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Love, labor, & lots of

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Valentine’s Day with a chef’s touch

The wonder of

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What to binge watch this winter

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The Finer Line offers affordable art, fine limited prints,edition prints, TheGallery Finer Line Gallery offersoriginal affordable original art,edition fine limited marinemarine art and art theand largest selection of local artists’ scenes of the area. the largest selection of local artists’ scenes of the area.

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ATTENTION SUBSCRIBERS: This issue of The Day Magazine is considered one of The Day’s premium editions. You are receiving this premium publication for a fee equivalent to one issue of the newspaper; charged by moving your expiration date back by one day. If you would like to opt-out of receiving these publications please call Customer Service at 860-701-4400 or email memberservices@theday.com.

on the cover Almond croissants made with a light candied almond mousse and slivered almonds from Sift Bake Shop. photo by john_shyloski

this month 2 0 2 2

photo by catherine dzilenski

F E B R U A R Y

52 VALENTINE’S DAY WITH A CHEF’S TOUCH 58 LOVE, LABOR, AND LOTS OF PASTRIES

february 2022 7

photo by g.a. peck

departments CORRESPONDENCE 10 E ditor’s note 11 Reader Letters 11 Catching up

Corrections and updates from previous issues

PEOPLE & PLACES 13 Meeting victims where they are

Safe Futures is so much more than a women’s shelter

HOME & GARDEN

18 A cut above

37 Kindling at-home romance

The Cave Barbershop’s vibe is a sense of community

Desirable home features make Valentine’s Day an everyday affair

TASTE

42 The wonder of Watch Hill

25 Make mine a mocktail

The exclusive coastal community continues to attract full-time residents and summer dwellers with its beautiful beaches and quiet sensibility

Drinking well minus the alcohol

28 A weekend at Weekapaug Weekapaug Inn offers a local getaway with amazing menus

34 Restaurant listings photo courtesy of the cave barbershop

HONORING BLACK HISTORY MONTH

46 What could have been

How racism and poor timing stopped the founding of Connecticut’s Black college

50 Did you know?

Explore Connecticut’s Freedom Trail

51 Black-owned businesses

Support local businesses owned and operated by Black men and women

TRENDING

18 8

magazine

67 What to watch

Shows for winter binging

70 Turning pages

Book reviews by Betty J. Cotter

72 Local finds

EXPLORATIONS 85 Sugar shack!

Hiking, barnyard animals, and maple syrup at Brooksvale Park

88 Destination sun!

Marco Island is one of southwest Florida’s best-kept secrets

IT’S YOUR DAY 95 Capt. Kenneth M. Curtin, Jr.

53rd Commanding Officer of Naval Submarine Base New London

LIFE CYCLES 75 Finding joy in dark times

Small changes can help beat the blues, especially for seniors

80 How to emotionally and physically prepare your child for college

With six months to launch now is an essential time to reinforce critical problem solving skills, study and learning habits and social skills. Museum of the Everglades. photo courtesy of naples, marco island, everglades cvb

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february 2022 9

Sunrise in Mystic. photo by rafael herrans

correspondence | EDITOR’S NOTE

dear readers,

hank you for your wonderful feedback after the launch of our January edition. I truly love hearing from you and look forward to exploring so many more stories together. Please let me know if there is a subject we need to cover by emailing me at s.cushing@shorepublishing.com. I think I was hungry when we sat down to plan the February edition. With Valentine’s Day this month and lots of fun food associated with the holiday, the February TDM cover pretty much chose itself. How delicious do those almond croissants from Sift Bake Shop look? You can find out more about what this delectable bakery has going on in the story “Love, Labor and Lots of Pastries”. Valentine’s Day for me has always been about love in general, not necessarily about romantic love. It is a day to tell those close to us that they matter, that we see them for who they are, and we are lucky to have them in our lives. Speaking of which, the article “Finding Joy in Dark Times” can be found in this issue, with information about how to reach out if you feel lonely or need some extra TLC as we continue to live life in a pandemic. Seniors in particular have been more isolated than normal, and it is so important that we check in on all family and friends. The rise in domestic violence has also been attributed to pandemic fatigue. Safe Futures, which is located right in this community, is an excellent resource for those dealing with or know someone suffering from domestic violence. You can read more about Safe Futures’ services in the article “Meeting Victims where They Are.”

magazine

February is Black History Month. I think you will be very interested to read “What could have been. How racism and poor timing stopped the founding of Connecticut’s Black college.” It is always staggering to look back in history to see how certain decisions and events shaped the future. Had this institution been built back in 1831, it could have changed the course of our state’s history. As I am writing this letter to you, it is early January and Betty White recently passed on December 31st. Betty was an icon. She shared her many gifts, passions, and of course her sense of humor with us. Her light will truly be missed. I want to leave you with one of my favorite Betty White quotes. “It’s your outlook on life that counts. If you take yourself lightly and don’t take yourself too seriously, pretty soon you can find the humor in our everyday lives. And sometimes it can be a lifesaver.” Please do not hesitate to reach out to me if you have suggestions or ideas. I can be reached at s.cushing@shorepublishing.com.

With gratitude,

Shannon Cushing, editor

READER LETTERS

Hello, Shannon Thank you for bringing “the day magazine” to life. I just finished reading it and am happy to say that I found it thoroughly enjoyable, diverse, and enlightening. I grew up and lived in western CT towns, moved to CA for 12 years and have been residing in southeastern CT for the past 11 years. Previously unknown and undiscovered areas are now my paths to adventure. Restaurants , museums, cultural offerings and, of course, the sea and its shoreline are now embedded in my daily life experience. What wonders and ideas we still have yet to explore! I’m looking forward to doing that with you and the magazine! Best wishes, Susan Stockwell, niantic

| correspondence

IN RESPONSE TO “IN CELEBRATION OF SEAWEED” $4.95

• JANUARY 2022

SOUP'S ON!

It's National Soup Month

Mental health check-in

How we’re coping since COVID

History takes flight at Saltwater Farm Vineyard

I just received “the Day Magazine” and read the articles about soup, wine and seaweed, three things that I also obsess over. Kudos for a great job on your first issue. Bob DeGoursey, north stonington

Thanks for including the article on Tony’s Caribbean Kitchen in The Day Magazine. We just had the jerk chicken, curry chicken and oxtail stew. The meat was falling-off-the-bone tender, plantains a nice balance to the spicy meat, and the cabbage sweet and mild. Absolutely delicious! We would not have known about Tony’s if it was not for your article. How lucky we are to live in a community that serves food like this!

seaweed US IN CELEBRATION OF

Does it make sense to move in this market?

Congratulations to Suzie and Jay for having the courage, insight, and energy to engage in what I expect will be a successful and welcomed business. George Blahun, via web

It’s a wonderful article & I’m so proud that you both have a great career ahead. Our ocean is a priceless bounty that many don’t really appreciate. Good Luck.

Leslie Westhaver, groton

Congratulations on a superior magazine. Very informative and high quality. Can’t wait to see future issues.

Barbara Johnston, via web

Love it! Kathleen Koss, via web

Mary Sullivan, new london

catching up:

In the story written by Bridget Shirvell “Seven things doctors want you to know about kids today” in the Jan 22 edition, the pediatricians office noted should have been referred to as Northeast Medical not Northwest Medical.

We want to hear from you! Send your questions, comments, suggestions and ideas to thedaymag@theday.com. Or get in touch with us on social media. You may even be featured on this page in a future issue. By getting in touch with us, you give us permission to reprint your comments.

february 2022 11

Now known as The Cave, the location at 50 Plaza Court in Groton has been a barbershop for more than 60 years. . photo courtesy of the cave barbershop

people & places BUSINESS

magazine PEOPLE

PROFILES

non-profit Safe Futures

FINANCE

N E W & N O TA B L E

spotlight on The Cave Barbershop

people & places

Meeting victims where they are SAFE FUTURES IS SO MUCH MORE THAN A WOMEN’S SHELTER

written by traci neal photos courtesy of safe futures facebook

or victims of domestic violence, it can sometimes take years and several attempts to leave an abusive relationship for good. That was the case of a survivor we’ll call Michelle, who sought help from Safe Futures long before ac-

tually leaving a 10-year relationship with her violent partner in southeastern Connecticut. “Her relationship was a long-term one so it was harder for her to really leave and it took a while,” said Fenty Lee, director of residential programs for the nonprofit Safe Futures, which serves the shortand long-term needs of victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking and trafficking. “It can take seven to 10 attempts to really leave the abuser,” said Lee. Michelle worked closely with a Safe Futures counselor for months who tried to help her find the strength to move out, said Lee. Finally, about a year ago, she did. Safe Futures helped Michelle in the immediate crisis — providing her with a safe place to stay the moment she said she was ready. In the longer term, the agency helped Michelle with counseling, housing, advocacy in court as her abuser’s criminal case unfolded, and many more of the services survivors need to get out and stay safe. “Our services are very individualized,” said Christine Foster, director of crisis counseling for Safe Futures, which served 9,707 male and female victims in 21 towns in southeastern Connecticut in fiscal year 2021. “There’s no one cookie-cutter safety plan, no one story or journey that every survivor is going to go through,” added Foster, “so we try to address each february 2022 13

people & places

“We meet people where they’re at and a lot of times their needs are very intersectional.” SHAUNA HARRINGTON

magazine

person or each family’s individual needs.” Michelle first went to a Safe Futures crisis shelter, a community living space that provides short-term emergency housing for families, singles, men and women, even pets. “A lot of times when people think about domestic violence, they might have a picture in their head of what that looks like or sounds like,” said Foster. “There are a lot of different types of abuse.” Now in its 46th year, Safe Futures is one of 18 member agencies of the Connecticut Coalition Against Domestic Violence, which connects services throughout the state, said Margaret Soussloff, chief operating officer at Safe Futures. Safe Futures operates a 24/7 hotline and emergency shelter, along with several transitional housing programs, including the Katie Blair House for victims in recovery from substance use, counseling offices in Norwich and New London, and court support services, available for as long as they are needed, Soussloff said. Services are free and confidential and all of Safe Futures’ programs serve everyone, no matter their gender, orientation, age, culture, ability, socioeconomic or immigration status; and the shelter and residential programs accept pets, she added. “We’re trying to break down every barrier a victim might have,” Soussloff said. For Michelle, the move to the emergency shelter was an adjustment. “They’re suddenly living in a community, which can be kind of hard for people,” said Lee of the singles and families in the shelter. In the months that followed, counselors helped Michelle adjust to living independently after so long in a controlling relationship, preparing her for a move to Safe Futures’ transitional housing. “Unfortunately, during that process and because of substance use she was also dealing with, she had to be moved to another

FREE 24/7 HOTLINE AVAILABLE

If you or someone you know needs help, call the Safe Futures 24/7 free and confidential hotline at 860-701-6001 or toll-free at 888-774-2900. Certified crisis counselors are available to: • Assess immediate danger • Arrange safe shelter and transportation • Meet you at an area hospital or police station • Assist with creating a safety plan • Offer counseling and resources

february 2022 15

people & places

ABOVE At a candlelight vigil in New London in November, the community remembered those whose lives were ended by domestic violence.

magazine

housing facility that we have, the Katie Blair supportive housing program for women in recovery,” Lee said. Here, Lee added, staff helps survivors find employment and permanent housing as they work on their recovery. “We meet people where they’re at and a lot of times their needs are very intersectional,” said Shauna Harrington, Safe Futures’ court support coordinator who administers the “Lethality Assessment Program,” a series of questions victims are asked during the initial crisis to determine if they are at risk of being murdered. “They may be out of our emergency shelter, but their services may go on for a matter of months or years.” Michelle received support as her abuser’s case went through the legal system. Court support may include help with protective or temporary restraining orders, paperwork regarding custody and visitation, preparation of victim impact statements, and counseling and advocacy throughout the criminal or civil process, Harrington said. “We’re with victims from the time of the arraignment until the adjudication of the matter, so we safety plan with them, help them navigate the court process, make sure their rights are being upheld throughout the process,” Harrington said of Safe Futures’ presence in both the New London and Norwich criminal courts and the Norwich civil court. “We’re really interwoven in the courts and we really advocate for what the person wants.” Safe Futures was founded by eight local women in 1976 as the Women’s Center of Southeastern Connecticut to be an information, referral and rape crisis hotline and became the first domestic violence agency in Connecticut to offer a supportive housing program in 1978. The name was changed in 2012 to reflect the agency’s mission to also serve male victims. Safe Futures’ partnership with other agencies means that if they don’t have the resources to help, they can usually find another organization in the region that does, said Nazmie Ojeda, director of education and community programs.

“So, if someone says they want to find an apartment in this particular community, we can connect with other agencies, find them help with rent and utilities and things like that,” Ojeda said. “We don’t always have the resources, but we are very connected to our partners.” Safe Futures supports children through a variety of programs, including providing a family advocate to work with schools to ensure as little disruption to students as possible, said Foster, who also heads up Safe Futures’ Camp HOPE America, a national camping and mentoring program for children whose lives have been impacted by domestic violence. Studies show that adverse childhood experiences, like trauma, neglect, abuse, and family dysfunction put children at a higher risk in adulthood for depression, sexually transmitted diseases, even cancer and diabetes, Foster said. “So, we spend a lot of energy thinking about how to mitigate adverse childhood experiences and how to prevent future adverse childhood experiences,” Foster said of the goals of Camp HOPE and its monthly group therapy program for children (and sometimes their parents), called Pathways. “It’s all about teaching kids how to set goals and how to be more hopeful thinkers.” Through Safe Futures and its partners, children also may participate in field trips, like visits to area museums and aquariums, and a therapeutic horseback riding program where building

trust with horses can help kids learn how to do the same with people, Foster added. Children who have been given tools like these have better success in school and better relationships with their peers, Foster said. “These are ways we build community around those values of believing in each other and themselves,” she said. Safe Futures’ Executive Director Katherine Verano will soon fulfill a longtime dream and vision of building a Family Justice Center housing her organization along with partner agencies, including mental health services, law enforcement personnel and judicial advocates that serve victims of violence. “The concept of the Family Justice Center is to have multiple agencies co-located offering wraparound services to victims at any point in their plight … not just someone who’s in crisis at the moment,” Verano told The Day’s Storyline podcast in March. The new center, which will be built on a recently purchased 11-acre site on Hartford Turnpike in Waterford, “is a softer way of connecting someone to services rather than feeling that they’re walking in, in crisis, for shelter,” Verano said. “We’re so much more than that and we want to meet victims at every level and remove every barrier,” she added. “The sooner the intervention the sooner the family is made whole.”

february 2022 17

people & places | BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT

A cut above

THE CAVE BARBERSHOP’S VIBE IS A SENSE OF COMMUNITY written by jenn mcculloch photos courtesy of the cave barbershop

rowing up in New London, Josh McArthur remembers the feeling of community he experienced on his trips to the local barbershop. He enjoyed the environment so much that he pursued his license in cosmetology to become a barber himself. “The barbershop is a vibe – you’re in there with group of men talking sports, music, fashion, news,” said McArther. “It’s definitely a vibe for sure and I wanted to be a part of it.” McArthur worked for several local barbers before taking a job at Wayne’s Barbershop where he worked for eight years before Wayne Richard was looking to downsize and move his shop to Mystic. Wayne’s Bar-

bershop had been in the location for more than 60 years, started by Richard’s grandfather Henry. With Richard stepping away in early 2020, McArthur took the opportunity to step up and take over the longtime location at 50 Plaza Court. “It was time to step up,” said McArthur. “This shop has been here for so long and it was a great opportunity for me to take over.” McArthur was ready to step up to the challenge of owning a new business, but he had no idea what was in store for him. Just two weeks after signing the paperwork, COVID began, shutting the shop down for the next three months. “It was frustrating at first, but I knew everyone would need a barber at some point and when we opened three months later, we had 90 booked ap-

above Josh McArthur, owner of The Cave, revamped the space’s vibe when he took over the shop. right The Cave Barbershop is not only a place for a haircut, but for gathering.

magazine

february 2022 19

people & places | BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT

Some tools of the trade at The Cave Barbershop

pointments the first week,” said McArthur. “It’s awesome. We have guys who have been here since the beginning who are now 80 or 90. I haven’t changed much as far as vibe and culture.” McArthur renamed the shop The Cave Barbershop as a nod to the man cave. It is outfitted with sports memorabilia, a comic book collection, games, movies, old-school ‘80s and ‘90s R&B on vinyl, and even cold beers for customers while they wait. “It’s definitely a vibe when you come in, it’s something comfortable, and it’s getting back to how a barbershop should be,” said McArthur. “For the first year and change, we could only have half working staff with three barbers and three clients at a time. If you had [an] appointment, that was the only way you could be in the shop, but now you can come in early, hang out, and get that barbershop vibe of communicating and talking sports and what’s going on in the world today.”

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Having now been a barber for 10 years in the same location, McArthur has come to count many of his customers as friends. He enjoys seeing people from the barbershop in the community and meeting their families and friends. He has also seen young boys grow up over the years. “We bond with these people, we’re friends,” said McArthur. “I have kids who have now left for college and I was cutting their hair when I was putting them in booster seats. It’s strange for them to be taller than me or have a beard or mustache now.” With the shop based in Groton, many of the clients are from the military or Electric Boat, which is across the street. The Cave Barbershop offers both military and senior discounts. While 70 to 80 percent of the clients are military or from Electric Boat, one of McArthur’s favorite visitors to the shop is his six-year-old son Emanuel, who says he wants to cut hair when he gets old-

The barbers at The Cave offer a wide variety of services for clients

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Specializing in ancient artifacts, ethnographics, & fossils Sunday-Weds 11-5pm Thursday Closed • Fri-Sat 9-1pm

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february 2022 21

people & places | BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT “I have kids who have now left for college and I was cutting their hair when I was putting them in booster seats. It’s strange for them to be taller than me or have a beard or mustache now.” JOSH MCARTHUR

er. McArthur, who also has a baby named Anthony, would love to pass down the shop to his sons one day if they are interested. For now, the Cave Barbershop currently has six barbers, two of whom are females. Since McArthur has taken over, he has seen the business grow and there are now more than 2,000 clients in their online booking app. “We’ve all worked with each other before, we all get along very well, and we all click – you can tell when you come in,” said McArthur. “We love what we do. It’s not just a job for us.” As the popularity of the shop grows, McArthur has started to think about expanding. The shop has not only seen more clients but was a top-three selection in The Day’s “Best of” contest and was selected as the Mohegan Sun Black Business of the Month in February 2021. Personally, McArthur was awarded third place out of twenty barbers at a barber competition in Brooklyn New York. “We’ve been killing it,” said McArthur. “A big part of being a barber is communicating and meeting people. You talk about what’s going on in their lives

magazine

opposite top Josh McArthur took over the barber shop in March 2020, revamping the inside and renaming it The Cave. opposite bottom Millyset Flores is one of The Cave’s two female barbers. below Jasmine Furrow is one of two female barbers at The Cave. bottom Giovanni Banks, barber at The Cave.

and give that positive energy toward them. A haircut alone could make you feel 10 times better.” Those wishing to make appointments can do so online or by calling 860-446-2980. The Cave Barber Shop 50 Plaza Court, Groton 860-446-2980 thecavebarbershopct.com Facebook: thecavebarbershopct Instagram: the_cave_barbershop

february 2022 23

CUISINE

R E S TA U R A N T S

FOOD & DRINK

photo courtesy of the weekapaug inn

RECIPES

taste

make a mocktail

magazine

indulge at Weekapaug Inn

taste

Make mine a mocktail

written by ann baldelli

edro Reyes likes when a customer asks for a drink minus the alcohol. “I never frown when asked to make a mocktail,” said the bar manager at Whitecrest Eatery in Stonington’s Velvet Mill. “It’s a lot of fun and a challenge to make something flavorful without alcohol.” That’s the right attitude because alcohol-free drinks are a fast-growing segment of the beverage market. According to news reports and trade journals, the non-alcoholic beverage industry skyrocketed last year as consumers focused more on health and wellness and less on getting a buzz on. One recent NielsenIQ report found that sales of non-alcoholic beverages rose 33.2 percent last year, with $331 million in total sales. Additionally, CNBC reported growing popularity for alcohol-free spirits, up 113.4 percent last year, while non-alcoholic beer and cider sales grew by 31.7 percent. CNET reported on another study by market research-

Pedro Reyes, bar manager at Whitecrest Eatery in Stonington’s Velvet Mill, shakes up the Orange You Glad mocktail.

february 2022 25

taste

Scarlet Rose Mocktail Blend Hibiscus and Ginger Syrup Ginger Beer Lime Juice Shake Dress with a lime zest and cherry

Orange You Glad Mocktail

Peel and slice butternut squash, macerate it Add vinegar and sugar (let it rest 24-48 hours) Use the macerated butternut squash Sage syrup Fresh squeezed lemon and orange juice A splash of tonic water A splash of salted water Shake over ice Float another shrub of butternut squash and garnish with a sprig of fresh sage folded between an orange peel and secured with a toothpick

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er Fact.MR forecasts that in less than a decade non-alcoholic wine could be a $4.5 billion industry. It is a growing market and barkeeps and package store owners are paying attention. David Mensch, who owns the boutique bottle shop Spencer & Lynn with locations in downtown Mystic, Noank, and Groton with his wife, Pamela, is not surprised by the trend. There is definitely a market for alcohol-free beverages, he said, and added he is always looking to expand his selection. While a vast majority of customers still shop for alcohol, Spencer & Lynn also offers alcohol-free beers, wines, ciders, and spirits. One brand they sell is called Seedlip, a line of distilled non-alcoholic spirits that are found in some of the world’s best bars and restaurants. They are made from botanicals like peas, spearmint, lemongrass, oak, green cardamon, and cascarilla, that are macerated, separately distilled, and then blended. The final product is free of alcohol and sugar. At places like Whitecrest, Reyes makes his own shrubs and syrups to flavor his drinks, using sugar, vinegar, fruits, herbs and vegetables, to create exciting flavor profiles. “You can make a mocktail to be sweet, citrusy, bright, dry or savory, it’s an individual choice,” he said. He uses some of his butternut squash shrub for a savory mocktail that he’s dubbed Orange You Glad. A shrub is an acidulated beverage that’s made with an acidic ingredient like vinegar. Reyes peels and slices the squash, macerates it, then adds vinegar and sugar. He lets it rest about 24 to 48 hours while checking to make sure it has the flavor of the squash along with the tartness of vinegar and some sweetness from the sugar. For the Orange You Glad he uses both his butternut shrub, a sage syrup he’s made, fresh squeezed lemon and orange juice,

left David Mensch, owner of Spencer & Lynn, shows off some non-alcoholic drink options he carries. below A few of the mocktails that Pedro Reyes, bar manager at Whitecrest Eatery

in Stonington’s Velvet Mill, has created, clockwise from back left: Orange You Glad, and a splash each of tonic and saltScarlet Rose, Out on the Golf Course. ed water. Everything goes over ice in a cocktail shaker that he throttles, strains, and then pours over ice in a tall glass. He floats another shrub of butternut shrub and garnishes the drink with a sprig of fresh sage folded between an orange peel and secured with a toothpick. “It makes you forget you’re not drinking booze. It’s not a Coke or a club soda,” he said. Both Mensch and Reyes said there are all kinds of reasons why people choose not to imbibe. “Some have just stopped drinking, or maybe they’re pregnant, or doing a monthly cleanse,” Reyes said. “January is a big one, and then there is Lent. People have all kinds of reasons but it is a frequent request, a drink without alcohol.” Mensch said some customers have mentioned that they overindulged while isolating during Covid so they are taking a break from liquor now. At his Groton shop, Navy wives whose husbands are out to sea have told staff they are buying non-alcoholic wines so they can responsibly socialize while temporarily being the solo caretakers of their children. Like Reyes, Mensch said people who are not Another alcohol-free drink he makes he calls drinking alcohol are experimenting with makthe Scarlet Rose. He blends hibiscus and ginger ing their own flavored syrups and tinkering with syrups he’s made, adds some ginger beer, lime ciders, seltzers, tonics, and garnishes like fancy juice, and puts it all in his cocktail shaker and cherries and smoked citrus slices. gives it a whirl. The drink is his take on a French “Just because you’re not drinking, it doesn’t 75 and Reyes drains it into a coupe and dresses it have to be boring,” he said. with a lime zest and cherry. Reyes has a favorite shrub that he makes when That glass, the coupe, well, there’s a legend peaches are in season. He halves and sears peachthat it was modeled after the left breast of French es, smokes them over wood chips, and adds fenQueen Marie Antoinette. Indeed, mocktails can nel. How far off is peach season? be elegant and not boring at all.

february 2022 27

taste

weekap a weekend at

magazine

aug

The Weekapaug Inn’s lobby.

written by ann baldelli photos by chip riegel

ant to impress someone special? Make a reservation for dinner at the Weekapaug Inn. Better yet, splurge and book a room to stay the night. Tucked away in seaside Weekapaug, the inn on Quonochontaug Pond is a throwback to an older, simpler way of life. The place is all about luxury but the vibe is casual comfort, with every attention to detail. If you go for dinner, plan to arrive early to enjoy a beverage in the Adirondack chairs on the lawn overlooking what the staff and locals affectionately call Quonnie Pond. If you are a guest at the 31room inn, you might want to start your day earlier and schedule a private outing with the Weekapaug’s resident naturalist, Teddy Beahm. Beahm will lead you on a guided tour of the property, including a recitation of its colorful history, or escort you to hike the sand trail, go birding, or for a sunset Jeep safari. With executive chef Andrew Brooks in the kitchen, dinner is a must. His culinary skills are exceptional and he epitomizes the concept of farm to table. What he does with vegetables is pretty extraordinary. After dessert, make sure to venture outside to the firepit for complimentary s’mores and stargazing. Because the Weekapaug is secluded and there is little development nearby, the property is an ideal place to get an unadulterated view of the night sky. If it’s chilly, grab one of the warm blankets to wrap up in. At the Weekapaug, there is every attention to detail. Near the entryway, there are muck boots in the “borrowing february 2022 29

taste

clockwise from above The dock outside the Weekapaug Inn; A plaque designating the Weekapaug Inn as a member of the National Register of Historic Places; Executive Chef Andrew Brooks; Lobster pasta; The Weekapaug Inn offers nature walks and lectures; Weekapaug Brasserie; A burger and fries is just one item on the menu at the Weekapaug Inn.

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“I can actually attest to what it feels like as a guest just as much as an employee. I have experienced it.” ANDREW BROOKS

february 2022 31

taste right The exterior of the Weekapaug Inn glows in the evening. far right A hearty bowl of pasta from Executive Chef Andrew Brooks.

closet” in every imaginable size for guests to use for outdoor adventures. But let’s talk about the ambience and the food. There is burlap beneath the white linen tablecloths in the dining room, giving a hint to that farmhouse vibe. Brooks, who previously was the chef de cuisine at The Ritz-Carlton in Amelia Island, Florida, and the executive sous chef at the Weekapaug’s sister property, the Ocean House in Watch Hill, is back for a second stint at Weekapaug. His first tenure was not long after the property was reborn in the fall of 2012 following a $25 million restoration. That investment still shines. The property is pristine. But not in a haughty way. It is luxury dressed in corduroy and wool sweaters. A native of Vermont and an outdoorsman, Brooks said Weekapaug is the perfect size to truly be a farm-to-table restaurant. The inn grows and picks its own herbs on property, it buys from local fisherman and farmers, and the oysters that it serves come from Quonnie Pond out back. Currently there is a butternut squash soup on the menu that is perfectly flavored and topped with bites of pickled apple and dried cranberries and is both light and hearty, if possible. His warm vegetable plate will convert even the guy who says he doesn’t eat veggies. Watch him devour every last bite. Brooks takes seasonal bounty like rutabaga, carrots, and acorn squash and pickles one,

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grills another, and roasts the third to create a dish that blends flavors, textures and uses varying techniques to create gastronomical perfection. But those are just the starters. His pappardelle is legendary. He prepares his rustic, thick cut noodles with braised short rib, foraged mushrooms, truffle butter, and parmesan. “I do my best to keep up, but I can’t make it as fast as we sell it,” said Brooks. All of the pasta at the inn is handmade by the executive chef who kneads, hand cuts, and rolls it. On Sunday nights, the Weekapaug menu is dedicated to pasta. But the rest of the week there are other choices, too, like the cider brined chicken, swordfish with farro risotto and fennel, or the Berkshire pork chop with red-skinned mashed potatoes and Brussels sprouts. “I want you to leave full, happy and really tasting the local flavors,” said Brooks, who thinks the inn is a terrific place for a date night or to mark a special occasion. In fact, it’s where he proposed to Erinn, his wife of just a few months. He wasn’t employed at the inn at the time, but while the couple was visiting from Florida, he decided Weekapaug was the perfect place for a proposal. He asked her on the Quonnie Queen, the inn’s electric Elco boat. Erinn Brooks is now guest services manager at the Ocean House.

“I can actually attest to what it feels like as a guest just as much as an employee. I have experienced it,” Andrew Brooks said. “Right when you walk in you feel like the most important person in the room. It’s what we do a great job of,” he said. Allyson McMillen oversees rooms at the inn and said it’s the total experience – that personal greeting at the door, a stop at the intimate bar for a drink, relaxing in the garden room in front of the fireplace, followed by dinner -- that makes Weekapaug exceptional. It is also the location, in fashionable, bustling in the summertime and sleepy in the wintertime, Weekapaug. The inn is surrounded by big, rambling beach homes, many of them the property of wealthy owners who mostly use them as seasonal beach houses.

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The original inn dates back to 1899, when it opened along the Atlantic Ocean to serve the summer beach community. After the 1938 hurricane it was moved inland a short distance and rebuilt alongside Quonochontaug Pond. It operated until 2007, when it was shuttered for renovations. In October 2012 the property that is on the National Register of Historic Places reopened under new ownership after the two-year, multi-million-dollar renovation. The Weekapaug is special, from the décor, to the service, amenities, location, and the food. Staff, including the waiters and even the chef, will stop to add a log to one of the fireplaces to keep the fires burning. They will talk to you about the art on the walls, the history of the property, tell you where the bread you’re eating was made and how the salted butter was prepared. They will even make suggestions for a new twist on your favorite cocktail. Ann and Michael Adair are regulars. “We live in Stonington Borough and we have been spending two nights at the Weekepaug Inn celebrating our wedding anniversary for at least seven years,” said Ann Adair. “No hassle of planes and trains. Just hop in your car and you are there. The inn is such a relaxing and beautifully appointed destination. We love walking on the beach, the naturalist tour or just watching the pond activity from the Adirondack chairs on shore. It’s the perfect getaway.”

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february 2022 33

taste | RESTAURANT LISTINGS BAKERY/CAFE

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Family owned and operated, located in the Haley Brook Plaza, on Rte. 184. Check out the GRAB & GO fridge - varieties change daily. Pizzas, grinders, sandwiches, wraps, calzones. Monday-Friday 10 a.m.- 7 p.m.; Saturday 11 a.m.- 7 p.m.; Closed Sunday 2440 Gold Star Highway, Mystic, CT 06355 860-245-0800 | 184pizzeria.com

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At Nana’s Byrek everything is made fresh daily, in house. We offer the following: pizza, byrek, entrees, grinders, paninis, quesadillas, salads, dessert, catering, birthday parties. Kids make their own pizza. Open Tuesday-Saturday 11am-9pm; Sunday 12pm-8:30pm; Closed Monday 316 Boston Post Rd. , Waterford, CT 06333 860-437-3030 | www.nanasbyrek.com

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home & garden GARDENING

DECOR

ADVICE

A pebbled walkway in Watch Hill, RI. photo by g.a. peck

R E A L E S TAT E

romance at home

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discover Watch Hill, RI

home & garden

Kindling at-home romance DESIRABLE HOME FEATURES MAKE VALENTINE’S DAY AN EVERYDAY AFFAIR

right A pretty patio sits among the grounds at 69 Neck Road, Old Lyme — an estate listed on the National Register of Historic Places. photo courtesy of william pitt sotheby’s

written by g.a. peck

hen February comes around on the calendar, Cupid sharpens his arrows. Valentine’s Day inspires long-time and budding sweethearts to carve out quality time and show how much they mean to one another. Couples do that any number of ways — a candlelight dinner, a night on the town, a trip to a romantic getaway.

But imagine living in a home where romance abounds, with cozy fireplaces, stroll-worthy gardens, charming gazebos and pergolas, private balconies, and other little architectural and landscaping features that require no travel at all to celebrate with your sweetheart. Take, for example, the 1943-era French-country manor at 6 Johnny Cake Hill Road in Old Lyme; it exudes romance. The three-bedroom residence spans february 2022 37

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home & garden left The formal dining room at 6 Johnny Cake Hill Road is elegant and inherently romantic, with a crystal chandelier, high ceilings, a marble floor and French doors that open out to the gardens. photo by dennis carbo below The formal gardens at Springbank were designed in 1936 by Landscape Architect Marian Cruger Coffin. photo courtesy of william pitt sotheby’s

6,492 square feet of living space, with grand entertaining rooms and design details like parquet flooring, paneled walls and four wood-burning fireplaces. Janet Peckinpaugh, a Realtor with William Pitt Sotheby’s Madison brokerage is the listing agent, representing the seller. At deadline, the property — known as “Duck Creek” — was on the market, with an asking price of $2.3 million. The formal dining room at 6 Johnny Cake Hill Road is a striking, memorable space for a romantic dinner. Its marble floors were reclaimed from a

5th Avenue home in New York City. A sparkling crystal chandelier hangs like a precious pendant from the center of the tall ceiling. There’s a sculpture incorporated into the design, as well as Corinthian pilasters from Winterthur, the 1,000-acre former du Pont estate in northern Delaware — now, a museum, with 60 acres of formal gardens open to the public. They were a gift from Henry Francis du Pont to one of Duck Creek’s previous owners. The listing agent pointed to the home’s elegant formal dining room, with a sparkling chandelier hanging from the center of the soaring ceiling. The february 2022 39

home & garden left Built in 1730, the restored and renovated “Springbank” estate at 69 Neck Road has a number of romantic features, including cozy fireplaces, a roof deck off one of the bedrooms, and formal gardens. In late December, at press time, the property was listed for sale for $1.1 million. photo courtesy of william pitt sotheby’s right CA gazebo — or gazing room, as they were originally called — is a romantic spot to enjoy quiet conversation while taking in the scenery. photo by g.a. peck below The four-bedroom historic home at 69 Neck Road, Old Lyme, was built in 1730. In the 1930s, the grounds were professionally designed — creating a natural work of living art that lives on today. photo courtesy of william pitt sotheby’s

floor is made of marble, and a statue and interior columns are incorporated into the design, as well. French doors in the formal dining room open out to the expansive terrace and 13.25-acre grounds, formal gardens, a fountain and gazebo.

COZY FIREPLACES AND FORMAL GARDENS

“Springbank” at 69 Neck Road in Old Lyme is a property of distinction. Designed in the image of an English country estate and built in 1730, the main house is situated on 1.97acre property is listed on the National Registry of Historic Places. Definitively romantic, the grounds were sculpted in 1936 by Landscape Architect Marian Cruger Coffin. The formal gardens are “magnificent,” according to Colette Harron, a Realtor with William Pitt Sotheby’s International Realty who is the listing agent for the property — at press time, on the market for $1.1 million.

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The house itself is pretty special, too. It has been restored and renovated, but much of the original character and design details have been preserved, including cozy fireplaces in the living and dining rooms. The dining room is particularly romantic, with a beamed ceiling, wide-board floors and a French country crystal chandelier adding a little sparkle to the space. One of the four bedrooms at Springbank has its own private roof deck that overlooks the gardens and allée of trees. This property also has a quaint guesthouse. “The guest cottage has a full bath, bedroom, living area and outdoor shower, nestled privately on the hill, overlooking the beautiful gardens and pergola. Though Springbank has the feel of being transported to a European country estate, the property is close to conveniences and to the shoreline. Local marinas, beaches, restaurants and charming Old Lyme village are mere minutes away.

february 2022 41

home & garden

watch the wonder of

A sandy beach in Watch Hill.

magazine

hill

The exclusive coastal community continues to attract full-time residents and summer dwellers with its beautiful beaches and quiet sensibility

story and photos by g.a. peck $17.75 million in cash. And the singer has held her t the southern-most tip of Rhode Island, on a share of celebrity-brimming affairs at High Watch, peninsula jutting out to Long Island Sound, including 4th of July festivities. Locals refer to the house as Holiday House, High sits the quiet hamlet of Watch Hill, an idyllic Watch or the Harkness House. Swift gave a nod to enclave within the borders of Westerly. Like its original name in her song “The Last Great AmerNewport on the other side of the state, Watch ican Dynasty,” from the album Folklore. The song Hill once attracted Hollywood and American royalty pays tribute to the house and to Rebekah Harkness, of the Gilded Age, who took up seasonal residency in with whom Swift feels a sense of kinship. Both of the summer cottages and grand hotels here, including women “made waves” with the neighbors. the iconic Ocean House — today, a luxury hotel with In a March 2021 interview with People Magazine, a private beach, croquet grounds, bars and terraces Swift said she was particularly proud of the song, esoverlooking the Sound, and fine dining, including a pecially the lyrics: She had a marvelous time ruining renowned, decadent Sunday brunch. everything. Nearly as iconic to Watch Hill’s coastline as Ocean House is the “High Watch” estate, aptly named for its elevated position high above a private beach and protected by a formidable sea wall that looks like it could ward off an assault by Poseidon himself. Known as “Holiday House” when it debuted in 1930, the grand and starkwhite colonial was built by the Harkness family, heirs to the Standard Oil empire, and for nearly 30 years was one of the homes of philanthropist Rebekah Harkness. Harkness was somewhat notorious for having spectacular parties at the mansion, with guests lists that included the rich, famous and wildly eccentric. High Watch — or Holiday House, as it was originally known — was purchased in 2013 by music Musician Taylor Swift bought the megastar Taylor Swift. The musician favors the house as a retreat and has had famous 4th of property in 2013, reportedly paying

July parties by the private pool. In 2016, she erected a 27-foot water slide for her guests.

february 2022 43

home & garden

“Because it’s about what happens when women step out of their cages and run,” she explained. “It can be a real pearl-clutching moment for society when a woman owns her desires and wildness,” the Grammy-awarded megastar told the magazine. “And I love the idea. That the woman in question would be too joyful in her freedom to even care that she’s ruffling feathers, raising eyebrows or becoming the talk of the town. The idea that she decided there were marvelous times to be had, and that was more important.” In 2019, during an appearance The Ellen Show, Swift told the host that her favorite place to holiday is Rhode Island.

WATCH HILL’S LEGACY CARRIES ON

Holly Powell knows Watch Hill from two perspectives: She grew up in Watch Hill, and today, she’s a Realtor with the Westerly office of Berk-

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shire Hathaway’s New England Properties, licensed in both Rhode Island and Connecticut. Powell describes Watch Hill as “an exclusive, but understated waterfront community.” Many of the homes are fashioned in “quintessential New England architectural styles,” Powell said. When they come to market, single-family homes can sell for up to $10 million, depending on the setting and amenities. The 2010 census estimated Watch Hill’s population at just 154 fulltime residents. Watch Hill is a private community, not by gates and guards, but by geography. “There’s one road in and one road out,” Realtor Holly Powell pointed out. It has an eternally charming historic district recognized by the U.S. National Register of Historic Places. Watch Hill’s legacy is one of summer cottages and generational homes. There are residents who live there year-round, of course, but many of

far left A gazebo near the pier in Watch Hill. left In addition to beautiful beaches and homes, Watch Hill boasts some high-end shopping, such as Lilly Pulitzer. bottom The iconic facade of the Ocean House is one of Watch Hill’s most recognizable features.

“It can be a real pearl-clutching moment for society when a woman owns her desires and wildness.” TAYLOR SWIFT

residents who come to Watch Hill for weekend or summer getaways now stay longer, especially in the wake of COVID-19, when telecommuting and teleconferencing became “the new normal.” Besides, it’s just two hours from Boston, three hours to New York City, and less than an hour and half to Hartford. “Being able to work from home today changes the landscape of what a buyer is looking for,” Powell said. “They want a comfortable office space and a view. They also want comfortable spaces to enjoy with family and friends.” “Gads of money” has come into the neighborhood in recent years, to acquire homes when they come to market, and to renovate them according to the new homeowners’ design preferences, the Realtor said. “They want to create their own bespoke home to leave to their heirs,” she suggested. “Watch Hill has some of the most magnificent beaches. That is what’s drawn people here for centuries.”

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february 2022 45

honoring black

How racism and poor timing stopped the founding of Connecticut’s Black college

magazine

history month

written by phil hall

n 1831, Connecticut had the opportunity to become the first state to establish an institution specifically designed to offer undergraduate education to the disenfranchised Black population. But the proposal was violently rejected by the White ruling class and for many years this unfortunate aspect of the state’s experience was rarely cited in its history books. Providing education to Blacks had been a sore point since the colonial era, dating back to South Carolina’s Stono Rebellion of September 1739 when a literate enslaved person named Jemmy coordinated a rebellion that resulted in the deaths of 25 White South Carolina residents and between 35 and 50 enslaved Blacks.

South Carolina’s power elite feared that Blacks who could read and write would be able to orchestrate more uprisings against their White captors. South Carolina’s Negro Act of 1740 restricted the already onerous limitations put on enslaved people by making it a crime to give them the right to literacy. This piece of legislation would be adopted in other states during the colonial period and after the Revolutionary War. Within Connecticut, where slavery was not abolished until 1848, the state’s free people of color found their educational opportunities limited. Black children were denied the ability to share a classroom with their White counterparts, resulting in the rise of segregated education, and no school of higher education would admit a Black student. february 2022 47

honoring black previous page In 1831, a proposition to open the nation’s first Black college in New Haven was defeated by a vote of 700-4. It would be six more years before the Institute for Colored Youth was founded in Cheyney, PA in 1837, which was followed by several more, including The Howard Normal and Theological School for the Education of Teachers and Preachers, known today as Howard University, pictured. public domain image courtesy of digitalcollections.nypl.org via picryl.com below Sarah Harris, the first black student admitted to a school in Connecticut. Prudence Crandall allowed her to attend the Canterbury Female Boarding School. photo courtesy of prudence crandall museum opposite The Prudence Crandall Museum in Canterbury. photo courtesy of prudence crandall museum

The first confirmed incident of an integrated school in Connecticut occurred in 1832 when Prudence Crandall admitted Sarah Harris into her Canterbury Female Boarding School. Crandall withstood pressure from the parents of the other students to remove Harris, which resulted in many students being taken out of the school. Crandall refocused her school’s attention to the education of Black girls – a demographic that faced greater challenges for educational opportunities due to gender as well as race. While a casual consideration of history might assume Crandall would have been hailed as a hero in a Northern state within the heart of the abolitionist movement, the opposite occurred – the Connecticut legislature passed a law that prevented a school from teaching Black students without permission from its municipality. Crandall was briefly jailed; her school was the subject of repeated vandalism and her students were harassed. The school closed in 1834 and Crandall left Connecticut, never to return – even after the legislature belatedly approved a pension for her in 1886 at the insistence of the state’s most prominent writer, Mark Twain. In this hostile environment, Simeon Jocelyn believed that he could not only succeed where Crandall failed, but that he could go further by creating a “Negro college” that would give high-

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er education to people of color without forcing integration. Jocelyn – who had briefly attended Yale University and later became the founding pastor at New Haven’s Dixwell Avenue Congregational Church, which had a Black congregation – recognized how New Haven’s free people of color were able to achieve a degree of economic prosperity despite overwhelming odds, and he theorized they could gain ever greater financial self-sufficiency with the proper education. Jocelyn proposed the college as an institution that would “cultivate habits of industry and obtain a useful mechanical or agricultural profession, while pursuing classical studies,” adding it would provide the opportunity “where our youth may be instructed in all the arts of civilized life.” Jocelyn also believed the New Haven location would attract free people of color in the British West Indies to send their young people to be educated at the new school, thus strengthening economic ties with that Caribbean region. The most radical concept Jocelyn offered was a board of trustees with a Black majority membership. Jocelyn gained the support of Arthur and Lewis Tappan, sibling business executives and philanthropists, to acquire land in southern New England; the Tappans also donated $1,000 in seed money for a fundraising effort for the college.

history month Jocelyn previewed his concept in June 1831 at the annual Convention of the Free People of Color in Philadelphia, an anti-slavery conference, and was heartily endorsed in his work by William Lloyd Garrison, the newspaper publisher and the nation’s most fervent abolitionist leader. But he received a very different reaction three months later in a presentation at the Center Church on the Green in New Haven. Unfortunately, Jocelyn timed his announcement shortly after the rebellion in Virginia led by Nat Turner, an enslaved man who could read and write – the uprising resulted in the deaths of at least 50 Whites. Although the uprising was limited to a single county in Virginia, it created a panic among the slave-holding states and resulted in massacres against Blacks who had nothing to do with Turner’s revolt. Three days after Jocelyn’s announcement, New Haven Mayor Dennis Kimberly called for a meeting at City Hall to vote on resolutions opposing the creation of the proposed “Negro college.” Kimberly argued that such a school would be seen as “incompatible with the prosperity, if not the existence of the present institutions of learning, and will be destructive of the best interests of the city.” He also claimed it would be seen as interfering with the rights of slave-owning states, many of whom sent their young men to study at Yale. The vote on Kimberly’s resolutions went 7004 against the creation of the school. The quartet who favored its establishment were Yale law professor and future Chief Justice of the Connecticut Supreme Court David Daggett; I.H. Townsend, a future dean of Yale’s law school; Nathan Smith, former U.S. Attorney for Connecticut and future U.S. senator; and R.I. Ingersoll, Kimberly’s predecessor as mayor and a member of the U.S. House of Representatives.

The day after the vote, a White mob attacked and vandalized Arthur Tappan’s residence in New Haven. The following month, similar attacks occurred against properties in the city’s Black community of New Liberia. Jocelyn would be forced to step down from officiating at the Dixwell Avenue Congregational Church in 1834, but he never wavered in his support of civil rights – he was active in the Underground Railroad network to help escaped slaves find freedom and worked to raise funds and secure legal assistance for the Africans of the slave ship Amistad in their successful effort to regain their freedom. against the school sparked Many months of violence followed the New Haven town meeting. One year after the “Negro college” proposal was rejected, Yale enabled James Pennington, an escaped slave who relocated to New Haven classes, to audit classes in order to receive a ministerial license. While he was never enrolled and was barred from using the school’s library, Pennington completed his Yale experience in 1838 and would follow in Jocelyn’s steps as the first Black pastor at Dixwell Avenue Congregational Church. Also in 1838, Connecticut would repeal its law requiring municipal approval for the opening of any school for Black children. But no further attempt was ever made to open a college for Black students in Connecticut. Blacks first gained admission to Yale in the 1850s, with Cortlandt Van Rensselaer Creed becoming the first African American to receive an M.D. from the School of Medicine in in 1857 and Richard Henry Green receiving an undergraduate degree the same year – he would later study at Dartmouth and receive an M.D. at that school.

february 2022 49

honoring black

did you know? Connecticut has a Freedom Trail that you can follow which documents the many sites across the state that have been marked as historical places and spaces in which African Americans suffered or overcame their circumstances to gain freedom and dignity. The Connecticut Freedom Trail was introduced and opened to the public in 1996 and now includes more than 100 sites and 50 towns. You can visit ctfreedomtrail.org for a full site list and more information.

The Joshua Hempsted House, new london Contact E-mail Address: hempsted@ctlandmarks.org Web Site: ctlandmarks.org/index.php?page=hempsted-houses Phone Number: 860-443-7949 Hours of Operation: May-October, hours vary

Connecticut was also included in the geography of the Underground Railroad as many participants in the freedom movement traveled across state lines in search of equality. The Underground Railroad Trail Map can be found by visiting ctfreedomtrail.org/trail/underground-railroad/

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ctlandmarks, cc by-sa 4.0, via wikimedia commons

The Joshua Hempsted House right here in New London is one of the designated landmarks on the Connecticut Freedom Trail. The home was built in 1678 and inhabited by the Hempsted family, who fought for African American freedom and education. A portion of the Hempsted home was later set up and used as a school by Mary’s father in which African American students were accepted. This acceptance was an unusual occurrence given the time period. In fact, an 1843 letter penned by Mary Hempsted Bolles, abolishing slavery, can be found among the collection displayed at the house today The Hempsted family continued to fight for racial justice through the 19th century. Today, The Hempsted home is owned by Connecticut Landmarks and open to the public as part of the Freedom Trail.

history month Connecticut is home to some unique Black owned businesses. We have featured some of them in the pages of The Day Magazine and encourage you to visit them when you can. To support Black Owned Businesses and for a more complete list by town and service, please visit shopblackct.com.

NEW LONDON

BEAUTY/COSMETICS Lashes by Lee

BOUTIQUE/RETAIL The Classy Lion

COUNSELING HEAL - Helping Everyone Accept & Adapt to Life Magnolia Wellness

(Featured in TDM’s January ‘22 issue)

ENTERTAINMENT & EVENTS Eazy Entertainment Pro Digital Sounds Mobile Disc Jockey Service

FINE ART/CRAFT Cultured AF Mhoor Art

RESTAURANTS/CATERING Hot Rod Café The Green Room Unique In-Out Restaurant

SALONS/BARBERSHOPS Elite Styles

SWEET TREATS Sweet N’ Elegant By Sharene

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BEAUTY/COSMETICS Lavish Experience Skincare Love On You Soap n Stuff

BOUTIQUE/RETAIL Main Avent Apparel Woombs & Wankle

FITNESS Planet Fitness - ECP-PF Holdings Group, Inc.

HOME CARE SERVICES Assured Quality Homecare NursePower

PHOTOGRAPHY/VIDEOGRAPHY Artsy Rossy Design

PAWCATUCK

MAINTENANCE/CONTRACTORS A B Powell Woodworks

SWEET TREATS Dutch’s Bakery

WATERFORD FITNESS

Planet Fitness - ECP-PF Holdings Group, Inc.

MAINTENANCE/CONTRACTORS Blackburn Professional Cleaning

GROTON

RESTAURANTS/CATERING

FITNESS

Mommy’s Delicious Food Philly’s Saint Bess Jerk Hub Sweet Momma’s Uncle D’s Blazin BBQ

Planet Fitness - ECP-PF Holdings Group, Inc.

SALONS/BARBERSHOPS

NIANTIC

Love On You

WELLNESS Generational Wellness Massage Therapy

The Cave Barbershop (Featured on page 18)

BOUTIQUE/RETAIL Striking Tela

february 2022 51

love, labor, and lots of

top Assorted French macarons from Sift Bake Shop. above Sift Bake Shop located on 5 Water Street in Mystic.

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stries B

written by morgan rizzo photos by john shyloski

raided croissant dough rolled in mounds of cinnamon and sugar called the “Ebbieoche” bakes in the warm oven until it reaches a golden crisp. A rainbow of macarons with flavors from classic vanilla to elegant rose water line the glass case. A splash of whole milk is added to the cup of medium roast locally sourced New Harvest coffee. Children with smiles from ear-to-ear create smudged fingerprints on the glass windows while watching the team in white chef coats pour chocolate glaze onto a birthday cake. From flaky croissants, seasonal cheesecakes and chocolate chip cookies that can cover your face, Sift Bake Shop meets every customer’s sweet and savory needs. Within the hustle and bustle of the bakery, Ebbie Young, the name behind the staple breakfast pastry, captures mouthwatering photographs and creates clever captions

to market her business. Behind every question, comment, or concern on social media is a swift answer from the co-owner of the bakery. While tackling new promotional ideas, she balances work with being a stay at home mom to her two daughters: Stella and Eva. Without Ebbie’s keen eye for detail, passion to give back to the community, and dedication to creating a memorable experience, Sift Bake Shop would not have blossomed into the hospitality branch it is today.

Q: What made you pursue the hospitality field? A: It kind of fell into my lap. I actually went to Providence College for sociology and happened to be working my first job out of college at a country club. I met one of the investors at the Ocean House there and he thought I’d be great working with his wife. I loved his wife and worked for her for years. I honestly have to say I learned more working in hospitality and opening that hotel than I did in my four years of college. february 2022 53

“The biggest thing I take away is we never take for granted any person that walks through that door because they don’t have to walk through that door. There are thousands of coffee shops and bakeries they could go to. Without our customers and the people supporting us, we would have never gotten to where we’ve been.” EBBIE YOUNG

Q: What was your job and experience like at the Ocean House? A: At the Ocean House, I was on the opening team where I met my husband, Adam. I evolved into the executive assistant for the president and managing director. A big part of my job was dealing with guest complaints, which helped with owning my own business.

Q: After meeting Adam at the Ocean House, how did Sift Bake Shop come to be? A: Adam’s from Vermont and naturally with chefs you can travel all over the place. I am from here and a bit of a homebody. We wanted to put down roots to guarantee that we could be someplace. Adam’s a work horse averaging 90 hours a week. I said you have the work ethic and the drive so let’s open up our own place because we know we can do it and hopefully people will like it. A lot of people post that no one likes bakeries and no one wants to go to bakeries anymore, but we did it anyway.

Q: Were you nervous about opening a bakery that wouldn’t succeed? A: Terrified. Terrified. It’s actually pretty funny because when we opened Sift, I was pregnant with Stella so I had just left my job. Adam left his job on January 1st. Stella came in March and Sift opened May 4th. I was like what is wrong with us? Who does this? Who has a baby and opens up a business three weeks later?

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Q: Can you tell me about the expansion of Sift into Young Buns, Mix Rooftop & Bar, and A.T.Y. Confections? A: Here is a bit of a timeline. In 2017, Adam was in the Spring Baking Championship. He lost and in 2018 he was invited to compete on Best Baker in America. Spoiler alert, he won. The next morning we woke up and the line was around the block. We make everything at Sift from scratch. Nothing is store bought even down to the syrup, the jams, and every little thing which still amazes me to this day. It was hard because we couldn’t keep up with the demand so it was out of necessity that we expanded. In 2019, we decided to put up the rooftop which kind of came to fruition in 2020 when the pandemic hit. When we were able to open back up, we had this great use of outdoor space where people feel safe. A space came over on Main Street and we always wanted

to do a doughnut shop. It was like a double-edged sword because we could get people back to work, but it’s also a pandemic. Why are we going to open-up a business right now? We always knew we wanted to do it, but it just came earlier than expected. A.T.Y Confections came about because we wanted to ship our products nationwide and eventually hope to ship our macarons or cookies. The hospitality brand goes back to when we first opened Sift because so many people shut the door on us. Yet, there are people on our staff who are hardworking, motivated, and have great ideas so we want to invest in those people and give back to the next generation.

Q: You mentioned your staff and giving back. Why is that important to you and your business? A: It creates a place that people want to work. We care about our team and have great people who work for us. If somebody shows interest in wanting to advance, you

Macaron Framboise made with almond macaron, lychee, fresh raspberries, raspberry and rosewater gel, and rosewater Chantilly.

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couldn’t ask for more than that. If you’re invested in them, then they’re invested in you. It’s a mutual relationship. Adam was fortunate enough to be in hospitality since he was 12 years old and have some amazing mentors when he was growing up in the ranks from a dishwasher to working across the country. We have a duty, and especially him being in the kitchen, to give back and teach the upcoming generations.

Q: Not only do you give back to your staff and future culinarians, but you also support the local community. Can you expand on why supporting the community is important to you? A: We wanted to be a cornerstone of the community because bakeries have such wonderful memories for kids and families. Both of us have memories of going to bakeries on Sunday mornings after church or on holidays and that is something we both really wanted which impacted us to open the bakery. For us now, it’s awesome to see the same kids come in with their dad every Tuesday or mom every Saturday morning and that is really special to us. As a local business you have a responsibility to give back to the community that serves you. We try to donate as

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much as we can to the local schools and churches and anything within our region that we and our team are passionate about. Sift was created to be a community partner. We’re very proud of the way we support the community, and we will always continue to do so.

Q: I know you work doing marketing and social media for A.T.Y. Hospitality. Can you explain your role? A: For the past six years I’ve done social media, marketing, and correspondence for Sift, Mix, Young Buns, Sift Watch Hill, and now A.T.Y. I’ve been doing social media for so long so I have an eye for things and think in a social media way. I make sure we keep up, stay relevant, consistent and constantly posting because that’s important now. How do people find people these days? Social media.

Q: Sift just celebrated its fifth year anniversary and the launch of a cookbook, Adam Young’s Sift Cookbook. Could you explain the inspiration behind the cookbook and where it can be found? A: The cookbook was a dream of Adam’s for a long time. It’s a cookbook, but also a memoir. It’s

about his industry, beliefs, standards, goals and dreams. Giving back to the future generation is very important to him. The biggest gift for Adam is to have people leave him and go do their own thing with him helping. He loves that. People have opened their own bakeries who have worked for us and that is the biggest compliment he can receive. You can find the cookbook right now available online at atyconfections.com or in the bakery.

specializing in chocolate bonbons using high end chocolates and creative flavors. We will have some bonbons made to order. It will be a perfect gift for your Valentine. We also have a heart-shaped macaron framboise, strawberry champagne tart, and raspberry cheesecake.

Q: What made all of these great things possible? A: The community. The biggest thing I take away is we never take for granted any person that walks through that door because they don’t have to walk through that door. There are thousands of coffee shops and bakeries they could go to. Without our customers and the people supporting us, we would have never gotten to where we’ve been. We wouldn’t have been able to be open for five years or have a cookbook. Being in hospitality people aren’t always kind and it can wear on you because you’re trying your hardest and putting everything you have into something. It was a special weekend because the people were so positive and kind. We aren’t saving lives. We’re making cookies, but it showed us the impact that Sift has on people and that is exactly why we opened Sift.

Q: Looking back to when Sift opened in 2016, did you think it would branch out into the hospitality branch it is today? A: Never. Never in a million years. You dream big and think great things are going to happen. I’m surprised at the things that happen and am very grateful.

Q: With Valentine’s Day coming up, are there any special pastries or items we can expect to see? A: In the past year with the launching of A.T.Y Confections, a boutique confection company

top left Adam Young meeting with his team of bakers. above Sift Bake Shop owners, Adam and Ebbie Young with their daughters Stella and Eva.

february 2022 57

written by jennifer carmichael

hile we all love a nice dinner out, what if we could try our hand at recreating some of our restaurant favorites at

home? For Valentine’s Day, we asked top local chefs what recipes they would share for us and why. From a colorful salad to delicious desserts and everything in between, here are their recipe suggestions for the ultimate Valentine’s Day at home.

Valentine's Day with a chef's touch

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Nutella Flan

chef frances medina, surf cantina, westerly, ri INGREDIENTS 1 1/2 cups of sugar 1/4 cup of water 5 eggs 1-13.5oz. can of coconut milk 1-14oz. can of condensed milk 1 ½ cups of heavy cream 2 tablespoons vanilla extract ½ cup of Nutella DIRECTIONS Combine sugar and water, melt until a dark caramel forms. Be careful not to burn the sugar. Pour melted sugar into a deep flan pan and move around to coat the bottom and edges. Blend all other ingredients and pour into flan pan over hardened sugar base. Place flan pan in a shallow water bath, with water coming halfway up the flan pan. Lightly cover flan with a foil tent. Cook at 350° (if using convection oven, fan on low) for 1 hour. After 1 hour remove foil tent and cook 20 minutes more. You are cooking the flan for a total of 1 hour and 20 minutes. Immediately place in refrigerator overnight. Serve with crushed and toasted peanuts and a drizzle of Nutella.

“My mother used to make flan when I was a child, and it was always my favorite dessert. Although this is not my mother’s recipe, it is one that I created and definitely can compete with my mother’s. Anyone that knows me, knows that Nutella is my all-time favorite indulgence, so naturally I have incorporated it into my favorite dessert. Flan can often be intimidating to make, but this recipe is easy and approachable for any home chef.” CHEF FRANCES MEDINA

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Oyster Club’s Oyster Rockefeller owner dan meiser, oyster club, mystic, ct

INGREDIENTS 12 fat local oysters 1/2 lb. of spinach 2 tablespoon each of shallot and garlic 1 tablespoon butter 1 cup of cream Salt to taste Buttery breadcrumbs (Dried sourdough toasted in butter) Grated cheese (For the cheese its Mystic Cheese Co.’s finback that we mix 80/20 with dried jalapeno finely chopped.) Grated Parmesan is great too. DIRECTIONS

In saucepan, soften the shallot and garlic in the butter over medium heat. Add spinach until it begins to cook down, add cream. Cook this slowly until cream reduces and the spinach thickens to desired consistency. Season with salt, pepper, and a splash of Pernod (not necessary but a nice touch). Let cool and put aside. When ready to serve, shuck your oysters, and place on baking sheet. Turn your oven on broil or 425 degrees if you don’t have broiler. Generously spoon the spinach mixture over each oyster, then sprinkle with cheese and breadcrumbs. Place under broiler until cheese is bubbly golden brown. It’s fine if the oyster is just warmed through and not fully cooked. photo by catherine dzilenski

“Obviously oysters are near and dear to us at Oyster Club and the Greater Mystic area. They’re also a festive treat, and outside of fresh shucked and raw, this is one of my favorite preparations and something I make for my family on special occasions and holidays. Use the freshest local oysters you can find, make your own breadcrumbs, and wilt down great local spinach and the dish will be a hit!” OWNER DAN MEISER

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Créme Brûlée Custard

pastry chef adam young, sift bake shop, mystic, ct INGREDIENTS 1 split vanilla bean 48 oz heavy cream 24 oz whole milk 36 oz sweetened condensed milk 12 egg yolks 10 eggs 7.09 oz sugar 1/2 teaspoon salt

DIRECTIONS

In a large stainless steel sauce pot, scald the vanilla, milk, and heavy cream. Remove from the heat and whisk in sweetened condensed milk. In a separate mixing bowl whisk together yolks, eggs, sugar, and salt. Slowly temper the hot dairy into the egg mixture while shaking vigorously. Strain the mixture through a fine mesh sieve to remove any impurities and the vanilla pod. Pour custard into a quarter sheet tray and gently set the sheet try into a larger pan with a shallow water path. Cover the entire vessel tightly with aluminum foil to create a moist chamber for the custard to bake in. Bake at 325 degrees for 30-35 minutes. Remove the foil to ensure the center of the sheet tray is set firm. Remove the quarter sheet tray from the water bath and chill in the refrigerator overnight. The following day, remove from the refrigerator, invert the firm custard out of the sheet tray and onto a cutting board. Slice into battens approximately 8” long by 1” wide. Cascade a small amount of granulated sugar on top of the custard bar and lightly torch on top of the car until sugar is torched and lightly brittle. Carefully transfer the finished creme brûlée onto desired serving vessel.

“I chose this because of its classic versatility. It’s a dessert you can dress up or dress down, yet traditional in nature and simply delicious.” PASTRY CHEF ADAM YOUNG

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Beet Carpaccio Salad with Arugula, Figs, Orange Segments, Goat Cheese, Greek Yogurt /Honey Dressing chef carlos cassar, the oak room, ivoryton, ct

INGREDIENTS 2 to 4 medium size beets yellow and red (or stripped) Arugula salad 1/3 cup crumbled goat cheese 2 oranges (blood oranges are best, if available; they also add color) Dried figs 1/3 cup red wine (any kind, port wine would be ideal) 1 cup Greek yogurt plain 2 tablespoons honey 2 tablespoons olive oil 2 tablespoons balsamic glacé (raspberry or pomegranate flavored ones also work well with salad) 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar Salt Pepper Micro greens for garnish (optional) can do parsley or chervil also

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DIRECTIONS

In a saucepan, boil beets for about 1 hour or until tender (use a knife or pick) or in a pressure cooker at higher pressure 15 minutes. Set aside and cool. Peel skin and with a mandolin or slicer machine, slice paper thin, then cut with round cutter or heart shaped) Yogurt dressing 1 cup Greek yogurt, 2 tablespoons honey, 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar, pinch of salt, pinch of pepper, or as I like to say 2 turns on the pepper grinder, mix well in a bowl Orange segments for salad. Squeeze the left-over orange juice in a separate bowl and mix with olive oil (this is for mixing the arugula in) Cut dried figs in half and soak in red wine for 20 minutes or night before.

“When I think of a Valentine’s menu, I always have some type of take on beets because they are the color red. This recipe is simple and easy to make, full of colors and the carpaccio style just adds a bit of intrigue.” CHEF CARLOS CASSAR

Bacon Wrapped Shrimp with Winter Citrus, Candied Beets, Winter Greens, Zhoug Sauce executive chef olivia formica, flanders fish market & restaurant, east lyme, ct

Feeds 4 INGREDIENTS 1 cup zhoug sauce (recipe follows) 20 16-20 ct gulf shrimp, peeled, deveined, tails on 10 slices bacon, cut in half 2 fl oz extra virgin olive oil 2 large grapefruit, segments only 1 large pomelo, segments only 4 large beets, cooked, peeled, & sliced 1/4 cup honey 1/4 cup maple syrup 4-5 ounces baby arugula 1/2 cup pistachios, chopped 4 oz goat cheese, crumbled Zhoug sauce: 1 bunch cilantro, trim stems slightly 4 cloves garlic 4 jalapenos, seeds removed 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper Juice and zest of 1 lime 1 tablespoon ground cumin 1 tablespoon ground cardamom 1/4 cup maple syrup 1/4 cup sour cream Salt and freshly cracked pepper to taste

“I chose to highlight this dish for a Valentine’s meal for many reasons. The first being that the colors are wonderfully representative of the season of love. Also, because it balances both richness and bright flavors, contains contrasting temperatures and textures, and is very quick and manageable for the chef at home. It is unique and features seasonal produce and a sense of surf and turf for all palettes to enjoy.”

DIRECTIONS Preheat oven to 425. Make zhoug sauce, combine all ingredients in a food processor and process until combined well, set aside. Wrap the shrimp with bacon and set aside. Combine honey & maple syrup - lay beets in a 9x9 baking dish, pour honey and maple syrup over and bake for 10 minutes. While beets are in the oven, begin plating.

EXECUTIVE CHEF OLIVIA FORMICA

Warm your zhoug sauce slightly over low heat. Toss arugula with 1/2 the sauce and place in the middle of the plate, lay your citrus against arugula, top with pistachios and goat cheese. Over medium-high heat, add olive oil to a large sauté pan and sear both sides of shrimp until bacon is crisp. Remove beets from the oven and place on a plate next to arugula, topping with finished shrimp. Drizzle remaining zhoug sauce over each dish & enjoy!

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Maple & Mustard Cured Salmon with Lentil Ragout, Sauteed Kale, Whole Grain Mustard Butter Sauce executive chef jeffrey renkl, fresh salt, old saybrook, ct Serves 6

“Since my time working in a French bistro in New York City, I have always loved the combination of salmon and lentils. The French green lentils tend to hold their form better than the standard lentils and combined with the root vegetables and herbs they create a sweet, earthy, and healthy accompaniment that works well this time of year.” EXECUTIVE CHEF JEFFREY RENKL INGREDIENTS 6 filets salmon, 6 ounces each 4 tablespoons maple syrup 4 tablespoon brown sugar 4 tablespoons Dijon mustard ½ teaspoon salt Teflon or non-stick pan works best! 1 cup French green lentils (available in specialty shops), rinsed 2 medium carrots 2 small parsnips 1 Spanish onion 4 stalks celery 4 sprigs thyme, chopped

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1 sprig sage, chopped 2 sprigs rosemary, chopped 4 tablespoons olive oil 6 cloves garlic (4 for lentils, 2 for kale) 2 cups vegetable stock, chicken stock, or water 1 teaspoon salt* (adjust with more if necessary) 2 bunches kale 1 cup dry white wine Juice of 1 lemon 1 shallot. Finely chopped 2 sprigs thyme, picked and finely chopped 6 ounces unsalted butter (1½ sticks), cut into small pieces 2 tablespoons whole grain mustard

DIRECTIONS

Buy salmon a day in advance. Mix the maple syrup, brown sugar, and Dijon mustard until smooth. Coat the salmon with the maple mix, refrigerate overnight for best results. Dice the carrots, parsnips, onion, and celery, and sweat the vegetables in the olive oil with 4 cloves of chopped garlic and the herbs. Add the stock or water, bring to a simmer, and cover on low heat. Lentils should be tender at 20 minutes- just keep checking, as all lentils are not the same. Add more stock/water if necessary. This can be done the day before. Clean the kale by stripping the leaves from the stalk. Blanch the kale in salted water for 30 seconds, then drain and shock the kale in ice water. Drain and roughly chop the kale. When ready to serve, preheat oven to 375 In a small pot, reduce the white wine, shallots and chopped thyme until almost dry. With the flame on low, whisk in the butter in small steps. Turn the heat off about halfway and let the heat of the pan finish as you incorporate the butter. Add the whole grain mustard and check for seasoning and set aside in a warm place. If it gets too hot, it will break! Lightly season the filets of salmon Heat the Teflon pan, add vegetable oil, and place the salmon filets presentation side down into the pan. Be careful not to splash the hot oil! Place the pan in the oven. The maple cure will brown nicely as the salmon cooks. The filets of salmon will take around 8 minutes to cook- less if you like your salmon rare or medium rare, more for well done. While you are cooking the salmon, you can get the lentils warm and finish the kale. Sauté the kale with olive oil and the chopped garlic for 2 to 3 minutes. Warm the lentil ragout. To plate, start with the kale, then place the lentils on top. The salmon sits nicely on the lentils, and the sauce can go around the plate, or right on top of the salmon.

Chocolate Mousse

chef maya hayes, ocean house, watch hill, ri INGREDIENTS ½ cup cream 2 cups chocolate 3 egg yolks, pasteurized 1/3 cups powdered sugar 2 cups cream

Chantilly Cream 1 cup cream 1/3 cup powdered sugar To taste vanilla Raspberries

DIRECTIONS

Scald first cream and pour it over the chocolate. Stir together to make a ganache. Whip egg yolks with powdered sugar on the mixer until ribbon stage and fold into chocolate ganache. Whip second cream to medium peaks and fold all together. Whip cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla until stiff peak to make Chantilly cream. Layer chocolate mousse and Chantilly cream in a glass. Decorate with raspberries and chocolate décor.

“This is an easy recipe that is elegant, enjoyable, and looks special. It’s also based on ingredients that many already have in the pantries at home.” CHEF MAYA HAYES

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Town Beach, Old Saybrook. photo by amanda lawrence

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recommendations for winter binge-watching

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turn the page for book reviews

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What to watch:

WINTER BINGES by kitty williams

TOP OF THE LAKE

Where to watch: Hulu Commitment level: 13 episodes (1 hour each) Elisabeth Moss stars as an Australian detective who investigates troubling cases of sexual assault and missing persons in Australia and New Zealand. It can be terribly heavy but is always thoughtfully done, and the landscapes are as beautiful and haunting as the series itself. Now is the perfect time to binge-watch this series as it was created by Jane Campion, the Oscar-nominated writer and director of The Piano, who is returning to film this year after more than a decade with The Power of the Dog. She spent her break from film working on this 2-season series, and once you start watching, you’ll find that it was well worth the detour.

image courtesy of hbo max

image courtesy of hulu

hough it always feels like a good time to binge-watch a great TV show, there is something about the winter as a season that feels perfectly suited for binge-watching. Whether you are quarantining or gathered with roommates or family, there is a show on streaming that is perfectly appropriate for you. Here are some of the best shows available right now for lovers of all genres and binge-watchers of all commitment levels.

SUCCESSION

Where to watch: HBO MAX Commitment level: 29 episodes (1 hour each) Logan Roy is the short-fused CEO of massive media company Waystar Royco and patriarch in a family of power-hungry and deeply flawed children. The show begins with Logan seemingly unfit to run the company due to declining health and what follows is the most chaotic and humorous battle amongst his children to replace him. Succession is not the type of show that takes a few episodes to get into — once it starts, it’s off to the races and you won’t know peace until you’re all caught up. Everyone in this show is catastrophically unlikable, but you’ll find yourself choosing favorites among them. It also has an incredible opening theme song composed by Nicholas Britell — arguably the only no-skip theme song on television right now.

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image courtesy of hbo max

image courtesy of amazon prime

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INSECURE

image courtesy of hbo max

LOVE LIFE

Where to watch: HBO MAX Commitment level: 20 episodes (30 min each) Anna Kendrick stars in season 1 as a young woman stumbling through romance and learning through therapy and hard conversations with her family what has been holding her back from the love she wants. Where in season 1 we follow the love life of a White woman, in season 2 we follow the love life of a Black man played by William Jackson Harper. We are let into the intimate moments of his struggles, but more importantly we are allowed to see and embrace his success in love. Love Life celebrates Black love and honors the messy journey that is taken on the path towards it.

SHETLAND

Where to watch: Brit Box Subscription on Amazon Prime Commitment level: 32 episodes (1 hour each) This show, based on the books written by Ann Cleeves, follows Detective Inspector Jimmy Perez as he investigates murders on the Shetland islands off the coast of Scotland. The landscapes are as beautiful as the mysteries are haunting. There are always glimpses of immeasurable grief that punctuate the typical detective show, but the most recent season of Shetland also portrays the everyday grief of losing family to aging bodies and minds and it is no less heartbreaking than the “all of a sudden” losses. image courtesy of hbo max

Where to watch: HBO MAX Commitment level: 44 episodes (30 min each) Have you ever paused and taken a look at your life and wondered how you got there (and not in the good way)? Insecure begins with Issa Rae’s character of Issa Dee struggling in her career and contemplating the choices she’s made in her romantic relationships. Her best friend Molly helps her through her life crises and vice versa, and sometimes they are the source of each other’s life crises because sometimes that’s just the way it works in friendship. Insecure never shies away from showing the beauty and pain of love, friendship, and career for its central Black women.

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SEX LIVES OF COLLEGE GIRLS

Where to watch: HBO MAX Commitment level: 10 episodes (30 min each) Mindy Kaling has always had a talent for exploring the nuances of the romantic desires of girls. She played an obsessive girlfriend in The Office, a serial dater in The Mindy Project, and centered a crush-obsessed high schooler in her Netflix series Never Have I Ever. In this, her latest TV project, she’s focusing on the complexity of college life, with characters having such varying experiences as coming to terms with sexuality, losing virginity, and having affairs with faculty— all while dealing with the typical drama that always attends a major life shift like entering college.

image courtesy of apple tv

image courtesy of netflix

SEINFELD

Where to watch: Netflix Commitment level: 172 episodes (23 minutes each) 1989 is a completely different world to 2021, but somehow petty reasons for breakups and other stupid decisions made by Jerry, George, Elaine, and Kramer are still relevant today. Seinfeld was recently added to Netflix’s library, so there is no better time to revisit this classic. You can not only binge all 9 seasons, but you can also skip through and marathon all the holiday shenanigans: Festivus, Elaine’s accidentally scandalous Christmas card, and the red dot on the cashmere sweater.

TED LASSO

Where to watch: Apple TV Commitment level: 22 episodes (30 min each) There is maybe no better show to watch when you are looking to have your spirits lifted. Ted Lasso stars Jason Sudeikis as an American football coach who, after his wife told him she needed space, decides to move to England to coach a professional football team. He is somehow equally the most qualified (his locker room pep talks have changed lives) and least qualified (he has never once played what he knows as soccer) for this job. It is likely that you’ll cry a few times in each of its two seasons and it is certain that you will fall in love with every single character— even the curmudgeons.

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TURNING PAGES written by betty j. cotter

was 13 when I discovered the romantic suspense novels of Mary Stewart. With the appearance of her first novel, “Madam, Will You Talk?” in 1955, Stewart began spinning gothic tales that were more literary than the pulp copycats they inspired. A whole genre was born of women in jeopardy in exotic locales, pictured on paperback covers fleeing brooding stone castles or ivy-covered mansions. But Stewart, who surely owed a debt to the Bronte sisters and Daphne du Maurier’s “Rebecca,” was always a notch above the potboilers that followed her. Some of her novels were partly inspired by Greek and Renaissance plays. Rereading Stewart recently, I was struck by how her prose has held up. She has a writer’s eye for the fine detail of place, from the ruins of Athens to the wilds of the Hebrides archipelago. Some of her plot conventions, however, seem dated, particularly the violent heroes with their bruising kisses – today they would be arrested, not admired. Still, her heroines – governesses and travelers, orphans and widows – are highly literate and discerning. The gothic suspense genre lives on in a number of modern incarnations. Today it is more frank regarding sex, and more inclusive regarding gender. But what remains is worth reading: atmospheric, haunting, twisted. Here are five to try, with one classic to revisit.

“Bitter Orange” by Claire Fuller (Tin House Books, 2018, $25.95) Frances Jellico arrives at the deserted Lyntons mansion in the summer of 1969 after having been hired to assess the value of its outdoor art. She is even more adrift than your typical gothic heroine, an awkward, chunky woman who has been set free at the death of her overbearing mother. Although the mansion has been vacant for years, soon Frances realizes she is not alone. What follows is a cat-and-mouse game, but who is chasing whom, and why, will not be clear for many pages. This richly realized novel will subvert all of your expectations.

“The Little Stranger” by Sarah Waters (Riverhead, 2009, $17; Penguin Audio, 2009, $27.50) A rural doctor in post-World War II England becomes entangled in a 20th-century ghost story. Dr. Faraday, the narrator, begins visiting Hundreds Hall, just one of many decaying mansions whose lands are about to be split up into house lots. The estate is home to the masculine Caroline Ayres, her brother Roderick, their mother and the sole remaining servant, Betty. Soon Faraday is caught up in the strange goings-on at Hundreds Hall. I listened to the Penguin audiobook, in which Simon Vance captures Faraday’s mixture of scientific skepticism and creeping sense of unease.

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“The Orphan of Salt Winds” by Elizabeth Brooks (Tin House Books, 2019, $15.95) Virginia Wrathmell is 11 years old when she is adopted by a couple in rural England at the outset of World War II. Her new father, Clem, showers her with attention, patiently teaching her the intricacies of his birding hobby, but his wife, Lorna, is less than enthusiastic. In chapters that fast-forward to 2015, we meet the adult Virginia, now living alone at the seaside house and contemplating drowning herself in the marsh. When a mysterious teenage girl shows up at her house, the adult Virginia finds herself in the uncomfortable position of being responsible for a waif not unlike herself at that age.

“This House is Haunted” by John Boyne (Other Press, 2013, $14.95; Tantor Audio, 2013, $9.99) All of the usual characters are present here in this gothic tale: A fatherless young woman answering an ad for a governess; two odd, unsupervised children; and a mysterious house, Gaudlin Hall, that seems to have a mind of its own. Audio narrator Alison Larkin’s clipped British accent completes the atmosphere.

“Jane Eyre” by Charlotte Bronte (various editions, print and audio) “There was no possibility of taking a walk that day.” With that sentence Bronte begins arguably the greatest gothic novel of all time, the story of the titular orphan who is hired by the brooding Mr. Rochester to teach his daughter, Adele, at Thornfield Hall. Her employer and his mansion harbor secrets that will change both their lives. I first read this book in the sixth grade but have returned to it several times since, and it never loses its power to captivate. The romance of the novel takes second billing to Eyre herself; Bronte’s brilliance was in casting a plain, unfortunate woman as the heroine, who succeeds because of her intelligence, moral fortitude and courage.

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trending | LOCAL FINDS We have curated a list of unique and special gifts and experiences that should appeal to all tastes and can be found locally. When you visit these stores and support your community, make sure you tell them The Day Magazine sent you. Happy Shopping! Contact thedaymag@theday.com to feature your product.

A. POSY BLOOM LOOP NECKLACE

This sterling silver, polished 3-strand bracelet with .5 inch heart charm makes the perfect gift on Valentine’s Day and can be found at Enchanted Jewelry in Plainfied. It is also available for purchase online. $57 Enchanted Jewelry, 131 Norwich Rd., Plainfield, CT 860-317-1014 enchantedjewelryct.com

B. ALICE IN WONDERLAND MUG

Cozy up with a machine washable cable-knit blanket from Pieces in Old Saybrook. This heavy-weight and 100% combed cotton throw is the perfect accent piece to dress up your couch or oversized chair. The blanket is 50”x60” in size. You can also shop online for custom gifts and home accents from the comfort of your own space. $125 Pieces, 188 Main Street, Old Saybrook 860-339-3108 Pieceshomedecor.com

Visit Alice in the Village, a unique and immersive tearoom located in Mystic and inspired by the classic Lewis Carroll tale “Alice in Womderland”. Make a reservation to enjoy traditional British Afternoon Tea with a tasty treat or two, and make sure to visit the shop where you can find this charming mug. $15.99 Alice in the Village, Olde Mistick Village 27 Coogan Blvd #26A, Mystic, CT 06355 860-415-9625 aliceinthevillage.net

C. 3-STRAND HEART CHARM BRACELET

This beautifully detailed necklace features a loop adorned with a posy of wild roses and spring daisies with a small bumble bee resting at the edge. A mix of sterling silver and 22ct gold plate, this lovely necklace is handmade in the UK by artist Alex Monroe. $312 The Bowerbird, 46 Halls Rd. , Old Lyme, CT 06371 860-434-3562 thebowerbird.com

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D. CABLE-KNIT BLANKET

E. MAGNETUDE CHILDREN’S JEWELRY LINE

This collection, made especially to protect us from the harmful effects of electromagnetic fields is both a stylish and health-conscious gift option for the youngsters in our lives. The easily customizable and affordable children’s line is especially appealing since COVID-19 and distance learning has caused kids to spend more time than ever on digital devices. $5/band, $18/slider charm Goldylock’s Temple of Healing, Groton, CT Operating virtually only goldylocksproductionsct.com

F. ANIMAL GROCERY TOTE

With over 6,000 square feet of home furnishings and gifts, Heart and Home of Danielson is a large and fully stocked gift shop. One especially adorable item carried here is the Bungalow 360 Grocery Tote. These totes are durable and made from recycled plastic fibers and are sure to make you smile as you bag your groceries. Set of 4 $12-$24 Heart and Home Fine Gifts and Furniture 65 Main St. , Danielson, CT 860-774-2623 bungalow360.com

G. 2020 PINDER VIOGNIER

You can either take a day trip to visit the Pindar Tasting Room, which is open 7 days a week from 11:00am-5:30 pm to sip and pick your own favorite bottle of wine. Or, you can order the 2020 Viognier and have it shipped to Connecticut. The 2020 Pinder Viognier is described on the Pindar website as pear on the nose with ruby red grapefruit and lime on the palate. This white wine was awarded 87 points by Robert Parker of Wine Advocate. $21.99 Pindar Vineyards 37645 Main Rd. (Route 25), Peconic, NY 11958 631-734-6200 pindar.net

H. WINTER SUPERBLENDTM

Give your birds a little extra help with seasonally-savvy feeding! Winter SuperBlend can be used on its own or mixed into your normal seed blend. This blend is a nutritional powerhouse right when birds need it most. Available in 7lb bag or seed cylinder. From $14.99 Wild Birds Unlimited, 190 Flanders Rd., Niantic, CT 06357 860-739-7302 mywbu.com/niantic

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life cycles

PA R E N T I N G

KIDS

small ways to find joy

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SENIORS

PETS

E D U C AT I O N

helping teens prepare for college

SENIORS

| life cycles

Finding joy in dark times

SMALL CHANGES CAN HELP BEAT THE BLUES, ESPECIALLY FOR SENIORS

written by traci neal

he pandemic. The isolation and loneliness. The economy. The headlines. For many of us, it’s becoming more and more difficult to find joy in everyday life. The CDC says adults are becoming more anxious and depressed during the pandemic, noting significant increases in the percentages of adults who reported experiencing symptoms of an anxiety disorder (from 31.4 percent to 36.9 percent), depressive disorder (from 24.5 percent

to 30.2 percent), and at least one of these disorders (from 36.4 percent to 42.4 percent). For seniors especially, it can be a particularly trying time as we ride out another COVID winter and wait to see how the pandemic will play out once spring arrives. “The senior population is pretty good in terms of getting vaccines and they had begun getting back out more and seeing people, doing activities,” said Bernadette DiGiulian, a geriatric care manager and a specialist in aging well. “But of

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life cycles | SENIORS course, we have the challenges of the new [omicron] variant now.” DiGiulian, who founded the Shoreline Eldercare Alliance in 2008 to link southern Connecticut agencies that work with seniors, said social isolation, lack of independence, and loneliness are often the top reasons why people feel blue. “It’s not uncommon for seniors to have their children live far away,” she said, “and people do feel sad about that.” Losing friends and family members their own age is “scary for seniors and reminds them of their own mortality,” she added. Transportation is “a huge problem” as people get older and stop driving, leaving them alone and isolated. “Our country is not geared to public transportation and a lot of people find it hard to get around,” except, in some towns, to doctor’s appointments, she said. “Transportation is a huge, huge issue for a lot of reasons. It’s a loss for people who have been driving all their lives. Now, once you have to stop driving and you’re living out someplace that’s not on a bus route, you’re pretty stuck.” As people age, she said, “It’s all about losses, of transportation, your independence, the loss of family and friends. And seniors really feel those losses.” But there are ways to beat the blues and DiGiulian offers some changes people can make — both big and small — that can bring joy. “I went to visit someone yesterday and she had set up a little seating area,” said DiGiulian. “Oh my gosh, it was lovely. Just two chairs and a table with a plant, it’s kind of like a meditation room. She said, ‘I had to find a place where there would be sunshine almost all day long, and I sit here all the time in the sunshine and look out the window. It’s full of life.’” Find a space that nurtures your spirit, where you can look out on nature, DiGiulian

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recommends, adding, “maybe have a birdhouse out there so you can watch the birds coming and going.” Recently, AARP and the Global Council on Brain Health released a report on how music affects the brain. Among the findings of the report, “Music on Our Minds: The Rich Potential of Music to Promote Brain Health and Mental Well-Being,” they reported that listening to music brought higher mental well-being and lower levels of anxiety and depression. “People who study the brain have shown that listening to music you enjoy can cause a release of dopamine, a chemical that increases feelings of happiness,” said Sarah Lenz Lock, AARP’s senior vice president of Policy & Brain Health and GCBH executive director in an article about the study. To help stay in touch, ask a family member or senior center volunteer to help set up a computer or tablet, she says. “Even just to

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be able to use a computer to get information or entertainment or read something interesting is a big help,” she says. Senior centers are great places to find community, she said. “They’re all over the place and under normal circumstances these are great places for people to go for everything from dancing to book clubs. There’s entertainment, taxes, learning projects, art groups, woodworking groups and more. All of that came back to some extent but is more limited now with the new COVID variant. But it’s a great way for people to become more involved and not feel so isolated.” Try letter-writing, she recommends. It’s a little old-fashioned but family and friends will enjoy the correspondence, she said. february 2022 77

life cycles | SENIORS

10 WAYS TO FIND JOY

1 2 3

Get involved with your local senior center Get “connected” on a computer or tablet Schedule weekly phone calls (or Zoom calls) with family and friends

4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Send cards, write letters Set up a sunny spot at home to watch nature

Ask yourself, “What gives me life?” and do it

Break sedentary habits, move around Listen to uplifting music, dance Ask for a visit, make a phone call

Avoid the news

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“People who study the brain have shown that listening to music you enjoy can cause a release of dopamine, a chemical that increases feelings of happiness.” SARAH LENZ LOCK

“Sometimes I bring people a bunch of postcards and say, ‘Just write a few sentences and mail them and [the recipients] will get back in touch with you too.’ You’d be surprised at the people who get most of their exercise and their worth by going to the mailbox every day. When you have letters and cards coming from people, it’s a real uplift.” DiGiulian said SEA is still hoping to have its annual Celebration of Healthy Aging in person in May and continues to offer live Zoom sessions twice a month, inviting seniors to sign on to hear speakers and learn about things like nutrition (with food demonstrations), back pain, heart issues, even COVID. She also recommends that seniors “be more aggressive” about asking for help. “I think if you’re feeling downhearted … or you don’t feel so good, there’s nothing wrong with, in fact it’s good to call someone and say, ‘I could use a friend’ or ‘I could use a visit or a phone call.’ It’s so important and people welcome that and feel like they can do something to help. They’ll come quickly if you’re asking for it. It’s something I wish more people would learn to do.” Finally, she said, “Ask yourself what gives you life? What can you do where you can still embrace life, even if it’s just going outside to feel the wind or feel the snow. There are people who say, ‘I’m too old for this’ or ‘I’m too old for that’ and they become old. There are people who are older in age but always continue to do those little things that enhance their life and they keep going very well.” It’s possible to be happy in old age, she added. “There are plenty of people who are happy because they work at finding what brings them happiness,” she said. “A lot of it is an attitude; some of it is lifelong habits. But I have seen people change in their old age and get better and feel better.” february 2022 79

life cycles

How to emotionally and physically prepare your child for college With six months to launch, now is an essential time to reinforce critical problem solving skills, study and learning habits, and social skills. written by bridget shirvell

ake a moment to congratulate yourself. Seriously, you’ve spent the past few months (OK, 17 years, give or take) helping your child prepare for college. You suggested some tweaks on that college essay, prodded them to study, and watched them dot and cross the digital i’s and t’s on those applications. That’s a huge accomplishment, but while the applications are in, the work is just beginning. The next few months are a critical time for you and your child to get ready for college.

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“Attending college is one of the most exciting, life-changing adventures, with many amazing opportunities and challenges,” Tracy Y. Espy, Ph. D. and President of Mitchell College, said. “Parents and caregivers are critical partners in preparing high school students for their first year of college.” For many, entering college marks an important step towards becoming an adult. You’ve already gone through the application process with your child, so now’s the time to continue (or start, if you haven’t) having conversations about the other parts of college. This should include everything from deciding on which college to go to and the finances that go along with that decision to talking about classes and what activities they’re thinking of getting involved in, to reviewing the basics of laundry or balanced meals and more. To ease the anxiety that some students may experience over choosing which of their accepted colleges to attend or over beginning their first year of college, students should try to connect with their college of choice physically. “Attend virtual and in-person campus events whenever possible,” said Connecticut College’s Dean of First-Year Students, Emily Morash. “At Conn, we host spring

“Camel Days” for our admitted students and it’s a great opportunity for students to meet current students, faculty and staff, ask questions, and start to make connections.” In addition to attending admitted students day, teens can ask about visiting classes, talk with academic advisors, current students, and professors about the school or going to a sporting event at the college. “Help identify the things that made your student successful in high school,” said Morash. “If having a busy co-curricular schedule was important to their success, talk to your student about how they are going to get involved in clubs when they get to campus. If your student had a 504 or IEP plan for a learning difference, then help them get registered with their college’s accessibility services office for accommodations so they have everything in place before the first semester.” As senior year ends and the lazy days of summer begin, it’s essential to continue reinforcing your child’s critical problem-solving skills, study and learning habits and social skills. “Now is the time to encourage and support your high school senior, by letting him or her independently find resolutions to his or her own problems and issues that may occur during the senior year,” said Espy. “There will be many times during college where problem solving ability will be crucial, and students will benefit from these opportunities to practice these skills before arriving to college. Parents should listen first, and then ask their child what he or she feels they need help or support with.” According to multiple studies, practiced coping skills, established study and learning habits, a sense of february 2022 81

life cycles social-emotional well-being, self-motivation, and good relationships with family are some of the characteristics that assist in the success of firstyear students in college. Espy suggests that students practice self-care or learn to do so. They can consider learning meditation or relaxation techniques and make time to journal or exercise. “They should find things to do that spark joy and fun,” said Espy. Before your student heads off to school, talk through expectations about communication with each other: will you check-in daily, a few times per week, weekly? Establish those plans beforehand but be flexible as students’ needs and wants will change. When students arrive on campus, there will, of course, be a period of adjustment. When you chat

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with your kid away at school, Morash suggests asking questions about who they are eating meals with and if they’ve gone to their professor’s office hours? Espy adds, asking who their friends are? Who are they connecting with? What activities are they involved in? How do they like the food? What stresses them out? Remember, you’re listening to problems and helping them sort themselves out. You’re not solving their problems for them. But while it’s normal for students to go through an adjustment period if your student has acute changes in behaviors, lacks motivation, consistently fails to complete tasks or goes through a period of extreme weight loss, those are some signs your student isn’t adjusting well and may need some additional help from you and the school’s mental health services.

“Attending college is one of the most exciting, life-changing adventures, with many amazing opportunities and challenges.” TRACY Y. ESPY

Finally, remember you’ll be going through a period of adjustment too when your student heads off to school. “Parents may feel a sense of grief and even feel sad that their child has left for college, even if it is a positive step in their life,” said Katie Ziskind, licensed marriage and family therapist and owner of Wisdom Within Counseling. “Parents can take part in positive self-care, schedule times to remain connected even when across the miles, Send care packages in the mail with your child’s favorite snacks, fun goodies for the whole dorm to share, or even crafts for hobbies.” And don’t forget to have some fun with your college-bound kid before school. Plan some day trips, watch some movies about college and reminisce (but not too much) about your own college days. It’s time for all of you to get excited.

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explorations D AY T R I P S

G E TA W AY S

photo courtesy of brooksvale park

T R AV E L T I P S

day trip to a sugar shack

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fun in the sun in Marco Island, FL

DAY TRIP

| explorations

Sugar shack! HIKING, BARNYARD ANIMALS, AND MAPLE SYRUP AT BROOKSVALE PARK written by jennifer carmichael photos courtesy of brooksvale park

hile it can be tempting to hunker down with a good book or watch another movie during the chilly winter, bundle up and get outdoors. Here’s an option: Brooksvale Park, a 500-acre public park owned and operated by the town of Hamden, CT, is free to the public with hiking trails and a barnyard with farm animals. It’s also home to a splendid sugar shack, which has been making fresh maple syrup for more than 20 years. And if you visit on Maple Sugaring Day on March 19, 2022, (tentative date at writing), you can learn not only how they make it, but the history and science behind it too. “The park and the barnyard are open every day,” says Brooksvale Park Ranger Vin Lavorgna, who’s been running the park, working hard to keep it safe for adults and children for more than 23 years. “They live at the park year-round and are a favorite of our visitors. Lots of little kids enjoy what is a lot of times their first experience seeing them. There are not many places where farm animals are on public display 365 days a year.” In addition to the various hiking trails, a paved path connects to the Farmington Canal State

Park Trail, which forms a portion of the Farmington Canal Heritage Trail which traverses Connecticut, north to south, from Suffield to New Haven. The State Park Trail follows the path of the Farmington Canal which served the area from 1828 to 1847. Today walkers, bicyclists, strollers, in line skaters, joggers and others make use of this scenic and historic byway. And before the public is invited for Maple Sugaring Day, field trips take place every day for about three weeks leading up to it. More than 10,000 fourth-grade students from Hamden’s public schools have enjoyed the park’s 90-minute educational maple sugaring program for the past 25 years. “When it’s above freezing during the day, the sap will start flowing up the tree, and then we know it’s time to tap the trees,” says Lavorgna, who notes that maple sugaring is weather dependent. “The sap descends back to the roots during the cold nights. When this moving of the sap is occurring, we get a good flow out of our taps.” Modeled after the park’s school program, Maple Sugaring Day, gives visitors a glimpse at the overall process. Approximately five hours long and free to the public, visitors learn how to identify and tap a maple tree. They will also learn the history of maple sugaring and how the area’s earliest inhabitants, the Quinnipiac Native Americans, tapped february 2022 85

explorations | DAY TRIP

the existing landscape — the maple trees — as their first form of agriculture. “It was important to them because it was the first food source that they could obtain once winter had broken,” notes Lavorgna. “As soon as thaw came, they would tap the sugar maple trees. But each Maple Sugaring Day for the last 25 years. they weren’t making syrup like we are today. They Lavorgna says that on average per year they were making sugar, which entails boiling the sap, make about 10 gallons of syrup, about 100 8-ounce getting the water content boiled off so it’s at a ratio bottles. On Maple Sugaring Day, the bottles sell for where it is a thick, sweet syrup. Then, they would $8 each. boil it further to create sugar.” “I love it,” says Lavorgna, who notes that The program simulates this primitive methBrooksvale Program Specialist Peter Laffin, or od called stone boiling, which the early settlers “Sugar Maker Pete,” has been his right-hand man used, showing how they for more than 10 years, makused hollowed out logs and ing it all happen. “For me heated rocks to make sugpersonally, it’s exciting after ar. It also explains how techthe cold winter. It’s somenology has changed the prothing to do. The community cess over time with the first comes together, and it’s bebig tech jump being the use come a tradition.” of iron in place of the holFor more information, lowed-out logs. visit the Facebook page of At the sugar shack, visitors the Friends of Brooksvale will see everything —from Park, Inc., a group of volVIN LAVORGNA the boiling process to the unteers who work to propark’s very own wood being added to the fire. And vide environmental education, preserve, and at the end, Kelly’s Cone Connection based in Hamenhance the integrity of the park’s natural and den gives out ice cream with each visitor receiving cultural resources, and serve as an advocate a little maple sundae with Brooksvale Park’s maple for the park for the benefit of the citizens in the syrup. The ice cream shop has donated ice cream greater Hamden area.

“When it’s above freezing

during the day, the sap will start flowing up the tree,

and then we know it’s time to tap the trees.”

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Giving residents what they need to thrive at every state in later life.

* Larger Apartments * Better Amenities * Greater Value * Exercise Physiologist * 24/7 Nursing * Life Enrichment Programs

Call to schedule an in-person tour today! LARGER APARTMENTS

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860-861-9704 elmbrookvillage.com

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explorations | GETAWAY

destination MARCO ISLAND IS ONE OF SOUTHWEST FLORIDA’S BEST-KEPT SECRETS

written by traci neal photos courtesy of naples, marco island, everglades cvb

old and snow-weary Connecticut travelers seeking a respite from freezing temperatures and slippery commutes may find a perfect haven on the sunshine-soaked Marco Island, a tiny oasis on Florida’s Gulf Coast that’s home to some of the most beautiful beaches in the world. The largest of Florida’s Ten Thousand Islands, a national wildlife refuge, the pristine Marco Island is located on Florida’s west coast, just north of the entrance to Everglades National Park and 15 miles south of Naples. There’s something special about this place that for years was one of Florida’s best-kept secrets, according to the Marco Island Area Chamber of Commerce. Surrounded by the Gulf of Mexico on one side and mangrove estuaries on the other, Marco has a network of more than 100 miles of manmade waterways on about 24 square miles — roughly twice the size of the city of New London. It is “truly Florida’s tropical paradise,” said Dianna Dohm, executive director of the Chamber, in a recent email. “We have warm tropical breezes with 4 miles of sun-washed white soft sandy beaches. Marco is a beaching and boating community. We have a very easy, casual pace about us.” Here, along the wide, walkable Gulf beaches, upscale shops and dining, hotels and million-dollar homes, temperatures in February range between a mild 65 and a toasty 84 degrees.

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un! Marco Island Beach Aerial Drone Shot

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explorations | GETAWAY “Weather, Weather, Weather,” was Dohm’s response when asked why people visit and often return, many times to relocate. “Our winter temperatures are among the warmest in the continental U.S. The sun is always shining.” Beaching and boating are a must when visiting Marco Island, she added. “Whether it be kayaking or paddle boarding through the mangroves or sailing the warm gulf waters …” But there’s more to this jewel than warm sand, blue water, and breathtaking sunsets. Its rich past, ecological significance and location also make it a destination for history buffs, arts and culture enthusiasts, conservationists, wildlife watchers, and seashell collectors. “… Dolphins, manatees, stingrays, sea turtles, birds … there is always an abundant amount of wildlife to see,” Dohm said. “La Isla de San Marco,” as the Spanish explorers named it in the 1500s, was not developed until 1870 when Thomas Collier founded the village of Marco. The “true visionaries” who built the modern Marco Island, according to the Chamber, were brothers Elliott, Robert, and Frank Mackle, who purchased the island in the 1960s for $7 million and created a master plan to develop it for luxury and resort living. “In 1965 when Marco was being built by the Mackle Brothers they had over 90 authorized sales agencies and branch offices in the U.S., Latin America, western Europe and the Far East. This made Marco known around the world,” said Dohm. “Many of our residential homes are currently owned by international residents.” The island’s median household income is $86,200 and median property value is $678,900, according to census data. The vacation destination consistently ranks as one of the best in the U.S. and the world, according to the Chamber. There

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“Our winter temperatures are among the warmest in the continental U.S. The sun is always shining.” DIANNA DOHM left, top to bottom A bottlenose dolphin leaps out of the water during a Dolphin Explorer Cruise. Victoria is one of many resident dolphins tracked in the ongoing 10,000 Island Dolphin Project survey. Passengers’ tickets pay for the continuing research, and they participate with research activities onboard; Naples’s Golisano Children’s Museum; Paddlers of all ages can experience the Gulf Coast Everglades with Everglades Area Tours. Florida Master Naturalist guides provide fun and educational information as well as paddling instruction. above There’s no end to family fun at beach resorts in Naples and Marco Island in Florida’s Paradise Coast. below Pedestrian-friendly and scenic Fifth Avenue South draws visitors with its boutique shops, art galleries, delicious dining, and nightlife.

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above Boating is a must when visiting Marco Island. left Tuna tacos at Naples Grande Beach Resort. right, top to bottom Smaller native brown pelicans share a sandbar with much larger migratory white pelicans that winter in the Gulf Coast region of Everglades National Park; Pirate excursion: Children will love climbing aboard the Black Pearl for a pirate adventure off the coast of Marco Island in southwest Florida; Between Marco Island and neighboring Naples, there is no shortage of fabulous places to shop; The Everglades Seafood Festival takes place is February.

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are hotels, golf, tennis, fishing, chartered boating, museums and plenty to do for families with kids, including a pirate adventure aboard the Black Pearl. “If people from Connecticut want to recharge their batteries, we welcome them here in Marco,” said Dohm. While there’s plenty to do right on the island, a 30-minute drive north brings visitors to nearby Naples, where there are dozens of art galleries, visual and performing arts venues, shopping, golf, a zoo and botanical garden, and the Naples Pier, which stretches out 1,000 feet into the Gulf of Mexico. About a half-hour south is Everglades City (population 400), also known as the Stone Crab Capital of the World. This tiny hamlet with a population of just 400 hosts the annual Everglades Seafood Festival in February and is home to the Gulf Coast Visitor Center for Everglades National Park, a 2 million-acre subtropical wetland ecosystem and a habitat for hundreds of animal species, including the endangered leatherback turtle, Florida panther and the threatened West Indian manatee. “People travel from all over the U.S. and the world to visit Marco Island,” said Dohm. “Marco Island has a full-time resident population of 18,000 and it swells to over 50,000 during the winter months. That says it all.”

GETTING THERE

Reasonably priced and bargain commercial flights depart regularly from the T.F. Green International Airport in Warwick, R.I., or Bradley International Airport in Windsor Locks, landing in Fort Myers, less than an hour’s drive from the island. Charter flights and private planes also land in Naples and directly on Marco Island. In addition to these options, Avelo Airlines began operating flights in November 2021 from Tweed-New Haven Airport to four Florida destinations, including Fort Myers. For more information, including where to stay and what to do when you get there, visit the Marco Island Area Chamber of Commerce website at marcoislandchamber.org, or call the Visit Florida Information Hotline at 850-488-5607.

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A submarine passes through the Thames River. photo by seth bendfeldt

it’s your day Q&A

magazine INFLUENCERS

get to know Capt. Ken Curtin

Capt. Kenneth M. Curtin, Jr. 5 3 R D C O M M A N D I N G O F F I C E R O F N AVA L S U B M A R I N E B A S E N E W L O N D O N written by erica moser

apt. Kenneth M. Curtin, Jr. is the 53rd commanding officer of Naval Submarine Base New London and relatively new to

the role, having taken over from Capt. Todd D. Moore in September.

Curtin has been in the Navy since enlisting in 1985, fresh out of Archbishop Stepinac High School in New York – which also happens to be the alma mater of Rear Adm. William Kelly, superintendent of the Coast Guard Academy in New London. While the commanding officer is new to his current role, he’s not new to Groton, having come in and out multiple times over the years for training and tours. He lives in Gales Ferry with his wife and daughter. Curtin also has three older sons, two who work at Electric Boat and one who serves in the Air Force.

TDM: You’ve been in your role just about three months. How’s that going so far? CURTIN: I’m really enjoying the opportunity here to lead subbase. It’s a new job description, if you would. I spent most of my entire career involved in submarines, so now to come in and be leading an installation that supports submarines is different, but it’s very good. What I’ve learned is that leading people is leading people, whether you’re leading them on a submarine or leading them on the shore.

Before becoming commanding officer of the base, he trained prospective commanding officers and executive officers, and Curtin lights up when he talks about mentoring and teaching. He likes to talk to junior sailors without other officers around, finding that “you hear things from them you don’t always hear through the chain of command.” Curtin has spent the majority of his career working with mostly just sailors, whereas at the base in Groton, he has more civilians than sailors. “I think the biggest thing I learned coming in was that this base rests on the hard work and dedication of all those civilian Navy employees that have been here for so long, that just keep it going,” he said. Curtin sat down with The Day for about an hour in December. Here are some parts of that conversation.

TDM: Battling COVID-19 has been a big challenge for almost two years, on top of the standard mission for the base, and the base has had to repeatedly increase its Force Health Protection Condition different times after lowering it. What criteria do you use to make COVID-related decisions, and how do you communicate that when these decisions may not always be popular? CURTIN: We use the CDC and State of Connecticut. The criteria we look at is new cases per 100,000 and the seven-day rolling average. We also look at the pos-

itivity rate in the state of Connecticut, and we look not only at the state, but I also look at New London County and Washington County, right across the border in Rhode Island. And then we look at: What is the community around me doing, what is the state doing? When we do have to make an adjustment to our condition, it’s a process where I get together with my team on the base, and with our medical experts from the clinic as well, and I make a recommendation down to my boss at

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it’s your day | Q&A

Navy Region Mid-Atlantic, and that actually goes all the way up to U.S. Fleet Forces Command in Norfolk. We have an extremely high percentage of vaccination. We’re in the high 90s, and that’s military and civilian personnel, so that gives me a level of protection on the base that allows me to still do some things.

TDM: COVID is one of our natural emergencies, but you’re still dealing with all the manmade emergencies here. In your career, what national security challenges and threats are you seeing now that you weren’t seeing earlier in your career, and how do you prepare people on base to respond to them? CURTIN: I came in straight out of high school, in 1985. I was on submarines and it was all about the Cold War with the Soviet Union, and that was our nemesis, and that was what everything was geared towards. Today, it’s transitioned, and there was this whole period in between where it really transitioned to much smaller countries and non-state actors. And now you have China and Russia. The global war on terror hasn’t completely gone away; you still have 96

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the threat from the non-state actors in terrorism. So, how we prepare for that on base? You have to look at the whole spectrum of threats and make sure all of our security forces are prepared for those threats that might come to homeland, and how do I protect my gates, and how do I vet people that want to come on base?

TDM: Going back to natural threats but

a different kind of natural threat: What are you doing here on base to try and prepare for major floods, or even just to forecast when they might happen or how they’ll impact the base? CURTIN: That is a concern that DoD has, and especially with Navy base being right on the waterfront. We have a couple projects going on right now. One, we’re rebuilding Pier 32, and this pier is raised above the 100-year flood mark. Some of my older piers that were built many years ago, I cannot moor a submarine to in a heavy storm, and all my new ones will meet that criteria. We opened up our new port ops building a few years back. The lower level is what I would call on the sub-

marine a free-flood area. My garage and my shops and all the electrical equipment – the HVAC, the air compressors – are all raised up off the floor, above the 100-year flood mark. Any new buildings we’re building on base are all going to be able to withstand that mark. And then the last aspect to that is: What do we do with the older buildings? If you look on lower base, all my older buildings that are down there, we’ve instilled these floodgates, these large steel or metal gates that go in front of all the doors. They’re hermetically sealed, and they will protect those buildings from flooding.

TDM: Tell me a bit about what made you

decide to join the Navy in the first place. CURTIN: My mom was a nurse, my dad was a cop, very blue-collar workers, and when I graduated, I got accepted into a couple universities but my grades weren’t good enough to get me any scholarships. Let’s just say maybe I had a little too much fun in my early years of high school. My dad took me aside one day and said, ‘You gotta find something to do.’ My dad had spent some time in the Air Force and so he talked to me about the Air Force and the Navy, and I decided to join the Navy. I went to a recruiter, took a test, and they’re like, ‘Wow, we got a job for you, kid.’ That was in May. End of September, I was on an airplane heading to boot camp, and it was the best thing I ever did in my life. I’ve had the ability over the past 35 years to do some amazing things, work with some amazing people, and now, at this point in my career, I get the ability to pay it forward, and train and mentor other young sailors. Some

of these young guys know I was enlisted and became an officer; they’re always asking me how I did that.

TDM: Even though you are new here

in your role as commanding officer, you are not new to being in Groton and here at the Naval Submarine Base. Tell me a bit about all the past experiences you had here in Groton, at the sub base, going back to when you were 18 or 19. CURTIN: The first time I walked through the front gates here was in 1986; I walked through there as a young E4. I don’t even think I knew what a submarine was. I came in and I went through my basic training for submarine force, and I got to go through some advanced electronic training to prepare me for my job. When I was enlisted, I was a radioman. Then I left and I went to my first ship, and after my first ship, I came back here. At that point, I was an E5, a second-class petty officer, and I reported to sub school up the hill as an instructor, to now teach the next group of kids coming in how to do my job. That’s when I was going to school at night. I attended classes from the University of New Haven; I think they were down at Grasso Tech. That’s how I was able to get some college credits and apply for an officer program. The

Navy then sent me off to college to get a degree. Then I went through the Navy nuclear officer pipeline. Then I went to Charleston for a while. In 1998, I think it was, I came back here again, and I was an ensign, a brand-new officer, and I went to Submarine Officer Basic Course. I reported to my first submarine, which was on the waterfront here, USS City of Corpus Christi. I left here in about 2001, and then I came back here again in 2003, to go back to school again, before I went to my next submarine, which was going to be in Kings Bay, Georgia. Then I came back here again in 2009, and I took over as the executive officer on the USS Dallas, down on the waterfront. I was here for a couple years, left, and then I came back for those two tours we talked about, 2016 for (Undersea Warfighting Development Center) and the (Prospective Commanding Officer Tour), and I’ve been here since then. I’m intimately familiar with the workings of this base and the community that surrounds it. I’ve lived in Norwich for a while, I’ve lived in Groton. Now I live in Gales Ferry. We bought the house in 2013, which I left for my tour in Kings

Bay. I went by myself and my family stayed. Three of my kids graduated from Ledyard High School, and two of my kids now work at Electric Boat, down the street, so I’ve kind of put some roots down here. This is definitely my home.

TDM: What are some of your

favorite places out in the surrounding communities, whether it’s a restaurant or a trail or a museum? CURTIN: My wife and I do a lot of hiking and walking. We have a black lab, so we spend a lot of time out in the woods with the dog, whether it’s Bluff Point, or one of our favorite places is Copp Family Park over on 184. We’re involved at Our Lady of Lourdes Roman Catholic Church in Gales Ferry and I’m a member of the Knights of Columbus there, a Catholic fraternal organization. We do a lot of charity work in the community, St. Vincent de Paul and things like that, the soup kitchen up in Norwich. I spend a lot of time with the grandkid. And then when we can get away, my wife and I like to do a lot of camping. We own a camper and we like to just go out and get away a little bit.

top left Capt. Kenneth M. Curtin, Jr. (left) and Capt. Todd D. Moore shake hands in September 2021, while Rear Adm. Charles W. Rock, commander of Navy Region Mid-Atlantic (center) looks on after Curtin relieved Moore of command of the Naval Submarine Base in Groton, during a ceremony at the base; right Capt. Kenneth M. Curtin, Jr. speaks during the command transfer ceremony in September 2021. photos by dana jensen / the day

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