www.towntimes.com
Volume 23, Number 26
Friday, September 27, 2019
Historical society revs up for annual car show
IT’S SHOWTIME
By Everett Bishop Town Times
Country duo Presley and Taylor, who are sisters from Middlefield, are returning to the Durham Fair, playing the CT Grown Entertainment stage on Sunday, Sept. 29. Contributed by Mercy City Music
Presley & Taylor come home By Lauren Takores Record-Journal staff
Presley and Taylor, a country duo and sisters from Middlefield, are playing the CT Grown Entertainment stage Sunday, Sept. 29 at the Durham Fair, a place that’s quite familiar to them. They played the fair as teenagers in 2015, opening for Martina MacBride.
“That was a total pinch-me dream come true moment, and we’re so excited to be coming back to the Durham Fair this year,” said Taylor, 20. The singers declined to give their last name, citing privacy and safety concerns. Presley, 22, said going to the fair is still fun, but in a different way than when they were kids.
”For us, as kids, (the fair) only came around once a year,” she said. “And now, being musicians, we play fairs all the time ... We get to go eat fair food, hang out with all our bandmates, and walk around the fair together. It’s so much fun.”
New single Now living in Nashville, the sisters are closer than ever.
created the world’s first steel-top retractable hard top for motor vehicles in MIDDLETOWN — The 1966. In retirement, Smith Middlesex County Histori- created prototypes of his cal Society is getting retractable hard top for revved up for its 34th anhis family. nual car show hosted at The featured Mustang at Palmer Field in Middlethe Middlesex County Car town. Show is Smith’s first ever The show, which will be retractable hard top Musheld Sunday, Oct. 6, retang. It is now owned by a mains a popular fundrais- friend of Smith’s son. er for the historical soci“The people who own ety. Richard Bergen, chairman of the car show these cars take great care of them and are so excited committee, estimates to show them off for the there will be 120 cars at public,” said Debby the show with at least 10 Shapiro, a member of the to 15 coming from Durham and Middlefield. car show committee. “There’s something you “I enjoy seeing the variety can say about every car of cars that we get every that comes in.” year,” he said. “Last year Registration for vehicles we had a 1966 Mustang starts at 8:30 a.m. on Oct. come through that’s now 6. Registration is $10 and our featured car this general admission is $3. year.” There is no charge for The Mustang is the first of children 12 and under. its kind, having been engiebishop@record-journal.com neered by chief Ford engi203-317-2444 neer, Ben J. Smith. Smith Twitter: @everett_bishop
See Duo, A16
‘Voice’ semifinalist plays Sunday By Lauren Takores Record-Journal staff
At age 15, Connecticut native Braiden Sunshine reached the semifinals on NBC's "The Voice.”
Braiden Sunshine
Today, at age 19, he’s a sophomore at the University of Connecticut, studying
music education and planning his career as a musician. Sunshine, who grew up in Lyme, has several local shows coming up, including the Durham Fair on Sunday, Sept. 29 and the SouthingSee Sunshine, A17
Chief Ford engineer Ben J. Smith's 1966 Mustang featuring his design for a retractable hardtop. Photo courtesy of the Middlesex County Historical Society