068 Magazine - March/April 2022

March/April • 2022

Medicinal Music Healing with the RSO

Don’t Worry,

BEE HAPPY! The Benefits of a natural lawn

Harvey

Five Questions Singer & Songwriter John Oates

Harvey Fierstein on writing and lessons learned

Compass is bringing a modern real estate experience to

Ridgefield 41.2841° N, 73.4975° W As the #1 independent brokerage in the nation, Compass brings an elevated experience to its clients through industry-leading marketing, technology and top-tier representation.

Darien | Fairfield | Greeniwch | New Canaan | Ridgefield | Stamford | Westport compass.com 470 Main St Ridgefield, CT 06877 Compass Connecticut, LLC is a licensed real estate broker and abides by Equal Housing Opportunity laws. All material presented herein is intended for informational purposes only. Information is compiled from sources deemed reliable but is subject to errors, omissions, changes in price, condition, sale, or withdrawal without notice. Photos may be virtually staged or digitally enhanced and may not reflect actual property conditions. With 4% of the U.S. market in 2020, Compass is the largest independent real estate brokerage by gross transaction value. Market share is calculated by dividing our Gross Transaction Value, or the total dollar value of transactions closed by agents on our platform, by two times (to account for the sell-side and buy-side of each transaction) the aggregate dollar value of U.S. existing home sales as reported by NAR.

Contents

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Don’t Worry,

Bee Happy!

The Benefits of a Natural Backyard

34 Medicinal Music Ridgefield Symphony Orchestra shares the healing power of music.

40 It Was Serendipity 1885 home restored to contemporary design.

44 Browngrotta Arts Wilton’s hidden gem.

50 All About Harvey Harvey Fierstein on writing and lessons learned.

56 More Than a Shelter Open Doors hopes to end homelessness.

60 Five Questions With John Oates.

64 Bringing History to Life A Reenactment of the Battle of Ridgefield.

76 Automobiles The past is back and better than ever.

ON THE COVER Photo courtesy of Penguin Random House

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Contents

20

In The Front 5

Behind The Scenes

12

Noted

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Old Ridgefield The colorful history of Ballard Park

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Have You Met? Jim Blanchfield, Fire Chief of Wilton

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Art In The Spotlight Art by Hans Fischer

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Ask Ms. Jen

In The Back 80

Foodies No. 109 Cheese & Wine

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Shout Out

88

Is That A Thing?

Pickleball

90

Business Welcome Sweet music at Sugar Hollow

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Calendar

94

Whatever Comes Up Obscure holidays

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One More Thing

Behind The Scenes

Vol 1, Issue 2 • March/April 2022

Dee Dee Colabella Owner dcolabella@rpacartcenter.com

Greg Mursko Publisher publisher@068magazine.com

This Issue’s

Featured Writers Robyn Graygor

Dylan Miller Editor-In-Chief editor@068magazine.com Contributing Writers Dee Dee Colabella, Jennifer Bradshaw, Allison Ganey, Gina Zammit, Bob Cousins, Greg Mursko, Jack Sanders, Daniel C. Levine, and Dave Goldenberg Lily Fertik Copy Editor

Contributing Photographers Roger Garbow, Dylan Miller, Alan Kendzior, Tom Grotta, Mary Harold, Marion Lynot, Carol Rosegg, Michael Weintrob, and Roger Garbow

Advertising Sales David Gursky | 914-646-9141 sales@068magazine.com

We welcome input about this and future issues.

Please address letters, queries, and ideas to editor@068magazine.com.

068 Magazine is a publication of Colabella Media LLC. ©2022. All rights reserved.

No part of this publication may be reproduced without permission of the publisher.

www.068magazine.com

Robyn Graygor is a college student at SUNY Purchase double majoring in journalism and environmental studies. She has a strong passion for writing, environmental sciences, and fine arts. She has written for several newspapers and newsletters, and is currently working on a children’s book for the Ward Pound Ridge reservation, including both writing and illustration. Her first article for 068 Magazine explores the benefits of a natural lawn on page 70.

Sally Sanders Sally Sanders has been on the Ridgefield Historical Society board since 2019. Writing the quarterly Scott House Journal for the Historical Society, she’s delved into many stories, from the 19th Century clash between a Methodist minister and a young editor of the Ridgefield Press, to way the town responded to the 1918-19 Spanish Flu epidemic. In this issue, she highlights the upcoming reenactment of the Battle of Ridgefield on page 64.

Julia Bruce Julia Bruce is a longtime resident of Ridgefield. She has been contributing regularly to Ridgefield and Wilton Magazines since 2015 and received a Connecticut Press Club award for her writing in 2020.

Her work has also appeared in the New York Times—Tiny Love Stories and various online literary journals. Julia worked with Open Doors to write about all their charitable work on page 56, and gives a sneak peak to the upcoming browngrotta arts show on page 44.

Gerri Lewis Gerri Lewis is a freelance writer who spent the early years of her career as a feature writer and columnist. Her work has appeared in Reader’s Digest and various airline publications. Her accolades include featurewriting awards from the New England Press Association and the Society of Professional Journalists. In this issue, she highlights beloved artist Hans Fischer on page 26, and a renovated Greek revival home on page 40.

POWERED BY

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Noted

by Greg Mursko

Friends.

Family.

Community.

We’re all in this together.

Georgann Hoffman Agent

State Farm® has a long tradition of being there.

That’s one reason why I’m proud to support Wilton and all of Fairfield County.

W

ith another winter under our belts, it’s time to welcome the warm weather back as we continue to distance ourselves from this pandemic. While the recent past will certainly shape all of us personally in many ways, we will also be celebrating the distant past and how it has shaped our home. In these pages, we explore the history of the beloved Ballard Park and welcome the upcoming reenactment of the Battle of Ridgefield! For both new and old residents, this is a time of discovery and appreciation for our town as we move forward.

To kick start the warm feelings of spring, we’ve also included stories on cultivating a natural lawn to welcome nature out of its slumber, fun and quirky ways to exercise, the healing power of music, upcoming gallery shows, local heroes and celebrities, home renovation stories, and much more. We appreciate your feedback on our first re-designed issue that debuted in January. With that momentum, we were able to jump up to have 96 pages of content and businesses from the 068 zip codes. Thank you for supporting your local magazine, and we will see you again in May! •

Get to a better State®.

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Old Ridgefield

by Jack Sanders

Time

A Stroll Through

The colorful history of Ballard Park and those who called it home

O The Rev. Thomas Hauley, the register or town clerk, recorded this 1715 proprietors grant to James Wallis, allowing him to join with the town’s proprietors in buying a huge tract of land northwesterly of Lake Mamanasco from “Tackora, alias Oreneca, Indian.” Wallis (Wallace) later moved to this territory, some of which became part of North Salem, N.Y.

Left: “Doc” Daniel Adams, who lived in the park from 1862 until 1885, was a founder of not only baseball, but also Ridgefield’s oldest bank.

Right: The earliest image of the house in Ballard Park is this photo-engraving from 1878 that appeared in Daniel Teller’s History of Ridgefield. Dr. Daniel Adams, the baseball pioneer, lived there then.

The picture clearly shows the original gambrel roof of the ancient house, similar in design to the Rev. Thomas Hauley’s a half mile to the south.

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n a summer’s evening, children romp in the playground, families gather for a CHIRP concert, and seniors take leisurely strolls on one of Ridgefield’s most historic pieces of land. Treasured today as a place of recreation and relaxation, Ballard Park has for centuries been a home of noteworthy people who’ve contributed to not only the town but also the nation.

In 1708, Ridgefield’s first landowners, called “proprietors,” designed their village, laying out a “Town Street” and 25 home lots along the middle of three ridges. On the west side of what’s now called Main Street, lots stretched from Wilton Road West to Catoonah Street; on the east, from the Ye Burying Yard at Wilton Road East to around Prospect Street.

Land north of these lots was left for future pioneers. On the west side, Benjamin Burt, the first blacksmith, got the lot on the north side of today’s Catoonah Street as a bonus for moving here. Daniel Sherwood was wooed to be the town’s first miller with the next lot — where CVS is today.

The Sad Sailor: James Wallace Then came a man with no special talents, except perhaps charm and gumption. Born about 1675 in Scotland, James Wallis (later Wallace) was a young man working on the docks of Glasgow when he was “shanghaied” by the Royal Navy and pressed into service.

He spent several unhappy years as a sailor.

One night around 1705, when his ship was

anchored off Norwalk, he slid down a rope into Long Island Sound and swam to the shore.

He liked what he found, and Norwalk liked him. Within a year, the personable Wallis had won the heart and hand of Mary Hyatt, 24-year-old daughter of leading citizens Thomas and Mary Saint John Hyatt. His father-in-law soon became one of the 25 who purchased 20,000 acres of native lands north of Norwalk and began settling Ridgefield. By 1715 Wallis had earned enough to join the proprietors in the purchase of more land from the Native Americans, northwesterly of Lake Mamanasco. Two years later, he bought and built a home on the Town Street lot just north of Sherwood’s that would become Ballard Park.

Wallace and at least two sons eventually moved to the remote territory northwest of Mamanasco. However, in 1730, when the colony line was moved, his farm wound up in North Salem, N.Y., where Wallace Road today recalls his family’s role in that town’s history.

James died there in 1764, but both he and Mary are buried in Ridgefield’s ancient Titicus Cemetery. Several of their grandchildren fought in the Revolution, seeking freedom from British domination — just as James had in sliding down a warship rope three quarters of a century earlier.

The Proud Soldier: Philip Burr Bradley In 1764, Philip Burr Bradley of Fairfield bought the old Wallace homestead on Main

Old Ridgefield

The Graeloe estate in 1893. The taller of the two girls in white may have been Elizabeth Biglow Ballard.

A postcard, lithographed in Germany, showing the Biglow mansion around 1910. The historic building was razed in 1964 by request of Elizabeth Biglow Ballard, its last owner.

The northern gate to the park includes the estate name, Graeloe, on the right pillar and the year the Biglows arrived, 1889, on the other.

Elizabeth Biglow Ballard, back center, her three children, Elizabeth, Anna and Horatio, and her mother, Anna Graham Biglow, on the porch of Graeloe, around 1918.

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Old Ridgefield

This map, published by Ridgefield on the occasion of the Connecticut Tercentenary in 1935, shows the route of the British through town, some of the highlights of the battle as well as Col. Philip Burr Bradley’s home.

On April 27, 1775, 198 years after the Battle of Ridgefield, re-enactors of the modern-day Fifth Connecticut Regiment gathered at Col. Philip Burr Bradley’s grave in Titicus Cemetery. The man in the tricorn hat beyond the Rev. Clayton R. Lund is T. Raymond Pearson, who for many years portrayed Bradley’s office as commander of the Fifth.

Although he was a wealthy and well-known man, Philip Burr Bradley has a modest gravestone in Titicus Cemetery that says nothing of his accomplishments. It does not even include his title of colonel.

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Street, now 13 acres. A first cousin of Vice President Aaron Burr, Bradley got his feet wet in civic service as a selectman and colony representative before the war but after hostilities broke out, he became one of Connecticut’s leading soldiers, named commander of the Fifth Connecticut Regiment. Col. Bradley saw much combat, wintered at Valley Forge, and worked closely with General Washington. Miraculously, his own homestead escaped burning by the British during the nearby Battle of Ridgefield in April of 1777.

After the war Bradley served in the legislature during a critical period when the new “State of Connecticut” was being organized and its young government was struggling with heavy war debts. President Washington named him Connecticut’s first “marshal” — the top federal law enforcement official in the state.

Bradley was also a businessman and landowner with interests in local mills and a tannery. As perhaps the wealthiest man in town, he undoubtedly spruced up his Main

Street homestead to meet the standards of the time. There have been undocumented reports that George Washington visited him there at least once.

While Bradley died in 1827, his family held on to the homestead until mid-century.

In 1862, a recently retired New York City physician named Dr. Daniel Adams bought the place, continuing the home’s legacy.

The Father of Modern Baseball: Dr. Daniel Adams Doc Adams wasn’t your ordinary physician. In the city he had played with and been president of the Knickerbocker Base Ball Club. In 1857, as head of the Rules Committee for the National Association of Base Ball Players, he composed “Laws of Base Ball.” Nearly 150 years later, those few hand-written sheets setting down the basics of today’s baseball sold at auction for a record-breaking $3.3 million, adding evidence to the belief that Doc Adams was the man behind the modern-day game. “He’s the true father of baseball and you’ve never

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Old Ridgefield

After the Ridgefield Press wrote an editorial suggesting that there be a place in Ballard Park for concerts, the Ridgefield Woman’s Club took up the cause, raised $6,000, and built this bandstand in 1975.

heard of him,” said a baseball historian and a consultant on the sale. Efforts have been underway for years to get Doc Adams added to the Baseball Hall of Fame.

In Ridgefield, Adams left both baseball and medicine behind. He was a founder and first president of the Ridgefield Savings Bank (today’s Fairfield County Bank) and first president of the Ridgefield Library and made many other contributions to the community before moving in 1885 to New Haven, home of alma mater Yale. He died there in 1899.

Songs for the Soul: Lucius Horatio Biglow Finally, in 1887 came Lucius Horatio Biglow and his family. His Biglow and Main was one of the nation’s earliest and largest sacred music publishers, distributing the work of such renowned hymn writers as Fanny Crosby, William B. Bradbury, Robert Lowry, Ira D. Sankey, William Howard Doane, and Philip P. Bliss.

The “Main” was Ridgefield native Sylvester Main, a music teacher and hymn composer who also no doubt sang the

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town’s praises to his partner. Sylvester’s son, Hubert, wrote music for many of the songs Biglow published. Both Mains were close friends of Fanny Crosby, the prolific blind hymnist who spent her childhood on lower Main Street.

Biglow called his estate Graeloe, coined from the name of his wife, Anna Graham, and his own, with the E’s added for a Gaelic flavor. Among his contributions locally was the half-timbered, Tudoresque building that today houses Planet Pizza and other village businesses.

After he died in 1909, daughter Elizabeth and her husband, Edward Ballard, made Graeloe their summer and weekend home. Elizabeth was a founder of the Ridgefield Boys and Girls Club, and a pillar of the Ridgefield Garden Club.

When Elizabeth died in 1964 at age 87, she ordered that her house be demolished, believing the village needed a real park rather than an old, white elephant to burden to the taxpayers.

However, several outbuildings were retained, including her greenhouse, now used by the local garden clubs. Ridgefield

Garden Club members have revamped gardens and other features of the five-acre park. Just recently they restored a wroughtiron pergola, designed in 1930 by noted landscape architect Fletcher Steele and relocated from the Westmoreland estate in 1992.

The park has been a setting for not only history, but a 1999 Hollywood movie.

“Spring Forward,” written and directed

by Ridgefield High School graduate Tom Gilroy, stars Ned Beatty and Liev Schrieber, and tells the story of two park workers. One plotline involves the discovery of a homeless man living under the bandstand — something that really happened in Ballard Park around 1980.

In the months to come, the park will be closely inspected by the National Park Service, seeking relics of the Battle of Ridgefield. Doc Adams had already uncovered two cannonballs on the property 150 years earlier. Such is the varied and rich heritage of Ballard Park — a sad sailor, a proud soldier, a doctor who wielded an early bat, a man who sold songs for the soul, and his daughter who cherished Ridgefield.

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Have You Met

by Allison Ganey

Jim Blanchfield Fire Chief at the Wilton Fire Department

A

global pandemic really put into perspective just how essential our essential workers are, from nurses to firefighters and everyone in between. People like Jim Blanchfield, Fire Chief of the Wilton Fire Department, put their lives at risk every day and never falter, even while an unseen enemy continues to make their jobs all the more treacherous.

Jim is a life-long Connecticut resident, having grown up in Enfield and later receiving his undergraduate degree at The University of Connecticut. He went on to earn a law degree in 1996 and later joined the local town fire department, beginning as a volunteer.

Though he’s a firefighter, Jim serves Wilton in more ways than one. He makes it a point to support local businesses and is making his way through Wilton’s independent restaurants to make

Jim Blanchfield at the Wilton Fire Deparment on Danbury Road, where he spends much of his time.

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Have You Met

The Wilton Fire Department protects approximately 24 square miles, which is home to approximately 16,000 residents.

Hobbies When he’s not working or eating his way around town, Jim is an avid reader. “I’ve been reading newspapers (and doing the crosswords) my whole life.” He loves to read non-fiction on an array of topics, whether that’s a standard biography or his most recent read, Stanley Tucci’s Taste, a biography about the actor’s life

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PHOTO COURTESY OF THE WILTON FIRE DEPARTMENT

sure he’s “tried every restaurant in town.”

His favorite restaurant varies depending on the cuisine, but his number one recommendation for barbecue is Hoodoo Brown BBQ in Ridgefield. Next on his restaurant hit-list? Bianco Rosso in Wilton!

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Have You Met

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE WILTON FIRE DEPARTMENT

responsible for the entire department.

This transition was made easier because he already had an established relationship with the other town departments in addition to his own team.

“I use the word “team” a lot when talking about Wilton, and I mean it.

Everyone contributes to providing the services we do to the community.” He is adamant that even though he’s in a position of greater responsibility, he is just one of many public servants heralding Wilton’s future.

The culture of the firehouse isn’t always the casual, relaxed environment Hollywood portrays it to be either. A firefighter’s daily routine consists of ensuring all equipment is operational, on top of further training for the many crises they may encounter at a scene. “Our firefighters are also EMTs and in addition to fire, rescue, and hazmat calls, we respond to all medical emergencies in town.”

As if he didn’t already have enough on his plate, he’s also currently training to run a half marathon this April. “I started running a few years ago, and I am hoping to run a road race in each of Connecticut’s 169 towns at some point – I have a long way to go in that regard!” Vacations are the exception to his training schedule: “I absolutely never [run]!” His ideal destination spots are those that offer warmer climates: “The further South the better.”

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE WILTON FIRE DEPARTMENT

through food.

Jim’s passion for his job developed at an early age, back when the fire department across the street from his childhood home still had an airhorn on top of the building to call firefighters back to the station.

“Once we moved to Trumbull – about 20 years ago – I joined the local volunteer fire department, Trumbull Center FD, and the rest is history.”

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PHOTO COURTESY OF THE WILTON FIRE DEPARTMENT

Jim was promoted to the position of chief in October of 2020, at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. “I was fortunate to have interim Fire Chief Geoff Herald still working for Wilton when I became the Deputy Chief, which allowed the transition to Chief to go as best it could, given everything going on at that time.”

The biggest change, he says, was going from being in charge of one shift to being

Continued Service Jim’s credentials include teaching at the Connecticut Fire Academy and the Fairfield Regional Fire School, in addition to being a Hazardous Material Technician and Incident Safety Officer. The department also conducts public education events, including fire safety demonstrations for young kids.

Every one of us remembers fire safety day fondly in elementary school when the fire truck pulled up, and everyone clamored for a chance to sit in it; Jim’s team continues to inspire kids to this day.

At the end of the day, essential workers are regular people who have chosen to carry a heavy burden for the wellbeing of their communities. To Jim, and all of our town’s essential workers, thank you.

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Art in the Spotlight

by Gerri Lewis

Fischer

PHOTOGRAPHY PHOTO

BY DYLAN BYMILLER

Hans

refused to paint over the train Hans decided to draw on her wall. The family relocated to Harrison, New York when Hans was four, but after high school Hans was back in Holland again, this time to attend Akademie voor Kunst in Eindhoven. He then went on to receive a BS in industrial design from the University of Bridgeport. But his painting dreams were put on hold in the sixties when he served in the National Guard and went to work at Perkin Elmer in Wilton. That is where he met his wife of fortynine years, Francine. They moved to Ridgefield where Hans designed a contemporary house on the street where Francine grew up and where he lived until his death.

By 1989, Hans was well prepped for the graphic design company he established. While working with many familiar household names including Saab—the car he continued to drive

Always an Artist Even as a three-year-old living in his birthplace in Holland, Hans (Johan) knew he was an artist.

That was reinforced by his grandmother who

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PHOTO BY MARY HAROLD

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE FISCHER FAMILY

Hans Fischer had a true artist’s studio, and today it still captures his legacy with scraps of paper, paint, keepsakes, and artwork filling every available space.

Bottom photos show Hans along with snapshots of his studio as it remains today.

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PHOTO BY MARY HAROLD

W

hen noted American artist Hans Fischer died in December 2019, family and friends instantly felt that a bright shining light had been extinguished.

But two years later, they are finding ways to reignite that light and keep it shining through the paintings they have managed to curate—many of which were unfinished but came with detailed instruction on his plans for completion.

PHOTO BY DYLAN MILLER

His Light Still Shines

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PHOTO BY DYLAN MILLER

PHOTO BY MARY HAROLD

PHOTO BY DYLAN MILLER

PHOTO BY DYLAN MILLER

Art in the Spotlight T HE RIDGEFIELD

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until he died—his art was just another hobby along with golf and the cairns he built throughout the woods behind their home. The large windows that let so much light into his studio still oversee the natural canvas of rock piled into landscape sculpture that Hans, his neighbor’s children, and his own grandchildren have built.

However, his longing to create pieces of art that would relate to people was never far from his mind and he finally shifted to making painting a full-time career. He began with “literal scenes” as Francine calls them because he thought they were marketable.

Most were peaceful boating paintings—others were landscapes of places they’d been. And while they didn’t exhibit the unique approach that eventually earned Hans awards from such places as the American Art and Print Institute, the New York Art Directors, Ridgefield Guild of Artists, as well as the Betty Barker Award for Best in Show, they still highlighted his keen sense of light, color, and calm.

“The art wasn’t speaking to him,” says his son and Ridgefield resident Josh Fischer. “He then started painting what was inside of him.

It turned out that’s what people responded the most to.”

His work evolved into mixed media

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The Creative Space The studio where Hans created his mixed media masterpieces became something of a piece of art in itself. Along with brushes, paints, and canvases were piles and piles of paper strips painted in metallics and a rainbow of colors. The studio was cluttered with things he collected like an old toothbrush, a discarded mop handle or countless other random items that to him presented opportunities that would make the ‘feel and touch’ aspects of his work come alive.

There is barely a wall that isn’t covered

The walls of the Fischer Family home are covered in Hans’ artwork, showcasing many artistic phases of the Ridgefield artist.

PHOTO BY DYLAN MILLER

APRIL 15 @ 8PM

NOVEMBER 12 @ 8PM

abstract pieces combining everything from paper strips to metallic paint that his wife says “still remind me of places we went together.”

These pieces are now thought of as Hans Fischer signature works. His bold brush strokes, use of texture, light, and color—all enhanced by the hot wax (encaustic) technique he used—created paintings that beg to be touched.

“You can look at his art but will connect depending on what you bring to it,” says his daughter Jessie Grasshoff who lives in Massachusetts with her husband and two children (both who inherited their grandfather’s talent).

PHOTO BY DYLAN MILLER

PHOTO BY DYLAN MILLER

Art in the Spotlight

Hans Fischer’s artwork uses a blend of paint, encaustic, and colorful paper strips often painted in bold metallics. The resulting artwork changes depending on the light, giving it a vibrant and uplifting quality with and enduring appeal.

with a Hans Fischer painting in the family homes.

Jessie grasps at the daily uplift from her father’s renderings, particularly the one in the dining room with its metallic gold that brightens her day and is an inspiration for the décor in her house. An artist herself, she continues struggling to complete pieces, following her dad’s instruction: “It’s so hard,” she says. Much harder is the loss of a man who wasn’t just an artist but shone in so many other ways—as a parent, a friend, a neighbor, a husband, and especially a grandfather. “To know him was to love him,” says Jessie.

Josh, an art director with a background in graphic and industrial design and a member of the Ridgefield Arts Council embraces an early work called Hudson because he loves the colors that change with the light. He is currently investigating ways to replicate his father’s works without losing the aspects that make them unique. However, he says not one original will leave the family archives any time soon. It’s an emotional task, one that gets stalled on occasion when the loss of such an incredible man overwhelms him.

As for Francine, there is not a wall in her house that doesn’t track her history with her talented husband and best friend, and while the paintings remind her of losing such a good person, they also remind her of how happy Hans was doing what he enjoyed—being with family and friends, enjoying the outdoors, and of course, painting—always painting.

Those memories can never be extinguished.

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– Satsuki Shibuya I love what I do. I love helping my clients succeed. I love that my clients become my friends and vice versa.

I feel blessed, honored, and grateful for your trust. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for the kind words below and so many other life altering moments together.

With sincere appreciation, Laura “This was our first time buying a house but we were in such good hands at every step. Buying a house for the first time is terrifying on its own, but in this wild housing market, we were so happy to have Laura. She was able to find us a perfect house in our budget and was completely hands on throughout the process so we never felt like we were on our own. Laura is incredibly knowledgeable of the area and was able to alert us to potential issues (and solutions) that other realtors with less intimate knowledge of the area would have missed. She is an absolute pro - the best of the best. We wouldn’t have done it any other way and I would strongly recommend Laura to anyone interested in buying or selling a house!”

– Allison O’Shea “Laura has been great. Very professional and calm. I recommend her as often as I can.”

– Vincent Falotico “Laura Freed Ancona is an outstanding realtor and a pleasure to work with.

She provided excellent advice on preparing the house for sale. She and Christy Kinsman did a beautiful job staging the house. She was always responsive to my questions and concerns and managed offers wisely. Laura expertly navigated some difficult circumstances, always remaining professional with the goal of closing the sale in mind. She was extremely generous with her time, overseeing seeing some of the necessary repairs. She developed a good working relationship with the other realtor involved and all service professionals. I would wholeheartedly recommend her to anyone planning to sell their home.”

– Janine Gordon “Laura Freed is phenomenal. She did a wonderful job for us. This was a difficult transaction — lots of unique and difficult issues. Without Laura, I don’t think this house would have been sold. She is thorough, thoughtful, smart and a committed honest genuine person. She is the best!”

– Philip Danford

203.733.7053

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“Laura embodies all the values so important to both buyers and sellers…a passionate concern for both with the experience to identify all issues and answer all questions in a professional manner. Laura would be good for anyone’s business.“ – Joseph Poppalardo “Laura Freed is fantastic. She has helped us buy / sell a few homes and always very insightful and very in tune with the market.“ – Justin Pinkham “Laura Freed Ancona deserves her great reputation. We enjoyed working with her. She offered good advice and had some excellent workers “on call” to help us get the house show ready after our tenant left.”

– Pamela Leahy “We loved working with Laura! She is by far the best and most professional realtor my husband and I have ever worked with. Laura guided us through the home buying process and made everything as easy as possible on our end.

Would highly recommend her to anyone looking for their new home.“ – Laura Petrucelli “There are no words to express the gratitude that we have for Laura Freed Ancona. After spending a day with us she knew exactly what we wanted (which turned out to be something totally different than what we thought we wanted) and found us the perfect home within 3 days! Her professionalism and follow up during the process was stellar and it was a real pleasure working with her.

We have already referred 2 friends to her!”

– Robert Delman “Laura exhibits everything you want from the best of realtors. No nonsense, no BS, to the point. Confidence that she WILL sell your house. This makes the seller relaxed and instills confidence in them (buyer). I honestly don’t know how she does it. We were very fortunate to have her. Thank you Laura and William Pitt.”

– Paul Miner

lfreed@williampitt.com

Paul Cézanne, used with permission

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This former carriage barn was converted in 1969 to a residence by the late fashion designer Rolan S. Mattson, and was named in honor of his beloved friend Olive Caroline “Carrie” Kennel Miller, the original owner of the historic larger surrounding estate. Set back privately on 1.77 acres including the inspired 4,998 sf main residence with 1,305 sf in the walk-out lower level 1 BR accessory apartment with private entrance; detached 3 car garage; heated gunite pool & pool cabana; fruit trees, vegetable gardens, & whimsical potting sheds; plus inquire for options to purchase additional 1.8 acre parcels & 2nd private residence with detached studio for a true family compound. Total 4 bedrooms, 3 /1 baths & additional sleeping loft; hardwood floors; central air; & so many delightful outdoor rooms/gardens; just steps to Georgetown shops & restaurants. $905,000

MARK TWAIN’S LEGENDARY “STORMFIELD”

The iconic mansion built in Redding for author Samuel Clemens, best known as Mark Twain, who lived there from 1908 until his death in 1910. Built in the style of a Tuscan villa, he derived the property’s name from his short story “Captain Stormfield’s Visit to Heaven.” After a fire in 1923, the current estate was re-built in 1925 on the same foundation, retaining the original terraces, stone walls, stone pillars, and formal gardens. The home is sited on 28.53 private acres and adjoins 161 acres of Redding Land Trust. Magnificent country compound with 6,300 sf main residence, 4-5 BR, 5/1 baths, and 3 fireplaces, plus the detached pool/carriage house offering heated gunite pool, 3 garage bays, as well as the 2nd floor guest/caretaker cottage with 2 BR, full bath, living room and kitchen. $3,900,000

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Each office is independently owned and operated.

Ask Ms. Jen

by Jennifer Lee Bradshaw

Winter Berries, Screaming Foxes, and Fairy Shrimp This plant is growing on the edge of my property, is it Poison Sumac?

Mike - Wilton, CT

Is there really such a thing as freshwater clams and shrimp?

Peter - Ridgefield, CT From a young age most children are taught that clams, shrimp, and lobsters come from the ocean. You can imagine my surprise when I was shown a fingernail clam and a fairy shrimp while learning about freshwater aquatic invertebrates as an adult. Fingernail clams are tiny filter feeders that feed off algae and leaf litter. These clams can be found in swamps, ponds, and temporary woodland pools also known as vernal pools. Fairy Shrimp are small and delicate organisms that seem to “magically appear” in vernal pools, sometimes even after years of being absent. Unfortunately, both have very short lifespans. Fingernail clams live for a year or two, while fairy shrimp only live for a few weeks.

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What you have here is Staghorn Sumac! It belongs to the same family as poison sumac, however it does not contain the toxic oils that can cause itchiness, swelling, and rashes. Staghorn sumac is a favorite for many species of birds particularly in the winter months when more desirable food is not available. American robins, ruffed grouse, and starlings are among the many types of birds that consume the fruit of this sumac.

Several other animals such as white-tailed deer and rabbits feed on the fruit as well as the bark and branches.

This variety of sumac is both edible and delicious to humans as well. A friend of mine makes a delicious staghorn sumac lemonade!

I heard what sounded like a child screaming in my woods, it was quite unsettling.

What could it have been?

Edith - Ridgefield, CT This sounds like what is known as “the vixen call”, which is the call of a female red fox during mating season! Although they can make these barking or screaming calls year-round, they are most vocal during the breeding season. Red foxes are normally solitary animals, however breeding pairs are inseparable at this time of year and do mate for life. The gestation period is 53 days, and the average litter is 4-5 kits. Look for two sets of tracks in the snow from January to March and if you find them, keep your eyes open in the early spring in the hopes of getting a glimpse of those cute little kits!

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by Dylan Miller

Mus c Ridgefield Symphony Orchestra shares the healing power of music

PIANIST KATHLEEN THEISEN PHOTO COURTESY OF NUVANCE HEALTH

M

usic is perhaps one of the oldest forms of expression humanity has. It can bridge cultures, comfort and heal the sick, and symbolize unspoken truths. The Ridgefield Symphony Orchestra (RSO) is very familiar with these almost magical and healing properties of music and is expanding the benefits beyond the concert hall.

“A year ago, we approached Nuvance Health to get music into the hospitals in various ways,” says Laure Kenagy, RSO Executive Director. “One way that has come to fruition—partly because of covid—was to professionally record the concerts making it accessible from the patients television. This gives them the unique opportunity to listen to a local orchestra from their own town.”

Patients or visitors to Danbury Hospital may hear the sound of classical instruments resonating through the hallways and lobbies. Following the sound would lead them to a live performance that Kenagy hopes can happen on a monthly basis very soon at other hospitals as well. In addition to this, tickets to RSO performances are provided for staff and the invitation is extended for first-line responders in the pandemic.

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“Nuvance Health is thrilled to collaborate with the Ridgefield Symphony Orchestra (RSO) and bring music therapy to our patients, staff and visitors in a meaningful way,” says Amy Lionheart, Network Manager of Volunteer Services, Nuvance Health. “Volunteers who play live music at our hospitals have a calming and uplifting presence. Patients can watch RSO performances on our closed-circuit television system, which helps them in their healing journey because it can have a therapeutic effect by alleviating anxiety and stress.”

Power of Music While this is a new partnership and the start of an exciting endeavor, it’s built on an old but firm foundation; music heals.

According to a scientific study, Music as Medicine: A Review and Historical Perspective by Talin Babikian, Lonnie Zeltzer, and Raffi Tachdjian of the

University of California in Los Angeles, it is evident that there is a scientific basis for studying music and its ability to contribute to the healing of the whole individual. The study references that newborns have the ability to discriminate and show interests in songs, implying an innate ability that is hardwired into our brains, and children who are exposed to music in their early development are less likely to abuse drugs and alcohol.

Due to functional magnetic resonance imaging, electron tomography and electroencephalography, scientists have been able to study music in the same rigor given to other clinical practices. From these studies, we see that the regions of the brain that are responsible for euphoria are very similar to the regions of the brain that perceive and process musical experiences.

Neuroscience research has focused on the auditory cortex and the somatosensory cortex. Other studies found that listening to

Members of the Ridgefield Symphony Orchestra play holiday songs at Meadow Ridge Retirement Community.

Pianist Kathleen Theisen of Danbury and Ravenna Michalsen of New Haven on cello.

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music activates more regions than any other known cerebral activity.

“Staff who have given their all throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and patients benefit from music therapy,” says Lionheart. “We aim to encourage more people to participate in music therapy sessions because it is not only fun, but provides a positive stress-free environment for those within an earshot of it.”

Among the many benefits of music, is the unique ability to restore connections within the brain, making it an indispensable tool in restoring memory. It’s no surprise, then, that RSO has partnered successfully with the Meadow Ridge Retirement Community for years. In addition to the

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partnership with Nuvance Health, they are bringing this experience to another new medical community in Ridgefield.

Restoring What is Lost “We are starting a new partnership with Ridgefield Station, formerly Atria, who houses 70 total residents,” says Kenagy. “The first floor has 22 patients for memory care who have Alzheimers and dementia and we are currently planning how to develop a performance for them. Music has a strange way with memory. These are people who grew up with classical music, but even if someone wasn’t exposed to this music often, we’ve found that people gravitate towards instrumental music as they age.”

Composers commonly used in clinical treatment include Beethoven, Wagner, Mendelssohn and many others. While these partnerships are benefitting the local medical communities, research shows that music can really benefit anyone who is willing to listen to welcome music into their lives.

Embracing these works may take us a bit out of our comfort zone; but it’s important, whether or not we’re suffering from any kind of affliction to branch out and continue our musical education however possible. After all, you never know where you might find your next favorite way to relax or a deep well of inspiration, and RSO is a great place to start; by supporting local music and medical communities as you explore.

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1885 home restored to contemporary design

by Gerri Lewis Photography by Dylan Miller

This 1885 Greek Revival has seen significant upgrades, almost all rooms were re-imagined, including the entry hall and the dining room seen here in a striking before/after comparison.

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fter Tom and Susan Galione sold their Ridgefield home of 35 years and moved into a rental, Susan mentioned her desire to remodel an older house—but Tom was reluctant. He had grown up in an antique and knew the kinds of challenges such a vintage house could bring. When Susan saw the for-sale sign on an 1885 Greek Revival on Peaceable Street, she thought it was serendipity.

And in what Tom calls a “weak moment” he agreed they should buy it.

Once a grand three story with a gable roof, the house had a major renovation in 1949 which transformed it into a streamlined two-story. Later, in the 1970’s, the house received an additional facelift to bring it up to date. But by 2019, it was dated and had fallen into disrepair because Susan explained that the “sweet older couple” who so lovingly owned the home, could no longer keep up.

However, like the former owners, Tom and Susan recognized that the house had good bones. Oversized floor to ceiling windows brightened the main floor rooms. The original fir flooring in the entry hall had been well maintained and the sweeping staircase was to die for. The house had tall ceilings, lots of nooks and crannies that created visual interest, beautiful millwork, and a butler’s pantry—something Susan coveted.

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PHOTO BY MARION LYNOT OF IRISH FLAIR PHOTOGRAPHY IN BETHEL

It didn’t hurt that the house sat on nearly two acres of a park-like setting only a few minutes’ walk to downtown Ridgefield.

Despite exterior rot, dated cosmetics, peeling wallpaper, and a barely functioning kitchen with harvest gold appliances and Formica countertops, the Galiones moved in and rolled up their sleeves.

The first order of business was to personalize the floorplan. The home still reflected the lifestyle of an era gone by with small rooms and with servants’ quarters separated from the main house and accessed through a narrow, concealed back staircase.

The Peaceable Street house even still had a button embedded into the dining room floor to beckon servants when needed.

To create a plan more conducive to today’s open living concept, the couple hired architect Peter Coffin of Doyle Coffin in Ridgefield. The goal was to create an open floorplan without compromising the charm that captivated them in the first place.

They also engaged Neal Hicks of Hicks Construction in Danbury, who they knew to be “a trusted expert when it comes to undertaking historic renovation projects and has a creative eye with knowledge of modern trends.”

The couple was quickly convinced by the experts that the back part of the house intended for the kitchen/family room with a garage below could not be saved. The garage was so small that they couldn’t even fit a modern auto inside, and Tom recalled the basement and ceiling wiring as looking like “spaghetti.” By cutting off the back of the

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house they were able to build a new addition with replica railings and other details to make it look like it was part of the original structure. That also gave them new space for a kitchen, family room and screened porch.

Designer Neil Orwick of Kitchen Traditions in Danbury carefully blended the magnificent contemporary kitchen by using traditional detail like a milky-white cabinet color that would have been used in older homes. Other transitional cabinet colors included a stained island that is also durable. The mullion treatment on the cabinet’s glass doors reflects that of the old part of the house. Orwick called the couple “dream clients” because they were willing to listen to ideas and suggestions and educated themselves, so they knew what they wanted.

The downstairs became more open and airier by removing an entry hall closet and creating a wide hallway where all the main rooms could funnel off. It also accesses a bar, a powder room, and a back staircase to the second floor and to the mudroom and basement below. Upstairs, the

small bedrooms were combined to make larger ones, all with their own contemporary bathrooms. The cluster of rooms that were probably the servant’s quarters now serve as a large primary suite with walk-in closets and a contemporary primary bath. The minimalist style the couple adopted while renting became the perfect canvas for the contemporary lighting fixtures, which act as pieces of art throughout.

The Galiones dug in their heels when it came to preserving certain detail like their outdoor railings and the original fir flooring.

They even kept the original hardware for shutters on the windowsills. However, they gladly let go of the spaghetti wiring in favor of upgrades that would allow them to have all the technological bells and whistles of the 21st century including an elevator.

Two years later, the house is everything both wanted including a screened in porch where they daydream over future backyard plans. As for Tom, who had originally shunned Susan’s idea of an antique renovation, his favorite part is tucked away in the older part of the basement—a wine cellar with an antique door panel from the old home where he grew up. The final touch was added by Susan; a sign by the front door naming the home—Serendipity.

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by Julia Bruce

Photography by Tom Grotta

undreds, if not thousands, of cars each day pass through the intersection of Ridgefield and Drum Hill Roads. Yet many people don’t realize that when they pause at that three-way stop, they are only a few feet away from browngrotta arts, a unique, international showcase for contemporary fiber arts. Founded in 1987 and named for husband-and-wife team Rhonda Brown and Tom Grotta, browngrotta arts curates and promotes the museum-quality artwork of more than 100 artists from over 20 countries. Unlike other mediums, the prominent textile and fiber artists tend to be women. browngrotta arts is committed to promoting, exhibiting and documenting the work of these trailblazing artists.

While art textiles and fiber sculpture had a very fertile field in the sixties and seventies, by the eighties a lot of that excitement had died down. “We recognized a niche and wanted to become the premier fiber dealer in the world,” says Grotta. Today, art collectors and customers from all over the world consider browngrotta arts to be a leader in the field.

Artwork by Polly Sutton, a nationally recognized artist. For more than 30 years, she has been exhibiting basket sculptures made of cedar and other natural materials.

in

Wilton

Uncovering a Hidden Gem

Arts

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Artwork by Laura Foster Nicholson (US) in the front, and Kiyomi Iwata (Japan) in the back.

Sales of artwork through browngrotta arts are primarily online. For publicity, they have released over 50 substantial art catalogs to date, and they also maintain an online gallery. All photographs are taken

by Grotta, who has a fine arts degree in photography from Rochester Institute of Technology. Photos are often taken from more than one angle and in different lighting conditions. “We realized that these artists needed help photographing and displaying their art the way people see it,” says Grotta.

Artwork by Heidrun Schimmel (Germany), on display from May 7 to May 15, 2022.

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Always Active The husband-and-wife curators also attend art fairs and participate in co-partnered exhibits with museums and public spaces. They’ve placed works in museums as well as private and corporate collections both in the U.S. and abroad, including the permanent collections at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Art Institute of Chicago. While they provide commissioned works to architects and interior designers, Brown and Grotta hope to see textile and fiber arts become more accessible to the general public. “We want people to buy what they like. Art shouldn’t be intimidating,” says Brown.

Twice a year, browngrotta arts opens their space - a renovated 1895 barn that also acts as the couple’s home - to the public for a 10-day “Art in the Barn” exhibitions. With over 3500-square feet of space and ceiling heights of up to 21 feet, the barn makes it possible to exhibit oversized pieces of artwork that wouldn’t be feasibly displayed in a smaller gallery.

“We like to use the barn as a backdrop to show the

scale of the piece as well as how it can be displayed,” says Grotta. Unlike flat paintings, which must be hung on a wall, fiber and textile artworks can be installed from beams or even self-standing. While the term fiber art might imply that the pieces are lightweight, Brown says, “You would be surprised at how heavy wool and linen can be when you’re talking about a 13-by-9-foot piece.”

Coming Up browngrotta arts is currently gearing up for their Spring 2022 exhibition entitled “Crowdsourcing the Collective: a survey of textiles and mixed media art”, which will be held from May 7 – 15. Typically, a show takes about 5 ½ months to organize, beginning with invitations to artists that browngrotta arts has worked with in the past as well as artists whose work they have been following.

While previous shows have centered around a theme, the upcoming show will be a bit broader. “This year we found it hard to narrow our artistic explorations to a single theme

Artwork by Chang Yeonsoon (Korea) on the left, and Naomi Kobayashi (Japan) on the right.

because there has been so much turmoil and changes in the last two years,” says Brown.

They reached out to artists to help curate an exhibition that reflects where we are as a society today. The result is a diverse group of artists whose education, experience and inspiration varies, as do their techniques and the materials they use. “The variety of work in ‘Crowdsourcing the Collective’ illustrates that there is strength in numbers,” says Grotta. browngrotta arts hopes to draw local

Our newest Schwab branch is here for you in Brookfield.

crowds into their barn to experience the upcoming show. “While we are well established worldwide, locally, we really are a hidden gem,” says Grotta. “We would love to become a destination not just for global art collectors but for everyone.” browngrotta arts is located at 276 Ridgefield Road. “Crowdsourcing the Collective: a survey of textiles and mixed media” art runs form May 7 – 15, 2022. For more information, go to browngrotta.com

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Harvey Fierstein on writing and lessons learned

by Dylan Miller

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he year of 2020 will undoubtedly go down as one of the most outlandish and distressing year to date. By the time August came around, we were still reeling from the anxiety and tragedies that had happened during the first year of the pandemic. For whatever reason though, some cosmic force decided Ridgefield hadn’t had enough, so tropical storm Isaias paid a visit on August 4th, 2020 to barricade the streets with trees and powerlines, while knocking out power to already isolated residents. Sound familiar? But one resident, Harvey Fierstein, who is no stranger to the bizarre and unexpected, embraced this opportunity. He checked that his generator was working, then got starting on writing I Was Better Last Night: A Memoir.

Many stories from the memoir will be told in person during an interview by New Yorker cartoonist Roz Chast (also a Ridgefield resident) at the Ridgefield Playhouse March 15th, giving the audience a chance to connect with the enigmatic icon as well as a copy of the memoir to take home. He will be sharing experiences that have rarely been told before, of which there are many. Only someone like Fierstein could make even the act of starting a book a story in itself!

“When I sat down to write this last summer, it was during the time when we had the power blackout for the whole week after the storm,” said Fierstein. “I had a generator going, but the air conditioning only worked in my bedroom, so I charged up my laptop in the car, brought it into my bedroom, and started writing the memoir.”

PHOTO COURTESY OF PENGUIN RANDOM HOUSE

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PHOTO BY CAROL ROSEGG

Fierstein has a decorated career, to say the least. On paper, he’s known as a renowned playwright and four-time Tony Award winner, with awards for acting in and/or writing plays, films, and TV shows such as Hairspray, Fiddler on the Roof, Mrs. Doubtfire, Independence Day, Cheers, La Cage Aux Folles, Torch Song Trilogy, Newsies, and

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Kinky Boots.

Behind this impressive list of accomplishments is an incredible string of stories that leads the reader through a journey full of twists and turns, with the whole arc of his story held together by a philosophy that has guided him since childhood; saying “yes!”

“All day long, people ask you to do things. 99% of them are silly, and we often say no because it’s out of our way or is an annoyance,” said Fierstein. “However, when you constantly say ‘no’ over the course of your life, nothing happens. When you say yes, things will change. Life only changes when you challenge yourself to say yes.

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Hopefully readers will find something in the book that inspires them to think ‘you know what, I’m going to go do those things I’ve been putting off. I’m going to have that coffee with that person who’s been asking,’ or ‘I’m going to talk to that person at Stop & Shop rather than ignore them again.’ Go ahead say yes. You could run into someone you haven’t seen in years or find new inspiration. I’ve been doing this my whole life.”

As he states in his book, saying ‘yes’ landed Fierstein his first role in Thornton Wilder’s Our Town, and Dark of the Moon after following the lead of his friend Michale at the Gallery Players. Following this, his philosophy has taken Fierstein on some fantastic rides, to say the least. From dressing in drag and revealing his sexuality in high school, to playing a role in Andy Warhol’s only play Pork and entering the culture’s of Hollywood and New York City.

While there is a lot of optimism that caused a lot of interesting turns in the path, the book also reveals many instances of loss and difficult times. In addition to losing friends to the AIDS epidemic and conversion therapy (an institutional practice of trying to ‘cure’ homosexuality that is still legal in many states and abroad), change can represent a loss as well as a new opportunity.

Although there was no shortage of content for Fierstein to write about, saying yes to writing a memoir presented Fierstein with another challenge.

A New Endeavor “Writing prose is different,” Fierstein said.

I’ve written op eds, but the bulk of my writing has been with play writing.”

Beyond the difference in writing styles, Fierstein noted that after a career of writing

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PHOTO BY BRUCE GLIKAS

PHOTO BY RON GALELLA

Left: Tommy Tune, Harvey Fierstein, and Matthew Broderick at the 37th Annual Tony Awards.

Right: Harvey Fierstein carries “the torch” from the Second Stage Tony Kiser Theater to the Helen Hayes Theater where it debuted 36 years ago. His iconic play “Torch Song” made its broadway transfer on February 2018 in New York City.

plays and acting, he now had a different character to focus on for the whole book; himself.

“Writing a memoir is a very personal journey. If you’re acting in something, you’re not playing yourself. I wrote the play Bella Bella, and played Bella Abzug, but I wasn’t playing me. I was trying, if anything, to get rid of Harvey so the audience could see Bella through me. It was a challenge because I was doing it as a man and I wasn’t even in drag. Marlo Thomas said to me, ‘how is Harvey, who is such a strong force, going to disappear so that my friend Bella can shine through?’ She said about 3 minutes after I began, I was listening to my friend Bella talk.’”

Heartfelt Advice Before he began writing that day, with his generator running and rising temperatures, he reached out to a good friend who had walked the memoir path many times before him; Shirley MacLaine, who gave him sound advice on forging a clear way forward.

“She said to just put in whatever comes to mind,” Fierstein said. “Don’t work too hard trying to remember, just include what comes to the top.

Memory is the best editor, and what is important to include will come up each time you sit down to write. I told her ‘I lost a lot of friends to AIDS and I’ve Harvey Fiersteins new book I Was Better Last Night: A Memoir is a new publication, published by Penguin Random House. Fiersteins first autobiography details many previously unknown stories about this local icon.

outlived quite a few other friends as well.’

She said ‘well, you are writing about your memory of them so you’re still really writing about yourself and the effect they had on your life, so trust that.’

Because of this advice, his eagerness to take on new challenges, and his incredible life journey, the world now has I Was Better Last Night: A Memoir, written right here in Ridgefield.

Fierstein continues to stay busy with several other projects, including a new Broadway show Funny Girl at the August Wilson theater, starring Beanie Feldstein, and other collaborative efforts with Alan Menken and Jack Feldman.

The memoir is published by Penguin Random House in March of 2022. Go to ridgefieldplayhouse.org/event/harveyfierstein-roz-chast/ for event information and tickets.

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Open Doors hopes to end homelessness

E

by Julia Bruce

Photos Courtesy of Open Doors

very night, more than 500,000 people in the United States experience homelessness. Here in Connecticut it can be easy to become immune to that figure, but the reality is that on any given day, over 700 people in Fairfield County are without a place to live. Open Doors, the only operating shelter in Norwalk, is hoping to change that statistic. The mission of Open Doors is to make a direct impact in the greater Norwalk area – which includes Darien, New Canaan, Westport, and Wilton - by guiding every person in the cycle of homelessness toward housing stability.

Homelessness and housing insecurity can sometimes be compartmentalized as simply an urban problem, but it is more pervasive than people realize, affecting those in our own communities. The cost of living, particularly in Fairfield County is increasing at a significant rate and debt can quickly snowball if you’re unprepared. “Sometimes

changes such as divorce, major medical expenses, or the loss of a job can upend your budget and if you don’t have the savings; that’s how it can all start,” says Open Doors Executive Director Michele Conderino. The services at Open Doors - all of which are free – are available to help people stabilize their situations so they don’t lose their homes.

“We want people to know that we are so much more than just a shelter,” says Yolanda Mateo, Director of Client Services.

Providing Housing “We recognized that the lack of affordable housing in Fairfield County was one of the biggest barriers people were experiencing when trying to exit homelessness,” Conderino says. According to the most recent Out of Reach study conducted by the National Low Income Housing Coalition, the annual income needed to secure a onebedroom apartment in greater Norwalk area is $68,000. Approximately 31% of households in Norwalk make less than $50,000 a year. Open Doors has committed to increasing the amount of available affordable housing in the region.

Open Doors utilizes the Housing First Approach. “When people come into the shelter, our number one goal is to get them into sustainable housing, because without that foundation, nothing else really can improve,” says Conderino. Open Doors currently has 55 units of affordable, Open Doors partners with many local organizations, including Ridgefield Running Company, who puts on an annual event called the Turkey Transit.

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permanent housing. “We’re committed to getting people to be able to stay in their communities. We don’t do transitional or temporary housing,” says Mateo. Open Doors also has a street outreach program in which a dedicated team goes out and connects with people living outside. Even if the individual chooses not to come into the shelter, Open Doors still offers them the same level of case management to help them attain permanent housing.

To address other concerns of those

The annual Turkey Transit running event ends at Open Doors, presenting food donations.

Open doors also receives food and clothing donations to help families who have been facing financial hardship.

other kids in the same situation. “There’s a wide spectrum of experiences in dealing with homelessness, so it’s nice to have a place where they can just be kids,” says Conderino.

Busier Than Ever As with most things in life, Covid-19 has had a direct impact on Open Doors and the necessity of the work they do in the community. The economic fallout of Covid is still unveiling. “We are now looking at a potential wave of people, that if they don’t get services and help, are going to find themselves homeless,” Conderino says.

The recently opened Smilow Life Center reflects the holistic services that Open Doors provides and has been an important addition during these challenging times. “The best way to end homelessness is to prevent it from happening to begin with,” Conderino says. In addition to 16 affordable housing units on the second floor, there’s a food pantry and Community Closet which offers food and clothing to those who need it. The building also contains the Norwalk Community Health Center which provides free medical and behavioral health care.

Finally, the Financial Opportunity Center hopes to help people establish financial security. Open to anyone in the

“People often think that if they are employed, they won’t qualify for services but oftentimes, they can. We help navigate the system for them,” without housing or who are dealing with housing instability, Open Doors operates a soup kitchen that serves meals seven days a week, 365 days a year. They’ve also established the Children’s Resource Center, which offers childcare, homework assistance, enrichment, and a safe space for children staying at the shelter to socialize with

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greater Norwalk area, it consists of three core components. The first step is to assess what income benefits might help keep an individual in housing. “People often think that if they are employed, they won’t qualify for services but oftentimes, they can. We help navigate the system for them,” Mateo says.

The Financial Opportunity Center also offers employment coaching and placement; this can consist of assistance with resume writing, practicing interview skills or connecting people with job placement.

Lastly, they offer a financial coaching program to help people increase their savings and credit scores while decreasing their debt.

Open Doors is initiating a savings matching program that will encourage people to take steps toward financial stability. “We’re here to help,” says Conderino.

To continue to provide for the greater Norwalk area, Open Doors relies on monetary and supply contributions.

They’ve partnered with many entities in Wilton and Ridgefield including the Wilton Congregational Church, St. Luke’s School, Fairfield County Bank, St. Mary’s Church, and Wilton Fit Body Boot Camp, all of whom have helped with fundraising and donations. There are also some fun events that can benefit the shelter such as the New Canaan Turkey Trot, the Ridgefield Running Club Turkey Transit, and a paddleboard race in Rowayton.

The Open Doors website has a convenient volunteer portal which lists a variety of ways to help, such as holding clothing drives or helping in the food pantry. Volunteering at The Financial Opportunity Center is another way to make a difference. “We have opportunities for people to bring their individual skill sets to a population that might not have had access to those skills before,” says Conderino.

Open Doors has an ambitious goal of eliminating homelessness in the greater Norwalk area. Conderino says, “We can achieve this goal by working together to guide community members through each step on their journey to success.”

For more information or to volunteer, please visit opendoorsct.org

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CELEBRATE THE ARTS WITH

THE RIDGEFIELD PLAYHOUSE Non-profit 501 (C) (3)

ANN HAMPTON CALLAWAY

THE LINDA RONSTADT SONGBOOK MARCH 12

A TRIBUTE TO THE BEATLES

RUBBER SOUL & REVOLVER MARCH 3

Todd Rundgren, Christopher Cross, Jason Scheff, Jay DeMarcus, Joey Molland and Denny Laine

BRUCE COCKBURN TH A 50 ANNIVERSARY CONCERT MARCH 4

“Lovers in a Dangerous Time” and more!

SHANGHAI ACROBATS

THE NEW SHANGHAI CIRCUS MARCH 6

Fun for the whole family!

COLBIE CAILLAT TH

ONE WORLD TOUR MARCH 27

Honoring the iconic singer!

Grammy-nominated Reggae pioneers honor Bob Marley’s legacy with their new album!

MIKE SUPER

TRACY MORGAN

“America’s Got Talent” star and winner of NBC’s “Phenomenon” returns with a whole new show!

One of the most well-respected comedians in the world, he is known for his stand-up shows and work on SNL and “30 Rock!”

MAGIC & ILLUSION: 2.OH! MARCH 13

MARCH 15 @ 7:30 PM

THE WAILERS

ALAN CUMMING & ARI SHAPIRO OCH & OY! MARCH 18

Tony winner and NPR Host team up for tunes & stories!

APRIL 1

GET THE LED OUT APRIL 2

Celebrating the mighty Zep with hits including “Dazed and Confused,” “Kashmir” and the iconic “Stairway to Heaven!”

THE CLANCY TRADITION

THE

An Irish folk music tradition that spans generations!

Kevin’s an award-winning actor and Michael’s an Emmy-winning composer!

JOHN OATES

TOMMY EMMANUEL, CPG

MARCH 19

FT. GUTHRIE TRAPP MARCH 20

John Oates is one-half of the best-selling duo of all time, Hall & Oates!

BACON BROTHERS APRIL 3

APRIL 6

With Special Guest Mike Dawes Two-time Grammy nominee and renowned guitarist returns!

PSYCHEDELIC FURS

THE BOOMER BOYS MUSICAL

Post-punk Brit rockers known for classic 80’s hit “Pretty in Pink.”

A fun-loving and hilarious musical revue about the trials of getting older!

TOWER OF POWER

LOS LOBOS

BLACK VIOLIN

Over 50 years of countless albums and several songs on the Billboard Hot 100!

Opening Act: Jamie McLean Band “Come On Let’s Go,” “La Bamba” and more!

Classically trained string players Wil B. (viola) and Kev Marcus (violin) blend classical and hiphop music!

15 ANNIVERSARY TOUR COCO LIVE MARCH 9 Grammy winner with hits “Bubbly,” “Try” and more!

MARCH 10

THE

MAKE IT RAIN TOUR MARCH 23

MARCH 25

APRIL 9

APRIL 10

203.438.5795 • RIDGEFIELDPLAYHOUSE.ORG

5 Questions With…

John Oatesf Seasons C

o e g han

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068 I imagine you will have both classic and new songs for us during your upcoming concert in the Ridgefield Playhouse in March. Has songwriting changed for you over the course of your career, or do you have a perfected formula that you use?

JO This show is a bit of my personal musical history as well as a snapshot from the early days of American popular music. I get to show a side of me that many people may not be aware of—the roots and blues influences that I started with long before I met Daryl Hall. My songwriting technique has not really changed over the years but always evolves as I’ve grown both in age and experience.

068 You’ve been to our neck of the woods many times now, especially when participating in the Live from Daryl’s House series. Is there anything about this area you look forward to when visiting?

JO I actually lived in Bridgewater Connecticut during the 1980’s so I’m very familiar with the area and still have many friends living there.

068 In your memoir Change of Seasons, you’ve spoken about how the music scene has changed and how musicians have had to adapt. Even though that was written in 2017, it seems that things have changed quite a bit even since then. What challenges and advantages do musicians face with how fast things are going?

JO The last few years have been challenging for everyone and especially for musicians who tour. It’s been interesting to try to navigate this new time we’re living in and figuring out ways to stay creative and healthy at the same time.

by Dylan Miller Photography by Michael Weintrob

068 This is a musical town, and I always like to ask on behalf of our young musicians; what advice do you have for those looking at a career in music?

JO The age-old answer is to listen and absorb as much as you can from the artists that you admire and try to figure out what it is that they do that touches you musically and emotionally. Then keep playing and hone your skills.

068 Is there anything in the works that you are excited about and would like to share with us?

JO I’m very excited to be performing this new acoustic storytellers show with my good friend and amazing guitarist Guthrie Trapp. [to be performed at the Ridgefield Playhouse on March 20th, 2022]

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by Daniel C. Levine Artistic Director, ACT of CT

The Greatest Story

Ever Told

O

ctober 12, 1971 is the date when American audiences were first introduced to a musical that has since become one of the most widely produced shows; Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Jesus Christ Superstar. It has been over fifty years since that October 12th Broadway opening, and it is fascinating to note how this groundbreaking musical has evolved over the decades.

As a high school theater nerd, I was obsessed with the Jesus Christ Superstar album and never in my wildest dreams did I think that, one day, I would be performing the show on Broadway. I was lucky enough to be cast in the 2000 Broadway revival of Jesus Christ Superstar. While that production

it on stage. Instead, the pair ended up creating a concept album in 1970. The album became a hit on the USA Billboard and went on to be the biggest-selling album of 1971. Soon, unauthorized live concert productions began to spring up around the country, and in an effort to curtail these illegal performances, an official Jesus Christ Superstar concert tour was created.

Later that year rehearsals began for the Broadway production, and that opened to mostly negative reviews (The NY Times wrote, “It all rather resembled one’s first sight of the Empire State Building. Not at all uninteresting, but somewhat unsurprising and of minimal artistic value.”). A few religious groups condemned the production,

Daniel C. Levine in the Broadway Production of Jesus Christ Superstar in 2000.

was nominated for a TONY Award that year, it only ran for six months. Still, it was the most exciting six months of my life.

Jesus Christ Superstar has had an interesting history that, like the show’s plot, is fraught with turmoil and uncertainty.

Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice originally conceived Jesus Christ Superstar as a theatre piece, but could not find any producers who were interested in producing

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and it was not uncommon to find protesters outside of the theater shouting “blasphemy!”

However, Pope Paul VI said, “I believe this show will bring more people around the world to Christianity, than anything ever has before.”

There have been three Broadway revivals of Superstar and in 2018, a live version aired on NBC. Directors often put their own spin on the show; productions

of the show are not always “set” in biblical times in ancient Galilee. I have actually seen a production of the show set in a seedy downtown nightclub, another set a thousand years in the future, and even a production set in outer space! The point is, this musical allows for a director to re-imagine how the story is presented to audiences.

I’ve been a part of many productions of Jesus Christ Superstar (both as an actor and as director). From Broadway, to regional productions, to concert versions of the show, and ACT of CT’s upcoming production will truly represent the culmination of my years of experience with this musical; it is the version that I have always wanted to do.

Our Jesus Christ Superstar cast is off the charts, with a wonderful mix of NYC Broadway actors (including TONY nominee Caitlin Kinnunen as Mary Magdalene), alongside a few local performers who left the craziness of NYC for a more peaceful life in Connecticut: Ridgefield’s own Randy Donaldson (a Broadway actor and now successful real estate agent at William Ravies) will play Herod, and Ridgefield’s Michael McGuirk (another successful NYC actor and real estate agent at Sotheby’s) will play Pilate.

I don’t want to give too much away about my concept for our production of the show, but I will say that I am a bit obsessed with Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale and I am interested in exploring subtle similarities between the biblical Galilee and the dystopian Gilead (Handmaid’s Tale fans will know what I mean!). As director of the musical, I am excited to tell this ancient story in an inventive manner that allows audiences to think about its relevance in our modern and often tempestuous world.

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BROADWAY IN YOUR BACKYARD STILL AHEAD

MAR 24–APR 17

Sara Brians is a Broadway veteran and celebrated choreographer who’s work encompasses an array of projects and collaborations; ranging from theatre to contemporary dance, opera and musicals and other forms of performance and media. She performed as a Radio City Rockette and has worked on six Broadway shows, including 42nd STREET, MATILDA, BILLY ELLIOT and WHITE CHRISTMAS. She has directed and choreographed regionally and all over the world, and is excited to return to ACT of CT to choreograph JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR this spring.

ACT: This is your fourth production at ACT of CT. What do you love about working at ACT of CT and your collaborations with Artistic Director, Daniel C. Levine?

SB: Having now worked with Daniel C. Levine on GODSPELL, THE LAST FIVE YEARS and SNAPSHOTS I know that JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR will be a phenomenal, Broadway caliber production.

Collaborating with Daniel is so artistically fulfilling because his vision is extremely clear, creative and inspiring. Our work is energizing because the focus stays on conveying the story and visual elements in the most compelling way.

APRIL 4

ACT: Is there anything that you can “reveal” about this production of JCS and what audiences might expect?

SB: I don’t want to spoil anything for audiences, but I will reveal that Daniel’s concept for JCS is based on a hit Hulu series, so there will be some recognizable elements that tie brilliantly into our production. You will be transported to a dystopian future ruled by a fundamentalist regime…and Jesus is the leader of the resistance. It’s a take on this story in a way that has never been done before, and it’s thrilling!

ACT: Do you enjoy leaving NYC and coming to Ridgefield when working at ACT? What do you love about our community?

SB: I love getting out of NYC and coming to Ridgefield to work at ACT of CT. It is a real home away from home. The community is so supportive of the arts — I love walking down Main Street and seeing show posters in the windows of Books on Common and all the shops and cafes. The dining is world-class, and I adore when I am able to stay at the West Lane Inn. Oh, and the fresh air! On my days off I like to go for hikes in Ridgefield’s open spaces and trails. It’s like a working holiday, and everyone is so welcoming and friendly!

ACT: Why are regional theaters like ACT of CT important?

MAY 26–JUN 19

ACTOFCT.ORG BOX OFFICE: (475) 215 5497 36 OLD QUARRY ROAD, RIDGEFIELD, CT 06877

SB: Regional theaters bring live entertainment and culture to communities outside NYC giving them the opportunity to experience this ephemeral art form in their own home town. New projects come out of theaters like ACT of CT — just look what happened with our production of SNAPSHOTS! ACT was able to produce theater for its community AND employ artists during the pandemic.

And, SNAPSHOTS is now on Broadway HD and is Grammy nominated!!

Bringing History to

Life A Reenactment of the Battle of Ridgefield

by Sally Sanders

Photography by Alan Kendzior

M

any people know a little about the Battle of Ridgefield from historical markers on North Salem Road and Main Street or because they’ve seen the famous cannonball embedded in the Keeler Tavern. However, residents both old and new will soon be able to get first-hand experience of what the battle may have actually been like.

Ridgefield has regularly commemorated this event, but the 245th anniversary of the Battle this year will be special. The weekend of April 29th - May 1st will include both a reenactment and the reburial of the remains of four young men, found together in a shallow grave just off Main Street in 2019 and believed to have fallen in the Battle of Ridgefield.

As that discovery illustrated, even after two centuries historians are still uncovering more about the Battle of Ridgefield. Under a National Park Service American Battlefield Protection Program grant obtained by the Ridgefield Historical Society, researchers are compiling the best knowledge obtainable about the men who fought and died during the battle, the effect on the civilian population, and how the only inland battle in Connecticut affected subsequent events. It will point the way for archaeological exploration as well as discussion of how Ridgefield might embrace this heritage.

The History The Battle followed Major General William Tryon’s raid on the American depot in Danbury. General Tryon, with Brigadier Generals Sir William Erskine and James Agnew, led nearly 2,000 men on this mission. Sentries had sounded the alarm as the British disembarked from ships off Westport on Friday evening, April 25. Reaching Danbury on Saturday afternoon, the British looted and burned the Continental Army stores, then spent the night in town.

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Expecting attacks, General Tryon called for an early Sunday departure and chose to march through Ridgefield. The Americans had 200 troops led by Major General David Wooster and 400 commanded by Brigadier Generals Gold Selleck Silliman and Benedict Arnold, who would attempt to cut off the British if they marched south or join General Wooster if the British went west. Scouts soon reported the British moving toward Ridgefield.

Skirmishing broke out in Ridgebury as more American combatants arrived; meanwhile, General Wooster and his soldiers, now totaling close to 500, closed in on the British from Barlow Mountain.

The first of two engagements occurred along North Salem Road near Barlow Mountain Road, when General Wooster’s division overran the British rear guard, capturing prisoners and wagons loaded with material.

A second attack, close to Tackora Trail, left General Wooster mortally wounded.

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By then, the vanguard of the British was nearing the village, where a barricade at the northern end of Main Street had been erected. Five hundred Americans were flanked and overwhelmed by the British and another general was nearly lost as Arnold’s horse was shot from beneath him and he scrambled to escape.

The Americans would withdraw, continuing to harass Tryon’s troops as the British cleared the village, burning some structures as they went. They eventually made camp south of the village and the next day marched back to the ships off the coast near Westport.

The British had learned that an inland invasion did not yield an up-swelling of Loyalist support and that going beyond the range of their ships’ guns in enemy territory was a dangerous enterprise. The war would continue for years, but the British would never again attempt an inland attack in Connecticut.

The Events Ridgefield First Selectman Rudy Marconi chairs the steering committee for the April 29th - May 1st commemoration, with co-coordinators, Tracy Seem, Ridgefield Historical Society President, and Isabel Griffith, Town of Ridgefield Intern. The Friday evening kick-off on April 29th, organized by the Historical Society, will include a panel discussion featuring an update on the skeletons and the subsequent research conducted under the N.P.S. grant.

The Ridgefield High School Orchestra will perform and there will be a reception.

The Brigade of the American Revolution led by the 5th CT Regiment will set up camp at Jesse Lee Memorial United Methodist Church and the British Brigade Crown Forces led by the 54th Regiment Afoot will encamp at Ballard Park.

The battle reenactment will take place Saturday from 11 to noon, with Main Street closed from 10:30 to 3.

Other activities that day will include Battle of Ridgefield Walking Tours, events at the Keeler Tavern Museum & History Center, and an archaeology workshop at the Ridgefield Historical Society’s Scott House.

The Musket Ball, an event chaired by Harriet Riser and Stacey Schibli will take place at the Lounsbury House Saturday evening, and will include dinner, dancing, entertainment, and VIP camp visits with reenactors.

The weekend’s finale will be the reburial of the four soldiers’ remains following a horse-drawn carriage procession to the Olde Town Cemetery; period caskets are being donated by Kane Funeral Home. The Graveyard Committee has organized the burial with military honors that will include representatives of the town, American Legion Post 78, and Commander Crawford of the 5th CT Regiment.

Details of all events will be available on town website ridgefieldct.org and ridgefieldhistoricalsociety.org.

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Formerly Ridgefield & Wilton Magazine

Don’t Worry

Bee Hap A

solid green carpet of neatly cut grass has become a classic landscaping choice, and many of us have grown up accepting this. Long and uninterrupted fields of evenly cut grass is the trademark of almost every neighborhood. Although they are a signature amongst many homeowners in Connecticut, there has been a movement to abandon this norm.

One of these ‘lawn revolutionaries’ is Louise Washer, President of the Norwalk River Watershed Association, and Treasurer of Pollinator Pathways.

“I had been focused on protecting water quality for about 10 years, and one of my big issues is when people use pesticides on their lawns,” said Washer. “I’d been worried about that for a long time, so when I started talking to these ‘plant people’ I began to make the connection of ‘Oh, if we make these changes [refrain from chemical use] this is going to have the effect on water quality that I’ve always wanted.’”

A pesticide-free lawn is a key characteristic of a Pollinator Pathway - a corridor of native plants that provide nutrition and habitat for pollinators, such as butterflies, hummingbirds, and bees. Honeybees, for example, are among the most numerous and effective pollinator species in the world and are responsible for pollinating much of our crops, but have been experiencing a sharp decline in populations that can be slowed with healthy native area free of chemicals.

The Pollinator Pathway organization in Ridgefield has done a lot to ensure a healthy, pesticide-free passage for pollinators, with plant boxes on Main St. in Ridgefield and native gardens all over the area.

Ridgefield Artist Meredith Mulhearn created this interactvie artwork to educate and inspire people to learn about the Pollinator Pathway.

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TRY ME! QR codes work with your phone’s camera.

by Robyn Graygor Art by Meredith Mulhearn

py!

Benefits of a Natural Backyard

TRY ME! QR codes work with your phone’s camera.

TRY ME! QR codes work with your phone’s camera.

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PHOTO COURTESY OF DANA HOGAN, VP OF POLLINATOR PATHWAYS

To create such a beneficial environment in your own backyard, Jack Sanders, former editor of the Ridgefield Press and author of Hedgemaids & Fairy Candles: The Lives and Lore of North American Wildflowers, encourages homeowners to simply let weeds grow instead of applying herbicides.

“A weed is a very successful wildflower,” Sanders says. “It doesn’t require more work to have a natural lawn, it’s just that you’re not treating the lawn with chemicals to keep out what people call weeds.”

David McCarthy, Executive Director of the Wilton Land Conservation Trust, is

Schipper, Chair of the New Canaan Conservation Commission, has seen the impacts of chemical fertilizers firsthand.

“We’ve identified areas where runoff from properties upstream are affecting the health of the pond [in Bristow Park], and the algae blooms that are occurring,” explained Schipper. “Because people are putting too much [fertilizer] down, it’s leaching into the water supply.”

Robin Bates-Mason, Team Leader of Sustainable Connecticut, and member of Planet New Canaan, stresses the importance of soil testing before applying fertilizer to

“We personally think that sustainability is curb appeal. But if it’s not your thing, what we’ve read as a rule of thumb is that you can be 70% native [plants] and 30% introduced [plants] and still have a haven that sustains wildlife.” another supporter of chemical-free yards.

“An organic lawn is something that’s more sustainable over the long term,” explains McCarthy. “When you introduce things like pesticides, herbicides, and you’re spreading those around you are basically creating a dead zone.”

Fertilizers have also wreaked havoc outside the confines of a yard. Chris

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avoid situations like the one in Bristow Park.

She not only finds fertilizer unnecessary but thinks many who use it overlook a very simple natural solution; mowing the lawn the mulch the grass and leaves back into it, providing nitrogen through a carbonbased compost. Another way to avoid using chemical fertilizer is to plant natives.

“The thing about natives, is that

PHOTO COURTESY OF DANA HOGAN, VP OF POLLINATOR PATHWAYS

they won’t need fertilizer, and after they’re established, they won’t need water. They’re from here. They know this climate, they know this weather,’ said McCarthy.

“Sustaining these artificial foreign ecosystems in your yard is just not great.”

Sarah Breznen, Director of Education at the Woodcock Nature Center, stresses the importance of researching specific native plants. “The pollinator pathway is a great resource, and I would always urge everyone to go on there because they have a list of plants, what habitat they’re good for, when they bloom, what host species use them,” says Breznen. “So, they can kind of pick what would be most beneficial for their backyard.”

Turfgrass itself is a foreign ecosystem that requires quite a bit of maintenance if a homeowner wants it to look perfect, especially in the hot summer, explained Bates-Mason, who prefers clover in her yard.

“I actually plant clover—which also isn’t native—and have a lawn of just flowers; white clover flowers,” explains Bates-Mason.

“It is just buzzing with life, and that’s something that’s important to me.”

Since turfgrass isn’t native, that provides all the more reason to leave leaf litter for our insects, thinks Breznen.

“Leave the leaves is another big one,”

IS BACK

PHOTO COURTESY OF DANA HOGAN, VP OF POLLINATOR PATHWAYS

she said. “You can still rake the leaves off the lawn where your kids are going to play but have an area in your lawn where you leave those leaves because a lot of butterflies and moths overwinter [the dormant ‘hibernation’ state insects go into over winter] in them.”

Another step that can be taken to help native insects is to cut back on lawn mowing.

“There’s this really cool thing called No Mow May,” explains McCarthy. “In May, a lot of the plants support those early pollinator species that if you mow, you wouldn’t be providing them with the food they require. So, if you don’t mow your lawn in May it’s going to look tall, but it’ll be beautiful and will support nature.”

With less lawn mowing comes the idea of having less lawn overall. “What I would say is simply, don’t think you’re going to convert your whole lawn into a meadow or into a native plant garden,” Says Schipper. “Just start with a segment of it [yard] and see how pretty it could be as you plant some of the native flowers or plants or fruit bearing shrubs.”

Washer used this process when converting her lawn to a more natural space. “I’ve done that, and I’ve tried different shapes for the part of the lawn I let grow,” she explained. “Over time I’ve added wildflowers to that and [it looks] like little mini meadows.

A concern some may share when

transferring to a natural lawn is diminishing curb appeal. However, Wayne Gura, co-chair of the Wilton Garden Club’s conservation committee, sees the beauty of a natural lawn as unmatched.

“We personally think that sustainability is curb appeal. But if it’s not your thing, what we’ve read as a rule of thumb is that you can be 70% native [plants] and 30% introduced [plants] and still have a haven that sustains wildlife.”

Anne Djupedal Gura, co-chair of the Wilton Garden Club’s conservation committee, also sees the beauty in a native yard. “The flowers are lovely! Lovely enough to have been collected, cultivated, and featured in the great botanical gardens and garden estates of Europe and elsewhere.”

This area is well-known as a great place to raise a family. After what seems like an eternity of virtual classes, screen time, and restrictions, embarking on this outdoor journey not only benefits the environment but fosters a downto-earth learning environment for the whole family, right in our own backyards.

“It’s an opportunity to experience nature right here,” says Shipper. “My sense is if you’re young and you get exposed to nature it stays with you for life. Frankly, we’re on this planet, we’ve got to learn how to appreciate what nature has given us.”

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The past is back and better than

by Roger Garbow Photography by Roger Garbow

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BMW

MW is mostly known today for a dizzying range of SUVs and prominent grills that create considerable fodder for online discussion. But going back to the 1930s, BMW was building some of the most desirable open top sports cars on the planet. They were beautiful and fast. In 1990, BMW introduced the 8 series, a new model topping their line-up, but was only available as a coupe. After a twodecade hiatus, a second generation 8 series was launched for 2019, this time in both coupe, convertible and even four door versions. Available with either rear or allwheel drive, the new flagship grand tourer also offered BMW’s most powerful engine. With the convertible variant, BMW took a page from their glorious past, yet with the technology and performance today’s driver seeks.

Modern engineering and manufacturing techniques have allowed BMW to give the convertible version of the M8 the same levels of performance as its hardtop sibling. Viewed from nearly any angle, the convertible is a looker. Like most soft-top cars, the M8 is at its best with the top down. Lowering the roof can be done from inside or outside of the vehicle, the latter being a great feature for airing out the car on hot days. The easy to install wind deflector minimizes turbulence and allows for conversation without shouting.

The M8’s interior design is equally seductive, wrapped in quilted, two-tone leather, polished metal, and carbon fiber. The dash and center stack offer a clean interface to tap into the car’s deep well of performance and luxury features. Once widely derided, BMW’s latest infotainment system is much improved, allowing the driver to make selections without taking eyes off the road. BMW also takes cool weather driving to an even more comfortable level with heaters blasting warm air from outlets located just below the head rests to keep your neck toasty.

Having driven quite a few M models over the years, I approached the M8 with some skepticism.

Unlike some of the M models I’ve reviewed, the ride is buttery smooth and worthy of a luxury car. Yet, when you adjust the performance settings and unleash the car’s potential, the M8 becomes a supercar. Acceleration is stunning, with 60 mph arriving in 3 seconds or less.

As impressive as that number seems, the mid-range punch is even more spectacular. Step on the gas to pass another vehicle, at any speed, and the move is over in a blink. The car weighs 4,600 pounds which is a lot of weight for what is essentially a two-seater. Yes, there are seats in the back, but the legroom is so limited, most adults won’t fit. The car’s mass is always present, but the crisp handling gives the car moves of a much smaller vehicle. Pricing starts at $140,000.

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The 1980’s era Rafael Viñoly-designed house in Ridgefield is much more than a home...it’s an experience. You would be forgiven for concluding it was built simply for the awe factor. The same could be said for BMW’s M8 Competition Convertible.

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Hyundai Santa Cruz

B

ack in the 1970s, as the fuel crisis sent Americans scrambling for more efficient vehicles, compact pickup trucks from Japanese automakers delivered a fun, yet still spartan alternative to the boring econobox. Soon, American manufacturers joined the fray and the mini-truck war was on. Cheap gas, changing consumer tastes and the explosion of the SUV left the compact truck segment all but dead by early 2000s. The small trucks that did survive grew larger leaving a big void at the bottom of the market for affordable, frugal mini-trucks.

In 2015, Hyundai garnered massive media attention when they unveiled the Santa Cruz concept, a swoopy two-door small pickup. Ford joined the party when they pulled the wraps off their own compact truck, the Maverick. While Ford’s entry was more conventionally styled, at least on the outside, they leapfrogged Hyundai on both price and fuel economy with their base hybrid model.

PHOTO COURTESY OF HYUNDAI

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Ford Maverick Hyundai Santa Cruz

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yundai’s four-door Santa Cruz is the company’s first pickup and it’s a good one. Built off the excellent new Tucson platform, the Santa Cruz shares its sibling’s upscale interior but offers an optional 281 hp engine from the larger Santa Fe SUV. Not surprisingly, the Santa Cruz drives like a small crossover and once underway, you easily forget there is a bed out back. That bed features a composite dent-proof surface, locking retractable tonneau cover, LED lights and a bin in the floor which has drain plugs so you can use it as a cooler for serious tailgating.

The stylish Santa Cruz is about three inches shorter than the Maverick, yet with the more powerful drivetrains, can tow either 3,500 or 5,000 pounds. Available in FWD or 4WD, all trim levels offer a payload capacity of 1,411 pounds. For those looking for a small pickup that does not look or drive like a truck, the Santa Cruz is a compelling choice. Prices start at only $24,000.

Ford Maverick

T

he 2022 Ford Maverick (resurrecting a Ford car name from the past) is a four-door, five passenger compact truck that is available in either front-wheel-drive (hybrid) or four-wheel-drive (turbo 2.0 liter). The base 4-cylinder hybrid delivers plenty of power through the front wheels while returning very un-trucklike efficiency: I saw 45 MPG in my first 75 miles of driving!

With a starting price of only $20,000, the Maverick is surprisingly well equipped with a configurable bed that allows a wide range of uses. Ford’s interior design team nailed the Maverick with plenty of room for five passengers, easy-to-use controls, nice materials and tons of storage including a large bin under the rear seat. There

are even FITS slots which allows you to add your own 3-D printed accessories. My Lariat model also included a killer B&O sound system, heated steering wheel and seats, wireless charge pad, power moonroof, WI-FI hotspot and a 400W/120V inverter plug in the bed.

So how is it at truck things? The base model has a cargo capacity of 1,500 pounds and a towing capacity of 2,000. AWD versions up that number to 4,000 pounds.

Unless you really need the extra towing capacity, I recommend the hybrid. It’s rewarding to drive and delivers everyday comfort and economy car efficiency.

Just throw on a set of winter tires for the snowy months and you’ll be golden.

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Foodies

No. 109 Cheese and Wine I

’ve been to plenty of cheese shops and a few liquor stores in my day, but I’ve never experienced a place exuding as much passion as No. 109 Cheese and Wine. Located at 109 Danbury Road, it reminds me of a Vermont Country store or perhaps a French Village shop.

These two neighboring stores, owned by Monica and Todd Brown, offer fine wines and spirits, gourmet cheese and charcuterie, and curated specialty items sourced worldwide.

Co-owner Todd Brown is something of a Renaissance man. He started his career in fashion, found his way to the world of music production, then the automotive industry. From there, he continued to follow his passions which led him to fine wines and cheeses.

“There’s nothing we carry in this store that we don’t love,” Todd explains. From wines to bourbon cherries to Alpine Cheeses and French cheese knives, Todd can expound on the origins and quality of every item with an encyclopedic level of knowledge.

The wine shop delivers on distinctive wines you aren’t going to find anywhere else.

“98% of our wines are biodynamic, organic, and sustainable,” Todd says. While the wines are sometimes obscure, that doesn’t mean that they are all expensive. You can purchase a bottle of wine that costs as little as $13 but also find more luxury wines and champagnes, with the highest price being “a collector’s dream” - a Domaine Dujac French Burgundy retailing for around $495. “Our sweet spot is delicious wines that can be very difficult to come across, most in the $25 price range,” explains Todd.

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Walking into the wine shop is a bit like walking into a personal wine cellar. “We have a wine cellar at home, but we wanted this to be a place that we could pull from. We wanted it to feel like our cellar.”

When you visit, don’t miss the handmade counter that Todd and a friend designed using barn wood and the grill of a 1937 Mack Truck and 1942 vintage Dodge parts.

You won’t find “staff picks” or prices on the shelves when you walk around the shop, instead, you will find Gary or Greg. They are friendly and approachable, ready to make suggestions based on what you like.

“We almost always ask what you’ll be eating and pair your wine based on that,” Todd says.

A Perfect Pairing His wife and co-owner Monica is a charming gal who hails from Kansas. She is blessed with a discerning palate, which she further developed as a restauranteur and later, a sommelier. During a time when she was the manager of Jack Fry’s, an institution in Louisville, Kentucky, her personal life took her to Stamford, CT. She decided to branch out from food to her next passion: wine, and soon secured a job with a French wine importer.

“At the time, my exposure was more with New World wines. I didn’t know as much about Old World wines. So, I just fell in love with French wines, the French lifestyle, and the idea of food accompanying wine versus serving wine as a cocktail.”

PHOTO BY ROGER GARBOW

by Sarah Gauthier Galluzzo

Foodies

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Foodies

No. 109 Chees and Wine offers many catering options for business and personal events.

After a few years, she decided to open a wine shop, called Cellar 15—where she would sell well-made quality wines priced around $15.

Todd was interested in dating her, but she explained she didn’t have the time.

“So, I said, ‘if I help you open your wine shop will you be interested in dating?’ and she said, “sure” Todd remembers with a chuckle. And the rest is history. They met in 2001 and married a few years later. They sold the first wine shop to a friend and began thinking about their next venture. They saw a need for a cheese store and specialty food shop in town, and that’s how 109 Cheese and Wine was born.

“Some people buy shoes. We buy food and wine,” Monica says.

Her face lights up as she listens to Todd explain the experience of tasting caviar, “we turned people on to caviar that had never tried it.

They’re suddenly like, “why have I not had this before?” the answer is because they don’t understand it. And because they don’t understand, it’s scary to them.”

How would Todd describe caviar? “It’s like the perfect oyster. It has that brininess,” Monica chimes in, “Our favorite way to enjoy it is on potato chips with crème fraiche and champagne.”

If you are interested in giving caviar a go, they suggest you start

with Hackleback Wild Caviar or try a tasting at a local restaurant, like Bernard’s.

Food You Have to Try Todd and Monica’s staff seems as passionate as their bosses, two “work hard, play hard bon vivants.” “We have a great staff, and we are all hunting for the new cheese. The next thing,” Monica explains.

I took home items to try – including a very gooey runny cheese that put your “typical” triple crème brie to shame, delicious prosciutto, and some Croque monsieur tarts that WOWed my friends. And the wine he recommended was an Alvaro Palacios Camins del Priorat.

“A well-crafted blend of Cab, Syrah, Merlot and Garnacha” that landed right in that $25 sweet spot - but it was something I had never had before, and I loved it.

A few years back, the couple relied on their staff to run the shops as they took a road trip across the country. “We traveled six weeks with like one reservation. For us, life is about the journey and discovering new and unique experiences along the way,” Todd says.

The next leg of their journey is just getting started as the duo explore ideas for a gourmet coffee shop and hang out for vintage automotive enthusiasts.

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SHOUT OUT

Survival

Swimming Lessons for Babies Drowning Prevention Month is coming in May!

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During the upcoming swim season AND all year long please make water safety a part of your parenting checklist.

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Stay within arms reach whenever your baby is near water.

Never leave a child alone in a bathtub or in the care of another child, even for a moment.

Empty water from buckets and other containers immediately after use.

Assign a water watcher- and adult who will pay constant attention to children in water.

An effective water watcher should put down their cell phone, avoid other activities, supervise even if there are lifeguards, and switch off with another adult for breaks.

• Remember that drowning happens even when not swimming.

Water is everywhere, and multiple layers of protection are needed to keep children from the deadly risks. We cannot overlook this risk.

ia Longmont was sitting beachside watching her 2-year-old daughter, Layla, play in ankle deep water in the Long Island Sound. Suddenly, a gentle wave toppled her daughter over.

Although she was in less than 2 feet of water, she was frozen in fear lying on her back while the water was covering her face. She didn’t struggle or try to sit up which would have been easy for her to do. She was stunned. “The surprising part is that she didn’t flail about like you would expect.” Had Pia not been in arms reach of Layla, her daughter would have drowned. In less that 2 feet of water!

Layla was fine, but Pia was not. Determined to prevent a repeat accident, Pia enrolled Layla in survival swim lessons at Swimfinity Swimming Academy.

“It’s not always the easiest to watch,” Pia said of the classes, but it was lifechanging. Within weeks, Layla was independently and more importantly, was able to get herself into a lifesaving back float.

Children can drown in as little of 2 inches of water within 30 seconds. Drowning is the single leading cause of injury-related death among children ages 1 to 4 and the bottom line is this, if your child can’t swim in a pool without a flotation device, they can’t swim. Period.

The American Academy of Pediatrics knows these risks and this is why they revised their guidelines in 2019. The current recommendation is for children to begin high-quality swim lessons at as young as 1 years of age. High-quality swim lessons include experimental training, such as swimming in clothes, learning life jacket safety, surviving if falling in, and practicing self-rescue situations.

“Children should absolutely learn how to swim and more importantly, independently get themselves into a lifesaving back float, which is the quickest way to teach a child of any age to independently get air while in water. They can learn this simple technique within weeks”, says Ali Sisca, owner of Swimfinity Swimming Academy. At six months of age, babies can learn to survive in the water. Children love mastering a new skill and take great pride in their achievements. Learning to swim boosts their self-confidence and creates an eagerness to take on life’s further challenges.

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NOW IN CONNECTICUT

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Shout Out •

his spring, spend the day at Keeler Tavern Museum & History Center (KTM&HC)! Connect past and present, local and national as you learn the stories of former residents, museum collections, and the historic site.

Open Thursdays through Sundays from 11 a.m. - 4 p.m., and admission includes a museum tour and exhibit access.

Visitors can also explore the walled garden and beautiful four-acre grounds. Follow the self-guided walking tour or chart your own path.

KTM&HC has a full schedule of programs and events this season. The virtual series Tavern Tastings highlights the history of whiskey on March 8; the Barn Tag Sale begins March 24; and on April 30th and May 1st they’re participating in the town’s Battle of Ridgefield Reenactment weekend and will be offering free Battle of Ridgefield-themed tours of their historic tavern, including the cannonball fired by the British during the skirmish. Learn more and purchase tickets: www. keelertavernmuseum.org/visit.

Allison Stockel!

PHOTO BY J.C. MARTIN

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Keeler Tavern opens its doors again 86

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Ridgefield Playhouse Director receives Spirit of Dr. King Award

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llison Stockel’s dedication to many nonprofits in the area, as well as donating her time for the past 20 to the arts has been a service to the community. In addition to donating her time and salary to The Ridgefield Playhouse for the past 20 years, she has also been a host parent to three ABC (A Better Chance) students, the leadership advisory board of The Women’s Center (The Center for Empowerment and Education), is an incorporator for the Lounsbury House, is a member of the Ridgefield Rotary Club, and has supported many other nonprofits such as ACT of CT, The Ridgefield Boys and Girls Club, SPHERE, The Keeler Tavern, The Ridgefield Guild of Artists, Hillside Community Food Outreach, Ridgefield Social Services, and many others. She has also been instrumental in expanding the Martin Luther King Jr. Day ceremony by bringing it to a larger, more professional venue, the Ridgefield Playhouse. That move has made it possible for the event to reach many more people, now drawing a crowd of 300 plus attendees.

She received her award on Martin Luther King Jr. Day during an event that featured performances by ACT of CT’S Daniel C. Levine and Bryan Perri, actress Kimberly Wilson, The Ridgefield Chorale, The Ridgefield Diwali Committee, Ridgefield ABC students, MoJazz Dance, Ridgefield’s poet laureate Barb Jennes and many others.

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Is That A Thing?

Pickleball

by Bob Cousins

N

aming a sport after a sour, brined garden vegetable may seem contrarian, but many have developed a sweet affinity for this strangely named activity. It has developed into a popular activity for those who might otherwise shy away from high impact pastimes, however it is not for the sedentary or for the low key.

Pickleball is aptly described as a cross between doubles tennis and ping pong, with both using the same strategy of returning the ball past your opponents and using less real estate to do so. While it is commonly done on tennis courts, it is also an indoor and outdoor activity, making it a year-round sport for the young and old.

How it works: A square sized paddle is issued to each participant, with a wiffle ball used for the action of the game. Various “stories” for how it originated exist, but my favorite is the Vlasic family created it to stir pickle sales, because they had soured in North America, and had lost their crunch.Ok, this isn’t true at all, but it doesn’t diminish the odd name.

The true origin story is that the game was founded by Joe Pritchard and Bob O’Brian, and the game is named after Pritchard’s dog.

Two or four people can play, but most commonly,

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as I learned while at Yanity Gym by the Ridgefield Playhouse, there are four to a court, two per side. Players are surprisingly civil and conversant throughout it with nary a harsh word said to the other, not even in a teasing way. Ok I did hear one say, “your mother is a hamster and your father smells of elderberries”. Perhaps I had seen too many viewings of Monty Python and the Holy Grail. Anyway, these taunts seemed harmless and jovial.

Scoring is relatively easy. Play typically goes to 11 like in Spinal Tap, however 15 or 21 points are also considered. A ball is only allowed one bounce per side before it is ruled ineligible to be returned, and a point is given to the other side. Any ball out of bounds before a bounce is made is given the same criteria. After a team scores each point, the player serving and their teammate switch sides on their courtside.

During play there are several things to be mindful of; the area closest to the net is the “kitchen” (non-volley zone) which comes back about a yard (3 -1/2 ft., totaling 7 ft for both sides) from the net. You are supposed to “stay out of the kitchen”, as if a cook were preparing a meal. Behind this to an area extending about 15 or 20 ft. is the play area. Behind this is the “base line,” like in tennis it is the area you serve from, always underhanded. I found Pickleball to be a good workout, not too stressful or vigorous, but built up a good sweat.

Try it. Enjoy the crunch.

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Is That A Thing?

Top left: (Left to Right) Dee Dee Colabella, Greg Mursko, Jana Williams, Jay Graygor, and Bob Cousins discovered the joys of Pickleball. Local places to play include Ridgefield Rec Center, Yanity Gym , and outdoor tennis courts. Other venues are Ridgefield HS, East Ridge and Martin Park. Wilton Has the YMCA and the High School Courts. Redding has the Rec Center and Country Club, and Danbury has Rogers Park.

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Welcome

The Music is Sweet at

Sugar Hollow

by Dave Goldenberg

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ou’re a musician—you live to play.

But you’re also a grownup with a day job, and there are really no venues where you and your band can rock out.

What do you do? Simple: Open a venue of your own.

Ridgefielder Brian Teagarden, a percussionist who spends his days as an art director for World Wrestling Entertainment, was told last year by a friend about a “For Rent” sign outside the former Triangles Café on Route 7 in Danbury, on the Ridgefield line. And so, the Sugar Hollow Taproom was born.

“Around here, you’re either playing in a restaurant or at the Ridgefield Playhouse,” says Teagarden, 52, as we chat at the spacious bar. “There’s nothing in the middle, either for musicians or live-music fans.”

Teagarden enlisted his friend, guitarist John Conner, as partner, and they spent months renovating the building, which had sat vacant for more than two years. “It was like an old-fashioned dive bar,” Teagarden says. “It took forever, and we spent a ton of money to make it sound good, too.”

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He shows me how even the artwork masks sound-absorbing panels. And it does sound good. On a winter evening I listened to Teagarden play with one of his bands, Johnny and the Goats, and even as the guitarist shredded like Hendrix, it was still possible to hold a conversation without shouting.

The Sugar Hollow Taproom opened on October 2 of last year and has built an audience of what Teagarden calls “middleaged music lovers—people in their thirties through seventies who don’t want to be surrounded by a hundred drunk twentyyear-olds.”

“This is a music venue, not a bar,” says partner Conner, a real estate appraiser by day, whose curly, rock-and-roll locks belie his 53 years. And not just for rock, he adds, but country, bluegrass, folk and more: “Smart people like all kinds of music.”

Currently the Taproom books top local and regional acts on weekends. On Wednesdays, an open mic takes over the unique sunken stage, and on alternate Thursdays, Ridgefielder Jonathan Seem,

a top-notch guitarist, leads an open blues jam.

“The caliber of talent around here is incredible,” says Cheryl Boyd, a Ridgefield real estate agent and jazz singer. She convinced the new owners to let her book singer-songwriters for a showcase on alternate Tuesdays. “You come in and you might see the next Joni Mitchell or Amy Winehouse.”

To the rear of the Taproom is a kind of VIP lounge, complete with comfy sofas and a vintage AC/DC pinball machine. The adjacent bar is well-stocked, and for now, the staff will deliver orders from Brick House Pizza, just up the road. Soon, food trucks will provide dining, and plans include a full kitchen, patio dining and jazz brunches.

But the Sugar Hollow Taproom is above all about the music. During my visit I watched a crowd of full-fledged grownups bopping to the beat.

“The other night we didn’t make much money,” says Teagarden of a recent Taproom gig. “But, you know, I had the freaking time of my life!”

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Things To Do

March/April MARCH 3/1The Aldrich Contemporary 4/31 Art Museum Karla Knight: Navigator , Milano Chow: Prima Facie, Duane Slick: The Coyote Makes the Sunset Better, and Tim Prentice: After the Mobile

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The Ridgefield Playhouse The Clancy Tradition with Ashurst Academy

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The Ridgefield Playhouse John Oates with Guthrie Trapp

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The Ridgefield Playhouse The Psychedelic Furs

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The Ridgefield Playhouse Arrival - The Music of ABBA

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Keeler Tavern Museum Spring Boutique

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The Ridgefield Playhouse Beatles Tribute

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ACT of Connecticut Jesus Christ Superstar

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The Ridgefield Playhouse Bruce Cockburn

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The Ridgefield Playhouse Los Lobos

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Ridgefield Symphony Orchestra at The Ridgefield Playhouse - “JOY”

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RVNA Health Fair

6

The Ridgefield Playhouse Acrobats of China

26

Ridgefield Symphony Orchestra Chamber Concert at The Aldrich

6

Western Connecticut Youth Orchestra Winter Concert

26

The Ridgefield Playhouse Dirty Knobs with Jike Campbell

26

The Ridgefield Playhouse The Wailers

26

The Ridgefield Playhouse On A Winter’s Night

27

The Ridgefield Playhouse Bombshell

31

The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum/Ridgefield Library Virtual ARTalk - 52 Artists

8

Keeler Tavern Museum Tavern Tastings: Whiskey

9

The Ridgefield Playhouse Colbie Caillat

10-13 18-20

Ridgefield High School Spring Musical “25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee”

10

The Ridgefield Playhouse Tower of Power

3/11-4/2 Ridgefield Theater Barn Evening of One Acts 3/12-4/2 Ridgefield Historical Society/ Ridgefield Guild of Artists Picturing Our Past - Exhibition

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The Ridgefield Playhouse The Boomer Boys

10

The Ridgefield Playhouse Black Violin

13

The Ridgefield Playhouse One Night of Queen

14

The Ridgefield Playhouse Marky Ramone - In Conversation

14-17

Keeler Tavern Museum Barn Tag Sale

15

The Ridgefield Playhouse Cowbory Junkies

16

The Ridgefield Playhouse Luann de Lesseps

19

The Ridgefield Playhouse Diversity Film: Keep the Change

21

The Ridgefield Playhouse Joker Film: Q&A w/ Richard Baratta

22

The Ridgefield Playhouse Pilobolus: 50th Anniversary Tour

22

Keeler Tavern Museum History Trivia

23

Ridgefield Symphony Orchestra at Ridgefield High School - “Titans”

23

The Ridgefield Playhouse Glenn Miller Orchestra

24

The Ridgefield Library In-Person ARTalk - Alexander Isley: Working with Words

27

The Ridgefield High School Band Concert

28-29

The Ridgefield Playhouse Comedian Kathleen Madigan

29-30

Ridgefield Historical Society Battle of Ridgefield Celebration Kick-off and Reenactment Event

30

The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum Gala in the Garden

APRIL 1-3 7-10 14-17

ACT of Connecticut Jesus Christ Superstar

1-3

Keeler Tavern Museum Spring Boutique

12

The Ridgefield Playhouse Ann Hampton Callaway

1

The Ridgefield Playhouse Comedian Tracy Morgan

13

Keeler Tavern Garden House Music at the Museum

2

The Ridgefield Playhouse Get the Led Out

13

The Ridgefield Playhouse Mike Super: Magic & Illusion 2.OH!

3

The Ridgefield Playhouse The Bacon Brother

30

15

The Ridgefield Playhouse Harvey Fierstein In Conversation with Roz Chast

4

The Ridgefield Playhouse Steve Hackett

Downtown Ridgefield Spring Fest

30

The Ridgefield Playhouse The Zombies

3/175/15

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9

RPAC Art Gallery Cindy Wagner & RPAC Resident Artists

4

ACT of CT Broadway Unplugged

5

The Ridgefield Playhouse Gavin DeGraw

3/175/15

D. Colabella Fine Art Gallery Featuring Leigh Brooklyn

6

The Ridgefield Playhouse Tommy Emmanuel

18

The Ridgefield Playhouse Alan Cumming & Ari Shapiro

9

Ridgefield Guild of Artists Coming of Age - Show Opens

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March/April 2022

All events were submitted by the organizations through public calendars including the Ridgefield Arts Council calendar. 068 Magazine is not responsible for any omissions or errors.

For more information, visit the individual website of each organization. Please submit any events happening in a 068 zip code to editor@068magazine.com

Grants Available for Art Students & Visual Artists Artist Opportunities

ArtFul strives to change the status of “the starving artist” by providing and subsidizing Resident Artist opportunities to be used for studio space, material expenses, show applications, and marketing costs to allow an artist to create and show a body of work.

ArtFul will award up to *$15,000 annually for Resident Artist opportunities.

DEADLINE TO APPLY: March 31st, 2022

Scholarships

ArtFul Visual Arts Initiative supports both working and aspiring artists in exploring new avenues in their work and receiving additional training. ArtFul offers scholarships for qualified candidates applicable towards workshops, college level training, and masters level training at the institution that best fits the artist.

Scholarships range from *$2,500 to $10,000.

DEADLINE TO APPLY: March 31st, 2022 All applications can be found online at

www.artful-gives.org For questions, email

info@artfulgives.org

ArtFul Visual Arts Initiative, Inc. is a 501c(3) nonprofit charitable organization. *ArtFul does not direct the funds to any organization. The artist chooses where the money is utilized and is not disclosed at time of application or acceptance.

Painting sampled from Abby Deubler’s Persephone X. Abby is a 2021 Artful Grant Recipient.

What Ever Comes Up

Obscure holidays to keep life

EXCITING

by Dee Dee Colabella

I

n my pursuit of which March/April holiday or event to focus on, I thought of all the regular holidays that we think of easily such as St. Patrick’s Day, April Fools Day and or course Passover and Easter. As I hunted, I wanted this to be fun, more than what you would expect.

Then it happened, I found Awkward Moments Day. I honestly must admit, I had never heard of this obscure day of note, (AWKWARD) but now it is on my calendar to celebrate all those awkward moments throughout the year. But now what can you do with such interesting but seemingly useless information? I found Hashtags on the site after clicking on it to explore the treasures of the day. I went to my social media, input #Awkwardmomentsday and #nationalawkwardmomentsday and the fun began! Not only do celebrities like the Bacon Brothers post on this hashtag but there are FUN memes that can keep you busy and not to mention leave an opportunity for a hardy laugh (snort). But wait, there are more fun holidays in March - such as National Pig Day and National Cheese Doodle Day. The list for March was extensive and fun, but I must admit my favorite for April must be Talk Like Shakespeare Day on April 23rd. Use this translator below and go!

So wend f ’rth and findeth thy by fate day which shall keepeth thy days joyful!

Obscure April Holidays

!

National Cheese Doodle Day March, 5th

National Pig in a Blanket Day & Scream Day both on April 24th (so you can scream about pigs in a blanket and hit both) National Hug a Plumber Day, April 25th

!

National Awkward Moments Day March, 18th

!

National Pig Day March, 1st www.lingojam.com/englishtoshakespearean

National Talk Like Shakespeare Day April, 23rd

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National Unicorn Day, April 9th National Hanging Out Day, April 19th

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!

National Read a Road Map Day, April 5th

Have you missed Grandparents Day or Flag Day on the calendar? Just can’t keep those dates fresh in your mind? I have discovered the solution to this problem in the form of a COMPLETE Days of the Year Calendar. Never miss an important day again with www.daysoftheyear.com!

create with the

PROS RPAC Art Center and Academy offers numerous classes for all skill levels in both Digital Design and Studio Art. In-person and online classes are available.

GENERAL INSTRUCTION INDEPENDENT STUDY PORTFOLIO REVIEW & CREATION FLEXIBLE HOURS

Illustration by: Jordan Moody

RPAC offers a fun and creative environment that allows artists and students a place to express their creativity. Students learn from talented instructors with years of realworld experience while working in a space surrounded by professional artists.

Follow us @RPACartcenterandacademy RPACartcenter.com info@RPACartcenter.com (475) 215-5740 Illustration by: Anonymous

One More Thing

FIRST LOOK

Lifeline A new book by author Hugh James (Jim Malloy) cover art by Jim Malloy

I

n addition to being an accomplished artist, CT resident Jim Malloy is also an author and songwriter.

Using multiple disciplines to channel his creativity, he has written works that range from mystery, fantasy, humor, and more. Lifeline is his latest story about a young drifter who finds himself more or less (as in jobless and penniless) stranded on the outskirts of a has-been, rust belt city. He is a lost soul with a memory problem – and a mysterious tattoo on the back of his neck he didn’t request. In fact, he has no recollection of anything in his past – and very little inclination to change his sad lot in life until he is thrust into a wild adventure that changes everything. What happens next could only be described as a zany French farce. The drifter, Jackson Payne, gets a job at an old hotel where he ultimately finds the love of his life, the meaning of his tattoo, and a lifeline to his future. That is, only after he dodges a teenage hitman, the jealous husband of the second-floor maid, a quirky corduroy magnate with definite signs of megalomania, a pair of adorable, slap-happy do-gooders, a shaman called ‘The Hobbit,’ and a hotel manager with a chip on her shoulder the size of an unsanctioned twenty-pound bowling ball.”

For more information, please visit www.3dreamscreative.com

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