INK MAGAZINE - April 2022 by Ink Publications

A Guide to Finer Living in Connecticut & abroad April 2022

Vol 17 Issue 195 inkct.com

For a Mayo Clinic second opinion, I’m not going anywhere.

APRIL 2022

Vol. 17 Issue 195

Feature Stories

Departments

Surfbridge Brewing Co

A Clean and Balanced Approach

Gungywump

Grotons Stonehenge?

A Gift to the State

Conservation of Reptiles and Amphibians in CT.

Like Artifacts from the Past

Artist Ralph Levesque

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Ask Ashley - Is there a Secret to Happiness? Music Mirth & Mojo - A Year in the Pit. Crusty Old Diver - Stage Diving to the Oldies The Cheesemonger - Truffles and Truffle Cheese.

Spring has sprung! I don’t know about you but I could use a serious outdoor kick. Very much looking forward to lots of time spent in nature, fresh air, and sunshine. I have never been a huge winter person and growing up in southern Wisconsin that is saying something. Snow is beautiful to me, at least for the first five or six times. Then I find myself looking forward to long morning bike rides and walks. A thank you is in order to all who have reached with positive comments about last months issue. We really appreciate the feedback. It’s a mad mad world we live in. The decade we find ourselves in has been a test of wits at best. With each issue of INK our hope is to give our readers a little downtime. “Slow media” is becoming a place of refuge at a self-determined pace. I have had access to the internet since 1995 and not only do I remember what it was, I have the experience to see where it has gone. Back-in-theday the web was a place to push creative boundries and to offer up a library to the ages. It’s a remarkable gift to humanity but it can also become a master over thought and ideas. So many fighting for so little time. We don’t do “news” here at INK, we do however celebrate people and the spirit that drives them to push harder to achieve a certain level of accomplishment. In that regard, though biased towards the positive, we aspire to share goodness. Enjoy! Jeffery Lilly founder / publisher

Contributors

The Imagined History

of Noel Ashworth

Ashley Alt - ask ashley

Daniel Lev Shkolnik - editorial

Susan Cornell - editorial

Carolina Marquez-Sterling - design

Caryn B. Davis - editorial/photography

Paul Partica - the cheesemonger

Alison Kaufman - music mirth & mojo

John Tolmie - editorial

Art LiPuma - on the vine

Kate Tolmie - photography

Rona Mann - editorial

Joe Urso - ad design

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Coastal Cuisine A Clean and Balanced Approach Surfridge Brewing Company and Eatery, East by Robert Rabine

“Ah beer, my one weakness... My Achilles heel, if you will.” Homer Simpson

My sentiments exactly, and although I have more than one Achilles heel, it is also why I was excited to welcome Surfridge Brewing Company East to the area. Located in the historic Witch Hazel Factory in the heart of Centerbrook, owners Jennifer and Michael Lieberman have brought their Cali esthetic to the Connecticut Shoreline. They also own and operate the original Surfridge Brewing Company located in El Segundo,

California, just south of Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). A daunting commute to say the least, but thanks to Skype, they’re in constant communication with their staff on the left coast. “Our staff is like our family,” says Jenn, “they have always been the key to our success.” A little backstory: Both Jennifer and Steven lived on the west side of Los Angeles. Michael worked the restaurant scene in New Orleans and San Francisco

before moving to LA. Jennifer moved from Miami and worked in real estate and the art world before they met and opened West 4th Jane Craft Beer Gastropub in Santa Monica in 2009. They decided to open their own brewery in 2014 and took the name Surfridge from a long-forgotten

neighborhood located on the palisades north of Playa Del Rey, just west of what is now Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). During the 1920s and '30s Surfridge was developed as a luxury resort community called Palisades Del Rey, with residents like William and Cecil B. Demille, Mel Blanc, and other celebrities who were attracted by its beauty and seclusion overlooking Dockweiler Beach. At this point, LAX was a dirt airfield called Mines Field. With the eventual expansion of the airfield into LAX and the advent of the jet engine, Surfridge became unlivable. The neighborhood was abandoned during the 1950s and '60s, purchased by the city of Los Angeles, and is now a protected butterfly sanctuary, home to the endangered El Segundo Blue Butterfly. That’s the same blue butterfly you see on Surfridge Brewing Company’s logo. Beer has an interesting story all its own. Historians have traced the brewing pro-

cess back thousands of years. It seems everybody was doing it. Sumerians and Mesopotamians, Egyptians and Armenians; from Iron-Age England to ancient India and China, all were prodigious

brewers. In the ancient city of Uruk in Sumer, workers were paid in beer, which makes a great case for time travel. Fast forward a couple thousand years and beer was also a wildly popular drink during

Medieval times, especially in Northern Europe where grapes are difficult to grow. Although the ingredients for brewing were different from region to region, the benefits were the same: fermentation purifies water, creates a portable source of hydration, and most importantly, produces alcohol. All very valuable properties, both then and now. In fact, Americans drink more than six billion gallons of beer per annum, half of that by my golf buddies alone. Brewing beer is a five-step process, and you need surprisingly few things to get started: some sort of grain or cereal like barley, wheat or rye, water, and yeast. First, the grains are toasted so they burst and isolate the necessary enzymes, called the malting phase. Once toasted, the grains enter the mashing phase where they are steeped in hot water for a few hours to release their sugars. The grains are then re-

moved leaving the “wort," essentially unfermented beer. At this point, the hops or any flavoring is added to the wort and boiled for an hour or so (hops were added to the brewing process for complexity back in the 9th century but not all beer contains hops.) Yeast is then added, and the fermentation process begins as the yeast converts the sugars to alcohol with carbon dioxide as a byproduct. Artisanal yeasts are all the rage these days, but naturally occurring yeast will also complete the process. After a few weeks, the beer is bottled and additional carbonation is added by the brewmaster, if desired. Some craft beers are fermented in the bottle by adding a slug of yeast before the bottles are capped. These beers are labeled “bottle conditioned.” The brewery space at Surfridge East is expansive, but the warm welcome and relaxed approach from the staff makes it seem more intimate. The crowd is mixed, well-dressed, and multi-generational. Old and young mingle happily to a hip

soundtrack. Stainless steel and copper brew tanks dominate the space. It has a decidedly California feel, bright white walls accented with a large abstract mural featuring two California icons: the grey whale and the El Segundo Blue Butterfly.

stuffed furniture. A sizable patio accessible by overhead doors from the taproom is begging for warmer weather. The open kitchen has a wood- ﬁred pizza oven and raw bar. It’s fronted with a dining counter for those interested in seeing all the culinary action.

“Clean and balanced is what we call our approach to the restaurant business,” says owner Steven Lieberman. “Clean and balanced in all things, from the design of the space to the beers and the menu.” A communal table sits in the middle of the room flanked by a comfortable lounge-type seating area with over-

The handsome taproom bar is made of blond wood and sits astride the brewing tanks. The beer menu is listed on screens above the taps with price, alcohol content, and IBU rating which indicates the level of bitterness. Brewmaster, Jeremy Montemagni and assistant brewmaster, Tom Crawford have devised a beer menu for both coasts that has depth and intrigue. There are five signature beers on the beer list for both coasts: a pale ale, a hefty west coast IPA, a white ale, a kölsch, and an oatmeal stout, with rotating brews coming online regularly. Beers come in three sizes-5 oz, 10 oz, and 16 oz. We mixed and matched different sizes of beers so we could taste everything. The IPA and stout are good matches for their heartier fare. We loved the kölsch, named Gimme One…crisp, clean, and refreshing (even in the dead of winter), and the fruitiness of

the white ale called Mr. Pink. Specialty cocktails are also available. The short food menu offers a great mix of shareable noshes and larger plates designed to match up well with the beer list. Locally raised oysters on the half shell are fresh and briny. If you don’t dig raw oysters (pun intended) have them baked with garlic butter, parsley, and bacon. Chewy wood-fired pizza comes nicely charred, both red and white sauce varieties are available. The red sausage and fennel pie comes with house-made sausage and jalapenos for a green pepper/spicy accent. The white mushroom pie has an Asian twist featuring shimeji, maitake, and oyster mushrooms with mushroom duxelles for added punch. Starters and salads are simple, tasty, and shareable: marinated olives and pickled veggies are delivered in mason jars. Smoked bluefish pâté is studded with capers and swirled with dill. A charcuterie

board is impressively presented on a custom board with parmesan cheese, salumi, prosciutto, capicola, and marinated olives. It’s dotted with mustard and honey and served with croutons. The kale and bibb lettuce salads are different and interesting. The kale salad includes hemp hearts (seeds) and bee pollen, while the bib salad is a little more traditional and comes tossed with blue cheese, walnuts, apples, and dried currants. Surfridge Brewing Company’s “Hearth to Table’ items are warm and comforting. Seared shishitos, roasted cauliflower with yellow curry, and fingerling potatoes roasted in duck fat and rosemary round out the vegetable offerings. Seared octopus has a global appeal, dusted with togarashi and served with romesco sauce and cucumber yogurt. Salmon filet is roasted to temp, served atop braised fennel and grapefruit gastrique. On the meaty side, classic marrow bones come with a radish salad and crostini. Pork belly is melt-in-

your-mouth good, sauced with a tangy soy/honey glaze and served with sweet and sour slaw supercharged with mint. Whole duck leg confit is luscious; it’s warmed and served with sauteed spinach, red currant sauce, and roasted turnip bites, while the wood-fired hanger steak also comes with sauteed spinach and a piquant chimichurri sauce. Steve, Jenn, and the rest of the staff are excited to be up and operating in southern Connecticut. So, if you’re a dedicated beer fan, a foodie, or just looking for a fun night out, give Surfridge Brewing Company a try. It’s a little off the beaten path but well worth the trip. Surfridge Brewing Company and Eatery, East 6 Main Street, Building 3 The Witch Hazel Factory Centerbrook, CT 860-662-4038 www.surfridgebrewery.com

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AskAshley

Is There a Secret To Happiness? By Ashley Alt Yes, but you have to put in the work in order to reap the feel-good rewards.

ellooooo April. The first month of the year where it actually starts feeling like winter is truly behind us (can I get a heck to the yes?) — a month filled with warmer air, sunnier skies, Easter egg hunts, patio lunches, garden strolls, beach picnics, and daffodil pickings. After being holed up for the past several months, what could be better? Whether you’re someone who takes full advantage of the Spring Clean season or someone who complains about Springinduced allergies, this read on how to be a happier you is worthwhile. And while the term “happiness” is subjective, there is one common factor that has the ability to make everyone feel better. Aka less stressed, more grounded, and of course, happier. According to the Harvard Study of Adult Development, one of the longest-running studies on happiness, the number one indicator of happiness is…drum roll please…human connection. Not

gratitude, not faith (certainly not money), but feeling genuinely connected to another human being. The study, which began in 1938 and is still following several of the same participants, found a strong association between happiness and close relationships, including spousal relationships, familial relationships, and friendships, to which Dr. Robert Waldinger, the project’s director, concluded: “Personal connection creates mental and emotional stimulation, which are automatic mood boosters, while isolation is a mood buster.” It makes perfect sense, doesn’t it? Especially with what we’ve seen from the pandemic, from increased cases of alcohol abuse to skyrocketing rates of depression and anxiety, it’s clear as day that we need each other. We need face-to-face interaction, we need meaningful conversations, and we need shared laughter. If you’re looking for ways to feel happier in your life (who isn’t?), I’ve got your back. Here are 6 expert-backed ways to be a happier human.

Spend quality time with your signiﬁcant other Maybe you see each other all day, every day (thanks a lot, work-fromhome mandates), but how much of that time spent is quality time? If you’re doing what most couples routinely do — work, parent, clean, cook, repeat — you’re probably not getting that much needed quality time together. Passing each other in the kitchen on your lunch breaks doesn’t count as bonding, sorry. Set aside a speciﬁc time every day, week, or month (whatever works best for your relationship) to connect. It can be as easy as a morning walk or as adventurous as traveling to a new city each month. The point is to have meaningful conversations that propel the relationship forward and keep things exciting between the two of you.

Travel, travel, travel Speaking of traveling, getting out of your comfort zone (via getting out of your zip code), is such an incredible way to find excitement in life. Experiencing a new place (even a new restaurant or bookstore, it doesn’t have to be a new city) with your significant other, parents, or friends is loads of fun and an amazing way to bond with the people you love.

Try volunteering for a favorite cause This is a fool-proof way of meeting like-minded people. Volunteering is also a fantastic way to boost happiness as it provides a sense of purpose and meaning. A triple bonus would be finding a volunteer venture outside, to up that vitamin D from the sun and fresh air.

Sign up for a new workout class with a buddy Working out poses a wealth of beneﬁts, as we all know. From relieving stress and anxiety to boosting mood and your overall health, moving your body is one of the best things you can do for happiness. You can take that feeling of happiness to another level by trying a workout you’ve never done before, with a friend. Whether it’s boxing, hiking, or dancing, getting into a new ﬁtness routine with a buddy will enhance your physical and emotional health.

Find someone in your industry to bounce ideas off of Feeling valued in our work is something we all crave. Whether you have a conservative role in a company or you are a creative solopreneur, studies have shown that having someone like-minded in your industry to talk to is key to keeping your passion for your job alive. If nothing else, it makes the mundane far less mundane.

Make getting together with friends a priority Gone are the days of saying,“I’m too busy to visit my childhood best friend.”Alright maybe that’s not exactly a universal phrase, but you catch my drift. A huge silver lining from the coronavirus pandemic was making us realize that the company we keep has a direct impact on our levels of happiness. Treat getting together with friends with the same urgency as meeting your work deadlines or attending your expensive spin class.Maybe you host a weekend brunch or invite friends over for an evening bonﬁre each week. I’ve said it once and I will say it again: Good friends are the pinnacle of the good life. And, as numerous studies have shown, the health beneﬁts of social interaction are plenty, including better mental health (lightening your mood and making you feel happier), better brain health (lowering your risk of depression and dementia), and promoting a strong sense of safety and belonging.

Takeaway The trick to sustaining your happy state of mind is consistency. When you ﬁnd what (and more importantly, whom!) makes you happy, remember that feeling and acknowledge why that something or someone is making you feel awesome. Sign up for Ashley’s newsletter, https://ashleyalt.substack.com/ where she provides weekly insight into how we can keep our mental health spirits up.

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Gu un ngy gyyw waamp

in Groton has for decades been an unsolved mystery y with a wide range of words and phrases attached: mysticaal monks, voracious Vikings, slaves, cannabis, inscriptiions, other tombs, chambers, cceremonial centerr,, astronomical alignments, even portal to ano ns; the we don’t even know what the word “gungywamp” even mean dimension. Heck, w unds Native American but there is no translation. name certainly sou According to a Haartford Courant article written many years ago, “researchers have me, ‘Gungywamp,’ with ancient Gaelic, Mohegan, Pequot, and associated the nam meaning ‘church of the people,' ‘place of ledges,' ‘swampy place,' Algonquin terms m or ‘all powerful’ and ‘white,’ respectively y.. Or it could be a corruption of the phrase, ‘spongy swamp.’”” The Gungywamp ccomplex is located a little over a mile from the Naval Submarine Base. The site is alsso between two swamps so as a tour participant I can attest the ‘spongy swamp’ trranslation holds water. mp is, and may always be a conundrum, its discovery is nothing new. While Gungywam I 1654, In 1654 colonist l i t Jo John Pynchon wrote to his mentorr,, John W Wiinthrop in New Haven:

“I think the significance of the site is largel ly y because of the va varied interpret ta ations and per rs spectives. It’s a complica at ted and interesting cul c lt tur ra al landscape tha at’s difficul lt t to interpret t..”

“Honorred Sir; Sir I hearre a rreepport of a stonewall and strong fort in it, made all of Stone, which is newly ddiscoverred e at or neerree Pequet, (prreesently known as the Gungywamp Raange), I should be glad to know the truth of it fro your selfe, herre being manyy strange reports about it.”

While Pynchon doesn’t say that he witnessed a fort or stonewall or even what he means by fort, this is intriguing and suggests that some of the features date back to the 1600s. But can we go back k fartherr, much, much farther? The structures have been “dramatically linked to ritualisticc practices of purported pre-Columbian Celtic, V Viiking, or even Phoenician inhabittants” (Bulletin of the Archaeological Society of Connecticut, 1981). So, who really buillt what we see today y, for what purposes, and how vast an area are we talking about? Because of time, weathering, and undergrowth, these mysteries and n so. secrets will remain Then there are the controversies and conspiracies. It’s a complex mess, but so cool. Many believe that Gungywamp is a ceremonial center of ancient European settlers who worshipped tthe sun. Some of those same people believe it’s at the confluence of paranormal stream ms. There are claims that visitors have become lightheaded, dizzy y,, and

even nauseated, particularly near a cliff (called the “Cliff of Tears”) where some burst into tears. There have been reports of people bleeding from their eyes and ears. The root cellar openings are oriented toward the rising sun upon the winter solstice which leads some to assert they are of ceremonial and astronomical significance. Stonehenge-like! But skeptics argue that this stone storage space for potatoes, carrots, and turnips should be oriented toward the sun. That is, the door of the cellar should maximize sunlight so that the roots don’t suffer a hard freeze. So, while it’s true the openings align with the winter solstice sunrise, that’s the point. There are pages and pages of information available to read on the topic as well as tangible evidence ranging from arrowheads to animal bones, coins to pottery fragments and tobacco pipes, and remnants of cannabis and Indian poke (both used by natural medicine practitioners). Stones, lined up in the ground like fenceposts, are oriented to the North Star. Is this some astronomical line and/or calendar? On one of the stones is a figure resembling a bird with outstretched wings. And what about the chambers? Were they used in rituals if Gungywamp was a sacred complex and then repurposed as root cellars by the settlers?

21 Researchers, historians, and archaeologists pretty much agree about the origins of the colonial roads, foundations, and stone walls. Researchers also agree that there was a strong Native American presence in the area going back thousands of years. But that’s pretty much where the consensus of Gungywamp’s history ends. I toured Gungywamp with Vance Tiede. The Yale-educated archeoastronomist has lectured extensively at sites in New England, China, and Europe and was associated with the now-defunct Gungywamp Society, a group of archaeological-minded individuals who investigated the sites. Among the tour highlights (and there are many) is a stone chamber featuring an astronomical alignment during the equinoxes. There are beehive chambers and petroglyphs as well as a double circle of stones near its center.

“because one of the pieces that's really important is getting the indigenous perspective and the proper documentation of that,”

The question in this 40-year controversy pertains to artifacts and features which do not fit immediately into either Native American or English Colonial provenience. Among Tiede’s conclusions is that Chamber One “contains a solar orientation pattern fully consistent with Irish Early Christian drywall masonry oratories and at variance with English colonial root cellars observed in the field and as described in historical records.” Using a flashlight to simulate the winter solstice (Christmastime) and then the spring equinox (Easter), Tiede shows how light beams through a window and hits a side chamber. He theorizes the sun’s trajectory might be a religious symbol marking major events in Christ’s life. “It’s like the beginning and the end, the birth, and the resurrection. For an Irish monk or any Christian in any century since then it would have been a very powerful metaphor, particularly for the Irish, because the Irish Church characterized Christ as the true son, the solar son.” But Central Connecticut State University archaeology professor Dr. Kenneth Feder, in the Gungywamp entry in his recent book Archaeological Oddities, gives the place a “Fakeometer” score of 5. Feder says, “We can’t always call out a single individual or bestow credit (or maybe blame) for an interpretation of a site that doesn’t match that of archaeologists or historians. Here we can.”

22 The skeptic discusses David Barron who believed the structures were built by Irish monks about a thousand years before the Columbus voyages. Barron founded the Gungywamp Society in 1979. Feder writes, “Barron inspired many followers who were animated by his desire to paint what they perceived to be a more romantic history of their own southern New England backyards, a history that included ancient Irishmen coming here in their quest for a quiet place to worship God.” He said it’s been reported that among the believers, “there was a tremendous amount of resentment aimed at anyone with a degree in archeology who questioned their interpretation.” Further, it has been noted that “the ethnicity of many of the Gungywampers matched that of the ancient Celts who they wanted very much to believe inhabited Connecticut in the distant past.” Gungywampers have been reported to be “largely men of Irish descent intent on proving that Irishmen in antiquity were already living in Connecticut long before Columbus voyaged to the New World and also before those bloodthirsty Norsemen and Norsewomen explored and briefly settled in northeastern Canada.” There were extensive digs for many years conducted by the Gungywamp Society, but as Nicholas F. Bellantoni, Ph.D. Emeritus Connecticut State Archaeologist points out, “they did not employ any professional archaeologists in their work.” Connecticut’s State Archaeologist Dr. Sarah P. Sportman’s understanding from past professional research “is that the majority of features at Gungywamp are related to colonial period agriculture, although there are certainly Indigenous sites on the property as well.” Dr. Sportsman adds, "It is a complex landscape that has drawn the interest of many different groups of people, resulting in various interpretations. She pointed me in the direction of “the most knowledgeable person about the site,” UConn anthropology professor Dr. Kevin McBride, “who is currently pulling together all of the past research on the site and doing some new work for the state.” “I (that is Heritage Consultants, Inc.) received a grant from the Connecticut Historical Preservation Commission to map and document the site and do some historical research, but also interview and get information and perspectives from the various stakeholders,” he said. “I think the significance of the site is largely because of the varied interpretations and perspectives. It’s a complicated and interesting cultural landscape that’s difficult to interpret.” McBride’s charge: To write a state register of historical significance nomination and get the site listed. The plan is to submit a nomination for registration this spring.

23 Davnet Conway, Executive Director of Denison Pequotsepos Nature Center, explains that Nature Center is the nominating organization and with a grant from the State Historic Preservation Office, the Center hired McBride and his team to do a new report on the property that will accompany the nomination. Over the years, there’s been damage to the sites, Conway said. “By being nominated as an archaeological preserve, this will help us be able to protect the site a little.”

“There's a lot of ideas that are kind of ‘out there’, not realistic, and diminish the indigenous perspective. For example, people who say it’s aliens.”

Protection is not strictly of what one sees but also what one hears - the stories. The Native American Heritage Advisory Council is part of the research “because one of the pieces that's really important is getting the indigenous perspective and the proper documentation of that,” Conway explains. She adds, “There are a lot of ideas that are kind of ‘out there,' not realistic, and diminish the indigenous perspective. For example, people who say it’s aliens. There are all these strange ideas that lessen the indigenous cultural contribution to the area and kind of erases their cultural history. We’re trying to correct the record.” The site, at least for now, is whatever you’d like to believe. It is a kooky, crazy headscratcher, which makes for interesting stories, beautiful hikes, and inspires more unearthing of New England’s history. Gungywamp, acquired by the State of Connecticut in 2018, is by far our most complex, controversial, and interesting archaeological site. Bellantoni gave tours of Gungywamp and summed it all up: “The hikers have always enjoyed seeing the stone ruins and listening to their various cultural interpretations; it is a great place to teach history and science and how we try to understand the past.” Gungywamp is located on both state property and private land. Signs say, "No Trespassing," that cameras are in use, and they will prosecute. The Denison Pequotsepos Nature Center serves as steward of the property and provides terrific, guided tours of the site. To arrange a tour call (860)536-1216 or visit dpnc.org. The tours are $15 per adult, and the money goes to support the Denison Pequotsepos Nature Center. If you’d like to know much more about Gungywamp, www.stonestructures.org/html/ gungywamp.html is a wonderful and detailed resource. Additionally, "The Gungywamp Controversy " in the Bulletin of the Archaeological Society of Connecticut is a great read and can be found online at http://hdl.handle.net/11134/20002:860208201

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EASTERN SP PA ADEFOOT

A Gift to th he State Conservation of A Amphibians and Reptiles in Co onnecticut By Caryn B. Dav vis Photographs Courtesy of the Au uthors & CT DEEP

EASTERN BOX TURTLE

“We gave this book as a gift to t the state with the understandin ng the sales from the book would go iinto a dedicated fund that could bee used in the conservation of these an nimals and other non non-game game wild dlife.”

VERNAL POOL PERCHED IN TRAP ROCK RIDGE ON EAST EAS PEAK, HANGING HILLS IN MERIDEN, CT NOTE TA TALUS SC SCREE ON LEFT T--HAND SIDE OF PHOTOGRAPH. PHOTO

WOOD TURTLE

“What’ss unique about most amph hibian species is their interface with w aquatic systems, which h can be indicators of

WOOD TURTLE HIBERNACULA EASTERN CONNECTICUT

env vironmental health.”

The newly published Conservaation of Amphibians and Reptiles in Connecticut by herpetologissts Michael W. Klemens, Hank J. Grunerr,, Dennis P P.. Quinn, and d Eric R. Davison, offers an indepth assessment of the amphiibian and reptile populations in our state. Truly a labor of lov ve, it took six years to complete and serves first and foremost as a a conservation guide. As the authors note, “While many gro oups of species such as mammals, birds, and fish have some speciies that are rare, the number of amphibians and reptiles that arre imperiled exceed all these other groups of vertebrates.”

NORTHERN LEOP PA ARD FROG

The book was published by thee Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Pro otection and is compiled from more than fifty years of field in nvestigations that started with Klemens’ first book, Amphibia ans and Reptiles of Connecticut and Adjacent Regions (State Geeological and Natural History Survey of Connecticut - Bulletiin No. 112), published in 1993. (This groundbreaking research h was the first statewide catalog showing where these animals occur o in Connecticut). It offers naturalists, state and municipa al governments, land managers, and “anyone else that cares abo out the future of our planet,” a comprehensive h i evaluation l ti off the key factors affecting these species that have led to or will lead to, their decline and demise. While the death of som mething as small as a salamander may seem insignificant, it speaaks directly to the health of our environment and planet which h impacts us all. Klemens, who holds a Ph.D. in ecology from the University of Kent in the United Kingdom,, and who is a member of the scientific stafff of the Departmen nt of Herpetology at the American Museum of Natural History in N New Yo York City y,, began this work bians and reptiles and a “faith in out of a love he had for amphib hoices and decisions if properly human beings to make better ch informed of the consequences aand benefits of their actions.”

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“We talk k about building resilien ncy that is adapting to climate c change, and this may m be onee way.” .

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Forty-six native species are represented esented in the book along w with om human imp impact. the stressors they face, most of which are from For example, as we continue to develop and build upon every ev track of land in every conceivable manner possible, we not only oach upon the habitats once used by these animals and encroach others, but we impede their natural mobility y. As Klemens notes, n espond animals are supposed to move across landscapes to respon to changing environmental conditions, and in fragmented habitats, that becomes almost impossible. “If you take a block of land and run a road through, it is now fragmented into two segments. This impacts amphibians and reptiles directly y,, as many of these species move over land, especially when they move seasonally between different habitat types. Now they must move through yards, roads, and other human infrastructure they can’t navigate,” says Davison.

COMMON MUDPUPPY

Another major concern is pollution from untreated water runoff that comes from impervious surfaces such as roads, roofs, and parking lots. Oil and grease from our cars are transferred into our waterways, as is lawn fertilizerr,, and salt and sand from winter plowing which can smother plants and benthic habitats. Some of these species are very water quality sensitive and can’t adapt to these pollutants or resulting increases in water temperatures. “It’s called thermal impact where you get a spike in the temperature of a stream or a wetland after it rains because it’s picking up untreated runoff from a hot surface like a parking lot,” explains Davison. “What’s unique about most amphibian species is their interface with aquatic systems, which can be indicators of environmental health. These aquatic systems are areas we need for recharging drinking water wells and water we use for recreation.” FOWLERS TOAD

SMOOTH GREENSNAKE

SLIMY SALAMANDER

VERNAL POOL WITH WOOD FROG EGG MASSES IN WASHINGTON, CT

WOOD FROG

Another impact is, of course, climate change which contributes to rising sea levels. As the tidal marshes rise, they have nowhere to go. They cannot move inland because of the hardened shoreline and over-development. But Klemens believes there is hope, and it lies in the abandoned strip malls and dilapidated motels frequently seen along the U.S. Route 1 corridor.

has been greater egg mortality with warmer spikes in winter temperatures that trigger early breeding activity and egg deposition, often killing them when the wetlands refreeze.

“I’ve often said these might be some of the most important conservation lands there are because they often border tidal creeks, and if they’re not rebuilt, they could become areas we make available for inward tidal marsh migration,” Klemens says. “We talk about building resiliency that is adapting to climate change, and this may be one way.”

The book is laden with illustrations and eye-catching photographs taken by the authors including Dennis P. Quinn who is a wildlife photographer, and a series of detailed maps derived using GPS and GIS technology which wasn’t available at the time of Klemens’ first book. The mapping provides readers with a visual language so they can know where the animal’s primary territories exist either individually or as a population. Not every species is represented on the maps if they occur statewide or are not tied to a geologic feature, elevation, or specific region of the state.

With shifts in weather from climate change, these herpetologists are also witnessing changes in the breeding cycles. As the wetlands, like vernal pools, dry up prematurely, it kills the amphibian larvae before they fully develop. Additionally, there

“This is one of the things we’ve been monitoring for years,” says Davison.

Photo of Wood Frog By Jay Ondreicka

NORTHERN REDBELLY SNAKE

DIAMONDBACK TERRAPIN

VERNAL POOL WITH SPOTTED SALAMANDER EGG MASSES AT KEENEY PARK HARTFORD, CT

BLUE SPOTTED SALAMANDER DIPLOID

“The mapping tells you about their distribution including the areas where they’re absent. This is important because we’re trying to guide conservation efforts. If someone was going to develop or save a piece of land, they would know if a species should be considered in any kind of decision-making process about that land-use change,” Davison says. “We then want them to apply the conservation recommendations in the entire back half of the book.” “A map should tell a story. I learned that from the first book. We have all the species in the book but felt certain species were worthy of mapping because they are limited distributions tied to certain regions with a particularly complex group of stressors affecting them,” adds Klemens. Even though there are reasons to be concerned about the survival of these animals, the authors wanted to create a book that offered viable solutions to the problems plaguing them. The goal is to engage decision-makers and citizens to elicit change.

“Every town in Connecticut has a planning and zoning commission and an inland wetlands commission. This book speaks to them directly as the concluding chapter is a primer on what can be accomplished at the local level to achieve lasting conservation benefits. Even global issues as complex as the effects of climate change can be tackled at the local level,” the authors conclude. Conservation of Amphibians and Reptiles in Connecticut is available for purchase at the CT DEEP Wildlife Division’s Sessions Woods Wildlife Management Area in Burlington and can be purchased online through the CT DEEP Bookstore www. ctdeepstore.com. “We gave this book as a gift to the state with the understanding the sales from the book would go into a dedicated fund that could be used in the conservation of these animals and other non-game wildlife,” Klemens says.

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AYear Year In InThe The Pit Pit ––This This isis aa Doc Doc that that Rocks! Rocks! A

ByAli AliKaufman Kaufman By

been hadbeen sinceI Ihad timesince longtime verylong beenaavery hadbeen t thad friends, byfriends, surroundedby music,surrounded immersedininmusic, immersed atmosphere theatmosphere withthe enthralledwith completelyenthralled andcompletely and play. pressedplay. ThenI Ipressed festival.Then partofofaafestival. beingpart ofofbeing Pit, The Pit, Year InIn The documentary, AAYear new documentary, The new The Visually back.Visually rushingback. feelingsrushing thosefeelings allthose broughtall brought engaging withengaging combinedwith photographycombined stunningphotography stunning story thestory tellthe togethertototell woventogether arewoven interviewsare interviews and photographersand musicphotographers premiermusic today’spremier ofoftoday’s lovers whenlovers happenswhen thathappens magicthat themagic illustratethe illustrate documentary thedocumentary 2018the gather.InIn2018 musicgather. livemusic ofoflive had thathad friends,that twofriends, whentwo germinatewhen begantotogerminate began independently, aroundindependently, ideaaround thisidea kickingthis beenkicking been Festivalinin LOCKN’Festival backstageatatLOCKN’ pathsbackstage crossedpaths crossed reality. becomeaareality. couldbecome thiscould realizedthis andrealized Virginiaand Virginia on takeon projecttototake largeaaproject toolarge deﬁnitelytoo wasdeﬁnitely ItItwas their each ofof their sharing each together, sharing but together, alone, but alone, Adamek Bob Adamek and Bob Woody and John Woody strengths, John strengths,

have they have proved they proved bring takestotobring whatitittakes what life. ﬁlmtotolife. thisﬁlm this have Disclaimer: I I have Disclaimer: years foryears Bobfor knownBob known his fanofofhis beenaafan andbeen and wellasas photographyasaswell photography for spiritfor tenaciousspirit histenacious his not shot,"not “theshot," getting“the getting but shot but perfect shot the perfect the captures thatcaptures onethat theone the Adamek BobAdamek heart,Bob Atheart, moment.At themoment. feelingininthe thefeeling the extends clearlyextends affectionclearly hisaffection buthis fan,but musicfan, isisaamusic bring workstotobring thatworks tribethat entiretribe theentire vibeofofthe thevibe totothe yearsofof manyyears themany Overthe life.Over eventstotolife. theseevents these made hasmade Bobhas journalism,Bob musicjournalism, andmusic shootingand shooting invaluabletoto provedinvaluable thatproved contactsthat plethoraofofcontacts aaplethora

YearInIn makingofofAAYear themaking the Woody, John Woody, Pit. John The Pit. The the onthe regularon notaaregular whilenot while strongly feltstrongly scene,felt festivalscene, festival storytoto wasaastory therewas thatthere that experiwealthofofexperihiswealth tell,his tell, yearsofof 30-plusyears with30-plus encewith ence post-production teaching post-production teaching ﬁlm at Madison James University at Madison ﬁlm was a huge a huge asset. wasasset. University guys two guys these two Once these Once project theproject page,the samepage, thesame onthe wereon theywere realizedthey realized to do some hired was in JohnFesty blossom. The begantotoblossom. VA Arrington, began in Charlottesville, for FESTY filming promo welcomed the Allenby Michael Founder and Justin Billcheck, where footage Virginia new project.of for this Co-founder of sharing idea footage of sharing the welcomed the event to stabilize a gimble 11,idea an iPhone with Armed an iPhone 11, Armed project. this newand forfootage, a cinema-quality Pro,with FiLMiC the

Topcenter: center:John John Woodywith withKevin KevinStifﬂer StifﬂeratatHappy Happy ValleyMusic MusicFest. Fest. Above: :John John Woodyand andBob Bob Adamekatat AikenBluegrass BluegrassFest Fest- Photo - PhotoBain BainStewart Stewart Top Woody Valley Above Woody Adamek Aiken

a gimble stabilize theground footage, andhis FiLMiC video app,to John hit the with perPro, a cinema-quality John hit the sonally-adapted rig and video beganapp, to capture what ground with the his trailer personally-adapted rig ﬁnand would become for the full length began to capture would become the trailer ished product. Anywhat doubt about this being a vifor the full length product. Any doubt able endeavor wasﬁnished squashed once John sent

about this he being a viable endeavor was Bob what came up with. “I was squashed John sent what he blown away,once the quality wasBob incredible, came up with. was blown away, the we really had “I something here!"was qualityreaction. was incredible, we really had Bob’s Now they needed something here!"was Bob’s reaction. content so Bob dove into the producNow they content Bob dove tion side of needed reaching out to so festival diinto theother production side of reaching rectors, photographers, and out to festival directors, musicians to start settingother up thephotoginterraphers, musicians start setting views andand shoots. It wasto important to up the interviews and to shoots. was important make personal contact conveyIt their vision as to make personal convey well as assure the contact venuesto that theytheir werevision not as well assure the venues that they going to as show up with a ﬁlm crew and were cases not of going to show up They with aare ﬁlm crew of and cases equipment in tow. a crew two, andof equipment in tow. They are a crew two,isand just as any photographer knows, theofidea to

Topleft: left:Cedric CedricEllworth EllworthatatFrench FrenchQuarter QuarterFest FestAbove: Above:Lori Loriand andKeira KeiraMessenger MessengeratatFloydFest FloydFest Top

just asyourself any photographer the idea The is to make as invisibleknows, as possible. makethey yourself as was invisible as possible. The trailer sent out well received, and they trailerto they sent out wascalendar well received, and they began populate their with dates. began to populate their calendar with dates. Word travels fast in music circles. The filmWord travels in invites musictocircles. The makers began tofast garner other festifilmmakers began to garner invites to other vals like Devil’s Backbone Hoopla in Virginia festivals likeBluegrass Devil’s Backbone Hoopla and The Aiken Festival in South Car-in Virginia andjust Thea Aiken Festivaltoin olina to name couple.Bluegrass It was important South Carolina to name It was both men that they were just able atocouple. show these important realistically. to both menWith that all they were able to gatherings the positivity show theseitgatherings all the they found was easy realistically. to keep the With vibration positivity they found it was years easy to high throughout the three it keep took the to vibration high throughout thethe three create this documentary. Along way, years they it took to create this new docwere both learning umentary. Along honing the way, skills and perhaps theythey were bothhad. learning ones already John new becoming skills andadept perhaps was at honing ones already navigating “thethey pit," the had.between John was becoming area the stage and adept atfrom navigating “the audience where phopit," the area between the tographers shoot. It is like and audience astage dance. Not always, from but where photographers more often than not, phoshoot. It istolike a dance. togs want help each Not always, butsituational more often other by having than not, photogs want to awareness and working help each so other by having cohesively everyone can situational and come awayawareness with some working cohesively so evkeepers. Bob’s advice to eryone come with John wascan sage and away truly dissome keepers. Bob’s advice tills the truth of how to to John was sage and truly navigate anything really… distillsa thegood truth of how to .”Be citizen," navigateinanything whether the pit, onreally… stage, .”Be a on good citizen," backstage, the grounds, the headed pit, on stage, orwhether might Iinadd, out backstage, on You the can’t grounds, after the show. go or mightdoing I add, headed out wrong the right after the You can’t go thing. Inshow. another later wrong doing conversation withthe John,right he thing. In another later also mentioned this advice conversation with he and how amazed heJohn, was at alsocamaraderie mentioned this the he advice witand how amazedso he many was at nessed between

36 photographers shooting at basically the same target. Rather than jockeying for the same angle, he shared with me how many times one would defer to another so they could get what they were going after, a favor that would in turn be reciprocated. Not to say that elbows don’t fly and that everyone adheres to this philosophy, but more often than not, this is a tight group that has tremendous respect for each other and has found a way to work collaboratively over the many years they have been doing it. I asked both men if they were surprised by anything they found while going through the process, and you probably won’t be surprised by the fact that both independently agreed this was a whole lot more work than they bargained for but were so glad they persevered. Their modus operandi was to send clips via text as they advanced collecting the 75,000 shots, including interviews. Bob’s

standard response upon seeing another of John’s edits was always enthusiastically positive as the pieces came together. For his part, John agreed the ﬁlming and editing was a herculean task but that it was made easier by the help he got from a former student and excellent colorist, Robbie Carman. He was proud of Robbie’s skill and grateful that he provided all color correction free of charge to help the project continue. Bob also mentioned how gratifying it was during the interviews to hear long-admired peers articulate many things that he had also been feeling about the

craft. Hearing them put into words what Bob had intrinsically felt all along helped him grow as a professional. I was familiar with many of the subjects in the documentary as I have been fortunate enough to be in the pit with them as well as a fan of their collections, but one standout for me was a segment shot in New Orleans with Kichea Burt. Securing an interview with Kichea was a “get," she is celebrated for her photos documenting the culture, children, and scenic scapes of NOLA as well as her performance photography. Kichea Burt passed not long after her interview was conducted, preserving in her own words a bit of why she will be so greatly missed and well remembered.

Top photo: unidentiﬁed Above left: Jon Rosenberger and Sam Shinault at Aiken Bluegrass Festival. Above right: Kichea Burt and Demian Roberts at French Quarter Fest

The culmination of all the effort put into making this documentary was celebrated last December 11th with a two-day premiere held at the Court Square Theater in Harrisonburg, Virginia in conjunction with the Arts Council of the Valley, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization.

They filled the house both nights and a great time was had by all. Many of the subjects included in the film made the trip from all over to be part of the premier, and for perhaps the first time did not have a camera around their necks. Festival producers attended without a walkie/talkie attached to their hip, and musicians came without instruments. It was a rare chance to congregate and have more than five minutes between sets to catch up and enjoy each other's company….off the clock. Bob quipped that it was like a work Christmas party for a group that has never had one!

line for a ridiculously small fee. I will conclude with something John said that will resonate with any festival-loving music fan. “I like what we got, we captured a community, and these are friends that I will now have for the rest of my life.” Agreed. Thank you for illustrating our ties in such a beautiful way. Bravo! A Year In The Pit can be viewed online free of charge for a limited time, enjoy! https://vimeo.com/692566892 More of Bob Adamek’s varied photography can be found at https://www.bobadamekphotography.com

In keeping with the soul of this undertaking, artists giving back to artists, all the admission proceeds and the cash bar were donated to the above mentioned Arts Council of the Valley, which when you realize A Year In The Pit was self-funded, was a very generous gift indeed. The documentary is moving forward with negotiations for limited theater release, hopes are that it could additionally land on PBS or a streaming service like NETFLIX. They are already winning ﬁlm festival awards and are waiting to hear about others that are coming up. In the interim, you can take this ride yourself by checking it out onTop: photo pool at Lock’n Fest - photo by Ricki Blackesberg Above left: Jon Rosenberger and Sam Shinault at Aiken Bluegrass Festival. Above right: Kichea Burt and Demian Roberts at French Quarter Fest

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Levesque.2022.indd 1-2

Haddam artist, Ralph Levesque knew right from the get-go he was an artist and that he was good. Now, the octogenarian creates to create. He needs to, and still devotes at least 40 hours a week doing so, “when you factor in all that’s involved including the planning, the drawing, and figuring things out.”

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It’s not for the income anymore, and it really never was. “Some artists make a lot of money, but most don’t make any,” he says. Levesque knew early on that, to have a family or even survive, he would have to do something in addition to his art avocation: teach. Even straight out of Staples High School (Westport), he was teaching at the YMCA and Jewish Community Center. As a young man interested in art and automobiles, Levesque found ways to be involved in both. The initial plan was to become an automobile designer, but he switched gears, so to speak “because I didn’t like the corporate idea of it so I changed my major to Fine Arts, then realized I have to teach to make a living.” As a teenager, he built model cars and pin-striped hot rods and then became a member of the “Westport Downshifters” Car Club. He started college as an Industrial Design major and was interested in “automobile styling.” After a year or so, Levesque changed his major to art because he felt that auto designers “were limited to corporate guidelines, and therefore designed with too much compromise which was too limiting for me.” Throughout his adult life he remained interested in car design and made several prototype models and drawings. Some of these were constructed and shown in auto shows, television shows, and movies, several of which won top awards – 61 trophies for one such auto.

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He earned a master’s in art educatio on from the University of Bridgeport and his art teaching certiification from Southern Connecticut State University y. “I’ve b been an art teacher to support myself in between selling. T This has allowed me a lot i d my art. I always l id off time to do consider d myself lf an artist i first fi and a teacher second.” He taught art to young students in Hamden and Durham private schools for 35 years and has shown his imaginative and award-winning works in galleries all over Connecticut since the 1960s. The list of solo shows and group exhibitions is truly mind-boggling. Gifted with a curious and inquisitive mind, he uses natural and man-made materials to express their hidden meanings beyond their physical presence. “In my sculpture and paintn ings, I use tactical elements to elicit emotional reactions. My intention is to infuse my work with a spiritual dimension that is universal and available to all of us if only we look with great and simple awareness.” Levesque describes his works as being “like artifacts from some distant past civilization and places unknown – pointing to new w, yet-to-be-discovered worlds and realms. The element of time revealing past and future cycles of the universe are revealed and appear in recognized, yet forgotten memories, I have been granted a gift - a ‘childlike mind’ - seeing the constructive patterns, the rhythmic hidden constructs in nature, and seeing the spiritual things that it really is.” Except for the past two years, his art hasn’t changed much over his lifetime. While Levesque dates his drawings, he doesn’t do so for paintings, “because five years ago I made

paintings very similar to what I’m doing now. I jump aroun nd. For example, I had a show of all things I did in white. Everry four or five years I’ll do a little series of whitework.”

and wanted to emphasize that, so I started putting figures into my work – they’re not realistic but more humanoid sh hapes. That’s a big change from where I was two years ago.”

He notes, H t “The “Th biggest bi t change h i my work in k in i the th last l t two t y years when is the efffect of COVID because I was looking at my work w n I’m this move happened saying ‘wow w, this is nice stuff.’ I mean ng doing beautiful abstractions. Now w, with these overwhelmin oked things happening and people dying all over the place, I loo at my work and started thinking about people in our societty

While drawings, sculpture, objects, Whil paintings, i ti d i l t bj t and d car designs would all be found on his CV V, Levesque says he thinkss better three-dimensionally so his favorite is sculpture. “W Wiith h sculpture, there’s an object right there, and it’s easier than p painting.” Of sculpture Levesque explains, “The sculpture I do iss usually of an additive method. At times they take on a mythicc form or

46 forms of legendary beings. At times, I will make scenes inside boxes. At other times, the work will be in the round. Materials vary from paper to steel.” Of his paintings, he says, “I work basically with acrylics and mixed media – sometimes incorporating collage elements – some recycled from earlier works or from scraps left over from experiments with various materials and methods of painting. I use airbrushes as well as paintbrushes and knives and other instruments.” “At times faces appear visibly in my works and sometimes appear hidden. My work should not be glanced over, but the viewer should stop – look – and ‘read’ over. Sometimes surprises appear.” Among his favorite artists are Robert Rauschenberg, Eva Hesse, and Jasper Johns. “I love the abstract, you know, but there aren’t very many artists really that I actually like.” He enjoys working in pencil and ink and says, “all my drawing comes from the subconscious -– I do not draw from observation. Various myths, legends, and stories appear. At times I will draw cartoon figures and will show some humor or a situation that reads like a story.” Levesque further explains his works: “In our machine-minded culture, guided by science and industry, I find soulless monsters with slick cold engineering, killing the natural – doing away with the ‘human touch.’ Reaching back, I allow the handcrafted, ‘touched by man’ to show. By allowing the handmade – sometimes crude – naturally inspired art lost in the machine age; my works point to a time when art was a spiritual endeavor, reaching for the unexplainable. Using matter, I focus on being a conduit, through which timeless invisible sources and untouchable mysterious forces connect the physical and spiritual.” Levesque is a member of several significant art organizations including the Silvermine Art Association and the Art League of New Britain. He is an Elected Artist and a new Board member at the Essex Art Association where he was invited to be the Association’s “Artist of the Month” in February; he will likely be showing work at the Association this year. Gretchen Di Giannantonio, Administrative Director at Essex Art Association suggested Levesque be the Artist of the Month not only because he is a new board member, but also “because his work is pretty innovative.” She says, “We don’t see a lot of abstracts like his, it’s very thought-provoking.” With the figurative work Levesque started after COVID, she explains, “he was starting to think more about humanity than just abstract shapes and thoughts so the viewer can kind of make their own impression about whatever is in his paintings. I know he has his idea, but people can come up with their own conclusions about what it’s trying to convey. It’s interesting in that there’s a lot to it.” Di Giannantonio adds, “I personally always liked his work, it just kind of reminds me of like 1970s abstract expressionism and I really loved that whole era of art.”

Levesque recently illustrated Still Life with Wings (October 2021), written by his partner and poet laureate of Haddam, Lorraine Riess. Ralph Levesque’s artwork can be seen at RalphLevesqueArt.com, Azothgallery.com, artmajeur. com, and Saatchiart.com. The Essex Art Association is located at 10 N. Main Street in Essex and at EssexArtAssociation.com

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Memoir and Image By Carolina Márquez-Sterling

Awakened by the pungent aroma of the coffee, I lay awhile in the pin-pum-pun; a rollaway bed is hidden in many a closet in small dwellings of a Cuban household. Ya Yawning, I watch my aunt’s silhouette move in a rhythmical silence while trying to make out the other dark shapes in the room. I quell my excitement in expectation of the day ahead. Even at the tender age of 8, I appreciate that these moments are rare and unique. I hadn’t seen or spent time with my grandparents in a year. Often dispersed hundreds of miles apart just to survive, el exilio was a calamity on the extended family y..

The kitchen lights suddenly come on and stream through the louvered doors like sunshine. I can hea ar my grandfather d slippers, I walk out beginning his day y. Putting on my robe and to the kitchen. Standing over the stove is mi m Abuelo Carly y,, an impeccably elegant, tall man. Dressed in striped s pajamas, navy blue robe, and dark brown slippers, not a hair out of place. Absent the evidence of eight hours of sleep p, and except for his clothing, he appears ready for work. He’s making Cafe Con Leche, half espresso, half milk sweetened with w sugar. Standing next to him, he looks down at me while stirring and says softly y, “Buenos Dias Carolinita. Did you sleep weell?” I nod, and he releases a gentle smile and directs me with h a few words to sit at the table in the other room.

Looking out the window w, the there are a few city lights in use elsewhere. Ye Yellow cabs and city buses below make their way about Manhattan’s early morning business. I am reminded of ants doing their thing. Fifteen floors above ground, they are so quiet and peaceful that I wonder if this is how God views us.

The morning light still rising from its rep pose, it’s the table lamp that casts a warm glow over the wh hole room. The table is set for two. One for me, and I hope the other is for mi Abuelo, and not my slumb slumbering aunt in the t other room. The o has me wide awake advent of sharing a meal with w mi Abuelo aper towel, acting with a calm apprehension.. Placing the pa uet of coffee and as a napkin on my lap, I in nhale the bouqu or service. Hearing toast cooking. Dishes are being b readied fo the anticipated the ting of the toaster, my stomach flips over o occasion about to commen nce. He passes the t dining room and g goes into his bedroo om with a tray y. I hear the murmur ut I cannot make of a discussion with mi Abuela Uva, bu out the words. Tiptoeing g to look and liisten, he suddenly appears at the door as I sneakily peer in i the doorway and n bed. I can hear wave at my Abuela eatiing breakfast in as Carolina,” as he her cheerful salutation ns, “Buenos Dia own. A few more ushers me back to th he table to sit do rattles and tinkers, he h appears with h another tray y. There ugar bowl, two plates are two cups of Cafe Con Leche, a su kers with butter of overcooked toast, hard like crack melting, and El Diario, a Spanish neewspaper. He places the items on my pla acemat and motions for me to eat. I grab the Meelba-like toast aand notice he is ur eyes meet, and he watching g my actions. Ou m smile, but this time again releases r a warm it env velops and enamors me. He says, ou eat the tostadas. “Th his is the way yo It is the way all Cubanos drink Cafe C Leche.” Whiile speaking, he dips Con a quarter of his toast in the cafe and leets it stand for a second or two, then he lifts it and takees a bite. Softly he muttters, “Mmmm,, delicioso.”

South View of Fair Haven/ Dragon 1830

by Daniel Lev Shkolnik

The Imagined History of Noel Ashworth a work of fiction

My investigation into the life of Noel Ashworth began in the archives of the Oneida Community Mansion House in Oneida, NY. While researching the eccentric Christian sect for the May issues of this magazine, I discovered Ashworth’s autobiography in their private library. After several months of additional research, and the generous help of local historians, I have come to believe Noel Ashworth may have been one of the “Founding Mothers” of America.

Ashworth arrived in the Connecticut Colony circa 1759, landing at the village of Dragon. (Renamed “Fair Haven” in 1824.) “I leaned over the ship’s side in jubilation,” wrote Ashworth in her autobiography. “ I suppose I expected to see real dragons lounging on the rocks. Instead, I saw mud, clams, and seals.” John Calvin 1509-1564 Calvinism (also known as the Reformed tradition or Reformed Protestantism) is a prominent branch of Protestantism that adheres to John Calvin’s and other Reformation-era theologians’ theological heritage and forms of Christian practice. It affirms God’s sovereignty and the Bible’s authority.

Disappointed with the fishing village, Ashworth traveled north to what would become Bethlehem, CT. There she joined a community of Calvinists who’d arrived to the New World, disassembled their ship, and made its beams into a church. As with everything she later did, Ashworth threw herself headlong into worship. “One Christmas morning, I reached such a frenzied state of joy that people came running from all directions, panicked, to see me tossing in the snow in ecstasy. They were unsure if I was possessed or pierced by God’s arrow.”

The women of Bethlehem came to believe Ashworth was one of God’s “elect” and thus predestined for heaven. Her unorthodox style of worship and beliefs regarding love, liberty, and equality added more proof that she was set apart. The men thought differently.

Witch Burning, 1555

“We are making preparations. A tree has been felled, rope prepared, firewood stacked. May God help us.”

In his journal, Father Amis Littlewood wrote: “She leads women into the forest on sabbath night and delivers therein a fiery sermon, the contents of which I know not of. In the morrow, men arrive to church without their wives. I fear we have let Lilith into our midst.” In her autobiography, Ashworth wrote: “Women from surrounding villages came to the wood by night, forging snow and distance, to hear me speak what was in my heart. They took my words home and smuggled them into their husbands’ ears as they slept or plied them at supper with seemingly innocent questions. Preachers preached, judges judged, wittingly or not passing our ideas off as their own. In such a manner, we influenced much moral progress throughout the colony.” Over the course of that year, tensions rose in the town until the men of Bethlehem decided to take drastic action. On Dec 11th, 1762, Father Littlewood wrote: “We are making preparations. A tree has been felled, rope prepared, firewood stacked. May God help us.” One of the men’s wives caught word of the plan and informed Ashworth she would be burned at the stake the following morning. “I fled into the woods,” Ashworth wrote. “Three women—two married—chose to follow. Try as I might, I could not dissuade them.”

Women and the American Revolution, 1750–1783 Woodcut detail from Molly Gutridge,1779. New-York Historical Society Library.

Judging the surrounding Christian towns unsafe for their ideas, Ashworth convinced the other women to seek shelter with a local tribe. This was the height of the French and Indian War, during which various Native American tribes allied themselves either with the French or the British. The women joined an Iroquois settlement allied with the British where, according to Ashworth, they taught her and the other women to fish and trap, make arrows and hunt barefoot in the snow. Arriving in enemy camps as damsels in distress, the women helped the Iroquois launch surprise attacks on French forces and may have contributed in turning the tide at key points in the war. Sometime during this period, Ashworth became disillusioned with Christianity. She wrote: “When you learn to speak with windstorms and gaze into the eyes of a wolf, you come to have little use for God.”

Portrait of Mary Wollstonecraft by John Opie 1797

Meanwhile, the ideas disseminated by Ashworth’s early preaching on liberty, independence, and equality circulated among the women of the colonies. Surreptitiously, they entered the minds of their husbands. On August 2, 1776, the Declaration of Independence was signed in Philadelphia. When a copy reached Ashworth, she was furious. “I recognized my own words and sentiments sprinkled throughout,” she wrote, “but saw them serving only men.”

“My name appears nowhere on that Declaration, but those words were in some part my children. I decided I would fight to see them live.”

Nonetheless, Ashworth decided to aid in the revolution. She nursed the wounded at Bunker Hill. She patched the flag after the Battle of Trenton. She spent New Year’s Day ladling soup to freezing soldiers at Valley Forge. “My name appears nowhere on that Declaration, but those words were in some part my children. I decided I would fight to see them live.” After the Treaty of Paris was signed in 1783, Ashworth traveled to Philadelphia in the hope of joining the Constitutional Convention. She was turned out. “I accosted Mr. Franklin as he left the State House and informed him the women of this new country needed a voice. He lowered his head slightly, looked at me from over his spectacles, and said, ‘We have barely survived one revolution. We cannot withstand another.’”

Mary Wollstonecraft Right of Woman

‘We have barely survived one revolution. We cannot withstand another.’” Ben Franklin

Portrait of Ben Franklin commissioned by Robert Alexander. Painted by David Martin 1767

Battle Of Trenton, 1776. General George Washington inspecting the captured British flags after the Battle of Trenton, 26 December 1776. Lithograph by Percy Moran, c1914.

Benjamin Franklin’s words proved influential. In the decades that followed, Ashworth worked to foment a second revolution. She traveled to London to strategize with Mary Wollstonecraft. She met with Frederick Douglas and aided the cause of abolition. She drafted a new Declaration in which “all people” were created equal, not just “all men,” and even designed a flag for this imagined nation. “One day,” she wrote, “I will see this colors fly, be it by law or by legion.” In 1848, at the Seneca Falls Convention, Ashworth had the chance to add her name to the Declaration of Sentiments: the document that would launch the feminist movement in the U.S. She refused to sign. In a letter to Elizabeth Cady Stanton she wrote: “You demand the right to vote. I demand the country.” Former allies distanced themselves from Ashworth, opting for gradual progress over open revolution. Indignant, the aging Ashworth turned away from politics and sought refuge in the recently formed and sufficiently radical Oneida Community. Its founder, Humphrey Noyes, believed God was composed of both man and woman and implemented the practice of “complex marriage,” in which any member was free to have sex with any other who consented, just as angels did in Heaven.

“Here, at least, I found a cage I could tolerate within a world I could not.” On July 19-20, 1848, the first women’s rights convention was held in Seneca Falls, NY.

Front of the Mansion and lawn, by Ranger_&_Austen. John Humphrey Noyes, Courtesy of Rauner Library, Dartmouth College

Ashworth wrote detailed accounts of her sexual life with the men of Oneida, especially Noyes. “We always spoke afterward. He came to trust my intuition about the community’s affairs and listened to my council.” When the Wallingford branch was founded, Noyes entrusted Ashworth to oversee it. With the skills the Iroquois once taught her, she helped develop a thriving trapping business to support the community. She spent her final years providing haven for women and men who, like her, felt estranged from the century into which they were born. Hester Taylor was one of these, and we owe our knowledge of Ashworth’s final moments to her.

“Here, at least, I found a cage I could tolerate within a world I could not.”

On a summer day in 1878, a tornado touched down in Wallingford. As Taylor later wrote: “Ms. Ashworth and I shepherded everyone into the cellar. I urged her to follow but she closed the cellar door behind me and went out alone into the gale. The very ground began to shake beneath our feet, and I feared our cellar would be ripped from the earth. Amidst the noise, I thought I heard Ms. Ashworth’s voice calling something into the wind. And then, all at once, it stopped. Venturing outside, we found a pitchfork piercing a tree and sunshine pouring through the church roof. The sky was blue again, but Ms. Ashworth was nowhere to be seen.” For several years, Taylor attempted to publish Ashworth’s autobiography, but received no interest from editors. Eventually, she submitted the book, along with her own testimonial, to the Oneida Company’s archives where, years later, I discovered it. History, no doubt, has had many Ashworth’s—women who put their shoulder to the wheel and got no credit for their sweat or tears or genius. Even Asherah, the “wife of God,” was edited from Hebrew scriptures two or three thousand years ago. The Fathers of history have done enough to remember themselves. It falls on us to imagine the Mothers.

Photos of The Great Tonado of 1878 Wallingford CT.

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Black Flag, The Cramps, Dead Kennedys, Circle Jerks, Agent Orange and TSOL. DRI and the Butthole Surfers were a gift from Deep in The Heart of Texas. Husker Du, The Violent Femmes and The Stooges all hailed somewhere amidst the vast and archaic Great Lakes region. Washington D.C. birthed Bad Brains and Minor Threat. The Ramones and The Misfits grew malignantly in New York City. New England was sparse for punk and hardcore, vice the almighty F.U.’s who spewed forth from the gutters of Boston, and the immortals from Verbal Assault lurked along the briny shores of Newport, Rhode Island.

Slammin’ To The Oldies

An Evening in Providence with New England Punk Royalty by John Tolmie (Crusty) The early 80s was an age when punk rock ruled the underground music scene. From coast-to-coast bombastic punk and relentless hardcore bands found roots that grew in the hearts of frustrated youth and those existing on the fringes of society. VFW halls, abandoned buildings, condemned houses, an away parents’ basement, countless dive bars, beach generator parties, after-hour parking lots or uncle Franks pizza joint, it mattered not the where. Getting-it-out to whoever, where ever and whenever was the mission of these hardcore pioneers of 80s punk. 1980s California was a hotbed both in variety and in numbers of influential bands such as

The Bostonian borne F.U.’s banded together in 1981 along the dirty waters of the Charles River. Their lineup, moniker and

sound changed over the years, but the spirit never quit grinding forth. In 2010, the original members came together for a reunion show for the Boston fans, playing alongside veteran hardcore Bean Towners, Jerry’s Kids and Gang Green. The F.U.’s have since continued to

extensively tour the US and Europe. However, New England is where they still spend most of their time. Since, Boston and Providence are bro-sis-cities, they got invited to play a special show with Verbal Assault in March of 2022. Verbal Assault had formed in the former shadow of Newport’s Vanderbiltean opulence. There they had played their first show on November 21st, 1983 and would continue to

tour throughout the 80s, playing their last show in August of 1991. VA would satiate fans with a surprise reunion thirty years in the making. With little warning, VA announced a show at the Met in Providence. The announcement read,“Hey all, in keeping with Verbal Assault's long-standing media & promotion strategy,

i.e., not having one, we decided to book a reunion show in Providence and not really tell anyone about it. You're welcome.” The tickets would soon sell out for the show. A good friend had called saying he had two tickets to paradise and one would be mine if I wished to attend. Mike “The Yeti” Fleming and I played in a band called Black Horse

60 The Met is a legendary venue for this genre of music. It’s always awkward yet ecstatic to have the door person wrap the evenings“Paid and permission to drink” band around your wrist. For a short time, you become an exclusive member of a cult. It feels kinda special. Yet there are rules and pleasantries that one must abide, albeit for the appropriate time. As such, signage had been in place as a warning that Stage Diving was not allowed. Sigh. It was a little sad to see rules at a hardcore show. Well, at least it didn’t say no Crowd Crawling or Slam Dancing. The mosh-pit was dinner and jumping into the crowd was the dessert at the punk shows of the 80s. The final pit for this Crusty fellow was last year. Did a bit of math that night: “Fifty-one plus five beers equal twenty-two years old again!” This was bad arithmetic. The equations solution was actually a hyper extended left knee-joint, which still hurts a year later. Ugh. Alas, the days of the pit had finally come to pass with Stage Diving a long time ago dream of the past.

Rebellion for two years, him pulling duty behind the drums with yours truly fingering the four stringed bass. We played only the heavy stuff. Now in our 50s, our roots of our musical taste had a common foundation in 1980s Punk, hardcore, metal and thrash. The F.U.’s and Vernal Assault were from Mike’s coming of age neck of the woods here in New England. He played in bands along side the F.U.’s and Verbal Assault back in the day. I wasn’t sure what I’d enjoy more; watching the show or watching the Yeti watch the show. Many of his old school buddies and band mates would be in attendance as well. For the Yeti, it would be a reunion many years in the making as well. The legendary hosting venue, The Met, is located in the speediest portion of Pawtucket, Rhode Island closely bordering the seedier neighboring city of north Providence. A circle of orange neon encompassing a stack of two words, THE and MET, glowed across

the street. We were in the right place. Crusty and Yeti alike were but moths beckoned across the bustling street, wonting more for a show than personal safety. The youthful defiance had always resided smoldering beneath the ever-surmounting bitch slaps of audulting. A rare two-way street in these parts were being taken full advantage of, and bustled with ever Ill timing to cross. The clouds had an impatient mood to them as well. A break in traffic and a sprintlimp across was met with a blanket of mid-March flurries for an added measure of afternoon gloom. Doors opened at three and the bands would kick off at four. With five bands in the lineup, we would be in for a good four hours of pure hardcore punkorama.

The spiral into the past dissipated in a ﬂash thanks to a jovial group who hailed the Yeti to the bar where not a few old friends awaited. Lines of age, massive smiles, and grey hair pepper the countenances of Yeti’s coming-of-age comrades. However, age became less apparent as their leather jackets, tattoos, patched jeans and piercings spoke of youthful defiance and determined undomestication.

Words were cut short as the opener Peace Test exploded to life. They were hard. Fast. Furious. It was a glorious twenty-minute set. Ah. Just like the old days. Between sets, Yeti Mike made proper introductions to band mates new and old. Guinness had been the first course, and a round on Crusty of Narragansett Lager came next. After all, tis the favored brew of good friends, the frugal, and cheap fishermen. Clinking the iconic local brew was interrupted by the jackhammer of Bitter Branches. They were angry, powerful, fast, to the point and water-tight. A few diehard fans stomped across the worn floor as if to test the quality for the crowd that would soon gather enmasse for the headliners. Another round of Guinness was handed out by an anonymous benefactor. Latecomers moseyed steadily through the door as the crowd swelled making space sparser and the beer lines longer each passing minute. At the foot of the stage a quandary of fans had already formed across three columns deep. The hum. The buzz. The anticipation of these diehard fans. I felt a stranger in a strange land. I almost walked out in search of someone who grew up with these guys to hand over my ticket. This was something special for the born and raised locals. Again, existential thoughts were averted as the crowd erupts. The F.U.’s had arrived to command the stage, and boy howdy did they deliver. The lead singer even wore creepers on his half century old feet! A TRUE punk rocker. Another fast a furious set had ended. The gathering was at its capacity by the end of the third band. Verbal Assault would be the final act, but fresh air was in need as the heat inside became a bit much. Outside, folks with spiked jackets and blue hair were puffing on lung darts as they waited for VA to hit the stage. A member of the Pawtucket fire department in uniform lit up as well. He said that he was

there to make sure that the event wouldn’t become overcrowded stating that Rhode Island required a officer on hand at every sizeable show after the tragedy of the Station fire in 2003. Punk rock is a dangerous sport, but it was good to know that our safety came first. Once back inside a final round of Hi Neighbor Narragansett was gripped in our mitts. The Met was full by then as a few last-minute stragglers packed in to catch Verbal Assault. The grey-haired troupe of musicians

tromped to their places on stage and the place erupted in hoots and cheers. They kicked off their first song as the crowd became a swirling hurricane of bodies on the ﬂoor below. And those signs that said No Stage Diving? Well, the appropriate time to ignore them had come. It was a sight to behold after so long as bodies ﬂew into the air and were swallowed by the sea of rockers below. It truly was a night of Stage Diving to the Oldies!

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Truffles and Truffle Cheese

photo by Paul Partica

The

Cheesemonger Paul Partica, The Cheese Shop, Centerbrook CT

Whether you’re talking about truffle cheese, truffle oil, truffle butter, truffles in pâté, or truffles found in soups, soufflés, pasta, rice, omelets, and so on, many people just love them. It appears that some people are willing to pay almost anything for this gourmet delight. I read an article on the internet that noted that, in 2007 in Alba Italy, two white truffles were found 3 feet underground weighing three pounds and sold for over $330,000. I find this astonishing, why would you need more than one? A truffle is part of a fungus that grows under very moist soil, sometimes several feet deep. They are found by either a female pig or by a trained dog. Female pigs are generally acknowledged as the best truffle finder but there is a high risk of the pig eating the prize. Dogs offer less risk as they are usually happier with some other kind of treat. Dogs move much faster, and they are much easier to transport from one location to another. There are some truffle hunters who actually dig for the treasure themselves. Once a location is found the area can be marked for next year’s harvest since they seem to grow continually in the same spot. The aroma of a truffle is as important as the taste, which makes the harvesting time so critical. The aroma is created when the spores are mature enough and ready to release. If proper timing for harvesting is not used, the truffle will have little taste. This is why pigs or dogs, with their great sense of smell, are best suited for the task. Truffles grow best in France, Italy, Spain, and the Pacific Northwest. They are one of the most expensive of the world’s natural foods often costing between $300 and $400 per pound. They are round in appearance, range in size from a walnut to a baseball, and are somewhat irregular in shape. The enjoyment of these little delicacies dates back to Roman and Greek times. Truffles are also grown in the United States but, although gaining in popularity and quality, it is generally accepted that the European truffle is best. There are different kinds of truffles. Black is more common, but white, the stronger of the two, is the more valuable. Much like a fine coffee, tea, or wine, the climate, soil, pH balance, amount of rainfall, and moisture in the soil all affect the truffle’s quality. To get the most flavor from a truffle the key is freshness, therefore, the closer to harvesting the better. Unfortunately, truffle strength decreases quickly and most of the flavor can be lost before they ever get to market. Newly harvested truffles need to be kept refrigerated and are often covered

with rice to keep freshness in, and then shipped overnight to their final destination. This is the most expensive route to obtain truffles. Most of us settle for something less like truffle oil or whole truffles kept in glass storage jars. These jars can be frozen to help preserve freshness. A little side note, fresh eggs and rice stored in the same glass container as the truffle will absorb its flavor and can be later enjoyed when they are cooked. Storing in mild oil can also help preserve truffles.

Popular truffle cheeses There are so many trufﬂe cheeses in the world today that it would be hard to pick one. And since they are found in just about any type of cheese or cheese family, it really depends on you.

The following selection is a mix of soft to hard, sheep to cow’s milk, and mild to sharp.

Fromage D’Affinois This cheese is, of course the ever-popular French Fromage D’Affinois with the addition of truffles. It satisfies the need for a soft ripening cheese and the need for the truffle taste. It’s a double crème (60%) butterfat cow’s milk cheese that’s soft, mild and creamy. There are many truffle cheeses in this category, both imported and domestic. These cheeses have a short shelf life of a day or two up to two weeks. This would depend on the condition and ripeness of the cheese when purchased.

Manchego You can ﬁnd the age of Manchego anywhere from three months to one year old and made from both pasteurized and raw milk. The one we often see is a younger pasteurized version which is very pleasant with a nice trufﬂe taste but not over powering.

Casio de Busco This Italian offering steps up the sharpness a little bit. It’s a fairly hard sheep’s milk cheese that can also be grated for salads and various cooking projects. It also a step up in trufﬂe taste. If you’re familiar with Pecorino Toscano from Italy just imagine it with trufﬂes.

Moliterno al Tartufo This is the Superman of truffle cheese. A sharp crumbly combination of sheep’s milk with one of the strongest truffle tastes of our selection. The cheese looks like a piece of granite just laced with the dark truffle marbling. Not for the weak of heart. When cooking with truffles it’s important to thoroughly clean the outside because the skin is also consumed. Use a brush and wash with plenty of water. Blot dry when finished. When using truffles remember a little goes a long way. Be careful in purchasing because you can spend a lot of money for a non-fresh truffle and be disappointed with you results. Be sure to know and trust your source. Paul Partica, The Cheese Shop - CheeseCt.com

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