Ink Magazine - September 2017

September 2017 A guide to finer living in Connecticut & abroad.

publicationsÂŽ

www.inkct.com

Vol 13 Issue 141 2017

Complimentary ­C omplimentary

THE SMARTER CHOICE FOR

World-Class Cancer Care Is Coming to the Connecticut Shoreline This fall, Middlesex Hospital is bringing the front line in the fight against cancer to the shoreline. Our new Shoreline Cancer Center will be home to our talented team of cancer specialists who can collaborate with the world’s top cancer experts at Mayo Clinic. And it will bring with it all of the same advanced cancer treatments we offer at our existing Cancer Center in Middletown—all closer to home than you’d ever expect. middlesexhospital.org/cancercenter

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www.inkct.com

Features

SEPTEMBER 2017

Ironman Ed Vescovi Further...Fitter...Faster...

Guaranteed!

pg. 10

Columns, Reviews, Events

ISSUE CONTENTS

Cardinal Points Standing Bear “Comes in Peace” Music, Mirth & Mojo bOObstock, Deep River A Brothers Guide to Connecticut Breweries Alvarium Brewing The Cheesemonger Did You Know?

On the Vine Riesling August Events Upcoming events in Connecticut

pg. 26 pg. 48 pg. 70 pg. 72 pg. 76 pg. 79

Art4Apes The Art of Maintaining Permanent Sanctuary

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45 Minutes, Yet a World Away The History and Natural Beauty That is Fishers Island

pg. 30

Aidan Buss Mastering “The Ballet Line” Growing Into His Art

pg. 40

Get your ink online at www.inkct.com!

On the Cover this Month: Greenwich ballet prodigy Aiden Buss posing at Fort Stamford

INK staff Contributors:

Advertising:

Jeffery Lilly- founder/publisher/webmaster

Contact us to receive our media kit complete with detailed advertising information including ad rates, demographics, and distribution in your area.

Stephanie Sittnick - publisher/sales/design

Frogman Richard Hyman Remembering Jacques Cousteau

pg. 52

Carolyn Battisa - editorial Laurencia Ciprus - editorial Caryn B. Davis - editorial/photography Charmagne Eckert - editorial Gina King - Design in Mind Mark Seth Lender - Cardinal Points Nancy LaMar-Rodgers - editorial Barbara Malinsky - editorial

The Triumvirate of Lyme Street 3 Artists... 3 Galleries... and 3 Success Stories

pg. 62

We encourage the public to submit stories, poems, photography, essays, and all things creative. If you know of a person or place of interest, please submit your ideas to: submissions@ink-pub.com We will do our best to put your ideas in INK.

Rona Mann - editorial Paul Partica - The Cheesemonger

Please direct your advertising inquiries and questions to: Stephanie Sittnick - Director of Advertising advertising@ink-pub.com - 860-227-8199 Cheryl Powell - Greater Connecticut cheryl@ink-pub.com - 860-608-5749 Rona Mann - Clinton, CT - Rhode Island six07co@att.net - 401-539-7762 Jacki Hornish - Litchfield jacki@inkct - 401-539-7762

Tyler Plourd - A Brothers Guide

Submit Events Listings to:

A. Vincent Scarano - photography

Angela Carontino - events@inkct.com

Every issue is printed using 100% Soy based ink.

All content of INK Publications including but not limited to text, photos, graphics and layout are copyrighted by INK Publishing, LLC. Reproductions without the permission of the publisher is prohibited. Ink Publishing, LLC is not responsible for images or graphics submitted by advertisers which are not copyrighted or released for use in this publication.

INK PUBLISHING, LLC 107 Hemlock Valley Rd., East Haddam, CT email: info@ink-pub.com www.inkct.com

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think outside the box

R I V E R FRAMES Art Framing & Gallery 860 526 1137 the red barn at 25 maple street, chester ct wednesday - saturday 10:00 am to 5:00 pm

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VAL EN T I N E H . Z AH N C O M M U N I T Y

G A L L E R Y

T H E G A L L E R Y AT M I D D L E S E X H O S P I TA L S H O R E L I N E M E D I C A L C E N T E R

Gallery Exhibit

Sept. 7 - Oct. 29 Reception • Thursday, September 14 • 6 - 8 p.m.

Beverly Schirmeier, Solitude, oil (detail)

Experience the Community Gallery at Middlesex Hospital Shoreline Medical Center Featuring selected works from the

Clinton Art Society Gallery open during regular business hours Sponsored by

250 Flat Rock Place, Westbrook, CT 06498 860-358-6200 • info@midhosp.org • middlesexhospital.org

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Further...Fitter...Faster...Guaranteed!

Ironman Ed Vescovi

by RONA MANN / photos courtesy Ed Vesovi

“I don’t get nervous until we’re lined up to get in the water; but then the gun goes off, and it all leaves me. And I love it.”

This is the voice of a man who is about to push himself...to swim as fast as he can, to pedal a bike for miles; and then before he’s done, to run more miles, the beating of his heart matching the pounding of his feet on the pavement. It’s long, it’s often grueling, it can be punishing, and for the last twelve years it’s precisely what powers Ed Vescovi.

For the last twelve years this mild mannered mortgage banker with an easy smile and a calming presence has been training himself to be anything but mild mannered and calming. He caught the triathlon bug; and for him, there’s absolutely no turning back.

Then again, he wouldn’t want to when there are so many more oceans to swim, so many more roads to cycle, so many more miles to put beneath his sneakers.

Vescovi, now a Branford resident, grew up in Niantic, a town for which he still has a special affection. “Great people there.” Although he played some sports in high school and baseball in college, Vescovi wasn’t a “jock” and did not secure any sort of athletic scholarship to college.

In fact it wasn’t until 2005 when a friend asked Ed if he wanted to join him in a triathlon in Niantic, that a whole new world opened for him. “I didn’t even know what a triathlon was,” he laughed. “I said, ‘What’s that?’”

“That,” in short, is a multiple staged competition of swimming, cycling, and running executed in immediate succession, with only a brief transition between events for changing attire or equipment. Triathlon comes from the Greek for “three” and “competition” and involves various distances depending upon the kind of triathlon one enters.

Vescovi began that day in Niantic with the Sprint Distance competition, involving a half mile swim, approximately twelve mile bike race, and a 5K (3.2 miles) of running. It is considered an entry level triathlon. “But I quickly got hooked. The triathlon is what it’s about, but it’s also about the people you meet who participate,” Vescovi said with unmistakable enthusiasm. Next step up is what’s termed the Olympic Triathlon, consisting of increased mileages; then the half Ironman; and finally the Full Ironman Triathlon, the one seen on TV, populated with world class elite athletes, all competing to place first, second, third, or just finish!

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of pedaling based on the load generator pressed against the bike, while at the same time the videotaped route is displayed on a large screen. The experience is for people of all levels, so those just starting out never feel intimidated; rather, they are exhilarated.

It’s been 12 years since Vescovi first entered the water in Niantic. In that time he figures he has participated in, and successfully finished, an astounding 75 triathlons, 7 of which were Full Ironman competitions. Since 2015 when he achieved his certification from Ironman University, he has enjoyed coaching men and women of different abilities and levels in the sport. “I’m a numbers person,” says the mortgage guy, “so I constantly put a number out there and push my students to get there. I always try to get the best out of them. I find if you give someone a number, they will gravitate toward it.” Vescovi is now 55 years old, but credits triathlons with his excellent health. “A lot of people started much younger, some got injured, and their bodies got tired.

I’m lucky. I started later in life, so I’m just going strong, but I wish I found this sooner.”

Ed listens to his body carefully, knowing when to push himself and when to take a day off and rest. As for a special diet, he is sensible, but not inflexible. “My wife cooks pretty healthy, but every time I go for a haircut, I go next door to the McDonalds,” he says with a sly grin.

In 2009 Vescovi indulged his love of cycling even further by opening the Connecticut Cycling Center in Stony Creek along with a partner. It’s an indoor cycling center where people bring their own bikes (thereby reducing risk of injury) and are connected to a Compu-trainer, allowing the participant to simulate riding some of the best courses in the world like the Tour de France, Kona Ironman, Ironman Lake Placid, and more. The system gives the cyclist the real feel

Above all, Ed Vescovi is having fun. He constantly refers to the “great people” he continues to meet from one competition to another, some of whom become fun arch rivals. “I have this one guy who beats me every year, but I’ve managed to narrow the gap.”

Recently, Vescovi competed in the Ironman Lake Placid triathlon, coming in third in his age group. That was good enough to qualify him yet again for the Kona Ironman competition to be held this October in Hawaii.

“Racing Kona is magical,” Vescovi says. “I’ll be racing for Brian’s Hope,” a charitable foundation established to promote awareness of ALD (adrenoleukodystrophy), an insidious disease

primarily affecting young boys and depicted in the movie, “Lorenzo’s Oil.” Brian’s Hope was founded by the parents of an afflicted Branford boy in an effort to identify early and hopefully stop the progression of ALD, so no other child has to endure the same fate as Brian.

Little more than a month remains until Ed Vescovi and his wife board that plane for Hawaii. He realizes how lucky he is to have qualified for this mother of all triathlons...one of only 2000 participants in the world to do so.

And although Vescovi enjoys the “community” of the triathlon and has made many friends through the sport, when that gun goes off in Kona this October it will be no different from when the gun first went off in 2005 in Niantic. He will be all alone...with the sea, with his bike, with the open road, with his thoughts, and with the rhythmic beating of his heart, taking one stroke at a time, one mile at a time.

“You’re on your own on race day.”

You may reach Ed Vescovi at the Connecticut Cycle Center, 28 School Street in Branford www.ctcyclecenter.com (203) 415-9191 Do not call in October; he’ll be 4983 miles away - swimming, biking, and running.

For further information on Brian’s Hope, visit www.BriansHope.org, or call (203) 640-1996

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Home Sweet Home

It felt like home the minute I moved in.

Where you live has everything to do with how you live. Masonicare at Mystic is the area’s newest senior living community. Our thoughtfully designed apartments present a wide range of rental living choices.

Masonicare at Mystic is pleased to have several move-in specials designed to make your experience of moving easier. We have different limited-time incentives for our one- and two-bedroom Independent Living apartments, as well as special reduced monthly pricing for Assisted Living and Memory Care for a full year.

Call us at 860-415-2500 for more information or a personal appointment!

Independent Living • Assisted Living • Memory Care 45 Clara Drive, Mystic, CT www.masonicare-mystic.org

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If you are looking for a truly unique home, have a love of history and a desire for privacy, this is the place you have been dreaming about! This is a one of a kind, NY loft type PENTHOUSE in the historic Piano Works Building of Deep River, CT. Originally built in the l880's as a piano factory, it was converted into condominiums in 1985. This 2100 sq. ft. Penthouse will delight you with its' brick walls, massive wood beams, gorgeous floors and large, sunlit windows. Accessed by elevator and then a private, interior wooden staircase, you'll enter your own peaceful escape from the world below. An open floor plan with soaring ceilings, skylights, two full baths, an office and a second bedroom in the turret complete the magic!

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I HATE

MUSICALS THE MUSICAL WORLD PREMIERE BY

MIKE REISS

SEPTEMBER 27 - OCTOBER 15 F O R T I C KE T S, V I SI T I V O RY T O N P L AY H O U SE . O RG

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24 Lyme Street, Old Lyme, CT (860) 434-1600 EFWatermelon.com

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20 statement was a simple one: to directly benefit this vital and important place...the Center for Great Apes.

This effort has since grown and flourished to where it now features an annual fine art and photography contest, the purpose of which is

The Art of Maintaining Permanent Sanctuary

by RONA MANN

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he was born and raised in England, enjoyed a successful career in pharmaceutical research and development, then moved to the United States where she established a consulting business, targeted specifically at the pharmaceutical industry. However a few years later, she sold this concern and began looking around for something else to “inspire” her. But not even Dr. Lindsey Matheson could know that the inspirational “something else” she was seeking would one day involve singing

to an orangutan named “Linus,” the purpose of which was to distract him while her friend, took photographs.

It was through her association with Patti Ragan, founder of the Center for Great Apes, a sanctuary which provides lifelong care for orangutans and chimpanzees, and her immediate infatuation for, and forged bond with Linus, that Lindsey Matheson, along with colleagues Jon Norris and Sue Dupré, subsequently formed an organization called ENDANGERED: Art4Apes. Their mission

Top right: The Beauty In the Bees, Beadwork - © Tatiana Fitzpatrick Above: Two Tigers, Painting - © Young artist Alison Irving

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Pensive Primate , Photograph - © Jerry Biddlecom

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sold one of the chimp’s paintings to the well known artist, Romero Britto, so Bubbles’ inherent talent has become a good deal more than mere monkey business.

“to seek out artists and photographers, encouraging them to focus their skill and creativity on issues facing endangered species and habitats, while at the same time raising much needed funds to continue and support the Center for Great Apes.”

Dr. Matheson urges everyone to visit www.CenterforGreatApes.org to read the heartwarming and compelling backstories of these fantastic and highly intelligent animals, biologically our closest relatives. Perhaps the most famous of the 47 primates who presently live and thrive at the Florida sanctuary is a chimp named “Bubbles,” the adored pet and

constant companion of the late singer and pop culture icon, Michael Jackson. This chimpanzee who lived on Jackson’s estate, slept in his bedroom, toured with him, and was nearly inseparable from the singer, quickly gained instant worldwide fame and a following of his own. After Michael Jackson died, Bubbles was retired to the Center for Great Apes, where he continues to thrive today as the dominant member of a “family” and spends a considerable chunk of his time painting. Lindsey tells Ink Publications that she even

That is but one fascinating and amazing story; visit this website, and you’ll immediately be taken in by the profiles of these intelligent and saucy primates, each with a distinct personality and story of his own. There are presently 26 chimpanzees and 21 orangutans living out their lives in this unique place, the only such accredited sanctuary in North America. But without any government funding, it takes a large amount of money to fully maintain both the animals and the sprawling facility they call home in Wauchula, Florida...and that’s precisely where Lindsey Matheson comes in. It is in this very special place that she has found the inspiration for which she had been seeking. More than mere inspiration, the Center has provided a major life change for the British physician that has given her a great sense of inner peace and joy. This is inherently obvious even when speaking with Matheson by phone.

She is a joyous, purpose driven woman, but

Clockwise from top left: Cry Freedom Black Rhino, Painting - © Anthony Burks / Panther, Beadwork - © Tatiana Fitzpatrick / Leitah, Sculpture covered with live ammo - © Mary Engel

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Louie, Photograph - © Phoenix

Osprey, Photograph - © Sandy Scott

Honoring the Past - The Bison, Photo - © Jane Ruprecht

Agami Flight, Photograph - © Kirsten Hines

The Habitat, Painting - © John Rachell

Rhino trio, Painting - © Anthony Burks

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Yertle, Myrtle & Bob, Painting - (c) Jen Walls

A Cozy Rest, Painting - © Young artist, Gage Minard

Protect Me For Tomorrow, Painting - © Alison Irving

Panther -© Tatiana Fitzpatrick

Cry Freedom Baboon, Painting - © Anthony Burks

Crested Cascara, painting - © Mia Gifford

Mr T, Printed on Fabric - © Jen Walls

Gorilla, Painting - © Anthony Burks

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“That’s why we created the ENDANGERED Art4Apes Fine Art & Photography Contest, as a way of showcasing artists and photographers, having their work represent and depict such an important cause, and ultimately raising the much needed funds to keep the Center going, since it takes $20,000 per year per animal to care for each of them,” says Dr. Matheson.

Life is good now for these p r i m a t e s , and Matheson’s mission is to keep it that way.

While working tirelessly for the cause, the doctor still manages to sing to Linus when she visits the Center. There, true to his namesake culled from the Peanuts comics, the orangutan has a blanket which he likes to carry with him as he roams his habitat in the tropical forest surroundings. Like the comic character for which he was named, he used to cling to that blanket for security; but with the life he’s received at the Center and through the benefits received from the Fine Art and Photography Contest, he no longer feels the stress. He now has a place to roam, to live out his life in peace; and on occasion to hear some crazy British lady sing to him, even

if it is a bit off-key. In Linus’ heart she still hits the notes every time.

part of the curated exhibition in Miami during Art Week and Art Basel December 6-9, 2017

ENDANGERED Art4Apes Fine Art & Photography Contest 2017 This global, juried online art contest is divided into two categories: Fine Art (including sculpture, jewelry, and wearable art) Fine Art Photography (digital manipulation will be accepted) Specifics on this year’s contest including all terms and conditions may be found at: www.Art4Apes.com The contest opened online March of this year with the deadline for submission being October 8,2017.

Cash prizes are awarded in each category, and all prizewinners, plus an invited selection chosen from the other entries, will be shown as

Dr. Matheson points with pride to the Young Artists Contest, which is an important part of the competition. Entries from individuals or class/groups will be accepted from young people with birthdays on or after October 1, 1998 and are also eligible for cash prizes.

All entry fees and donations go directly to support the Center for Great Apes For more information and to make a much needed donation, visit: www.Art4Apes.com Facebook.com/art4apes; Twitter: @art4apes; Instagram.com/art4apes Contact Lindsey Matheson directly at: Lindsey@art4apes.com

Clockwise from top: Red Gorilla, Painting - © Anthony Burkss / Ounce of Hope, Beadwork - © Tatiana Fitzpatrick / The King, Sculpture - © Jason Shanaman

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28 I imagine he washed out of one of the rivers nearby, and was looking for another. I’d never seen that before and probably the gulls hadn’t either. That call was longer and thinner than this. And less urgent.

The herring gulls are high, maybe 70 or 80 feet and almost overhead now - and there it is.

On the Beach Photos and editorial © Mark Seth Lender The herring gulls are circling. They wheel and wheel, moving slowly down the shoreline calling: Look! Look here! Look out! That’s what it means. A frisson that passes through the flock. It is impossible to see what they see. The sun is never up at this hour, not even on the Solstice (and that is three and a half months from now). The only light is a muddy reddish stain that pulls up behind them in the sky. They are barely more than shadows.

What disturbs them must be close enough to be a threat or at least, out of place. Like house cats they notice anything they are not used to. Even a crack in the seawall after a storm. Once in the middle of the afternoon I heard them call in a similar manner. There was a young beaver swimming up the coast, against the tide.

I should have been looking down: Coyote on the beach.

Young, thin, long-legged, he looks more wolf than songdog except for the lack of confidence. He glances over his shoulder at the gulls, and again, and then - He sees me.

Coyote looses his trajectory and strays across the tideline.

The water lifts in silver arcs from his paws. It sounds like the clinking of glass. Other than the splash he does not make a sound, does not open his mouth, and continues to stare as he passes, loping now, almost at a run. The gulls have given Coyote away. The thing he feared.

At a large breakwater a hundred yards on he bucks up, and from the top, stops and looks at me one last time. Then turns, down between the boulders and again, onto the sand. He settles into his stride, going west at a steady trot until

in the grayness and the distance he is lost from sight...

The herring gulls disperse. For them everything is back to normal.

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Field Note: On the Beach In our species we associate verbal acuity with intelligence. Or more precisely, the ability to use symbols. If brilliance did not extend in directions other than spoken word there would be no Theater of the Deaf. Likewise, you need not be loquacious to be a great mathematician.

Or for that matter a painter of historic importance. So that when we look for intelligence in other species it does make sense to let that survey be broad and wide. I would argue that herring gulls fit any definition of intelligent that one can construct. And Speech is key among them.

There are at least three relative tones, high, middle, and low, for almost every call that herring gulls make. These can be internal to a string of sounds coming at the beginning, or the middle, or the end. So that the first part of a call of multiple notes can be - for example - high dropping to low, or low gliding up to high. In addition there is variation in sound volume and in speed of delivery of these strings, or “phrases” as a whole. This means that

almost any phrase that herring gulls utter can be “spoken” with different emphasis at different points. There is also an overlay of symbolic gestures. When gulls threaten each other they lengthen their necks, point their beaks down, and make a rising, mewing kind of sound. Using these linguistic and visual components, herring gulls can vary what they mean, in subtle ways.

The Alarm call is a good example. An eagle who is genuinely dangerous will evoke a particularly urgent form of Alarm. That beaver I mentioned was certainly unusual but in terms of risk indeterminate rather than being a known threat, and while he provoked Alarm, the call was not the same as for an eagle. The gulls did not touch him, but they did swoop down on him quite low. With an eagle, herring gulls harry only with their voices, moving quickly to the side out of his flight path. The coyote was of course gifted with an Alarm call all his own, and they got nowhere near him either.

Everything herring gulls need to say can be said by them.

They have strings of sound with discrete meaning, the

ability to vary those meanings in subtle ways, and to communicate each variation to other gulls. Proof can be seen in that every phrase evokes its own unique behavioral response by the herring gull flock as a whole to other animals, individually to each other, by pairs to single gulls flying overhead, and so forth. Of some importance, these responses are consistent over time. None of this would be true if herring gulls did not work from an underlying, inherent, set of grammatical rules. Taken together, all these traits combine in what I think can reasonably be described as a Language.

A call shared by an entire flock following a thermal out over the sea, distressed perhaps by a warning in the weather only they perceive, is not the same as the call made in response to a coyote on the beach, their beach, where he does not belong

Mark Seth Lender is a producer for wildlife content at Living on Earth ( LOE.org ), the only program on US Public Radio exclusively dedicated to wildlife and environmental reporting.

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45 Minutes, Yet a World Away The History and Natural Beauty That is Fishers Island

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once operated Fort H. G. Wright here to deal with our nation’s enemies. Now the Fishers Island Conservancy works here to vanquish environmental “enemies”—black swallow wort and other invasive plants - and to replace them with native species.

The Conservancy, which has long looked after island land and waters, hopes that islanders will get behind the effort and that others can learn from it.

We focused especially on the history of the island and on the work to protect its land and wildlife, today and forever. The U.S. Army

The island, about a mile wide and nine miles long, is a “hamlet” of Southold, New York, although it’s much closer to Connecticut. In summer, its population is a few thousand; the yacht clubs and golf course are busy. Offseason, the population is about 230. The island’s long “east end” is a gated neighborhood; the “west end” has a small village area, tree-lined streets, the ferry dock, a museum, a few year-

By Carolyn Battista / Photos by Vincent Scarano alking along the Fishers Island shore, we saw the natural tidal wrack lines of washed-up eel grass and kelp. Heading inland, we spotted big signs about invaders, like the awful black swallow wort. We— photographer and writer—were here to look around and learn a bit about this quiet, mostly private little island.

Justine Kibbe, the Fishers Island Conservancy and Pierce Rafferty, director of the Henry L. Ferguson Museum

round businesses, and a few more seasonal ones. There are churches, a health center, a volunteer fire department, and the school, pre-K-grade 12, where about half the 70-some students come from the mainland.

(Commuting kids on the ferry said they love the school. “I’m intellectually challenged,” one said, noting science programs. “I know everyone’s name,” another said).

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Besides students, the 45-minute ride from New London carries people who live, vacation, or work on the island. It docks shortly after passing by Race Rock Light, a beacon since 1879 on the treacherous waters off the far western end of the island. We were met at the dock by Justine Kibbe, naturalist for the Fishers Island Conservancy. She and Pierce Rafferty, director of the Henry L. Ferguson Museum, would be our excellent guides.

edge, posts island photos and field notes, and shares her experiences. She wants islanders to know and savor what’s there.

On our walk, she talked about the rich eel grass meadows within Long Island and Fishers Island sounds. Having documented a rise in recreational fishing vessels, she wants people

up, sit still, observe, and feel privileged to be guests of this natural world.”

We met Pierce Rafferty at the museum, which has galleries on the island’s pre-history, history, and natural environment and holds the island’s only land trust. On a quick tour, we viewed the exhibit Photographs of Fishers Island, Part One, 1880’s1930’s, showing wonderful scenes of island life.

Pierce gave a lively capsule history, starting in the 1640’s when the island was first settled by John Winthrop, Jr. The Winthrops would own it for more than 200 years, most of that time being absentee landlords to tenant farmers.

The museum has an original 1734 lease that spells out tenant obligations, like always keeping “one chamber in the best house” for the special use of any visiting Winthrop.

Growing up, Justine spent summers on the island, enjoying long, free days of swimming, biking, fishing, exploring. After spending some 25 years away, including time in Alaska and on the remote Pribilof Islands in the Bering Sea, she returned in 2011 to live here. She figured the Pribilofs prepared her for year-round island life, not just nice summers. During stark winters the wind blows, and lights across the water seem distant. But, she said, “There’s a community here,” and she’s part of it.

to be aware that keeping abundant fish populations means not damaging eel grass.

The Conservancy works to preserve and protect the island’s natural environment, to advocate for it, and to educate people. In her job, Justine monitors ecosystems, looks for trends over time, and records what she finds.

She digs into the island’s traditional knowl-

She also works with kids. “Leave your phones at home!” she tells them. “This is life.” In her Sentinel program, she mentors future stewards of the environment. “They help me monitor,” she said. On what she calls the “Sanctuary of Sands,” she and the kids “circle

Robert R. Fox bought the island in 1863 and worked to improve its farms. After his sudden death in 1871, speculative proposals for its next use bubbled up. The New York state legislature considered buying the island and moving Sing Sing prison from Ossining to this “better” location.

By the early 1880’s, a little town had developed. Tourism flourished. There was

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Photos above by Justine Kibbe

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comes 1929,” Pierce said.

“The crash defines Fishers Island, in that the east end stayed relatively undeveloped.

hotel-building, and big steamers brought big crowds. Folks envisioned a “Coney Island of the East.” But In 1889 Edmund and Walton Ferguson—brothers who were successful bankers and businessmen—bought 9/10ths of the island. They put in infrastructure and soon began to develop a more genteel, family-

oriented seasonal resort. They bought out existing hotels, banished the steamers, and kept going. They expanded especially the Mansion House hotel (now gone) and built a “cottage colony” around it.

By the 1920’s a new Ferguson generation was putting a Seth Raynor golf course on the east end, where they planned an elite private residential colony of 300-400 homes. “Then

Island enterprises came and went. Over time clay pits and brick-making, poultry farms, and “the Boroleum factory,” where Boroleum ointment was tubed, all closed. (The museum has the tubing machine in its collections.) Fishing and lobstering are not what they were; Fishers Island oysters are the island’s only export. A small U.S. Navy facility remains on the island. Fort Wright, established in 1900, was a bustling operation through World War II. Today its old parade grounds are among the sites where the Conservancy battles invasives.

Driving us around, Pierce stopped to chat with a road worker who had a gift for him--a rusted old horseshoe that he’d found. An artifact for the museum! A guy in a truck waved.

He was Steve Malinowski, owner of Fishers Island Oyster Farm, who asked, did Pierce want to help with tarps? Steve and other volunteers were laying tarps over a section of porcelainberry, an especially invasive plant.

Later, I talked with Dr. Douglas Tallamy of the University of Delaware, who’s aiding the Conservancy’s work to stamp out invasives and replace them with native plants.

“Invasives are ecological disasters! They wipe out other plants,” he said. “Other non-native species are also unsatisfactory,” he added,

“because they don’t support enough of the insects that birds in the area eat.”

Dr. Tallamy said that remove-and-replace strategies are “effective only if everybody gets on board.” He urges property owners to take care, weed out invasives, and use attractive native alternatives to plants that may look and smell nice, but can harm the life around them.

On this island, there’s less chance that alien invaders will just come back and more chance that a dedicated community can make the project succeed.

I also talked with Tom Sargent, president of the Conservancy, who has high hopes. “It’s important that we restore the balance of nature,” he said. “This can be an educational template, not just for Fishers Island.”

For more info: fishersislandconservancy.org; fergusonmuseum.org; fishersisland.net

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- Aidan Buss Mastering “The Ballet Line” Growing Into His Art

43 of The Nutcracker at the Royal Opera House.

“I was a tall soldier in The Nutcracker,” he says. “In January, we had a performance almost every night for about a week.”

Aidan shared that experience on a visit home with his family in Greenwich. “After a performance I felt happy, but sad that it didn’t continue. Nothing else matters when you step through that stage door. It’s the atmosphere that makes it so focusing, so Zen! It’s the music, the audience, and your fellow peers dancing along with you.”

By Anne W. Semmes

A

t age 14 Aidan Buss is in love with ballet.

He looks made for ballet. In the air his limbs are as graceful as a heron in flight. He aspires to greatness. He’s been at it for ten years, since the age of four. All it took was for his family to take him to Manhattan to see the New York City Ballet’s Nutcracker, and he was hooked. After seeing the Dance of the Candy Canes he asked his mother, “Mommy, can I do that?”

Aidan has not wasted time. He’s now a student at the elite Royal Ballet School in London and has already danced in the company’s production

Aidan always wanted to go to “one of the best ballet schools in the world,” he says. He started out at the Ballet School of Stamford and after four years moved to the Greenwich Ballet Academy (GBA) with its Port Chester, New York address. From his GBA instructor, Yuri Vodolaga, he received the discipline that would shape his graceful line. “He’d say I have to keep my ribs in, my elbows up, my fingers have to be together. You have to keep his corrections in your head. You have to repeat these things, and after a while it becomes a part of you. It’s the ballet line.”

Aidan would grow into the lead dancer – the prince - in the Academy’s Nutcracker

Aidan in class at Greenwich Ballet Academy

performances for five years running. He would appear with the Russian Mikhailovsky Ballet Company in Don Quixote at Lincoln Center and go on to win first place in regional competition before entering international competition. “Aidan is talented, and he’s a very hard worker; both qualities you need to succeed,” says teacher Vodolaga. “He loves

Aidan dancing with former Greenwich Ballet Academy classmate Lee Melton at Fort Stamford

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Aidan performing the Nutcracker at Greenwich Ballet Academy

performing and is able to connect with the audience when he is onstage. I am so proud of him!”

Both the Royal Ballet School and the National Ballet of Canada invited him to attend, but the Royal Ballet had an edge that proved a bonus. Since Aidan’s father is British, the young danseur would have grandparents nearby for TLC. Aidan ranks as the only American in the Royal Ballet’s lower school of 130 students, aged 1116. His residence is called White Lodge and is located in Richmond Park. To enter the upper school at Covent Garden he will be assessed at the end of the next two years, just as he was assessed toward the end of his first year. Aidan recalls that stressful time. “Preparations take three or four weeks because you learn specific exercises. You have

your pliés, your tendus, jetés to the bar, your center exercises, and then you do jumps.

Seven judges are watching us: the artistic director, our next year teacher, and a few teachers from the upper school.

They judge us on our performance, our technique, our feet, our smiling.”

While home in Greenwich for the winter break, Aidan received an email... he had passed muster!

But there’s a downside. “There’s horrible homesickness,” he says.

“I go home and see family; then I come back to the school, and they’re not there.

It’s really difficult to deal with sometimes.” Nightly calls home after his homework help, as does FaceTime on the weekends.

He describes his rigorous daily school regimen. First, four hours of academics; and then, “We dance about two hours a day of classical ballet. After ballet, we have character class or Irish dance, or Scottish dance, as well as fitness class, followed by an hour more of ballet. On Saturdays we have contemporary dance followed by an hour of Mark Morris dance,

then add an hour class of choreography.” But in between are lessons on the calligraphy of ballet called Benish notation, truly a challenge for Aidan and classmates.

Aidan was introduced to contemporary dance at the Greenwich Ballet Academy and took to it as well. “In ballet you are always upright, and everything comes back to a center. With modern and contemporary you’re sort of playing with your weight, as well as you can fall to the ground and play with negative space and do different things.”

He credits his former GBA teacher, Bryn Cohn for helping him improvise with movement and to “get away from that classical center.” In her classes Aidan “felt more like a contemporary dancer.” He learned, “You can’t have contemporary without ballet because there is so much ballet in contemporary.”

“I loved watching Aidan test his imagination and cognitive understanding of dance - it was a gift to witness and be a part of,” shares Cohn. “Aidan maintains ferocious curiosity

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Aidan Buss dancing with the Nutcracker with Elizabeth Meyer

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Aidan Buss and Elisabeth Beyer at Fort Stamford

47 But Aidan is a growing boy dancer!

“They have estimated I will grow to 5 feet 10 inches and that’s good,” he deems. “When you grow, they say your muscles get very tight, so it’s really difficult to perform full splits as you have to be really flexible. Your therapists and the coaching helper say you just have to wait and let your body grow and start working on your flexibility. It’s just trying to get where it needs to be.”

“It’s a challenge that we always try to overcome in every class,” he says; “and as long as there’s improvement for me, I’m happy with myself. I like to set the bar really high for myself. If I get to that bar, I’m thrilled. It’s a challenging career - but it’s a challenge I want to do.”

Aidan Buss with his former Greenwich Ballet Academy teacher Yuri Vodolaga.

and limitless passion that are quite special, particularly for his age. While he consistently challenges his physicality and technical acuity, his creativity remains equally as vital to his artistry, and furthermore, his desire to be fulfilled.”

The young dancer also brings levity to his labors. “Aidan has the gift of making people laugh; and even though he works extremely hard in class, he is able to be silly and fun outside of class,” says a longtime observer, LeAnn Lindsey, GBA chair and president.

Aidan with teacher Bryn Cohn

The piece de resistance for Aidan Buss is, “I love what ballet can make me do. It’s a great art form, and I can express myself through ballet. It’s just a fantastic way of movement and art, and I have so much passion for it. I just like performing and showing other people this part of me that I can’t show otherwise. I love being on the stage.”

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F I F TH T A NNUA NNU A L

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Music, Mirth & Mojo

by Ali Kaufman

Music has the ability to move your body and touch your soul.

Mirth is described as merriment, exhilaration, glee, euphoria, and gladness.

Mojo is the magic charm that turns the ordinary into extraordinary.

These are the ingredients I will be stirring up in the months to come, bringing you a column that hopefully excites, delights, and perhaps ignites a passion or at least inspires you to get out there and enjoy the incredible musical adventures and events that are happening all around us.

The eight years of producing and hosting my radio program, Morning Mojo on WCNI 90.9FM, have brought me copious amounts of joy and experiences. I have been freelance writing and working with festivals for just about the same length of time, so now I can take you along for the ride with me! I look forward to sharing stories you will hopefully find engaging, stimulating, and worth the time you took to read them. I am honored to be granted this platform in Ink Magazine, so without further ado, let's get this party started!

“Boobstock” is the cheeky name of the Deep River event that brings people together to seriously help fund breast cancer patient treatment programs. In its fifth year since being launched, this afternoon of great music, food, and friendship has continued to up its game, raising $6,066 in 2016 as compared with $3,500 in 2015. The hope is to double last year's generous donations and help even more patients with a myriad of services and support. Whether it is supplying a wig, providing therapeutic massage or medical care, or supporting the whole patient, body and spirit are paramount to the mission of Boobstock. All proceeds after expenses are shared equally between Middlesex Hospital Cancer Center and Smilow Cancer Hospital at Yale New Haven.

I sat down to speak with Pattie Unan in the Carriage House just behind Deep River's historical and treasure laden Stone House where she is the rental manager. Pattie has

become the driving force behind the event that was the brainchild of her dear friend, Margaret Rohner, who is no longer with us. In 2012 Margaret, having no health insurance, availed herself of the free early detection screening at Smilow and was diagnosed with breast cancer, subsequently undergoing a double mastectomy.

Margaret was so affected by the way her friends rallied around, and also moved by seeing Pattie's own mother, Nell Johnson, ravaged by the same insidious disease, she felt compelled to, in Pattie's words, "Pay it forward by starting the first Boobstock.” Jack Adanti

gets full credit for coming up with the name and more importantly sending Margaret into a fit of laughter with the sassy moniker. Jack is also the point man for securing the bands that play. Make no mistake however - while the name may make you smile, this group is serious about continuing to make Margaret's dream a reality year after year.

This year's event to be held at the John III Sobieski Club begins at 1PM and will feature five bands. Kicking it off will be JikiJikiJa, followed by The Rod and Jack Show, Bokum Road, and Old Dog New Trick, culminating in a performance by headliners, Someone You Can X-Ray. Tickets are $25 for ages 12-64, $15 for ages 5-11 or 65 plus, and kids under 4 get in free. Your ticket price includes the music until 6PM with food provided by Jamie Russell and complemented by additional dishes to share brought by a team of volunteers. A full cash bar will also be available, so you are asked not to bring in coolers or outside alcohol.

Parking is free, which should leave you some spare coin for taking a chance on their "sameday take-away" gifts. Try your luck by buying 10 tickets for $10. or 25 tickets for $20. The

items have been generously donated by local merchants and include gift certificates for restaurants, stores, and services. Kudos to Linda Johnson for procuring these items each year; anyone that has had to do this knows it can be a herculean task. Please note that all gift donations are tax deductible, should you wish to participate.

Returning this year is Essex Hardware's popular "Beer Barrow,” a wheelbarrow with a frosty delicious payload. New this year is the addition of an auction of bigger ticket items, so look to their Facebook page for details on items such as an outboard motor valued at $3,000 or a fantastic weekend getaway leaf peeping trip to New Hampshire. Whatever you choose to bid on, know that your participation will go a long way. Specialty merchandise like their signature tie-dye shirts by Larry Bergman, or ladies pink t-shirts emblazoned with “Boobstock,” will be available for purchase, in addition to super soft bandanas by Tye Dye Mary of Nashville.

There are so many reasons why this event deserves to be written on your calendar; but if you find that you just can't make it and still want to help, please do! Donations may be brought to the Deep River branch of Liberty Bank, or connect directly with Pattie Unan by calling 860-227-6232.

I hope you will look forward to seeing what I’ll have in future issues, and thank you for being the most important part of this fine publication - our reader. I am proud to be a part of the team and anticipate bringing you more terrific reasons to reach for Ink time after time.

Ali Kaufman

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Remembering Jacques Cousteau

By Richard E. Hyman Captain Jacques-Yves Cousteau. Who was he?

Once one of the most recognized figures on the planet, but today, no longer. Most of the younger generation and even their parents do not know who he was.

Working for Cousteau back in the day was a life-changing experience. Fortunately daily details were captured in personal journals which led to a book and subsequent speaking opportunities. There are three reasons the story is told: First, an attempt to keep Captain Cousteau’s legacy alive in order to remind and to teach how unique and accomplished he was.

Second, to spread Cousteau’s insightful messages. He so effectively used books, films, and television, e.g. The Undersea World Of Jacques Cousteau, the images and words, his accented narration along with dramatic music;

he brought the underwater world into the family living room. He communicated so many insightful and inspirational quotes, e.g. “Protect what you love.”

Finally, to encourage people of all ages but particularly youngsters, that when presented with an opportunity, say “yes.” To seize the and opportunity experience an adventure, whatever it may be. A related message is a reminder to those in a position to help another, to offer somebody a chance to say “yes.” Something that may seem ordinary to you, may have impact on another.

By definition, an adventure may involve unknown risks, even danger. One remarkable experience regards Calypso’s visit to the U.S.S. Monitor shipwreck. Just getting there alone was unsettling as they departed Norfolk and Virginia’s protected water, to enter an active

Atlantic sea with deep blue water and large rolling waves.

Then sailing south to the site of the wreck, 16 miles southeast of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina they encountered a treacherous area with shoals, strong currents and frequent rough seas...The Graveyard of the Atlantic, as it is known, having claimed thousands of ships and sailor’s lives.

To protect the Monitor from unauthorized salvage, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Clockwise from top left: Author Richard Hyman, Launching Zodiac in preperation for a dive on the Monitor, Diving on the shipwreck of the U.S.S. Monitor off the coast of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina.

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A highlight for Richard was John Denver’s visit and filmed concert aboard Calypso, for which John won his only Emmy."

Left to right: Jacques Cousteau, John Denver, Joe Thomson, Richard Hyman, Louis Prezelin

Association (NOAA) had distinguished it and the surrounding area as the nation’s first National Marine Sanctuary. Today there are 13. Who would think there would be fine china and silverware on a Civil War Ironclad?

NOAA Commander Floyd Childress was there to be sure no souvenirs were taken. He also confiscated the bale of marijuana that happened to float by, no doubt dumped by smugglers. This agitated some of the crew who then nicknamed him “Pink Floyd,” after his red hair, which he did not appreciate.

Readying the “Fish” for launch.

Being a sanctuary, the wreck was not marked.

Dr. Harold Edgerton of MIT was aboard to help locate it. His side-scan sonar, a device resembling a skinny torpedo, aka “the fish,”was hung in the water over the port side and tethered to a plotter in the ship’s radio room. Recurring pulses of acoustic energy were released into the water, with the plotter recording the echoes on paper. For hours, Calypso sailed a grid, back and forth, towing the fish as the plotter drew a crude continuous image of the seafloor. Finally, after a few false alarms, a curious likeness was thought to be the wreck. However, the spot was quickly lost.

Steps were retraced, and this time the bright orange marker buoys were quickly dropped.

The next few days 239-foot dives were exhilarating but dangerous as was the phantom storm that came out of nowhere. A beautiful calm day quickly went to high wind and tall seas. This was trouble, particularly because one of Calypso’s two engines was not operating. The mission was aborted; and despite the weather, the marker buoys absolutely had to be retrieved, so the wreck would again be hidden. Calypso pitched and groaned over 20 foot waves, sounding like a wooden matchstick about to snap. Yes, Calypso was a 139 foot World War II wooden

Retrieving the Chaland

minesweeper. Nobody had ever mentioned where the lifeboats were, and this would have been a good time to do so.

Calypso eventually made it to the mainland of Morehead City, North Carolina. A week of engine repairs followed, before sailing south to

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Richard readies the Zodiac.

Launching the Fish.

Phillippe Cousteau, one week prior to his passing.

Marking the Monitor Wreck.

Struggling to retrieve marker bouys.

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A young Richard Hyman with Jacques-Yves Cousteau.

A freak storm hits while trying to retrieve the marker bouys.

Fish in the water.

Cousteau watching the Monitor dive from the bridge.

Richard aboard the Calypso.

Marking the wreck of the U.S.S. Monitor.

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Battling with the increasingly angry seas aboard Calypso.

the Caribbean and Venezuela. The engine’s damage was from fuel that had been loaded in Norfolk. Someone had put sugar in the fuel...sabotage!

curiosity and energy allowed people to see and to learn what was below the surface so that they might join him in protecting what they love.

Cousteau had too many accomplishments to name here. Yes, he was the coinventor of the open circuit demand valve regulator, more commonly known as SCUBA (Self Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus). This allowed divers to freely move about underwater with an air supply on their back instead of being restricted by a tethered air supply from the surface.

Some members of the scientific community criticized Cousteau, saying he pretended to be a scientist, when he was not. They didn’t get it. Cousteau was a showman, an entertainer. He never pretended to be a scientist. He’d invite the best scientists on earth to join the expeditions. He would interview them; and he would learn from them, on and off camera, and share this with the television audience. Cousteau’s endless

successful as the President and CEO of The Cousteau Group and Co-Founder, President, and CEO of The Cousteau Society. Today Fred and Richard no longer support The Cousteau Society. Richard says, “I’m grateful that Dad opened the door for me... and that I walked through it.”

Richard is an Environmentalist, Executive, and Author and has presented to audiences, including the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, the University of Connecticut at Avery Point, and The Explorers’ Club in New York City. He will be at Fairfield University’s Quick Center on October 4. His book FROGMEN, is available in eBook and softcover

Richard knew the Captain to be honest, smart, dedicated, and to this day the hardest working person he has ever met.

In the 1970s, Richard’s father Frederick Hyman was recruited to resuscitate Cousteau’s organization (or lack thereof), which was off course and financially underwater. Fred was

on Amazon.com.

For direct shipment of signed books, including hardcover, contact Richard at richardehyman@gmail.com and visit www.richardehyman.com

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65 These women are delightful to meet, thoroughly engaging, and just plain fun. By profession they are artists, by choice they are thoroughly committed...a trio of women from vastly different backgrounds and with a myriad of enviable talent, who have come together in one building for the love of art and for the opportunity to share this with those who appreciate, know, collect, or just like to browse.

The Triumvirate of Lyme Street

3 Artists... 3 Galleries... and 3 Success Stories

by RONA MANN / photos Jeffery Lilly The laughter comes easily and often, their banter fresh and forthcoming.

They have a deep and genuine regard for one another, both as individuals and for the work they create.

exactly like the other two women, Judy developed her love for art early on. “I always was painting the Santa to go on the front door, and I absolutely loved Paint by Numbers.”

Even though she kept on painting (by numbers and otherwise), Friday “didn’t get serious till I was about 30 and moved here. I went to the

They call this must-visit venue The Lyme Street Studios, this light and airy of square collection footage just down the road from the Lyme Art Academy. Although each artist is mistress of her own gallery space, the love and appreciation for what they create and exhibit here is shared equally.

Meet Judy Friday, proprietress of the Judy Friday Gallery, profiled earlier in these pages in November 2016. Friday is the only one of the three artists not originally from New England, having grown up in Columbus, Ohio. But

Lyme Academy and was a ‘traditional’ painter. I’ve gotten more abstract over the years.” When asked why the change, Friday answered immediately. “I just started seeing things differently.”

Facing page: Sandy Garvin, Deb Quinn-Munson, and Judy Friday. Above: Lyme Street Studios

66 The person sitting next to Judy is artist, Deborah Quinn-Munson, a woman who just never stops smiling; but when you love what you do, happiness just follows naturally.

Quinn-Munson who works in watercolors,

Deb Quinn-Munson Gallery

pastels, and oils, is a product of Wayland, Massachusetts, just west of Boston; and from early childhood “just could not get enough of drawing, cutting, pasting.” Deborah’s older brother was inadvertently given some art supplies, although he had absolutely no interest in them whatsoever; so his younger

sister immediately swiped them and started creating art on her own. Fortunately she had a good deal of support from parents who were both talented in this vein.

“But they were traditional. They thought it was nice that I wanted to do art because then when I grew up I could stay home, have kids, and paint. It didn’t turn out that way.”

Quinn-Munson’s father was an ad man. As Deborah created, he made prints of her work and gave her a company name: Love, Inc. Together, father and daughter made the rounds in Cape Cod, and “I actually wound up exhibiting in some galleries as a teenager!”

Sandy Garvin, the third member of this happy triumvirate, grew up “right here, at the beach in Old Lyme.” Her parents were also immersed in the arts; her mother was a painter

Interior of Judy Friday’s Lyme Street Gallery.

Sandy Garvin Gallery

and “Dad loved cartooning;” therefore Garvin was fortunate to receive encouragement all along the way. Initially she worked on a chalkboard “because it was immediate, and I could erase what I didn’t like.” When she was old enough to work professionally she went into the medical field, educated in Boston in the specialty of radiography “to make a living.”

But reading x-rays was not where Garvin wanted to be. “Art just could not be denied. I wanted to create, so my mother sent me to a weeklong watercolor workshop with world

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Above: Sandy Garvin

Above: Judy Friday

Above : Deb Quinn-Munson

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Above : Deb Quinn-Munson Above: Sandy Garvin

Above: Judy Friday

69 famous watercolorist, Zoltan Szabo, and I was hooked.”

Although she began with watercolor, Garvin now prefers oils. “I like the immediacy. They are more forgiving, can be scraped off if necessary. I like the texture and the whole look of oils.”

Sandy was the first to occupy one of the Lyme Street Studios seven years ago. “From the beginning I envisioned a whole building full of it worked!”she artists...and laughed. Judy Friday came in 2016, and Deborah Quinn-Munson just three months ago. Each has her own studio and gallery, but all agree, this street is a natural space for artists.

For those who might wonder if there’s inherent jealousy among the three, they violently shake their heads in unison. “We tell people that there are other artists here, and they should visit them as well,” Friday offered. “We even critique each other’s work which we all find helpful.” Deborah asked the other two if they felt comfortable, and both announced they “never had a bad feeling ever.”

Although all three artists exhibit in other galleries as well, they agree they are happiest here. “We just need people to know we’re here,” Sandy said. “We need an event.”

To that end, there will be an Open House on Saturday, September 23rd from 5-8PM at Lyme Street Studios, an event which the three women highly anticipate as they will welcome not only old friends, but new ones who might not have previously discovered this unique place.

As for the future, their goals are varied.

Deborah wants to learn to “balance better. I want better time management, plus I’d like to get more of my work out there for national recognition.”

Sandy agrees by saying, “The marketing part is not the part we like to do. I just want to paint on my own and have people find me.” People have found them since both Sandy’s and Deborah’s work are now part of the Smilow Cancer Hospital Art Program at Yale New

Sandy Garvin in her studio

Haven. Smilow has established an evidencebased art program expressly for the emotional and physical well being of patients and their families. The hospital feels that emotional healing goes hand in hand with physical healing. Chosen to be part of the 700 pieces of original art from all over New England and the Mid Atlantic states, these women’s work are part of the third largest permanent art display in Connecticut.

Judy Friday concluded, “Sometimes you feel like you’re never finished, but when you’re painting, sometimes you need to move on. I

want to move on to some looser work on larger canvasses with bigger brushes. Then she sat back in her chair and resolutely summed it up for all three of the women. “Some people want to paint; I have to paint.”

Sandy Garvin may be reached at (860) 391-3088; Deborah Quinn-Munson is at (860) 304-4312; or call Judy Friday (860) 581-0116. All may be found at 10 Lyme Street in Old Lyme and work by chance or appointment from Wednesday through Saturday.

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Photos by Christian Plourd, Review by Tyler Plourd

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here isn’t a brewery in Connecticut that sparks a reaction quite like Kent Falls. In a world where hops rule and hazy beers flood Instagram feeds, Kent Falls chooses a different approach. Breweries that stray from the current tend to fall by the wayside, while Kent Falls has found a niche that has only been replicated by OEC in Oxford, who solely specialize in sour beers. The unwavering approach has divided some crowds, but we can always conclude that Kent Falls is one of the most unique breweries in Connecticut.

With some law changes taking place over this past year, farm breweries are now allowed to serve full pints on site, which has completely changed the game for Kent Falls, who before the law change, simply sold bottles with no tastings available. Being able to tour the brewery, which resides on the Camps Road Farm in Kent, a 50acre diversified farm that focuses on pasture-raised poultry and pork, was a unique experience.

Sure, many tasting rooms can immerse their guests in the process by organizing hourly tours, setting up half walls to allow optimal vantage points into the brewhouse, but at Kent Falls, you are able to traverse through the physical settings of commercial beer production as well as the scenic backdrop of a farm brewery.

Pancake Town, a Maple Blueberry Buckwheat IPA was a sure-fire way to introduce the tasting room crowd to the zany creations that go on at Kent Falls. Brewed with blueberries and maple syrup, this is the perfect brunch beer. Not too sweet, and providing enough character to legitimize the name, Pancake Town ups the ante with a healthy dose of Mosaic and Simcoe hops to give this beer even more complexity.

Before tasting Trapped in Habitual Nostalgia, I explained to my brother how I wouldn’t mind if the entire Blond Ale style was eradicated from the Earth. They always come off uninspired and dull. But I quickly drank my words when I tried this crisp, balanced, and quite hoppy Blonde Ale. Anchored with Centennial hops, TIHN features a light and easy mouthfeel with a gigantic punch of flavor on the palate. Not as much as an IPA, but certainly more character and brawn than any other Blonde Ale I’ve tasted. The bold approach to a style that has been all but forgotten by many was refreshing and unique, which thankfully seems to be a trend at Kent Falls.

The Lime Zest Gose is KF’s take on the classic style of sour beer originating in Goslar, Germany. Fermented with the house strain of Lactobacillus, which is a friendly bacterium that

converts sugars to lactic acid and normally found in yogurt, the beer is then finished with a strain of Brettanomyces. Often colloquially referred to as “Brett”, Brettanomyces is a non-spore forming genus of yeast that is used to impart those “funky” flavors found in most sour beers. Science lesson aside, this Gose provided just the right amount of sourness. Light on the funk, the hint of lime zest was the perfect thirst quenching

boost to enhance this easy-drinking Gose.

Kent Falls uses Brett is most of their beers, they even claim to use several yeast strains to ferment some of the simpler ales like IPAs and Pale Ales.

Elevated Reformation is a double dry-hopped Pale Ale that could be our favorite out of the bunch. Even with a low-alcohol content (5.4%), Reformation is never light on flavor. Peach, tangerine, and a touch of earthy pine dance on the palate, while the finish leaves minimal, if any bitterness at all. This is a beer you need to get your hands on.

Get More Likes, is an Imperial Stout brewed in collaboration with Kinsmen Brewing in Milldale. While this beer wasn’t on for tasting, my brother and I were able to get a few bottles, one for the evening, and one for patient cellar aging. After tasting this luscious roasted stout, I’m not sure how patient I’ll be.

At 8% this is an offering that will best be enjoyed as the summer winds down. Notes of dark chocolate, coffee, and dark fruits come to the forefront, but the silkysmooth body of this beer is what makes it a winner.

Not syrupy like some Imperial Stouts, Get More Likes is in a league of its own.

What I respect most about Kent Falls is their steadfast mindset on brewing beers that are interesting and unique no matter what the current craft beer trend is. Allowing each beer to speak for itself and have distinct characteristics makes for such an enjoyable drinking atmosphere. If you ever have the opportunity, visiting Kent Falls Brewery is an experience that you will remember and value, because when it comes to Connecticut craft beer, no one stands out more than Kent Falls.

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Paul Partica, The Cheese Shop, Centerbrook CT

A Revisit to Hollandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Beemster Cheeses I n May of 2011, I wrote a column on Beemster cheeses. Since that time, approximately 1,000 wheels later, Beemster cheeses have soared in popularity in our shop. For those of you who do not know Beemster goudas, it may be time to get acquainted with this wonderful set of Dutch cheeses.

The story of how Beemster cheeses are made is fascinating. The Beemster company manufactures its cheeses in polders located within Holland. Polders are parcels of low-lying land reclaimed from a body of water (such as a lake, a marsh or even the sea)

that are also surrounded by dikes, to keep water out. Approximately 3,000 of them exist in the Netherlands alone.

For over a hundred years the farmers of a co-op in the Netherlands have been making exceptional cheese in polders. The history of these polders dates back to the early 1600s, when certain bodies of water were first emptied. With its completion in 1612, the now dry, useable land was divided among its investors and the co-op began to grow. The land proved beneficial for farming and the area began to prosper. In 1901, a co-op was formed by CONO Kaasmakers, the makers of Beemster cheeses. The pastures

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within this land are pesticide-free and contain special minerals that offer a sweeter and softer milk fat. These smooth, creamy qualities are evident in the cheeses that Beemster produces.

so nicely. Pair it with red grapes and walnuts. Vlaskaas holds distinction in ranking as one the top two cheeses sold in our shop.

Beemster Goat

All Beemster goudas are made in the Dutch conventional, natural method. Rennet is added to fresh milk, and the resulting coagulation forms curds. The curds are then cut and pressed into shape. Once formed, they are given a brine bath and the aging process begins. Every wheel is hand-turned and polished each day to ensure perfection. Beemster wheels will vary in age from a few months to 26 months.

Although we do not carry the entire Beemster line of cheeses, the following choices have worked well for us:

Smooth, clean taste and deep, complex flavor are the defining attributes of Beemster Goat. This cheese pairs well with red grapes, cashew nuts and honey. Savor it with Pinot Grigio, Claret and Sancerre. Beemster Goat bears similarity to Midnight Moon, which is another store favorite.

Beemster XO General Notes About Care This 26-month-old cheese is sharp, with butterscotch, whisky and pecan undertones. It has a creamy finish and pairs well with Vintage Port, Cabernet Sauvignon and Zinfandel. Many of our customers refer to it â&#x20AC;&#x153;adult candy.â&#x20AC;? I like it with single malt scotches and bourbons. People are especially fond of the subtle crystalline texture (formed by salt and calcium deposits) found in the cheese.

Beemster Classic An 18-month-old cheese with a sweet and creamy texture, Classic teams well with Roquefort and Munster and is often enjoyed with Vin ta ge P o rt , Bo rdeaux and Cabernet Sauvignon. Classic is similar to XO but has less crystal formation.

Beemster Vlaskaas Vlaskaas is a Gold Medal winner three times over and one of my personal f a vorites. This sweet and creamy varietal is excellent for cooking because it melts

As with all cheese, special care should be taken to maintain freshness. Cheese wedges should be tightly wrapped in fresh plastic film wrap (Saran, for example) each time they are opened. If you re-wrap with old plastic film wrap, you will reintroduce any beginning molds back to the cheese surface; plastic film wrap only seals well the first time it is used. If these steps are not taken, your cheese will dry out more quickly and lose flavor. Protect your treasures.

When purchasing cheese, try to buy fresh-cut pieces from whole wheels at time of sale. It is always best to taste a fresh sample of your choice directly from the wheel, and not from a sample that has been cut into cubes hours prior. Only in this manner can one be certain the cheese is at its peak condition.

Avoid pre-cut, Cry-o-Vac packaged cheeses. They might have started as the same great cheese but will unfortunately now include a subtle plastic taste, hence ruining what might have been a great cheese.

When serving cheese, it is best to allow wedges to rest at room temperature, remaining wrapped, for an hour or two before serving. Only then should you unwrap and serve.

Refer to the above-mentioned suggestions for pairing with the cheese(s) you have selected. This will enhance the experience for you and your guests.

Look for the Beemster family of cheeses when you shop. You will be happy you did.

Centerbrook

of Paul Partica, Specialty Foods & Espresso Bar The Cheese Shop www.cheeseshopcenterbrook.com

LLC

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By Kevin Staehly Operations Manager and Assistant Winemaker, Staehly Farm Winery, East Haddam, CT

“The Studio Garden - Autumn Afternoon” oil on linen canvas 24 x 24 inches Leif Nilsson 2016 © THE REST OF THE CONCERT IN THE GARDEN 2017 LINE UP SUNDAY, OCTOBER 8th - 4 - 6 pm JOHNNY MARTORELLI SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 12th - 4 - 6 pm THE LOST ACRES STRING BAND DECEMBER 10th - 4 - 6 pm RAMBLIN DAN STEVENS & THE FIERY BAND BYOB and Picnic - Inside the Gallery if inclement weather The Next FIRST FRIDAY September 1st, 5 - 8 pm Arrowhead strings along on most Sunday afternoons. Find out about the Concerts in the Garden, First Fridays, Leifs paintings and more at

www nilssonstudio com

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Riesling

Riesling is a white grape that imparts

many different flavors and

degrees of sweetness. This grape is quite often thought as an inexpensive and very sweet wine. However this wine has a wide range of sweetness and some are bone dry. Like Cabernet Sauvignon they can age for many years and once was sought after as a fine wine to cellar.

By Art LiPuma, General Manager, SeaSide Wine & Spirits, Old Saybrook, CT

The popularity of Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc over the past years has overshadowed the Riesling grape. Like Sauvignon Blanc, if people are looking for the rich oak of Chardonnay, they will not

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find it in a Riesling. This wine does not do well in oak barrels. Riesling originates in Germany. It is grown in many areas of this country, the top two being Mosel-Sarre-Ruwer and Platz. In cooler climate it thrives where it is able to grow slowly, which is most beneficial for this varietal.

German wines sometimes include the following styles on the label. Kabinett, picked during normal harvest this wine is light and semi dry. Spatlese, this style is picked later, just after the normal harvest which gives it a little more body and fruitiness. Auslese is picked from the ripest bunch of grapes, to give this wine a rich and intense fruit flavor. Beerenauslese is made from smaller grapes which leads to rich fruit, sweet to the taste and is often made into dessert wines, however this process is not done too often. Trockenbeerauslese is a higher quality dessert wine in comparison to the previously mentioned Beerenauslese, the grapes used for the trockenbeerenrauslese are dried to give a more intense flavor. Lastly the Eiswein is a rare wine with a sweet concentrated flavor that develops its unique taste from freezing the grapes before theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re picked from the vine. In other parts of the world it is also grown best with similar climates. In Austria this grape is often called Rhein Riesling or Weisser Riesling.

They tend to be aromatic with a crisp dry finish. In France this grape is technically allowed to grow in one area and that is Alsace. This area borders Germany; they produce a floral nose and finish dry.

In the United States this grape is grown in many areas including California, Oregon, Washington State, and New York to name a few. California labels it as White Riesling or Johannesberg Riesling. The area produces fruit forward in structure and either a slightly sweet or dry finish. Washington State produces excellent Rieslings do to its cool climate as does the Finger Lakes in upper state New York.

While there are many different regions that it is grown in the world, there are almost as many different flavor profiles. Ranging from tartness of granny smith apple to the sweetness of honeysuckle. Excellent wines to pair with light pasta dishes, ham and try a dry Riesling with some spicy barbecue shrimp. Enjoy this wine with the warm weather or any other time of the year!

Art LiPuma Manager at SeaSide Wine & Spirits

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September 1 - 15 Mystic Our summer shows, Thinking Small and Sail Away continue through September 15th. It's the perfect chance to see the wide variety of the gallery's artists with work in all media and styles from over 40 all under one square foot, as well as summer journeys on the sea, on land and in the imagination. Saturday, September 16th marks the opening of CREATURE FEATURE II, the best in original fine art inspired by all the creatures of the earth, this time including humans. Join us for a gala reception from 6-9PM with many artists in attendance, libations galore and the incredible Mark Taber on the baby grand! During the show we will be partnering with Mystic's Aquarium's Animal Rescue Program, Mystic Area Shelter and Hospitality, Safe Futures and other organizations dedicated helping other species as well as our own. Featuring sculpture by Susan Van Winkle, Jillian Barber, Lori Rembetski, Robert Scutt and Serena Bates, whose "Survivor" is show here, as well as paintings by Sheila Barbone, Sunil Howlader, Sarah Stifler Lucas, Del-Bourree Bach, Christopher Zhang, Ralph Acosta, Kim Muller-Thym, Charles Liguori, Barbara Leger and many more.

Celebrate the diversity of the creatures of the earth and "adopt" some beautiful artwork to add to your collection! We're open Mon, Thurs, Fri and Sat 11-6, Sunday 12-6 and by appointment or chance. Our popular weekly Meet the Artists Salons are Sundays 3-6PM, share wine, conversation and your passion for art! 12 Water St, Mystic, CT 06355 Phone: (860) 536-5059

FINE ART EST.

2016

curated & L UXUR Y GOODS

September 1 Mystic FIRSTFRIDAY. Join us for our First Friday Event. Shhhhh..... We will be revealing a teaser of new Curated art for 2018 with a tasting of The Real McCoy Rum and lots of bubbly. September 1, 2017 | 5:00 - 7:00pm 29 W. Main Street, Mystic, CT www.curated.world FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM @ CURATED.WORLD

September 1 - 9 Madison Visions of Land and Sea. Sailing vessels racing, a catboat at dawn, boats docked in a harbor, ospreys perched on stick nests, luminous t i d e w a t e r marshes, lobster cookouts, gulls, shorebirds and sandy beaches evoke perfect summer memories and beautiful places at Susan Powell Fine Art's summer invitational, Visions of Land and Sea. The exhibition, featuring approximately 75 works by 22 award-winning artists, takes place at the Madison, Connecticut gallery through September 9. Paintings by Del-Bourree Bach, Peter Bergeron, David Dunlop, John Falato, Bill Farnsworth, Vincent Giarrano, Curtis Hanson, Neal Hughes, Susan Jositas, James Magner, Leonard Mizerek, Deborah Quinn-Munson, Polly Seip and George Van Hook celebrate the charm of the Connecticut and New England Shore. Gallery hours are Tuesday-Saturday from 11-5, and anytime by appointment. For more information, call (203) 318-0616, and visit susanpowellfineart.com to see works in the show. Susan Powell Fine Art is located at 679 Boston Post Road, Madison, CT 06443 Sept 1-23 East Haddam The Rodgers & Hammerstein classic that changed American musicals forever dawns at Goodspeed for the very first time. Cowboy Curly and farm girl Laurey are taking their sweet time falling in love. Can these stubborn romantics admit their feelings before it's too late? Passion, laughter and high-kicking choreography blossom in a land where the wind comes sweepin' down the plain. A legendary score--including "Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin'," "The Surrey With the Fringe on Top" and the rousing title tune--will put you in a brand new state! Wednesday, 2 & 7:30 p.m.; Thursday, 2* & 7:30 p.m.; Friday, 8 p.m.; Saturday, 3 & 8 p.m.; Sunday 2 & 6:30p.m.* *select dates. Goodspeed Opera House TIME: 08:00 pm - 08:00 pm 6 Main St. East Haddam, CT

SEPTEMBER EVENTS

September 1 Chester The First Annual Taste of Chester. Raw oysters, brick over pizza slices, heirloom tomatoes with ricotta and basil, wine and beer tastings, ice cream cones, free drinks and more will be offered by downtown eateries First Friday, Sept. 1 from 5 to 8 p.m. The first annual Taste of Chester will even include tastings by Grano Restaurant which isn’t opening until later this fall in the former brick bank building on Main Street.

Outside the building, owner Joel Gargano will be serving heirloom tomatos and marinated roasted cauliflower. At Otto’s, slices of brick-oven pizza will be $2 while River Tavern will be offering $1 drinks. The Chester package Store will be doing wine and beer tastings and the Pattaconk Bar and Grill will also offer tastings of any beer on tap and, at its ice cream window, any cone for $1.50.

Outside the L&E, the restaurant will be serving oysters on the half shell for $1 each and Thai Riverside will give a drink away with each entrée. Meanwhile, all the shops and galleries will be open until 8 p.m. with art openings, new lines of merchandise and specials plus wine and treats.

SEPTEMBER EVENTS

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September 6 Chester The eight annual Fall Exhibit at Maple and Main Gallery, featuring a diverse selection of new works by 56 artists, opens Wednesday, Sept. 6 with the reception Saturday, Sept. 9 from 6 to 8 p.m. The gallery will be filled with traditional landscapes and seascapes in oils and pastels, contemporary mixed media pieces, sculptures and original works that defy easy classification. In the Stone Gallery will be a solo show, “Veil,” of works in pencil and oil by internationally known artist Nancy Greco of Canton that explore the blessing and curse of self-awareness. The Fall exhibit marks Maple and Main’s eight anniversary and the gallery will have cake and a champagne toast to mark the occasion at the opening. There will also be a selection of appetizers and desserts and wine. Entertainment will be provided by sister and brother musicians, Julia and Nolan Tackett. 1 Maple St, Chester, CT 06412 (860) 526-6065

September 15 Essex The Cooper & Smith Gallery presents Waking Dreams: Landscapes by Robert Trondsen. The landscapes of Robert Trondsen evoke that ethereal otherworld between dreaming and waking.

Edges dissolve, forms melding in moody atmospheres of lambent light. Opening reception, 5:30 – 7:30 pm. Light fare & music.

Cooper & Smith Gallery, 10 Main Street, Essex, CT 06426. www.coopersmithgallery.com. Fall hours: Thu – Mon, 10:30 – 5:30.

Tue & Wed: by appointment. 860.58.1.8526.

September 24 Westbrook Shoreline Chefs. Come join us for this 2nd annual event to raise money for local seniors in need. A Delicious way to support MEALS ON WHEELS, Sunday, September 24th, 2017, From 3 to 6 PM at Water’s Edge Resort and Spa Featuring over 20 local restauranteurs and caterers providing the food and cooking talent for a small plate tastings of their fabulous recipes.

The event will feature a beer and wine tasting presented by : Paradise wine & spirits and 30 Mile Brewers Music by The Von Zells . Tickets are $40.00 per person or $45.00 at the door and can be purchased at Shoreline Seniors , 220 Main St Old Saybrook.

Tickets can also be purchased by going to our website www.ecsenior.org For details on the event call the Estuary at (860) 388-1611

September 7 – October 29 Middletown Selected works from the Clinton Art Society at the Valentine H. Zahn Community Gallery located at Middlesex Hospital Shoreline Medical Center. Meet the artists at an opening reception to be held on Thursday, September 14 from 6 – 8 p.m. The Gallery is open during regular business hours and is located at 250 Flat Rock Place, Westbrook, CT. For more information, contact Middlesex Hospital at 860-358-6200 or zahngallery@midhosp.org.

September 27 October 15 Ivoryton I HATE MUSICALS: THE MUSICAL. Simpsons’ television writer and producer Mike Reiss is back in Ivoryton with his hilarious world premiere! Mix an LA earthquake with a little Sigmund Freud and some nifty dance moves and set it to songs you know and love and you’ve got a musical like nothing you’ve ever seen before! info@ivorytonplayhouse.org Ivoryton Playhouse, 103 Main Street, Ivoryton, CT 06442 Box Office Phone: 860.767.7318