postcards or key chains as souvenirs. One couple, however, took a picture right off the wall of their room, concealing it in their luggage alongside their flip-flops and bathing suits.

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By Caitlin Marquis

Hotel staff thought the couple was joking when they proudly announced that they had removed a picture from their room, several weeks before the hotel was scheduled to be demolished. Turns out the guests weren’t kidding.

The old-fashioned inn on Long Island Sound was a family and local favorite for years and years, but it was knocked down last October.

“It’s Grandma’s cottage on the beach,” says front desk manager Faith Longobardi about the original building, parts of which dated back to the 1800s.

The Madison Beach Hotel offered 31 rooms and four suites to its guests, some of which include generations of families that returned each summer. Many guests knew exactly which room they wanted to stay in. They loved the sound of the metal keys jangling in their bathing suit pockets (though many inevitably lost their keys in the sand or Sound). They even looked forward to the sticky, wooden doors they had to nudge open with their shoulders. Some didn’t even mind if the wireless Internet acted up — they were happy to come down to the lobby with their laptops and chat with the staff.

Though vacations at places like the Madison Beach Hotel seem classically American, there aren’t too many similar places left.

In the film Dirty Dancing, 17-year-old Baby Houseman and her family spend the summer of 1963 at Kellerman’s resort in the Catskills taking dance lessons, eating Sunday brunch and playing charades. To end the season, the guests and owner join together in song, chanting about times that “won’t be forgotten” and how “old friends are the best.”

The Madison Beach Hotel in all its faded glory.

Owner Max Kellerman realizes, however, that summers like these won’t be around for much longer. “It all seems to be ending,” he muses. “You think kids want to come with their parents to take foxtrot lessons?”

“It feels like it’s all slipping away,” Kellerman concludes. new haven

23

setting,” Steiner adds.

“It’s an unspoiled area,” says Purcell of Madison and the surrounding shoreline towns. When prospective guests who are unfamiliar with the hotel or area call asking what local attractions there are, many are bored with the typical answers — small, local downtown shopping, beaches, antique shops and seafood restaurants. The closest accommodation to a amusement park guests will find is miniature golf.

“It’s a small, intimate gem in the rough,” Purcell says. However, “Once it’s known, it stands out.”

vvv There aren’t too many places left where staff and guests know one another’s names and histories, places where guests stop by the front desk at night with an extra slice of their Ashley’s Ice Cream birthday cake, places where guests invite the college-age beach attendants to Thanksgiving dinner if they happen to live near their school.

Even if they should be waiting attentively by the phone in the lobby, it wasn’t rare to see staff members outside on the jetty, snapping a family photo for a Christmas card, or even helping to remove a screen from a window so that an elderly guest needing an oxygen tank could sit outside on the porch and enjoy the weather. Nor was it rare for certain guests to arrive with a box of Italian pastries upon check-in for staff to munch on.

This winter a new hotel rises from the ashes of its predecessor, scheduled to open later in 2010.

Long-time guests of the Madison Beach Hotel felt the same way when they learned that the summer of 2009 would the historic hotel’s last season — before its demolition and multi-million dollar rebuilding, that is.

The seafood and American cuisine restaurant, the Wharf, which was adjoined to the hotel, was also a favorite for guests and locals alike, treating guests to daily specials including lobster night — not to mention stellar views of the Sound from its upstairs location.

One of her favorite parts of working at the Madison Beach Hotel, joked Julie Purcell.

The hotel’s director of guest services for three years, was “the smell of the lobster.”

That, plus “the proximity to the water and the relaxed nature” of the hotel were positives for her, too.

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Notes Purcell, who before coming to Madison, worked at the Goodwin Hotel in Hartford and the Omni-New Haven Hotel, “I’ve always worn suits to work.

To have sand between my toes [while at work] blew my mind.”

“Families come to the Madison Beach Hotel looking for a bit of relaxation,” said Maggie Steiner, a beach attendant at the hotel. “They expect a break from their hectic lives, with a weekend, or longer.

“The Madison Beach Hotel is a place where families can reconnect and enjoy their time together, all in a relaxed

The Madison Beach Hotel is the kind of place where guests wouldn’t just nod and say “thanks” for a restaurant recommendation; they offered to bring back your favorite dish.

Purcell recalls how a regular guest of the hotel found her profile on Facebook recently, and said he was coming to the area and would like to catch up over dinner.

The relationships formed between the staff and the guests during summers at the Madison Beach Hotel are a thing of the past, but something that added to its charm.

Many who stayed at the hotel for the first time might complain that their window wouldn’t close properly or be upset that there was no swimming pool, but rarely would staff hear a complaint about the location. Sweeping panoramas of the Long Island Sound, including glimpses of lighthouses and even (on a clear day) Long Island itself, are undeniably some of the best around — and have been since the building’s initial construction.

The hotel, which was built as a rooming house in the 19th century, was originally home to shipbuilders who worked at nearby Hoyt’s shipyard. In 1904 the building was turned parallel to the shore. At this time, not every room was waterfront, and few had private bathrooms. The hotel housed young male and female employees (in separate quarters) during their seasonal employment.

Since the Cooney family purchased the hotel and adjoining restaurant the Wharf in 1968, changes were made to the property — some forced by a 1978 fire. The Annex, a former stable, was renovated and a conference center added.

Ric and Dawn Duques purchased the hotel and restaurant in October 2006.

Last fall they announced plans to replace the aging structure.

Some longtime guests shed tears when they heard the news. Many whose families had been returning year after year shared stories with staff members about how much they would miss the old place.

Some guests even vowed their summer 2009 stay would be their last. A group of sisters cried at the thought of the building being torn down because they had always spent time at the hotel with their mother, who had just passed away.

Though many were affected emotionally by the news, others simply booked an extra weekend for later in the season.

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Typical answers included rattling off a list of local places, including Water’s Edge Resort & Spa in nearby Westbrook, Conn., if proximity to the shore was an important factor.

Some turned up their noses at similar suggestions saying they’re too resort-like, or too expensive. Guests of the Madison Beach Hotel enjoyed the child-friendly, backyardstyle beach bonfires held on Saturday evenings, and the low-key afternoons spent lounging in the Smith and Hawken wooden rocking chairs on the Sound-facing porch.

The cost for a second or third floor room with a private balcony overlooking the water was just over $200 including tax per night, which Purcell explains is reasonable for the desirable Sound-front property.

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The Madison Beach Hotel is scheduled to reopen some time this fall. Though the new, boutique-style hotel is sure to be beautiful and feature contemporary amenities, Purcell acknowledges that guests who have been coming for years will “miss the feeling of Grandma’s cottage.”

Typical stays at the original hotel were characterized by seafood, relaxation and the beach — maybe followed by a game of Monopoly or a walk along the shoreline. It was certainly no five-star hotel or cruise ship with every amenity imaginable, but it was a comfortable, old-fashioned escape for guests.

“Typically people don’t like change,” says Purcell. The new hotel “will have to prove itself.” v

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THE WHOLE WORLD SMILES Continued from 7

taken by Levine during his travels. One picture, a stunning shot of Himalayan peaks, is on the cover of a dental journal.

A soft-spoken and spry bespectacled man who smiles easily, Levine, 65, prefers meeting new clients in a small conference room, where they’re seated upright on a chair or sofa, rather than “upside down [in the exam room] with their mouth open.”

“For me, to be a dentist is really an honor or privilege,” he says. “I think that’s why I tend to have this style, which is just being a good person next to the person you’re working with, and that comes from my background and from a respect and honor for the people I serve.”

A Hamden native, Levine was first in his family to attend college.

After studying chemistry at Lafayette College and earning his DDS in 1970 from Temple University School of Dentistry, he spent four years in the U.S. Dental Corps in Heidelberg, Germany, developing a preventive dentistry program for soldiers and teaching it to other dentists. “It was the beginning of my study of behavioral dentistry,” he says.

Returning to America, Levine worked 26

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in Hartford with another dentist before opening his own practice in New Haven in 1976.

“He’s a very unique and interesting man who cares about art,” says New Haven Alderwoman Frances (Bitsie) Clark (D-7), who has been a patient since Levine first arrived in the Elm City. “He has always been a very touchy-feely type, which is not necessarily my kind of thing. But with him it is sincere, and in a dentist dealing with people who are anxious, it has a calming effect.

“When I first had to have a tooth pulled, I was far more upset than I thought I would be, and I didn’t understand it,” Clark recalls. “He noticed I was nervous, stopped everything, sat down and held my hand and talked about castration fears, telling me, ‘You’re upset because you’re losing a piece of your body.’ It’s something I remember very clearly, and is the reason why I feel so willing to put myself in his hands.”

Another longtime patient, Jerry Cohen, describes Levine as “a very sweet-natured person.

vvv A small Buddhist sculpture, a Tibetan mandala painting and hand-woven wall decorations elicit a sense of serenity in the office. They are evidence of an Eastern spiritual journey Levine says stems from his practice of yoga, love of the outdoors and study of Buddhism, which has deepened since he began doing pro bono work in the late 1980s.

During a mountain trekking trip to the base camp of Mount Everest in 1988, Levine met the health minister of Nepal, whose former daughter-in-law had worked in his office. When he learned there was a dire need for dentists in the country, and that one of the minister’s sons had founded Himalayan HealthCare Inc., a non-profit dispensing health care in remote mountain village, he offered to help. Levine has returned frequently, and became a member of the organization’s board of directors a decade ago.

Since then he has volunteered for many other overseas projects, including 1000 Smiles, a partnership between Great Shape! Inc. Sandals Resorts International and the Jamaican Ministry of Health, bringing dentists to Jamaica to provide pro bono dental care and education.

“As a kid I hated going to the dentist because the tension would build up in me,” Cohen says. “I have never felt that way in his office.”

“I can count on less than one hand the

number of volunteers who put that much of their heart and spirit into their work,” says Great Shape! Inc. Executive Director Joseph Wright. “He’s a very unique individual on this planet, with a special blend of East and West and respect for multiculturalism.

treatment, the basic form of dentistry you can do without electricity that can help prevent infections and save teeth.”

After decades of doing emergency dentistry, teaching it to health-care providers has become a priority for Levine, who hopes to travel soon to Laos to train dental students and faculty at the national university.

“Jack has zero ego and views his life as being a servant in this work, and is a natural leader who leads by example.”

Levine has mentored UConn dental students, taking them on trips to Haiti and Peru, he says, for “outback, village-work, using headlamps and flashlights and doing extractions.”

He also has studied at the Pankey Institute for continuing dental education and is a fellow in the Academy of General Dentistry.

In 2007, Levine and several colleagues visited a refugee camp in Tanzania, training local health-care providers in emergency dental care, as part of the American Dental Association’s (ADA)

Health Volunteers Overseas program.

Two years later, he became a member of the ADA International Development Subcommittee, which oversees oral health programs in half a dozen countries.

“Jack has a lot of great ideas to increase the effectiveness of our programs,” says ADA International Development Subcommittee chair Sally Hewett, who also chairs the Health Volunteers Overseas Oral Health Initiative. “He’s an incredibly compassionate person, who does a lot of training in traumatic-restorative

He says there is a common theme in his overseas work.

“Here is another human being in great need and what you think may be true or may not be true, so you have to be ready for the unexpected and be willing to be with them where they are, not only in their physical place but also in their level of discomfort,” he says.

Levine has no plans to slow down, and would like to find a like-minded dentist to join his New Haven practice, so he can spend more time abroad, sharing his skills.

“I feel like I’ve already made a difference,” he says. “And I have more to give.” v

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Where the heart is: Charlie and Allison Kreitler with daughter Haley.

PHOTOGRAPHS:

ANTHONY DECARLO

With equal doses of creativity and love, a young couple transform a diamond in the rough 28

march 2010

By DUO DICKINSON

AT HO M E

W

hen Allison Ehri Kreitler and her husband, Charlie Kreitler, went looking for a house, the timing couldn’t have been worse. The year was 2006, when real-estate prices were still peaking and houses that went on the market were often thrown into a bidding war that ended up north of the asking price.

As Charlie recalls, “The 800-square-foot farm [Westport] cottage we lived in started to feel cramped, so we began the search for a larger home. Our goal was simple: It needed to be large enough for a growing family, in a location we could walk to the beach and town, and be within budget.�

Desperate times called for a broad vision, and they found a Milford home that was well situated: close to downtown and across the street from a large park with athletic ďŹ elds near Milford Harbor. The 1910 house they discovered might be called a “quiet Victorian,â€? or perhaps an “elaborated Federalâ€? — a lovely simple home on a nice corner lot. In the 1920s the home had a at-roofed two-story addition tacked onto its rear to create a new staircase that allowed the home to be

bisected into a two-apartment home (one apartment per oor).

The creation of two homes out of a simple single occupancy compromised virtually every aspect of its interior — creating a rabbit warren of walls, an arbitrary location for staircases to the second oor, and a second-oor space that had once been the kitchen. Charlie describes it as “bare — no cabinets, just a drain remaining from a sink sticking up from the oor and a live 220-volt cable left over from the stove. But the stained mustard yellow carpet was lovely!â€? No wonder this home was affordable to the Kreitlers.

Despite those shortcomings, the house and its site had a number of positive elements: The lot has great exposure — the long side of the home faced the sunshine of due south and opened up to a yard along the side street.

Also, much of the original ooring and trim were preserved beneath layers of applied surface treatments. And the home’s simple oblong structure (not counting the oddball rear addition), was an open book and relatively easy to work with.

Beyond these pluses, the critical positive attribute that made all the difference in creating a full family home out of a hodgepodge apartment house was the Kreitlers themselves. They were newly married with the full energy of established careers — Charlie working as a ďŹ nancial advisor and Allison as a food stylist and recipe developer for Taunton Press’s Fine Cooking magazine. They had the can-do attitude of unlimited opportunity that bled over into how they approached renovating a house.

With only a dog or two to take care of, they set about removing layer upon layer of applied coatings, wall-to-wall carpeting, Masonite “paneling,â€? non-load-bearing partitions, absurd decoration and other refuse that could easily ďŹ t into a dumpster.

As Charlie recalls, “We invited friends to help with demolition, hosting two weekends of ‘demo parties’ where we took out aggression on old plaster walls and ďŹ lled dumpsters.â€? Creative destruction, indeed.

Once the eight decades of ill-conceived appliquÊs were scraped off the home’s original bones, the Kreitlers prevailed upon Charlie’s brother, Paul, an engineer

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The kitchen is divided by function into three spaces: The island and cook top beyond comprise the ‘cooking’ place; cleanup is around the corner at the window (rear right) and pantry/ovens are behind the wall upon which the range hood is mounted — extreme versatility, storage capacity and visual delight in a carefully crafted design.

The long south wall of the newly opened first floor (the dropped beams in the ceiling above replaced bearing walls) accommodates living space, the far corner (left) has an array of new corner windows, while the bar (far left) backs up the kitchen up the kitchen.

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march 2010

specializing in advanced heating and cooling systems, to draw up the house on his computer. With those baseline drawings in hand, Allison and Charlie began the head-scratching task of deciding what they could do immediately to make the house livable, and what to plan for but defer until the budget permitted.

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Given Allison’s predilection as an inveterate “foodie,” the kitchen took center-stage for her, while the wonkier aspects of construction — energy conservation, contracting and scheduling — became Charlie’s domain.

Reviewing the plans of their existing house they both soon realized that if they wanted to have full access to the finished attic the existing stair would have to go.

The previous owners created access to their DIY finished attic with perhaps the most dangerous staircase in the history of human vertical ascent — one with no side railing and head clearance that might (or might not) allow an Oompa-Loompa safe passage.

After discussions with city zoning officials, Charlie ascertained that he could expand of the house’s footprint modestly to allow a new stair to extend to the north by a few feet and have its headroom augmented by a simple extension of the north-facing gable. A new entryway could be tucked under the home’s existing front porch roof. Not having the budget yet to fully draw up this tightly circumscribed design, a preliminary layout was aggressively reality-checked in the field — where it proved out — allowing code-compliant passage to the attic.

In its infinite wisdom, the city also required that even though no reasonable person would deem this house “coastal,” the 2005 edition of the Connecticut State Building Code required that the entire house be restructured to resist a 110-mph wind shear. With that in mind, the Kreitlers brought in a local structural engineer to determine how the house’s structure would respond to that code requirement as well as to the third great “design imperative” the Kreitlers intended to impose upon the house.

After it was determined that Allison could create a legit kitchen and that a new stair could extend out to the north, it then fell upon the structural engineer to determine how the two main bearing walls on the first floor of the house could be removed.

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The master bedroom takes full advantage of the upper floor’s south- and eastfacing corner window array.

The home’s exterior has its new stair tower meshed with the existing north facing gable (upper left), while a new front door eases under the existing wraparound porch. Note the special round window at the top of the first-floor stair rum, and outsized window array at the stair landing.landing

32

march 2010

the buck. Thus when three walls gave way to three beams, the home’s groundlevel interior became remarkably open, informal and bathed in the light of its oversized south-facing windows.

of the ensemble. The last element of this three-way culinary design is the westerly portion completely around the corner from the social/cooking side, set behind the stove, an area with ovens, a storage/ larder closet and a second access to the dining room.

Beyond these large gestures, smaller ones addressed functional necessities and helped to create visual delight. Almost no home built at the beginning of the 20th century had a “mud room,” and so in the wake of removing the rear stair that facilitated the house’s subdivision into two apartments, the Kreitlers found they could create a real “back door” oriented to a planned garage and with enough space to allow for 21st century-style storage.

By taking over the whole northeast quadrant of the home for Allison’s extraordinary kitchen plan, the Kreitlers then complemented that functional focal point with light — creating a corner array of windows to the southeast affording the greatest exposure to the most open part of their property (and the best light, as well).

The Kreitlers’ home was, at best, a 2,000-square-foot, 2.5-story residence that needed, ultimately, to house a full family. That tightness meant that certain intricate planning decisions had to be made. The first was to fuse a bedroom with a home office creating a guest bedroom laid out to accommodate a future built-in desk. The second was to move the washer/dryer upstairs and nest it with the extraordinarily tight (but now codecompliant) stair to the third floor.

The full access of the attic as “overflow”/ informal space planned for the inevitable transition from “couple” to “family” — providing a place where children could hang out safely at home. Additionally, insulation was added everywhere, caulking aggressively applied, and the lighting and high-efficiency HVAC system were carefully designed within the limits of this tight home. The Kreitlers

This design is distinctive in several ways: It is completely open functionally, but its layout is divided into three discrete components. Every dimension was carefully considered, drawn and redrawn, and mocked up in the field by Allison and Charlie, and the design was informed by Allison’s lifelong focus on food.

also used only non-toxic paint, drywall, adhesives and floor finishes.

Even with all the care paid to other aspects of the renovation, the jewel in the crown of this house is Allison’s kitchen design — not surprising given her career focus. Her layout creates an ensemble of three “places” within a single kitchen. Its most public space (the east) has a prep island to keep wine-sipping guests at bay.

The island is cast off from an existing wall where a large-scale industrial stove dominates, almost as an altar to the culinary gods. Tucked discretely around the corner from this open area are separate 30-inch refrigerator and freezer units. The area housing the island/prep sink, stove and refrigerator/freezer form the cooking side of the design.

Set to the outside north wall is the middle section of this kitchen trifecta, an oversized farmhouse sink oriented to a window with ample upper cabinets flanking it and two dishwashers — effectively the clean-up connecting third

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Amid all the career and house focus, the Kreitlers also found time to realize the dream of most couples — starting a family.

Once Phase I of the renovation was complete, they found themselves blessed with the home’s best-loved addition of all: a beautiful baby daughter.

While parts of the master plan (built-ins, decoration) remain undone until the “out years,” the Kreitlers decided to spend strategically on furnishings. They had a dining-room table made by Hansen Fine Furniture and found a wonderful side table and lamp from dbO Home.

Given all the time and attention invested, it’s hardly surprising the Kreitlers are delighted with the built product. “We love the result,” Charlie Kreitler says. “The windows bring in enough sun that we frequently don’t use the lights during the day. The house is warm and inviting, making it easy to be social or find a quiet space tucked away.”

The best homes are the embodiment of all the things their families cherish. In the Kreitlers’ case, that included efficiency, food and love. Here a young family finds shelter, a future and great joy in a place called home, a place where not everything is finished — but everything is perfect. v

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Gallery, Women & Family Life Center, 96 Fair St., Guilford. By appointment.

203-453-3890, shorelinearts.org, womenandfamilylifecenter.org.

ART EXHIBITIONS Continuing The distinctive, stylistically varied textiles in Splendid Details are richly colored and detailed. Examples include Chinese silk jackets, Japanese robes and Mongolian horsemen’s gowns, intricately embroidered in vibrant floral patterns, Chinese characters and symbols, and woven dragons.

All pieces date from the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Through March 5 at Mansfield Freeman Gallery, Wesleyan University, 343 Washington Terr., Middletown. Open noon-4 p.m. daily except Mon. Free. 860-685-2330, wesleyan.edu/east.

Works by members of the Photo Arts Collective, a program of the Arts Council of Greater New Haven, are the focus Spectra 2010. Annual show includes this year works by James Ayers, Penny Cook, Rod Cook, Terry Dagradi, Matthew Garrett, Kenneth Hanson, Sharon Hirsch, Art Johnson, Rob Lisak, Gillian Marshall, Roy Money, Maryann Ott, David Ottenstein, Beverly Peterson Stearns and Marjorie Wolfe. Through March 19 at the Sumner McKnight Crosby Jr. Gallery, 70 Audubon St., 2nd Floor, New Haven. Open 9 a.m.-5 p.m. weekdays. 203-772-2788, newhavenarts. org.

Small Works — Big Voices is an exhibition of eight-by-ten-inch works in several media — photography, oils, collages, water color — by female artists from the shoreline.

The exhibition is the result of a new collaboration between the Shoreline Arts Alliance and the Women & Family Life Center. The intention is to celebrate the work of local visual artists through providing them free gallery space while bringing visitors to Guilford’s historic district. Proceeds of the sale of artworks will benefit both sponsoring organizations. Through March 21 at the Carriage House

Varieties of Romantic Experience: Drawings from the Collection of Charles Ryskamp is the first exhibition of its scope (some 200 pieces) dedicated to northern European drawings — British, German, French, Danish and Dutch. It treats Romanticism (1789-1848) as an international phenomenon by including British as well as Continental artists.

British artists include J.M.W. Turner, Cornelius Varley, William Blake and Henry Fuseli. European artists include Caspar David Friedrich, Camille Corot, Eugène Delacroix and Edgar Degas. The collection is the product of 50 years of collecting by Princeton professor emeritus Charles Ryskamp, director emeritus of the Pierpont Morgan Library and the Frick Collection.

Organized by Matthew Hargraves, assistant curator for collections research at the British Art Center, in association with Ryskamp. Through April 25 at Yale Center for British Art, 1080 Chapel St., New Haven. Open 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Tues.-Sat., noon-5 p.m. Sun. Free. 203-432-2800, ycba.yale.edu.

Eero Saarinen was a prolific and famously controversial architect and furniture designer. His works range from the Sydney Opera House, Dulles Airport, three Yale buildings and the “tulip chair.” Eero Saarinen: Shaping the Future is the first major exhibition to examine his wide-ranging career from the 1930s through the early 1960s.

Through May 2 at Yale University Art Gallery, 1111 Chapel St., and Yale School of Architecture, 100 York St., New Haven.

Open 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tues.-Sat. (until 8 p.m. Thurs.), 1-6 p.m., Sun. Free. 203-4320600, artgallery.yale.edu, architecture. yale.edu.

Early architectural drawings, manuscripts, maps, models and scientific instruments will be the subject of the Compass & Rule: Architecture as Mathematical Practice in England, 1500–1750. The exhibition, the first of its scope in North America, illuminates the expanding role of architecture in the period with objects ranging from ranging from medieval masons’ drawings on stone to detailed drawings from the 18th century. Among

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march 2010

CRITICS PICK: Sewell Sillman; Pushing Limits

Sewell Sillman: Pushing Limits presents for the first time the scope of the artist’s work across several media and as a publisher and teacher. The exhibition features more than 60 of Sillman’s abstract drawings and watercolors. He was a protégé and long-time friend with Bauhaus master Josef Albers; color studies on which the artists collaborated are also on view.

Born in Georgia in 1924, Sillman studied at Black Mountain College with Albers, and earned an MFA at Yale. He taught there and at the Rhode Island School of Design as well as at the universities

of Michigan and Pennsylvania before settling in Lyme. Known for his expertise in color and printmaking, Sillman kept a large body of work private and few of his paintings and watercolors have been previously exhibited.

This exhibition introduces his rarely seen early and late works, tracing the development of his themes and use of materials. As one-half of the art publishing team of Ives-Sillman, he was a meticulous maker of screenprints for many of the leading artists of the era, including, Romare Bearden, Willem deKooning and Roy Lichtenstein. The

the nearly 100 items are an astrolabe made for Queen Elizabeth I, several Sir Christopher Wren’s drawings of St. Paul’s Cathedral, and architectural drawings of King George III. Through May 30 at Yale Center for British Art,

Sewell Sillman’s Untitled (1982), watercolor and graphite on paper, 18 x 24 in., from the collection of James McNair.

exhibition includes working proofs and finished prints, particularly those created Albers. Through April 18 at the Florence Griswold Museum, 96 Lyme Street, Old Lyme. Open 10 a.m.-5 p.m. daily except Mon., 1-5 p.m. Sun. $9 ($8 seniors, $7 students, under 13 free).

860-434-5542, florence griswoldmuseum.org.

— Susan L. Hartt

1080 Chapel St., New Haven. Open 10 a.m.-5 p.m. daily except Mon., noon-5 p.m. Sun. Free. 203-432-2800, ycba.yale. edu.

Soloist Adrianne Greenbaum is the star of Magical Flute, a night of flute fun and klezmer flair brought to you by Orchestra New England, conducted by Music Director James Sinclair. MOZART Adagio & Fugue in C minor; PUCCINI Crisantimi; RUBTSOV Concertino for Flute (premiere); MENDELSSOHN Symphony No. 10 in B minor; DOPPLER Andante & Rondo for Two Flutes. 8 p.m. March 6 at United Church on the Green, 270 Temple St., New Haven. $35-$20. 800-595-4849, orchestranewengland.org.

Today’s Bach’s Lunch is a Germanyvs.-England musical smackdown. In anticipation of the upcoming World Cup, come see an all-out musical brawl between composers from the juggernaut countries of Western music. Terrence B. Fay, tenor and trombone, pianist Irene Senedak and special guest Joseph Elbertson, who is both a baritone and countertenor (!), pit Brahms, Bach and Hindemith against Purcell, Dowland and VaughanWilliams in this epic battle for auditory supremacy. Bring your lunch. 12:10 p.m.

March 12 at Neighborhood Music School, 100 Audubon St., New Haven. Free. 203624-5189, nmsmusicschool.org.

Violinist Ani Kavafian, William Purvis, horn, and pianist Mihae Lee comprise the Triton Horn Trio, who perform the final concert of the 2010 Essex Winter Series. 3 p.m. March 14 at

MUSIC

flute, Julie Levene, clarinet and violinist Ellen Higham. Pizza party follows.

4 p.m. March 19 at Neighborhood Music School, 100 Audubon St., New Haven. $10 ($5 children). 203-624-5189, nmsmusicschool.org.

Classical

Orchestra New England principal flutist Adrianne Greenbaum headlines Magical Flute, a night of flute fun and klezmer flair March 6 at United Church.

Valley Regional High School, Kelsy River Rd., Deep River. $25 ($20 seniors, $6 children & students). 860-391-5578, essexwinterseries.com.

Children’s Concert — A Musical Story Hour. Enjoy The Owl and the Pussycat, written by Edward Lear with music by Laurence Scott, and Willie Was Different, written by Norman Rockwell with music by Seymour Barab.

Performers include Naomi Senzer,

Separated by a century, two Viennese musical revolutionaries are heard sideby-side in Revolution, a performance of the New Haven Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Music Director William Boughton. Schoenberg’s highly charged and romantic musical realization of Richard Dehmel’s poem Verklarte Nacht (Transfigured Night) expresses love, nature and anguish.

Beethoven’s Symphony No. 3 in E-flat Major (“Eroica�) is a revolutionary work that introduced the notion that a symphony could convey beliefs and ideas about heroism, death, apotheosis and revolution. 7:30 p.m.

March 25 at Woolsey Hall, 400 College St., New Haven. $65-$10. Also, 8 p.m.

March 26 at Quick Center for the Arts, Fairfield University, 1073 N. Benson Rd., Fairfield. $45-$35. 203-865-0831, newhavensymphony.org.

Join the Yale Symphony Orchestra for Bach’s 325th Birthday Festival.

Mixed ensembles will perform various chamber works (4-6 p.m.), followed by the complete Brandenberg Concerti Nos. 1-6 (8 p.m.). March 27 at Battell Chapel, 500 Chapel St., New Haven. $15-$10 ($2 students). 203-562-5666, shubert.com.

As part of Yale’s Horowitz Piano Series, Russian pianist (and Yale School of Music faculty member) Boris Berman performs all of Claude DÊbussy’s 24 PrÊludes. 8 p.m. March 31 at Sprague Hall, 470 College St., New Haven. $20$11 ($6 students). 203-432-4158, music. yale.edu.

Popular The Mahavishnu Project celebrates the groundbreaking music (and really fast guitar-playing) of jazz-rock fusion pioneer John McLaughlin and the Mahavishnu Orchestra. All ages. 9 p.m. March 5 at Toad’s Place, 300 York St., New Haven. $15. 203-624-8623, toadsplace.com.

ChloĂŤ Agnew, Lynn Hilary, Lisa Kelly, Alex Sharpe and fiddler MĂĄirĂŠad Nesbitt comprise Celtic Woman, the ensemble assembled in 2004 by former Riverdance music director David Downes. Five albums and 50 million copies later, the quintet is one of the most commercially successful acts in the world. 2 & 7 p.m. March 6 at the Oakdale Theatre, 95 S. Turnpike Rd., Wallingford. $76-$28.65. 203-265-1501, livenation.com.

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Come out and show your support for Connecticut’s most eclectic college radio station, as hockey-rockers the Zambonis, Soul Reapin’ 3 and another act TBA headline a benefit show for WNHU (88.7 FM). Raffles, deejays and more. 2-6 p.m. March 7 at Café Nine, 250 State St., New Haven. $5. 203-7898281, cafénine.com.

Bill Frisell Trio. One of the leading guitarists in jazz since the late 1980s, Frisell’s eclectic music incorporates elements of progressive folk, classical music, country music, noise and more.

His trio includes violist Eyvind Kang and drummer Rudy Royston. 8:30 & 10 p.m. March 9 at Firehouse 12, 45 Crown St., New Haven. $30. 203-785-0468, firehouse12.com.

It’s everyone’s favorite Celtic hardcore punks, the Dropkick Murphys, rocking Wallingford in an all-ages show. With Strung Out and opener Larry & His Flask. 7:30 p.m. March 10 at the Oakdale Theatre, 95 S. Turnpike Rd., Wallingford. $29.50. 203-265-1501, livenation.com.

The New England Guitar Society presents exciting Paraguayan guitarist Luz Maria Bobadilla in performance March 6 in Milford.

ONSTAGE OPENING Passing, a new play by Dipika Guha, is set in India, where a badly mismatched English couple try to make a home amongst too much alcohol and mystery.

Suddenly, a bloodied teenage girl emerges and ancient fears, violence and resentments cannot be ignored. 8 p.m. March 4, 8 & 11 p.m. March 5-6 at Yale Cabaret, 217 Park St., New Haven. $15. 203-432-1566. yalecabaret.org.

Leapin’ lizards — Annie is coming to the Shubert. The timeless tale of Little Orphan Annie is back, giving a whole new generation the chance to experience this classic musical about never giving up hope. Boasting one of Broadway’s most memorable scores, including “It’s the Hard-Knock Life” and the ever-optimistic “Tomorrow,” Annie is a theatrical delight for the entire family. 7:30 p.m. March 5, 2 & 7 p.m. March 6, 1 & 6 p.m. March 7 at at the Shubert Theater, 247 College St., New Haven. $68-$15. 203-562-5666, shubert. com.

Disney’s Beauty and the Beast combines the classic story with the fun, fantasy and music of the Academy Award-winning animated feature film.

The characters are memorable, the

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costumes are lavish, and the story of love conquering the wildest heart make for great fun. And who can forget the title song? 8 p.m. March 12, 2 & 8 p.m. March 13, 1 & 6:30 p.m. March 14 at the Palace Theater, 100 E. Main St., Waterbury. $66-$41. 203-755-4700, palacetheaterct.org.

Carlo Goldoni (1707-93) was one of Europe’s greatest and most beloved playwrights. The Servant of Two Masters, translated by Christina Bayes, is a rollicking masterpiece of mistaken identities, romances shattered and repaired while the servant Truffaldino devises a scheme to increase his wages by serving two masters at once.

The comedic mayhem is directed by Christopher Bayers. A Yale Repertory Theatre Production. March 12-April 3 at University Theatre, 222 York St., New Haven. $67-$35. 203-432-1234, yalerep. org.

In her revelatory solo show No Child, writer/performer Nilaja Sun draws from firsthand experience as a teaching artist in New York City’s public schools, portraying 16 characters in 70 minutes to illuminate the trials and triumphs in America’s public-education edifice.

No one — teacher, student, janitor, principal or security guard — is overlooked by Sun’s hilarious and heartbreaking exposé, which has been a smash hit off-Broadway and across the nation. Hal Brooks directs. March 17-April 18 at Long Wharf Theatre Stage II, 222 Sargent Dr., New Haven. $65-$30.

203-787-4382, longwharf.org.

In MESs, choreographer and performer Yoko Hiashino explores gender and

It’s a Hibernian hoedown on St. Patrick’s Day at the parade! Their name makes them sound like refugees from a Plasmatics song, and indeed the Butcher Boys play Irish music with an edge (and drums). 9 p.m. March 14 at Café Nine, 250 State St., New Haven.

Free. 203-789-8281, cafénine.com.

transformation with flashing LEDs and a pulsing techno beat. Higashino is also the choreographer/director of Baby-Q, a Japanese multimedia performance group that has performed throughout the world. MESs runs approximately 45 minutes; each performance is followed by a talk back with the artists. A Yale Repertory Theatre production. 8 p.m. March 25-27 at Iseman Theater, 1156 Chapel St., New Haven. $35-$25. 203-432-1234, yalerep.org.

The cult film comes alive in Evil Dead: The Musical with the essential blood and body parts flying and, of course, musical numbers. This is the musical ghouls and lovers of gore shouldn’t miss. The managers advise that anyone who dares to sit in the “splash zone” should bring a poncho. Written by George Reinblatt; directed by Justin Eli and Lee Micklin. 8 p.m. March 25, 8 & 11 p.m. March 26-27 at Yale Cabaret, 217 Park St., New Haven. $15. 203-432-1566, yalecabaret.org.

The Shubert’s Broadway Series presents the funniest wedding of the decade — and you’re invited. The Wedding Singer, the romantic musical comedy based on the hit movie with Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore, is pure fun and laughter, guaranteed to have audience members dancing themselves out of their seats. Timetravel back to 1985 and the days of big hair, Dynasty, Duran Duran and leg warmers. 8 p.m. March 26, 2 & 8 p.m. March 27, 2 p.m. March 28 at the Shubert Theater, 247 College St., New Haven. $68-$15. 203-562-5666, shubert. com.

Known for their thunderous riffs and ferocious vocals, metalcore faves Killswitch Engage rose to fame in 2004 with the Grammy-nominated album, End of Heartache, then won over even more metal lovers with the acclaimed follow-up, As Daylight Dies. The Devil Wears Prada and Dark Tranquility open this all-ages show. 7:30 p.m. March 21 at the Oakdale Theatre, 95 S. Turnpike Rd., Wallingford. $29.50. 203-265-1501, livenation.com.

Featuring Mothers of Invention alumni Don Preston and Bunk Gardner, the Don & Bunk Show channels the music of Frank Zappa in a multimedia presentation replete with special effects and audience interaction. 7:30 p.m. March 27 at Toad’s Place, 300 York St., New Haven. $15. 203-624-8623, toadsplace.com.

Go Kat Go! presents Rhythm Bound, which embraces the many styles rockabilly can encompass, including traditional country, hillbilly, swing, blues and 1950s rock ‘n’ roll. From hardhitting modern sounds to a Johnny Cash train beat, then to a ‘50s-type ballad — these guys showcase how vibrant and eclectic rockabilly can be in the 21st century. Amy Rose & Her Troublemakers open. 9 p.m. March 27 at Café Nine, 250 State St., New Haven. $6. 203-789-8281, cafénine.com.

CONTINUING Sylvia is A.R. Gurney at his most hilarious and pointed as he again examines mid-life angst and marriage, this time through the sometimes goofy experiences of a couple as they prepare to move from the suburbs back to the city. He wants a dog. She does not. He finds one, an extraordinary dog who does not appear to be canine to the audience. Starring Karen Ziemba, John Procaccino, Erica Sullivan and Jacob Ming-Trent. Directed by Eric Ting.

Through March 14 at Long Wharf Theater, 222 Sargent Dr., New Haven. $65-$30.

203-787-4382, longwharf.org.

Neil Simon’s The Sunshine Boys. The comedy to end all comedies. Al Lewis and Willie Clark, are elderly, retired vaudevillians who were once a red-hot beloved comedy team onstage, but offstage bickered over trivialities in real life. Through March 21 at Seven Angels Theatre, 1 Plank Rd., Waterbury. $37.50-$29.

203-757-4676, sevenangelstheatre.org.

PLAYWRIGHTS PlayMakers Theatre invites new playwrights to submit ten-minute plays for the group’s Shorts Festival.

The plays should be in the spirit of Thornton Wilder’s humor and faith in mankind. Deadline for submission April 15. Any Connecticut resident (including students) may apply.

Performance will take place June 18 at the Thornton Wilder Auditorium in Hamden’s Miller Library. Plays must be submitted by e-mail. Contact playmakersct.webs.com.

B IB L IO F I LE S PHOTOGRAPH:

Anthony DeCarlo

Zen and the Art of Getting Hit Blows to the Head: How Boxing Changed My Mind, by Binnie Klein. Published by State University of New York Press. 206 pps. $19.95 (hard).

By MICHAEL C. BINGHAM

B

innie Klein is a 50-something female Jewish psychotherapist in New Haven. So naturally, she longs to take up boxing.

Bada-bing.

(And did we mention she’s little, too?)

Klein’s interest in the sweet science was first piqued when she spied an article in the newsletter of the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) headlined, “Women Boxers, Middle-Aged, Fearless.” Something about the idea resonated with Klein, who had lived a sedentary life (in school, she faked her period to avoid gym class) and never hit anyone.

Hitting, after all, was something boys do — it’s that whole anger thing. “Somehow the aggression or intensity required to hit was understandable coming from a man,” she writes. “But, with a woman, it was an anomaly. Why on earth would a woman want to punch? Or be hit?”

Why, indeed? In a December 2009 NHM interview, Southern Connecticut State University President Cheryl Norton, a lifelong athlete, expressed the opinion: “I think every little girl should do some martial arts, to learn they can get hit and live through it. Not that women should be hit, but there is a basic understanding that ‘I’m not so fragile.’”

L-r: ‘Fly-by-Night’ writers Connolly and Mitnick with Summer Cab Artistic Director Rosenstock outside their Park Street lair.

PHOTOGRAPH:

Talk about acting out your aggression: Klein ready to rumble.

Anthony DeCarlo

new haven

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life is about, too, you know?

The author outside the ring: ‘Boxing is an elegant containment of aggression, a stage for dramas both universal and exquisitely personal.’

And that really is the theme of Blows.

Throughout her weekly sessions Klein gains confidence in her body, her power, her control over her world. It harnesses her energy, her latent anger; it gives her direction, a goal.

But at the end of her tale Klein longs to box an exhibition with her coach, to show her family and friends the floating butterfly (it stings like a bee!) that has emerged from the chrysalis of her former life of feeling “sour, bitter and dry.”

She wants to fight in earnest, Klein writes, because “I have a victory stored deep inside me that no one but John and I know. I can already feel it growing inside, flexing its fingers and toes like a tiny baby, moving into my future.”

Maybe. But the real crucible is the fight itself — win, lose or draw.

“If you look closely, you can see that everyone is fighting all the time, with loved ones, with themselves, with traffic, with opponents both real and imagined,” Klein writes.

This would be a powerful lesson for the diminutive Klein, whose lifelong relationship with her body is summed up in the words “what a disappointment!

Sometimes it just seemed like a necessary oversized backpack for my brain.”

Beyond being female, and “older,” part of what made taking up boxing so out of character for Klein was the fact that she was Jewish. Pugilism, she observes, is “a sport thought to be as far from the Jewish experience as mayonnaise and white bread.

“I grew up thinking Jews were the pale scholars, heads buried in books, funny, warm, sensitive, but definitely not physical,” she writes. “A Jewish triathlon, as the joke goes, consists of ‘gin rummy, then contract bridge, followed by a nap.’”

Blows to the Head is the saga not of Klein’s ring career per se (by the final chapter she still has not actually sparred with another female), but of her journey of self-discovery — of her body, her values, 38

march 2010

her upbringing, her relationship with her family.

From the AARP article Klein discovers her future boxing coach: John (The Punisher) Spehar — “a 200pound unusual brute, physically a cross between Bruce Willis and Tony Soprano.

[He] looked like a Mafia hit man — burly, thick-necked, tough and intimidating.”

At their initial meeting Spehar asks Klein what interests her about boxing. “There’s just something about it…” she says inchoately. “Well, listen,” he replies. “It is the greatest secret, the best workout.” But even beyond that, “Boxing forces you to face your fears.” Which is kind of what

“Compared to the grotesque excesses of the larger world, boxing is an elegant containment of aggression, a stage for dramas both universal and exquisitely personal, and I’ve come to love its clarity.”

As bracing and unequivocal as a stiff jab to the kisser. v

BELLES LETTRES The Mystery Book Club meets the first Wednesday to discuss a pre-selected book. This month’s title is Chat by Archie Mayor. Books are available for checkout prior to the meeting. 3-4 p.m. March 3 at Blackstone Library, 758 Main St., Branford. Free. 203-483-6653, blackstone.lioninc.org/booktalk.htm.

First Person Singular: An Evening of Personal Essays presented by Anne Fadiman and students. Fadiman is the award-winning author of The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down, and is Yale’s first Francis Writer in Residence.

Student readers include Victor Zapana, city editor for the Yale Daily News, actor and playwright Cory Finley, and Kate Lund, associate editor of the New Journal. 6 p.m. March 4 at New Haven Public Library, 133 Elm St., New Haven.

Free. 203-946-8835, annefadiman. eventbrite.com.

New members are welcomed to the Blackstone Library Second Tuesday Book Club. The group discusses a pre-selected book, which is available for loan. 6:45-8 p.m. March 9 at Blackstone Library, 758 Main St., Branford. Free.

203-488-1441, ext. 318, blackstone.lioninc. org/booktalk.htm.

Free Public Library, 133 Elm St., New Haven. Free. 203-946-8835, maidasmuse. eventbrite.com.

Elm Street Book Club will meet to discuss The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein. It’s a story about family, love and hope told through the eyes of man’s best and most loyal friend, his dog. 6 p.m. March 17 at New Haven Free Public Library, 133 Elm St., New Haven. Free. 203-946-8835, artofracing. eventbrite.com.

Meet the Author. Terry Waters is the author of one of NPR’s top ten cookbooks, Clean Food, a guide on how to eat locally, make healthy food choices and the differences between organic and conventional foods. Clean Food won a Gourmand Award. 6-7 p.m.

March 24 at New Haven Public Library, 133 Elm St., New Haven. Free. 203-9468835, cleanfood.eventbrite.com.

Classics Book Discussion: One of the less familiar of Elizabeth Gaskell’s novels, Ruth is a sensitive portrayal of a fallen woman, illegitimacy and personal pride amid the constraints of Victorian morality. 3 p.m. March 29 at Hagaman Memorial Library, 227 Main St., East Haven. Free. 203-468-3890, hagamanlibrary.info.

and stores. The person who reads the most books during the contest will be awarded a $25 gift card to Aniello’s Restaurant. Through March 29 at Hagaman Memorial Library, 227 Main St., East Haven. Free. 203-468-3890, hagamanlibrary.info.

BENEFITS Raise a pint and some funds for multiple sclerosis. The fifth annual Jenifer Beer Tasting features food, music, raffles and samples of more than 25 microbrews. Proceeds benefit Team Jenifer (Cheshire resident Jenifer Walsh) and the 2010 Travelers Walk MS. 6:30-9:30 p.m. March 19 at St. Bridget Parish Center, 171 Main St., Cheshire. $25.

203-439-0687, info@teamjenifer.org.

CINEMA Gaslight (1944, USA, 114 min.) is a psychological thriller starring Ingrid Bergman, Charles Boyer and an 18-year old Angela Lansbury making her screen debut. Young Paula (Lansbury) sees the lights dim and hears footsteps in the attic of the house where her aunt was murdered. Is she losing her mind, or does her husband have something to do with these mysteries? Very

CALENDAR the musical A Chorus Line from first rehearsal to Broadway. 1 p.m. March 6 at Case Memorial Library, 176 Tyler City Rd., Orange. Free. 203-891-2170, orangelioninc.org.

Waterloo (1970, USA, 123 min.)

Director Sergei Bondarchuk created an extravagant historical epic of the Battle of Waterloo, starring Rod Steiger as Napoleon and Christopher Plummer as the Duke of Wellington. 2 p.m. March 6 at Yale Center for British Art, 1080 Chapel St., New Haven. Free. 203 432 2800, ycba. info@yale.edu.

Classic John Wayne. Red River (1948, USA, 133 min.,), co-starring Montgomery Clift and Walter Brennan, is the ultimate cattle drive and one of the best Westerns out there. 3:15 p.m.

March 9 at Wasch Center Butterfield Room, Wesleyan University, Middletown.

Free. agertz@wesleayn.edu.

Marquise of O (1976, Germany, 102 min.) Based on the story by Heinrich von Kleist. A widowed marquise looks for the father of her illegitimate child after being ravished during the FrancoPrussian war. 2 p.m. March 13 at Yale Center for British Art, 1080 Chapel St., New Haven. Free. 203-432-2800, ycba. info@yale.edu.

Do you believe in ghosts? Gothic (1986, USA, 87 min.) was inspired by Shelley’s visit at Lord Byron’s country estate.

A dark and stormy night, a group of friends sharing ghost stories and the challenge to write a horror story are at the center of tale. 2 p.m. March 20 at Yale Center for British Art, 1080 Chapel St., New Haven. Free. 203-432-2800, ycba.info@yale.edu.

The Merce Cunningham Dancers perform as part of Wesleyan’s DanceMasters Showcase March 6 in Middletown.

Write Your Memoir with best-selling author Mary Ann Tirone-Smith. This 12-week course will offer aspiring memoirists insights on form, critique and the steps needed for publication.

Classes meet Tuesdays. 7 p.m. March 16 at Hagaman Memorial Library, 227 Main St., East Haven. $300 (portion benefits library). 203-468-3890, hagamanlibrary. info.

Release your inner poet. Time Out for Poetry meets third Thursdays and welcomes those who wish to share an original short poem, recite a stanza or simply listen. Ogden Nash, Robert Frost, William Shakespeare, Dr. Seuss and even the Burma Shave signs live again. 12:30-2 p.m. Thursdays at Scranton Library, 801 Boston Post Rd., Madison. Free. 203-245-7365.

Meet the Author. Meet Aife Murray at the launch of her East Coast book tour of Maid as Muse: How Servants Changed Emily Dickinson’s Life and Language.

Murray reveals how the below-thestairs servants influenced Dickinson’s fashion, cultural outlook and her poetry.

6-7 p.m. March 16 at the New Haven

The Hagaman Memorial Library sponsors the Let It Snow Adult Reading Contest. Participants read as many books as they can between January 4 and March 26. With each book read, participants are entered into one of the library’s random drawings to win a gift card to local restaurants

suspicious. 5:30-7:30 p.m. March 3 at New Haven Free Public Library, 133 Elm St., New Haven. Free. 203-946-8835.

Ring Family Israeli Film Series presents Noodle (2007, Israel, 90 min.), directed

by Ayelet Menahemi and winner of the Montreal World Film Festival Grant Prize of Jury. Flight attendant Miri’s life is turned upside down by an abandoned Chinese boy whose migrantworker mother is deported. 8 p.m.

March 4 at Goldsmith Family Cinema, 301 Washington Terr., Middletown. Free. dkatz01@wesleyan.edu.

The Case Library’s Film Buff Series presents Every Little Step (2009, USA, 96 min.), a documentary that follows

A bizarre murder mystery directed by Peter Greenaway, The Draughtsman’s Contract revolves around a young draughtsman who is hired to make sketches of an estate by a woman in return for money and sexual favors.

Katie Trumpener, Yale professor of comparative literature, English and film studies, introduces the film and leads an informal discussion following the screening. 6 p.m. March 25 at Whitney Humanities Center, 53 Wall St., New Haven. Free. 203-436-4668, yale.edu/ filmstudiesprogram/events.

Born Yesterday (1950, USA, 103 min.)

A crooked tycoon takes his showgirl mistress to Washington, D.C. When her ignorance becomes a problem for him he brings in a journalist to refine her. Problems arise when she becomes educated and sees him for what he really is. Judy Holliday won a best actress award for her portrayal of the not-so-dumb blonde. 5:30-7:30 p.m. March 31 at New Haven Free Public Library, 133 Elm St., New Haven. Free.

203-946-8835.

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COMEDY Brian Epstein: I’m Doing Stand-Up?!

That’s precisely what Hamden resident Brian Epstein asks himself as he brings his one-man show to the stage. It features a short film, staged reading and his first-ever stand-up routine. 8:30 p.m. March 5 at High Lane Club, 40 High La., North Haven. $10. 203-2482203, highlaneclub.com.

Christian Finnegan, with special guest Shane Mauss. You may know him as Chad on Chapelle’s Show and from VH-1’s Best Week Ever, or from his new show on Comedy Central, Au Contraire!

Now is your chance to see his show live. 7:30 p.m. March 16 at John Lyman Center for the Performing Arts, Southern Connecticut State University, 501 Crescent St., New Haven. Free. 203-392-6154, southernct.edu.

The Smothers Brothers are hailed as the longest-lived comedy team in history. Performing together for more than 50 years, the folk/comedy duo has weathered political landmines and

discuss technique and ingredients over a light dinner and wine selection. The Tastings run once a month and feature a unique menu. Back by popular demand, beer and cheese is on this month’s menu. Reservations are required and must be pre-paid. March 3 at Zinc, 964 Chapel St., New Haven. $35/person, $125/series (all inclusive). 203-624-0507, elizabethciarlelli@zincfood.com.

Consiglio’s Cooking Class Club. Chef Maureen Nuzzo will demonstrate and explain how to prepare delicious southern-Italian dishes that have been passed down by generations. This month’s menu features traditional pizza rustica, penne pasta, baked salmon and Italian ricotta pie.

Reservations required. 6:30 p.m. March 11 & 25 at Consiglio’s Restaurant, 165 Wooster St., New Haven. $65. 203-8654489, consiglios.com.

City Farmers Markets New Haven.

Eat local! Enjoy seasonal fruits, vegetables and herbs from local farms including seafood, meat, milk, cheese, handcrafted bread and baked goods, honey and more. 10 a.m.-1 p.m. March 6 & 20 at Wooster Square Russo Park, corner Chapel St. and DePalma Ct. 203773-3736, cityseed.org.

Cook the Book. Cook, taste, sip, read and blog your way through Barcelona’s cookbook. Find out what it takes to go behind the bar and into the kitchen to whip up the tasty tapas this restaurant is known for. 7 p.m. March 9 at Barcelona Wine Bar and Restaurant,155 Temple St., New Haven. $25. 203-8483000, barcelonawinebar.com.

DANCE

Aife Murray launches her East Coast book tour of Maid as Muse: How Servants Changed Emily Dickinson’s Life and Language. March 16 at the New Haven Free Public Library.

come back making us laugh. From “Mom always liked you best” to crazy double talk, the brothers prove they can still kill an audience. 7:30 p.m. March 17 at Palace Theater, 100 East Main St., Waterbury. $55-$35. 203-346-2000, palacetheaterct.org.

Lisa Lampanelli is comedy’s lovable Queen of Mean. Heralded as “more than a standup — a standout,” by Jim Carrey, Lampanelli is a cross between Don Rickles, Archie Bunker and a vial of estrogen. She has won accolades from Howard Stern, who called her “a true original and a brilliant comedy mind who’ll steal the show every time.” Adult themes. 8 p.m. March 20, at Shubert Theater, 247 College St., New Haven. $55-$45. 203-562-5666, shubert. com.

CULINARY Chef’s Table Tastings. Chef Denise Appel and the culinary team will

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march 2010

DanceMasters Weekend. Master classes and performances by premiere companies make these two days one of the most anticipated dance events in the Northeast. Celebrating its 11th year, it is the opportunity for total dance immersion. March 6-7 at Wesleyan University, Middletown. Performance times, venues, ticket prices TBA. 860-6853355, wesleyan.edu/dancemasters.

DanceMasters Showcase Performance. This year’s showcase features performances by the Merce Cunningham Dance Co., Taylor 2 Dance Co. and Tania Issac. 8 p.m. March 6 at the Center for the Arts, 283 Washington Terr., Wesleyan University, Middletown. $24 ($19 seniors, $8 students). 860-6853355, wesleyan.edu/cfa.

Sleeping Beauty. The timeless classic is brought to life by the Tchaikovsky Ballet Theatre of Russia and features original choreography by Marius Pepita.

3 & 8 p.m. March 13 at Shubert Theater, 247 College St., New Haven. $58-$15. 203562-5666, shubert.com.

WSO Dance! Community Pops Celebration includes all kinds of dance from ballroom to salsa, ballet to Irish step and modern to rumba. Featuring dance ensembles, special guests and the Waterbury Symphony Orchestra, this presentation will make you feel like dancing. 8 p.m. March 20 at Palace

Wesleyan’s Memorial Chapel plays host to an evening with M. Butterfly author David Lee Hwang March 3.

Theater, 100 East Main St., Waterbury. $75-$20. 203-346-2000, palacetheaterct. org.

Spring Senior Thesis Dance Recital. A chance to see the works of emerging choreographers and dancers. 8 p.m.

March 25-27 at Patricelli ’92 Theater, Wesleyan University, Middletown. $5 ($4 students). 860-685-3355, wesleyan. edu/cfa

FAMILY EVENTS “These things are fun and fun is good.”

The Scranton Library’s Dr. Seuss Birthday Party is a celebration with the Cat in the Hat, cake, stories and crafts.

2-3 p.m. March 2 at Scranton Library, 801 Boston Post Rd., Madison. Free. 203-2457365, scrantonlibrary.org.

Creating Readers — Saturdays at 2 Literacy Program. A fun, interactive program that engages young readers by bringing books to life through theater, dance and music. Each family that attends receives a copy of the book to take home. Books this month are Gabriella’s Song by Candace Fleming with a performance by Janice Lamarre of New Haven Symphony Orchestra (3/6) and Over in the Meadow with a performance by George Melillo (3/13). 2 p.m. Saturdays at Connecticut Children’s Museum, 22 Wall St., New Haven. $5.

203-562-5437, childrensbuilding.org.

Ever wonder what a bearded dragon feasts on or what kind of snacks snakes like? Find out during Spring Feeding!

Enjoy a live animal presentation and watch the animals get fed. 3:15 p.m.

March 6, 13, 20, 27 at CAS Nature Center at Milford Point, 1 Milford Point Rd., Milford. Free. 203-878-7440, ctaudubon. org.

It’s Connecticut largest parade and single-day spectator event, not to mention the sixth-oldest in the nation.

This treasured keepsake of those of Hibernian heritage in greater New Haven is of course the annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade. This year’s event should be more family-friendly than in recent years, as New Haven police

announced their intention to enforce public intoxication laws more strictly. 1 p.m. March 14 on upper Chapel St., New Haven. stpatricksdayparade.org.

A brand-new musical that is Junie B. Jones! It’s all about first grade and everything she writes down in her TopSecret Personal Beeswax Journal, like meeting her new teacher, the cafeteria lady and the kickball tournament. 10:30 a.m. & 12:30 p.m. March 16 at John Lyman Center for the Performing Arts, Southern Connecticut State University, 501 Crescent St., New Haven. $10. 800497-5007, twusa.org.

Click, Clack, Moo. This is what happens when the cows go on strike and the chickens join them in solidarity.

Based on the Caldecott Honor Book

by Doreen Cronin and Betsy Lewis.

10:30 a.m. March 26 at John Lyman Center for the Performing Arts, Southern Connecticut State University, 501 Crescent St., New Haven. $10. 800-497-5007, twusa.org.

Lyman Orchards’ 26th annual Easter Apple Hunt includes a visit with the Easter Bunny, magic show and horse-drawn carriage rides. Search the hay maze for more than 15,000 hidden apples. Pre-hunt breakfast available. 10:30 a.m. March 27 at Lyman Orchards, 32 Reeds Gap Rd., Middlefield.

Most events free. (Registration required for apple hunt.) 866-349-1793, lymanorchards.com.

A Night at the Peabody Museum. See the museum when the lights go down as it comes alive with games, crafts, scavenger hunts, live animals and special surprises! 6-9 p.m. March 27 at Peabody Museum of Natural History, 170 Whitney Ave., New Haven. $12 members, $18 others. Registration. 203-432-5050, Peabody.yale.edu.

LECTURES/ DISCUSSIONS An Evening with David Henry Hwang. Best known as the author of M. Butterfly, which ran for two years on Broadway, won the 1988 Tony and

Drama Desk Awards and was a Pulitzer Prize finalist. Hwang’s work explores the intricacies of bringing together Eastern and Western cultures in contemporary America. 7 p.m. March 3 at Memorial Chapel, Wesleyan University, Middletown. Free. 860-685-3355, wesleyan.edu/cfa.

The Science of Memory and Aging.

Karen Mitchell, senior research scientist in the Yale Department of Psychology, explore this perplexing issue. Mitchell will discuss the mechanisms and processes of memory and how these change with aging. 6 p.m. March 10 at New Haven Public Library, 133 Elm St., New Haven. Free.

203-946-8835, memoryandaging. eventbrite.com.

Live from New York’s 92nd Street Y is an interview with Matisyahu, whose hit song One Day, is a Top 40 hit.

Broadcast live via satellite, he discusses his career and latest record, Light.

Matisyahu has become a cultural icon with his fusion of Hasidic, reggae and hip-hop music. 8 p.m. March 16 at Shubert Theater 247 College Ave., New Haven. $12-$10. 203-562-5666, shubert. com.

Connecticut is the land of many firsts, including the first state forest dedicated in New England. James W. Little of the Connecticut Forest and Park Association will present a talk about the History of the Conservation Movement in Connecticut, based on the book, Twentieth Century New England Land Conservation — A Heritage of Civic Engagement.

Sponsored by the Branford Land Trust.

7-8 p.m. March 24 at James Blackstone Memorial Library, 758 Main St., Branford.

Free. 203-488-1441, blackstonelibrary.org.

The Making of Where Elephants Weep.

Award-winning playwright Catherine Filloux will discuss the making of the 2007 musical Where Elephants Weep, which combines traditional Cambodian musical instruments with a contemporary Western-style rock band to reinterpret Khmer music.

Filloux is a co-founder of Theatre Without Borders, a volunteer-based organization dedicated to international theater exchange. 4:30 p.m. March 25 at Mansfield Center for East Asian Studies Seminar Room, Wesleyan University, Middletown. Free. 860-685-2330, wesleyan.edu/east.

Basking with Humpbacks: Tracking Threatened Marine Life in New England Waters. Science writer Todd McLeish will discuss his experiences with humpbacks, sharks, harbor porpoises and sea turtles to help others understand environmental threats to these species. Book signing follows lecture. 5:30 p.m. March 25 at Peabody Museum of Natural History, 170 Whitney Ave., New Haven. Free with museum admission. 203-432-5050, peabody.yale. edu.

Lisa Burns will discuss First Ladies and the Press to commemorate Women’s History Month. Burns is associate professor of media studies

at Quinnipiac University and is author of First Ladies and the Fourth Estate: Press Framing of Presidential Wives. 6-7 p.m. March 25 at New Haven Free Public Library, 133 Elm St., New Haven. Free.

203-946-8835, firstladies.eventbrite.com.

MIND, BODY & SOUL Led by Nelie Doak, Yoga promotes a deep sense of physical, mental and emotional well-being. Classes are designed to help cultivate breath and body awareness, improve flexibility, strengthen and tone muscles, detoxify the body and soothe the spirit. All levels welcome. Bring a yoga mat. 56:15 p.m. Fridays at Blackstone Library, 758 Main St., Branford. $10. 203-4881441, ext. 313, yogidoakie@earthlink. net or events@blackstone.lioninc.org, blackstone.lioninc.org.

Positive Thinking for Negative Times.

Trainer Fern Tausig presents a hypnosis seminar to help maintain a healthy mind and reduce stress. 7:30 p.m.

March 17 at Case Memorial Library, 176 Tyler City Rd., Orange. Free. 203-891-2170.

Note new time! Elm City Cycling monthly meetings occur on the second Monday. ECC is a non-profit organization of cycling advocates who meet to discuss biking issues in New Haven. Dedicated to making New Haven friendlier and more accessible to cyclists and pedestrians. 7 p.m. March 8 at City Hall Meeting Rm. 2, 165 Church St., New Haven. Free. elmcitycycling.org.

Critical Mass. Participants meet at the flagpole on the New Haven Green at 5:30 p.m. on the last Friday for a slowpaced ride through New Haven streets.

The ride ranges from 30 minutes to over an hour depending on weather.

Critical Mass is not an organization; it’s an “unorganized coincidence” — a movement of bicycles in the streets as traffic. After the event, everyone is invited to a potluck dinner at the Devil’s Gear Bike Shop. 5:30 p.m. March 26 Temple and Chapel streets, New Haven. Free. elmcitycycling.org.

Giant State Park, 200 Mt. Carmel Ave., Hamden. Free. 203-789-7498, sgpa.org.

Road Races/Triathlons Run for fun or run seriously at the 11th annual 99.1 PLR Shamrock & Roll 5K Run. Prizes for best group or individual costumes will be awarded in the St. Patty’s and Diaper Divisions.

All runners are encouraged to bring a package of diapers to benefit the Diaper Bank. Post-race party at Toad’s Place.

Race begins in front of Payne Whitney Gym. 9 a.m. March 7 at Payne Whitney Gymnasium, 70 Tower Pkwy., New Haven. 203-481-5933, jbsports.com.

Spectator Sports Yale host the high-flying Big Red of Cornell in the final regular-season Ivy League men’s basketball contest. After nearly knocking off Kansas in January, the Ithacans were 21-4 at press time

Restorative Yoga Workshop. A yoga that relaxes your nervous system, restores your adrenals and builds Ojas, your vital reserves. Class concludes with a healing, guided yogic sleep with awareness and meditation. 3 p.m. March 21 at Your Community Yoga Center, 39 Putnam Ave., Hamden. $25 advance, $30 at door. 203-287-2277, yourcommunityyoga.com.

SPORTS/RECREATION Cycling Elm City Cycling organizes Lulu’s Ride, weekly two- to four-hour rides for all levels (17-19 mph average).

Cyclists leave at 10 a.m. from Lulu’s European Café as a single group; no one is dropped. 10 a.m. Sundays at Lulu’s European Café, 49 Cottage St., New Haven. Free. 203-773-9288, elmcitycycling.org.

The Little Lulu (LL) is an alternative to the long-standing Sunday morning training ride. The route is usually 20-30 miles in length and the ride is no-drop, meaning that the group waits at hilltops and turns so that no rider is left behind. The LL is an opportunity for cyclists to get accustomed to riding in groups. Riders should come prepared with materials (tubes, tools, pumps and/or CO2 inflators) to repair flats. 10 a.m. Sundays at Lulu’s European Café, 49 Cottage St., New Haven. Free. 203773-9288, paulproulx@sbcglobal.net, elmcitycycling.org.

Tuesday Night Canal Rides. Medium paced rides up the Farmington Canal into New Haven. May split into two groups based on people’s speed but no one will be left behind to ride alone.

Lights are essential. 5:30 p.m. Tuesdays at Café Romeo, 534 Orange St., New Haven. Free. william.v.kurtz@gmail. com.

We’re not exactly sure about the ethnic provenance of Tommy and Dickie Smothers.

But we do know that when they play Waterbury’s Palace Theater March 17, everyone is Irish that whole day long.

Hikes

and spent much of the season in the Top 25. 7 p.m. March 6 at Payne Whitney Gymnasium, 70 Tower Parkway, New Haven. $8-$3. 203-432-1400, athletic. tickets@yale.edu.

Almost-Spring Hikers’ Hike. Dreaming of spring? Join the Sleeping Giant Park Association on a strenuous hike over the rough terrain of the Giant. Hikes leave from the bulletin board at the park entrance. Wear comfortable shoes, bring snacks, water and be ready for any kind of weather condition. No pets.

11 a.m. March 16 at Sleeping Giant State Park, 200 Mt. Carmel Ave., Hamden.

Free. 203-789-7498, sgpa.org.

SCSU Owls Women’s Lacrosse team will host its regular season home opener against the Bentley Falcons.

7 p.m. March 19 at Jess Dow Field, Southern Connecticut State University, 501 Crescent St., New Haven. Free. 203392-6026, southernct.edu.

History of the Giant Hike. Join the Sleeping Giant Park Association as they walk to special points of interest and learn all about the history of the Giant.

Hikes leave from the bulletin board at the park entrance. Wear comfortable shoes, bring snacks, water and be ready for any kind of weather condition. No pets. 1:30 p.m. March 16 at Sleeping

Bobcats vs. Bulldogs. Elm City Legend Head Coach Dan Gooley leads his Quinnipiac baseball team, picked to finish seventh by the 2010 NEC preseason poll, against the Yale Bulldogs. 3 p.m. March 31 at QU Baseball Field, 275 Mount Carmel Ave., Hamden. Free. 203-582-8200, Quinnipiac.edu.

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women serve complementary roles.

Traditional religious groups often say that. But to those concerned about the rights of women, your answer may not suffice.

Talking to the women you will find that they do not see themselves in a subservient role — rather that there are more public roles and more private roles that are played in Judaism. The woman generally plays a more private role, although society has changed over time, and with that the involvement of women in communal life.

observance. Technological development does not by definition contradict anything, where other behaviors might.

There was a conference in New York for the women emissaries of Chabad, a few thousand women strong.

They are leaders in their communities in their own way.

The difference is who has the front role, the official title.

Do women work outside the home?

Yes. You have to be realistic to the environment around you, as long as it does not contradict any part of your

Many African-Americans parents are concerned about whether their children have a good appreciation for the civil rights movement. Are you concerned about young Jewish people for their appreciation and knowledge of the Holocaust?

So much of our calendar involves memory and commemoration and goes back thousands of years. Because we have the dates and the rituals, the prayer, it helps to put everything into focus. There is Holocaust Memorial Day in

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the spring. The chief Rabbi of Israel has designated the tenth month for remembrance. But to a ten- or 20-year old today [the Holocaust] can be ancient history — though some have been able to meet survivors, which brings a closer relationship and personal aspect.

Did the Holocaust have an effect on the Chabad movement?

Yes. I think the effect is a strong sense of responsibility, urgency to rebuild as a people. I don’t only mean repopulating. When you think of the enormity of the loss of life, there is a sense of responsibility that we who are alive have to live for [those who lost their lives]. I think the children do sense we are still in a generation that is rebuilding and fulfilling.

What is the population growth like? How many children do you have?

Seven. Every child is a blessing. You get to appreciate that when you have friends who struggle with fertility.

That must be hard in this community.

It certainly is. There are many different medical treatments and sometimes people opt for adoption.

What is the hardest thing for your movement in this community?

A big struggle is overcoming people’s wrong impression of who we are. Realizing what Chasidism teaches in the philosophy, the underlying good and potential of every dimension of creation. That we are accepting of every person regardless of their level of knowledge or observance or affiliation. We are not looking to convert the non-Jew to be a Jew, and not to convert the non-Chabad person to be a Chabad person, but to experience the warmth and depth, the life, the spirit of Judaism.

Historically Jews face antiSemitism when they are more visible in their communities.

Do you see anti-Semitism here in New Haven?

Generally I don’t know — you can refer to the ADL for the stats on that. I have not experienced anti-Semitism and I’m not convinced that living openly ‘Jewishly’ triggers or increases anti-Semitism. I would argue to the contrary.

I’ve only had people express respect when they see me put a Menorah up or a Mezuzah at my doorway. They see I’m particular about which food I’m buying or with my tefillin hanging out, and with a beard.

Where is the Chabad movement going? When your beard turns grey how will things be different in your community?

Chabad is not separate from Judaism. I have to think about the concluding chapters in Maimonides’ work [the preeminent medieval Jewish philosopher and a Torah scholar]. He talks about the Messianic Era. He describes it in very pragmatic terms, where the world comes to a level where there is an abundance of all good things.

Because there is enough for everyone, there is no fighting and jealousy and no war, and people with material needs are taken care of [and] can focus on spiritual endeavors. Think about the biblical prophecy of beating swords into the ploughshares, which at one time seemed so fantastic. But when you have a disaster such as in Haiti and you have armed forces from different countries — military vehicles and military personnel being used for humanitarian efforts. You can say that is a manifestation of the prophecy.

Events such as these should give us hope that humanity can all be moving in a positive direction. v

W O R D S of MOUT H

By Liese Klein

PHOTOGRAPH:

NEW EATS: Downtown at the Taft

Anthony DeCarlo

Downtown at the Taft’s Maurizio and Graziano Ricci channel the spirit of Mory’s in the former Hot Tomato’s.

W

ith its cluster of downtown survivors like the Anchor, Claire’s Corner Copia and Richter’s, the corner of College and Chapel streets on the New Haven Green is like a familiar old friend. But with the opening of a new eatery in the space long occupied

by Hot Tomato’s, change has come to College in the form of stylish newcomer Downtown at the Taft.

Walking in off the street one is struck by the vibrant décor — red accents in a soaring space with the columns and balustrades of a ballroom. The bar at the base of a dramatic staircase is the focal point of the room, but more intimate dining and lounging areas abound around the perimeter and on a second floor.

Those lounge areas, including a nifty window seat and fireside couches, make for one of the best places downtown to have a quiet chat. The bar is also one of the few in the nightlife district not centered around big-screen TVs,

resulting in lively chatter from the bar crowd on a recent weeknight. The eatery’s complex layout, however, can make it difficult to hail a server if you’re in a more remote spot.

With all the up-to-the-minute décor, it’s that much more surprising to find that Downtown at the Taft has made an effort to preserve New Haven history — specifically the culinary favorites of Old Yale. Some might argue that cholesterolladen dishes like Welsh rarebit would best be left in the past, but it’s a kick to see haute WASP cooking survive the recent closing of Mory’s.

Yalies of a certain vintage will thrill to see menu items like Baker’s soup, a tomato curry late of Mory’s, and classics like Seafood en Papillote and Cote Marchand Vin, a sirloin with red wine sauce and mushrooms. A “University Salad” sounds like a regular spinach and gorgonzola concoction but was tempting.

Diners of any pedigree are likely to

enjoy another purported Eli favorite, a version of mac and cheese that comes piping hot and redolent of bacon in a metal serving dish. With a crisp crumb topping and perfectly al dente spirals of pasta, the dish is a warming winner.

Sadly, the accompanying house bread was uninspiring on a recent visit, bland and dried out by a heat lamp.

The house cocktails tend toward the sweet side, including the alluring if cavity-inducing Far East, a blend of green tea liqueur, watermelon vodka and Midori. Other options include a dozen wines by the glass and a draft beer list spiked by Magic Hat No. 9.

Old Blues looking for a blast from the past and diners in search of an intimate oasis would do well to sample the charms of Downtown at the Taft, a promising new entry in New Haven’s nightlife.

Downtown at the Taft, 261 College St., New Haven (203-624-6331).

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or on a hard roll. The Sojkas’ slicing and skilled frying preserve the vegetable’s delicate flavor and perfectly offset the brightly herbal marinara that sauces the dish. Even if you ask for cheese, the counter servers apply it with a light hand so your sandwich is filling but not excessively greasy and caloric.

PHOTOGRAPH:

Anthony DeCarlo

EDITOR’S PICK: Mattei’s Deli & Catering

If you’ve got room, also try Mattei’s tangy antipasto salad, a mix of freshtasting pickled vegetables spiced with strips of pepperoni and salami. Every bite held something different — vinegary mushrooms wrapped in peppery salami, followed by crunchy peppers and then a slab of artichoke, tender in its brine. If I had an Italian grandmother, I’d like to think she’d make an antipasto salad like this.

Mattei’s also offers a full suite of prepared Italian dishes in heat-and-serve portions as well as deli sandwiches, salads and dried pastas from Durante’s of West Haven. Quench your thirst with one of a wide array of bottled drinks.

Sadly, there’s not a single place to sit inside Mattei’s, but if the weather’s good Osbournedale State Park is not far and has picnic areas overlooking the impressive scenery along the Housatonic River. Yale’s nearby Gilder Boathouse also has some riverview parking spaces that might make for an impromptu al fresco dining spot.

Let’s talk parm: Dennis and Sojka helms Mattei’s, a Valley institution.

T

he unprepossessing eggplant parm sandwich has no greater champion than the folks behind the counter at Mattei’s Deli & Catering in Derby, home to perhaps the best version of this ItaloAmerican classic in New Haven County.

Don’t let the strip-mall setting fool you: This is serious Italian food and well worth an expedition west on Route 34.

Dennis and Grace Sojka run Mattei’s (pronounced “Matty’s”), a Naugatuck

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Valley institution known for its takeout lunches and special-event catering for more than a quarter-century.

Sandwiches and prepared food are offered Tuesday through Friday during business hours and on Saturday, but watch for lines around lunchtime.

Let’s talk parm: Easily a half-dozen layers of paper-thin eggplant in a delicate breading make up the sandwich, offered as both a grinder on Italian bread

Of course for those who love Italian food, Mattei’s is not the only attraction in Derby, an appealing town also home to the legendary Roseland Apizza. Said by some to rival Wooster Square’s best, Roseland is worth a trip on its own, if only for its famed arugula pie, piled high with greens in a light vinaigrette. You wouldn’t think this pizza-salad hybrid would work, but it’s a winning blend of arugula’s bite and Roseland’s excellent sauce and crust.

Also notable in Derby’s downtown are Fratelli’s and the Twisted Vine, both offering old-school Italian with some fresh twists. Spring is a great time to take a road trip to Derby to watch the Housatonic roar and sample some of the best Italian food around.

Mattei’s Deli & Catering, 418 Roosevelt Dr., Derby (203-735-7997).

PHOTOGRAPH:

JUST A TASTE: Carmen Anthony Steakhouse

Anthony DeCarlo

Calling all carnivores: Carmine Anthony’s is the place to meat and greet.

W

ith all the “nuevo,” fusion and other trendy cuisines out there, sometimes it’s a pleasure to go out for an old-school dining experience.

We’re talking valet parking, jacketed servers and unabashed meat-eating, and you can’t get much more pleasurably carnivorous than Carmen Anthony Steakhouse.

Carmen Anthony’s New Haven outpost is one of two steakhouses in a regional chain based in Waterbury. Three eateries in the chain are devoted to seafood, and that expertise shows in the selections of the wide-ranging menu.

All of the restaurants are known for fine dining and dependable, quality food.

Walking into Carmen Anthony from State Street, a visitor is instantly enveloped by a luxe ambience of heavy draperies, candlelight and formal dress.

In dresses and cufflinks, fellow diners appear a prosperous and convivial lot.

The opulent atmosphere can create some unmet expectations, however. With all the attentive service and attention to detail on the plate, it’s a bit jarring to walk by the wide-open kitchen on your way to the bathroom and overhear

servers gossiping and line cooks shouting to one another. But once back at your table, the ambience is restored.

And there’s cause for celebration on the plate, with each entrée and special crafted around a selection of top-shelf proteins. Choose from cuts including rib eye, Porterhouse, prime rib, “cowboy steak” and filet mignon, all quality Angus beef (selections may vary). The savory side dishes come with some specials or are served a la carte with steaks off the regular menu.

You can’t lose by starting a meal with the crab cake, meaty and flavorful with a crisp potato crust. It’s touted as award-winning, and with good reason.

The “Signature Chop Salad” in a bright balsamic vinaigrette is also a flavorful way to whet the appetite, although our allotment of shrimp was a bit stingy.

A filet mignon special was ample, however, with three “petite” steaks arrayed on a generous mound of mashed potatoes. Each featuring a different sauce, the filets were cooked to perfection and decadent in their meaty richness. A piquant peppercorn sauce was the standout, but meat this good

really needed no adornment.

A salmon special also highlighted the kitchen’s skill — the fish seared to a velvety medium-rare and set off with a delicately flavored breading and sauce.

Other seafood and chicken dishes round out the steakhouse’s menu, although vegetarians might have to content themselves with sides.

Some of the best of Carmen Anthony’s offerings come last — on the groaning dessert tray. You won’t find a fresher tasting, more deeply flavored flourless chocolate cake in town, and the signature torte is an orgy of custard, caramel and chocolate cookie crumbles.

The presentation of the tray alone is a memorable end to the meal, but make sure to save some room for a selection or two.

Carmen Anthony offers diners a luxurious retreat from city life and satisfying, skillfully executed fare.

When you’re looking for an upscale alternative to the flavor of the month, this is the place to go.

Carmen Anthony Steakhouse of New Haven, 660 State St., New Haven (203-773-1444).

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Nautical but nice: Chillin’ on the Thames River at the new Mohegan Sun Margaritaville.

Five O’Clock in Uncasville

By SUSAN E. CORNELL

N

owhere is the lyric from Jimmy Buffett’s song “Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes” more appropriate than at Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville at Mohegan Sun. While most of the Northeast remains blanketed with snow, “Margaritaville offers New England residents and visitors an island escape from the cold,” says the restaurant’s manager, Craig T. Wilson.

“Each location is a bit different from the next in design as well as regional menu offerings,” Wilson explains. “Our restaurant has some specialty, local inspired items like our classic lobster roll that you won’t find at any other Margaritaville.”

Margaritaville is simply just plain fun, even if you’re neither “wasted away” nor a Parrothead (or both). The décor is, naturally, tropical — but also features a 46

march 2010

Nor’easter, a potable “storm” that delivers margaritas in a giant blender, a plane suspended from the ceiling (not one of Buffett’s actual aircraft, of course) and decks overlooking the Thames River.

“We also have one of the most spectacular views of all of our locations,” Wilson crows. “Guests can chow down on our Volcano Nachos, drink an ice cold Land Shark Lager, listen to some great music and have a view of the beautiful Thames River all in one place. We are also one of two locations that can offer all of the amenities of a casino — from gambling to hotel accommodations.”

Among four of us (two Parrotheads and two Parakeets — a/k/a offspring of the former), we consumed the signature Volcano Nachos, conch fritters, a fish taco platter, a Cheeseburger in Paradise, steak and shrimp fajitas and teriyaki

steak, followed by some New York-style cheesecake and a Chocolate Hurricane.

Arms were twisted for two “Five O’Clock Somewhere” Margaritas. For four, dinner and drinks in two take-home souvenir glasses cost $125 before tip.

The food was pretty good and the drinks were great. The atmosphere is what you’re paying for — but well worth it, considering what you would have spent on a trip to Key West.

After dinner, the restaurant transitions into a swinging nightclub with dancing.

Live bands perform every weekend.

On the next visit we’ll stick with drinks and Volcano Nachos, which looked amazing and actually tasted better than any anywhere. Fins up!

Margaritaville Mohegan Sun, 1 Mohegan Sun Blvd., Uncasville (860-862-2626). v

Fun Girl’s Night Out! at the Oakdale Theatre 95 South Turnpike Road,

WIN

A TROPICAL GIRLFRIEND GET AWAY

MEET 85/) 4

Business New Haven Business & Civic Awards

Desiree Fontaine

Wallingford, CT

Thursday

APRIL 22, 2010 5:00pm - 9:00pm

NEW ~ Join the Greater New Haven Chamber’s “Women’s Business Council”

REGISTER for a VIP Pass to “Fun Girls Night Out” Enter the Show at 3:00, enjoy light refreshments and

JOIN US for the “Inspirations”...

a Conversation with ~ 3 of CT’s Top Women Executives: ENTERTAINMENT Marna Borgstrom ~ Neil Fuentes, Yale New Haven Hospital The Singing Chef Peyton R. Patterson ~ Salsa Dancing NewAlliance Bank Anne Worcester ~ Market New Haven and Pilot Pen Tennis

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The 2009 - 2010 Honorees Businessperson of the Year Marna Borgstrom

Founders Award Consiglio Family

Yale New Haven Hospital. CEO

Consiglio’s Restaurant

Sponsor: Gateway Community College

Sponsor: TD Bank

Citizen of the Year William Purcell

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the Exchange Club of Greater New Haven

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Recognizing their 350th Anniversary Sponsor: New Haven magazine