Today Magazine • ​October 2022

THE

Covering the Heart of the Farmington Valley

AN ADOPTION STORY

alighting,

hawk] spotted me and stared,” Wendy says via email

after sitting on the branch for about fve minutes [the hawk] few to a few feet away from me in the garden and just sat there for several minutes,” she adds

am beginning to feel my garden is a true natural wonderland, and I feel so blessed to have these amazing encounters with the natural world”

bird’s darker brown colors indicate that it’s an immature (aka juvenile)

hawk, per Cornell’s AllAboutBirds.org

hawk alights on a branch of a dawn redwood tree (aka metasequoia) in the backyard of Canton photographer Wendy Rosenberg

4 — A Seek-and-Find Adoption Story

— Thankfully Adoptive

10 — Happy 50th

Orphan-to-Adoption Tale

ONE OF MY COLLEGE ROOMMATES directed and starred in an amazing three-man play called “Orphans” — in the Trivial Pursuit department, the London production and movie starred Oscar-nominated actor Albert Finney.

As you can see from our cover story, I reference “Orphans” for a reason — because virtually every orphan’s dream is to be adopted by caring parents, and that’s the story told beautifully by a Canton resident who shares her true orphan-to-adoption tale with Today Magazine readers.

She writes about the abandonment she has endured vis-à-vis her birth mother, and expresses heartfelt gratitude for her adoptive parents and their love that’s become a foundation for the gifted young woman she is. Yet paradoxically, these two noteworthy human beings aren’t her “adoptive parents” at all — to her, they’re simply Mom and Dad.

By the way, aren’t we all orphans at the core — and how can we fnd our real home? What say you? This adoption story begins on page 4 … BWD

— What’s In A Name?

THE NUMBERS

COVER STORY KUDOS

Today Magazine’s September cover story featured WWII veteran Diego Mozzanica, who served in the Italian Navy and became a prisoner in a Nazi internment camp — CLICK HERE for the story

THANK YOU, thank you for the article on my father’s World War II service! My family all mentioned how detailed and well-written this article is. You certainly captured the essence of my father’s WWII experience and family life — during the early years and the present, and the published photos said it all. After several months of backand-forth communication, the wait was well worth reading.

Even more poignant, you opened the door for my dad to talk about his war years — which he hasn’t done in such detail that we can remember.

My mother and father enjoyed meeting you for the interview on that cold winter day, as you piqued his interest in recollections and conversing more about his early life experiences. And more importantly, the millennial grandchildren are asking questions for their own understanding of their grandfather as a WWII veteran.

On behalf of my parents, sister and family members, we truly appreciate the committed time and patience you gave to write a formal piece of Diego’s history.

— Lydia Tedone • Simsbury

THANKS for the beautiful story about WWII veteran Diego Mozzanica and his family. He is a hero in my mind. Keep the great documentation of mankind and human greatness coming. — Joe Bekanich • Avon

THE NEW EDITION of Today Magazine was great, as always. I’m so glad you were able to include my collection of Monarch butterfies, especially with what is going on around the world. So many of them are disappearing — very sad. — Wendy Rosenberg • Canton

ODALYS BEKANICH

Associate Broker

Five Star Professional Award-Winning Real Estate Agent

860-965-3652 • CELL 860-676-1200 • OFFICE odalys.bekanich@cbmoves.com 290 West Main Street Avon, CT 06001 Operated by a subsidiary of NRT LLC

THE SEARCH: AN ADOPTION STORY

Adoptee shares joy and pain of adoption journey

By Katherine Trinh Napier Special to Today Magazine

I REMEMBER THE MOMENT I stepped of the plane after spending over 24 hours shoulder to shoulder with two people I’ve never met and will likely never see again. I remember thinking that this was a homecoming — technically.

There are people who identify closely with the country where they were born or where their family came from. Me, on the other hand … I remember trying and failing to fnd deep inside of me a part that identifes with this place in some way, even though I was born here, after all.

I had a conversation with the stranger on the airplane who sat next to me, a karate instructor. He asked me what I was going to do in Vietnam, and since I’m obviously Asian, he asked if I was visiting family.

Hopefully, I thought to myself.

Instead, I said that I was staying with my boyfriend’s aunt for a vacation and didn’t have any family in Vietnam. That I knew.

I told him that it was actually my frst time back in Vietnam in 19 years and I was on a mission to fnd my birth parents.

ADOPTION QUESTIONS

I was just six months old when I was adopted, renamed Katherine, and fown to the United States, where I was raised by Jack and Diane — yes, like the John Mellencamp song. I grew up in Canton and still live there today.

Growing up, I always knew I was adopted. Even if my parents didn’t tell me, it would be impossible not to know considering the obvious diferences in skin tone, eye shape and hair color.

That being said, knowing I was adopted didn’t stop me from having questions all my life.

Why was I given up? Do my birth parents ever think of me? What do they look like? Do I look anything like them? Whose nose did I get? Whose lips?

According to a study of American adolescents conducted by the Search Institute, 72% of adopted adolescents wanted to know why they were adopted

COVER STORY

and 65% wanted to meet their birth parents. Like me, they probably wanted to know why they were given up and were eager to put a face to the people whose genes gave them their own.

In my sophomore year of high school, I read a book called “Twenty Things Adopted Kids Wish Their Adoptive Parents Knew” by Sherrie Eldridge. The frst item on the list was: “I sufered a profound loss before I was adopted.”

There was a dull, constant pain present for all my life caused by the knowledge that, for whatever reason, my birth parents didn’t want me. The hurt was worse at some points in my life, but by the time I reached my late teens it became more of a curiosity than anything else.

A WOMAN NAMED LOI THI MAI HIEN

All I knew at that point was my birth mother’s name, Loi Thi Mai Hien — listed as last name, middle name, frst name — and my birth name, Loi Thi Mai Trinh, and that I was left at the hospital soon after being born.

“Abandoned,” the birth certifcate said.

The Napier family — Diane, adopted sisters Jessica and Katherine, and Jack • Jessica is holding her daughter Emeline aka Emmy

ON THE COVER

Children and staf at the Tam Binh Orphanage Center in Vietnam, where Katherine lived for the frst six months of her life

With the encouragement of my adoptive mother, who is simply Mom to me, I had taken an Ancestry.com test with no promising results except for an exhaustive list of fourth cousins.

Growing up, I never had much hope of fnding my birth parents, who were all the way on the other side of the world. Especially not my birth father. His name was not even listed on the birth certifcate.

One summer, my boyfriend Chris — who is Vietnamese and is not adopted — invited me to go to Vietnam with him and stay with his aunt, Di Dinh (pronounced Yi Yinh).

It was the perfect opportunity to fulfll my lifelong longing and fnd my birth

FAMILY TIES

Courtesy Photos

Courtesy photo — Tam Binh Facebook page

Tribute To My Parents

A Parental

mother. All the way across the world, I brought with me my only lead: my birth certifcate. I was born July 9, 2000 and was adopted in January 2001. That year, the U.S. Department of State estimates there were 19,646 adoptions, 736 from Vietnam.

When my parents went to Vietnam they met a couple, Doug and Sarah, who were also from Connecticut and were adopting a baby girl. We were born six days apart, were from the same orphanage, and were both named Katie. We grew up as family friends: often getting together to play dress-up, going to the beach, and eating at our favorite authentic Vietnamese restaurant, The Bamboo Grill in Canton.

NAMESAKE FRIENDSHIP

Mirroring my own childhood in Canton, Katie lived in a small town two hours away from me where there was very little diversity. She felt like no one could relate to the feeling of being adopted and the need/desire to fnd her birth parents. While she had two other friends who were also adopted, they weren’t as curious as she was.

While she never held any grievances against her birth parents for giving her up for adoption, she did admit to feeling hurt. Like me and many other adopted children, she had separation issues and even night terrors. She described the feeling as being similar to an invisible scar — a reminder of a painful moment in her life that no one else could see, but she will always bear.

It wasn’t until her senior year of high school that Katie started thinking seriously about locating her birth parents, more specifcally her mother because her father isn’t listed on the birth certifcate either. She is eager to have a connection with the person who birthed her and to fnally have all her questions

answered. But at the same time, she is scared of being hurt by what her birth mother might say. Her searching process stopped almost as soon as it started because Katie couldn’t fnd anyone to translate the documents relating to her adoption. After all, they were in Vietnamese.

I was fortunate to have Chris and Di Dinh help me translate my documents, and they knew how to navigate the country. After a couple of days riding around Vietnam on mopeds, going on boat trips and eating amazing food, Chris and I were eating breakfast one morning when Di Dinh told me, translated by Chris, that she found the orphanage I was adopted from and we could go visit.

On our way there, Chris asked me if I was excited or nervous. In all honesty, I never had much hope of fnding my birth mother. After 19 years of not knowing, what’s 19 more? But when Di Dinh told me the orphanage might know something, I couldn’t help but get a little hopeful.

Of the side of a busy street in Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon) was a paved walkway that led to a white building: the Tam Binh Orphanage Center.

“Tam Binh” translates to “peace of mind” in English. Inside the orphanage, we sat at a big wooden table and were served a

fragrant tea. While sipping on the tea, the sound of singing kids could be heard behind closed doors from the adjacent room.

Two women who worked at the orphanage came to talk to us. They were very nice and welcoming but didn’t have much information about my birth mother. They did mention the hospital where I was born might be more helpful. Regretful for not being of much help, they ofered us a tour of the orphanage.

My parents had told me that when they came to the orphanage 19 years ago, it was so packed with kids the caregivers would cradle one baby in their arms and the other on their feet.

TOO MANY ORPHANS

On our tour, there were not only babies but also many older kids in classrooms ranging from 4 to 8 years old, and some bigger kids too, as old as 13. Many of them were physically disabled. Chris admitted to me afterward that it was sad seeing so many kids crammed into the very few and little rooms.

Orphans. Like I was. The only diference was that I was fortunate enough to be adopted when I was still a baby.

My parents would always tell me while growing up that strangers on the streets of Vietnam and in the airport on the way back home told my parents how lucky I was to be going to America. And I really was, and still am, very fortunate.

Before we left the orphanage, we said our goodbyes and one of the women gave me a hug. Albeit a little awkward, perhaps I

Diane Napier holds Katherine close at the Tam Binh Orphanage Center in Vietnam

Jack Napier holds Katherine steady — they are both warmly clad for a cold winter’s day

gave her hope. I was once like those babies she cared for and I grew up to be happy and healthy and maybe these kids would too.

On our walk back to the bustling streets of the city, Di Dinh asked me if I wanted to go to the hospital where I was born to try our luck there. Even though I didn’t have much confdence in fnding anything, I fgured it wasn’t every day I got to go to Vietnam and have people like Chris and Di Dinh willing to help me. So we hopped into another taxi and made our way to Tu Du Maternity Hospital.

Cramped in the backseat of a small car, Chris asked me how I was feeling. Even though I had come on this trip hardly having any hopes or expectations of being successful in my search, I couldn’t help the sinking feeling in my heart when the orphanage staf said they didn’t know anything.

I still had hope that the hospital might have some information. Chris, on the other hand, was more worried about me being disappointed. What if we had come all this way from the other side of the world only to learn nothing?

As we walked the halls of the hospital, I wondered if my birth mother had taken those same steps. What I remember most about the hospital was the waiting. We sat on benches outside an ofce for the better part of an hour waiting for someone who could talk to us. Finally, a woman in a long white coat came — a doctor.

For a second, I wondered if this could be the doctor who delivered me but quickly realized she was far too young to have delivered me almost 19 years ago to the day. While Di Dinh went to talk to the doctor in her ofce, she told Chris and me to stay outside. More waiting. I anxiously passed the time playing sudoku on my phone.

OPEN-AND-SHUT CASE

When the door fnally opened after what seemed like an eternity, Di Dinh strolled out with the doctor right behind her. I bowed and greeted her as Chris had taught me. Di Dinh then told me that my mother was 19 years old when she came here to give birth. Exactly the age I was going to be the next day.

Unfortunately, the doctor told her that the hospital destroys records every 10 years, so any record of my birth mother was gone, but some other places could possibly have some information. I was starting to feel like we were just going on a wild goose chase. Then Di Dinh said something to me that Chris couldn’t fgure out how to translate.

The next day was my birthday. I couldn’t stop thinking about how at the age of 19, my mother and I were in two very diferent places. She gave birth to me while my birth father’s whereabouts were unknown. I was enjoying a vacation with my boyfriend. After spending my birthday eating delicious food and lounging around, Di Dinh called Chris and me downstairs. She had a video to show me. It was what Chris didn’t know how to translate back at the hospital.

The video was of the Hmong people, an Asian ethnic group in China and Southeast Asia who typically live in the mountains and other high altitudes. They wear colorful traditional clothing with intricate designs and have dark hair and tan brown skin matching mine.

It was hard to imagine my birth mother being one of them while I grew up in suburban Connecticut wearing band T-shirts and ripped jeans. What occurred at the end of the video was what shocked me the most. One tradition of the Hmong people was/is bride kidnapping, also known as “zij poj niam.” Some translations I found include: “kidnap woman” and “marriage by capture.”

The tradition is one where a man will abduct a woman he wishes to marry. She will remain in captivity until her family fnds her or, after three days, she marries the same man who kidnapped her. It was disturbing to see such young girls being forcibly taken from their homes and put through such a situation.

Sadly, this custom is also practiced in other parts of the world, according to Google research.

In two days, I had learned that my birth mother was my age when she gave birth to me and that she was possibly a victim of bride kidnapping. Chris again asked me how I felt about all we had learned.

To be honest, I didn’t know. It was weird to feel sympathy for someone I had never seen but who was still my mother. Because she was able to make it to Ho Chi Minh City to give birth to me, I hoped that she had escaped such a life and found a job in the city — and I hoped she is doing okay today.

Still sitting on the couch after watching the video, Di Dinh asked me if I wanted her to continue searching, even after I left in a few days to go back home. There were still other places that might have more information.

I said “yes” — but to be honest, I was content with what I had learned. Even if it wasn’t very much, it was way more information than I had ever expected to gain. I was okay if that was the end of my journey.

If this was the closest I would ever come to know the woman named Loi Thi Mai Hien, then I was okay with that. +

EDITOR’S NOTES

• An award-winning writer, Katherine Trinh Napier is a graduate of Canton High School and the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts (in 2022) — she was the co-editor of her college newspaper

• Katherine has an older sister, Jessica, who was also adopted from Vietnam four years earlier — and they have a half-brother, Jeb, from her father’s previous marriage and another half-brother, Johnny, from her mother’s previous marriage

• The Tam Binh Orphanage Center, from whence Katherine was adopted, is also where Oscar-winning actress Angelina Jolie adopted her son Pax in 2007

• Katherine received three frst-place SPJ awards in 2022 for articles she contributed to Today Magazine • SPJ = Society of Professional Journalists

CLICK HERE for the story about Today Magazine’s 2022 awards

Thank You, Mom and Dad

Katherine Trinh Napier Special to Today Magazine

Adopted by Jack and Diane Napier in January 2001, Katherine shares an open letter to her parents with Today Magazine readers

• Also see her lead story and her parental Q&A in this edition of Today •

TO MOM AND DAD:

When you were taking the frst steps to adopt, you had two options: to adopt twins or a single baby.

Thank you for choosing me, even though Dad thought I looked like an alien, and thank you for loving me ever since.

You have done and given me so much that goes beyond adopting me from a crowded orphanage in Vietnam.

You granted me the space to become my own person while unwittingly passing down pieces of yourself that I will cherish forever. With you as my parents, I have inherited your love of books, history, paranormal shows and animals. I am who I am because of you.

When asked about the way I was raised, I draw a blank. I can’t say that you were particularly strict or carefree, nor can I recall any particular rules that strongly governed my childhood — you just were.

But I can recall memories of sitting on the deck on warm summer days watching the hummingbirds, running around barefoot outside, riding my tricycle at the Nepaug Reservoir, and eating ice cream for breakfast.

It’s no wonder that my happy place, where I like to go after a long day of work or when the world just becomes too much, is our little home at the bottom of the hill. +

The Napier family lives in Canton, where Katherine was raised from her infancy — she is a 2022 graduate of the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts

Mom and daughter with their beverages of choice

Katherine Napier

Adoption Story: A Parental Perspective

Special to Today Magazine

Katherine Trinh Napier was adopted by Jack and Diane Napier in January 2001 in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam — formerly Saigon

She asked her parents a few questions in this exclusive Q&A for Today Magazine — also see her lead story on page 4

Why did you decide to adopt?

Mom: People asked me, “Did you want to be a good person?” And I said, “No, I just wanted a child.” After a certain age your eggs get old — Dad and I weren’t compatible and had a late miscarriage.

Dad: Mom seemed upset that she couldn’t conceive and I wanted her to be happy. At frst I was apprehensive — I had a son from my previous marriage and I was not a good Dad. I was very selfsh, self-centered and too immature.

When Mom wanted to adopt, I thought, “Hey, it couldn’t be any worse.” By then, I was also older, more mature and in a better place. At frst, I wasn’t sure I would love you, but it didn’t take long to realize that you are our child.

What stands out in your memory about your journey to Vietnam to adopt me?

Mom: A lot of Vietnamese people would randomly come up to us and say how lucky you were to go to the U.S. When we frst saw you at the orphanage, you had both your fsts in your mouth and could barely lift your head — you had a big head. There were so many kids who needed to be adopted so you didn’t get a lot of attention.

Dad: I think you were treated diferently because of your ethnicity. You looked diferent — even the doctors there thought you looked Chinese or Korean, though we later learned you’re Hmong. Anyways, because of both things, it was like you were deprived of human contact and had to catch up.

The Sound of Music features the classic song “My Favorite Things” — what are a few of your favorite things about me?

Mom: You’re a really good kid. You’re smart. ... You get along with people well. You’re a considerate person. Dad: You appreciate what we give you and you do things for us.

Okay, anything else?

Mom: I don’t know, you’re Kate! We fell in love with you — what else can we say?

What are you most proud of in terms of my growth as a person and my academic career?

Mom: You work really hard — you always stick with things and fnish them.

Dad: Yes, you’ve worked hard. When you were little, you were very persistent even then. You used to run up and down the soccer feld, with your little legs running up and down — and you used to ride your bicycle up and down to the dam of Nepaug Reservoir, and you never complained.

Mom: Any parent would be proud if their kid had a 4.0 GPA in college like you did. Then you were co-editor-inchief of the school newspaper. I wasn’t thrilled that you took up journalism or communications because I was scared it would be hard to fnd a job, but you have gotten three Society of Professional Journalism awards [with Today Magazine] and I am very proud of you.

What advice would you give to parents who have an adopted child?

Mom: It’s never exactly what you expect it

to be. It’s a learning experience. You never know what the child will be like. It’s like with any kid — you just hope for the best.

Dad: Adopting is like having your own biological kid.

What would you say to parents whose adopted kids want to fnd their birth parents?

Mom: It’s up to the kid if they want to fnd their birth parent.

Dad: I wouldn’t want to discourage the kid — it’s based on what they want. As a parent, it’s not our right. We just agreed to adopt and love you, not to keep you prisoner.

What counsel would you ofer to children who have been adopted?

Mom: If you’re ethnically diferent, there is discrimination. Sometimes people don’t think about it and make inferences just based on looks — a lot of racial things are going to happen to our kids that we don’t understand.

What’s the advice you’re ofering?

Mom: Just be prepared.

Dad: Bringing your kid to Asian restaurants isn’t going to bridge the gap if you’re a diferent race from them — we’re very proud of you, we’re your parents. Most of their parents are proud of their child. No matter what, you love them. You don’t remember life before because it was like they were always there. Our life started when we adopted. +

Katherine Trinh Napier has an older sister (Jessica) who was also adopted from Vietnam four years earlier — they have a half-brother (Jeb) from her father’s previous marriage and another half-brother (Johnny) from her mother’s previous marriage

Katherine says that sometimes her family still receives Christmas cards from those adoptive families — directly to her right on the couch is her friend Katie — for details about their friendship, see the lead story on page 4

Katherine Napier is the third baby from the right — from the reader’s point of view — and these babies were adopted by various parents

Photo by Wendy Rosenberg

Celebrating 50 Years of Preservation Land Trust Observes 50th Anniversary

NOTEWORTHY NONPROFITS

Most fulflling aspect of your work?

The knowledge that our grandchildren will appreciate the preservation of open space which helps maintain wildlife corridors and provide opportunities for low-impact outdoor recreation.

Your biggest obstacle, and how you overcome it?

Limited funds for the acquisition of property, which has been overcome by a volunteer organization delivering value to town residents by encouraging outright donations of property to CLCT.

Most satisfying accomplishment?

VALLEY

Mary Conklin Preserve Canton Land Conservation Trust

For years, our stewardship activities have been largely handled by a modest-sized stewardship committee supplemented by a half-dozen to a dozen trail crew volunteers. In recent years we’ve ramped up our volunteer outreach, and we now have 80 or so volunteers who have pitched in to take care of many stewardship tasks.

on next page

Goals for the next 1-5 years?

One obvious goal is continued acquisition of open space property, with an emphasis on flling in “gaps” separating nearby preserves.

Our board is less diverse than I would like — particularly, though not surprisingly, in terms of age distribution. We have made progress on adding younger members as volunteers, and we are working on initiatives that might change the age makeup of our board.

We have begun working more closely with neighboring land trusts and organizations such as the Farmington River Watershed Association (FRWA) with similar missions — that interaction has been largely informal, but it is likely to become more formalized over the next few years as we identify opportunities better addressed by a regional approach.

Volunteers — CLCT currently has three types of volunteers:

First, each of our 21 board members is a volunteer and is expected to participate

in our monthly board meetings, and many take on additional responsibilities, including chairing committees.

Second, we have several volunteers in leadership roles — in some cases, these individuals have served on the board previously, while others have specifcally volunteered to take on a signifcant role but do not serve on the board, including: head of publicity, chair of membership committee, member of fnance committee, head of IT initiatives and responsibility for insurance issues.

Finally, and very importantly, we have a list of 83 people who signed up to be volunteers — most signed up for general stewardship work such as keeping our trails clear, creating new trails, planting trees at our tree farm, planting fowers in our pollinator pathways and other stewardship activities.

How has the COVID pandemic impacted your work?

By far the most signifcant personal impact was the tragic loss of one of our

board members to COVID — Ted Cowles had headed up our stewardship activities for years and continued to be an active volunteer even into his 80s.

At the height of the pandemic, we noticed a signifcant increase in the usage of our trails, which was one of the few activities permitted during the pandemic’s restricted phase. This corresponded to a time when our volunteer network was expanding considerably, and it seems likely this is not a coincidence. Some people were using our trails for the frst time and enjoyed them enough that they wanted to help.

During this time, I attended a series of regional seminars organized by the Connecticut Land Conservation Council, a state organization comprised of all local land trusts. The seminars included discussions of how local land trusts were coping with the pandemic. The discussions revealed that several land trusts had substantial budgets to pay for stewardship education programs, which were generally funded by fundraising events: fairs, auctions, dinners, etc. In most cases, these

View from Onion Mountain

fundraising events were no longer permitted due to COVID restrictions, and these land trusts found themselves with reduced income, but not reduced expenses.

In Canton, our volunteer ethos meant that we had less reliance on fundraising activities, so while we had COVID challenges, we didn’t face the fnancial pressure that some other land trusts had to address.

Interesting stats + numbers:

• First, our trail crew manager has a list with 83 entries, representing a response to our call for volunteers — in many cases, an entry is a household with multiple people, where more than one might be available for a volunteer event, so I’m comfortable saying we have more than 100 people to call upon when we have a need for volunteers.

• Second, we now have over 2000 protected acres in Canton — most of these are owned outright, but in some cases, we have a conservation easement over all or a portion of property owned by others. Canton is a relatively small town, with approximately 16,000 total acres (about 25 square miles). This means one in eight acres is open space property as a result of CLCT initiatives.

Besides donations, how is your work funded?

We are fortunate that about 90% of our property under stewardship has been an outright donation. In cases where we have to pay to acquire a particular property, we have applied for funding through the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) and have been successful in several instances. We recently applied for a grant to help fund an initiative to create a parking area, a trail, a pollinator pathway and some educational signage on one of our properties. The funding for the project ultimately came from a Hartford foundation grant allocated to towns.

GRANBY TODAY

CLCT Charlotte Craig Trail — photo by Judy Cantwell continued on next page

How closely do you work with other agencies/nonprofts?

We have worked with a variety of nonprofts over the years. Roaring Brook Nature Center is located in Canton and is a natural partner. Jay Kaplan, executive director of the nature center, has been a CLCT board member for years and served as president several years. The CLCT does not have a physical location, while the nature center does, so on several occasions we have collaborated on an educational seminar using the center as a venue and organizer, with CLCT providing funding and communication to membership about programs.

We work closely with the statewide Connecticut Land Conservation Council organization, which facilitates statewide and regional initiatives. We recently participated in a pilot program where four local land trusts each sponsored their own educational initiative and extended an invitation to the other three land trust memberships.

We have been communicating with the Farmington River Watershed Association to discuss areas of interest such as educational opportunities, and the FRWA is currently working as a facilitator in meetings with several regional land trusts to explore more formal options for collaboration.

A recent regional initiative is the creation of pollinator pathways. A small organization in Canton manages the Collinsville Pollen Trail, and the land trust has acted as a formal incubator so this group can fundraise through the land trust rather than have to set up its own

mechanism. Our interests are closely aligned, and the list of people who are volunteers and board members have a lot of overlap.

What do you appreciate most about the Farmington Valley?

I’ve had the opportunity to visit and live in many locations in the world. I’ve lived for multiple years in Maine, New Hampshire, Illinois, Maryland and of course Connecticut, and a short stint in Bermuda. I was happy living in all of these places but returned to the Farmington Valley, which is where I am happiest.

What constructive change would you like to see in the Valley?

As a land trust, our primary emphasis is on acquisition and preservation of open space, but as a resident, I also understand the need for residential and commercial development — the proper answer is fnding the right balance. While not a new topic, I recently became more aware of the concept of cluster development.

In short, cluster development is a model that starts with a large undeveloped area and adds a more densely populated residential section in a small percentage of the total area, thus preserving the bulk of the area for open space. In some cases, the developer interested in this might fnd pushback from zoning regulations, so I’d like to explore whether this concept makes sense — and if so, what changes to zoning might be required to help enable this sensible development process.

What do you see as the top three topics and/or issues in land conservation today?

We have been very fortunate over our 50year history that landowners in Canton have supported our goals by donating property to the land trust. While we still get the occasional gift of property, this seems to be a modest trend because many landowners want fnancial remuneration for their property. This view is entirely understandable but will hamper our ability to increase our open space without signifcant fundraising.

An omnipresent issue is that the age demographic of our volunteers tends to be on the older side. Again, while completely understandable, we need to work on getting a more representative board to refect the interests of everyone.

Further comment:

We have a very good working relationship with the town of Canton. The town is supportive of the goal of substantial open space preservation and recognizes that the land trust has been a force in helping achieve that goal, so Canton ofcials have been very supportive when we have needed assistance.

One specifc example: The town acquired open space property on Case Street and a Boy Scout troop developed a trail on the property years ago, but there was no long-term maintenance plan for the trail. The land trust reached out and asked for permission to improve the trail, and we organized multiple volunteer events to improve the trail — replacing a failing bridge and relocating a portion of the trail that encroached on private property. I think this is a good example of collaboration between the town and a nonproft organization.

Looking toward Collinsville from Sweetheart Mountain

Barger, Karen Berger, Sarah Faulkner, Holly Hambleton, Elenor Smith,

Weintraub,

Duncan, Bob Evenski, Peter Keyo,

Mason, Harold Mullins,

Tunxis Community College was chartered in 1969 and welcomed students in October 1970

Tunxis Name Traces to Indian Legacy

By Ethan Guo Special to Today Magazine

THE TUNXIS INDIAN TRIBE was at one time the largest of the Farmington River Valley tribes.

The territory of the Tunxis sachemdom included the present-day towns of Avon, Berlin, Bristol, Burlington, Farmington, New Britain, Plainville, Southington and part of Wolcott, according to Melissa Lamar, director of marketing and public relations at Farmington-based Tunxis Community College.

The Tunxis name is derived from the word “Wuttankshau,” which roughly translates to “the point where the river bends.”

Like many other Native American tribes, the Tunxis tribe was greatly weakened after the arrival of the European settlers and their foreign diseases in the 1600s and 1700s, per historical and medical sources. According to Dartmouth College’s Occom Circle Project, by 1725 the once most populous tribe in the region was left with just 50 members.

Other tribes in the Farmington River Valley, also ravaged by disease and the encroaching English settlers, joined forces with the Tunxis tribe circa 1750 and formed a group known as the Farmington Indians, according to the Occom Project.

While the Farmington Indians were evangelized and lived peacefully among the settlers for several decades, their desire to regain control of their own land restarted hostilities.

Tunxis CC Honors Native History, Diversity

When the settlers refused to return the Indians’ land, many of the Farmington Indians joined other tribes and moved elsewhere.

By the late 1800s, the few who remained in the Farmington Valley had either emigrated or assimilated, leaving few remnants of the former Tunxis tribe.

Less than a century later, Tunxis Community College was chartered in 1969. Curiously, the name of the college was actually chosen prior to its location. Thus, it is unclear how impactful the history of the land was in naming the college.

“Tunxis librarians think the name may have been inspired by other Connecticut community colleges which had already formed with local tribal names or Native American words for their colleges,” says Lamar. “But there is no ofcial documentation we can readily fnd to support this.”

Regardless of the original founding intentions, Tunxis continues to emphasize the importance of its Native American history to help transform students into world citizens who espouse diverse perspectives and contribute to society.

“The Native American courses at Tunxis were developed by a faculty member who had visited several Native American tribes in the Southwest United States,” says Lamar.

“Learning about their history, their culture, struggles, and where they are

VALLEY INTEL

today provides important perspectives on our collective history as a country. Another important emphasis in these courses is community service — helping groups such as this in cleaning up their drinking water and documenting the aspects of their culture that they are losing with each generation.”

These Native American courses have become so popular among Tunxis students that, on occasion, individual students have traveled on their own to Southwest reservations and worked on projects with the tribes.

After the occupation of the English settlers in Connecticut, the Tunxis tribe faced a rapid decline, fading into near obscurity by the late 19th century.

However, with a college focused on embracing and celebrating diversity — through the work of many Tunxis Community College professors and students — this past is once again being rediscovered, celebrated and preserved for the future. +

See the next page for an exclusive Q&A with Tunxis CC ofcial Melissa Lamar

Avon resident Ethan Guo is a senior at Loomis Chafee School in Windsor

Special to Today Magazine

Marketing and PR director Melissa Lamar answered this Q&A on behalf of Tunxis Community College

What inspired Tunxis Community College to name itself after the Tunxis tribe?

Back in the late 1960s, the state decided to establish a community college to serve the Bristol/New Britain area. They had already selected the name Tunxis before choosing Farmington for the college’s location. Tunxis librarians think the name may have been inspired by other Connecticut community colleges which had already formed with local tribal names or Native American words for their colleges — such as Quinebaug and Mattatuck — but there is no ofcial documentation we can readily fnd to support this.

Why the Tunxis tribe and not another Farmington River Native American tribe?

The Tunxis tribe was the largest settled tribe here in the Farmington River Valley and surrounding areas. The

name “Tunxis” comes from the word “Wuttankshau” which roughly translates to “the point where the river bends.” That bend in the Farmington River is in Farmington. The territory of the Tunxis sachemdom included what is now the towns of Farmington, Plainville, Bristol, Berlin, Southington, Burlington, Avon, New Britain and part of Wolcott — among the many towns Tunxis serves.

What importance does being named after the Tunxis tribe hold within the college culture, mission and identity?

Our mission is to ofer students a quality yet afordable education in an accessible and supportive environment, fostering the skills necessary to succeed in an increasingly complex world. We embrace our diversity and strive to be a vibrant educational and cultural center responsive to current as well as emerging student and community needs.

Considering this, our emphasis is outward-focused on our students and the communities we serve. We incorporated some of the symbolism of what our name Tunxis means when we designed our

newest buildings on campus to incorporate features with this “where the river bends” reference. Our logo also utilizes this water symbolism, with a ripple of water. Movement in water is associated with growth, continuation, expansion and change, as well as travel and commerce.

What events does Tunxis host to celebrate and bring light to the Tunxis tribe?

We hold many events on campus for our students and community focused on diverse cultures, many times focusing on the cultures of our students or those they may take interest in We have held events in the past to celebrate the culture of living Southwest Native American tribes connected to Tunxis classes, who have often been invited to come to the college to share their arts, language, singing, music, food, ceremonial dress and other aspects of life.

How important is it to you that Tunxis students are aware of the history behind the college’s name?

We wish we had more information on the history of the college’s name. Regardless, it is our hope that all Tunxis students will leave us with a broad understanding of history — national, state and local history — as well as a variety of other topics and skills they will need to continue to pursue bachelor’s degrees or enter the workforce.

Our primary focus is on our students and their goals, and making sure they know about the resources and support available to succeed at Tunxis and beyond, and to become good citizens who will embrace diverse perspectives and contribute to their communities.

To what extent were the Native American courses at Tunxis inspired by the history of the Farmington River Native American tribes?

The Native American courses at Tunxis were developed by a faculty member who had visited several Native American tribes in the Southwest United States. She formed friendships with the tribes, and they to a great extent accepted her in, even allowing her to attend several sacred ceremonies.

Many of these tribe members, who are still living on reservations, have had many challenges, from contaminated drinking water caused by government uranium mining, to loss of their language, and health and social problems.

What do you believe is most valuable about these courses? What do you think is important to include within these courses?

Learning about their history, their culture and struggles, and where they are today provides important perspectives on our collective history as a country. Another important emphasis in these courses is community service — helping groups such as this in cleaning up their drinking water and documenting the aspects of their culture that they are losing with each generation. At one point, we had a group of dental hygiene students who traveled to the reservation to provide dental cleanings, treatments, assessments and oral care education. Hand in hand with this, students learn about advocacy.

In addition, we are part of a diverse world, where we interact with people from widely varied backgrounds. Courses like this teach students to celebrate diversity, understand diferent viewpoints, and develop a global mindset that will help them make better decisions and become better citizens in their communities. It teaches them to empathize with people diferent from themselves since they learn about their life and experiences during the courses. Through their exposure to a diverse range of opinions, thoughts and cultural backgrounds, it encourages them to be more open-minded. They are also better prepared for a diverse workplace.

How popular have these courses been with Tunxis students and how have they been received?

These courses have been very popular. In the past, some students have been so inspired by the courses that they traveled to the Southwest to visit the reservations, talk with the Native Americans (with the instructor) and work on projects for the tribes.

What year was the college founded?

Tunxis was chartered in 1969 and ofered its frst classes in October 1970.

What was the name of the college when it was founded? Tunxis Community College.

What other names has the college had? Tunxis Community-Technical College was used at one time in the late 1980s and ’90s, but then the name returned to simply Tunxis Community College. +

Tunxis Community College observed its 50th anniversary in 2020

Dance Medicine Is Alive and Vibrant in Valley

Special to Today Magazine

MAGNA PHYSICAL THERAPY & Sports Medicine Center has been ofering dance medicine services since 2005, when Magna PT debuted in Avon. Magna added a Canton location in 2020.

Dance medicine is a specialty that many dancers have taken advantage of at the Avon clinic and at specifc dance facilities throughout the state.

Dr. Meagan Robichaud, Magna’s director of dance medicine, and Dr. Laura Fetko oversee a program that has grown with professional afliations at the Hartt School Community Division, New England Ballet Theatre, Evjen Academy of Performing Arts, Sonia Plumb Dance Company, Farmington Valley Dance & Music and Ekklesia Contemporary Ballet.

In conjunction with those afliations, Magna Dance has an in-house dance

medicine clinic within The Nutmeg Ballet Conservatory, an internationally renowned training center in Torrington. Magna Dance has treated Nutmeg’s boarding and day students during the school year and summer intensives since 2015.

Adding to Magna’s expertise is a professional relationship with NeuroTour Physical Therapy, an international company based in the Atlanta area.

Adding to Magna’s expertise is a professional relationship with NeuroTour Physical Therapy, an international company based in the Atlanta area.

Magna Physical Therapy is the goto medical provider for NeuroTour in Connecticut, treating performing artists who are NeuroTour clients. These performers appear at multiple

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Dr. Meagan Robichaud works on pointe skill with dancer Janelle Holmes, a Magna stafer

venues across the state — including The Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts in Hartford, the Shubert Theatre in New Haven, the Palace Theater in Waterbury, Toyota Oakdale Theatre in Wallingford and the Premier Theater at Foxwoods.

Victoria Manning, executive and artistic director of New England Ballet Theatre, has noted that she wants experienced physical therapists for her students as well as quality care for her company dancers, and every NEBT dancer with an injury has gone to Magna. NEBT has been an afliate with Magna Dance and Magna Physical Therapy since 2021.

Meanwhile, the Hartt School Community Division has been sending dancers to Magna’s Avon clinic for years. Sarkis Kaltakhtchian, Hartt’s artistic and education director, notes that adding Magna’s summer-intensive classes to Hartt’s repertoire has been valuable from an education standpoint.

Services ofered at Magna Physical Therapy include dance physical therapy and rehabilitation, personal dance ftness evaluations, individualized dance ftness programs and pointe readiness assessments.

Dance schools and academies have also taken advantage of other services, including Magna’s dance medicine lecture series — with topics such as injury prevention, nutrition, ftness and summer intensive workshops.

The Avon location of Magna Physical Therapy & Sports Medicine Center is a 4800-square-foot facility that includes a 500-square-foot Marley dance foor within its clinic to get dancers back to doing what they love as soon as possible.

Combined with a Pilates-based rehabilitation philosophy and a staf with many Hartt School dance graduates, Magna Physical Therapy ofers over 60 years of staf dance experience. Magna PT also has a team of orthopedic surgeons and a sports psychologist as part of its dance medicine team who are available for expedited help when necessary. +

Dr. Brian Magna owns Magna Physical Therapy & Sports Medicine Center, with locations in Avon and Canton

Magna PT’s dance medicine team • left to right — Janelle Holmes, Meredith Bolton, Dr. Meagan Robichaud, Dr. Laura Fetko and Dr. Brian Magna

Dr. Meagan Robichaud helps dancers such as Janelle Holmes rehab and train

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