CIVIC ACHIEVEMENT

Singing The Praises

Ansonia’s Opera House might have a second life after all

Before the internet, before television, before movies, there was the theater. Plays and orchestras from around the world could be seen in theaters and opera houses in your own hometown. Then modernity happened and they fell out of favor. But the buildings that housed them still stand, and the Ansonia Opera House might just have a future.

Built just after the conclusion of the Civil War, the Ansonia Opera House was for decades the jewel of the area. Those with an interest in music could go see a show right at 100 Main Street.

Though Enrico Caruso and Maria Callas could still sell records, Opera began to fall out of fashion. But the building had other uses. According to some sources, graduations and boxing matches all took place under the same roof.

That wasn’t enough to keep the Opera House open and functional, and ever since a Fire Marshall closed it down in 1971, it has remained dormant.

Thanks to the power of social media though, interest has been revived in this old building along with its counterpart in Derby, the Sterling Opera House. Many people were seeing pictures inside for the first time because a few enterprising individuals with a spooky side to them decided to go looking for ghosts in these halls.

While some looked for specters, others saw the beauty even amongst the decay. Cracked plaster and peeling paint aside, the bones were there and could be restored once again.

Or “recharged” might be better. Already discussed in the pages of CT&C, Ansonia Recharged is a fullfledged economic development program with a theme song to go with it. With so much growth in the town, Mayor David Cassetti – a music lover himself – felt the time was right to get a place to see a show in town.

After months of work between the corporation counsel, the Mayor, the Board of Alderman, and the current owners, the town of Ansonia is officially leasing the building for $1 a month for the next 30 years.

They know that the building is going to need perhaps millions in repairs, but they hope to get grants to bring this once majestic building back to life.

At some point, the future of the building was certain – although some retail was available on the first floor, the building was soon to have more in common with the ghosts that are said to walk its halls than the revitalized center outside.

Now it has a fighting chance like an underdog boxer that once fought here. Maybe there will be shows, or maybe there will be graduations here once again. What is for certain is that now it doesn’t feel so much like the Opera has ended, the curtains drawn. Now it’s just getting ready for its second act.

It’s A Great Day For Our Town

Chaplin play recreates the first town hall meeting on 200th anniversary

In municipal government, everybody has a role to play. With so many moving parts, everybody must be on cue to keep the show going. That is how Chaplin has run for 200 years now, and they’re celebrating with a reenactment of the First Town Meeting.

Just before it was incorporated, the town was formed around a church that was constructed because Benjamin Chaplin disliked the long travel to his church. From the official town history, he bequeathed $1500 to form an ecclesiastical society that would build a new church on one condition – that church must be built within a mile and a quarter of his home.

At 1 Chaplin Street in Chaplin is a small Greek Revival building erected in 1840 as the Town Hall. The current Chaplin Town Hall is located at 495 Phoenixville Road.

Within 10 years of this church being built, 25 homes, a tavern, and a general store were put up. And finally, in 1822, members of this growing community met with the towns of Mansfield, Hampton and Windham to negotiate the creation of a new town named in honor of the man who built that first church. On July 4, 1822, they had their first town meeting.

Fast forward 200 years and the town of Chaplin will be recreating that meeting in the same church that it originally took place in.

After putting out a casting call in February, Rusty Lanzit told me that this was not so much a reenactment, but a reenactment of a reenactment. At the 250th anniversary celebration in 1972, they put on this play of the original meeting. It features performers taking on the roles of Jeremiah Holt, Mr. Church, Pricilla Black, George England (to

be performed by First Selectman Juan Roman), Father and Son from Hampton, Captain Erastus Hough, Orin Witter, Reverend Andus, and Lois Robbins.

But the most interesting aspect of the play is the role of the moderator who will be played a person who attended that first performance in 1972 as a child.

Each town and city in Connecticut has an interesting foundational story in it. Because Benjamin Chaplin didn’t like having to travel so far, there is now a town named in his honor. This play reenactment might be a fun part of the bicentennial celebrations, but it’s also a way to honor where came from and the importance of local government along the way.

History In Zeros and Ones

Derby Map Highlights Places Of Yore

A municipality is not just the square miles or population or form of government, but the sum total of the history that led us to today. In Derby, one enterprising historical society member brought that history to the modern age by creating a digital map of historic Birmingham Borough.

Though the town holds the distinction for being the smallest, that wasn’t always so. Starting out as a much larger area, Jack Walsh, former head of the Derby Historical Society, decided to concentrate on an area of town that was known as Birmingham Green or Birmingham Borough.

It was built during a time in which the economy was struggling, and seeking out ways to create new economic development, they built a green with Churches and other amenities.

Users can virtually traverse the city – to the post office, train station, and library. These are all included on Walsh’s map. Noted in an interview with the New Haven Register, Walsh also says that some private residences are included in his map because of the significance of the individuals.

One such individual was Henry Shelton Sanford, who would found another town in Florida as well as becoming a “pivotal figure in the colonization of what would be known as the Congo Free State.”

This isn’t Walsh’s first endeavor in mapping out historical sites. On the Derby Historical Society website, you can access the Heritage Driving Tour, which includes information on the historic homes and locations throughout the entire Valley. The Yale Boat House, the Sterling Opera House, but perhaps most importantly, Roseland Apizza.

From the Register article, Walsh said that he thinks that plaques should go up around town to commemorate these locations for future generations, especially with the ongoing construction. Currently, Derby is in the middle of the Route 34 project that will alter the current landscape where many historical buildings once stood.

Often, some residents believe that the way things are are the way that things have always been, while others believe that we are currently experiencing unprecedented times. Diving deep into our rich past proves that both are true to some extent. (We’ve been through pandemics before, but until now, no one’s had Netflix to help get them through it.)

While many of the buildings and locations that are marked on Walsh’s map are no longer there, they are part of the history of Derby. With towns and cities that are centuries old, each municipality would have a rich landscape to choose from should they map their own history.

Getting Out On The Ice

New Canaan one step closer to public rink

If it’s going to be cold, you might as well have fun with it. That was the idea in New Canaan when they approved a special permit for an ice-skating rink at Waveny Park.

After what was described as a decade of work and multiple placement options, the town settled on Waveny Park for its location and size. The rink is set to be a “pop-up” situation for the town, as it will only run during the colder months.

While the rink won’t be permanent, there will be some infrastructure that is needed to stay in place. That includes a chiller, which aids in the rink formation. The Zamboni, which refinishes the surface, will remain in a tent on-site, at least during the winter months when it is operational.

Although mother nature helps a bit with the formation of the rink simply by being cold, running and maintaining the rink won’t be free. Some equipment, including the chiller, was purchased for $75,000 according to figured from the New Canaan Advertiser, and the yearly operating costs are expected to be $175,000 between staffing and other expenses.

In order to recoup some of these costs, the town plans on instituting a skate fee which would be $10 for a day pass or $500 for the entire season, which may seem like a lot, but would average out to about $5 a day if you have it in you to skate that often. Additionally, they will add advertising opportunities to the rink that they expect to take in about $20,000 per season.

All of this won’t be enough to get the plan off the ground, but fortunately, they got an investor that will help them and give the rink a name, too. Former State Senator Toni Boucher was able to donate $100,000 to the project, who said that it was a “missing gem” for the area. For her generosity, the rink will be named the Boucher Community Ice Rink in honor of the Senator and her late husband, Bud Boucher.

There is still a need for additional funds to complete the rink plan, but the volunteers are working hard to make that happen. State Rep. Tom O’Dea, who represents New Canaan, is among those that are trying to get this plan off the ground, and First Selectman Kevin Moynihan had suggested ways that they might be able to make that a reality.

What’s clear is that the community thinks this is a great idea for New Canaan. Ice Skating is a winter pastime that many can enjoy – it’s healthy exercise, it’s fun to get on the rink with friends and family, and if you can keep warm, it’s a nice way to spend some time outside even in the coldest months.

Sing Us A Song Ansonia Man

New town song touts all that makes Ansonia Ansonia

In every town and city in Connecticut, there are talented individuals of all stripes. Some open restaurants after a lifelong passion for cooking, some paint lovely, expressive murals that enliven main streets, but rarer than that are the troubadours that write a song for their town. Ansonia’s Richard Demko did just that to give just a little buzz to his hometown.

Inspired by and commissioned by the City of Ansonia, Demko’s song Ansonia Recharged was written specifically to promote its economic development and projects that the town is completing.

On a map touting the progress of many of these projects available on the AnsoniaRecharged.com website show that over the past couple of years Ansonia has made significant updates to downtown – with many more to come.

On Restaurant Row and beyond, they’ve welcomed new local restaurants and companies into town, saw small start-ups find space for manufacturing, and designated an area as an opportunity zone that will hopefully entice more businesses with incentives and tax benefits.

What was missing was the soundtrack.

The story goes that Ansonia’s Corporation Counsel approached Demko about the possibility of writing a Yacht-rock single – think Michael McDonald and Dan Fogelberg – which is what Mayor David Cassetti generally has pumping through city hall’s speakers.

In a fortnight, Demko produced a song that fit that criteria, playing almost all of the instruments on the track. He lent Heather Joseph take over the vocals and the guitar that you hear soloing in the background is none other than Former State Senator George Logan, who is also an Ansonia resident.

Though the lyrics tout all the great things to see and do in Ansonia, they decided that that wasn’t enough. What good is a theme song without a music video to go along with it?

Mayor Cassetti traipsed through town, just as the lyrics implore the listener to do, stopping at many of the local restaurants, businesses, and assets that make Ansonia what it is.

While Yacht Rock might not be the high voltage rock and roll of AC/ DC, the song provides enough of a charge to get the train rolling on Ansonia Recharged.

One Man’s Trash Is Another’s Library

Ashford Transfer Station Library getting renewed interest

Some good ideas are new and innovative – using a new technology to find efficiencies, for example. But some ideas are old and recycled and worth rediscovering. That’s the case in Ashford as people find out that the town’s Transfer Station has a library.

That’s right. The town’s transfer station has a library. And while libraries are one of civilizations greatest and oldest innovations – the Ashford Transfer Station Library isn’t so much a library, but a place where residents can discard lightly used goods and books to be picked up by others.

The online blog Connecticut Museum Quest, or CTMQ for short, explored the book exchange picking up classics like James Joyce’s Dubliners and books by Anthony Bourdain, and pledging to return the favor by dropping off a box of books that they no longer wanted.

One might think that this is a unique and novel concept for the town to explore. It’s a way to continue the cycle of usefulness for goods that might otherwise be thrown out – Recycling has been around for decades, but now it’s gotten to the point where we use metal straws and wear shoes made out of recycled materials. Surely this place just opened.

In a New York Times article dated November 19, 1995, they note that “the book exchange, started this year, is housed in an 8 foot by 12 foot plywood shed.”

“There are no lights and no windows but the shed is lined with shelves sagging under the weight of hundreds of books. People are invited to take as many as they want, and drop off what they’ve read.”

Many ideas take time to suss out. Any new technology or concept needs to prove that it can stick around, and it seems that the people of Ashford themselves weren’t sure of this new library concept at the time.

But they were sure seeing the joy that it brought to people. One attendant said that four out of five people coming to the transfer station also visited the library, comparing it to Grand Central Station.

Twenty-six years later and the library is still being discovered by book lovers. And for something that works on the honor system, they’ve never run out of books. Pictures from CTMQ show perhaps hundreds of books ripe for the taking.

CTMQ says that the concept is so obvious that one of these should exist at every Transfer Station in Connecticut, and maybe they’re right. With over 25 years of success, this innovative idea doesn’t need to prove itself any longer, it’s one that towns across the state can recycle for themselves.

The Wicked Cricket Pitch

New sportsfield is a home-run for towns

Baseball may be America’s pastime, but the sport of Cricket has seen a growing fan base in Connecticut. But despite similarities, the sport needs its own field. In Manchester, they renovated an old softball field so that the burgeoning sport has a place to grow in the city.

To say that Cricket is growing in popularity undersells the phenomenon. Second only to Football – Soccer to us Americans – Cricket holds a worldwide audience of 2.5 billion fans according to the World Atlas, mostly centered in former British Colonies like India and Australia.

Compare that to Baseball’s 500 million fans worldwide. The rules of which are very similar to cricket as both are considered “bat-and-ball” games, where one team is batting and the other team is playing defense.

With that kind of popularity around the world, it was bound to make its way to America. According to figures from the Hartford Courant, the Asian Pacific American population grew 65 percent in the last census period, which they argue led to the increasing popularity.

Support came from Manchester Mayor Jay Moran and General Manager Scott Shanley who allocated $350,000 for the project in 2019 – to be reimbursed through the state’s Local Capital Improvement Program. The project, like so many others, was delayed due to the pandemic.

Thanks to work done in-house from the town engineering and public works departments, the project came in under budget, as quoted in the Courant article.

The Connecticut Cricket League boasts 16 teams from around the state, including teams from the Hartford area, Southern Massachusetts, and Southern Connecticut.

This is exemplary of the growing popularity of the sport throughout Connecticut.

Earlier this year, the New Milford Town Council voted to approve the construction of a cricket field in town.

The field would support the New Milford Cricket Club (NMCC), which has been active since 2006, who provided fundraising for the project, with additional funds coming from the Waste Management Fund according to the Danbury News Times.

NMCC recently hosted what they called a “historic” cricket match between a local youth team and a youth team from Norwalk. (The match is available to watch on the NMCC YouTube page).

As the sport grows in popularity around the state and around the country, the infrastructure is going to need to grow. Thanks to its similarities to Baseball, converting a field from one to another might prove a simple option.

Thanks to efforts in Manchester and New Milford, the sport has room to grow, welcome fans new and old alike.

Culture In The Northwest

Spring Hill Arts Gathering brings vibes, culture to Washington

With Cultural Districts now available for all Connecticut municipalities to pursue, one of the key jumping points is looking at those cultural touchstones. In Washington, one of the newest cultural programs is the Spring Hill Arts Gathering held on seven days across two weekends this past summer.

The Spring Hill Arts Gathering festival is being put on Spring Hill Vineyards, which was founded in 2006. Since then, they have put together entertainment and arts centers on their property, which is where most of the festivities were to be held.

The goal of this festival is to connect artists with nature and encourage diverse perspectives with creative collaborations and discussions.

Some of the highlights of the festival include music by KT Tunstall and Sophie B. Hawkins, a conversation with Graydon Carter, dance programs, food vendors and a makers market. Tickets to the event were $45 for individual days, except the last day, which was free.

One day is a cross promotion between SHAG and Pride in the Hills (PITH), an organization whose mission it is to “support, inspire, and celebrate LGBTQ+ people in the Greater Waterbury and the Litchfield Hills” areas.

In addition to their day at SHAG, PITH has sponsored 160 young people to attend the True Colors Convention in Storrs, awarded grants and other financial support to LGBTQ+ groups, contributed to libraries in conjunction with the Gay, Lesbian, & Straight Education Network, and much more.

The last day of the gathering was specifically produced as a Washington Town Party, featuring tributes to local town heroes, as well as local town artisans. This day was free for all to attend.

When discussing the possibility of cultural districts at a local webinar hosted by CCM in partnership with the Connecticut Main Street Center, they advised towns not to overlook important cultural happenings in town rather than singling out the usual museums and theatres as important cornerstones to the culture of a town.

Festivals like the Spring Hill Arts Gathering festival are important in bringing the kinds of diverse crowds and new people from the area to a town like Washington.

Especially with the focus on diversity with the partnership with Pride in the Hills and the reflection on the local with the Town Party, towns and cities across the state should reflect on those places where they see cultural value. That way, years down the line, they won’t be saying “Suddenly I see!”