cheshirecitizen.com
Volume 12, Number 7
Census records can reveal family history, says genealogist
Thursday, February 18, 2021
Town pushes to contain pandemic
BIG BIRD
Record-Journal staff
By Joy VanderLek The Cheshire Citizen
The state Department of Health recently released its COVID-19 vaccination rates per town and, according to the data, Cheshire is near the top of the rankings.
Finding out more about your family history was made easier with Carol Ansel, director of the Godfrey Memorial Library in Middletown, in her February presentation, “What can we learn from the Census.”
The ratings system tracks how many members of the general population have received shots along with those 75 years of age or older.
Cheshire Public Library hosted the online program during which Ansel gave examples from her own family history using census records. The approach was a clever way to help people find their way as they researched their lineage. Ansel gave the audience some tools to use, and at the same time, offered a wider picture of America by spotlighting the country’s historical timeline taken from the pages of the U.S. census.
According to the data, of those individuals eligible for the vaccination under the state’s Phase 1A plan, which includes all hospital staff and health care personnel, Cheshire has; attained a 12% vaccination rate; and 40% of all individuals who are 75 and over and live in Cheshire. The only other Connecticut towns showing better rates are: Farmington, Essex, Avon and Old Saybrook.
“You can really dig deep and find out a lot. It’s a fun exercise,” Ansel said. See Census, A8
According to a report out earlier this month, Cheshire Snowy owl sculpture spotted on Blacks Road.
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The Cheshire Citizen | cheshirecitizen.com
Thursday, February 18, 2021
Connecticut suspends tax reapplication requirements Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the State of Connecticut has issued the following:
The biennial filing requirements imposed by sections 12-170aa (e) and (f ), 12170v, 12-170w, 12-129b, 12129c and 12-129n of the Connecticut General Statutes, for taxpayers who were granted tax relief benefits for the Grand List year for 2018 and who are re-
COVID-19
Cheshire has hosted several vaccine clinics and during the Jan. 22 clinic, volunteers from both the Cheshire and Southington Community YMCAs helped out. The clinic was held at the Community Town Pool for individuals eligible under Phase 1A of the state’s rollout, as well as for residents 75 years of age or older. Among the ways volunteers assisted was in scheduling residents for their second shot.
Currently, CHS is operating on a hybrid model, with half the student body attending school in person for the first half of the week, and the other half attends school inperson for the second half. During the meeting, Solan said the district has in-
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To schedule a vaccination appointment through the Vaccine Administration Management System, or VAMS, go to https:// vams.cdc.gov/vaccineportal. Appointments can also be made by calling the COVID19 Vaccine Appointment Assist Line at 877-918-2224 between the hours of 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., seven days a week.
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At the Feb 4 Board of Educa-
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AWARDS
2019
Executive VP & Publisher — Liz White Notarangelo News Editor — Nick Carroll Assistant News Editor — Olivia Lawrence Senior VP and Editor — Ralph Tomaselli Vice President of Advertising — Jim Mizener
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tion meeting, Superintendent of Schools Jeff Solan provided information on a From A1 minor outbreak of the virus at Cheshire High School. has had 1,491 positive cases The school recently received of COVID-19 and 35 deaths. confirmation of six cases, all Chesprocott Health District within the student populais overseeing the local vaction. No teachers or other cine effort. Currently, clinics staff are affected at this time are being held at the and the situation is conCheshire Community Pool tained, according to Solan. to serve the three districts In some of the cases, stuthat Chesprocott represents dents are remote learners — Cheshire, Wolcott and and have not been in the Prospect. However, Chesprobuilding. With an enrollment cott is looking for a new vacof 1,362 students, these cascination site that can better es represent a .004% positivihandle the logistics of a ty rate, Solan said. mass vaccination program.
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2018
E.C. TREE • CHESHIRE (203) 272-4485
Per the Office of Policy and Management : New filers must still abide by the May 15, 2021 deadline. Town Hall is open; therefore, if you are a new applicant meeting all of the age and income criteria wishing to file for tax relief, please bring your proof of 2020 income or call (203) 271-6620 and we will discuss filing options.
AWARDS
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The biennial filing requirements imposed by Sections 12-81g, 12-81f, 12-81ii, and 12-81jj of the Connecticut General Statutes for taxpayers who were granted tax relief benefits pursuant to those sections for the Grand List year 2019 and who are required to recertify for the Grand List year 2021, are
Suspension of Reapplication Filing Requirement for the Homeowners’-Elderly/Disabled Circuit Breaker and Freeze Tax Relief Programs
quired to recertify for the Grand List year 2020, are suspended and such taxpayers shall automatically maintain their benefits for the next biennial cycle ending in Grand List year 2022.
R238319
EXECUTIVE ORDER NO. 10: Suspension of Reapplication Filing Requirement for the Additional Veterans Tax Relief Program
suspended and such taxpayers shall automatically maintain their benefits for the next biennial cycle ending in Grand List year 2023.
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The Cheshire Citizen | cheshirecitizen.com
Thursday, February 18, 2021
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The Cheshire Citizen | cheshirecitizen.com
Thursday, February 18, 2021
Starbucks application gets PZC approval
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The Planning and Zoning Commission approved a special permit application, Feb. 9, that could pave the way for the construction of a Starbucks at 944 South Main Street (Route 10). The site was previously home to the Dragon Buffet Chinese Restaurant. The plan calls for 2,042 square foot shop with a drive-thru. The application passed 8 to 1, with Commissioner Rob Brucato as the dissenting vote. At this meeting and at a Jan. 25 meeting, Brucato voiced concerns about the building’s design not fitting into the existing surroundings.
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The plan includes building with sustainable, eco-friendly, durable materials. - Record-Journal staff
Cheshire Police Blotter CHESHIRE — Arrests reported by Cheshire Police: Feb. 4 Katherine E. Ardesia, 21, 1785 Cheshire St., disorderly conduct, 7:59 p.m. Adam O. Azeez, 36, 20 Mitchell Ave., disorderly conduct, 9:20 p.m. Ryan P. Charron, 22, 1120 Bull Ave., Wallingford, violation of standing criminal protective order, 1:36 p.m. Temidayo O. Dosunmu, 44, 20
Cell: 203-982-6789 | OfÞce: 203-795-5554 x304 | Email: AFischer@FischerCom.com
The architectural firm of Tecton Architects created the design and its representative, Jeff Wyszynski, provided the commission with various details of why the design was chosen. He said the design for the Cheshire Starbucks is the current prototype for all their New England facilities, and changing it would go against the plan Starbucks has set out for the region.
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Mitchell Ave., disorderly conduct, 9:20 p.m. Christopher Stasiak, 23, 1785 Cheshire St., disorderly conduct, 7:59 p.m. Donald D. Tamaro, 52, 435 West Main St., Apt. 1, seconddegree breach of peace, 7:09 p.m. Feb. 6 Kyle A. Vellucci, 22, 370 Brooksvale Road, second-degree failure to appear, 9 p.m. Feb. 7 Joseph Morgillo, 32, 435 Main St., Apt. 2, second-degree breach of peace, 6:54 p.m. Tianna M. Negron, 24, 100 Jobs Road, Wallingford, violation of a protective order, 6:20 a.m. Donald A. Nicoletti, 24, 10 Mountain Brook Drive, disorderly conduct, 9:45 p.m.
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The Cheshire Citizen | cheshirecitizen.com
Thursday, February 18, 2021
A5
Artwork sought for May exhibit
CAL President Pam Sorenson is optimistic after having to cancel the show last year. “We are thrilled. We are keeping our fingers crossed that with COVID, we can do this live show,” she said. Members of CAL as well as members of the public who would like to enter their works into the show need to complete registration and provide payment by the end of the day on April 3. “We are hoping to get 75 pieces,” said Sorenson, adding that all art must be original works.
ing photography (no Photoshop or digital altering), as well as three-dimensional art. Artwork must be completed solely by the submitting artist. Giclee/prints and other reproductions of artists’ original work are not permitted. Art created in classes or workshops where participants use the same reference images are not acceptable. Dimensions are not to exceed 30” x 36” including the frame. Work is to be securely wired for hanging (no saw tooth hangers, D-ring hangers or easel backs permitted). No wet paint. The presentation and display of art will be at the sole discretion of the Cheshire Art League. The art league reserves the right to reject artwork for any reason.
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The Cheshire Citizen | cheshirecitizen.com
Thursday, February 18, 2021
Enchancements made to CHET savings plan Connecticut State Treasurer and Trustee of the Connecticut Higher Education Trust, Shawn T. Wooden, has relaunched the state’s 529 college savings plan under new program manager, Fidelity Investments.
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age at 79 percent. Nearly all Connecticut parents surveyed (92 percent), said they hope to cover at least some of the cost of higher education for their children. The reason to start saving early and often has never been clearer, as Americans currently owe an estimated $1.67 trillion in student debt.
The Cheshire Citizen | cheshirecitizen.com
Thursday, February 18, 2021
A7
Letters Policy Email letters to news@thecheshirecitizen.com; mail to 500 South Broad St., Meriden, CT 06450 or fax to 203-639-0210. Letters are limited to 300 words. The Citizen will print only one letter per person each month. We reserve the right to edit letters. We do not list names of people, organizations and businesses being thanked. Names of businesses are not allowed. Letters must be signed and names will appear in print. Include a phone number so The Citizen can contact you for verification. Letters must be submitted by 5 p.m. on Friday to be considered for publication the following Thursday.
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The Cheshire Citizen | cheshirecitizen.com
Thursday, February 18, 2021
Census
Prince Edward Island. It was pretty much first- and second-generation Irish, Canadian and New Englanders in the neighborhood. The census at this time doesn’t yet have Italians, Slavs, Poles and Jews, who only began to show up in the 1930s.
From A1
The census was created in 1790 as a way to correctly record the population’s voting representation, and has since been done every 10 years, Ansel said. She advises using the free FamilySearch.org research tool and Ancestry.com, which is usually a subscriber service. The library’s head of Information Services, Bill Basel, noted that Ancestry.com is offering library patrons free access during COVID. Go online to the CPL website and use your library card number to get free access. In the first six decades, the census was essentially a head count, said Ansel. The 1860 census records the head of the household by name. All others were recorded with hatch marks. Females were an afterthought, she said. At that time, terms such as slaves, paupers, insane idiots, and homeless children were used. Ansel reminded the audience that the “language was a reflection of the time.” Formatting and questions changed, becoming more refined and detailed in advancing years. Household members’ relationships to the head of household were listed in the census reports of the 1880s. “There’s more data, but it’s not always the truth, it turns out,” Ansel said. In her family, Ansel’s grandfather – “many times over” – Henry Wilkinson arrived from England in the mid1800s. Elizabeth is his third wife. His first wife died, presumably a result of working in the mills. Another marriage in which the wife dies occurs, but the marriage produces a child, Albert. Henry remarries. He is never unmarried for long. That’s how it was back then when you worked in the mills, said Ansel. This time he marries Elizabeth who was from Henry’s hometown in England. The child, Albert R., is Ansel’s great-grandfather. Following the breadcrumbs,
U.S. Census Bureau employees work on the 1930 census records. National Archives, U.S. Census Bureau
Ansel shows there is now an Alice and Willie Dillon in the household. Who are they exactly? They are listed as niece and nephew. However, in the 1910 census, Willie Dillon shows up as head of the household. He’s married to a woman named Annie, and here is Elizabeth Wilkinson. She is his mother. “These were the children of Elizabeth, but for some reason they weren’t listed correctly in the earlier census,” said Ansel. “Why? Were they not yet adopted?” Data has to be taken with a grain of salt, repeated Ansel. It’s possible the census takers will use information from a child or whomever answers the door, or maybe from a neighbor. It’s also possible the enumerator had poor penmanship, or poor hearing, she said. In 1890 the census became automated. The use of Hollerith punch cards made the process faster. The year also was the year the census “was lost.” First there was a fire, followed by heavy water damage which ruined most of the records, and finally, improper disposal of the records. The catastrophe gave rise to the impetus to have a proper home for this important information and to make a national archives building to house the records.
As the years went on, codes began to be more detailed. Ansel advised to really look at the fine print. For example, H is for homemakers; O means the home is owned; R means it is rented. One column had the dataset info to show if the household had a “radio set.” That was the 1930s, so at that point, that was becoming the first mass media, said Ansel. Choices on ethnicity increased with the addition of Japanese, Filipino, Hindu and Korean. Additionally, homeowners were asked their country of birth, along with that of their parents and other family members in the household. You would choose from native born, foreign born, born at sea and noncitizen. At one time, in the case of naturalized couples, if they divorce, the woman loses her naturalized status. The census also collected data on the wars: World War I, the Spanish American War, Philippine Insurrection, the Boxer War, and the Mexican Expedition. What you did for a living also was recorded. On the MacArthur side of Ansel’s family, there was a clerk, coded as 7X22 – a clerk in an automotive factory. Another was 7X10 – a worker who was a stitcher probably employed in a clothingshirtwaist factory. Census workers did not put in the
In this neighborhood every one of the adults and all the children age 10 and up could read and write. The census showed that in the past year all children had attended school. It was a neighborhood that valued education, said Ansel, adding that this is an aging neighborhood with an interesting family structure, mainly extended families, not the nuclear families of the 1950s.
At this time, women are beginning to work outside the home. They took jobs as maids to wealthier families or as stenographers or bookkeepers. Men are employed as streetcar conductors, cashiers and butchers, machinists, electricians, ushers, Ansel said amateur genealo- accountants, firemen, emgists should know it’s okay to balmers, and salesmen. “You can see the influence of cars turn the pages and check coming in with jobs like a out the neighbors and the neighborhood. In a more de- rubber (tires) factory worker and traveling salesmen,” tailed study of her family, David Warren McArthur and Ansel said. Mary “Nelly” Elmira CrossIn the 1930 census, the man were married in 1865 MacArthur family is now and had six children. In the spelling its name with an 1920 census, David was 50 “A”, said Ansel. “They were and Nelly was 48, and the indeed of Scottish origin, but family lived on Academy the Irish had first come to Road in Boston. Their children included Ansel’s grand- America with the potato famine and they had been father, Elvin Bond, and looked down on by others in Edith, Hazel, Roy and a niece, Ruth Crossman. They the country. (The MacArthurs) wanted to rented their house. David’s arrival in America was listed make it clear they were Scottish.” with different dates in census records. “Many CanadiNow they lived on Parson ans went back and forth Street. It’s a younger skewed across the border, so that neighborhood, they are the could be the reason,” said older family at this time, and Ansel, who also found Roy they are no longer living recorded as a female in one next to a boarding census. By looking at more than just the one household, house. Husband and wife, David and Nelly, are in the Ansel was able to see that home with Roy, 23 (correctly half the homes were rentals and half were owned. There listed as a male in the 1930 also was a boarding house in census.) There’s also the niece, Ruth, who is now 15 the neighborhood with aland a 19-year-old boarder, most a dozen individuals from Ireland. The McArthurs likely from Canada. Ruth were the only ones from codes, this was done after the records were sent in, said Ansel. To decipher the codes from the 1930s is challenging. “It was extremely detailed. It’s quite complex and you have to be a data nerd to enjoy it,” Ansel said.
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In Brief Blood drive In the 20 years since Katherine Toce died from aggressive brain cancer at the age of 11, her family has raised thousands of units of lifesaving blood for other hospital patients in need. Donate blood in memory of Katherine Toce Saturday, March 20,
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had been listed as Crossman in an earlier census, so you wonder if she was finally adopted. This neighborhood more closely resembles a nuclear family. More women are entering the workforce but are still limited in what they do. They work as telephone operators, linen saleswomen, stitchers, and teachers. It’s a blue-collar neighborhood. Transportation is becoming increasingly important. Roy is in the automotive industry, David is still a painter, Ruth is in school, Hazel has married a baker, Kenneth Mullin. Next door is the James MacArthur family, most likely David’s brother.
Scholarship The Women's Club of Cheshire is offering a scholarship to a local woman who
with newer Mediterranean immigrants and at this time, a second wave of immigrants arrives, coming from Denmark, Lithuania, Russia and Poland. Newer Irish immigrants are now listed as Northern Ireland and the Irish Free States. “You wonder if that division (the two Irish designations) played out once in America,” said Ansel. The MacArthurs, as they are now known, own their own home. They are no longer next to a boarding house. “They seem to have come up in the world,” said Ansel.
seeks to further her education at an accredited college for a better employment opportunity. Call Jane Richards at 203-272-8249 to receive an application. Applications are due by March 31.
Golf prep Join the Cheshire Chamber of Commerce and Gaylord Specialty Healthcare – Physical Therapy for a Zoom presentation, “Preparing Your Body for the Golf Season,”
Friday, March 5, from 12 to 1 p.m. The presenter will be experienced physical therapist Corey Podbielski. RSVP to jamesrusso@gaylord.org. See Briefs, A31
February is American Heart Month: Now Is the Time to Focus on Your Heart Health! Heart disease and stroke cause 1 in 3 deaths among women each year – more than all cancers combined. The good news is, up to 80% of cardiac and stroke events may be prevented with education and action. Consulting Cardiologists is here to help! Meet our newest team member, Dr. Allison Padegimas, who specializes in cardiovascular disease in women.
Ansel’s presentation can be seen in its entirety at tinyurl.com/gmlcensus
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A special thank you to all the people and businesses who wanted to support our efforts in covering this subject. We are very grateful for your contributions. — RJ’s Writers, Editors & Creatives
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BLACK HISTORY MONTH: listening & learning
Black history can’t be confined to one month. It’s a case of the more you learn the more you realize how much more there is to discover. This is a rich and complex topic. Our goal with today’s special coverage of Black History Month is to highlight a few of the many stories that comprise local Black history — the people and events that have contributed to the vibrant and diverse life of our communities. We also want to provide resources that can help expand our understanding of racism, our historic and ongoing struggles with racial equality and how that impacts our country today. Here at the Record-Journal, we are proud of our long history of providing the local news to our communities. Over the past year, we reassessed and reinvigorated our commitment to serve our communities and add to the diversity of our publications as well as our workplace. As a company, we have formed a Diversity & Inclusion Committee whose members created the mission to “take actions that will create and support a workplace and products that are inclusive, diverse and representative of the communities we serve.” To this end, the Record-Journal is taking steps to ensure that our content, community outreach, and hiring practices remain equitable and representative of our community. One approach to our outreach is listening. This is done through a program called Voices — Community Powered Journalism, a chance for us to hear questions from local community members and answer them through our reporting. Soon, we also plan to launch a Latino Communities Reporting Lab, another opportunity for us to incorporate community listening into our reporting. By listening to our community, we can better provide our readers with focused content to keep you informed and engaged. We’re also supporting local students by offering minority internships and scholarships, and we’re developing new ways to attract and retain diverse and representative talent. We celebrate the diversity of our communities and will continue to explore the many cultures in the towns we cover. We will to listen to the wide variety of voices that contribute to that diversity and welcome their stories to our pages. Today we put the focus on Black History Month and we hope that you’ll enjoy this special edition of the Record-Journal. RJ Diversity & Inclusion Committee
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WALLINGFORD’S FIRST AFRICAN AMERICAN VOTERS Commentary by Lorraine S. Connelly
Norwyn Campbell
Meet our Black History Month guest editor Norwyn Campbell is a Digital Advertising Sales professional at RJ Media Group, based in Meriden. He holds an MBA (marketing) and has more than 26 years of sales and management experience in insurance and media/ advertising sales, with another eight years in banking services. Norwyn is proud of his Caribbean roots, being born in Jamaica, birth place of Reggae icon Bob Marley and Usain Bolt — the greatest sprinter of all time. Also the same roots as former Secretary of State Colin Powell and Vice President Kamala Harris. Having settled with his wife and two sons in Connecticut, he has since become involved in serving his community. He is a board member of the Meriden Rotary Club and a planning committee member of Journey Found Inc; a nonprofit organization that helps with the housing of individu-
als with intellectual disabilities in Connecticut. Norwyn hopes that his contributions will make a difference in the lives of the less fortunate. Words that he lives by: “The Constant Dripping of Water Wears Away the Stone”. In his spare time and when the weather permits, he likes being outdoors playing football/ soccer. Being invited to be the guest editor on the Black History Month project at RJ Media is a special honor and privilege, as this gives him the opportunity to, even in a small way, positively influence the perception of his race as a Black man in America. Norwyn expresses that he never really knew what it meant to be “Black”, until he came to the U.S. to live permanently. He applauds companies and individuals who make the effort to treat everyone fairly and has very optimistic hopes that “we can all get along”.
table of contents wallingford’s first african american voters.......................................... 3 dr. woodson’s vision for black history................................................. 5 nzinga’s daughters bring a message with their songs............................. 5 a wide range of reading options to explore black history...................... 7 violet’s story....................................................................................... 7 cemetery association disputes claim about black burial site.................. 9
resources are available fight racism. ................................................. 10 black golfer recalls breaking into the game. ...................................... 13 notables in black history.................................................................... 13 local naacp chapter perseveres during pandemic................................. 14 local woman first vegan chef featured by bon appétit magazine. .......... 16 black-owned businesses take hold and bring new vitality to the city... 17 a leader for change............................................................................ 18
more stories on myrecordjournal.com/bhm
We look to history to tell us about the past, but how can history inform the present and offer guideposts for the future? This year, the theme of Black History Month is “Black Family: Representation, Identity and Diversity.” It explores the African diaspora and the spread of Black families across the United States.
Royce House (538 N. Main St., Wallingford), one of two properties owned by the Trust.
In Colonial Wallingford, the enslaved and the enslaver were caught in what the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., while protesting the injustices of the segregated South some 200 years later, described as “an inescapable network The Black Stories Matter History Project, an of mutuality.” initiative of the Wallingford Historic Preser- By the second half of the 18th century, New vation Trust upon the occasion of Walling- London, a bustling seaport on Connectiford’s 350th Jubilee, is uncut’s coast, led the state earthing some interesting in both the number of enfacts about Black Colonial slaved Africans and Black life in Wallingford. residents, with a white Jerry Farrell Jr., president population of 5,366 and a Powder horn owned by of the Wallingford Historic Black population of 522. Dick Freedom. Freedom, Preservation Trust, says, New Haven had a white from Wallingford, was one “The American narrative population of 5,224 and a of approximately 300 Black is missing some key chapBlack population of 160. enslaved or freemen from ters, and the project is our According to the 1762 Connecticut who fought for attempt not to rewrite, but census, Wallingford with the Continental Army. He to add some very critical a population of just under chapters about a signifi- served in the all-Black Second 4,000, had a population Company of the Fourth cant Black population in of 182 Blacks. Merchants, Connecticut Regiment. Colonial Wallingford — ministers, politicians, millives that should be cele- Photo Courtesy of Wallingford itary officers, physicians, Historic Preservation Trust brated for their many conlawyers, and farmers tributions as well as their owned enslaved people. courage, sacrifice, and resolve.” As Menapace has also discovered, “Every Along with Nathan Hale, the martyred soldier of the American Revolution, and Lyman Hall, born in Wallingford and later a signatory of the Declaration of Independence as governor of Georgia, who are other notable local figures “tied in a single garment of destiny”? Slavery scholar Chris Menapace is combing through census, military, and probate records of enslaved and free Black residents of Colonial Wallingford, collecting data points and stories for an exhibit the Trust will have on permanent display at the Nehemiah
prominent family in Wallingford — the Atwaters, Cookes, Halls, Stanleys, Royces and Yales — were all enslavers.” Know their names There is the story of Chatham Freeman, whose headstone lies in the Broad Street Cemetery in Meriden. Freeman, born in Africa in 1750, was enslaved by Wallingford’s Noah Yale. During the Revolutionary War, Yale sent Freeman to fight in his son’s stead Continued on next page
Chatham Freeman headstone. Broad Street Cemetery. Photo by Lorraine Connelly
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with the promise of freedom in exchange for his service. From Freeman’s pension records, it is learned that he served under the command of Captain Eli Leavenworth in the 6th Connecticut Regiment of the Continental Army (1777-1780). Freeman and his wife, Rhea, and son, Jube, were set free in 1782, two years after his return from the war. The Freemans also had a daughter named Kate. Another descendant, Robert Prim, was a popular violinist in Wallingford in the late 19th century. Research has also uncovered the stories of Jack John and Toby Birdseye, who had gained emancipation and then registered to vote in Wallingford, in 1799 and 1803, respectively. The freeman (voter) statute, under early state constitutions, stipulated the qualifications for voting: One had to be 21 years of age, male, and having met a residency requirement, be a taxpayer and/or property owner. John’s land holdings equaled 26 acres, and his estate upon his death in 1816 was valued at $2,800. Birdseye owned three-quarters of an acre of land and a portion of a sawmill.
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While voting records do not exist, it’s likely that both men voted in Wallingford. Birdseye’s registration was not without controversy, according to authors Ramin Ganeshram and Elizabeth Normen in “Constitution of 1818 & Black Suffrage: Rights For All?”
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In 1803, Federalist Party members accused Birdseye of a moral disqualification, alleging he had attempted to rape a white woman. No criminal record was ever found to substantiate the claim. Ganeshram and Normen further explain that the Connecticut legislature, in 1814, reversed Black enfranchisement by inserting the word “white” into the freeman (voter) statute. By 1818, a new state constitution was adopted, outlining a white-race requirement for voters, thereby depriving African Americans of equal representation in the state’s electoral process. The authors state, “As it had in matters of slavery, abolition, and enfranchisement, Connecticut continued to take a more southern approach, protesting any federal efforts to delineate the nature of voting rights.”
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Although, the North is often considered the cradle of the anti-slavery and abolitionist movements, its participation in slavery and “the network of mutuality” cannot be denied. Wallingford should, however, take pride in two African Americans, Jack John and Toby Birdseye, who were the earliest proponents of voting rights for Black Americans in Connecticut. We should know their names. The issue of Black enfranchisement is still relevant today. Black voters, in certain parts of our nation, are still more likely to have their legitimate votes challenged. Dr. King’s “garment of destiny,” like the Shroud of Turin, is an iconic symbol — if only we could touch the hem of its garment, our Beloved Community could be made whole by its lessons. Stay current on The Wallingford Historic Preservation Trust’s Black Stories Matter History Project https://www. wallingfordcthistory.org/visit Lorraine S. Connelly is a writer, a Wallingford resident and member of the steering committee for the Black Stories Matter History Project.
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NZINGA’S DAUGHTERS BRING A MESSAGE WITH THEIR SONGS By Nadya Korytnikova Record-Journal staff
Carter G. Woodson
DR. WOODSON’S VISION FOR BLACK HISTORY The basic idea that underlies Black History Month has been around in one form or another for more than 100 years. Here are a few highlights outlining how this special month-long designation unfolded through the decades.
tory from Harvard University in 1912, only the second African American to earn a doctorate. More about his life and groundbreaking accomplishments can be found at www.asalh.org.
According to ASALH, Woodson felt that The concept of setting time aside to ac- the American Historical Association had knowledge the struggles and celebrate the no interest in Black history. A dues-paying accomplishments of peomember of the AHA, he ple in the Black communiwas not allowed to attend ty took hold in the summer AHA conferences. ASALH of 1915 when Illinois sponexplains that to be able to sored a national celebrawork as a Black historian tion of the 50th anniversary would require creating an of emancipation. institutional structure that would make it possible for Carter G. Woodson, a UniBlack scholars to study hisversity of Chicago alumtory — so Woodson set out nus, traveled from Washto find the funds to make ington, D.C. to participate this happen. in the event — along with thousands of other Black Americans from around the U.S. While inspired by what he saw, Woodson also knew the accomplishments of Black Americans were scarcely recognized. In 1915, he founded the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History, now called the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH). He, along with other like-minded intellectuals in the Black community, worked to expand the knowledge of Black history and was involved in numerous publications and other efforts to that end.
In 1926, Woodson initiated the celebration of Negro History Week, which corresponded with the birthdays of Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln. In 1976, ASALH expanded the celebration to include the entire month of February, and “today Black History Month garners support throughout the country as people of all ethnic and social backgrounds discuss the Black experience,” states ASALH. The organization views the promotion of Black History Month as one of the most important components of advancing Woodson’s legacy of “pioneering Woodson, born of illiterate parents who leadership.” were former slaves, earned a PhD in hisContinued on next page
PLAINVILLE — For over 26 years Nzinga’s Daughters, a vibrant five-woman performance ensemble, has been sharing their gift of songs and storytelling to educate the public about the history and cultural achievements of Africa and the African Diaspora.
the route North. Some songs gave directions about when, where, and how to escape while others warned of danger along the way.
“Everybody came to listen to the music but not everybody knew where it came from, so that’s what encouraged me to start the band and tell people all about its history,” Williams said.
a way to warn runaway slaves to get off the trail and into the water to hide their scent from dogs.
Nzinga’s Daughters are best known for their interactive “Underground Railroad” performances which invite the audience to experience the creativity, ingenuity, and perseverance employed by African American slaves in their efforts to escape slavery.
slaves were not intimidated by us singing and dancing, they didn’t catch any message in that.”
“If I were picking cotton and somebody was walking down the street singing ‘Steal Away to Jesus,’ I’d know that means The ensemble features Dayna the time for my sister and Snell, Alison Johnson, Taffie brothers to escape is coming,” Bentley, and the band founder, said Dayna Snell. “I am going Gail Williams. While perform- to conduct my business as ing at the Newport Jazz Festiusual but when the sun goes val in 1994, Williams noticed down and the master goes to that the audience was presleep, I am going to that secret dominantly white. While the spot.” listeners enjoyed her music, One of the songs of the UnderWilliams wondered whether ground Railroad was “Wade in they knew the songs’ origins. the Water.” It had been used as
Another song, “Follow The Drinking Gourd” contained essential directions for fugitive Ever since, Nzinga’s Daughters slaves. The verses mention have been deepening pubdrinking gourd, which refers to lic understanding of Afrithe Big Dipper constellation. can-American history through By following the line of the music and entertainment constellation to the North Star, while also running three protravelers had a guide in the grams for children and youth: night sky that pointed them Nzinga’s Watoto, Girls Empow- toward freedom. erment program PRIDE, and “Slave owners were not smartthe Male Mentor Program. All er than the slaves,” Snell said. three promote positive youth “We had to figure out how to development among chilget out and how to survive and dren of all races and abilities how to rebuild our lives with throughout Connecticut. nothing. Those who owned
Since slaves were prohibited from learning to read or write, they developed an elaborate system of communication. They sang songs coded to convey secret information about
Historically, music has been used to help overcome difficult times, Snell believes. The social and political climate of any era is reflected through art, with music being a powerful inspirational expression of ideas. “The history of the Civil War is Continued on next page
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NZINGA’S DAUGHTERS
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Nzinga’s Daughters are best know for their “Underground Railroad” performance. They perform both adult and youth adapted versions. The program invites the audience to experience the creativity, ingenuity, and perseverance employed by African-American slaves in their efforts to shepherd runaway slaves to safety. Photo Courtesy of Nzinga’s Daughters
embedded in music. Similarly, when COVID hit Italy, people would come out on their balconies, sing and play instruments,” Snell said. “Music always seems to be helpful in both good and bad times. It helps bring joy and relaxation.”
We are proud to celebrate our differences and are committed to an environment where all colleagues contribute for the benefit of our employees, our products and our communities.
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WOODSON from page 5
Cheshire Adult Education
In 1976, Black History Month, also known as African American History Month, was officially recognized by President Gerald Ford, who issued the first Message on the Observance of Black History Month. He urged the nation to “recognize the important contribution made to our nation’s life and culture” by Black Americans.
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This proclamation stated further that this month was a time “to celebrate the many achievements of African Americans in every field from science and the arts to politics and religion.”
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Black History Month also is celebrated Canada during February, while in Ireland, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom it’s observed in October. In honor of all the work that Woodson did to promote the study of African American History, an ornament of Woodson hangs on the White House’s Christmas tree each year. R238314
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A decade later, Congress passed the observance into law as “National Black (Afro-American) History Month.” According to the Library of Congress, “National African American History Month in February celebrates the contributions that African Americans have made to American history in their struggles for freedom and equality and deepens our understanding of our Nation’s history.”
This story is compiled with information from the Library of Congress, Wikipedia and the Association for the Study of African American Life and History.
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A WIDE RANGE OF READING OPTIONS TO EXPLORE BLACK HISTORY Want to learn more about the people and events that have shaped Black history and culture? There’s a wide variety of literature available in every genre and for every age group and interest. Below you’ll find just a few examples of these engaging stories gleaned from local library offerings to Black run web and news services. But first, we’ll start with suggestions from guest editor Norwyn Campbell, the Record-Journal’s digital advertising sales manager at Homebase Digital.
Norwyn Campbell recommends The Hate U Give is a young adult novel by Angie Thomas. This debut novel is based on her reaction to the police shooting of Oscar Grant. The book is narrated by Starr Carter, a 16-year-old black girl from a poor neighborhood who attends an elite, private school in a predominantly white, affluent part of the city. Starr becomes entangled in a national news story after she witnesses a white police officer shoot and kill her childhood friend, Khalil. The novel was made into a movie in 2018. Rotten Tomatoes gave the film an approval rating of 97%. The film was nominated for and won numerous accolades. Lead actor Amandla Stenberg won the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture.
Meriden Public Library recommends Reading for children and young adults: Meriden Public Library offers two extensive sections of books for children and young adults that relate to Black history. Check out: Conversations about Race as well as the Juneteenth and Slavery sections at meridenlibrary.org. Here are a few samples of those selections by notable Black writers and illustrators:
Discovering Black America, From the Age of Exploration to the Twenty-First Century, by Linda Tarrant-Reid “An unprecedented account of more than 400 years of African American history set against a background of American and global events. The book begins with a black sailor aboard the Niña with Christopher Columbus and continues through the colonial period, slavery, the Civil War, Jim Crow, and civil rights. Includes first-person narratives from diaries and journals, interviews, and archival images. Discovering Black America will give readers an intimate understanding of this extensive history.” — Publisher’s synopsis The Bell Rang, written and illustrated by James E. Ransome A slave family is distressed when they find their young son has run away. A compelling story made even more so by Ransome’s art. He has illustrated over 60 picture books, and has illustrated greetings cards and magazines. Commissioned murals include three for the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center in Cincinnati, Ohio. —– Publisher’s synopsis, Wikipedia Gordon Parks, How the Photographer Captured Black and White America, by Carole Boston Weatherford
“Gordon Parks is most famous for being the first black director in Hollywood. But before he made movies and wrote books, he was a poor African American looking for work. When he bought a camera, his life changed forever. He taught himself how to take pictures and before long, people noticed. His success as a fashion photographer landed him a job working for the government. In Washington DC, Gordon went looking for a subject, but what he found was segregation.” — Publisher’s synopsis
Black Enterprise recommends (Black Enterprise is a Black-owned multimedia company with digital, print and television divisions.) Song of Solomon, by Toni Morrison. Morrison’s Nobel Prize-winning book traces the history of a Black family and “shows the nuance and complexity of black community rarely highlighted in mainstream literature.” — Black Enterprise How to Succeed in Business Without Being White: Straight Talk on Making It in America, by Earl G. Graves Sr., Black Enterprise founder and publisher. “What it takes to be a great, Black entrepreneur in a white world is just the prescription the black business world needs.” — Black Enterprise
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VIOLET’S STORY: SOLD, AGE 3 FREED, AGE 51 By Glenn Richter On April 20, 1750, it was decided that a little girl named Violet would be moving from Haddam to Meriden; that is, to a farm on Misery Road in Wallingford (gee, I wonder why they changed that name), which is now Paddock Avenue in Meriden. Violet was three years old. I say “it was decided” for good reason; more about that later. The way we know about this stuff is from a document in “A Century of Meriden,” written a century ago; more about that document,too. Anyway, that’s pretty much all we know about little Violet. Obviously she had parents, but we know nothing about them. Siblings? We don’t know. Did she eventually marry and have children? The record is silent. Did she even survive to adulthood? So many children didn’t in those days, when people had huge families in part because they knew that many of their babies wouldn’t make it. (They had nothing we’d recognize as medical treatment, which is why, decades later, all the doctors could do for no less a personage than George Washington was to bleed him, several times, and apply “cataplasms of wheat bran.” It didn’t work.)
Mules and Men, Zora Neale Hurston. Hurston depicts the culture of her native Florida, and New Orleans, and “brings forth the beauty
As I say, we know very little about Violet, but there’s quite a bit we can surmise. Because this was still pretty much a howling wilderness in 1750, with wolves and cougars and other hungry things skulking around; and people had to work from dawn to dusk just to put food on the table; and you had only the spring and summer to coax enough grub out of this rocky soil to last through the fall and the long, dark, cold winter, and the following spring. And if you didn’t manage to do that, there was no backup plan; there was no Stop & Spend, no Pastry Palace with a drive-up window and, of course, no government to turn to. And even if you did everything right, you could consider yourself lucky to go to your rest in your mid 50s, as the old tombstones attest.
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The Marrow of Tradition by Charles W. Chesnutt. A fictional account of the rise of the white supremacist movement, this story portrays the many classes and races in the postbellum southern United States, and depicts the Wilmington insurrection of 1898.
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And there were no labor-saving devices to speak of — not in the fields and not in the kitchen. So little Violet, as a woman, would have faced a future that consisted mainly of drudgery. And little Violet would have been burdened with another misery, one that we don’t usually think much about when we think of Colonial times in this part of the country. You see, the document about Violet in the history book is not a birth certificate, nor a baptismal record, nor any of the other kinds of papers people accumulate in the course of their lives. It is a bill of sale. So when I say “it was decided,” what I mean is that it was decided by farmer Joseph Shailer of Haddam to sell “one negro girl aged about three years” — little Violet — to farmer Benjamin Roys of Meriden, to be his slave for life, her ownership then to pass on to his heirs; or, for that matter, to anyone to whom farmer Roys might later decide to sell her. Farmer Shailer made this transaction “avouching my self to be the proper and sole owner of the said negro girl and have a right to dispose of the said negro girl during the term of her natural life.”
We are Proud to Support Black History Month
Is there a moral here? Sure: By all means, let’s celebrate the accomplishments of our forebears — while asking how on God’s green Earth these people, who supposedly were so pious, could think it was perfectly OK to buy and sell other people’s children. End of story? Maybe not. Although slavery was not outlawed here until 1848 (which would have made Violet a free woman at age 101, if she lived that long), later in the book we find this entry: “Dec. 17, 1798 Abner Rice emancipated negro woman Violet.” If that’s our little Violet, she would have been 51 by then, and free at last — if only because she was past child-bearing age.
The Midstate Chamber of Commerce takes a proactive leadership role in moving, improving and positively changing the communities we serve. Through our daily participation, we cause results and create a roadmap for our future. No projects ever get done by themselves. They require vision and action through leadership; that is where the Midstate Chamber of Commerce makes a difference. We inform and engage our staff and membership in the economic development, workforce development and business development projects in the towns we serve and in the region.
Originally published in the Record-Journal in 2006, in a special section commemorating Meriden’s 200th anniversary.
We are proud to support Black History Month and any effort to improve education on diversity and community growth.
Reach Editorial Assistant Glenn Richter at grichter@record-journal.com or 203-317-2222
We work to increase the business opportunities in Central Connecticut “One Member at a Time”.
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more stories on myrecordjournal.com/bhm Artist couple navigated race issues each in their own way 21 Artists speak of race, color and creating a new culture 21 Changing the course of events through philanthropy 23 Hayes historic role representing the 5th District 23 Plainville Historical Society celebrates local Black history 25 Local resident active in anti-slavery movement 26 Cape Verde families who migrated to the area focus of discussion 27 Plainville’s rich legacy of African American musicians 28
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CEMETERY ASSOCIATION DISPUTES CLAIM ABOUT BLACK BURIAL SITE By Mariah Melendez Cheshire Herald staff
CHESHIRE — Hillside Cemetery is chock-full of the histories and mysteries of the town and its former residents.
are already buried there,” Pittsley said. “They cannot be doing this.” Pittsley’s research is extensive, and lists names of people — specifically members of the Freeman family — who she believes were buried in that location and have been disturbed by the Hillside Cemetery Association.
But one current resident claims that her research has uncovered some controversial information about activities that have gone on within the cemetery’s gates. Christine Pittsley, a historian who works for the Connecticut State Library, published a blog post on Oct. 20 presenting her research regarding the northeast corner of Hillside Cemetery, where she claims African Americans, including some former slaves, had been buried over decades. “In the northeast corner of the old section of Hillside Cemetery is a roughly quarter-acre area that was used as the African burying place until at least 1935,” she explained. “Most are in unmarked graves, some have stones with their names on them, but a majority of them have no (identification) whatsoever.”
The issue, according to Pittsley, is that the Hillside Cemetery Association had been performing burials on these grounds until 2011, despite knowing, Pittsley claims, that individuals had already been buried there, and having offered no notifi-
cation to the state or the families of those involved.
“In the 1980s, the Hillside Cemetery Association decided that this area was empty and began to sell plots,” she wrote in her post. “Never mind that in the center of this section were four stones that belonged to Prince Freeman and his wife Lucy (d. 1831 & 1833); Prince’s son Henry Peter Freeman (d. 1882); Henry’s second wife Flora (d. 1880); and Henry’s grandson Lewis Freeman (d. 1935). Clearly, there were already some people there.”
Pittsley states that she presented her findings to the cemetery association “Thirty years ago, the Association 10 years ago with the hopes of stopstarted selling those plots as if no one ping the continued burials, but was was buried there. They (were) digmet with resistance. In her blog post, ging graves for modern burials and Pittsley describes the meeting as disturbing the African remains that
Claims about an old African burial ground in the northeast portion of Hillside Cemetery have become a source of controversy. Tracey Harringtonm, Cheshire Herald
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Sojourner Truth
RESOURCES ARE AVAILABLE TO
FIGHT RACISM BRAIN FOG SHORTNESS OF BREATH PHYSICAL WEAKNESS STAMINA ISSUES
Difficult issues related to race and racism have been interwoven with our nation’s history since the beginning and recent events show that much more needs to be done when it comes to equality for all. Black History Month provides another opportunity to put the focus on this topic and there are many resources available for those who’d like to deepen their understanding. We’ve highlighted a few below. Meriden-Wallingford NAACP, 74 Cambridge St., Meriden. Telephone, 203-237-6907. From its website http:// www.mwnaacp.org, the organization states its purpose: “The NAACP insures the political, educational, social and economic equality of minority groups and citizens; achieves equality of rights and eliminates race prejudice among citizens of the United States.”
STILL STRUGGLING? Gaylord can help.
Connecticut Health Foundation at Cthealth.org states: “Our vision is that Connecticut’s next generation will be free from racial and ethnic health disparities.”
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The organization offers anti-racism resources that “aim to deepen our understanding of racism and how to fight it.”
Recovery &
Rehabilitation Services
Check out the Cthealth.org website for information on racial justice efforts in the areas of housing, health, education, criminal justice and more. Among the many topics are: a TED talk on “How Racism is Making US Sick”, asking the question: why does race matter so profoundly for health?; and from The Smithsonian’s partnership with the National Museum of African-American History and Culture, “Talking About Race.” The topic “although hard, is necessary. We are here to provide tools and guidance to empower your journey and inspire conversation.”
CALL TODAY (203) 284-2845
gaylord.org/COVID Wallingford, CT
238289
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Desegregate Connecticutat www.desegregatect.org promotes “inclusive growth by design”. The organizaContinued on next page
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RESOURCES
CEMETERY
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tion states: “Most people in Connecticut support equity, inclusive growth, and a clean environment. Now is the time to align our laws with our vision. Our century-old land use laws need to be refreshed.”
often aren’t heard, especially women.” Before she died, in February 2018, she was honored with the “Washington Women in Public Relations” award.
Among the notable speakers on the “29 Speeches” list “Uncomfortable Conversaare: Sojourner Truth, Ida B. tions with a Black Man” the Wells, Josephine Baker, Myrlie series can be found on YouEvers-Williams (Medgar Evers Tube, hosted by Emmanuel widow at President Obama’s Chinedum Acho. second inauguration), Coretta The former NFL linebacker sits Scott King, Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm (introducdown with celebrities, police, ing the Equal Rights Amendfamilies, sports figures and others to engage in thoughtful ment), Fannie Lou Hamer, Barbara Jordan, Anita Hill, and revealing discussions Rep. Gwen Moore, Edwidge about race and racism. Danticat, Viola Davis, Lupita At denisegraveline.org check Nyong’o, Kerry Washington, out a Black History Month Gabourey Sidibe, Maya Angehighlight: “29 Speeches by lou, Michelle Obama, Shirley Black Women”. Chilsom, and Barbara Jordan. Also included is Rashema The late Denise Graveline Melson’s 2014 high school was an expert in communivaledictory speech that made cations and held a degree headlines because the speakin that field as well as in journalism. During her career er overcame homelessness to graduate at the top of her she coached over 100 TED class and get into Georgetown Talk speakers. She was born University. "A short, fierce, and raised in New Britain fantastic speech." and dedicated her life to “giving voice to those who
BOOK RECOMENDATIONS from page 7
of common folk; their voice, their diction, their living, their way.” — Black Enterprise Learn more at www.blackenterprise.com/best-blackbooks-black-history-month
Urban Faith recommends
Selected Poems of Langston Hughes, by Langston Hughes. An extensive collection of poems hand-picked by Hughes. “They offer a breathtaking look at being Black in America that is contemplative, celebratory, gut-wrenching and praiseworthy.” – UrbanFaith
Malcolm X: A Life of Rein(Urban Faith is a media/ news company with an online vention, by Manning Marable. Marable “provides new magazine of diverse Chrisperspectives and information tian voices sharing news and on the controversial leader. commentary on faith and Marable connects Malcolm’s culture.) life with other leaders, faith, Here’s a sample from 11 Must and Black Nationalism in a Read Books for Black History masterful, historical context Month compiled by Urban and call for social change.” — Faith; check out more sugges- UrbanFaith tions at urbanfaith.com.
respectful, but states that some cemetery association members were aggressive in disputing her presentation. Pittsley told The Herald that the reaction went beyond just questioning her research. “Some of the members began attacking my credibility, me personally, which is just disappointing and sad,” she stated. The Hillside Cemetery Association disputes Pittsley’s claims, stating that they had no records of grave sites in the north end of the cemetery when burials were taking place there and that, after 2011, when the state told them to halt all such activity, no new burials took place. “… We have no idea where she is getting her proof,” said Phyllis Perry, the Hillside Cemetery Association’s secretary and treasurer, of Pittsley’s accusations that the group knowingly disturbed existing graves. “We have erected monuments (In the northeast corner) recently, and maybe that is what she is referencing. There was an incident where a family member, who had purchased a burial plot in that location with their other family members, needed to be buried in that area. We tried to call the state and let them know what was happening, but we never got a call back, so we proceeded with the burial with no issue.” In Pittsley’s blog post, she references stakes in the ground that served as grave markers on the site in question, some of which even had the names of those buried etched on the side. However, Perry, whose family has taken care of the cemetery for multiple generations, rebuts Pittsley’s claim that there are stakes in the ground at the northeast location. “She says that there are stakes in the ground there, but we have no clue what she is taking about,” Perry added. “Even our groundskeeper, who knows the land well, has no idea where (on the property) she is referencing or what stakes she is talking about.” Perry, however, does acknowledge the meeting with Pittsley a decade ago, insisting that she was unaware of the African American grave sites until that time. “A lot of the old cemetery documents I have are not very detailed. They didn’t keep good track of who was being buried where back then, so it can get very confusing,” Perry said. Regarding the stakes, Pittsley acknowledged that they were likely removed or had decayed before the HCA became
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involved with the cemetery. However, she questions how the HCA would not have known about the burial site, given the available information. “In larger cemeteries, like Hillside, the surveyors split the cemetery into sections to divide the work. These records were then compiled, printed, and made available to the public. Every library and historical society in the state has a copy and I am sure many cemeteries around the state have them as well,” she explained. “I pointed to this research when I addressed the HCA more than 10 years ago, so they were aware. But if the HCA maintains that they were unaware of these records, it would show a serious lack of interest or concern with their own history.” Another assertion made by Pittsley in her post is that a member of the HCA admitted to her that human remains had been uncovered during more modern burials, but that burials continued and neither the state nor families of individuals buried in the area were notified. Pittsley, in her post, does not name the individual who allegedly divulged this information. Perry, when asked about this accusation, strongly denied the claim that any bones or remains were uncovered while performing any modern burials at that location. “There have been no bones dug up during any of our modern burials or in the process of preparing a grave for a burial,” Perry said. “We would have to notify the state if that happened.” After Pittsley published her findings on her blog, the post began attracting all kinds of attention. “The response has actually been very positive,” she said. “A lot of people are horrified to find out this information. My goal is to hopefully start a (general) discussion about racism and how Cheshire has a complicated history with that.” Two local groups — Rams Against Racism and the Cheshire Coalition for Change — approached Pittsley and invited her to present her research findings via a Zoom meeting last month. “I know the descendants of the people who were buried there, and they are disgusted. I want to bring light to this issue so we can deal with this as a town and, hopefully, come to grips with this uncomfortable history,” she explained.
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NOTABLES IN BLACK HISTORY: INVENTORS, INTELLECTUALS, INFLUENCERS & MORE By Nadya Korytnikova and Jessica Simms American history resonates with the names of great African American men and women. Here are 14 men and women who made their mark on history — in many cases as the first Black Americans to succeed in their chosen fields.
Frank Eaton
Gwen Reed
BLACK GOLFER RECALLS BREAKING INTO THE GAME By Sean Krofssik Record-Journal staff MERIDEN — Meriden’s Frank Eaton is 78 and is playing some of the best golf of his life.
municipal course in Stamford, which is now E. Gaynor Brennan golf course, he recorded a hole in one still wearing a neck and back brace. The first of nine in his career.
Eaton, an African American, first picked up the game as a 9- or 10-year-old in his native North Carolina in the 1950s. During a time before golf carts, the caddies at that time were mainly Black children, according to Eaton. That was how he discovered the game. He caddied for a tobacco tycoon, Harold Beasley, and also picked up some pointers along the way. “I lived a mile or two from the golf course and I would make 50 cents for being a caddie,” Eaton said. “Fifty cents was a lot of money back then. I could go to a movie, get popcorn, soda and a hot dog and still have money left over” In addition to getting paid, Eaton also learned how to hold a club and properly hit a golf ball. He made his own “golf sticks,” as he called them, put a tin cup in two areas near his home and hit a ball back and forth.
Eaton fully recovered and was back shooting under par again.
him to go to the driving range and courses. In his later teens he moved to Stamford, acquired his first set of golf clubs and played his first round of 18 holes. “My first ever round I shot a 97,” Eaton recalled. “No one believed I had never played before. By the next year I was shooting in the high 80s, the following year I was in the low 80s. Three or four years later I was in the 70s.” When he was 22 years old, he finally shot even par. “The next day I broke my neck in a car accident,” Eaton said. “I was temporarily paralyzed on my left side and I was in the hospital for three months.”
A few years later, he moved to Long Island with his sister. Her During his first round three neighbor was a semi-pro golfmonths after the accident, in er and Eaton latched on with 1964 at Hubbard Heights
“I was so good but I had no money,” Eaton said. “I came along at the wrong time. No Blacks were playing on Tour and you can’t play on Tour if you have no money.” Eaton did find some inspiration at Hubbard Heights. He crossed paths with the man who broke the Major League Baseball color barrier, Jackie Robinson. Robinson, who lived in North Stamford, played at the municipal course after not being allowed to be a member at the High Ridge Country Club, a course he played many times as a guest.
Hartford History Project, Hartford Public Library
The actress who played Aunt Jemima was a Hartford native From 1946 to 1964, Gwen Reed, an actress, an advocate for childhood literacy and a theater director, played the role of Aunt Jemima, the face of the Quaker Oats Company products. Reed traveled to promote the brand at pancake festivals, state fairs, school assemblies and grocery stores, but her real name was never revealed. While playing the role of Aunt Jemima (in 1951), Reed became the director of the Hartford Community Players. She directed “A Raisin in the Sun,” “Rain” and “Purlie Victorious.” — CT Post Connecticut freedman wrote one of the first examples of African American literature In his autobiography that was published in 1798 in New London, Venture Smith, a captured slave, documented his life. He shared how he overcame slavery, became a businessman, freed his family and acquired more than 130 acres of land in Connecticut. This was one of the earliest examples of African-American literature. Smith, a child of a Guinean prince, ended up marrying another slave, Meg, in 1753, and together they had three children. — CT Post Inspiration of modern home security systems Mary Van Brittan Brown, an African American nurse from Queens, New York, developed a home security system that has since inspired modern home security systems that are used today. She created this invention as a result of the risks her home faced due to the crime rates in her neighborhood. Her security system allowed her to know who came to her home and gave her the opportunity to contact the authorities quickly. — History.com
“I played with Jackie after he retired from baseball...” Eaton said. “He lived about a half mile from the course. They didn’t let him play as a member at the Country Club, so he had to play public courses.
Landmark technology inventions at IBM were developed with the help of Mark Dean As a part of a team of 12 that worked at IBM, Mark Dean, a Black inventor and engineer, helped create the first IBM PC in 1981. Later on, Dean also helped develop the color monitor and led his team in the invention of the first gigahertz processor. This chip was built in 1999 and allowed for PCs to have faster and higher processing rates. Not only that, this piece of technology allowed for
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NOTABLES
FRANK EATON
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the PC to do a billion calculations a second. — History.com
Jackie was good,” Eaton added. “He could play and shoot even par.” Eaton turned pro in 1967 and was playing regularly in Black golf tournaments along the East Coast in the United Golfers Association. He would total more than 150 career tournament wins. But it wasn’t easy at first.
Marian Anderson Library of Congress
A singer who lived in Danbury was the first African American to sing at the Met On Jan. 7, 1955, Marian Anderson, who lived on a farm in Danbury, became the first African American to sing as a member of the Metropolitan Opera in New York City. Anderson then became a goodwill ambassador for the United States and a delegate to the United Nations in September 1958. As a result, President Lyndon B. Johnson awarded her the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1963 and she received many other honorary honors, such as the Grammy Award for Lifetime Achievement in 1991. — CT Post and NPR America’s first Black diplomat was from Derby In 1869, 36-year-old Ebenezer Bassett was appointed as U.S. Ambassador to Haiti, becoming the country’s first African American diplomat. Bassett was also the first black man to graduate from Connecticut Normal School — now known as Central Connecticut State University. After receiving his diploma, he taught at Whiting School in New Haven, befriending the legendary abolitionist Frederic Douglass. Later, Bassett became the principal of Philadelphia’s Institute for Colored Youth. — Connecticuthistory.org Yale’s first Black alumnus In 1874, Edward Alexander Bouchet became the first African American to graduate of Yale University. Just two years later, Continued on next page
Meriden/Wallingford NAACP President Kim Fisher speaks at a Black Lives Matter protest in Meriden on June 7, 2020. Photo: Devin Leith-Yessian/Record-Journal
LOCAL NAACP CHAPTER PERSEVERES DURING PANDEMIC By Jessica Simms Special to the Record-Journal As a way to continue to have important conversations, the Meriden-Wallingford NAACP chapter has been meeting online during the pandemic. “We are all Zooming,” said chapter president Kim Fisher. “Everything is through Zoom. We had our state conference through Zoom, we do all of our conference calls through Zoom, we have meetings once a month, those are all through Zoom. We stay in touch.” Fisher said that it has been important for the organization to stay active during the year despite the pandemic. “We did a lot of the rallies even though it was in the midst of the pandemic,” Fisher said. “We took our precautions, wore our masks, but we felt that it was very important for us to be visual and be out there and be seen, so we did that.”
involved with the organization is because she has two Black children. “Seeing the way things are in this world and how I feel like there is a difference between whether you’re white or whether you’re Black or brown, I felt like it was important for me to have a say and get out there and talk and be seen and be heard,” Fisher said. “I want my kids to have the same as any other kids just like any other mother wants for their child to have the same as any other. We should all be treated the same. None of us should be treated differently and I felt like it was important for me to get out there and speak on that.” Before the pandemic, the Meriden-Wallingford NAACP’s youth council used to work out of Maloney High School. Many of the youth involved have since graduated.
“We were meeting once a week at the school before everything hit with coronavirus...so what we’re looking to do now, we’re looking to revamp things,” said NicKimmy Hayes, second vice president and head of the “We talk about some of the issues that education committee for the Merare going on, how we can talk to the iden-Wallingford NAACP. Hayes also kids in the schools about these is- has worked with the youth council. sues,” Fisher said. Hayes said two high school teachers One of the reasons Fisher became Fisher is on many different NAACP committees to help facilitate conversations. One is the Wallingford Diversity, Equality and Exclusion committee.
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“The first year I turned pro I played in six or seven tournaments and played well until the last three holes and I didn’t make a quarter,” Eaton said. “I was nervous about making money and my wife said we couldn’t afford me playing.” The next year he went back on the tour and won the first tournament that year in Springfield, Mass. “I made $300 and that was more than I was making in 40 hours of work in a week,” Eaton said. “That was like a million dollars for me. The next week I played at Keney Park in Hartford and won it with a 65 and won $600. After that I never looked back.” Meanwhile, Eaton was working in the computer center for Union Trust Bank. He lived in Stamford, New Haven and Middletown before settling in Meriden. Eaton became a fixture in tournaments around the state and New England for the next few decades. One of his crowning achievements on the course was claiming Connecticut Section PGA Senior Open championships in 1995 and 1996. He also had stops on the New England Circuit and played all of the big open tournaments. He also played in the Florida Mini-Tour. His best round ever was Sept. 10, 1989. He carded a course record 11-under-par 61 at Stamford’s Red Course at Fairchild Wheeler. He also holds course records at Hubbard Heights (Stamford), Keney Park (Hartford), Sterling Farms (Stamford), Alling Memorial (New Haven), Banner Lodge (Moodus) and Fairchild Wheeler (Bridgeport) Continued on nrxt page
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NOTABLES
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Eaton said there were as many as 150 Black golfers during his heyday. “Now there only a couple of Black pro golfers,” Eaton said. The main reason for fewer Black golfers compared to back then, Eaton said, is because of the lack of caddies. “Years ago all caddies were Black,” Eaton said. “That’s how they got into golf. But when carts started coming in, caddies were shut down.” In addition to playing, Eaton has given back at youth programs. “Anywhere I do a youth program, 98 percent of the kids are white and maybe there are three Black kids,” Eaton said. “When I ask Black kids about golf, they say it’s too expensive and they would rather play football or basketball.” Eaton feels his race was a big reason he never made it to the highest level. “If I had been white, they would have put me on the Tour and you know damn well I could make money,” Eaton said. Eaton said he never felt outright racism at tournaments. “Many tournaments I’m with about 130 other guys and I was the only one that wasn’t white,” Eaton said. “I was by myself. I knew people used to look at me. They didn’t say anything, but when I walked in, everyone stopped eating and looked. I would tell myself, ‘They can’t rattle me.’ I didn’t let it get to me.” Eaton is married to his second wife, Juanita. He has four children: Frankie Jr., Dean, Jere and Kim.
Eaton said he’s playing great golf now. He plays three or four times a week and said he’s gotten better with age. He said he’s shot under his age every year since he turned 66. He’s a 2 handicap now. “If I shot a 78 now, I would be mad as hell,” Eaton said. Eaton travels every Thursday throughout Connecticut and Massachusetts with a group of 24 guys in the Players Club.
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Bouchet completed his dissertation, becoming the first African American in the nation to earn a Ph.D. as well as the sixth American of any race to earn a Ph.D. in physics. Despite his excellent credentials and extraordinary gifts, Bouchet was never offered a faculty position and spent most of his career teaching science to high school students. — Connecticuthistory.org
James E. West Photo: Blackpast.org
“I wish I was 25 years younger the way I’m playing right now,” Eaton said. “It’s unbelievable. I guess I’m blessed.” Eaton is also a member of the New Haven-based Knickerbocker Golf Club. He was honored by the club in the 75th anniversary ceremony in 2019. “That was one of my big moments,” Eaton said. “I help the best I can with the club. I teach for free. I never charge.” The Knickerbocker Club, a predominantly African-American group, was formed in 1944. The Knickerbockers are the second-oldest African-American golf club in the country, behind Wake Robin Golf Club in Washington, DC, a female club started in 1937. The Knickerbockers currently has 43 members. Knickerbockers past president Willie Holmes said Eaton is “one of the greatest golfers to come out of Connecticut.” Holmes is 92 and still plays regularly. “I’ve known him for a number of years. He’s a great golfer, father and gentleman. He’s been instrumental as far as promoting golf to the younger generation.”
Frank Eaton of Meriden, at Hunters Memorial Golf Course in Meriden on Jan. 19, 2021. Photos: Aaron Flaum, Record-Journal
The invention of the foil electret microphone Dr. James E. West, an African American inventor, helped develop a more sensitive and compact microphone at Bell Laboratories in New Jersey in the 1960s. He worked with his colleague Gerhard Sessler on this invention. This foil electret microphone was less expensive to make than other condenser microphones and was licensed in 1964. By 1968, the microphone was universally produced and used in devices such as telephones, baby monitors, hearing aids and tape recorders. Now, about 90% of the microphones are based on this invention. — History.com A New Haven developer of the modern ironing board In the 1890s, an African American dressmaker was awarded a patent for her improved ironing board with collapsible legs. Her name was Sarah Boone. She was born into slavery in North Carolina but migrated to New Haven using a network closely linked to the Underground Railroad. In her design, Boone expanded upon the original ironing board, which was essentially a horizontal wooden block. With Boone’s additions, the improved board featured a narrower and curved design, making it easier to iron garments, particularly women’s clothing. — CTexplored.org Bridgeport inventor of the longer-lasting light bulb While Thomas Edison invented the light bulb, a black member of his research team, Lewis Latimer, improved Edison’s original design. Latimer increased the life span and practicality of light bulbs, which had previously died after just a few days. Latimer also worked closely with telephone inventor Alexander Graham Bell. In 1880, after relocating to Bridgeport, Latimer was hired to work in the U.S. Electric Lighting Co., which was owned by Edison’s competitor, Hiram Maxim. — History.com Inventor of the automatic elevator doors African American inventor Alexander Miles was born in 1838 in Minnesota and is best known for being awarded a patent for an automatically opening and closing elevator door design. Before Miles’ invention in 1887, people had to manually shut both the shaft and elevator doors before riding. Forgetting to do so led to multiple accidents as people fell down elevator shafts. — History.com Inventor of the three-position traffic signal Garrett Morgan was one of the country’s most successful African American inventors. In 1923 he came up with the device that led to the modern three-way traffic lights. He saw that existing mechanical stop-and-go signals were dangerous since they had no caution signal to buffer traffic flow. So, he patented a three-armed signal. Morgan also invented a revamped sewing machine, a hair-straightContinued on page 17
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The Cheshire Citizen | cheshirecitizen.com
We always have, and always will serve all races, creeds and religions.
Chrissy Tracey
LOCAL WOMAN FIRST VEGAN CHEF FEATURED BY BON APPÉTIT MAGAZINE By Mariah Melendez Cheshire Herald staff CHESHIRE — Cooking has proven to be one of the most popular pandemic pastimes for many as they look for ways to spend their time while in quarantine. For some, however, it didn’t take COVID-19 to spark their interest in what happens in the kitchen. The passion for making and serving food has always been there. … Just ask one of Cheshire’s own. Chrissy Tracey, a 2012 graduate of Cheshire High School, has been cooking up special dishes for several years now, and was just recognized for her skills by the popular Bon Appétit magazine. Tracey is the magazine’s first featured vegan chef, but for Tracey, who comes from a large Jamaican family, the recognition goes beyond her love of cuisine. “Let me just start by saying that the power of your voice and the power of social media and connecting is larger than you’d ever imagine,” she said. “When George Floyd was killed in May, riots began, and attention started to turn toward companies and individuals — forcing them to think about their behaviors when it came to inclusion, racism, etc. As a result, many companies would get on Instagram and share their faults within the realms of racism and be vulnerable to their followers. Typically it would be followed up with an action plan of sorts on how they plan to move forward. Bon Appétit did that.”
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Tracey first reached out to the magazine during the May riots, and commented on a post of theirs highlighting how she, as a Black vegan chef, would love to work with a brand like Bon Appétit, and they answered. “My comment sort of went viral from a ‘likes’ perspective,” she recalled. “Next thing I knew, I had an email Continued on page 18
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NOTABLES from page 14
ening product, and a gas mask. — History.com
Constance Motley Photo: Library of Congress
A New Haven-born warrior for justice Constance Baker Motley was a longtime Connecticut resident and a trailblazer for women of color. In 1946, she became the first Black woman to graduate from Columbia University School of Law. She also was the first African American to serve as a New York state senator and the first African American woman to serve as a federal judge. — Connecticuthistory.org
Deja Durant, owner of Mind, Body & Soul Food, right, and brother Drew Durant, left, reflect on the success of the business at 511 W. Main St., Meriden, Wed., Jan. 13, 2021. Photo: Dave Zajac, Record-Journal
BLACK-OWNED BUSINESSES TAKE HOLD AND BRING NEW VITALITY TO THE CITY By Faith Williams Record-Journal staff MERIDEN – In recent years, Meriden has seen a rise of Black-owned businesses in various industries and some are saying that Black Lives Matter has helped encourage the increase. City Economic Development Director Joseph Feest said that although there is no record, he has noticed an increase of Black-owned businesses in Meriden.
police officer, on May 25, 2020, in Minneapolis. Chauvin pressed his knee against Floyd’s neck while he lay on the ground and pleaded for more than eight minutes, “I can’t breathe.” Floyd’s death led to a summer of protests and marches calling for justice.
On a national level, Yelp reported a huge increase in searches for Black-owned businesses during that same Additionally, last summer, NBC timeframe — more than a 7,000% increase, with more News Connecticut reported than 2,500,000 searches for that Black-owned businesses around the state were seeing a Black-owned businesses comspike in sales and gave numer- pared to approximately 35,000 ous examples of increased traf- over the same time period the fic for both start-ups and estab- year before. lished businesses. This wave of Here are some of the local new engagement came as the Black-owned businesses: Black Lives Matter movement American Soul Kitchen, gained greater recognition and 164 Scott St. support coinciding with the Meriden native Richard PenGeorge Floyd protests. nyman opened American Soul Floyd, a Black man, was killed Kitchen and Bar in late 2019 by Derek Chauvin, a white just before the COVID pan-
demic. Although in a struggling industry, the restaurant has been able to maintain steady business. Pennyman said it was essential to bring a new experience to Meriden and be able to share his culture and passion with the community he grew up in. “It was important to me to want to have soul food showcased in a setting where if you want to be at a table, booth or bar, you can do that,” the owner said. “Growing up, the soul food restaurants that were here in Connecticut were mostly takeout.” Mind, Body & Soulfood, 511 W. Main St. On the other side of Meriden, Deja Durant, co-owner of Mind, Body & Soulfood, spoke of the significance of being a Black man with a business in his hometown. “Growing up, my friends’ Continued on page 19
Revolutionizer of refrigeration industry Frederick McKinley Jones was a self-taught, African American engineer. He also was an inventor, entrepreneur, winner of the National Medal of Technology, and an inductee of the National Inventors Hall of Fame. Jones patented more than 60 inventions in his lifetime. While more than 40 of those patents were in the field of refrigeration, Jones is most famous for inventing an automatic refrigeration system that’s used to refrigerate goods on trucks and railroad cars. — History.com nkorytnikova@record-journal.com jsimms@record-journal.com
NAACP from page 14
have since joined the Meriden-Wallingford NAACP and can offer support to the youth council. “We’re looking to cultivate through them to start back up and get students from Platt and Maloney,” Hayes said. “We have a good program to really help to cultivate leaders and help them with leadership skills and everything.” jsimms@record-journal.com
Meriden-Wallingford NAACP Board of Directors Photo courtesy of Kim Fisher
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CHEF TRACY from page 16
from a talent manager from Condé Nast (owner of Bon Appétit), and then interviews happened very quickly after that.” In one of the three videos she has with the magazine, Tracey is challenged to create a vegan banh mi (Vietnamese baguette) sandwich faster than take-out can deliver; which, for the video, meant in under 30 minutes.
Dr. Aleesha Grier-Rogers, Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at Cheshire Academy. Photo: Michael Torelli, Cheshire Academy
A LEADER FOR CHANGE: CHESHIRE ACADEMY’S DIRECTOR OF DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION By Joy VanderLek Special to the Record-Journal CHESHIRE – Dr. Aleesha Grier-Rogers, director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, at Cheshire Academy oversees a wide range of diversity initiatives for the campus. She’s also a member of the school’s class of 1990. “In my work, I always focus on the individual and all of the experiences that the individual is bringing to the table,” Grier-Rogers said. “So, from that perspective, you cannot ignore the different experiences that a person of color has versus someone who is white. It’s just different. So, yes, someone of color would be impacted differently by different experiences because they have these experiences of discrimination and disparity and bias that are also a part of their lives.” As a Black woman, Grier-Rogers said it’s important for her to serve as a mentor to other women of color, just as she herself received encouragement from women in academia. “You cannot separate gender from race,” she said. “When I think about my intersecting identities as a person of color and as a woman, the obstacles I have encountered — I have overcome them through the support of my family, my friends and the phenomenal women
who have mentored me along the way.” Her mentors include Katurah Bryant, who she met at Yale. Bryant is a marriage and family therapist, registered nurse and detox specialist. Bryant gave the keynote address, “Updates on the Dream”, at the academy’s recent Martin Luther King Jr. Day event. Another mentor was Dr. Tami Sullivan from Yale School of Medicine, who taught Grier-Rogers to push herself in Yale’s competitive environment. Kathy McCloskey was Grier-Rogers’ mentor in graduate school at the University of Hartford’s Department of Psychology. McCloskey focuses on diversity issues in psychology. “She was the first person to get me to think more about multiculturalism and the impact of diversity in individual backgrounds of a client’s mental health and wellness,” Grier-Rogers said. Grier-Rogers is a licensed clinical psychologist who worked with underserved populations in community healthcare before coming full circle to return to her hometown and her alma mater at Cheshire Academy. She was promoted to director this year, Continued on next page
“I chose to do a banh mi sandwich because it is one of my favorites,” she explained. “I was introduced to a little holein-the-wall (restaurant) called Pho Saigon in West Hartford that made the best vegan banh mi sandwich, and I wanted to showcase the delicious food that Vietnamese culture brings to the table and highlight a dish people might not know about, because those sandwiches are truly delicious!” Tracey’s talents don’t just stop at Bon Appétit videos. She also runs a vegan meal delivery and meal prep service. “My hobbies have always been food and art, and my life is currently a conglomerate of all of that.” she said. “I spent many years in technology working for Apple, but realized I would only be happy doing things I was passionate about. (So) in 2020, I took a chance and made food and art my focus. I am a freelance web developer and graphic designer, and I run a vegan meal delivery company called Vegan Vibes Meal Prep, which is a subsidiary of my business, Chrissy’s” Tracey is also conscious of the current economic climate, and aims to use her passions to help others “When I can, my team donates meals to food-insecure families in New Haven” she added. “I always believed that if you have a gift, you should use it to help others, so I do just that.” Tracey credits her entrepreneurial beginnings to a few
teachers she had at Cheshire High School, who helped spark her ideas and guide her talents. “I do want to shout out two of my high school teachers, Michael Earley and Leslie Paier, for inspiring my artistic and entrepreneurial journeys,” she said. “Those were two teachers who always truly encouraged me and embraced my thoughts and ideas while I was in high school. “Ms. Paier is the reason I pursued entrepreneurship — I’ve had this idea to run a vegetarian/vegan meal company since I was in high school, and now I am living that dream and still creating a lot of art, “ she continued. “I am so thankful for them and wouldn’t be here without their endless encouragement and inspiration.” While 2020 was an exceptional year for Tracey, she has her eyes set on 2021 and all that is in store for the future. “I hope that in 2021 I can continue my mission of fighting food insecurity, as well as continuing to highlight how delicious plant-based food can be and bringing it to the masses,” she said. “Everything my company brings to the table is fresh, organic, and made from scratch. Many people question why the pricing is low for my business — and the truth is, I know I can charge more, but that defeats my purpose of making plant-based meals accessible to the masses. One thing I can say is, we never compromise on quality and I hope people are encouraged to try the meals that I create with so much love.” But what is Tracey’s biggest dream? To own and operate her very own vegan food truck. Visit www.veganvibesmealprep.com to learn more about Tracey’s business. Her Bon Appétit videos are available at www.bonappetit.com/ search/chrissy%20tracey.
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BLACK-OWNED BUSINESSES
DIRECTOR OF DIVERSITY
from page 17
from page 18
The Lab, 34 High St.
parents that owned businesses were usually Caucasian,” Durant said. “I didn’t really see any Black-owned businesses. “
The Lab: A Creative Space for the Arts is still working on gaining traction as it has only been open for a little over a year.
Durant and his brother Drew Durant opened the restaurant in the midst of the pandemic, knowing the community would support them. The brothers said they appreciated the awareness that the Black Lives Matter movement brought to social injustices past and present. “As a Black man, I’ve always known what’s been going on,” Durant said. “But, I like that more people are more aware and calling things out.” B.L.A.C.K. apparel Parrish Holloman, NAACP youth president for Middlesex County and a self-proclaimed activist, organized a march in Meriden this past summer in remembrance of George Floyd. However, his activism didn’t begin in 2020. “My mother was the president of the Meriden-Wallingford NAACP when I was younger so I’ve been involved with this my whole life,” he said. Holloman said his goals include mentoring youth and increasing diversity in all aspects of the community, including schools and jobs. A new apparel line he created — B.L.A.C.K. — is set to release next month. The acronym stands for “Building Leaders And Cultivating Knowledge.” “I just want to be the voice of the youth,” Holloman said. “I want to be the person in the middle that can bridge that gap, that’s kind of what my brand is saying.” Derell’s Andre Collins created Derell’s to be an outlet for people to express with colors in a way they wouldn’t have before. The brand specializes in using
“Being a Black-owned business, it is something to be proud of,” owner Gerald Lovelace said. “I noticed there isn’t a lot in Meriden which led to me doing what I am doing now: being a Black man with my own business.”
stepping up from her position as Diversity, Equity, Inclusion coordinator the previous year. Earning her pre-doctoral and postdoctoral degrees at Yale School of Medicine in the Department of Psychiatry, Division of Addictions, Grier-Rogers serves as a clinical faculty member at Yale. She also has taught at Southern Connecticut State University for more than a decade. Grier-Rogers is on the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion task force which works on issues such as updating policies and procedures, and looking at hiring and retention.
Since he was a teenager, he has been interested in photography, videography and dance. Dance classes are often recorded and posted to the studio’s Instagram account.
Niche.com ranks Cheshire Academy, located at 10 Main St., as number seven on its list of most diverse private high schools in Connecticut, out of more than 70 schools, and gives it an A-plus rating on this count. According to usaschoolinfo.com, the academy’s student body includes five ethnicities. The largest ethnic group of the approximately 365 students is white, 63.9 %, followed by: Asian, 27.3 %; Hispanic, 5.2 %; Black, 3 %; and Indian, .6 %.
The Lab is not a typical studio where a class has one dance instructor for a year. Students can come to classes when they like, with rotating instructors teaching various genres of dance.
Grier-Rogers’ work at the academy includes program and event planning that often is developed with student input. “We have speakers who come to talk about diversity issues during the course of the year,” Grier-Rogers said. This year’s annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebration is one such event Grier-Rogers helped plan with academy students. Another program Grier-Rogers helped students get involved with was The Students Diversity Leadership Conference, the youth portion of the annual People of Color Conference was held in late November, early December. Four students from the academy attended the virtual conference as a delegation of affinity students.
“2020 was the year where people had the courage to actually act on things and speak up,” the stylist said.
“It’s a great opportunity for others who look like me and people who don’t look like me to see me with this skin color and say, ‘He’s able to do it and the possibilities are endless,’” Lovelace said. “After George Floyd, I changed our logo to a fist with Black Lives Matter under it. Yeah, we are a business and we are diverse, but at the end of the day this is a Black-owned business and Black Lives Matter.”
Because he is a new business and designs, sews and markets his brand entirely himself, Collins has experienced the hardships of being a business owner.
The city also has several other Black-owned businesses listed on shopBlackct.com including Brosily Bath and Body, Legendz Barbershop and Bentley’s Little Jamaican Cuisine.
“Working to promote awareness of social justice on campus is also a huge part of my job,” said Grier-Rogers.
“I do think I have to work harder, being that I am a gay, Black male trying to start up a business,” Collins said, comparing to larger brands with white people behind them. “Being a Black-owned business, the more you believe in your business, the more attraction and customers you’ll gain.”
“Meriden has always seen various races and cultures opening new businesses and the ever-growing trend of Black-owned businesses is great and we wish them the best,” Economic Development Director Feest said.
Andre Collins created “Derell’s” to be an outlet for people to express with colors in a way they wouldn’t have before.The brand specializes in using rare fabrics to create one-of-a-kind custom pieces. Photo courtesy of Andre Collins
rare fabrics to create one-ofa-kind custom pieces. More about Derell’s can be found at https://fashionmingle.net/ The former Meriden resident said the Black Lives Matter movement helped open his eyes to his own history. He also appreciates that more people are aware of social injustice.
fwilliams@record-journal.com 203-317-2373 Twitter: @faith_williams2
“They learned so much and said it was one of the most amazing experiences they ever had,” said Grier-Rogers. Helping the academy’s student affinity groups is still another way Grier-Rogers supports students with diversity, equity and inclusion issues, often referred to as DEI.
Serving as a faculty advisor for a couple of the groups on campus is another dimension of her work she enjoys. The Black Student Union is dedicated to promoting awareness on campus, she said. The Student Equity Team, new this year, is an affinity and leadership group which allows students to learn about social justice and DEI concepts and “we teach them to be allies and advocates for other students in the community,” said Grier-Rogers. Additionally, she is part of the academy’s leadership team. “I get to collaborate with all of the departments on campus and have the opportunity to look at things through the DEI lens,” she said.
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“Diversity is the one true thing we all have in common. Celebrate it every day.” – Anonymous Recognizing the trailblazers and history-makers in the field of medicine.
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COMMENTARY
Grab trail maps, go for a hike
By Joy VanderLek The Cheshire Citizen
Consider yourself blessed. It’s true. You, me, my neighbor – we are all blessed to have places throughout Cheshire where we can escape to fresh air and some elbow room. We can get out to walk in a park, hike in a forest, stroll along a pond or river, bike and enjoy the rail trail. Being able to get out and go somewhere, anywhere, especially within the restrictive bubble of COVID, has been a blessing.
bing the bathroom? I’m out of here and on my way to birdwatching at a local nature center. On deadline and That’s exactly what I’ve been need to hand in my copy by 5 p.m.? See you later – I’ve doing. gone to do a circuit at the Got to clear my head? I take park. off for the outdoors for an hour-long hike. Want to skip Having the good fortune to out on vacuuming or scrub- make tracks just about ev-
erywhere in and around Cheshire, I have a few things to report. A while back, I mentioned there was a large problem with dumping in the parking lot at the town’s Casertano open space property. That’s off Marion Road, near Jarvis Street. The other
Briefs
Constantini – Fuoco Pizza; Business of the Year, Hartford Healthcare; Police Officer of the Year, Tracy Gonzalez; Educator of the Year, Deb Manke; Fire Fighter of the Year, Bryan Keene; NonProfit of the Year, Don and Jen Walsh – Lights of Hope.
Award recipients are: The Sheldon Dill Community Award, Peter Talbot – Cox Communications; Member of the Year, Jennifer Millea – Hobson Associates; Healthy Community Enhancement Award, Chesprocott Health District; New Member of the Year, George
From A9
Awards dinner The Cheshire Chamber of Commerce will host its annual awards dinner Friday, April 9.
See Joy, A32
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Joy From A31
day when I went by, it had been totally cleaned up. The property still has extensive multiflora rose (they can really scratch your arms and legs). Many trees blocked the way, as well. It’s a shame because the view of the Hanging Hills from the top is beautiful. So, still work to be done, but progress is being made.
Grounded Goodwife, the mother-daughter team of Ehris Urban, left, and Velya Jancz Urban, practice holistic health as “green witches.”
Herbalists offer healthy, holistic alternatives for DIY recipes By Joy VanderLek The Cheshire Citizen
A mother-daughter duo who bill themselves as the Grounded Goodwife stopped by Cheshire Public Library recently to conjure up holistic concoctions meant to brighten spirits and help you stay healthy. Velya Jancz Urban is an author and former teacher, and her daughter, Ehris Urban, an herbalist and nutritionist, are green witches. They run programs from their Woodbury farmhouse and travel to area libraries to share their knowledge. The women believe the art of healing begins from within. That’s why they make their own natural nutritional and supplemental go-to’s from scratch. In the Jan. 27 Cheshire library workshop, the audience learned how to make their own chemical- and additive-free ginger ale and extracts.
“Our recipe takes three days, start to finish, but much of the time is just the liquid sitting on the counter; you won’t be working it,” Ehris said.
turn, four years later, he tasted his concoction and voila – golden ginger ale was born, Velya said.
Other variations followed and the golden ginger ale “You’re kind of just babysit- soon fell out of favor as ting it,” Velya interjected. modern formulations beAdditionally, the ginger ale came popular. Many of has probiotic benefits and a those can be seen on store very low sugar content, shelves. even though it tastes sweet, The Grounded they said. “No one knows when ginger ale was invented, but it probably started out as a homemade drink in England and Ireland in the 1840s,” Ehris said. It also didn’t taste anything like the ginger ale you are used to, she told the audience. “It was more like sugar water with a kick of ginger,” she said. When it came across the Atlantic, it became a popular drink.
Goodwife Golden Ginger Ale recipe
An oversized glass container is preferred and should be large enough to hold eight cups. You will not fill the bottle all the way, room is needed for the fermentation process. Combine 1inch grated fresh ginger root, 1 cup water and ¾ cup sugar in a saucepan. Cook over medium heat until the water dissolves. Remove from heat. Steep, The golden style of ginger covered, for one hour. ale was in vogue by 1860, Strain. In a 2-liter container Velya said, adding that, “It with a tight-fitting lid, comwas very sweet and had a bine 6 cups water (lukebubbly texture and had a “I don’t think that people warm/room temperature), realize they can make these strong ginger punch.” 2 tablespoons lemon juice, on their own, at home, with The beverage was born of a the ginger syrup mixture, pretty simple ingredients,” legend. Showing a picture and 1/8 teaspoon of active said Ehris. “And they are of a man with extreme dry yeast mix. Shake to really good for you, too.” muttonchops (side mix. Leave container at whiskers), Velya introduced room temperature for 48 Velya explained that the a picture of James Verner, a hours. Carefully loosen the recipes have a lot of nutritional value. Golden ginger pharmacist in Philadelphia, cap (do not open all the who, as the story goes, ale, back in the day, was a way) to relieve pressure at started a batch of ginger ale least once – and up to three fermented drink which before leaving to fight in could take a long time to times – per day. The drink the Civil War. On his remake.
See Recipes, A34
On a recent jaunt to Dedominicis, Cheshire’s open space property on Old Lane, I noticed the trails were in excellent shape. Last time I was here with the kid, we had to hop over a few downed trees that blocked a trail or two. On this outing with a friend, it had all been cleared. The town is doing a great job to keep up this really special hiking area. I just wish there were parking spaces here. As it is, you have to run up over the curb, which can be gnarly if your vehicle isn’t a truck and is a car with low clearance. It’s risky to park right on the road. The best news came to me from a Cheshire Citizen reader who wanted to let me know there was access to “the Ridge” on this side again. The story has some fuzzy edges, but the short and sweet of it is that Cornwall Avenue used to run across Mountain Road to become Cornwall Extension. (Oh dear, this is getting longer and denser.) Anyway, in the old days Cornwall went up the hill to the water towers where you can access the “ridge” in Prospect. Just a few years ago (okay maybe a decade), locals would brave the overgrown briars and use the Cheshire side to access the trail to the ridge. They would then go on to hike on to Roaring Brook or, if they had the energy, go way down the ridge to Naugatuck State Forest. I did that once with a group led by Mark Kasinskas, then with the Cheshire Land Trust. We had some diehard hikers with us, includ-
ing a few members of the Appalachian Mountain Club. I almost died. (I did whine.) So as the encroaching invasive briars made access more daunting, hikers would mostly meet at Cornwall Avenue in Prospect and then head up to the Prospect Ridge network of trails. From that cul-de-sac at the water towers you could bypass the ridge trail and take the overgrown old Cornwall Avenue down to the state-owned land at the base. As time went by and the subdivision development at the base of the ridge got underway, there was no longer access on the Cheshire side. I was not the only one heartbroken by this. Just recently, a reader told me access was available again. The access point had been moved to the other side of the development. Awesome news, but I didn’t believe it, so I made some calls. Sure enough, it was true. I met my new acquaintance to hike the area the very next day. The new access point is right off Mountain Road, on Beechwood Avenue. Unfortunately, the entrance is not well-marked, and there is only on-street parking, which seems a shame as there is a large swath of grass over the curb that might be used for a small parking area. Once you step across the access point to the woodlands you trek along until you get to the old logging road. From there take a right and follow until the trail turns up toward the ridge. You’ll walk on the old Cornwall Avenue, which runs alongside a stream. Finally, you see the signage for the blue-blazed trail on your left. It’s almost at the top of the climb. This is where you hike the spine of Prospect Ridge to the top of Roaring Brook Falls. If you do pass by the access, and instead go farther up you’ll pass a gate and wind up at the cul-de-sac in Prospect and the water tanks. Contact me at jvanderlek@ record-journal.com.
The Cheshire Citizen | cheshirecitizen.com
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Thursday, February 18, 2021
HERE ARE THIS WEEK’S MALE & FEMALE NOMINEES .
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TYLER VOISINE
KELLEY MARSHALL
As Tyler Voisine rolls, so roll the Trojans of Lyman Hall — and so far, they roll quite well. The senior point guard put up 18 points against Daniel Hand on opening night last Wednesday in Madison, then another 18 in Friday’s home opener against Branford. The Trojans captured both SCC games to open 2-0. After directing the Trojans this season, Voisine will by playing next year at Curry College in Milton, Mass.
The “Marshall Plan” is again doctrine for Southington girls basketball. Fully recovered from an injury that ended her junior season, Kelley Marshall returned to the Southington front court last week with 12 points and nine rebounds in Wednesday’s 67-34 win at home over New Britain. She had 14 points and 15 rebounds in Friday’s 48-47 overtime loss in Plainville. The 6-foot-1 Marshall had three steals in both outings.
JOHN PERALTA
CAITLYN HUNT
With a number of swimmers returning from an 8-win season, it was no surprise to see the Meriden Co-op roll out of the gate with an 86-80 win over Lewis Mills. The guy who caught our eye? The rookie, John Peralta. A freshman at Maloney, Peralta won two individual races and swam on two winning relays in his first varsity meet. He captured the 100-yard freestyle in 54.39 seconds and the 200 free in 1:57.72.
We’re wasting no time bringing out the big boppers this winter because they’re wasting no time putting up big numbers. It starts with reigning R-J Girls Basketball Player of the Year Caitlyn Hunt. The AllState center launched her senior season with a pair of 15-point performances as the Titans opened with victories over Hamden (60-36) and Guilford (36-21). Hunt added eight rebounds and three blocks vs. Hamden.
ISAIAH THOMAS
AALIYAH BURNLEY
Isaiah Thomas is back running the offense and torching the twine for coach Randy Farkas and the Wilcox basketball team. The Tribe’s point guard led the team in scoring last year as a junior at 13.1 points a game and, to start his senior campaign, put up 14 points in Wednesday’s season-opening 73-61 loss at home to Cheney Tech and 15 points the next night in a 47-34 victory in Waterbury over Kaynor Tech.
Dominating the interior is what dictated Platt’s 47-37 season-opening girls basketball victory over Maloney last Thursday on the West Side, and a big part of that was 6-foot-2 senior forward Aaliyah Burnely. Like teammates Ja’Lexia West and Wallica Bailey, Burnley battered the Spartans with 13 points. She also pulled down a team-high 14 rebounds. Burnley is coming off her second straight All-RJ volleyball season.
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Thursday, February 18, 2021
Oakdale Theatre to be mass vaccination site By Mary Ellen Godin Record-Journal staff
Hartford HealthCare has agreements with towns and property owners to open four new mass vaccination centers statewide — including one at the Toyota Oakdale Theatre in Wallingford. The centers will open and operate based on pending vaccine supply, HHC officials said last week. “We are in position to dramatically scale up, and we are completely committed to using our resources in this way,” Hartford HealthCare President Jeff Flaks told reporters Wednesday, Feb. 10. “This is Connecticut at its best . . . our community rising to the challenge to protect citizens. It’s part of our commitment to have no community left behind.” Feb. 10, the health care network, and parent of MidState Medical Center in Meriden, announced the opening of a megavaccine site at Liberty Square in New Britain between Feb. 22 and March 1.
In addition to Liberty Square, HHC secured rights to properties at the Xfinity Center, Foxwoods, Central High School in Bridgeport and the Oakdale in Wallingford, Flaks said. The new sites are in addition to mass vaccine sites already opened at the Hartford Convention Center and the Torrington Armory. Hartford HealthCare is now equipped to dispense 35,000 doses of the Pfizer BioNTech and Moderna vaccines weekly and has vaccinated 82,000 people across its network. The new sites will allow the network to dispense 75,000 doses weekly, Flaks said. Gov. Ned Lamont announced last week that those over age 65 may schedule vaccine appointments in addition to those over age 75, health care workers and first responders. Lamont expects the state’s vaccine allotment from the federal government to increase from 45,000 doses to 65,000 doses a week and is awaiting even more supply as vaccine manufacturing See Sites, A35
Recipes
DIY vanilla extract ingredients and recipe
From A32
An 8-ounce glass bottle or jar
becomes very fizzy. (Note: Do not point bottle at anyone.) Refrigerate and drink within 10 days.
6-8 vanilla beans
Ginger is related to turmeric and cardamon and used in herbal remedies. “Some people love it. Some people hate it. It is an effective remedy for PMS, nausea, poor circulation, respiratory issues like colds,” Velya said. “Once fermented, it’s great for gut health, too.” In the second half of the presentation, billed as “Extract Me From This Pandemic,” Grounded Goodwife made healing and healthful recipes. Vanilla and almond extracts were extolled for their health benefits, including antioxidant properties and use for elevating moods. Vanilla extract is simply a solution made with vanilla beans and alcohol, Ehris said. “We started making our own vanilla years ago,” Velya said. An even better reason to make your own, is because much of the vanilla sold in stores is made with synthetic additives, not natural vanilla, she said. Aside from vanilla and almond, lemon and coconut are other options for extracts to try.
Liquor (Recommended: 70 proof, vodka, bourbon, rum or brandy. Bourbon was used in this workshop.) Slice the vanilla beans the length of the pod (or use scissors to cut into small pieces). Pour 1 cup of alcohol into your bottle. The beans should be submerged in the alcohol. Wait. Good vanilla extract takes about eight weeks to fully mature, so store the bottle at room temperature without direct sunlight exposure. Shake the bottle once a week.
DIY almond extract 6-8 raw almonds 8 ounces of alcohol 8-ounce glass bottle with tight-fitting lid Drop the almonds into the bottle. Pour alcohol over the almonds. Put the lid on. Close tightly. Place jar in cool, dark place and let it sit for eight weeks, shaking once a week. Strain the finished homemade almond extract through a coffee filter or cheesecloth.
Obituaries Algert R. Sanders CHESHIRE- Algert R. Sanders, 83, of Cheshire, CT, passed away peacefully at his home on February 6, 2021 of endstage heart disease. Al was born February 15, 1937 in Libau, Latvia, the son of Gedimin Sanders and Elizabeth Chabaud Sanders. In 1940, after Russian forces began invading Latvia, Al’s mother escaped with her three children, taking the last passenger ship to New York via Sweden. They reunited with family in Colchester and later moved to Hartford, where Al spent most of his younger years. While studying economics at the University of Connecticut, he met Leah Bessette, who would become his lifelong companion. They married in 1962, two years after Al’s graduation and two weeks after hers, and moved in 1965 with their daughter Laurie to their permanent home in Cheshire. Al’s career focused on information technology at United Illuminating and Northeast Utilities. He and Leah traveled extensively through Europe, the US and the Caribbean. Al loved raising vegetables and growing flowers, especially dahlias. He deeply appreciated nature, was an excellent cook and actively followed the stock market. Above all, his family was the
most important part of his life. Besides his wife of 58 years, his daughter and her husband, Fred Morrison, he leaves a granddaughter Lydia, a brother Enar, and several nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by a sister Elaine (Snyder). Due to COVID, a memorial service and celebration of Al’s life will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers, donations in Al’s memory can be made to the Cheshire Public Library at www.cheshirelibrary. org/donate/, Planned Parenthood of Southern New England at www. plannedparenthood.org/ planned-parenthoodsouthern-new-england or a charity of one’s choice. The Alderson-Ford Funeral Home of Cheshire has been entrusted with his care. To leave online condolences for his family or to share a memory of Al, please visit www. fordfh.com
Be vigilant: Increase in utility scams reported The classic utility scam typically involves a caller threatening to disconnect a customer’s electric or gas service because of an unpaid bill and demanding immediate payment. In the case of a Plainville-based company, scammers posing as Eversource have continued to
target them – threatening to shut off power unless an immediate payment was made. “We get scam calls all the time. Last month alone we got multiple calls threatening to disconnect our powSee Scams, A35
The Cheshire Citizen | cheshirecitizen.com
From A34
ramps up.
Underserved groups The opening of the mega vaccine center in New Britain is part of the state’s effort to break down barriers for populations that are currently underserved in the state’s vaccination rollout.
be easily accessed. It has also begun running mobile centers at churches, community centers and homeless centers. Infectious disease specialist Dr. Henry Anyimadu, of The Hospital of Central Connecticut, said the virus has, unfortunately, disproportionately affected people of color.
Yet minorities are also less likely to be vaccinated, he said, referring to a study by “COVID-19 has disproportionately impacted older in- the Centers for Disease Condividuals and individuals in trol and Prevention showing that, from Dec. 14 to Jan. 14, traditionally underserved only 5 percent of eligible communities,” state Public Health Acting Commissioner African Americans and 11 Dr. Deidre Gifford said. “We percent of eligible Hispanics were vaccinated. A second want to ensure that within study by the Pew Research this high risk group, we focus on getting vaccine to in- Institute revealed that while about 70 percent of African dividuals within the group Americans know someone who come from communiaffected by COVID, only 42 ties that have been hardest percent were willing to get hit by the virus, namely our Black and Latino communi- the vaccine. ties. We are working with “I can see hope,” Anyimadu our vaccine providers and said of mass vaccination. “I other community partners to see that our families can get identify underserved areas together again, businesses and focus vaccine resources can open, life can get back into those areas, including to some form of normalcy.” providing transportation assistance and other solutions to address barriers to vaccine access.”
GO MOBILE /Classifieds
VAMS online system: The Vaccine Administration Management System can be used to schedule appointments at multiple clinics across the state. To make an appointment using this system, click on portal.ct.gov. COVID-19 Vaccine Appointment Assist Line: Connecticut’s COVID-19 vaccine appointment assist line is open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., seven days a week. To make an appointment, call 877918-2224.
tions (Colchester, Putnam, Waterford, and Windsor Locks) and will be expanding to 12 more locations. To make an appointment using this system, go to cvs.com. Walmart : Walmart will be offering the vaccine at seven locations across the state (Hartford, New Haven, North Windham, Norwalk, Torrington, Waterbury and West Haven). To make an appointment using this system, go to walmart.com.
Walgreens : Walgreens is currently offering the vaccine at 12 different locations and will soon be adding many more across the state. To make an appointment using this system, go to walgreens.com.
mgodin@record-journal.com 203-317-2255 Twitter: @Cconnbiz
CVS: CVS is currently offering the vaccine in four loca-
CROSSWORD ANSWER
SUDOKU ANSWER
Hartford HealthCare: Hartford HealthCare has multiple locations throughout the state, including large clinics in the Hartford area. To make an appointment using this system, go to hartfordhealthcare.org.
Welcome to On The Menu. Whether it’s a celebration, date night, or just grabbing a bite to eat, this list of local restaurants is sure to satisfy your taste buds.
Find great local eats - MenusCT.com
Scams er,” said Kim Masse of Northeast Garage Door Systems, LLC. “They have been robocalls telling us to ‘press 1 to pay.’ I went online to insure my Eversource bill was correct and I contacted a company representative. I even called the robocall number back and got a recording that it was an unworkable number. I hope my story helps other businesses identify the red flags so they can avoid falling victim to these scammers.”
Resources :
Yale New Haven Health: Yale New Haven Hospital has multiple locations throughout the state, including large clinics in the New Haven area. To make an appointment using this system, go to ynhhs.org.
Let us help you find the perfect place to eat.
HHC’s real estate arm has been working to identify potential mass vaccine sites in metropolitan areas that can
From A34
Major retail pharmacy chains also have begun scheduling appointments for eligible persons. Connecticut is among 10 other states where CVS Health and Walgreens will begin receiving a limited amount of doses.
A35
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Sites
Thursday, February 18, 2021
Adelphia Café 476 Washington Avenue North Haven, CT 06473 203-535-0149 Family owned/operated. Former proprietors of the Neptune Diner in Wallingford. Extensive menu for all tastes. Breakfasts, luncheons and special dinners. All baking on premises.
Colony Diner
611 N Colony Road Wallingford, CT 06492 (203) 269-9507 colonydiner.com Wallingford’s place to go for oldfashioned breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Proudly serving up delicious and hearty meals daily. Voted Best Diner 4 years running by Record Journal. Open seven days. Breakfast served all day.
Athena II Diner
320 Washington Ave, North Haven, CT 06473 203.239.0663 www.athena2diner.com Open 24 hours a day 7 days a week. Serving breakfast, lunch, & dinner. Accept Q Cards. Serving North Haven for 30 years. Daily specials and full liquor available.
Duchess of Wallingford 124 Church St. Wallingford, CT 06492 (203) 265-9431 www.facebook.com/pages/ Duchess -of-Wallingford/119682821380599 Celebrating Over 25 Years in Wallingford! Our Success comes from dedication to quality,freshness & variety! Breakfast cooked to order. Open 7 days for breakfast lunch & dinner.
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Thursday, February 18, 2021
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Thursday, February 18, 2021
Legal Notices & Classifieds
Reach over 310,000 readers. Call us today 203-238-1953
RJ MEDIA GROUP | Record-Journal | myrecordjournal.com | HOMEBASE Digital | Berlin Citizen | Cheshire Citizen | North Haven Citizen | Plainville Citizen | Southington Citizen | Town Times | The Post Sporting Goods and Autos Wanted Wanted To Buy Help Wanted Help Wanted Health
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WATER DIVISION MAINTAINER I
REPRESENTATIVE The Wallingford Electric The Town of WallingDivision is seeking a ford’s Water Division is skilled individual to hanseeking an individual dle all inquiries, applito perform a variety of cations and complaints unskilled & semi-skilled from the public related tasks in the mainteto utility billing, service, nance, installation, and accounts receivable, repair of water lines and customer billing and related equipment. The delinquent accounts. position requires High The position requires a School diploma / GED or high school diploma / the equivalent in experiGED or business school, ence and training. Wages plus two (2) years $22.38 - $27.11 hourly, employment involving plus an excellent fringe customer contact and benefit package. Applithe receipt, custody and cations may be obtained accounting for sums of at the Department of money OR an equivaHuman Resources, Town lent combination of the of Wallingford, 45 South above experience and Main Street, Wallingford, training. Wages: $23.36 CT 06492. Forms will - $28.36 hourly, plus an be mailed upon request excellent fringe benefit from the Department package. Applications of Human Resources may be obtained at the or may be downloaded Department of Human from the Department of Resources, Town of Human Resources Web Wallingford, 45 South Page. The closing date Main Street, Wallingford, will be the date the 40th CT 06492. Forms will application or resume be mailed upon request is received or March 2, from the Department 2021, whichever occurs of Human Resources first. EOE or may be downloaded from the Department of Human Resources Web WELDER/ Page. The closing date FABRICATOR will be the date the 40th Custom Sheet Metal application or resume is Fabrication, light strucreceived or February 24, tural, min 5-10 yrs exp & 2021 whichever occurs SHEET METAL first. EOE MECHANICS, APPRENTICES SOUTHINGTON - Child& HELPERS: Steady care worker, part-time, work, good benefits. must be available at 7 Call for interview. a.m. (860) 621-3408, leave message. 860-828-3762
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Delivery Routes Available Routes available in the following towns:
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MATERIALS DISTRIBUTION Screened Topsoil $25/ WANTED Individual per yd; Sand-$15 per firearms, collections & yd; Millings-$10 per yd; estates including military Screened Millings $30 & related items.Federally per yd; Clean Fill $8 $$$BEAT ANY PRICE$$$ licensed firearms dealer. Antiques, military per yd: $100 minimum Gunsmith, appraisals, items, oddities, anydelivery. No pickup truck Richard Pleines, (860) thing of value, motorservice. Minimum 16 yd 663-2214. cyles, minibikes, go pickup at our yard. Call carts. Estate & free apJim @ 860-982-4819 for praisal services. Gary, delivery 24/7, 203-237-4124.
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The Cheshire Citizen | cheshirecitizen.com
Thursday, February 18, 2021
Businesses & Services Attics and Basements Cleaned GARY WODATCH
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A39
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A40
The Cheshire Citizen | cheshirecitizen.com
Thursday, February 18, 2021
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