PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE PAID DANBURY CT PERMIT NO. 254
NOVEMBER 16, 2023
Board of Ed expects decision on reading waiver by December 1
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REDDING, CONNECTICUT
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Volume 2 / Issue 24
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Continued on page 10
Index
Big Outdoors Editorial Legal Notices Sports
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Route 7 tree clearing by state raises questions By Donna Christopher
By Rob Sample
At the beginning of December, Redding will finally learn whether the state will grant its request for a waiver from a new state-mandated reading program for kindergarten through third grade. That news came in a presentation by Dr. Stephanie Pierson Ugol, ER9 Assistant Superintendent for curriculum and instruction, at the Redding Board of Education’s November 7 meeting. “If our waiver is accepted, it provides us with indefinite flexibility [regarding] the state’s legislation,” said Dr. Pierson Ugol. “We would be able to continue the reading program that we’ve followed in years past.” Redding’s reading program currently consists of a combination of three resources: Units of Study from the Teachers College Reading and Writing Project; the Heggerty reading and writing program; and Foundations of Reading. Connecticut’s new statewide reading curriculum is based on a law passed in 2021 known as the “Right to Read” bill. It requires school districts to choose and implement a K-3 reading program from a list of vendors approved by the State’s Center for Literacy Research and Reading Success. There are currently seven approved programs districts can select. In a statement last November, the Connecticut Association of Public School Superintendents (CAPSS) said the new requirements amounted to overstepping on the part of the State Department of Education. School districts were required to choose a reading program by December 15, 2022, but many, including Redding, elected instead to file for waivers from the new law. Redding filed its waiver request on February 28, and many of the waiver requests came from other higher-performing school districts. While the new law aims to increase the number of “at goal” readers statewide to 50-percent, Redding’s own stats are significantly higher than that. Seventy-seven percent of third graders in Redding are at goal or higher, according to ER9 Superintendent Jason McKinnon “The goal [is] to increase those numbers to 83 percent by 2026,” he said. McKinnon and Pierson Ugol recently met with three officials from the State Department of Education to discuss the waiver request. This enabled the district to inform those reviewing the waiver request where answers to the state’s questions were contained
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Photo by Dana Taylor
Two does steal a kiss on a recent fall afternoon at a property on Cross Highway. If you have a photo you’d like to see featured here, with credit of course, e-mail editor@reddingsentinel.org
Interfaith Thanksgiving Service set for November 22 l By Pamela Brown
Bringing people together and sharing different faiths. That is the intention of the Interfaith Thanksgiving Service that Sacred Heart —Saint Patrick Parish is hosting this year on Wednesday, November 22 at 7:00 p.m. at the St. Patrick Church campus at 169 Black Rock Turnpike. The service is open to everyone. “It is considered interfaith, as there are Christian communities of faith (Catholic, Lutheran, Episcopalian, Presbyterian, etc.) as well as other non-Christian religions represented in Redding, including Judaism and Buddhism,” said Father Terrence Walsh of Sacred Heart-Saint Patrick Parish, a Catholic faith community in the Diocese of Bridgeport made up of Sacred Heart Church in Georgetown and St. Patrick Church in Redding Ridge. Father Walsh explained that the Parish was formed in 2021 through a merger of both churches which have a rich history in the area. Sacred Heart Church was dedicated in 1881, and St. Patrick Church opened in 1880 as a mission church until 1970 when it became a parish.
Reverend Dr. Dean Ahlberg of the First Church of Christ, Congregational, who serves as “keeper-of-the-interfaith-traditions” and historian, noted that this Thanksgiving event has been part of the community for over 30 years. Giving thanks is the theme of the service. “This has taken on a new meaning following Covid. I think it is fair to say that all congregations – not limited to Redding – have experienced a decline in attendance as a result of the pandemic. This event also is a good way to build community in person,” he said. “Given the tensions around the world, an interfaith service is one way to offer thanks for kindness and generosity on a local level.” The collaborative service will run thirty minutes and include readings offered by each faith delegate. Revered Dr. Ahlberg and Reverend Jane Moran from First Church of Christ, Congregational will be attending. Other participants are still being finalized. “We are organizing a choir made up of volunteers from the various church choirs and the community
which will be directed by Greg Czerkawski, a music minister from St. Patrick Church,” said Father Walsh. The service is a way of bringing various faith groups together. “It is an invitation to meet other members of the community for an evening of fellowship at a time when we, as a nation, call to mind the many blessings we enjoy and share with each other,” Walsh said. Following the service, participants and attendees will gather for a reception in Conlisk Hall. Everyone is welcome to mingle and socialize. The Interfaith Thanksgiving Service factors into the Catholic church’s mission to love one’s neighbors and to provide service. “We don’t know why the forefathers began this tradition other than it is a reminder to be thankful for all we have, Father Walsh said. “Historically, small communities relied on each other for survival and to thrive. Even in modern times, it is a good reminder that our neighbors and community are important.” g
Redding’s Big Outdoors Thanksgiving Hike at Brinckerhoff Preserve l By Jessie Wright
After a large Thanksgiving meal and holiday hanging around, consider stretching your legs on a special “Turkey Waddle” hike with the Redding Land Trust on Friday, November 24. The hike will explore the Brinckerhoff Preserve, one of the favorite open spaces featured in this column. Redding Land Trust Board of Trustee members Gordon Loery and Cole Tucker-Walton will lead the group on a 2.3-mile trek along the Ensor’s Trace and Ross Ramble trails starting at 10:00 a.m., Photo by Cole Tucker-Walton
Remembering Redding Obituary Book Review Library Corner
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The Natural World Why Redding? Calendar of Events
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no doubt sharing their encyclopedic knowledge of native plants and Redding’s open spaces along the way. The walk will be short enough for all ages, so bring the whole family! The Brinckerhoff Preserve is located off Beeholm Road, near the Georgetown side of town. Named for Arthur F. Brinckerhoff, a well-known landscape architect whose family donated over 50 acres to the Redding Land Trust in 1967, the Preserve is 85.92 acres in total and adjoins to Devil’s Den Continued on page 12
A state tree cutting project on Route 7 along the border of Ridgefield and Redding has stirred concerns among residents, some asking if there are plans to widen the roadway, and others pointing to the impact of what looked like trees chipped into the Norwalk River and wetlands. The Connecticut Department of Transportation (CT DOT) did not respond to multiple requests for comment from the Sentinel, but some Town officials and local residents provided information relayed to them personally after making their own inquiries. Neither Redding nor Ridgefield were notified of the work before it began, a source of concern for Redding resident and Redding Tree Warden Charles Hyatt. Initially when Hyatt saw a large amount of the clearing going on along Route 7, it was a “total mystery.” “A massive amount of trees, live and dead, were removed. Wood chips were blatantly shot into sensitive wetlands as well as the Norwalk River,” Hyatt claimed. He told the Sentinel that when he contacted CT DOT, a spokesperson at CT DOT vegetation management told him that 80percent of the trees cut during the project were dead, and the trees were cut for public safety. Hyatt relayed that the spokesperson also told him the trees and branches were chipped and the majority trucked away, and the wetlands were avoided. The DOT told Hyatt the project is now finished, and no further work is scheduled. Hyatt inquired and was told Eversource did not fund the project. He also asked about future plans for road widening, and the spokesperson did not know. Hyatt noted that none of this information has been certified, and he continues to seek answers including why officials were not told of the project, and if CT DOT had consulted the inland/ wetland commissions of the towns affected and the State Department of Environmental Protection. “The towns need answers on why the work was approved, if there are conservation permits, and how it is funded,” Hyatt said. “I will continue to seek answers and convey them to the public.” Redding Land Use Director Aimee Pardee said she did not have any information about the project. First Selectwoman Julia Pemberton confirmed the Town of Redding was not notified. Consulting the GIS (Geographic Information System) which is “not perfect”, Pemberton said it looks to her the work appears to be within the CT DOT right-ofway. “As far as I can tell, only one of the properties is owned by the Town of Redding, and that is marshland at 257 Ethan Allen Continued on page 2
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Editorial The municipal elections last week saw a lower voter turnout (23.7% ) in Redding than any election in recent memory. Perhaps this doesn’t come as much of a surprise, given there were no contested seats on the ballot this year. But how did Redding’s turnout compare to the rest of Connecticut? According to a report by CT Mirror, the statewide voter turnout in 2023 was just over 33% - around average for municipal elections in recent years. Of the 166 towns for which there are voting data, 63 – including Redding – saw turnout rates lower than this statewide number. In fact, 13 towns saw a decrease of 10% or more from 2021 to 2023, including Redding which had a drop of 18.84%. It appears that a contested race for First Selectman or Mayor can be a major driver for increased engagement at the polls; each of the 17 Connecticut towns recording over 50% voter turnout this year had multiple candidates running for these positions. However, a race for mayor is not a guarantee for high engagement – Bridgeport, Hartford, New Haven, and Waterbury all had mayoral races, but less than a quarter of registered voters cast their ballots. Regardless of the data, being at the polls in Redding last week did not feel lackluster – there was a steady stream of voters coming into the Community Center throughout the day, and the efforts of the Office of the Registrar of Voters, members of the Town Committees, and poll workers created a welcoming, community atmosphere. Here’s hoping we can bring that feeling forward into years when there are more contests on the ballot. g
We are grateful for all our subscribers, readers, advertisers, and contributors – in Redding and beyond – who make this newspaper possible. The Sentinel wishes you and your loved ones a very Happy Thanksgiving and festive start to the holiday season.
SENTINEL HOLIDAY PUBLISHING SCHEDULE We will not be publishing next week on Thursday, November 23 due to the Thanksgiving holiday. Subscribers will receive the next issue of the Sentinel on Thursday, November 30. Visit reddingsentinel.org/publishing-schedule for a complete list of Volume 2 issue dates. Contact us at publisher@reddingsentinel.org with any questions.
Legal Notices At the regularly scheduled meeting of the Redding Zoning Commission held Wednesday November 8, 2023 at 7:30pm via ZOOM the Commission reached the following decisions. 1. Application #23-09Z – 145 Old Redding Road (Assessor’s Map and Lot #27 -7) – 145 Old Redding Road LLC – In accordance with Redding Zoning Regulations Section 5.12, request for a Special Use Permit for accessory residential apartment. DENIED Pursuant to Section 7-394 (1976) Revision of the CT General Statutes, notice is hereby given to the Legal Voters and Taxpayers of the Town of Redding, that the Annual Financial Statement of Georgetown Fire District for the
2. Application #23-13Z – 15 Fox Run Road (Assessor’s Map and Lot #28-80) – Owner Bryan Moore & Nicole Cuccaro: Agent: Doug MacMillan, 18 Boulder Hill Road, Ridgefield, CT 06877 – In accordance with Redding Zoning Regulations Section 5-12 request for a Special Use Permit for accessory residential apartment. APPROVED g Matt Lecher, Chairman, Redding Zoning Commission
fiscal year ended June 30, 2023 is on file in the office of the Town Clerk for public inspection. g Michele R. Grande, Town Clerk November 13, 2023
CHECK YOUR EXPIRATION DATE
Zoners approve, deny accessory apartment permits l By Rocco Valluzzo
Citing an excess in square footage as stated in the Town regulations, the Redding Zoning Commission denied an application for a special permit for an accessory residential apartment at 145 Old Redding Road at its meeting on Wednesday, November 8. The application calls for a one-bedroom, 980 square foot apartment located within the primary dwelling unit. According to Rick Jaccarino, agent for the applicant, the main house totals 3,030 square feet, including a 523 square foot future attic area which is to be finished and is currently 60% to 70% completed. The attic has been insulated, with duct work and zone heating and cooling. It also includes windows, skylights, and electrical work. During the public hearing, Jaccarino noted that it has been inspected, but to continue the work he would have to amend the permit and inform the Building Department of what the work would require. This would be flooring, sheet rock, painting, and trim. Applicant Terri Lecamp said
the intended use of the finished attic was to create some additional space for her son, who lives in the main part of the house with his significant other. She added that her son is handicapped, and although the house has a substantial basement, it is harder for him to access it. “We do intend to finish that room as soon as we get it permitted,” said Lecamp. “It’s part of some of the other work we’re doing on the house.” The apartment would be accessible by an outside staircase to the driveway. In addition, there is a staircase in the first floor mudroom of the main dwelling. At the top of the stairs, there is a door to the attic space and a door to the apartment. Commission member Amy Atamian was concerned that the proposed apartment would be 32% of the main dwelling unit. Redding’s zoning regulations limit accessory apartments to no more than one bedroom and total less than 1,000 square feet or 30% of the total square footage of the main dwelling, whichever is smaller. She was
Route 7 tree clearing by state raises questions / continued from page 1 Highway,” Pemberton said. The state statute relating to tree removals along state highways seems to indicate that the CT DOT must notify the municipality when a tree to be removed is outside the CT DOT right-of-way and is 18-or-more inches in diameter. The statute (Sec. 13a-140. Removal of trees along state highways) reads: “Penalties established by municipalities. (a) The commissioner may cut, remove or prune any tree, shrub or other vegetation situated wholly or partially within the limits of any state highway so far as is reasonably necessary for safe and convenient travel thereon. No person, firm or corporation, and no officer, agent or employee of any municipal or other corporation, shall cut, remove or prune any tree, shrub or vegetation situated partially or wholly within the limits of any such highway without first obtaining from said commissioner a written permit therefor, provided however, that nothing contained in this subsection shall limit the rights of public service companies, as defined in section 16-1, to cut and trim trees and branches and otherwise protect their lines, wires, conduits, cables and other equipment from encroaching vegetation. No such permit shall be issued by the commissioner unless the chief elected official of the municipality in which any tree with a diameter greater than eighteen inches is situated is notified in writing. The notice shall include the location and a description of such tree to be cut or removed. No such permit for the removal of any such tree, shrub or vegetation shall be refused if such removal is necessary for that use of such adjoining land which is of the highest pecuniary value.” Pemberton shared her interpretation. “The first sentence gives the DOT commissioner the right to remove trees etc. and says nothing about the commissioner notifying the municipality. Redding was not notified nor was Ridgefield. Later on, there is language that a person might argue to mean that the municipality has to be informed if the tree of 18 inches or more in diameter is either in or partially in the right-of-way.”
“Tree clearing is an emotional topic for many,” Pemberton added. Redding has been enmeshed the past 15 months in reducing the number of trees proposed to be cut down by Eversource along scenic Cross Highway as part of the utility’s Resiliency Program to protect its power lines. Ridgefield First Selectman Rudy Marconi said he had not been contacted about the work along Route 7 but made a phone inquiry to the CT DOT and shared the results of that conversation with the Sentinel. “The purpose is to cut back far enough to eliminate any tree falling and blocking the highway and causing an accident,” Marconi relayed. “Also, the project will give greater sun exposure helping melt snow and ice.” Redding resident Jeremy Newell also inquired with the CT DOT about the work, he told the Sentinel. Newell said he asked the DOT why “a large number of trees along Route 7 in Ridgefield, mostly on the side of the road opposite the utility lines” were being cleared. “The Town says this is a state road and does not know why the work is being done. Could you please tell me why these trees are being cut? The following excerpts are from the response he received from CT DOT Customer Care. “It is the Department’s primary mission to keep the infrastructure safe for motorists and efficient for the movement of people, goods, and commerce. It is the Department’s duty to prune, remove, or trim – dead, dying, decaying or otherwise compromised trees and vegetation in the state-owned right-of-way such as the shoulder area and center-median of highways, roadways and ramps. Tree pruning and removal, as well as vegetation removal is typically a routine and day-today activity for the Department especially after storms, the Department continues to evaluate, trim, and remove dead, dying and structurally impaired trees at an accelerated rate. Trees being removed have been positively identified as a potential hazard to the traveling public. Removals
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also concerned with the possibility of the attic space being attached to the accessory apartment in the future. This would increase the area to 1,500 square feet. This could be resolved by closing off the entry way to the stairs that go down to the main house. That would ensure that attic space is used by the main house and not the apartment. The application can be re-submitted if the zoning requirements are met. In other business, the Commission approved an application for a special permit for a detached accessory apartment at 15 Fox Run Road. Applicant Agent Doug MacMillan said the proposed unit would be a 900 square foot in-law apartment above a single car garage. The owner of the property lives in the main dwelling. The proposal also meets the setback and coverage area requirements. It has also received approval from the Town Health Department for a combined septic system. g
Publisher, Susan Clark Managing Editor, Jessie Wright Creative Director, Debora DeCarlo Rosa Assistant Graphic Designer, Connor Feeney
also include trees and brush that obscure sightlines or have the potential to fall on utility wires. Additionally, the Department is removing trees and brush, healthy and unhealthy, that exists within the “clear zone.” The “clear zone” is an unobstructed area beyond the edge of the roadway that provides an unencumbered, impact-free buffer or clear area for errant vehicles that unintentionally exit the roadway travel surface. Removal of overhead trees and vegetation also increases sunlight onto road surfaces, which in turn raises pavement temperatures. During winter storms this increase in road surface temperatures has been proven to accelerate improved road conditions, as well as to reduce labor costs, equipment costs and the amount of winter deicing materials used. The Department is completely committed to the safety of the motoring public and the efficiency of our transportation network. At the same time, the Department understands the aesthetic and environmental value of healthy vegetation and trees. As such, the Department will continue to make reasonable efforts to preserve trees and aesthetic appeal if safety and/or efficiency will not be compromised by doing so.” Victor DiMasi, a resident who lives nearby Route 7, is a curatorial affiliate at the Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History and lepidopterist. He sees a balance to be struck between public safety and conservation. “The area where the trees were cleared opposite Ashbee Lane is the highest quality remaining wetland in the Norwalk River system,” said DiMasi. “It’s an important wetland for the county. This should have been reviewed before it was done. On the other hand, a lot of trees have to be cleared because of the dead ash trees in the forest. Now is the time they start to shed the large limbs. It is an accident waiting to happen. I do understand how much we (must) control it. With that habitat, I would like to see more kid gloves because of the wetland.” g
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4 l Redding Sentinel l November 16, 2023
Redding residents welcome descendants of one of Hawaii’s first converts to Christianity l By Justin Reynolds
Thanks to a Redding couple who frequents Hawaii, descendants of one of the Aloha State’s first converts to Christianity, Henry Ōpūkaha’ia, visited the site in Connecticut where their ancestor studied the English language in preparation for serving as a missionary among native Hawaiians some 200-odd years ago. A half-century ago, Dave and Betty Noone were students at Chaminade University in Honolulu. One day, they decided to attend a church service at Kawaiaha’o Church — one of the “eight or 10 churches in Hawaii that go back to the 1800s,” Dave said. After the service, the couple saw a plaque in the back of the church — designated a National Historic Landmark in 1962 — and went over to check it out. “It honored Henry Ōpūkaha’ia, a Hawaiian missionary who left the islands in the early 1800s to travel to Connecticut to become a missionary,” Dave explained. Upon arrival, Ōpūkaha’ia landed in New Haven before heading to Cornwall to attend the foreign mission school there. Unfortunately, Ōpūkaha’ia contracted typhus fever and died in Cornwall in 1818, when he was just 26. When the Noones returned to the mainland, they went up to Cornwall and found Ōpūkaha’ia’s grave. “There were a lot of different artifacts there,” Dave continued. “It turns out that a lot of Hawaiians have visited Cornwall over
Photo courtesy of Dave Noone
Photo courtesy of Dave Noone
Redding residents hosted Hawaiian visitors this fall as they honored their church’s connection to Connecticut.
A memorial stone in Hawaii dedicated to Henry Ōpūkaha’ia, one of Hawaii’s first converts to Christianity.
Pua led the Children’s Time with a story and Hula movements while her father, Reverand Davis, played the guitar at a church service on October 1.
the years to see the grave. Henry is quite the celebrity in Cornwall.” About 10 years ago, the Noones were traveling to Hawaii again when Betty saw a gentleman in the airport lobby and pointed him out to Dave saying, “he’s a good man” just based on her impression of him. “Lo and behold, the guy sits next to us on the plane, we start chatting, and find out he’s the pastor of Kahikolu Church, one of the old churches on the Big Island,” Dave said. “We told him we were from Connecticut and talked about the plaque we’d seen all those years ago. He looked at us and said, ‘That’s my ancestor.’ He then invited us to come to his church on the day they honor Henry and his life with a special ceremony.” Ever since then, the Noones have kept in touch with that pastor, Kahu Wendell Davis. “At the time, he said he had to come to Connecticut and visit
Cornwall to see where his ancestor spent his time and where he learned,” Dave said. “I told him that we’d host him any time he wanted to come.” As a pastor who’s also a chaplain at the Mid-Pacific Institute — a college prep school in Honolulu — Davis’s schedule is jam-packed. “It was complicated for him to find the time,” Dave said. “But finally, he told us ‘We’re doing it no matter what’ in 2023.” In September, Davis, his daughter Pua, a member of their Hawaiian congregation, ukelele player Butch Fellezs, and a deacon, Wanda Arvin, arrived in Connecticut and were put up by Redding families who are members of the First Church of Christ, Congregational. The Noones hosted the Reverend and Arvin, Tom Megna and Lee Morgan hosted Pua, and Roger Van Ausdale hosted Fellezs. On September 28, the group made the trek to Cornwall, a lit-
tle over an hour north of Redding. There, they visited the site where Ōpūkaha’ia translated texts to his native language, including the Book of Genesis, as well as the home where he died, which is still occupied by descendants of the man who tried to treat his typhus, Dr. John Calhoun. “The gentleman living there said that they were spooked growing up in the house (because Ōpūkaha’ia died there),” Dave said. “So, Wendell blessed the door of the house, touching it on the top and bottom while saying a prayer.” In Cornwall, the group also visited Ōpūkaha’ia’s original grave site. “Wendell had never been there,” Dave said. “He did a service, with Pua doing the hula dance and Butch playing guitar. It was just the most beautiful little service, only lasting eight or 10 minutes. We were bawling.”
Wire Mill Committee outlines scope of Brownfield grant l By Rocco Valluzzo
A second $200,000 Brownfield Assessment Grant from the Connecticut Department of Community and Economic Development will soon be put to use by the Town of Redding for the future redevelopment of the former Gilbert & Bennett Wire Mill property. The grant will complete the site investigation, characterization, and remediation planning of the 44-acre site in Georgetown. The first grant in the same amount, which was received by the Town in 2021, went to a Phase 1 Investigation by the Middletown-based environmental engineering firm of Tighe & Bond. The second will further complete the analysis of the site and refine what the cleanup alternatives and scope of work of the cleanup will be. Jim Olsen, a licensed environmental professional with Tighe & Bond, outlined the scope of the new grant at the Gilbert & Bennett Wire Mill Advisory Committee at its Thursday, November 9 meeting. His firm is currently investigating several areas which require
Photo by Lee Morgan
remediation, including the West Pond, OMS, Central Stop, and South Mill sections. “I think the remedial approach for the Central Stop and South Mill areas is going to be the same for most types of redevelopment scenarios,” he said. “You have widespread polluted fill in there, some hot spots. There’s probably going to be excavation of hotspot areas that are impacting groundwater so we can clean groundwater up.” The remaining fill would be capped to prevent human exposure. The capping can consist of paved areas, clean fill and other type of materials, and even buildings. With the second grant, Tighe & Bond can complete site characterization and then have preliminary or conceptual remedial approaches for the rest of the site. Cleanup of the OMS and the West Pond areas will involve basically straight excavation and disposal off-site. The Gateway area is either going to be excavation of areas and then capping or some combination of the two. This will
be determined through some additional investigations and remedial design. “So, the overall goal is to complete the site characterization, get the remedial plan underway, and as we apply for additional grants for the other areas, we can bake in some further remedial planning and design with those grant applications,” said Olsen. “Part of this grant will refine the remedial costs for the site to they can form the basis of future grant applications.” Committee Chair Amy Atamian met with Marisa Chrysochoou of the University of Connecticut’s Technical Assistance to Brownfields (TAB) program the previous week and was told her group is working on the conceptual design and will suggest municipal uses for the main core of the site. It will give the committee an illustration of what residential development might look like in the West Pond and OMS area for affordable or work force housing in a much less dense layout then what might have been developed in the old plan from the Georgetown Land Development Company. “It will be an example for us to evaluate and use as an example and talking point,” she said. “We should have that either toward the end of this year or first thing next year.” g
While Ōpūkaha’ia was buried in Cornwall for nearly two centuries, his body was repatriated to Kahikolu Church in Hawaii in the mid-1990s. Though his bones rest thousands of miles away, Ōpūkaha’ia has left an indelible impact on the Nutmeg State. “Henry’s presence has brought so many people to Cornwall over the years,” Dave said. “It’s hard to imagine him living there, in a town of 1,200 people today.” To date, the Noones — who’ve lived in Redding for 30 years, raising three kids here — have visited Hawaii about a dozen times, and they expect it’s only a matter of time before they’ll be back again. These trips are certainly part leisure. But they’re also about preserving an incredible bond that’s lasted through the years. “We visit Wendell and his church every time we go,” Dave said. g
Board of Ed OKs facilities expenditures, contract By Rob Sample
The Redding Board of Education approved four key measures at its November 7 meeting – including two involving expenditures under its facilities modernization program. Of particular importance, the Board unanimously ratified a new collective-bargaining contract for support staff at Redding Elementary School (RES) and John Read Middle School (JRMS). The Board also voted to spend approximately $24,000 this year on new furniture for the kindergarten through second grade classrooms at RES. This is part of a facilities modernization project at the school, with storage cabinets and lockers being the only furniture items purchased thus far. “We have been working with a designer to get this project over the finish line,” said Chairman Chris Parkin. There was also a vote in favor to fund, at a cost of $5,000, the purchase and installation of a monitoring alarm for the water storage tank at JRMS. The well fills the tank at one-gallon-per minute; the alarm would signal if the rate falls below that level. This measure is part of a larger initiative to provide more reliable water service to the school. That project would ultimately connect a second well
to the storage tank, at an estimated cost of $150,000. After a significant amount of discussion, the Board also approved spending $22,000 on parts and repairs for one of the two boilers at JRMS which is currently corroded and awaiting a fix. “There are two boilers at John Read,” said ER9 Superintendent Jason McKinnon. “The school can function with one boiler, but we do need to have two up and running. This is both for redundancy and backup and to enable the heating system to function adequately on very cold days.” McKinnon noted that the boiler repairs were in the Board of Education’s capital plan already. Because of the urgent nature of this matter, he suggested it be funded from the operational budget so the work can be done more quickly. “Parts availability could push [the boiler project] into March,” McKinnon noted, “but [ER9 Facilities and Operations Manager Mike D’Agostino] is now scouring the earth in search of those parts.” In a fifth measure, the Board also approved its final capital plan for 2023-24, 2024-25, and 202526. One item that was put on hold is the installation of a large window in the JRMS Library. g
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2023 Bethel
Winterfest November 24, 2023
On the day after Thanksgiving, Black Friday, skip the mall and head to downtown Bethel. Shop local while enjoying lots of wintry activities. From 1:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. there are treats for all. Take a trolley ride, or a horse and wagon. Bring your pet for a holiday snapshot. See the tree lighting at P. T. Barnum Square. Warm up with hot chocolate or something stronger. Cheer Santa’s arrival and visit him at the gazebo. Check your list while exploring the shops. Winterfest kicks off the holiday season for all ages!
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The most unique menu, and freshest oysters in the area with an urban touch 203.628.7490 www.edisonkitchenct.com 186 Greenwood Avenue, Bethel
6 l Redding Sentinel l November 16, 2023
Sports Barlow is top seed in Class M Girls volleyball
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By Rocco Valluzzo
Photo by Rocco Valluzzo
Joel Barlow’s Ella Anderson keeps the ball aloft during the second round of the state Class M girls volleyball tournament on Wednesday, November 8. Barlow, the top seed in the tournament, swept Lauralton Hall 3-0.
With one championship to its credit so far this season, the Joel Barlow High girls varsity volleyball team got busy pursuing another last week. The Falcons, who survived a nail-biter against Newtown to de-
fend their South-West Conference title earlier this month, had an easier start to the state Class M tournament last week. Although there were some minor bumps along the way, the top-seeded Falcons stayed focused in a 3-0 (25-18, 25-20, 25-13) sweep of Lauralton Hall in the second round at home on Wednesday, November 8. The 17th-seeded Crusaders were up to the challenge early in the first set, jumping out to a 6-3 advantage. Kills by Emma Sarkinovic, Ella Anderson, and Amanda Meschi helped Barlow turn things around for an 8-7 lead, but it remained a one or two-point set with three ties following. The Falcons took the lead for good on a service point by Lily Condosta at 14-13, and the Crusaders committed several passing and hitting errors to fall 25-18. Condosta’s service run early in the second set put the hosts in good shape with a 5-0 lead. Strong net play by Sofia Benitez, Maddie Furrer, and Mackenzie Sickinger allowed them to pull ahead 14-6. Rather than fall behind any further, the Crusaders began to claw their way back in the set, using some well timed kills by Amirah Easter to come within five (17-11) of catching Barlow. Several Barlow hitting errors made it a 23-20 affair.
The threat came to an end with Meschi’s kill getting her team to set point. With Condosta serving, a tap by Ella Anderson found a hole in the back court for a 25-20 win and a 2-0 lead in sets for the Falcons. Following a kill by Lauralton’s Molly Woodward to start the third set, the visitors went on a service run by Olivia Billingham to go up 6-0. As quickly as the lead formed, however, it disappeared, as the Falcons turned the tables on the competition with a six-point service run by Val Alesi, including an ace, that helped build a 7-6 lead. Although a kill by Norah McNichols briefly tied things at 7-7, the Crusaders would never lead again, as Sickinger and Anderson added a couple of their own as Barlow never looked back in a 25-13 win to advance to the next round. Should the Falcons advance past the quarterfinals and semifinals this week, they will play for the championship on Saturday, November 18 at East Haven High. g
Barlow exits state tournament in first round Boys soccer
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By Rocco Valluzzo
Photo by Rocco Valluzzo
Joel Barlow’s Jack Gustavson, left, clashes with New Fairfield’s Chris Gutierrez during the first round of the state Class M boys soccer tournament on Tuesday, November 7. Barlow lost 3-2 to end the season.
After battling its way to the South-West Conference championship, the Joel Barlow High boys soccer team may have been expecting to go far in the state Class M tournament as well. The Falcons, who managed two upsets before losing to Bethel, were seeded 11th going into their game against fellow SWC opponent New Fairfield at home on Tuesday, November 7. Seeded 22nd, the Rebels took advantage of a couple of key mistakes by the
hosts for a 3-2 upset to end the season for Barlow. It marked the second straight year Barlow has exited the tournament in the first round. “We have, all year long, given away a lot of bad goals,” said Barlow Head Coach Paul Winstanley, whose team also lost to New Fairfield early in the season. “We managed to do that today as well.” Barlow came quite close to taking the lead in the first minute on a header by Jordan Horowitz, only to have it bounce off the crossbar. The Rebels, on the other hand, made good on their first chance less than two minutes later. A bit of a defensive breakdown failed to clear the ball out of the Falcons’ end of the field, enabling the Rebels’ Nick Rabuse to go oneon-one with Barlow keeper Addison Vanderburg before taking a shot that ultimately found its way into the lower right corner with 31:20 left in the first half. Less than five minutes later, the Rebel’s struck again, this time on a corner kick that was headed in by David Marco to put his team up 2-0. “The first two were very bad goals on our part, catastrophic mental and physical errors,” said Winstanley. “When you do that,
it’s very hard to win.” The Falcons did eventually answer with 25:14 left in the half when Dylan Crawford scored off a pass from Jack Gustavson. A couple of leaping saves by New Fairfield keeper Henry Sarceno in the time remaining helped his team preserve the 2-1 lead. When play resumed, the Falcons netted the equalizer on a tandem effort. Billy Bardani’s throw-in was headed by Grayson Vanderburg to Horowitz, who in turned headed the ball into the net, and Barlow was out of the hole with 29:54 to play. Only 40 seconds later, however, the Falcons found themselves down again. A shot by Ahmed Imeri sailed out of Addison Vanderburg’s reach for what turned out to be the final score of the game. Barlow could not respond in the time remaining. Barlow finishes the season at 11-7-1 overall. It graduates eight seniors. “We’re losing some great players,” said Winstanley, looking ahead to next season. “We’ll see. It all depends on how hard the guys want to work in the off-season.” g
Barlow still has Class SS playoff chance Football
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By Rocco Valluzzo
Photo by Rocco Valluzzo
Joel Barlow’s Andrew Watson helps bring down Pomperaug’s Cooper Simmons during the Homecoming football game on Saturday, November 11. The Falcons prevailed 28-7.
With one game left in the regular season, the Joel Barlow High varsity football team still has a chance of making the state Class SS playoffs. Sporting a 5-4 record, the defending champ Falcons are currently seventh in the rankings, with the top eight teams qualifying. To keep in the running, they must win their annual Thanksgiving game against Weston next week. Barlow took one step closer to making the playoffs when it hosted Pomperaug last Saturday, November 11, during Homecoming. Holding the Panthers to fewer than 100 yards rushing and only one touchdown, the Falcons used their ground game to their advantage in a 28-7 win. “We knew that they wanted to be run-heavy,” said Barlow Head Coach T.J. Cavaliere. “But our defense did a really good job of executing.” Pomperaug’s only points came in the first quarter, helped in part by a 32-yard pass from quarterback Brody Springer to Ian Henry to get to the Barlow seven yard line. Barlow’s defense then stiffened, as the Panthers were faced with a fourth down. The Panthers then scored on a one-yard run by John Gogas. Rusten Demiraj kicked the extra point to give the visitors their only lead with 6:28 left in the first quarter. Barlow responded with 21 unanswered points, including a touchdown on its next series. Returning the kickoff to their own 34, the Falcons ground out the yards on runs by running back Cole Peterson and quarterback Jack Gilbert. A 22-yard run by Scott Romano was good for a first down on the Pomperaug 26. On the very next play, Romano swept down the left side into the end zone. Keane Horne’s extra point kick tied it at 7-7 with 3:32 left in the first quarter. Following a Pomperaug punt,
Barlow started its next scoring drive as the second quarter got underway, coming on a 57-yard run by Cole Peterson. The extra point was good, and the Falcons were ahead to stay. Both sides then exchanged punts, but a short one by Barlow gave the Panthers an excellent field position on the host’s 31. Pomperaug got as far as the six, but a fumble recovery by Liam Kiernan ended the threat and set up a 94-yard scoring drive. Romano reached midfield on a 29-yard run before he was stopped by Carter Frank’s touchdown-saving tackle. Dylan Taylor’s 13-yard run on the option play was good for the score, and the Falcons led 21-7 going into halftime. “We looked really solid in that first half,” said Cavaliere. “We were moving the football. We were executing.” A mishandled option play on Barlow’s first series of the second half gave the Panthers the ball on their own 24. Although the Falcons did not have to wait long to get the ball back, courtesy of a bad snap on a Pomperaug punt, the drive stalled. The third quarter ended with no change in scoring. Barlow’s final scoring drive started on its own 43 with the help of a sack of Springer by Kiernan on fourth down. A 28-yard run by Romano got his team to the seven and Gilbert scored from less-thana-yard out with 2:13 left. “They changed defenses coming out of the half, and they gave us a little bit of an issue,” said Cavaliere. “Then we had to make an adjustment, which we did in the last drive.” Romano led Barlow in rushing with 151 yards. Peterson had 116. Defensively, the latter also led Barlow in tackles with seven and Gilbert had five. Kiernan had two sacks with Horne getting one. The Falcons host Weston on Thanksgiving Day. Kickoff is set for 10:00 a.m. g
November 16, 2023 l Redding Sentinel l 7
Joel Barlow High School to present creative prequel to Peter Pan
Peter and the Starcatcher runs November 30 – December 2 By Pamela Brown Get ready to go on a fun-filled adventure with the beloved characters from Peter Pan as students at Joel Barlow High School present an energetic and meaningful production of Peter and the Star Catcher. “I love this show. It’s the prequel to Peter Pan and provides the backstory of Peter Pan and his arch-rival Captain Hook,” said Director Marcelle Morrisey, who is directing a Barlow drama production for the first time along with Andy Puhlen, the show’s Technical Director and Assistant Producer and Barlow’s Technology Education teacher. Performances take place at the Joel Barlow auditorium on November 30 at 7:00 p.m., December 1 at 7:00 p.m., and December 2 at 12:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. “For my first show with them, I wanted it to be an ensemble and one that was super-collaborative and different from what they’ve been used to,” said Morrisey, explaining the play is a form of devised theater where students work together to create scenes, use improvisation, and interpret characters in their own way. “It’s very theatrical and immersive. It’s funny but has so much heart. Being new this year, I’m grateful the students are open and willing to play around. I told the kids I want them to have their own interpretation of the material.” Morrisey said the show is considered a play with music. “There’s a musical number at the end of Act I and at the top of Act II, but throughout the show, there are pirate chants and various songs. The music continues the story in a fun, whimsical way. It’s the part of the devised theater that stretches the imagination,” she said. The show comprises a cast of freshmen through seniors along with a student-run technical crew that handles behind-the-scenes work including building sets and
As lice season approaches, some tips to avoid and treat these itchy invaders By Anne Young Albanese
Photo courtesy of Marcelle Morrisey
Students at a recent rehearsal of Peter and the Starcatcher.
props, setting up lighting, and designing costumes. “They’re so supportive of each other – it’s been great to watch,” said Morrisey, who also directs plays at John Read Middle School. “Andy and I are treating them like professionals, because it’s educational theater, and I want them to have these experiences where they learn and grow. We’re facilitating and helping to make the story come to life, but it’s their show. What’s incredible about Barlow and their theater program is that their crew is so strong and independent.” Morrisey has also been impressed with the cast’s talent and quality of performances. “They’re wonderful,” she said, mentioning the freshman who plays the lead, Molly. “She’s doing an incredible job in finding so much heart and truth in the character,” said Morrisey. “The junior who plays Peter is telling that story and setting up that character with so much heart, yet the character isn’t necessarily the same Peter Pan we know. I love that he’s making it unique to him. He’s able to relate and connect to it. For the senior playing Black Stashe, it’s the first time she’s been on stage and is taking this lead with so much confidence and commanding the stage.” The process of putting on the play has been a collaboration with
the school. Puhlen works with the crew, handling the technical and set-building aspect, and Barlow’s Choral Director Gwynne Wittmann has provided her expertise. The Joel Barlow High School Performing Arts Booster Club is selling tickets, promoting, and holding events. Morrisey appreciates sharing her love of the theater with students. “From my own personal experience, theater was instrumental. I’m a teacher, but I was also an actor,” said Morrisey who has a degree in theater. “It completely shaped who I am, and it has made its way into every facet of my life. I can tell it’s the same for these kids, too, in their confidence and ability to create and giving them that safe space to make mistakes. Theater is truly an outlet for them. They come to rehearsal and are able to be their best creative selves,” she said. “It’s rewarding for me to see the students’ hard work come to fruition, but I’m proud when I see them up there and see that spark of them being excited and proud of themselves.” g
To purchase tickets, visit jbhs.booktix.net
‘Tis the season when preschools and elementary schools across the globe are fighting battles against head lice. This includes Redding Elementary School, where cases of lice this fall have already been reported by parents. While there are three different types of lice, the ones that are typically spread to children are head lice (pediculus humanus capitis). The other two types of lice are body lice (pediculus humanus corporis) and crab lice (Pthirus pubis). These are rarely found on children and typically do not produce class, grade, or school-wide infestations. Chris Wegrzyn, Redding’s Health Officer, shared that readers of the Sentinel can find more information on lice from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) at cdc.gov/parasites/lice/ head/index.html. The CDC’s recommendations guide the Town’s and schools’ approach to head lice. The CDC says that lice are a parasite that can infect the head, eyebrows, and eyelashes of people. They feed on human blood several times a day but are not known to spread disease. The first symptom that parents or guardians usually notice in their children is an itchy scalp. Lice are most likely to spread to pre-school and elementary school students, although they can also infest members of the households where infected children live. Lice
are spread by person-to-person contact. Pets do not transmit human lice, so no one needs to worry about the family dog. Lice are approximately two to three millimeters long and cannot hop or fly. They are spread by head-to-head contact and through contact with clothing such as hats, scarves, and coats. They can also spread through personal items such as shared combs and brushes, hair accessories, headphones, pillows and towels. Lice tend to be spread through preschools and elementary schools because young children often forget how to prevent them and play much closer together. As children get older, they are less likely to indulge in lice-spreading behaviors. According to the Mayo Clinic Health System, a lack of personal hygiene and cleanliness do not cause lice. In fact, head lice prefer clean hair. They are not an indication of poor housekeeping or poor hygiene. This is a common (and sometimes embarrassing) misconception. Young children need to be a big part of any prevention efforts to stop the spread of lice. They should be taught to avoid head-tohead contact, and not to share hats or clothing. There are shampoos that can help prevent lice, and tea tree oil is an effective ingredient to prevent lice. If you do discover that your child has been affected by lice, the Redding schools have specific procedures in place. According to Colleen McLeod, Redding’s District Nursing Supervisor, “We have a yes nit policy. Once students are treated, they can come back to school.” The school nurse will examine a child’s scalp before they return to class, looking for Continued on page 8
8 l Redding Sentinel l November 16, 2023
Obituary Joan Helen (LaVine) Rhodes October 11, 1925 – November 3, 2023
Joan Helen (LaVine) Rhodes, 98, of Redding, formerly of Shrewsbury, MA; Port St. Lucie, FL; W. Falmouth, MA; Needham, MA; and Baldwin, NY, died November 3, 2023. She is survived by her five children: Bill Jr., Ellen Mims, Tom, Phyllis, and Ken Rhodes; fifteen adoring grandchildren; four greatgrandchildren; a brother, James
LaVine of Baldwin, NY; and a sister, Mimi Wilson of Pittsford, NY. She is predeceased by her devoted husband of 63 years, Bill Rhodes Sr., and her sister Jeanne Lyons. Joan was born in Brooklyn, New York on October 11, 1925. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Hofstra College in 1947. Joan was, above all, a
loving mother and grandmother, not only to her own children but also to foster children, exchange students, and neighborhood youth. She volunteered with the American Red Cross Blood Mobile in Needham and later managed the “Bargain Box” thrift shop in Southgate at Shrewsbury’s Independent Living community well into her nineties. She was
an avid reader, a rock hound, a lifelong swimmer, a muchappreciated cook, and a beloved matriarch. A celebration of her life is being planned. Memorial donations may be sent to Foster Care to Success, 23811 Chagrin Boulevard, Suite 210, Beachwood, OH 44122, or to your favorite charity in her memory. g
Remembering Redding Brookside Park A long-forgotten West Redding gem l
Almost all have us have passed those two stone pillars that sit alongside Sidecut Road just a few feet to the east of the West Redding Post Office. They currently frame the entrance to the lot where the postal delivery trucks are stored. What most folks probably don’t know is that those pillars predate the buildings and that parking lot by about a hundred years. That location was originally the entrance to what was long ago known as Brookside Park. Exactly when the Park came into existence is difficult to determine with any degree of accuracy. An article in the late 1800s published in the Newtown Bee stated that the Park had opened in 1803, but most historians agree that the date would have been closer to 1810 when the Methodists began holding religious camp meetings in Redding at a place called “The Grove”, the original name of Brookside Park. Meetings were held in Redding until 1860 when the church switched their location to New Milford. The Danbury and Norwalk Railroad began operation in 1852. The railroad greatly shortened the time it took to travel between cities and towns and opened the possibility of increased commerce and industry to rural towns such as Redding. In addition to serving the large manufacturing plant in Georgetown that produced Gilbert & Bennett wire products, the railroad hauled large amounts of processed lime from the siding that sat on the northern side of the main line just across from the depot at West Redding. Transportation companies in the late 1800s realized the added
value of destination venues that would increase passenger traffic and add monies to their coffers. Steamship lines that ran between New York and Bridgeport, street railroads in virtually all the larger metropolitan areas, and almost all the railroads began buying land and building parks that offered entertainment and food. City dwellers of all walks of life flocked to these venues during the summer to escape the unbearable and stifling heat experienced in apartment buildings during July and August. In 1880, the D&N Railroad acquired the 30 acres that constituted Brookside Park for $9,150. The Griffin family had already built the West Redding Hotel just across the railroad tracks on Long Ridge Road, so it was natural that it could accommodate guests who used the Park. The railroad then began expanding the Park into a multi-faceted recreational facility that opened to the public in 1881. The first full season of operation saw the D&N collect an additional $4,000 in train ticket sales to West Redding. Numerous articles published in the Newtown Bee and Bridgeport Evening Farmer describe the many functions hosted at Brookside. Still among the most popular and well-attended were church camp outings that lasted multiple days. Starting in 1878, Methodist societies in Connecticut again began holding their revivalist camp meetings at Brookside, a tradition that continued until the beginning of the 20th century. Their religious activities included Bible studies, sermons given by ministers from the participating parishes, and hymn singing. In addition, there
would be nightly choral music accompanied by various bands and orchestras. On more than one occasion, the George Ives Orchestra performed for these camp meetings at Brookside. George was the father of future composer Charles Ives (who later made Redding his home on Umpawaug Road). It is said that Charles was inspired by these meetings to write his Third Symphony that bears the subtitle “The Camp Meeting.” A promotional description of this work written for the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra states that Ives’s inspiration came from his childhood memories of attending these camp meetings “where his father furnished the music and conducted the congregational and choral singing of hymns; Ives borrows several of these hymns to illustrate his childhood memories. The individual movements, ‘Old Folks Gatherin’, ‘Children’s Day’, and ‘Communion’ are self-referential to Ives’s memories of those camp meetings.” Brookside underwent several periods of popularity followed by downturns and neglect. At each railroad merger – first with the Housatonic and later with the New York, New Haven, and Hartford line – the Park saw an influx of new money and revitalization. At its peak in the mid-1890s, the Park boasted a large pavilion for dancing and concerts, a cook house that provided patrons with food and ice cream, a cottage that housed a full-time caretaker, its own electric light generating facility, and several smaller structures that served as dressing rooms and out-houses. In addition, there was a three-acre
As lice season approaches, some tips to avoid and treat these itchy invaders / continued from page 7 any insects. If there are any found, the child cannot return to class. The schools also send home notifications to parents if lice have been detected in the classroom and will examine the scalps of children in that class. All household members should be examined when a child has been diagnosed. The Redding policy is based on the fact that all reputable treatments will kill the insects which spread lice. While nits cannot spread, they will hatch within seven to ten days. Many treatments will need follow-up in seven to ten days. No matter what treatment is used, a metal nit comb should be used to remove any live or dead lice as well as the nits that have adhered to hair strands. Soft household products should be treated as well. Items such as hats, scarves, coats, pillowcases, bedding, towels, and clothing can be put into the laundry. These items should be washed in hot water and dried with high heat. Hairbrushes
and combs can be put in the freezer for 48 hours or put in hot water for ten minutes. Rugs and furniture should be vacuumed, and anything that cannot be laundered or vacuumed should be sealed into plastic bags for two weeks. There are several different treatments for lice. Insecticide medicine can be purchased over the counter or by prescription. Hair should be checked two to three days after treatment. If live lice are still found, parents or guardians should contact the child’s doctor. For children younger than two years old, doctors should always be consulted before using any product. There are also a variety of natural treatments. The best way to discover those that are safe and effective is to reach out to the child’s doctor or their school nurse. Some that can be found only online might be dangerous for children. In addition, there are some Connecticut businesses which special-
ize in lice removal. One example is the Lice Clinics of America. This franchise business uses an exclusive, clinical treatment using a unique tool, the FDA-cleared AirAllé. This treatment uses heat to kill lice and most nits. “We offer parents a unique combination of heat and airflow, a specific pattern of combing with a lice comb, and a follow-up topical application,” said Stephanie Knecht, part-owner of Lice Clinics of America – Connecticut. “The treatment usually takes an hour to an hour-and-a-half. It is safe and effective and rarely requires a second treatment.” With the variety of solutions available, it can be overwhelming to identify a path of treatment. When a parent or guardian wants guidance, the child’s doctor or school nurse is the best choice. g
By Bruce Nelson
fishing and boating pond that had been created by damming the Saugatuck River. Row boats could be rented for fishing or just relaxing on the water. A goldfish pond was also built, as was a water fountain. Cinder-covered pathways were interconnected throughout the Park. There was also a bridge that spanned the river. An August 4, 1880, newspaper article in the Bee announced that Brookside was then connected by telephone to both Bethel and Danbury, the first such connection on the Danbury and Norwalk Line. It would have also been the very first telephone in Redding. According to Brent Colley’s History of Redding webpage, in 1884, the Park was the first location in the state to see the installation of an electric lighting generator that provided illumination for nighttime activities. Throughout the 1880s and 1890s, the Park was used extensively for picnicking and entertainment by dozens of groups, some religious in nature, such as the Congregational Church of Danbury and the Knights of Columbus in Bethel, while others were fraternal organizations such as the Odd Fellows. Events were often promoted in print that included train schedules. The railroad provided the best option for transportation to and from Brookside. By the early 1900s, venues such as Brookside began to lose their luster. As the automobile gained in popularity, train travel began to suffer a decline. Towns began to impose higher property taxes on railroad properties and many lines began to look to sell off excess land and buildings as a means to
reduce their financial obligations. The New York, New Haven, and Hartford Railroad began to sell off some of the Park’s buildings as early as 1905. Many were moved to nearby locations after area residents and businesses purchased them. In March of that year, the pavilion was sold, dismantled, and removed to another location. In June, Uriah S. Griffin purchased all the smaller buildings that had served the pavilion. In 1907, the cook house was sold to Adolph Goeppler who ran the cider mill at Sanford Station. Goeppler dismantled it before moving it to his property about two miles south. Also in 1907, the wood on the property was sold for lumber in March, and a sawmill was erected alongside the river to process the lumber. That operation lasted until 1908. One of the final news items that mentioned Brookside Park came in late September of 1908 after one of the burglars who had stolen the silverware at Mark Twain’s Stormfield was found hiding under the bridge at the Park and arrested. The 1934 Fairchild Aerial survey clearly shows what was left of the once impressive Redding park, including the entrance road and the bridge over the Saugatuck. A good deal of the forest land had been clearcut by loggers some 25 years before. The Bridgeport Hydraulic Company purchased some of the watershed land along the river, but today the Town of Redding and the Redding Land Trust own much of it, maintaining it as open space. g Bruce Nelson is Co-Historian for the Town of Redding
November 16, 2023 l Redding Sentinel l 9
Festive and fun DIY holiday workshops Georgetown Oratory to showcase locally made gifts at Gaudete Market By Pamela Brown
Participants at a wreath-making workshop at New Pond Farm Education Center.
Festive décor brings warmth and goodness to your home, and what better way to celebrate the holiday season than creating a homemade centerpiece or wreath. At these various workshops, you can have some DIY fun with family and friends. Floral Workshop: Thanksgiving Centerpieces at Redding Heritage Center Monday, November 20 at 10:00 a.m. 37 Lonetown Road Cost: $12.00. To register, call (203) 938-9725. Caraluzzi’s contributed to the workshop. Learn how to make an autumn-themed centerpiece to add a personal touch to your Thanksgiving table. Laura McCormick, a local art teacher, and her mother Dymphna “Dimmi” Lotrecchiano, a master gardener and art teacher, are teaching a floral-filled ceramic pumpkin workshop. “It’s fun. We teach them how to build an arrangement from a plain oasis to a beautiful centerpiece. Everybody makes their own creation using their choice from the bouquet of fresh long-lasting flowers that we bring,” said McCormick. “I assist my mother, the knowledgeable one, who teaches them how to cut the stems, arrange the flowers to look balanced, and guide them in height and placement.” All supplies are included. “There’s a lot of pride, because they’ve done it themselves and you see them walk out of the room with a finished centerpiece for the middle of the table.” Winter Wreath-Making Workshop at Aquila’s Nest Vineyards (ages 21+). Wednesday, November 22 from 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. 56 Pole Bridge Road, Newtown Cost: $50.00. A drink purchase of minimum $10 plus tax and gratuity per participant is required to attend. To register, visit aquilasnestvineyards.com or call (203) 518-4352. Learn how to make a festive winter holiday wreath using dried blooms while enjoying local wine and views. “It’s a fun way to kick off the holiday and bring people together,” said owner Neviana Zhgaba of the annual event that’s
held in the Winery’s tasting room. “We’re decorated in an eclectic way, with a baby grand piano in the middle, so it’s a fun, interesting atmosphere. We’re an experience-focused vineyard, so that’s why we offer different types of experiential events, crafts, and holiday-themed music and dance shows (in December especially) to bring the community together to enjoy our wines.” Samantha of the Dainty Dahlias, a local florist, will lead participants step-by-step to help them put together a rustic, nature-themed holiday wreath. The workshop includes all tools, dried florals, and greenery. A selection of wines and mocktails will be available for purchase. Cheese boxes will be available and the Greek Crave Food Truck will be on-site serving up Greek specialties. “I want people to feel relaxed, connected with their friends, and that they learn something new and that they made a beautiful work of art for their home for the holidays,” said Zhgaba. Wreath-Making at New Pond Farm Education Center Wednesday, November 29 and Thursday, November 30 from 6:30p.m. – 8:30 p.m. and Saturday, December 2 from 2:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. 101 Marchant Road Cost: $70 per member; $80 per non-member. Registration required. For more information and to register, visit newpondfarm.org New Pond Farm Education Center is offering two evenings and one afternoon for people to create a one-of-a-kind evergreen wreath. “New Pond Farm has been hosting a wreath-making event for over fifteen years. They’re really fun and festive,” said Emily Ciffone, Program Director. “Wreath-making is a wonderful way to celebrate the season while connecting people to nature. An evergreen wreath is a beautiful backdrop to showcase the various natural materials we use to decorate it, many of which are collected right here on our property. From cones to seed pods to dried flowers and fruits, each wreath is a celebration of nature’s beauty.” Other items such as an assortment of artificial berries and green sprigs will also be available.
Attendees are asked to bring a pair of work gloves and clippers. Each session will include light refreshments. “Many staff and volunteers are involved in making these programs a success. From our farmers helping to go pick up the greens, to volunteers trimming and bundling the greens, to staff collecting and organizing the trimmings, to Board members helping with refreshments, it’s a true team effort,” Ciffone said, adding, “We want our participants to leave feeling like they’ve spent a relaxing evening among friends, and that they’re going home with a unique holiday wreath they can enjoy all winter long.” Wreath Festival Fundraiser at Woodcock Nature Center Monday, November 27 – Sunday, December 10 during various day and evening sessions. 56 Deer Run Road, Wilton. Group tickets, individual tickets, and to-go decorating kits available. All events are ages 21+ only except for Family Days on December 9 and 10. To register, visit woodcocknaturecenter.org or call (203) 762-7280.
At this popular annual fundraising event, groups celebrate the season with a private two-hour wreath decorating session while relaxing by a roaring fire in a cozy pavilion or picturesque pondside tent. A 24-inch balsam wreath and natural decorating materials are provided, including acorns, dried flowers, berries, pinecones, cinnamon sticks, hickory nuts, lichen, and moss. Except for Family Day, attendees are welcome to bring their own food and beverages. On Family Day, December 9 and 10, there will be kid-friendly decorating materials and Travelin’ Tom’s Coffee Truck will be onsite. Weather permitting, there will be additional outdoor activities and food. The fundraiser benefits the Nature Center’s programs in environmental education.
Vendor applications open through December 10 By Pamela Brown
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If you’re in the midst of Christmas shopping, make plans to stop by the Gaudete Market for a selection of gifts and ideas from local artists and artisans from Redding, Georgetown, and surrounding towns. On Sunday, December 17, the Georgetown Oratory is presenting it second annual festive shopping event from 9:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at Pryor-Hubbard Hall on the Oratory campus at 30 Church Street. “It’s very exciting. Christmas is a fun time to shop, but our market brings that spirit of giving and caring,” said organizer Lydia Knapp, active church volunteer and lifelong member of Sacred Heart. The event is free and open to the public. The word Gaudete comes from the Latin word rejoice. As Father Clark explains, “Certain Sundays of the year have a name, which comes from the opening words of the Mass. The third Sunday of Advent is always called ‘Gaudete Sunday’ because the Mass quotes St. Paul in Philippians 4:4: ‘Rejoice in the Lord always’ as the first line.” Knapp explains the word was used to bring forth the idea of celebrating the beauty of the season with community. The market will have Christmas carols playing in the background as shoppers stroll and browse the artisans’ tables featuring a variety of creative expressions. “We have so many talented artists and artisans in our community, and there is a great need for gifts and decorations as people prepare for Christmas. In a way, our job is to connect the people who make with the people who want to buy,” said Father Clark. According to Knapp, there will be something for everyone in different price ranges. “We’re happy to give these skilled artists exposure for their creativity and their beautiful handmade gifts. No vendor is too big or too small,” she said. Items will include cus-
tom-made jewelry, housewares, books, artwork, religious-themed items, knick-knacks, chocolates, candles, and more. In addition, The Guild will have a table of their own merchandise adorned with a red cardinal, the Sacred Heart Guild logo. “People like it because they have a part of the church.” Vendor applications will be accepted through December 10. New this year is a bake sale organized by the Oratory’s Hospitality Group that will be serving hot coffee, tea, and cocoa, along with homemade baked goods prepared by church volunteers. Any funds raised will support the Oratory’s mission of beauty that supports projects such as the Children’s Art School, the Girls’ Choir, and other sponsored events. According to Knapp, the meaning of Christmas is felt as the evsent brings together church and community. “It’s lovely. Come and have a cup of coffee, walk around and shop for some awesome gifts, have a face-to-face conversation with the crafters, and enjoy the meaning of the season,” she said, noting the market offers an opportunity to introduce their church. “You can step inside the church when the service is over. You can sit and meditate, light a candle, feel peaceful, and maybe a little spiritual.” As Father Clark notes, “It’s absolutely part of our mission to encourage beauty and celebration of the liturgical seasons. Whether folk know it or not, if they celebrate Christmas they are, in their own way, participating in the life of Christ and maybe a little bit of that light will stay with them throughout the year.” g If you’re interested in being a vendor, contact: info@jesusguild.org For more information, call (203) 544-8245
Craft & Sip Wreath-Making at Earthplace Thursday, November 30 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. 10 Woodside Lane, Westport Cost: $45.00 (member); $50.00 (non-member). For 21+ only. To register, visit earthplace.org or call (203) 557-4400. Earthplace is offering new adult crafting nights. Experienced staff will guide participants in decorating a unique 20-24-inch grapevine wreath that was sustainably harvested from their sanctuary. Participants will be provided with a wide variety of natural materials to use, such as berries, evergreens, seedpods and heads, that were also sustainably harvested. Light snacks will be provided, but participants are encouraged to bring their own food and beverages for a relaxing evening to create a beautiful decoration. g
Two Redding dancers to star in The Nutcracker
Photos courtesy of stevewhite.photography
Two Redding dancers will have featured roles in the Ridgefield School of Dance’s production of The Nutcracker on Sunday, November 19. Gemma Molisani (left) will dance the part of Clara, and Olivia Basile (right), a senior at Joel Barlow High School, will perform the sassy Rat Queen and dance in the Chinese Tea. The performance will be held at 1:00 p.m. at Ridgefield High School. Tickets are on sale through theridgefieldschoolofdance.com or at the door. `
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10 l Redding Sentinel l November 16, 2023
Talking cents: A primer on I bonds An instrument to protect against future inflation By Randy Beeman
As the host of a financial radio show in the Washington, DC area for 15 years, I received lots of inquiries from listeners about all types of investments. These questions tended to vary with the current economic and investment environment of the time. For instance, during the tech stock boom, all anyone wanted to talk about was how they could get into some of the “hot” internet stocks. Then when the bubble burst, many inquiries came in asking how they could best safeguard their funds from the rout of the same stocks. My advice has always been to develop a sound financial plan, based on your individual goals for the future, and stick with that plan over the long term. It’s enticing to get caught up in the latest investment craze – whether it’s tech stocks, crypto currencies, or AI-related companies (which today seems to be “every” company as they all try to find a way to relate this latest hot topic to their business model). It may seem boring, and it takes discipline to stick with your plan when everyone else is happy to tell you about their latest success in the hottest trend. However, long-term investing success comes from safely managing risk. People will rarely ever tell you about their investment failures. One of the investment options I started to get questions about in mid-2021 was Series I-Bonds.
This was directly a result of the uptick in the level of inflation being reported in the media. For most of the period from the Great Financial Crisis in 2008 until the middle of 2021, annualized inflation (as measured by the Consumer Price Index – CPI) fluctuated between 1% and 2%. During that time, inflation wasn’t on anyone’s mind. However, following the Covid-19 pandemic when demand increased but the supply of goods was lagging, prices shot higher – and suddenly inflation was being talked about almost daily. The annualized rate of inflation reported by the government went from 1.68% in September 2020, to 3.53% in March 2021, and then to 7.12% by September 2021. It peaked (so far) at 9.62% in March 2022. High levels of inflation are detrimental to your investments as it can eat into the future purchasing power of your nest egg. This is especially true of the traditional income side of your portfolio, since typically you receive a fixed coupon over a fixed period of time. Unlike equity-oriented investments, that “could” grow over time, income investments are usually fixed. So, a dollar invested into a sound income investment with a fixed yield today, might not buy anywhere near a dollar’s worth of goods at some point in the future if inflation levels are high during the term of the investment.
One way to combat the impact of future inflation in your income portfolio is to invest a portion of the funds into income instruments that provide a floating coupon that is tied to the change in the level of inflation. There are several instruments available to accomplish this goal, but one of the easiest options for individual investors is to add government issued I Bonds to the portfolio. Series I Savings Bonds are commonly referred to as I Bonds. These Federally issued bonds are designed to help protect investors from the negative impact of high inflation to their buying power. The interest rates for this type of bond are set twice a year based on the current inflation reading created by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The easiest way to purchase I Bonds is directly from the U.S. government through the Treasury.gov website. When you buy an I Bond, you receive the current interest rate set by the U.S. Treasury Department. Your I Bond’s interest rate is based on a combination of a fixed base interest rate plus the inflation rate. It is also known as the “composite rate” or the “earnings rate.” The fixed rate is a baseline interest rate that never changes for the life of your bond. It applies to all I Bonds issued during each six-month period. The inflation rate changes every six months. These rates are
set twice a year – on May 1 and November 1 – based on the current inflation readings. The Treasury uses the non-seasonally adjusted CPI for all items, including food and energy, when setting the rates for Series I Bonds. The current rate on newly issued series I Bonds is 5.27%. This rate is composed of a fixed rate of 1.3% (which stays the same over the life of the bond) and the fluctuating inflation rate of 3.97%. These rates were set by the government on November 1 of this year and will apply until the next rate is set on May 1, 2024. Series I Bonds earn interest for 30 years, and they earn this interest on a monthly basis. However, the interest is compounded semi-annually. This means that the interest earned is added to the value of your bond every six months. Although you earn interest monthly, I Bonds do not distribute interest income to you. The interest income remains with the bond until you cash out the bond. Digital I Bonds will automatically cash out at the end of the 30year compounding period. However, you don’t have to wait until the bond matures. You can cash it out anytime after 12 months. However, if you cash out before you hold it for 5 years, you will forfeit the most recent 3 months of interest. Finally, each individual investor can only purchase $10,000 of I Bonds annually through the Trea-
sury.gov website – though you can purchase an additional $5,000 using your tax refund each year – bringing the total annual purchase limit to $15,000 per person. I think Series I Bonds could make a good choice for conservative investors seeking to protect a portion of their income assets from erosion by future inflation. Although the bonds are illiquid for one year, the 3-month interest rate penalty is comparable to early withdrawal penalties from other income investments. Today’s I Bond returns are competitive with rates on CDs, and offer the opportunity to see higher rates in the future if inflation were to remain elevated. g Randy Beeman is a Redding resident and has more than 25 years of experience managing financial assets for individuals, retirement plans, and businesses. Randy currently serves as the Director of Wealth Management for Glass Jacobson Wealth Advisors. He co-hosted a popular live, callin radio show (The Wise Investor Show) on WMAL 630 AM and 105.9 FM in Washington, D.C., for 15 years. He is the co-author of Value Returns: Wise Investing for the Next Decade and Beyond
Board of Ed expects decision on reading waiver by December 1 / continued from page 1 in the application. Pierson Ugol noted that some districts have already been granted waivers, and in theory, that would mean those districts’ reading programs could be adopted by others. “That is – if those districts choose to share their programs publicly and if they are available on the state’s website,” she said. An approval of the waiver request, Pierson Ugol said, will enable Redding to weigh its options more carefully with respect
to reading curricula. If there ever were any changes, she added, they would also need to be realigned with its social studies and science curricula. While Redding expects to receive an answer by December 1 to its waiver request, the district also has until December 15 to apply for another round of state grant funding for reading support. The district has not yet decided whether to apply for this additional funding, but the answer to its waiver
request will help to determine its course of action. “Until then, we will continue to follow standards and best practices for literacy development,” Pierson Ugol said. This will include surveys among teachers and parents to elicit feedback on their and their students’ experiences with the reading curriculum. “So, we’re moving very deliberately and carefully, but trying to keep the ball moving,” she said. g
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November 16, 2023 l Redding Sentinel l 11
Book Review
Library Corner
White Wife/Blue Baby
By Erin Shea Dummeyer
By Gail Howard
200 p.p. / 2023 / All Things That Matter Press
Gail Howard’s writing is strong and persuasive, and her story is true. A Redding author, her message is a definitive discussion about predation and racism. By mainly detailing events in the late 1960s, this memoir tells also how unpreparedness made a young couple vulnerable when they faced serious challenges as new parents. From the Author’s Note: “Writing lets you push around the experiences that once pushed you around.” By the end of her memoir, the reader has learned also about writing and redemption. Hers is a story of grit and survival, of awakening from flawed understanding. “Experiences that once pushed you around” were personal and cultural. Personal when sexual abuse by a Catholic priest confuses her religious upbringing; cultural when a family doctor’s further abuse alerts the young author to unforeseen repellent behavior among adults. Her father was an emotionally unresponsive alcoholic who eventually left the family. Her mother was religious and controlling. When she fell in love with Emmon, a Black man, she was a white woman in a mixed relationship, and suddenly introduced to racism in Chicago, where it festered unresolved. Mixed race couples could hardly to find a place to live. When they learned she was pregnant, Emmon and Gail were married, but their daughter was born with serious health problems. Adulthood seemed to be a world unfolding within a world unfolding to life in a world never previously disclosed. Gail Howard shows us how racism is America’s dark secret, its identifying flaw, its indelible stain, an enduring national imperfection that mars America’s claim of “exceptionalism.” It remains
below the radar. It stays invisible to whites. It never goes away. As numerous incidents in recent years show, the American experience remains, at best, uneven for Black citizens. Racism in America is broadly asserted by an intellectual dishonesty rooted in facile self-aggrandizement. If racism whispers until it screams, and sexual predation is institutionally concealed, unaddressed inequality experienced by women and Blacks is irrational, and the gravest ongoing desecration, to democracy in America. Never absent because never resolved, racism yet continues in a fog of incidental denial. And women, who couldn’t have a bank account without their husband’s approval in 1962, still experience a glass ceiling. Gail Howard was twenty-oneyears-old in 1968, and racial tensions were rising in America. In a mixed marriage, she was given a sudden immersion in what was unknown to so many white Americans. She wrote of her elevated racial awareness: “…being Black seemed to have no resting place... If you took a job with a business and made a decent salary, you’d sold out. If you threw yourself into the movement, you were a fool, maybe getting yourself fired, or firebombed. But if you sidestepped the movement, you didn’t care about your own people. You were an ‘Oreo’ if you acted black but let whites do your thinking, an Uncle Tom if you weren’t really fighting back.” Then, with ironic understatement, she writes, “Appearing together as an engaged couple was not going well.” And further, this: “…choosing love doesn’t eliminate the hate aimed at you. Racism is like Chicago sleet, icy rain that just keeps coming.” In the present corporatized publishing environment of political screeds, celebrity biography, and addiction memoirs, it is wholly refreshing to be given a true story of experience that presumes to tell the reader, “This is life as it is — beware.” In White Wife/ Blue Baby, Gail Howard has written a powerful memoir of survival in a world of reality and true facts of life — an admonition for the damage denial and delusion can play in what we have been and might become. g Review by Tom Casey Tom is the author of Human Error and Strangers’ Gate
A friend recently sent me an article about a door at a Swedish library that was accidentally left open. The library was supposed to be closed for All Saints’ Day, but staff members had neglected to close a door. Community members walked into the building and started using the library like it was any other day. There were people reading the newspaper, using the computers, and browsing the books. Eventually, a librarian who happened to live in the area noticed what was going on and came in to close and secure the building. Patrons ended up leaving with 246 books that day, none of them checked out in the system. All the
books were eventually returned. There are two things I love about this story. The first is, of course, that all the books were returned thanks to the honor system. It means the library visitors that day had a level of civic responsibility and reverence for the library collection. The books they checked out were entrusted to their care and they rose to the occasion. The other somewhat unspoken aspect of this story is that this community felt enough familiarity and comfort with their library that it didn’t occur to them to leave when they realized there were no staff members in the building. Think of it like this: if you walked into a grocery
store and all the lights were off with no cashiers - would you feel you have a right to take food from the shelves and come back to pay for it later? Probably not. But the first person who walked through the open door of this closed library thought to themself, “Someone forgot to turn the lights on, let me take care of that for them.” They were unfazed by the lack of staff members in the building because they felt communal ownership of the library. And because a library exists in service to its community - how great is that? g Erin Shea Dummeyer is Director, Mark Twain Library
Good books for good readers l I am quite certain I have mentioned this author/series before, but as I just began the most recent book, I think it’s time for a revisit. Robert Galbraith, aka J.K. Rowling, wrote the first in what would become – as of now – seven wildly popular novels. Cuckoo’s Calling was published in 2013, when we were first introduced to private investigator Cormoran Strike – an Afghanistan vet with a prosthetic leg and the illegitimate son of famous rock star, who is living in the attic above his office
struggling to keep his fledgling business afloat. Like many fictional P.I.’s, he is a flawed character with lots of baggage but, somehow, one can’t get enough of him. Early on in Cuckoo’s Calling, he hires Robin Ellacott , a tall, gorgeous redhead, as the computer whiz of a secretary he so desperately needs and, well, things develop from there. The cases he ends up pursuing are unusual, fascinating, and often very complicated; so much so that these books are hard to put down. If you are a fan of the Harry Potter series, you can
By Margi Esten
definitely hear the brilliant voice of J.K. Rowling throughout these books as well. The series (in order) is Cuckoo’s Calling, The Silkworm, Career of Evil, Lethal White, Troubled Blood, The Ink Black Heart, and now the newest: The Running Grave. As with all good series, it’s not necessary to read the books in order, but I highly recommend it so you can also follow along with all the personal developments in both Strike’s and Robin’s lives. Just wonderful. g
Nod to the pod
Oh No, Ross and Carrie!: “Ross and Carrie Find Their Rythmia (Part 1): Plant Medicine Edition” By Amy Maloof
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Each week, a one-episode recommendation from a podcast you might love. An investigative journalism podcast infused with quirk and humor, Oh No, Ross and Carrie explores claims of spirituality, fringe science, religion, and the paranormal. In production since
2011, the podcast’s motto is, “We show up, so you don’t have to.” Investigations run the gamut from undercover and extensive (like their in-depth, behind-thescenes coverage of Scientology and Mormonism), to lighthearted and brief, (consultations with psychic “soulmate artists”, visits to sound baths, and spoon-bending sessions). Much of the show’s appeal comes from its hosts, Ross Blocher and Carrie Poppy, who have a comfortable and humor-filled rapport rooted in many years of togetherness. Most episodes run at least an hour (often more), making it perfect for a hefty commute or Sunday afternoon laundry. The strength of the hosts’ storytelling abilities and their knack for
recounting the intricate details of their latest obsession have kept the show going strong for over a decade. This is the show with episodes I have re-listened to the most. In this week’s recommended episode, Ross and Carrie head to Costa Rica for the chance to investigate ayahuasca, a plantbased psychedelic known for inducing brutal physical side effects followed by powerful hallucinations. Carrie abstains, but Ross takes ayahuasca three separate times in one week, a wild feat for a man who had, until this point, never taken drugs. This particular episode is drug-free, and the first of 13 documenting their journey, one I highly recommend tagging along for. g
Act I for new script reading group at Mark Twain Library l
Photo by Lisa Goldstein
The first meeting of “Redding Reads Scripts” was held on Tuesday, November 14 at the Mark Twain Library.
It’s hard not to get caught up in Liz Correa and Eileen O’Brien’s excitement about the Mark Twain Library’s newly formed script reading group, because their enthusiasm for reading scripts is infectious. “(It) takes you so much beyond your own experience,” Correa gushed, “and that act of being able to explore that with other people, I really missed that.” Correa, who was educated in theater and worked as an actor in
New York City prior to moving to Redding, switched gears after having children. She now works as a speech therapist and is a mom to four children from toddler age to 11 years old. O’Brien, on the other hand, is in a different stage of life. The retired teacher and local theater director spent nearly three decades living and working in Florida before moving to Redding last year so “Bubbie” could be closer to her two grandchildren. While on paper these two organizers might
seem like The Odd Couple, the mere mention of theater and reading scripts wipes any differences away. “When you read a script, you are only given a tiny bit of a character’s life, so it is up to the actor to interpret,” described O’Brien with animated passion. “The actor has to fill in the inner life and the feeling.” The new script reading group, called “Redding Reads Scripts”, operates similarly to a book club or writers’ group, where participants meet monthly at the Library and discuss a particular work. For this new group, the members pick a script in advance to read out loud on the day of the meeting when they gather to connect through acting out their characters. For both Correa and O’Brien, the beauty of a script reading group is that they can fulfill their joy of getting into character and connecting with like-minded thespians without having the extra work of actually producing a play. Correa came up with the idea during a rare lull in her day when not running after her kids or doing laundry. She eyed the scripts collecting dust on her shelves and pined to read them aloud with other people.
“I knew Redding was filled with other artistic, theater-loving people, so thought people in the community who didn’t have enough time for full-blown theater would also appreciate something like this,” said Correa. She reached out on social media and O’Brien was quick to respond. They then needed a space for the group to meet, so Correa turned to the Library. Mark Twain Library Adult Program Coordinator Elaine Sanders also thought the Redding community would welcome such a group. So much so that she proposed a collaboration. “I thought it would interest others, so why not make it a regular program?” said Sanders. “We are happy to offer an array of options to our community, and this was something novel.” It wasn’t novel to Correa, who
By Lisa Goldstein
had participated in script reading groups while living in New York, or O’Brien, who beams when talking about reading scripts aloud. Correa and O’Brien said the ultimate format of the program is a work in progress, and they’ll see how it all unfolds. At the moment, they are just thrilled to be able to connect with community members by getting lost in another character and reading interesting scripts. The first group was held on Tuesday, November 14 and will continue to meet monthly. The group welcomes any and all ages and experiences, whether a veteran thespian or someone who just wants to try it for the first time. g For more information, check the Library’s calendar at marktwainlibrary.org/programs/ programs or call 203-938-2545
12 l Redding Sentinel l November 16, 2023
The Natural World Celebrating the colors of autumn
Photo by Susan Clark
The green playing fields at Redding Community Center set off by a colorful border of changing trees and moody clouds.
Photo by Jessie Wright
An autumn rainstorm approaches over the treetops on Cross Highway.
Photo by Aaron Bricker
Morning sunlight breaks through the trees overlooking Bogus Brook in West Redding.
Photo by Toni Ann Lupinacci
The long and winding Whortleberry Road.
Photo by Jaime Bairaktaris
Passed the halfway point of leaves falling, taken at the Newtown Turnpike bridge at Glen Road.
Photo by Jessie Wright
Photo by Donna DeMusis Dekle
A patchwork of colors in the crystalline water at Huntington Park.
Reflections of fall in Topstone Pond last October.
Why Redding? Impressions from an “alien” in Redding l
Photos courtesy of Carolyn Prusa
Carolyn Prusa moved to Redding from Georgia this summer.
Last December, my husband accepted a new job in Stamford. At the time, my family of five – two boys plus giant rescue dog – were living in Savannah, GA, which we adore. The thing is: we also love my husband. So, this June we bid peace out to the beachy breezes of the Lowcountry and set out for the lusciously forested town of Redding. Sure, it meant a big change. No, we don’t own a lot of sleeves or long pants. We’re also not ones to back down from a challenge or a good time. It’s going great! (I mean, I think so.) Along the way, I’ve made a few observations. 1. Rural means something different up here.
When we starte house hunting, realtor Mary informed us we want our two acres. We do? Because between you and me, we didn’t do a spectacular job of keeping our modest plot in Savannah, ahem, non-jungle-like. Also, we wondered: what does rural mean in Connecticut versus Georgia? Once we found a house we loved, I noticed the school district was described as “fringe rural.” Well, I told my husband, we are definitely fringe. Can we be rural? 2. I still don’t think air conditioning is optional. I can’t begin to comprehend the complicated relationship y’all have deciding when to turn on the heat or whether you need air conditioning or not. We bought a house without it. We lasted five weeks before we started getting quotes for central AC. It’s like we brought Savannah with us, my son observed. Inside the house. 3. The carb situation is “fire”, as my teenager would say. Sure, we have decadent biscuits in the Deep South. Grits for people who like them. Here, we have been delighted by the superiority of carbs, especially bagels and pizza. No comment on clothes fitting or not. 4. Getting away from it all doesn’t always include volume.
Redding’s Big Outdoors: Thanksgiving Hike at Brinckerhoff Preserve / continued from page 1 via Ensor’s Trace. As the Book of Trails details, “The Trace passes through thick stands of laurel, crosses bare ledges beside a handsome ravine, and rambles through open beech woods.” Parking for the November 24 Thanksgiving hike will be available at the Farview Farm clubhouse parking lot, located on Farview Farm Road. This private parking area is being provided as a special, one-time instance to
accommodate the larger holiday hiking group. Any hikers wishing to enjoy the Brinckerhoff Preserve at other times and throughout the year must park on Beeholm Road near the trail entrances. Please also avoid parking on the grass verge at the entrance to Brinckerhoff. g For more information on the Thanksgiving Hike, visit reddingctlandtrust.org
Redding is a natural sanctuary, where you can find peace and quiet. Except that sometimes nature is yelling at me. This summer, we met birds insisting we should be awake at five, frogs who start chatting around ten, and the spooky chorus of coyotes throwing a quinceañera party in the woods. 5. Related: nobody told me there are bears in Connecticut. 6. We seriously suck at pool maintenance. My husband and I have been in pools. We have never owned one. After the opening, we somehow managed to transform the water into an otherworldly green sludge. It took us all summer to figure out how to balance it. Which seems like a lot of work for my ten-yearold to take one chilly, blue-lipped dip and my giant dog to destroy a large watermelon inflatable. But ask me next summer!
By Carolyn Prusa 7. We are the only ones who call Pignones, Pignones. Everyone else calls it the Ridge Deli. I love Pignones. I like to try the prepared items and overshare with the teenagers working the cash register. 8. I am not getting a bug upgrade. What people don’t see in postcards of pink-orange sunsets in the Lowcountry is bugs. Specifically, sand gnats and mosquitoes. I thought I was through with all that and now I worry about ticks! (We are on top of it. The dog, aka my favorite son, got the Lyme vaccine.) 9. People read a lot! There aren’t as many used book buying opportunities in the South. Here, people are practically throwing books at me. Did y’all go to the Mark Twain Book Fair?
Splendiferous. Also, it seems like there are as many book clubs as horses. I have already joined two! I will probably join more if it doesn’t interfere with my demanding job as a soccer chauffeur. 10. People in Redding are kind. Stereotypes are dumb, but often based on something. While Southerners may offer an easy smile or hello, I’ve been delighted to find Reddingites are extraordinarily welcoming and helpful. On the first week of school, my eighth grader made a new friend – his mom invited our whole family over for chili. This gesture touched me! She has no idea how crazy I am. As the boys settle into the school routine and many (many) leaves have fallen, we’re starting to feel at home. It’s only been five months, though. Stay tuned to see if we survive the winter. g
November 16, 2023 l Redding Sentinel l 13
Calendar of Events
$ = fee applies R = registration required
This Week’s Featured Events
Luminosity - Celebrating a Season of Art
Great Turkey Escape Race
Saturday, November 18 3:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. Opening celebration Champagne, strawberries, milk, cookies, art, and community. Georgetown Arts & Cultural Center 5 Main Street gtownarts.com
Thursday, November 23 8:00 a.m. - 3/4 mile Fun Run 8:30 a.m. - 5K Redding Community Center 37 Lonetown Road Virtual option also available runsignup.com/Race/CT/Redding/ TheGreatTurkeyEscape
Arts
Crafts
Saturday, November 18
Monday, November 20
Luminosity - Celebrating a Season of Art Opening 3:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. Art gallery show opening with champagne, strawberries, cookies, milk, and community. Georgetown Arts & Cultural Center 5 Main Street gtownarts.com
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Thursday, November 30 – Saturday, December 2 Joel Barlow High School presents Peter and the Starcatcher 7:00 p.m. - Thursday, Friday, and Saturday 12:00 p.m. - Saturday This Tony-award winning play is a prequel to the story of Peter Pan. Joel Barlow High School Auditorium 100 Black Rock Turnpike jbhs.booktix.net $
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Friday, December 1 Sounds of the Season 7:30 p.m. Concert presented by Music on the Hill, featuring handbells, Festival Chorus, and Community Children’s Chorus. Unitarian Universalist Congregation 10 Lyons Plains Road Westport musiconthehillct.org
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Saturday, December 2 Lyrics Coffeehouse – David Morgan Trio 7:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m. BYOB and enjoy an evening of live music. Redding Community Center 37 Lonetown Road townofreddingct.org/parks-andrecreation/upcoming-events/ lyrics-coffee-house $
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Saturday, December 2 – Sunday, December 10 Mark Twain Library Art Show Special Preview Reception on Friday, December 1 from 7:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m. Visit website for Art Show opening times. Mark Twain Library 439 Redding Road marktwainlibrary.org/art g
Children I Teens Saturday, November 18 Junior Staff: Animal Caretakers 12:30 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. For middle and high school students. New Pond Farm Education Center 101 Marchant Road newpondfarm.org $, R (free for members)
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Wednesday, November 22 Storytime for Children with Adults 10:30 a.m. – 11:15 a.m. 1:30 p.m. – 2:15 p.m. Nature stories and related activities for kids aged 1-5. New Pond Farm Education Center 101 Marchant Road newpondfarm.org $, R
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Tuesday, November 28 Family Bingo Night 6:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. Grades K-4 with accompanying adult(s). Redding Community Center 37 Lonetown Road townofreddingct.org $, R g
Floral Workshop: Thanksgiving Centerpieces 10:00 a.m. All flowers, greens, and vessels provided. Heritage Center 37 Lonetown Road RSVP to mpilato@ townofreddingct.org or (203) 938-9725 $, R
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Wednesday, November 29 or Thursday, November 30 Wreath Making at New Pond Farm 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. Bring work gloves and clippers. Materials will be provided. 101 Marchant Road newpondfarm.org $, R
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Saturday, December 2 Family Wreath Making 12:30 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. New Pond Farm Education Center 101 Marchant Road newpondfarm.org $, R
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Sunday, December 3 Gingerbread Snow Globes 12:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. 12:30 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. (waitlist only) All materials for the craft will be provided. New Pond Farm Education Center 101 Marchant Road newpondfarm.org $, R
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Saturday, December 9 Redding Holiday Artisan Fair 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. John Read Middle School 486 Redding Road facebook.com/reddingartisanfair $, R g
Food Thursday, November 16 High West Bourbon + Harvest Dinner 6:30 p.m. – 10:00 p.m. Celebrate the fall harvest with Holbrook Farm and High West Distillery. The Redding Roadhouse 406 Redding Road thereddingroadhouse.com $, R
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Saturday, November 18 Tastings at the Lodge 7:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m. Cozy evening by the fire with wine, beer, spirits, comfort food, and live music. Ticket also includes admission to Ann’s Place Festival of Trees. The Summit at Danbury 100 Reserve Road Danbury annsplacefestivaloftrees.org/ tastings $, R g
Holiday Thursday, November 23 Great Turkey Escape Race 8:00 a.m. – 3/4 mile Fun Run 8:30 a.m. – 5K Redding Community Center 37 Lonetown Road Virtual option also available runsignup.com/Race/CT/Redding/ TheGreatTurkeyEscape $, R
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Radio City Christmas Spectacular: Redding Park and Recreation Coach Bus Trip
Sunday, December 10 9:30 a.m. - Coach bus leaves Community Center 2:00 p.m. - Show (time for fun in NYC on your own beforehand) Orchestra seats: $160 per person townofreddingct.org/parks-andrecreation/upcoming-events/trips
Friday, November 24 The Great Trains Holiday Show – Opening Day 12:00 p.m. – Grand Opening The show runs Friday, November 24 to Monday, January 15 Open Wednesday to Saturday from 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m., and Sundays 12:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. Also open Tuesday, December 26 and Monday, January 15 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. wiltonhistorical.org/events/greattrain-holiday-show $
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Saturday, December 2 Jingle All the Way! 2:00 p.m. Snow/rain date: Sunday, December 3. Music on the Hill will perform holiday and winter songs and share a jingle bell bracelet craft. Wilton Historical Society 224 Danbury Road Wilton musiconthehillct.org
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Saturday, December 2 Redding Tree Lighting 3:30 p.m. Hot chocolate, music, selfies with Santa, holiday activities, and more. Town Green 100 Hill Road townofreddingct.org/parks-andrecreation g
Health I Wellness Thursday, November 16 Holiday Loneliness Awareness Day – SOAR Together Community Flower Power gatherings 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. at 597 Westport Avenue, Norwalk 1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. at The Lounsbury House, 316 Main Street Ridgefield Make flower arrangements to those at risk of loneliness or isolation this holiday season. soartogetherct.org g
Nature Saturday, November 18 Astronomy – Viewing the Night Sky 7:00 p.m. New Pond Farm Education Center 101 Marchant Road newpondfarm.org $, R
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Saturday, December 2 Winter Walk at Putnam Memorial State Park 11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. Walking tour of park with reenactment of a Revolutionary War battle. Putnam Memorial State Park 499 Black Rock Turnpike putnampark.org g
Religious Services Bethlehem Lutheran Church Sundays at 10:00 a.m. (in person) or 10:15 a.m. (Zoom) 44 Portland Avenue bethlehemlutheranct.org
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Calvary Independent Baptist Church Adult and Child Sunday School at 10:00 a.m. / Sundays at 11:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. Wednesday prayer meeting at 7:00 p.m.
Meetings
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Thursday, November 16 Democratic Town Committee 7:30 p.m. Town Hall / Hearing Room 100 Hill Road townofreddingct.org
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Monday, November 20 Swearing in Ceremony 6:00 p.m. Town Hall / Hearing Room 100 Hill Road townofreddingct.org Nursery provided for all services 711 Redding Road cibcredding.org
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Christ Church, Episcopal Sundays at 9:00 a.m. 184 Cross Highway christchurchredding.org
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First Church of Christ, Congregational Sundays at 10:00 a.m. 25 Cross Highway firstchurchredding.org
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Long Ridge United Methodist Sundays at 11:30 a.m. 201 Long Ridge Road Danbury longridgeumc.com
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Sacred Heart / St. Patrick Parish
Sacred Heart Church: Saturday Vigil Mass: 4:00 p.m. Saturday Eucharistic Adoration: 6:00 p.m. Sunday Mass: 9:00 a.m. & 10:30 a.m. 12:00 noon LATIN Weekday Mass: Tuesdays and Thursdays at 8:30 a.m. Wednesday 6:00 p.m. LATIN 30 Church Street St. Patrick Church: Saturday Vigil Mass: 5:30 p.m. Sunday Mass: 8:30 a.m. & 10:30 a.m., 5:00 p.m. Weekday Mass: Monday – Friday at 8:30 a.m. Mondays and Thursdays Eucharistic Adoration: 7:00 p.m. 169 Black Rock Turnpike sacredheart-stpat.org
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Temple B’nai Chaim Fridays at 7:30 p.m. 82 Portland Avenue Georgetown templebnaichaim.org g
Special Programs Thursday, November 16 The Politics of Tea: The East India Company & British Tea Culture 7:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. Virtual program on Zoom. Mark Twain Library marktwainlibrary.org R
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Tuesday, November 28 Conversations in a Brave Space: LGBTQ+ Beyond the Letters 7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. In this foundational and interactive training session, Cadence Pentheny of the Triangle Community Center engages participants in a thorough overview of the LGBTQ+ community. Mark Twain Library 439 Redding Road marktwainlibrary.org R
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Wednesday, November 29 A Stone’s Throw – Wilton Historical Society 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Special tour for Mark Twain Library registrants of the Wilton Historical Society exhibits and Great Trains Holiday Show. Wilton Historical Society 224 Danbury Road Wilton marktwainlibrary.org g
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Monday, November 20 Special Town Meeting 7:00 p.m. Town Hall / Hearing Room 100 Hill Road townofreddingct.org
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Monday, November 20 Board of Selectmen 7:30 p.m. Town Hall / Hearing Room 100 Hill Road townofreddingct.org
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Tuesday, November 21 Region 9 Board of Education 7:00 p.m. Joel Barlow High School / Library Learning Commons 100 Black Rock Turnpike er9.org
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Tuesday, November 21 Zoning Board of Appeals 7:00 p.m. Zoom townofreddingct.org
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Tuesday, November 21 Conservation Commission 7:00 p.m. Old Town House 23 Cross Highway townofreddingct.org
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Monday, November 27 OPEB Trust Board 6:00 p.m. Zoom townofreddingct.org
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Monday, November 27 Board of Finance 7:30 p.m. Town Hall / Hearing Room 100 Hill Road Subject to change to virtual or hybrid townofreddingct.org
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Tuesday, November 28 Planning Commission 7:30 p.m. Zoom townofreddingct.org
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Monday, December 4 Park and Recreation Commission 7:00 p.m. Redding Community Center 37 Lonetown Road townofreddingct.org
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Monday December 4 Board of Ethics 7:30 p.m. Town Hall / Conference Room and Zoom 100 Hill Road townofreddingct.org
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Monday, December 4 Republican Town Committee 7:30 p.m. Town Hall / Hearing Room 100 Hill Road townofreddingct.org g
**Town offices will close at 12:00 p.m. on Wednesday, November 22 and remain closed on Thursday, November 23 for the Thanksgiving holiday.
14 l Redding Sentinel l November 16, 2023