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Thousands Celebrate the Holidays on Main Wethersfield kicked off the holiday season in style, with the lighting of a towering Christmas tree and a winter farmers market, amongst other attractions that made up the town’s third annual Holidays on Main. The event, which drew 4,000 attendees last year, once again flooded the streets with residents eager to snap photos of the newly-lit tree and line up for one of several horsedrawn-wagon rides shuttling passengers around the area.
Alex Hoffman was one of those who braved the cold to wait for a taste of Old Wethersfield’s historic feel. “I don’t know where it goes,” Hoffman said. “I guess I’ll find out.” Although Hoffman lives nearby, she and her family were attending the event for the first time. “It was really crowded, so I like seeing people in town I don’t normally see,” she said. “And this tree’s really nice.” Donna Carpenter, a 12year Wethersfield resident, was also checking it out for the first time.
Along with street vendors, wagon rides, a wood carver and a farmers market, this fire juggler entertained the crowds.
“My husband doesn’t like the cold, so I never came, but I came here by myself,” Carpenter said. And it was worth it, she said. “Nobody should miss this,” Carpenter said. “Wethersfield has a wonderful historic district. I think people really appreciate it.” It was a first for a lot of people, including those who came in with the Wethersfield winter farmers market. “This is the first year we’ve ever been a part of it, and it’s incredible,” said Stephanie Jarm, who runs the winter farmers market. “I’ve never seen it this busy.” For the farmers selling varieties of jams, hummus, honey, maple sugar and horse radish, among other The lighting of this giant Christmas Tree marked the start of the season at the annual Holidays on Main last Thursday items, the adjustment was in Old Wethersfield. of snacks, including marked by crowds and cold, from Lebanon. “A lot of people from popcorn, hot pretzels, but the former was well Legal Notice town didn’t even know and candy canes. worth the latter, Jarm said. Town Of Wethersfield we existed,” he said. “It “We thought it’d “Usually we’re not Zoning Board of Appeals be a something fun to here, but in the warm [Trin- brought awareness of the market to more people.” do with the kids,” said Notice is hereby given that the ity] church,” she said. “But The event also includWethersfield resident Wethersfield Zoning Board we couldn’t resist all the ed caroling, a silent auction Luigi Guerrera, who of Appeals will hold a public people.” and wine and beer tasting was accompanied by his hearing on Monday, DecemSo far, it seems to be at the Webb Barn, and even wife, Julian, and their ber 17, 2012 at 7:00 p.m. in paying off, said Raymond the Community Room at a fire juggling show. Street two kids. Medeiros Jr., a wood carver the Police Station, 250 Silas vendors sold an assortment
“Alter Ego” Scarecrow Teaches History Lessons by Mark DiPaola Look up the word “miscellaneous” in the dictionary. Seriously, go ahead and Google it, if you don’t know what it means already. The definition that comes up should say something along the lines of a “collection or group” that is “of various types from different sources”. Wethersfield resident Elaine Ogren Speranga, with the slew of talents and hobbies that make up who she is, fits this term--she’s an artist, a poet, a historian, and a
scarecrow, in spirit, anyway. The scarecrow is “Miscelaineos,” Spernaga’s self-described alter ego she constructed in 2003. Say that name again: Miscelaineos. Listen to how the middle part sounds--Elaine. That wasn’t an accident, and it has worked to blur the distinction between creation and creator. “People refer to me as her,” Speranga said during a phone interview. “I was in the Capitol today and people would say, ‘Hi Miscelaineos.’ Miscelaineos is an extension of me. We’re one in the same. She’s in the straw form. I’m in the skin form.” Somebody call Batman because Scarecrow is in the house. But no, seriously, Speranga/ Miscelaineos is no comic book super villain. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. Through a collection of 70 paintings Speranga has been building since 2006, Miscelaineos has become somewhat of a hero--or at the very least, a really cool sidekick-standing alongside Mark Twain, Harriet Tubman and Betsy Ross, among others. “I have always
Elaine Ogren Speranga poses with one of more than 70 paintings featuring Miscelaineos, featuring Harriet Ross Tubman.
been an artist,” Speranga said. “I always wanted to do paintings, and one day I just said ‘I’m gonna do one of Miscelaineos’.” It’s Monday night in Wethersfield’s Council chambers. Speranga waits for the second to last resident to have their say during the public comment segment, and then goes to the podium to provide everyone with a break from the discussions about the town’s depleted pension fund and state spending, among other items. She has with her four paintings, the first one being an image of Miscelaineos standing between a snowman and Santa Claus. Santa is uncharacteristically slimmer, and he’s wearing a pin that says ‘I lost 20 pounds.’ “This Santa is very health conscious,” she says to the amused councilors. “I think Mrs. Obama would be very happy with that.” Don’t forget President Obama and the Monsanto lobbyists in the FDA. The contents of Speranga’s paintings might, at a glance, seem, as the name of her character implies, miscellaneous, but nothing is placed into the pictures at random, she said. Most of the works have an obvious historical theme. Harriet Tubman, for example, is holding an apple, which was added to depict that the abolitionist figure would be forced to pick the fruit, but punished for eating it. Case in point, every image is
designed to educate the viewer. “People of all ages can learn,” Speranga said. “Everything’s deliberately in the picture for a reason.” Through Speranga’s paintings, Miscelaineos has traveled through time, but in real life, the scarecrow has covered some distance through space. Speranga has brought it to Capitol Hill in Hartford, where she is as a tour guide, as well as to the Bushnell Theatre where she works, hence the fame outside of Wethersfield. Where to next for her and her alter ego? Speranga is thinking even bigger. She wants to write a book based on Miscellaneous, perhaps a play or movie, even. She’s written poetry about her other half and she’s even compos-
Deane Highway, Wethersfield, Connecticut, to hear and be heard on the following application:
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1. Application No. 6114-12. Berardino Zaino, seeking a variance to erect a generator having less than the required side yard setback at 60 Stonegate Drive, East side, A-1 Zone, (§3.7A ). Town of Wethersfield Zoning Board of Appeals Thomas Vaughan, Chairman
121312
by Mark DiPaola
By Fred Valente, Duly Authorized Dated at Wethersfield, Connecticut, this 28th day of November, 2012.
ing a rap. Move over, Jay Z. “The sky’s the limit,” Speranga said. Oh, my mistake--that would be Lil’ Wayne.
Miscelaineos pickets for women’s suffrage with Susan B. Anthony.