INK MAGAZINE - AUGUST 2023

The first week of August hangs at the very top of summer, the top of the live-long year, lke the highest seat of a Ferris wheel when it pauses in its turning. The weeks that come before are only a climb from balmy spring, and those that follow a drop to the chill of autumn, but the first week of August is motionless, and hot. It is curiously silent, too, with blank white dawns and glaring noons, and sunsets smeared with too much color. Often at night there is lightning, but it quivers all alone.” — Natalie Babbitt.

Summer is beginning to leave us as the light keeps closing in tighter and tighter at either end of the day. The promise of endless summer to all the school-age folks never seems to fully deliver as the new school year looms on the not-so-distant horizon. Fear not, as we offer up to you our latest issue of INK.

In this issue, we bring stories of hope, dedication, and perseverance. All this, complete with a nice cold beverage at the end of our story on the lax enforcement of prohibition in Watch Hill. Kathleen, the owner of Brimstone Candles, launched her shop for many reasons. All of them are good, and we encourage everyone to pay her a visit to learn why. Eliot Lewis has had a very successful career. Not the least as a sideman for Daryl Hall on the show, “Live from Darryl’s House” and tours with Hall & Oats. Now he is stretching out his legs with his own solo project and wowing crowds with his guitar/vocal chops as well as his songwriting skills.The art of Pamela Zagarensky has been on our list since first seeing it at “Whyevernot.” It is rendered with great skill but retains a looseness and charm that is instantly recognizable. As the publisher of INK, I confess her to be one of my faves!

Lastly, we would like to make an appeal to our readers. When you venture out to visit and utilize the many goods and services our advertising partners represent and offer, make sure to tell them that INK sent you. Last month we learned of a great story that we wanted to share. Upon seeing Preston Trading Post’s ad last month, one of our readers carried in a copy of INK and purchased the entire room of furniture that was in the ad. We love stories like that!

Lilly founder / publisher

Just like the butterfly

. e joy . Pur

The moment you open the door and enter Brimstone

Candles in Salem ther

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elaxation, and seems to radiate a kind of peace, r

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delicate candle wax is neither intr

usive nor overwhelming.

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ook some years ago (she Old Saybr

butterflies that adorn the walls, the about anything, fully embodies the and open to speak with anyone oud of her Irish heritage Roderick, pr was then known as Kathleen Benjdid).

moving on. taking whatever she needed touching down for a time, e branch of her life to another om since childhood, flitting fr ones she always loved and e d, and then xploring, , lightly r, m one emulated s,e adethem hem for It wasn’t ake enjoyed m the time ld was, in that what sometimeoffbutthenshegot issa’s closed, she took Ti After T the back burner for a long time. making candles, but it was on never abandoned her love of , she r, As Roderick grewolder

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Photo Courtesy of Brimstone

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Photo Courtesy of Brimstone

Although jus

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, but now I make them in small bat y, from soy ears ago, my mother and I made candles “YYe

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–

Brimstone (which has two meanings, one biblical and

efers to a bright, yellow butterfly). the other r

All candles

e all-natural and handmade and wax melts in the shop ar

ete pillar candles using ee-tone styles including concr thr including beeswax candles. They come in two-tone and

ete, all natural soy candles in tins and self-leveling concr

e Among Kathleen’s favorites ar jars, and even in bowls.

important to Roderick and is at the very heart of what and celebrations of every stripe. Celebration is very parties, anniversaries, baby showers, logos, holidays, as centerpieces or gifts for weddings, bridal showers, , Kathleen can custom-design candles to serve chandlerr, eative most cr A eates for specific events. those that she cr

Brimstone is all about, especially celebrating life and the

person living it.

kh world flicker and orry if all the

Photo Courtesy of Brimstone

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een tea eat yourself to some herbal, black, or gr tr

a long, long time, look over the books, the soap accompany it with the very best cookie you’ve h

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e and for yourself. Indulge in your own self-car essence of their candles. Then take a moment co ong – who mething caterpillar

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your journey to Brimstone Candles at 1 New Londo

Kelly Birkenruth, An Abundance of Beauty, Oil, 16 x 12”Sue Gilkey, Irish Pony, Oil, 18 x 24”

-old Eliot sat high Eleven-year

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s hooked. The starter and Eliot was playing nd pans, boxes or titute, longing for e saw in a store as very supportive of ually his parents were condhand set. Eliot

He met his friend Kevin ten through his brother J Kevin on the school bus was always singing Beat

n when Eliot was Jeffff. Jeff had met s and noticed that he tles songs. He was

younger than Jefff f and two years older than Eliot. Kevin’s father Rich worked for several A record labels, including & M Records. Kevin was playing music too, the electric bass, and they started playing together in Kevin’s basement. They soon formed a band and played at Church and school events. Rich got tickets and took them to shows

Alice Cooper like r, , Elton John and The Who. One day a young Peter Frampton came to Kevin’s house while Eliot and Kevin were playing in the basement. When Peter heard the music, he immediately went down to the basement, jumped on the piano, and jammed with them. Frampton wasgetting

known then playing with a band called Humble Pie, but he was now a solo artist Shortly afterwards he released his “Fram Comes Alive” album and shot to the top the charts. Rich took the boys to see him a MSG. Playing with Peter Frampton at the house and then seeing him on the stage a Madison Square Garden was thrilling for Eliot. He again imagined himself playing that stage.

When Eliot was 16 his girlfriend introduc him to the music of Cheap T Trrick and brou over their album, Heaven T Toonight. Cheap

T Trrick was a new favorite, and Eliot thoug the goofy guy with the hat could write th music, then he could write too! He took u the bass and electric guitar so he could w music. Eliot was deeply focused and envi eer taking of sioned his musical car fff. At 18 eventually formed a band with two Chica guitarists who were playing with origina Alice Cooper band members. The band w A Secret Service and they opened for Floc Seagulls, The Motels, and others.

T Teechnology exploded in the 1980’s and Eliot latched on to this new capabilityy. . H ed by T was inspir Toodd Rundgren in the

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1970s, and watched his iconic performance of Hello It’s Me, withTToodd playing all of the instruments, on The Midnight Special show. He took up the keyboard and learned how to use this technologyy, , in order to be a self-contained songwriter He worked in restaurants and factories to earn money and in 1985 he got a job at a music store. A place that would anchor his career for years. His brother Jeff had been booking artists at this time and introduced Eliot to

Dan Hartman, bass player with Edgar W Wiinter. Dan had become oducer predominant music pr r, , a hired Eliot to program drum pa forTinaTurner Ti Tu r, , Nona Hendrix, and Joe Cocker. He was masteri synthesizers, sequencers, and sa plers and in 1987 got his first pu lishing deal with Sony Records.

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A him to Avverage White Band’s vocalist and bass player Alan Gorrie around 1987 and the two songwriting partners for several Eventuallyy, , Alan went to Seattle

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A to get AWWB back together. At the Eliot embarked on a land adventur to LA with Jeff and his wife Louise. not like to flyy. . While they were in LA, Gorrie called him and asked him to come to Seattle to record with the band. He got on the plane and flew to Seattle. He spent several months there recording their comeback album Aftershock for what was to be more than a decade of playing and touring all over the world with the Scottish band.

In 1992 Eliot met Daryl Hall. Daryl and Alan Gorrie were good friends, and both A were with Atlantic Records in the 70s. AWWB opened for Hall & Oates in the late 90s, A and Daryl would sometimes sit-in at AWWB shows. Though the 12 years playing with A AWWB was an exciting and hugely successful time for him, the demanding schedule of touring, jet lag and stress caused Eliot to burn out. He needed to get offfftheroad for a while and go home. T To o his family and the music store where he started, to ground himself, and get back to his own music. He recorded his second solo CD in 2001. On January 1st, 2004, his friend and one of om“TBone”W his musical mentors, T To Woolk called. T Bone was playing with Hall & Oates and Daryl Hall wanted Eliot to join

the tour and play with the band. In the sumA mer of 2004 AWWB opened for Hall & Oates. Full circle. Then Daryl sought to put together a great “House Band” for a series he would call “Live from Daryl’s House” recording with legendary musicians at his rustic self-restored house/studio in rural upstate NYY. . Eliot came to be the only member of that bdbidDlHllfbi

band, besides Daryl Hall of course, to be in every single episode of the showw. .

Throughout the tours with Hall & Oates, Daryl’s Showw, , Eliot always found time to do his own show in between theirs. The bands thought he was crazy! They would be resting for one or two nights, and Eliot would be going out to play a solo gig. On Daryl’s show he got to play with his childhood and contemporary heroes rick, T - Cheap T Tr Toodd Rundgren, Smokey , Joe W Robinson, Sammy Hagarr, Waalsh, Billy Gibbons of ZZ T Toop and so many others. Recently he had the chance to tour with Rundgren, another childhood dream that eality became a r y. .

Besides being an extraordinarily versatile and talented musician, Eliot has always been a dependable asset to all of the bands he has contributed to. He learned to be prepared. On what would have been the only gig he would have missed with Daryl’s House when they went to LA to

play with the remaining Doors was up on the east coast playin getting ready to turn in for the Bone called and said “El, we n Can you fly out here in the mo learn seven Doors songs on th you get on the plane?”

s band, Eliot ng music, e night. T need you. orning and he bass before yed up all nd with he Doors in

Eliot poured some coffee, stay night, arrived the next dayy, , an sunglasses on, played with Th the Daryl’s House Band.

Anything has always been pos Eliot. From his childhood to ad

sible with dulthood,

First time a at Madison Square Garden

Eliot Lewis Keyboard Shoot Day of Sony Signing

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Eliot with Hall and

d Oates at the White House

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en, W Clockwise: Eliot with T Toodd Rundgr Wiith Hall & Oates (Michael Eliot with Dave Grohl, Eliot at Daryl's House Club performing. l Sparks Keegan),

music has been his muse. It has been his friend, his vehicle, his therapist, and his magic wand. Music has connected him to oes, his mentors and now his familyy, , his her w, , an audience. He is a bonafide solo artist. Recently he incorporated “looping” to his repertoire and has been having a great time exploring this improvisational expression.

ing up at 11-year-old Eliot. His brother Jeff and friends were out there too. He smiled and looked down through watery eyes to play his keyboard. Full circle. Anything is Possible.

Naturallyy, , this is the name of his new CD.

Eliot recently performed at The Kate in Old

yp

Saybrook looping up a storm!

A performer realizes his childhood dream. While on stage at Madison Square Garden playing with Hall & Oates a few years ago, Eliot had an emotional moment…

As he stood on that legendary stage looking out at a sea of people, he looked up at the seat he had in the arena when he was 11, there for the first time with his friend, seeing Alice Cooper. The seat where he sat in awe of the musicians in those spotlights. Noww, , here he was, on that same stage, look-

Eliot’s summer schedule, and all that he is doing and has done are at www.eliotlewis.com

See all of the recordings from YouT Daryl’s House on Yo Tuube and a fun rendition of Eliot’s original song Soundtrack, with the Bacon Brothers, Daryl Hall and John Oates joining in.

Anything is Possible Album - Eliot Lewis

The adventure continues…Eliot is also

getting married. His fiancé’s name is Dawn. Perfect.

My view with Hall & Oates

OUR STORY LIVES ON...

Experience the world’s largest Native American Museum and discover the story of the Pequot people, their connection to their environment, hardships and their resurgence.

What is Greg Drinking?

“It’s not the heat, it’s the humidity.” “Hot enough for you?”

“I’m ready for the fall already.”

Do these exasperated expressions sound familiar? Perhaps you have sung these tired tunes yourself, sandwiched in between your air conditioner and the electric bill on the table. We are in the thick of August, summer is more than a season at this point: it is a fragile truce between the part of you that loves to go to the beach, and the part of you that is tired of sweating so much that it looks like you just swam to shore at Napatree Point. I am here to suggest you double down on your alliance with August. Fight for every second of the glorious summer season. It is with that determination that I implore you to get out of your comfort zone when you are in the wine aisle. Forge for some Folle Blanche!

I found Jean Aubron Folle Blanche during one of those stretches in July when the weather was going full ‘Two-Face from Batman’ on us: cycling from soulcrushing heat to bridge-removing flash floods in less time than it takes to drive from New Cannan to New London. I had bribed my toddler with promises of pizza from Pizzetta and sweets from Sift, as one does! I was able to use macaroons from the latter to buy enough time to pop into Spencer & Lynn’s (package store) downtown Mystic location for some advice about the adult beverage for August. The air was heavy and the conversation led to something light. As crisp as the autumn air that some are already wishing for, this wine is a salve for sunburns and toasts tan lines with equal efficiency. What do you want in your late summer libations? The type of salinity that practically orders a dozen oysters for you? Check. Limestone or lime-zest? Yes squared. This wine drinks like I would want my autobiography to read: for forty years these vines have fought off the elements and environment, going on to embody the Atlantic in every single positive way, bold and blusterous sips that lead to a victory lap of appealing acidity.

The bottle hints at the electric charge forged from the lower Loire valley. This wine is the pride of the Pays Nantais region, which in the discussion of French wines really means ‘this is some of the crispest and most refreshing vino on earth.’ This is a part of France that reminds me a lot of New England, with powerful rivers stretching out through soil rich with mineral content, towards the awaiting coastline that has seen everything

humanity could toss at it. Winters are chilly and damp, but not as raw and cold as further inland. Springs are moody and gray. Yet out of that comes a summer that brings heat and happiness to the inhabitants of the valley, with all embracing the sublime reward that is dining outdoors with lingering daylight that demands happier hours.

Back to the specifics of this hidden gem in a glass and why you should go hunting in your local libation station for an obscure vintage such as this. This wine is every bit the color of the straw in Rumpelstiltskin before the rebirth into gold. The nose is white flowers and the rind of citrus fruit freshly peeled. It is said that this particular vineyard has found a way to foil the natural impediments to developing this varietal with the sediments that surround the vines: gneiss and mica. They provide ample minerality and desirable drainage to the finicky rows of grapes that Jean-Pascal presides over. The fruits of decades of his labor are a luxurious peak into one of the lesser known wine regions in the nation that essentially defines viticulture. This is a cork worth the chase.

I sip this wine out of a glass that belonged to a dear friend whom we lost a few years back, the anniversary of which we are observing. The homage to this vineyard victory serves as a fitting tribute to his undaunted pursuit of greatness for the things he loved. From skiing and fly fishing in his younger years, to spinning records and sailing, Peter was focused on fantastic. Ever the

economist, he saw the world in a perpetual Venn diagram of quality and cost. To that end, package store productions were consistently an avenue to showcase his delicate genius at work. I fondly remember digging through his cooler on a boat trip looking for beer and finding white port and some various optional mixing components next to a case of Miller High Life bottles. If you knew Peter, you can still hear his pontifications about the merits of going the extra mile for the sake of the greater good in your glass. I don’t think he would like this $15 dollar fantastic French offering, I know he would love it. So take a page out of his book in that regard and go find something truly interesting to imbibe this August.

Time isn’t holding up, time isn’t after us. Your wine fridge should not be the same as it ever was!

Editorial and photo by Gregory Post

The Cheesemonger

The Cheese Shop of Centerbrook

The Art of Charcuterie

The history

Charcuterie is derived from the French words Chair and Cuit, meaning Cooked Flesh. While we all agree this doesn’t sound all that appetizing, the meaning refers to the practice of salting meats to preserve them for long-term keeping. The word Charcuterie was also often used to describe shops in 15th century France that sold products made from pork. The French created the Charcuterie board using offal and other kinds of cured meats.

The resurgence

We know Charcuterie is not a new thing; it’s been around for hundreds of years. However, it wasn’t until the 1990’s that it regained popularity thanks to specialty food stores and the diversity offered at most large grocery stores.

Officially the term Charcuterie refers to just cured meats. But with the popularity of casual home entertaining these boards h ave morphed into marvelous masterpieces that include not only meat but an elaborate selection of creamy cheeses, fresh and dried fruits, nuts, spreads, honey, olives, and mustards.

A beautiful Charcuterie board is the centerpiece of every well-dressed table, the Statement piece, and the fun of building a board is, there are no “rules” you must follow. You can choose whatever meats and cheeses you like. Here is a guideline to help you build a stunning board.

How to build a Charcuterie board

Let’s start with Cheese. We recommend 2-3 ounces of cheese per person for an appetizer when dinner is to follow. That’s about 1 – 1½ lbs. of cheese for every 8-10 people. When choosing cheese, variety is the spice of life.

Soft cheeses - Brie, Camembert, Triple Creams and Goat cheeses. Semi-Soft Cheeses - Manchego, Tres Leches, Beemster Vlaskass. Hard Cheese - Aged Goudas like Beemster XO. Gruyére, Parmigiano Reggiano or Piavé Vecchio. Blue Cheeses - Roquefort, Cambozola or Stilton all work well.

Now for the Meats. We recommend you serve 2-3 ounces of meat per person for every 8-10 people, that’s about 2-3 slices of each variety. Meats are typically sliced very thin so a little goes a long way.

Salumi (Salami) - Sweet Soppressata, Molinari (Genoa) or Finocchiona are all great choices. Dried Cured Pork - Prosciutto di Parma or Serrano Ham.

Feel free to experiment and add the meats you like best.

Baguettes, flat breads, crostini, bread sticks, crackers, pita chips, or bagel chips all work well for Snacking & Spreading. You can slice the baguette or simply tear it into pieces to scoop up the creamy cheese.

Don’t forget the Extras. Fresh fruits like grapes are a great addition to a Charcuterie board because they don’t oxidize. Sliced pears, apples and melon, all good choices. Dried fruits such as apricots, cranberries, raisins help to fill in spaces and almonds or walnuts both pair well with cheese, especially blue cheese.

Olives, cornichons, and pickled vegetables add crunch and texture as well as acidity that blends well with both the cheese and cured meats. Sweet and savory spreads like fig or quince. Onion chutneys and mustards. And don’t forget the honey. As a special touch you can use the entire honeycomb, it’s completely edible and it looks great snuggled in against a piece of Fromage D’Affinois.

A short guide to assembly

There is no right or wrong way to do this. Let your creativity guide you. About an hour before serving, choose a board big enough to accommodate your selections. Lay out the cheese knives, meat forks, bowls for jams, pickles, and olives, on the board to get a feel for where things may go.

Start with the cheese. Arrange cheese on the board however they fit. Arrange in whole pieces to keep the cheese from drying out. Next fill in sections around your cheese with meat. From there tuck in baguettes, crackers, breadsticks etc. Fill the olive and jam bowls. Lastly, tuck in the extras. Fill the spaces with fresh and dried fruits, nuts etc. Give the board a once over and send it to the table

Then invite some friends and open a few bottles of wine because “Good cheese, needs good companions.” James Beard.

Deana Simmons

The Cheese Shop of Centerbrook / Cheese Monger.

AskAshley Ask

A Trick to Feeling Confident

Helloreaders! Happy to be here with you again. I hope you’re diving into this issue poolside, beachside, or somewhere tropical. I myself am writing to you from my patio on a sunny afternoon and it just feels right. Wherever you are, I’m glad to be serving you some fresh content on a topic we can all relate to, and one that is relevant every day of the week, every season of the year.

As you already know, I talk a lot about confidence and mindset because it really is so important. Having healthy self-esteem lends to good health, better work ethic, and improved relationships. Frankly, there isn’t one area of life that isn’t affected by one’s state of confidence — whether yours is currently flying high or needs some work — only you can say.

Confidence, just like exercise and healthy eating, is a cultivated habit that must be practiced in order to feel (and see) its feel-good effects. Thankfully, there are endless tools at our disposal helping us unleash the confident beast within us. Here’s a concept you may not have heard before….

By Ashley Alt

“We believe that in order to be accepted, we need to show only the BEST of who we are, and hide the worst. In reality, the way to feel confident is to be present with our full selves.”

This quote is taken from an interview with life coach Jamie Rose. I felt relieved when I heard it. When you’re interviewing for a new job, what does everyone tell you? Be the best version of yourself. This makes sense in a scenario like interviewing for a new job, as the stakes are high and you only have so much time to make a good first impression. In everyday life though, being the “best” versions of ourselves all day every day isn’t exactly sustainable, and can be downright exhausting.

Instead of killing ourselves with this “be the best you” pressure, let’s put our full selves forward in situations like meeting new people and attending social gatherings — and leave the highlight real of Instagram life to Instagram.

For ease of reading purposes (in case you’re squinting in sunglasses or just got a watermark on the page from your cocktail/mocktail glass), here is the breakdown of showing your full self (not your best self) in any and every situation, all the while ensuring you are letting the most YOU version of yourself shine.

Research says you are happier when you consistently hit goals.

This of course goes without saying in our professions, but can lead to burnout quickly when we tie our identities to our career. Give yourself a small, attainable goal to hit outside of work. Perhaps it’s taking a 20minute walk every morning. Or reading five pages of a book before bed.

The point is to tap into the reward center of the brain when you tell yourself you’re going to do something, and then actually follow through with it. This in turn gives you more confidence.

Research says detoxing from your digital life will immediately make you feel better.

More and more people are ditching their phones in pursuit of really experiencing life instead of posting about it. You can, and you will, have a more fulfilling life without relying on your phone 24/7, but you’ve got to give it a go to find out for yourself. Obviously getting rid of our phones may not be realistic, but we can certainly find ways to cut the unnecessary distractions we’ve become so accustomed to allowing.

If you’re looking to cut back on time spent on your phone, you can start slowly by “going dark” on social media for one single day. See how it feels. If you feel like you’ve gained more clarity and energy from not checking your “likes” and not falling asleep scrolling through the news, go for a second day, and so on.

Another good habit to get into is to stop and ask why you’re reaching for your phone in the first place. Is it to answer an email? Or fill a moment of boredom? Experts suggest tapping into something playful each time you get the urge to check Instagram or Facebook. Anything

that will connect you to someone else (like meeting up with a friend) or allow you to create something (through journaling or painting) is an excellent practice to adopt.

Research says other people make you feel confident.

Simon Sinek makes the argument that the term “self-confidence” is ironic because confidence doesn’t come from the self — it comes from other people. Think about it. What makes you feel better: a stranger complimenting you on your outfit or yourself complimenting your outfit?

On that same note, there are only so many self-help books one can read and self-improvement podcasts one can listen to before it all starts to jumble together and not make any sense. Sometimes the best person to give us advice is in fact ourselves, but oftentimes it takes a certain person or group of people to bring that confidence out in us. For that reason, experts encourage us to be intentional about who we surround ourselves with daily. We really are the sum of the five people we interact with the most, and it’s up to us to choose wisely.

I wish you well on your confidence journey. To keep up with Ashley, you can find her on Instagram @ ashleyalt_ and subscribe to her newsletter at ashleyalt.substack.com.

amela Zagarenski’s book illustrations, prints, and greeting cards are fun to look at. They’re whimsical, joyful, uplifting, and thought-provoking.

At her modern, two-level Sacred Bee Studio (which she refers to as the “hive”) in Stonington Borough, Connecticut, the children’s author said she doesn’t want her illustrations “to be one thing. The more you look, the more you’ll see, there are always secrets.” Just like looking at a human being and really seeing his or her essence Zagarenski said, she wants children and adults to look beyond the surface. “There are always little hidden things.”

“And if you’re younger, you might not see the layers in the paintings. And that’s okay too,” she said, admitting that she sometimes spots things she forgot she “put in.”

The Preston, Connecticut native also prefers not to explain her paintings, because she wants people to make up their own meanings – even in a book. Zagarenski is excited about an amazing, inspiring, and timely wordless picture book she is working on for a publisher. “I won’t say much more than that because I don’t really like to name the baby before it’s born.”

The Seed by Pamela Zagarenski

The author’s books, Henry & Leo and The Whisper featured on her website, have be printed by numerous publishers and tran

pyp into many languages. “It’s fun to see them difffferent languages) because the pictures she illustrated) don’t change,” she said. “T pictures are every language.”

nslated

Zagarenski also received Caldecott honor T her illustrations of Sleep Like A iger writ omT by Mary Logue and Red Sings fr Trreeto authored by Joyce Sidman.

Additionallyy, , she was one of 77 world-ren artists from across the globe and one of se from the United States, who contributed t

T A the Hills and Far Awway – A Trreasury of Nu Rhymes, collected by Elizabeth Hammill. Zagarenski’s work is also featured on the

She said she draws inspiration from what she is doing and wherever she goes – som

from unexpected places: A journal drawin sidewalk crack,

i wall.

Clockwise:PeaceWarrior Wa r, , “The Lion and the Mouse” in The Fabled , Alchemy ormay s book Photo by Jan T en’ of Aesop childr ’s To y, y, , Day and N

Right Page Clockwise: Dress Rehearsal Print, Zagarenski Peace Gu “The Mind” Illustration by Pamela Zagarenski.

Photo by Jan T Toormay

Below: This Painting (partial shown only) W Waas Created by Pamela Zagarenski as the Cover Illustration for Over The Hills And Far Aw

T A Trreasury Of Nursery Rhymes Collected by Elizabeth Hammill.

Photo by Jan T Toormay

bathroom stall, and knot

“I feel like I want to pull them out an them a life somehow.”

Attimesshetappsintochildhoodmemories

At times, she tap such as running sisterr, , Kim, and heirstuffed ani holding snakes, wing into their on their heads. Z do things that I or that momen

ps into childhood memories, g through the woods with her other baby br r, , JoJo, feeding imals, catching salamanders, omaT , and swaying fr Taarzan r pond, emerging with frogs Zagarenski added, “I only feel my heart in. I just wait t, and then I’ll do it. I have

alwayshadanotherincometo o make sure I’m .”

always had another income to really loving what I’m doing.

She has been writing stories an pictures pretty much her who something she feels she must “That’s all I’ve ever really wan

nd drawing ole life, do, she said. nted to do.”

Creating her paintings (which for greeting cards or illustratio books) is a mysterious process because she doesn’t remembe “It just feels like I get lost in th like they take me on this adve in. Then you wake up in the m you have glimpses of the drea know that you had this dream to conjure up exactly what th but it’s still there.”

Just like in a dream, she said, aware of what she’s doing an itself. In a barn in Old Mystic that she and Kim purchased w

h are then used ons in her s for Zagarenski, r doing them. hem. It’s kind of enture, and I go morning, and am, and you m, but it’s hard he dream was, she is totally nd the dream c on the property with a home

which unbeknownst to them at the time was referred to as the Honey House, because a boy had kept bees there and his family sold the honey. It has been in its current location since December 2019.

Then you wake up in the morning and you have glimpses of the dream and you know that you had this dream, but it’s hard to conjure up exactly what the dream was, but it’s still there.”

Her paintings are mostly created on wood using acrylic and watercolor paints.

The Sacred Bee sells many prints up to 16 x 20 inches from Zagarenski’s illustrations with and without words, which are signed, dated, and made one at a time, never mass- produced, “so they’re all like first prints basically.”

While “worker bees” Pamela Zagarenski, sister/business manager, Kim Van Vlaenderen Zagarenski, and “adopted” sister, Lindsay McCloskey answer the phone and package filled orders, other “hive workers,” including Peggy and Martha work from home. Fran helps with deliveries. Pamela’s parents, Margaret and Joseph Zagarenski are also very supportive, she said. “I couldn’t do this without them,” Pamela added. “Bees can’t survive in a hive alone. We sort of think of it that way.”

Five-star Etsy reviews include Susan’s comment, “Repeat buyer of Sacredbee Art. Beautiful design and fantastic quality. Each card is a work of art. Thank you!!”

Another customer named Jon remarked, “A truly gifted artist creating amazing cards. They go beyond customer service, and I

always feel like I’m getting a gift from a friend. My sister introduced me to her cards, and I’ve been hooked ever since!”McCloskey said she always gives prints to her mom and sisters. “It’s like their favorite things ever.”

Also, her two sons “were totally obsessed with the books when they were younger.” Currently, Sacredbee has 1,000 customers and sells greeting cards and prints across the United States, Australia, and New Zealand, as well as in select shops in various towns.

The Journey

Pamela took some art classes at Norwich Free Academy in Connecticut and received an art award. After graduating high school in 1984, she attended the University of Connecticut at Storrs and graduated in 1988 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Graphic Design, immediately going to work for “Weekly Reader,” a children’s magazine.“Then I did my first book with them, and I schlepped my portfolio all around, got an agent in New York City kind of right off the bat,” and subsequently was chosen to create a big children’s picture dictionary for Houghton Mifflin Publisher, a year-long project.

Later, Pamela worked for Martha Hug at Whyevernot in Mystic for 23 years. During this time, she also created illustrations and penned books. Purchased products were then packaged on a folding card table in her bedroom with the help of her family. When Whyevernot closed 10 years ago, Pamela turned her business into a full-time venture adding a variety of greeting cards with her whimsical illustrations.

Greeting cards b have 1,000 custo as in select shops

by Artist Pamela Zagarenski at Sacred Bee Studio in omers and sell greeting cards and prints across the s in various towns.

Photo by Jan T Toormay

n Stonington Borough, Connecticut. Currently, the United States, Australia and New Zealand, as well

Pinocchio (pictured) was created by Pam ey l s father mela’ r, , Joseph Zagarenski, and later painted by y her.

Artist/Children’ Zagarenski, and enski, Linday McCloskey and sister/business manager Kim V ’s Author Pamela Zagar Vaan Vlaenderen Za later painted by Pamela. Behind them, is Pamela’s painting entitled “The Spiral Path.” Photo by Jan

father enski sisters’

agarenski at their Sacred Bee Studio. Pinocchio (pictured) was created by the Zagar ’ r, , T Toormay Joseph

ation since December 2019.

vice for aspiring artists/authors, Pamela said, like Nike, but “Just do it. There’s no secret to want to do. Nobody’s going to do it for you. hing, then you have to do it…and you have to you have to do it because you need to.That’s eally u do it r y..”

s located at 11 Grand St. in Stonington Borand is open by appointment onlyy. ough, Conn

to purchase items, go to sacredbee.com, Facebook: Sacred .com, email pamelaz@sacr tsy reedbee.com, or call

Sa wi Ph

acred Bee has a vast collection of greeting cards for e ith acrylic and watercolor paints usually on wood. L hoto by Jan T Toormay

very occasion. Pamela Zagarenski creates all of her aterr, , cards and prints are made from the illustratio art ns.

Artist/Children’s Author Pamela Za cards are created with her whimsica kiworksaboveherintheloftPhot

garenski with greeting cards at her Stonington Bor l illustrations. Sister/Business Manager Kim V VaanV tobyJanTToormay

rough studio. All the Vlaenderen ZagarensP B amela Zagarenski’s painting, “Mandala.”

Below: Part of illustration “Dropping Keys” by Arti enski. Photo by Jan T st Pamela Zagar Toormay

works above her in the loft Phot

e

xplori on the coast, e

Watch Hill Rhode Island Watch Hill Lighthouse at Night Antique Postcard Courtesy of Mary L. Martin Vintage Postcards

Illegal speakeasies (drinking spots), bootlegging (production and sale of alcohol) and smuggling liquor over land and water were all part of the pushback to the National Prohibition Act in effect from 1920 to 1933 in the United States, also referred to as the Volstead Act.

“Fearing robbery or Federal Prohibition Agents,” Westerly’s Watch Hill cottagers created secret rooms in attics/basements and behind false walls to hide their illegal alcohol, Capt. Jack Spratt told almost 100 attendees – many sipping cocktails - at Lanphear Livery on Bay St. in Westerly in June.

Hosted by the Westerly Historical Society and the Watch Hill Conservancy, the Prohibition presentation commemorated the 90th anniversary of the repeal of the 18th amendment in 1933.

Gleaning from an historic article in The Westerly Sun, Spratt read, “Numerous breaks into summer cottages at Watch Hill and along Watch Hill Road, the police opinion is held that miscreants were searching for liquor, and not for loot.”

The Volstead Act was designed to execute the 18th amendment prohibiting the manufacturing, transporting, importing, exporting or selling of alcoholic beverages. National Prohibition was ratified by 46 states. Even though it was rejected by Rhode Island and Connecticut, they were

still supposed to abide by the law, said Spratt, who offers tours and an historical perspective on his sailing yacht “Trim Again” and motorboat “Encore.”

However, with little public support for the enforcement of the Volstead Act and a long, storied history of smuggling, these two states became battleground areas in the rum war. Bootleggers and rum runners were aided by organized crime, steamboat crews, lighthouse keepers and fishermen, as well as corrupt officials, coastguardsmen, and police, he said.

“By 1926, annual sales of illegal liquor in the U.S. had reached an estimated $3.6 billion —roughly the size of the entire federal budget at the time,” according to petalumahistorian.com.

Pieced together through research, newspaper reports and people’s stories, Spratt said, “The tourist trade in Watch Hill was really important to the economy of Westerly and as a result of that, even though Westerly was dry (no alcohol allowed), they (police) really didn't enforce the laws in Watch Hill.”

He quoted a September 11, 1922, Providence News article that stated, “Watch Hill was one of the wettest of New England seaside resorts. Watch Hill has enough real old-time hooch to float several battleships.” The article continued, “There has never been a concerted raid by federal agents in the Town of Westerly.

President Woodrow Wilson enacted a brief wartime prohibition in 1917 when the United States enlisted in the conflict to conserve grain for food production. The 18th Amendment, which outlawed the production, distribution, and sale of intoxicating liquors, was put out for state ratification by Congress the same year. Despite a seven-year time restriction set by Congress, the Amendment was approved by the required three-quarters of the states in just 11 months.

The 18th Amendment was ratified on January 16, 1919, and it became effective one year later, by which time no less than 33 states had already passed their prohibition laws. The National Prohibition Act, introduced by Congress in October 1919, set out rules for the federal government's implementation of Prohibition. The measure was often referred to as the Volstead Act and was supported by Minnesota's Representative Andrew Volstead, who served as the head of the House Judiciary Committee.

https://www.history.com/topics

Rep. Andrew Volstead of Minnesota

From left, Capt. Jack Spratt and Westerly Historical Society President Thomas Gulluscio at Lanphear Livery on Bay St. in Westerly in June. Spratt gave a presentation on “Rum Runners, Bootleggers and Watch Hill” during Prohibition. Photo by Jan Tormay

"Bootleg" is an all-encompassing word in the current English vocabulary. When cowboys roamed the land, most wore tall boots that, as the name suggests, came equipped with ample bootlegs. Because cowboys were generally a resourceful and/or infamous lot, they needed to stash important items (weapons, alcohol) somewhere safe and hidden on their person.

When Prohibition came about, the term's well-established association with cowboys and their hidden flasks seemed perfect to describe the production and distribution of illegally produced alcohol. From the late 19th century on, the term "bootleg" was slapped onto anything that was intentionally kept out of sight.

As an adjective regarding illicit booze, 1889, American English slang, from concealing a flask of whiskey down the leg of a high boot. It was extended to unlawful music recordings, etc., by 1957. If you sell it, the physical copy of that illegally recorded movie or music is a bootleg (as a noun).

After complaints of drunken escapades on Bay Street from Watch Hillers, Spratt said an effort was made by local “coppers” to enforce the law, put the “bent” and “plastered” in jail, “collar” rum runners and raid “juice joints” on Bay St. (not at the hotels, clubs, or cottages), with little effect.

“Few people are pretending to obey the law and it cannot be truthfully said that Prohibition enforcement has failed. It has not yet begun,” stated a government official in a 1926 New York Times article read by Spratt.

Since enforcement was not working, a frustrated Police Commissioner Smith declared Westerly would hire three state troopers if, along with a regular police force, they couldn’t drive out the bootleggers on Bay Street, according to an article by The Westerly Sun - where several brands of “shine” were said to be freely dispensed, Spratt added.

“Hotel owners and cottages in Watch Hill had nothing to worry about. The “probis” or Prohibition Agents turned a blind eye,” Spratt said.

While the fashionable class at Watch Hill drank “giggle water,” including champagne, gin, wine and the “real McCoy whiskey” (from bootlegger William Frederick “Bill” McCoy), he said, “some of the night socials at Watch Hill were so peppy that even the old timers feared someone might suspect things.”

Prohibition goes “off the tracks.” Spratt pointed out lobbyists wrote the Prohibition legislation and that's where it “went off the tracks,” because everyone expected beer, wine and hard cider would be allowed. Instead, it was a complete ban on alcohol. “The other thing that was interesting was that the law provided for a one-year period to adjust to the change, and that allowed organizations to stockpile alcohol.”

Private clubs could also serve alcohol if it was purchased before 1920 and was not being sold, he said.

Another loophole in the law allowed doctors to prescribe patients alcohol (except brandy and rye whiskey) once monthly for medicinal purposes, Spratt said. However, he said some of Westerly’s leading

The William Pendleton House is a Greek Revival-style home with Federal-era details on Main Street in Stonington Borough. It was Constructed for Pendleton, a businessman, after 1831— possibly as late as 1840. Perhaps the gable was built later. The house's basement was utilized as a speakeasy during Prohibition, and subsequent owners have kept the speakeasy's original bar and period décor.

https://historicbuildingsct.com/the-williampendleton-house-1831/

Photo Courtesy of LOC

Ellen Madison of Westerly once lived at One Main St. in Stonington, Connecticut – the location of a speakeasy during Prohibition. “They showed me the secret door in the cellar and opened it…It was really neat,” she said after the presentation. Madison currently lives in her grandfather’s (Rudolph Saunders’) house at Dunn’s Corners in Westerly where Charlestown Aviator Robert A. Kamm crash-landed his airplane (carrying illegal liquor) into rocks on the family’s property.

Photo by Jan Tormay

druggists began selling illegal alcohol that was more than the quota for each person without a prescription, or filling prescriptions with bourbon and rye.

Some of the alcohol being distributed by pharmacies was deadly because it contained industrial alcohol, Spratt said during a telephone interview. “So, there was a big crackdown on pharmacies,” because many people were dying from the “illegal booze that they were selling.”

Westerly pharmacists were arrested on Sept. 6, 1929.

Family Stories

Spratt shared one family’s story about their father who was a physician on Long Island. “He would take care of the runners when they got shot or sick, and he was paid in booze.”

A woman informed him that her grandfather was “very proud of the fact that he was a rum runner.”

Ellen Madison saw the former speakeasy at One Main St. in Stonington, Connecticut in the late 1960s, where she rented an apartment when she first started teaching.

“They showed me the secret door in the cellar and opened it…It was really neat,” she said after the presentation.

Currently, Madison lives in her grandfather’s (Rudolph Saunders’) house at Dunn’s Corners in Westerly where Charlestown Aviator Robert A. Kamm crash-landed his airplane into rocks on the family’s property. Except for Kamm’s two broken ribs, he and his passenger escaped unharmed, according to The Westerly Sun’s April 25, 1929 article.

Saunders went out to see if the men were hurt, and they were not, said Madison, adding the men offered him

William Frederick "Bill" McCoy, an American ship captain and rum runner during the American Prohibition, lived from August 17, 1877, until December 30, 1948. Capt. McCoy looked up to Boston's John Hancock in his pursuit of the trade of smuggling wine from the Bahamas to the Eastern Seaboard and thought of himself as an "honest lawbreaker." McCoy was proud that he had never paid any money to law enforcement, politicians, or organized crime for security. Contrary to many businesses that produced and trafficked alcohol illegally for use during Prohibition, McCoy marketed his products pure, unadulterated, and uncut.

Since McCoy didn't dilute his liquor with prune juice, wood liquor, and even turpentine, his clients began referring to his first-rate item as "the genuine article." There's no conclusive proof that this history is valid; however, The Genuine Article rum refinery was established on this idea. The term "The Real McCoy " originated during his days of Rum running.

https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/604867/ real-mccoy-origin-theories

The day the plane crashed, Florence Saunders (Ellen Madison’s mother) was home from school with whooping cough, she said in a letter, preserved at the Westerly Historical Society. “I think they made a point of giving us the propeller blade (that broke off) as a souvenir.”

Photo by Zachary Garceau

This label (left) is pasted on the inside cover of the book, The Real McCoy, the book, a gift to Howard J. Elmore from Bill McCoy.

The National Prohibition Act allowed alcohol for medicinal and religious use but required a doctor's and pharmacist's prescription. Dougherty's Pure Rye Whiskey was manufactured by John A. Dougherty & Son of Philadelphia in 1849 and sold for medicinal use during Prohibition. The label reads "Rx Spiritus Frumenti" and "For medicinal purposes only."

Historians say the 1920s saw Charles R. Walgreen, founder of the renowned pharmacy chain Walgreens, grow from 20 locations to a mind-boggling 525. (Walgreen suggested the introduction of milkshakes at its supermarkets for the pharmaceutical empire's huge rise.) Okrent claims that this is also how Kentucky-based distilleries in middle America managed to keep the lights on throughout Prohibition.

a reward if he didn't call the police. Later, when a vehicle came and “unloaded the airplane's cargo, which of course was illegal booze, they told him his reward would be a free airplane ride."

Ellen explained her grandparents didn't drink and the cargo was all "hush-hush."

“He wasn't supposed to know what was on the plane."

Madison said the men came back several times offering to take her grandfather for a ride, saying they were very grateful he

didn't report them. “He would say, 'Maybe next time. I'm kind of busy now.’ He had just watched a plane crash. I mean, why would he go up in an airplane?"

Madison’s mother, Florence, a young child who was home sick with whooping cough that day, wrote in a letter preserved at the Westerly Historical Society, that the two airmen were initially stand-offish when “Pop” went to greet them. “Later as they partook of the dinner to which the folks invited these literally drop-in guests, they explained that they were more accustomed to being greeted with shotguns than with invitations to dinner.”

She added, “I think they made a point of giving us the propeller blade (that broke off) as a souvenir.”

Spratt said bootlegging became a dangerous and nasty business by 1925 with organized crime moving into every aspect of the business.

Right:

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/duringprohibition-your-doctor-could-write-you-prescriptionbooze-180947940/

Winston Churchill's American doctor, Otto C. Pickhardt, signing the statesman's prescription for alcohol in 1932. Medical professionals touted that daily doses of alcohol could stave off, among other things, cancer, indigestion, and depression.

Prescription for medicinal alcohol, 1929

The General Stanton Inn has hosted presidents, outlaws, Revolutionaries, and rumrunners for over 300 years. Its legendary walls have also witnessed whispered spy plots, illegal roulette games, and stops on the Underground Railroad. the General Stanton Inn has only had six owners since the time the Native American owned the land.

In 1933, the 18th amendment was repealed amid much celebration. Repealing the 18th Amendment had been a central policy of President Roosevelt’s campaign, who suggested reintroducing alcohol as a way to raise taxes during a time of economic hardship.

Al Capone was notorious for meeting his associates in Charlestown, Rhode Island at The General Stanton Inn, according to the venue’s website.

In the midst of the Great Depression, Congress and the Senate passed the 21st Amendment on December 5, 1933, repealing the 18th Amendment, which legalized national Prohibition, ending a colorful, albeit lawless period in American history, Spratt said.

“President Franklin D. Roosevelt issued a proclamation declaring the end of Prohibition while also admonishing the country to drink responsibly and not abuse “this return of individual freedom,” according to history. com’s article, “The Night Prohibition EndedLook back at America’s surprising reaction to the end of Prohibition.”

“I trust in the good sense of the American people,” the president said, “that they will not bring upon themselves the curse

of excessive use of intoxicating liquors, to the detriment of health, morals and social integrity.”

In this article, Daniel Okrent, author of Last Call: The Rise and Fall of Prohibition, stated that “the end of Prohibition resulted in a financial windfall for the federal government,” which he said “collected more than $258 million in alcohol taxes in the first year after repeal. Those millions, which accounted for nearly 9 percent of the government’s tax revenue, helped to finance Roosevelt’s New Deal programs in the ensuing years.”

There was a fierce and violent criminal battle to control the black market for alcohol. Al Capone, one of the most infamous mobsters, governed Chicago with an iron fist. Many people appreciated and admired Capone because of his charitable contributions. However, his popularity declined with the violent St. Valentine's Day Massacre of competitors 1929. The murders were of seven Chicago North Side Gang members and allies. Two unidentified assailants, disguised as police officers, shot them as they lined up against a wall in a garage in lincoln park, Chicago.

The killings resulted from the struggle for dominance of organized crime in the city during Prohibition between the primarily Irish North Siders, led by George "Bugs" Moran, and their Italian, principally Chicago Outfit adversaries, commanded by Al Capone.

Al Capone mug shot, 1934

Opposite Page Above Left: Westerly Historical President Thomas Galluscio said he found Capt. Jack Spratt’s Watch Hill Prohibition presentation “entertaining and interesting.”

Below Right: Almost 100 attendees sipped cocktails and chuckled during Capt. Jack Spratt’s presentation on the Prohibition era in Westerly’s Watch Hill Village. Spratt offers tours and an historical perspective on his sailing yacht “Trim Again”and motor boat “Encore.”

Photo's by Jan Tormay