Let’s make 2025 the healthiest and happiest year yet for your pets!
The New Year is the perfect time to focus on wellness—and that includes your pets! Whether your dog or cat is recovering from surgery, dealing with mobility issues, or could use preventative care to stay active and pain-free, Dr. Mindy Mar at Coronado Veterinary Hospital can help.
Everyday Reasons your Dog or Cat Can Benefit From Chiropractic Adjustment:
Long road trip in the car
Rough play at doggie daycare
Seemingly sore after an extra long hike or day at the beach
Not wanting to jump on or off the couch, bed, car as they usually do
Hesitant going up or down the stairs
Day after dental procedure, neck and jaw might be sore/locked up
During and after having a cast on (broken toe for example, gait and mobility will be off)
Difficulty with eating/drinking due to pain associated with lowering head
Your Pet’s Path to Recovery!
Physical Rehabilitation Services for Dogs & Cats:
Services Offered:
Chiropractic Care - Manual,
VOM® Method, VetroStim®
Therapeutic Exercise
Class 4 Deep Laser
Shockwave Therapy
Soft Tissue Therapy
Prevention/Wellness
Conditions Treated:
Intervertebral Disc Disease
Degenerative Myelopathy
Osteoarthritis
Degenerative Join Disease
Pre & Post Op
Hip Dysplasia
Patella Subluxation
Cruciate Ligament Injury
Weekend Warriors
• Certified Animal Chiropractor via American Veterinary Chiropractic Association
• Diplomate of the American Chiropractic Board of Sports Physicians
• Certified Chiropractic Sports Physician
• International Certified Sports Chiropractor Contact Coronado Veterinary Hospital today to schedule an appointment with Dr. Mindy Mar (619) 435-6281
coronadovet@gmail.com www.nadovet.com or www.marchiropractic.com
150 Orange Avenue, Coronado, CA 92118
Dr. Mindy Mar DC, CAC, CCRP, DACBSP, CCSP, ICSC
Del Coronado Realty is a full service boutique brokerage specializing in Concierge-level real estate in Coronado, CA and the surrounding Coastal San Diego Areas
N e w Y e a r N e w e a
o f f w i t h a b a n g a n d
g i v e t h e g i f t t h a t w i l l b e
c h e r i s h e d f o r a l i f e t i m e !
L E T O U R E X P E R T
T E A M H E L P Y O U
Are you ready to make a significant move in your real estate journey?
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We specialize in finding homes that cater to your unique needs and desires Purchasing a property at The Del is not simply buying real estate; it's investing in a storied legacy This iconic establishment and the island itself boast over a century of rich history and luxury, set against the picturesque shores of Coronado Island As an owner at The Del, you are embracing a tradition steeped in grandeur, surrounded by a vibrant, enduring community with world-class amenities
The island's breathtaking views, warm locals, and superior facilities offer an unparalleled living experience If you ’ re in search of a place that epitomizes the essence of a perpetual vacation, look no further than Coronado Immerse yourself in the local charm, relish the peaceful yet vibrant lifestyle, and watch as your new vacation home appreciates in value in this peerless location Why just visit when you can live the dream every day? Coronado Island awaits, ready to welcome you
For a seamless real estate experience and expert guidance, reach out to Ruth Ann Fisher and the Del Coronado Realty team Discover exceptional properties and unparalleled service today where your dream home becomes a reality!
Broker
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CARRIE MICKEL SALES ASSOCIATE
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Take
Raise
HAPPY NEW YEAR CORONADO!
Welcome to 2025 … it’s sure to be a wonderful year.
It may be fair to say that we all spend just a little too much of our time in front of our screens, paying undo attention to an electronic world that is designed for the very purpose of holding our focus … thankfully, Hattie reminds us it’s important to get out and touch some grass, we’ll all be the better for it. And while you’re out-and-about, you should take in the sounds of the Villa-Lobos International Chamber Music Orchestra.
Where there’s grass, there’s often bound to be flowers … are you getting ready for the annual Coronado Flower Show? This April event will transform Coronado into a blooming wonderland, mark your calendars today.
2025 is a year to begin working together … or at least you can get into a good groove with Christine’s Disco Ball 2025. Mary Palumbo offers a fresh start to your table after the holidays. Or, perhaps you’re more the type to solve a mystery … how about a 50-year-old cold case in Coronado?
Safe Harbor Coronado suggests: “be gentle with yourself as you look at the year ahead,” and Kris Grant takes us on a tour of the Berkshires.
There’s a whole new vista opening before us as we move into 2025. Let’s all take a little time and resolve to make this the best year ever!
Check out one of Check out one of Coronado’s friendliest and Coronado’s friendliest and highest rated salons highest rated salons
*Our salon is hiring! We have one chair available - inquire within.
Jan 22nd, 2025 at 6:00 pm
Salon On First is thrilled to introduce a new addition to the Coronado community Dr Angelique Campen!
Dr. Campen is known as a “Doctor to the stars.”Many of her clients have graced the big screen or red carpet. S he is a renowned expert in aesthetic medicine with over 20 years experience, helping clients achieve a rested and yo uthful look without the over-done appearance often associated w ith cosmetic treatments. Her secret is in her ability to enhance natural beauty with subtle, artful techniques. Her business, aptly named, The Best Kept Secret , speaks to the discreet skillful work she is known for.
Salon On First will be hosting an exclusive evening with Dr. Campen on Jan. 22nd at 6pm. This is a fantastic opp ortunity to receive a FREE consultation about how to rejuvenate your look with a natural appraoch, as well as a sample of her signature, Best Kept Secret face cream. You don’t want to miss this special and exciting event! Mark your calendars - we can’t wait to see you!
Space
Touching Grass
By HATTIE FOOTE
Iwas driving by Spreckels Park recently, and I noticed a big birthday party, complete with an inflatable castle jump house and a big table with snacks and cupcakes. It made me smile but also feel a twinge of sadness with the realization that my days of princess parties in the park are over as my daughter turns 11 this month.
I went home and talked to my husband about how crazy it is that for so many years, we were at Spreckels Park daily, and now that our kids are older, we are rarely there. It got me thinking about the parks of Coronado and how they play such a huge role in so many moments of our lives.
I have seen countless marriage proposals set up at Bayview Park, complete with candles and rose petals, romance in the air! It seems every weekend, there is a quinceañera at Centennial Park, and my kids are constantly in awe of the beautiful, lavish dresses and limos. Flag football and plane spotting are a favorite pastime at Sunset Park and, of course, gathering for the annual Sundance golf cart parade during the holidays at Star Park.
My husband coached our daughter’s first (and only) tee-ball team, the Skunks, at Matthewson Park, and that is also where our family met at the very beginning of the pandemic. We sat in a socially distanced circle, wringing our hands when it was announced that America’s sweetheart Tom Hanks had COVID-19. Ah, what a time to
be alive; it feels like a fever dream! Nowadays, most of our time is spent at Tidelands for sports; we spend countless hours at practice, games, and post-season parties.
I would say that Spreckels Park, in particular, holds at least one special memory for the majority of our community. Magical summer nights spent with loved ones at Concert in the Park and so much chaos and candy at Halloween Happening. Lost teeth, found stuffed animals, new friends, old friends, first steps, last hugs. It’s the epicenter of our town, the crowned jewel.
As much as I adore being a mother, there were many days I was completely overwhelmed and cooped up. Spreckels saw me through baby blues, and for that, I will
be forever grateful for the space to breathe.
I asked my friends and neighbors to chime in on what they love about Spreckels Park because I know my experience is not exclusive. The responses I received were just all of the heart eyes. “My parents met at Concert in the Park, and they just celebrated their 42nd anniversary in August.” “My first swing ride was at Spreckels, as well as my son’s, 1987 and 2016!” “Special memory: newly dating my husband, he took me to the gazebo after dark to slow dance with his iPod (we each had one earbud in). The gazebo was lit and perfectly romantic.” “Dancing as a family to Concert in the Park, endless hours pushing my girls on the swings” “I would go there before living here
and watch the littles play. That is one of the reasons we decided to move here. I couldn’t believe kids coming and going on their own” “Coronado Academy of Dance performing at the gazebo during the flower festival.” “Concert in the Park has held so many fun summer memories and is such a unique experience that celebrates Coronado in our community!” “One time I witnessed a wedding happen… while we were playing on the playground!”
There were so many replies I could write on and on. One thing is for sure: those trees have seen some pretty special times. So go touch some grass, dance in the gazebo, swing at the playground, and take advantage of our town’s wide open spaces! Adventure awaits!
Brought from Brazil
ARTS IN CORONADO: DAWN RICHARDS
Villa-Lobos International Chamber Music Orchestra Comes To Coronado
If you think of chamber music as subtle and refined, you’re in for a rip-roaring surprise when, straight from Brazil, the Villa-Lobos 10th Annual International Chamber Music Festival hits the SoCal Coast. Of the 12 concerts, Coronado will play host to four, including a plethora of world premieres. Sponsored by the City of Coronado and Cultural Arts Commission, all concerts are free. This will be Coronado’s third year to host the ensemble founded by Dr. Lars Hoefs, Artistic Director and Professor of Cello and Music History at Sao Paulo State University in Brazil. Earning his Master’s and Doctorate
from UCLA, Lars formed the Festival in 2015 as a cross-cultural link between Brazil and Southern California. The group’s name pays homage to composer and conductor Heitor Villa-Lobos (1887–1959), described as “the single most significant creative figure in 20thcentury Brazilian art music.” Considered an expert on the cello repertoire of Villa-Lobos, Lars has performed the composer’s music worldwide.
So, get ready for a rollicking ride through Brazil, Argentina, Mexico, and Cuba, with hits from Heitor Villa-Lobos to Leonard Bernstein. Here’s your guide:
Drs. Lars Hoefs and Aline Alves
INVITATION TO THE DANZÓN:
Jan. 10, 1:00 pm in the Winn Room
The danzón (peasant dance and music) originated in Cuba, becoming synonymous with national identity and later spreading through Latin America. Interestingly, it became one of the first forms of music composed and recorded by descendants of African slaves in America.
A dazzling selection of danzóns will be presented by the Villa-Lobos Blue Rose Trio, with Lars on cello, Rose Chen, music researcher from Taiwan on piano, and Karl Pasch on clarinet, joined by Dr. Aline Alves on piano. The group has won numerous awards playing in France, Israel, China, and Brazil.
Highlights include Aline and Lars performing “Pampas,” a musical portrait of the vast pampas of Southern Argentina, for which composer Lala Schifrin won a Grammy. Audiences may recognize his name as composer for the theme to “Mission Impossible.”
Marcelo Soares
Also noteworthy are two works by Cuban composer Paquito D’Rivera. Watch Karl’s jazz sensibili ties come to the fore on these selections.
CAPRICIOUS DISTANCES:
Jan. 17, 1:00 pm in the Winn Room
Get ready to experience caprices: short compositions performed in a lively manner. Perhaps the most widely recognized are Niccolò Paganini’s 24 Caprices for Solo Violin. An adventurous philanderer and gambler, the Italian composer (1782-1840) is the most celebrated violin virtuoso of his time, who revolutionized violin technique for the ages.
In addition to Paganini, caprices by Flausino Valle, known as the Brazilian Paganini, will be performed by Marcelo Soares, a violinist living in LA. Lars refers to Soares as “our very own Brazilian Paganini, as he plays these works which such flair!”
Aline and Lars also will perform two works exploring the concept of “Lejania” (“Distance”); one by the Mexican composer Arturo Marquez, and the other by Argentine composer Mauricio Charbonnier.
VOICE AND VISION:
Jan. 24, 1:00 pm in the Winn Room
A brand new addition will premiere in the third concert, the Festival debut of soprano Lisa Parente! A frequent performer with the San Diego Opera and Symphony, Lisa also performs with Coronado’s Musica Vitale. Her interpretation of songs by Villa-Lobos and other Latin American composers will add a mesmerizing dimension, along with audience favorite “Dream with Me” by Leonard Bernstein.
Pianist Ching-Ming Cheng, piano professor at Cal State San Marcos and Steinway Teacher Hall of Fame, will accompany. Cheng and Lars will perform the world premiere of “Magia de Chomon” (Chomon’s Magic) by Brazilian composer Heitor Oliveira, a haunting and evocative score composed especially for this Festival.
FESTIVAL FINALE:
Maestro Prazeres and the Villa-Lobos International String Orchestra: Feb. 8, 7:00 pm in the Spreckels Center
Though one feature of chamber orchestras is the lack of a conductor, Villa-Lobos is taking the unusual step of flying in Conductor Carlos Prazeres from Brazil. Music Director of the Bahia Symphony Orchestra, Prazeres will conduct a spectacular string orchestra, including: Brazilian vioMarcelo Soares and
Karoline Menezes, who lives in LA and is regularly featured playing for pop stars; and Argentine bass virtuoso Andres Martin, who redesigned his own bass (which must be seen to be believed). The program includes Heitor Villa-Lobos’ beautiful Bachianas Brasileiras no. 4, as well as Ginastera’s fervid and furious Concerto for Strings.
What better way to ring in the New Year and warm up the winter than listening to the lyrical notes of Villa-Lobos? All concerts are free, so come early to snag the best seat.
Lisa Parente
Carlos Prazeres
The Villa-Lobos Bue Rose Trio:
Karl Pasch - Clarinet
Lars Hoefs - Cello
Rose Chen - Piano
41 Green Turtle Road
3 Bedroom + Den - 4 Full Bath + 1/2 Bath - 2,600 Sq Ft
Home w Private Boat Dock and Deeded Wharfage
This home is designed for relaxation and enjoyment of the serene waterfront setting. The home boasts impressive high ceilings that enhance its airy and spacious feel. All bedrooms are upstairs with large living areas on the first floor. The private boat slip and be home to up to two 45' + vessels. 25 Port of Spain
3 Bedroom - 2 Bathroom - 2,546 Sq Ft. Welcome to 25 Port of Spain, a complete remodeled, dream Townhome located in the Coronado Cays. Step into open spaces with combined living areas that boast floor to ceiling double height windows facing the channel and you private dock! Enjoy entertaining guests with a kitchen lined with granite counter tops with stainless steel appliances that open to to both the living room and back patio.
Where Imagination Takes Center Stage
DES FLEURS
Coronado transforms into a blooming wonderland during the annual Coronado Flower Show Weekend, This April 12 and 13. While the show remains the heart of the festivities, the weekend has blossomed into an expansive celebration that involves the entire city. From breathtaking home gardens to enchanting evenings inside iconic tents, this cherished tradition brings together locals, visitors, and organizations to honor creativity, history, and innovation.
Where Imagination Takes Center Stage: Cirque des Fleurs
The Coronado Flower Show is set to be more spectacular than ever in the spring of 2025 with the theme “Cirque des Fleurs” – Circus of Flowers! Inspired by Coronado’s historic Tent City and the glamour of a Parisian circus, this year’s event combines whimsical allure with floral elegance, creating a celebration that is equal parts playful and sophisticated.
“Our theme this year reflects Coronado’s rich past while embracing a playful and elegant vision for the future,” says Colby Erickson Freer, President of the Coronado Floral Association. “By blending history, imagination, and artistry, we’re creating an event that’s both rooted in tradition and endlessly fresh.”
While the event is spearheaded by the Coronado Floral Association (CFA), it is the master gardeners and local garden clubs who uphold the National Garden Association standards, ensuring that the Coronado Flower Show remains a true and authentic celebration of horticultural excellence. Visitors can expect opulent floral installations, enchanting designs, and interactive displays that bring the joy and spectacle of a bygone era to life. From The Greatest Showman to vintage Paris, with a nod to Coronado’s seaside history, every bloom tells a story. And every story reminds us that this tradition thrives because of the dedication and passion of our entire community.
THE 2025 CORONADO FLOWER SHOW: CIRQUE
A BLOOMING TRADITION:
At the heart of the weekend lies the Coronado Flower Show, the nation’s largest tented flower show, dating back to 1922. Spreckels Park will transform into a floral wonderland featuring:
Shadowbox displays and miniature arrangements
Roses, bonsai, and children’s designs
Themed designs inspired by Cirque des Fleurs
Eclectic photography and more
Guests can also enjoy live entertainment, food vendors, shopping, and interactive booths, making it a vibrant experience for all.
More Petals to Celebrate
The magic of the Coronado Flower Show extends far beyond the weekend with a series of special events:
Home Front Judging: A beloved tradition where over 150 volunteers award ribbons to Coronado’s best home gardens.
Beyond the Tents: A week-long celebration that invites visitors to explore Coronado’s storefront floral displays, themed restaurant menus, and exclusive designs from local businesses.
1922 Club: Spreckels Park transforms into an enchanting evening under the iconic tents for the exclusive 1922 Club. Named in honor of the Flower Show’s inaugural year, this chic, 21+ event offers an escape filled with food bites, signature cocktails, and live music.
Twinkling lights cast a magical glow as guests mingle amidst decor and entertainment inspired by this year’s Cirque des Fleurs theme.
Family Movie Night: Friday evening invites families to gather under the tents for a magical start to the Flower Show weekend. Children are encouraged to drop off their whimsical creations for the Youth Section before settling in for an evening of fun. Families can enjoy kid-friendly food options, entertainment, and reserved blanket seating for prime movie watching. A special thank you goes to the Islander Ladies Club for resurrecting this cherished tradition and bringing it back to life with joy
and community spirit.
Beer and Wine Garden: Relax with locally brewed favorites, including a special spring ale crafted by Coronado Brewery. This lively pop-up watering hole is the perfect addition to the weekend’s festivities. Big kudos to the Coronado Beer Club for growing and maintaining this popular feature, which has become an ongoing highlight of the Flower Show experience.
Year-Round Engagement:
The Coronado Floral Association provides free monthly education through its Friends and Flowers program, offering handson demonstrations and inspiration for gardening enthusiasts. Ticketed events in partnership with local florists and establishments bring exclusive evenings of blooms, food, and camaraderie.
Get Involved:
From exhibitors and volunteers to attendees and sponsors, everyone has a role to play in making the Coronado Flower Show a success. Becoming or renewing your membership grants you free entry through the members-only show entrance, presale access to all events, including the 1922 Club, and a bi-monthly email newsletter featuring all that blooms around Coronado, to name just a few perks.
A special thank you goes to the City of Coronado for their grant to keep the tents up—a lifeline for the show’s infrastructure. However, the sponsorships and member renewals breathe life into this cherished tradition, ensuring the continuity of Coronado’s longest-running event.
Mark your calendars for April 12 and 13, 2025, and step right up to Cirque des Fleurs—an unforgettable experience celebrating the season’s bloom in style.
For more information about the Coronado Floral Association and the annual Coronado Flower Show, visit coronadoflowershow.com.
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Disco Dive Into 2025
By CHRISTINE JOHNSON
Photo by HATTIE FOOTE
It’s that time on our calendars when we flip the page and welcome in a new year. It’s my nature to be cynical here. Gym memberships begin, closets are cleaned out, ice cream in the freezer is replaced with fruit, and promises are made to relax and spend more time with family and friends.
As I look at the last full moon of 2024, I feel hope and promise for these resolutions. To say we have been a divided country would be an understatement. But in 2025, what we do with new hope defines us. It’s a year to begin working together, taking nothing for granted, and celebrating what we have and who we are. I was reminded recently about the things that families endure, making other hardships seem so small—watching a video of a man coming home from deployment while his family stands on the tarmac as he lands at home. The smiles and tears all rolled into one, American flags in hand, and the incredible pride and love that went into each hug they gave him. This is a celebration. This is something that reminds us of our strength and a true reason to celebrate 2025.
The holiday season has come to an end (finally), and now we can all raise a glass to what has been and look toward the good times ahead. For those of us old enough to remember the disco era — let’s start this year off in a good groove with the Disco Ball 2025. Don’t forget to love one another, and HAPPY NEW YEAR!
DISCO BALL 2025:
INGREDIENTS
1 ½ ounces gin
½ ounce elderflower liqueur or simple syrup
½ ounce lemon juice
Ice
Edible glitter
Champagne
Champagne glass
MIXOLOGY
To the shaker, add gin, elderflower liqueur (or simple syrup), ice, and edible glitter. Shake the ingredients until mixed and well chilled. Pour the mixture into a champagne glass (no ice), filling the glass about ¾ from the top.
Top off the glass with your favorite champagne. Make it extra festive with a sparkly garnish on the glass.
TEL. (858) 294-3183
Experience authentic Italian cuisine with the finest Balsamic Vinegar from Modena!
HAPPY HOUR
SUNDAY-THURSDAY • 4-6 PM
Join our COOKING CLASSES, WINE DINNERS and special events.
Silver Strand Exchange At Loews Resort (619) 424-4000
Smokehouse at the Del (619) 435-6611
Spiro’s Greek Café Ferry Landing (619) 435-1225
Stake Chophouse + Bar 1309 Orange Ave. (619) 522-0077
Subway 1330 Orange Ave. (619) 435-8272
Swaddee Thai 1001 C Ave. (619) 435-8110
Village Pizzeria Bayside Ferry Landing (619) 437-0650
Village Pizzeria 1206 Orange Ave. (619) 522-0449
Vom Fass Ferry Landing (619) 534-5034
Which Wich 926 Orange Ave. (619) 522-9424
Yummy Sushi 1330 Orange Ave. (619) 435-2771
Spring onion, green onion, scallion… no matter what you call it, this unique vegetable is known for its robust flavor and slew of nutritional benefits. Did you know that green onions are actually young onions that have been harvested before maturity? This explains why they taste similar to fully mature onions and have comparable nutrients. Green onions are naturally cholesterol, sodium, sugar, and fat-free. They are low in calories and high in antioxidants and contain fiber, vitamin C, calcium, and iron.
The health benefits of regularly adding green onion to your diet include lowering blood pressure, improving heart health, aiding in healthy digestion, and may also help with weight loss.
Green onions can be broken up into three sections: green leaves, stem, and bulb. Each of these parts can be utilized in different ways, making the green onion an amazing vegetable to cook with.
The green leaves (the top of the green onion) are milder in flavor and can be used as a garnish, in omelets or scrambled eggs, as a salad or pizza topping, in friend rice, and in many more dishes.
The stem (the mid-section of the green onion) is great for adding flavor to things like stir-fries, soups, stocks, dressings, and dips.
Lastly, the bulb (the white bottom section of the green onion) has the most potent flavor. This makes it perfect to throw into your pan when sautéing or roasting.
January is the peak season for these undeniably delicious cooking all-stars, so don’t forget to stop by and pick them up this month!
January is the perfect time for a fresh start after the decadence of the holidays.
Making Beautiful Things... ~Mary Palumbo
French Macarons, a light and beautiful sweet treat!
Presentation is important, and individual portions small and delicious are perfect at the end of any meal.
After the hustle and bustle of the holidays, it’s nice to slow down and spend an afternoon crafting, like this wreath made from music paper and dried roses.
Mary Palumbo
A Fifty-Year-Old Coronado Cold Case: The Murder of Ruth Quinn
By TAYLOR BALDWIN KILAND, in partnership with the Coronado Historical Association
One candy heiress, two bullets, and three suspects.
Coronado rarely makes news for violent crime. But in the spring of 1975, World War II widow and retired librarian Ruth Quinn was murdered, executionstyle, in her cottage on the island. Her death sent a shockwave through the community. The granddaughter of Jujubes and Jujyfruits creator Henry Heide, Ruth was found fully clothed with her shoes on, in her bed, dead from two gunshot wounds. To this day, her murder has never been solved, but whispers about her brother, her son, and even a local petty thief still swirl.
Author Taylor Kiland, who is the third generation in her family to serve in the Navy and live in Coronado, has been pondering this cold case for decades. Her upcoming book Murder of the Jujube Candy Heiress: A Coronado Cold Case, will be published on February 25, 2025. The book is the culmination of years of interviewing those closest to the case and reviewing court documents.
Kiland will be discussing and signing her book about the murder of Ruth Quinn at an event co-hosted by the Coronado Historical Association and the Coronado Public Library on Thursday, March 13, 2025, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. in the Winn Room at the Library. Pre-order the book and reserve a seat at the event at coronadohistory.org.
The following is an excerpt from the book new book.
Taps On Pomona
Fifty years ago I learned a verse which is very applicable today: “Ah, you are strange, inscrutable and proud, I cannot prove you, though I try and try. But you will keep my love alive and wondering until I die.” God keep you in His loving care. —1971 letter from Ruth Quinn to her son Chuck Quinn
The drip, drip, drip on Ruth Quinn’s dining room table from the leak in her bungalow’s roof was particularly annoying. And she probably knew she was going to have to get a little pushy about it. She had already spent money having
the table repaired once. What’s more, the rakish carpenter she had hired to fix it had performed shoddy work, in her opinion. And then he had added insult to injury by invading her home and robbing her.
That was four years ago. Now, she sighed, the dining room table was going to need more repairs. And that, she decided, needed to be remedied. Despite her reputation as an heiress, Ruth was only a renter. The granddaughter of the “Dean of American Candy” Henry Heide was a good Catholic girl raised on
Ruth in her senior year of college, in 1921, at the Trinity College for women in Washington, D.C. Courtesy Archives Trinity Washington University. Courtesy Archives Trinity Washington University.
the Upper West side of Manhattan with nannies, maids and chauffeurs and sent on a European tour after college. But her days of opulence were far behind her. Ruth was now living on a fixed income.
Ruth had been renting homes from Cynthia “Cinnie” Heyer and her brothers, Ezra and Dick Parker, for several years. Their extended family owned multiple properties on this block of the Southern California island of Coronado.
She had lived in this cozy home at 511 Pomona Avenue since 1968. It was a small white clapboard cottage, built in 1937 on what is called a “flag lot” because of its shape: a small square lot behind a street-front lot, accessible by a long driveway, which makes it look a lot like a flagpole.
The structure, which is largely extant today, has two bedrooms and one bathroom, a rusty screen door and a carport. In front of it in 1975 was an empty lot that was shaded with trees, bushes and another carport shared by her neighbors.
“I love the house and patio, as you know,” she wrote to her landlord, Mrs. Heyer, in 1969. “I hope most sincerely that I will never have to leave—except to
my last resting place at [Fort] Rosecrans [Cemetery].”
How prescient she was.
She filled that patio she loved so much with dozens of potted plants: juniper, bottlebrush, oleander, plum, geranium, azalea, variegated holly, asparagus fern, ficus, begonias, grape ivy, lilies and an olive tree.
This was her little private oasis where she could soak up the sunshine, read books and listen to the birds—the seagulls squawking overhead and the hummingbirds, blackbirds, finches and sparrows that made appearances in her garden. “My chief pleasure these days I find in the birds singing so joyously all around the house.”
Behind 511 Pomona were the backyards of several more spacious homes that faced Glorietta Boulevard, the wide and grand avenue that lined the perimeter of the island’s golf course. All the houses in this neighborhood were tightly packed side by side and back-to-back with postage stamp–sized yards and short fences dividing them all. Residents could hear their neighbors, especially if they were shouting—or firing a weapon.
Today, Cinnie Heyer was in town. She
This 1950s ad for Jujubes and Jujyfruits appeared in a New York magazine. Courtesy Taylor Kiland.
arrived in her brand-new Mercedes and came over midafternoon to visit Ruth and inspect the pesky roof in person.
While she was visiting Ruth and discussing roof repairs, a friend and fellow parishioner arrived with flowers from the Altar Society that Ruth had purchased earlier in the day at church.
Ruth’s Sundays usually followed a strict routine: worship, followed by dinner and the Shirley Temple Theater on television.
Sunday, March 16, 1975, started out no differently.
On this early spring day, Ruth had attended the morning Mass at Sacred Heart. A creature of habit, she showed up faithfully every Sunday, usually oc-
Coronado Woman’s Club member Mrs. Charles Quinn presents a music competition award to Dina Dayrit. Donald W. Sallee for the Coronado Journal.
The religious home for island Catholics, Sacred Heart Church was built in 1921 by
cupying the same pew. She was always formally dressed, with her gray hair on top of her head, clipped into place, with a few stray wisps framing her face. Parishioners knew her from behind.
In fact, all the Catholics on the island knew one another, as there was only one Catholic church on the island: Sacred Heart. Designed by renowned twentieth-century architect Irving Gill, the Mediterranean-style structure was built in 1921, and it is still the religious home for most Catholic residents in Coronado.
Ruth was devout, and her faith had provided routine and comfort throughout her seventy-four years—a life that had served up a heavy burden of tragedy. But this only deepened her faith.
After Mass, she joined her fellow parishioners for a church breakfast. She lived only a few blocks from the church, so she might have walked there. In the Lenten season, Ruth routinely went back for a second Mass, which she did this Sunday after a visit to the Coronado Library, where she had served as the acting city librarian, the last position she
held before she retired in 1959. Many in the island community remember her, despite her short tenure. They reminisce about her loud scoldings when they were children—to “shush,” or to stay away from the banned books held behind the librarian’s desk.
Or maybe they just remember her untimely demise.
During her second visit to Sacred Heart at the end of the day, a witness noticed her, lost in prayer, until almost 6:00 p.m.
She was never seen or heard from again.
Around 6:57 p.m., as the sun was setting, a few beachcombers lingered and stared at the ocean, waiting for the elusive green flash—that lightbulb moment some claim to see at the second the sun dips below the horizon. As it did so, many residents on Pomona Avenue and Glorietta Boulevard noticed the playing of taps at the nearby Naval Amphibious Base. This was a nightly ritual. Around the same time, between 6:45 and 7:00 p.m., a neighbor at 522 Glorietta Boulevard heard gunshots.
Ruth’s friend from the library, Katheryn Lloyd, tried calling her four times, between 7:45 p.m. and 9:15 p.m. Katheryn wanted to thank her for attending a retirement party the night before. The phone was always busy. Ruth was not on the phone. Nor was it off the hook. By the time the bugler finished his last note, Ruth was probably already dead. She lay supine in her bed, clad in a purple dress and leather belt, wearing black high-heel shoes and brown nylon stockings, a gold watch on her wrist and gold earrings in her ears, a plastic hair comb and hair clip in her hair. She was partially covered with a bedspread. Her right arm was resting on her belly. Her left hand and the left side of her face were smeared in blood, and the bedding underneath her body was soaked with blood.
Lying next to her was a pillow, punctured with bullet holes and flecked with powder burns. And in a bowl on her bedside table was a small crucifix with Jesus nailed to the little cross. It was turned over, so the figure of Jesus was not facing her killer.
renowned architect Irving Gill. Coronado Historical Association Collection.
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Time to Consider a Business Retirement Plan?
If you’re a business owner, you’re always thinking about the days ahead. What can I do to boost sales in the next year? What trends should I be watching? What’s the forecast for my industry? But there’s one element of the future you might be overlooking: your retirement plan.
Consider these advantages of establishing a retirement plan for your business:
• You’ll build resources for your retirement. You might sell your business one day, but can you count on that to fund your retirement? By investing in a retirement plan for many years, you can help accumulate the resources you will need to enjoy life as a retiree.
• You can help your business attract and retain employees. In a tight labor market, you’ll want to employ all the advantages you can to attract and keep good employees — and a retirement plan can help.
• You can gain tax benefits. Your contributions to a retirement plan on behalf of yourself and your employees — can be tax deductible. Plus, you can get tax credits for starting a new plan. Here are some retirement plans to consider:
Owner-only 401(k)
This plan is available to self-employed individuals and business owners with no full-time employees other than themselves or a spouse. You may even be able to choose a Roth option for your 401(k), which allows you to make after-tax contributions that can grow tax-free. In 2024, the combined employee and employer contribution limit was $69,000, or $76,500 for those 50 or older. These limits are likely to rise in 2025.
SIMPLE IRA
A SIMPLE IRA is easy to set up and maintain, but while it may be advantageous for your employees, it’s less generous to you, in terms of allowable contributions, than an owner-only 401(k) or a SEP-IRA. In 2024, you could contribute up to $16,000 to a SIMPLE IRA, or $19,500 if you are 50 or older. You must put in 2% of your employees’ salaries, regardless of whether they contribute, or match their contributions dollar for dollar, up to 3% of their salaries.
Personal defined benefit plan
You can establish a pension plan, also known as a defined benefit plan, for yourself if you’re self-employed or own your own business. For 2024, the annual defined pension benefit for a business owner cannot exceed the lesser of $275,000 or 100% of their average compensation for the previous three highest consecutive calendar years.
SEP IRA
If you have just a few employees or are self-employed with no employees, you may want to consider a SEP IRA. In 2024, your contribution limit was 25% of your salary or $69,000, whichever was less. The percentage of your salary you contribute to your SEP IRA is the same percentage of your eligible employees’ salaries you must contribute to their SEP IRAs.
And keep this in mind: The SECURE 2.0 legislation has made it possible for you to offer a Roth version of a SEP or SIMPLE IRA. Although contributions to either Roth account are not deductible, earnings and withdrawals are tax-free, provided you (and your employees) are at least 591⁄2 and have had your account for at least five years. To learn more about these and other business retirement plans, you might want to contact a financial professional. But don’t wait too long — the sooner you start preparing for your retirement — and helping your employees plan for theirs — the better.
This article was written by Edward Jones for use by your local Edward Jones
“... be gentle with yourself as you look at the year ahead ...”
SAFE HARBOR CORONADO: ANNIE GARDNER
Less Is More
We have arrived in January, a month that blows in on the collective sigh of weary people exhausted from the frenzy of the holiday season.
Traditionally, January is the time for fresh beginnings. It’s a time of reset, reflection, and restart. Thus, I suspect many are working on New Year’s Resolutions, challenging themselves be more, to do better, to act better, and to be better.
Though well intentioned, the focus on lofty resolutions can create stress, especially when social media, magazines, and programs tout the newest resolution trend and highlight those who are seemingly crushing their goals. These can encourage us to set big goals, create new intentions, journal daily, practice gratitude, embody a word for the year, or develop a new mantra. All these things are great, in theory. It truly is good for us to examine where we are at and where we
want to go - this is the cornerstone of growth. However, it can be detrimental when these goals get too big or comparison-driven, and thus can cause stress, discouragement, and even depression when we can’t meet them.
This year, I encourage you to be gentle with yourself as you look at the year ahead. There is one simple idea I propose for this New Year, one that may seem antithetical but has the potential to be powerful. The idea is less. Most of the time, we take the attitude of “go big or go home”, which often sets us up for unrealistic expectations and eventual failure. So, what if this year, we agree to embrace the idea of less?
Let’s resolve to be less reactive. When the moment feels big and overwhelming, remember to step back, breath, and think before reacting.
Let’s be less worried. This means letting go of what we can’t control. We must remember to differentiate between what is our responsibility and what is not.
“... change comes down to choices ...”
Let’s be less stressed. Say no to the things that do not bring you joy and yes to what fills your cup. Embrace those things wholeheartedly. Give less time to overthinking, overcommitting, and overdoing.
Let’s be less commercial. Be thoughtful in what you purchase. Remember, what takes up your space also takes up your mind, consciously or unconsciously.
Let’s be less judgmental. Each person is fighting a battle we know nothing about. Choose to give space for differences. Make room for kindness and aim for understanding and connection. At the very least, keep your judgements to yourself.
Let’s be less self-critical and give ourselves grace. Even ancient philosophers knew that any change takes time. Xeno said, “Well-being is realized in small steps, but is truly no small thing.” Tiny steps are still progress. Celebrate the small victories and keep moving forward. Forgive the missteps and forge ahead.
The underlying theme of less is to pause and to think. Change comes down to choices. Epictetus said, “Make beautiful choices and you become beautiful.” Modern times echo this sentiment. In the new holiday movie “Red One”, Dwayne Johnson’s character says, “We choose who we want to be, with big decisions and little ones, and every one of them matters.” The one thing we always seem to have less of but actually need more of is time. So, lastly, let us be less rushed. Give yourself more time to make positive choices, to keep trying, and to persevere.
Finally, let us just be less. Let go of the worries, intrusive thoughts, overthinking, doubts, fears, shame, and guilt. Let’s unburden ourselves from the culture of excess and extremes and embrace who we are - we are good enough as we areand move through 2025 with less restrictions. Less, in turn, will lead us to more; more fulfillment, more beauty, more contentment, more joy, more happiness.
Embrace the idea of less in 2025. Be less reactive, less fearful, less worried, less restrictive, less stressed, less judgmental, less commercial, less self-critical, and less rushed. I encourage you to find your own idea of what less means and embody it. Give yourself time, grace, and space to make good choices. By doing this, we can all make 2025 be a year of more
Safe Harbor Coronado provides comprehensive mental health services to youth and families in Coronado. Through a range of programs and counseling services, Safe Harbor Coronado empowers individuals to build resilience and emotional well-being while fostering a stigma-free environment for help-seeking behaviors. Safe Harbor’s programs are available to all members of the Coronado community, regardless of financial means. For more information about Safe Harbor Coronado, their programs and services, visit www.safeharborcoronado.org.
“January Is The Time For Fresh Beginnings”
The Berkshires
Unwind along winding roads with art, culture and scenic beauty at every turn
Story and
photographs
by KRIS GRANT
Along the western border of Massachusetts lies an area that is a haven for those who seek a blend of natural beauty, cultural richness and small-town charm. Known for its rolling hills and vibrant fall foliage, the Berkshires regularly pull residents of Boston, New York and other East Coast cities west to visit art museums, botanical gardens, and performing arts venues, or to simply decompress. But the Berkshires is such a special place that I recommend it as worthy of a one or two-week vacation for us West Coasters.
Culturally, the region is a treasure trove, home to renowned institutions like Tanglewood, the summer home of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. It was from the study at his Arrowhead farmhouse on the outskirts of Pittsfield that Herman Melville could see Mount Greylock, the highest point in Massachusetts. His description of the white whale in Moby Dick is said to have been inspired from seeing the mountain covered in snow.
In Lenox, Edith Wharton created the estate of her dreams and penned many of her novels therein, and in Stockbridge, Norman Rockwell often collared his neighbors as models for illustrations that graced the covers of The Saturday Evening Post.
The Berkshires also excel in farmto-table dining, quaint inns, wellness retreats, and for nature lovers, The Appalachian Trail passes through the entire length of the Berkshires with plenty of ridgeline vistas, lush river walks and shaded glens. Mount Greylock’s trails lead up to its peak of 3,491 feet.
There’s more hiking trails in Williamstown, home to the top-ranked liberal arts college in the nation, Williams College, and The Clark, an art institute par excellence. I can’t wait to tell you the story behind the founding of The Clark that includes a financial legacy whose threads stretch back to the Singer Sewing Machine Company, and a feud that drove two brothers apart.
I’ve traveled through the Berkshires four times now, most recently this past October, when I caught the final days of “leaf peeping” season. On each visit, I’ve explored new small towns. Well, they’re not really new; they’re more likely two and three centuries old, but they’re new to me.
One of them is North Adams, a once-thriving mill town. Like many communities reliant on riverside mill operations, the closure of these “company town” enterprises had devastating economic consequences. However, North Adams is a town that chose to seize the moment and transform its future. Read on…
North Adams’ Main Street is gradually coming back to life as the city shifts from a town focused on industry to one that focuses on the arts and tourism.
Lenox: Home to The Mount, Tanglewood and a vibrant downtown
On my first visit to the Berkshires in 2021, I made my way to Lenox to visit acclaimed author and novelist Edith Wharton’s 17,000-square-foot “cottage” and surrounding 113-acre grounds, all of her own design.
What can I tell you about this remarkable woman? How ‘bout we start with this testimony:
“It is quite true that Edith Wharton has been a tremendous influence on me.
I decided, largely because of her work, that it was time I wrote something.”
– Julian Fellows Creator of Downton Abbey
Edith Wharton (1862-1937) was born into a tightly controlled society at a time when women were discouraged from achieving anything beyond a proper marriage.
Born Edith Jones into a wealthy New York family (from whence the phrase “Keeping up with the Joneses” is said to
originate), Edith was able to tour much of Europe in her formative years. At age 17, she was introduced to society, making the rounds of dances and parties in Newport, Rhode Island and New York City. Her insider’s knowledge of New York aristocracy provided ample fodder about the privileged set that she would
Edith Wharton’s dining room, with its friendly round table, streaming natural light and access to the terrace, was one of my favorite rooms in her house.
later delight in satirizing through her fiction.
In fear of becoming an old maid, Wharton married, Edward “Teddy” Wharton at age 23 but it was not a happy marriage. Shortly after the marriage, Teddy began showing signs of depression and likely suffered from bipolar disease, a malady that had not yet been diagnosed in medical journals.
While living in Newport, Wharton honed her design skills, co-authoring her first major book, a surprisingly successful non-fiction work on design
and architecture, The Decoration of Houses (1897).
In 1901 Edith and Teddy purchased land In Lenox and Edith set to work, first designing her home and estate grounds and concurrently writing, including two of her greatest works, The House of Mirth (1905) and Ethan Frome (1911). Although Wharton wrote more than 40 books in 40 years and was the first woman awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction for her 1921 novel, The Age of Innocence, she considered The Mount her greatest achievement.
The steps down from the terrace, which is now a café, transition into a series of lawns that gradually lead to natural wooded areas.
Teddy’s manic/depressive episodes escalated over the years and Wharton divorced him in 1913. She spent the remainder of her life in Paris, France. The Mount became a private residence, then a dormitory for a girl’s school, and the site for the Shakespeare & Company theatre troupe. It was purchased and saved from neglect by Edith Wharton Restoration, Inc., through a grant from the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
Lenox itself is a vibrant town filled with interesting one-of-a-kind shops and excellent restaurants, not surprising since it is also the site of Tanglewood, the summer home of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Tours of the outdoor venue in the woods on the outskirts of Lenox are available throughout the summer season.
If you plan ahead, you might want to book tickets for the 4th of July at Tanglewood. Each year James Taylor and his All-Star Band celebrate the start of the Tanglewood season with two intimate and memorable performances on the 4th, with all proceeds donated by Kim and James Taylor to Tanglewood.
Edith Wharton’s “cottage” was 17,000 square feet but it felt welcoming and human in scale. This was partly because of Wharton’s design principles of “proportion, harmony, simplicity and suitabililty.”
Edith did much of her writing from her bedroom, often writing in bed.
The Norman Rockwell Museum features permanent works by the famous illustrator and changing exhibits featuring the works of American illustrators.
Stockbridge: Norman Rockwell Museum and Red Lion Inn
Heading north on Route 7 to Stockbridge, my next stop was the Norman Rockwell Museum.
Accredited by the American Association of Museums, the Norman Rockwell Museum is the most popular year-round attraction in The Berkshires. It houses the bulk of Rockwell’s work, including 998 original paintings and drawings, along with the Norman Rockwell Archives, a collection of more than 100,000 items, including working photographs, letters, personal calendars, fan mail and business documents. The first museum was located in the Old Corner House on Main Street in Stockbridge and opened in 1969; the current museum opened in 1993 and was designed by noted architect Robert A. M. Stern.
The Museum also hosts traveling exhibits pertaining to American illustration. The artist’s Stockbridge studio was also moved to the museum site and features original art materials, Rockwell’s library, furnishings and personal items.
Stockbridge was Rockwell’s home for the final 25 years of his life. The museum features originals of Rockwell’s most famous works, with 323 of his illustrations ending up on the cover of The Saturday Evening Post over the course of five decades. He also enjoyed a fivedecade relationship with the Boy Scouts.
Rockwell’s idealistic and sentimental-
ized portrayals of American life caused him to be dismissed by many of his contemporary painters and art critics who referred to him as an illustrator rather than a serious painter. But in his later years when he chose more serious subjects for ƒ magazine, the world took notice. One prime example, The Problem We All Live With, dealt with the problem of school racial integration. It depicts Ruby Bridges, flanked by white federal marshals, escorting the youngster to school past a wall defaced with graffiti. Among the originals on display at the museum are several studies of this final painting, with Rockwell choosing eightyear-old Stockbridge resident Lynda Gunn to depict Bridges. The original painting was displayed at the White House in 2011 when Bridges met with President Barack Obama.
For “vivid and affectionate portraits of our country,” Rockwell was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, America’s highest civilian honor, in 1977 by President Gerald Ford. Rockwell’s son, Jarvis, accepted the award on his father’s behalf; Norman Rockwell died Nov. 8, 1978 at the age of 84.
For his Illustration, The Problem We All Live With, Rockwell commissioned this white dress and two others like it in different sizes from a local Stockbridge seamstress. He was not yet sure of the age or size of his model.
In this photograph, model Lynda Gunn gets assistance from her father, who helps her to steady herself on the boards propping her feet up. Rockwell frequently used this technique to simulate the appearance of walking.
Rockwell did “studies” of his models and paintings before beginning his final illustration.
His final illustration ran in 1964. It was the first of several by the artist for Look magazine.
One of my favorite hotels in all of America is the Red Lion Inn on Main Street in Stockbridge. It dates back some 250 years and has been owned and managed by the Fitzpatrick family since 1968.
Although I’ve walked through the Inn on several visits, photographing its dining room, Lion’s den bar with original wide-planked creaking floors, warm and inviting lobby with its collection of antique plates lining the walls, and stepped into its excellent gift shop where two friendly cocker spaniels rose to greet me, I’ve yet to actually stay there. I picture myself swaying to and fro on one of the Inn’s front porch rocking chairs, watching people pass by as I enjoy a signature Bloody Mary.
Jack and Jane Fitzpatrick purchased the building from the Plumb family and moved their “Country Curtains” mail-order company into the building. Like Mrs. Plumb, Jane Fitzpatrick had a penchant and keen eye for collecting antique and vintage objects, adding several pieces to the Inn’s collection. Jane passed away in 2013 and her daughter, Nancy Fitzpatrick and granddaughter, Sarah Eustis, carry on the Inn’s tradition of warm hospitality. They seem to have inherited Jane’s talent for collecting and décor, which they have extended to two hotels in North Adams.
Presidents Grover Cleveland, William McKinley, Theodore Roosevelt, Calvin Coolidge, and Franklin Roosevelt have stayed at the Inn, along with authors Nathaniel Hawthorne, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and Thornton Wilder. Moving into the modern era, guests of note have included Bob Dylan, two “Martins,” pals and stars of Only Murders in the Building, Steve Martin and Martin Short.
The Red Lion Inn has been a pillar of Stockbridge for 250 years, welcoming guests including presidents, prominent actors and authors as tourists from around the world.
The Red Lion’s Main Dining Room is a perfect gathering spot for special occasion dining.
The hotel’s lobby features antiques, including plates collected by Jane and Nancy Fitzpatrick.
Part of the charm of the Red Lion Inn is its wide front porch where guests can watch the world pass by from the rocking chairs.
North Adams lies at the confluence of the two branches of the Hoosic River, making it an ideal location for manufacturing from the mid-1700s. By the year 1800s, small milling companies along the Hoosic included shoe manufacturers, a brick yard, a saw mill, an ironworks, marble works, wagon and sleigh makers and many more.
In 1860, the Arnold Print Works set up operations for the manufacture of textiles, including contracts to supply fabric for the Union Army. By 1905, Arnold Print Works employed 3,200 people working in a complex of 25 buildings, and was one of the world’s leading producers of printed textiles. But the Great Depression and falling textile prices caused Arnold to close its North Adams plant in 1942.
Fortunately, Sprague Electric Company quickly bought the site and converted the former textile mile into an electronics plant. During World War II, its physicists, chemists, engineers and technicians designed and manufactured components of high-tech weapons systems. After the war, Sprague products were used in the launch systems for Gemini moon missions and by 1966 the company employed 4,137 in a community of 18,000. Up until the mid1980s, the company produced electrical components for the consumer electronics market, but foreign competition led to declining sales. In 1985, the company closed its North Adams operation, leaving a town in shock and out of work. Seventy percent of its storefronts were shuttered. The hotel went bankrupt. It wasn’t long before North Adams was named the most impoverished town in America.
In 1986, business and political leaders of North Adams sought ideas on how to creatively re-use the vast abandoned complex. Just up the road, the staff of Williams College Museum of Art, led at the time by the museum’s director Thomas Krens, was seeking exhibit space for large works of contemporary art. A plan to build a contemporary art
museum space began to come together fast, and then nearly fell apart. Krens left to join the Guggenheim and state funds dried up. Naysayers said the idea was crazy. Then Jacob’s Pillow International Dance Festival became a sponsor, adding dance and performing arts to the creative mix, and state funds once again became available. MASS MoCA (Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art) opened in 1999.
Now, 25 years since its opening, MASS MoCa has proven to be the new economic engine that North Adams sorely needed. The museum now sees some 245,000 visitors annually. Eight tenants
have moved into the complex, infusing capital into the museum’s budget and also evidence that the museum planted a seed of creativity into the community. Porches Inn, with Nancy Fitzpatrick of Stockbridge’s Red Lion Inn at the creative helm, opened in July 2001, completing rehabbing a block of ramshackle row houses that faced the museum into a hip boutique property. You know what I liked most about Porches? Nancy’s collection of vintage paint-by-number paintings, displayed in each guestroom, took me back to my childhood.
I stayed at Hotel Downstreet, which opened in 2021, replacing the former
The former campus of the Arnold Print Works textile mill has been transformed into the largest contemporary art gallery in the country, the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art, or MASS MoCa.
In Road to Hybridabad, artist Osman Khan revisits the magical elements of folktales and lore, including Magic Carpet rides. Here he employs drone-operated “magic carpets” that never quite leave the ground, and if they did, how far could they get, as they are caged. Like most MASS MoCa installations, this one makes you think. On exhibit through April 2025.
Holiday Inn on the site. The hotel features large -- 370 square foot -bedrooms, with a clean, uncluttered décor to best highlight the art on the walls. The hotel is also managed by Main Street Hospitality, which manages Porches, with Sarah Eustis, Nancy Fitzpatrick’s daughter, serving as CEO.
Three artist studios and galleries are just off the hotel lobby, one of which is in affiliation with MASS MoCa. Currently one of the studios is featuring the whimsical work of North Adams resident Jarvis Rockwell, the oldest child of Norman and Mary Rockwell. Rockwell has created a collection of toy figures that has grown to include hundreds of thousands of pieces, among them classic action figures, carved wooden animals, mythical monsters, Happy Meal prizes, Troll dolls, Looney Tunes characters, and figurines of politicians, celebrities, and artists.
MoCa’s exhibits are constantly changing; there are no permanent exhibits. This installation of glowing amber boxes scattered about is by Los Angeles-based Iranian artist Gelare Khoshgozaran. Entitled “U.S. Customs Demands to Know,” it is his aesthetic complaint against the invasive security of mail entering the U.S. from Iran.
Mass
Foresighted developers of Porches Inn, located just across the street from Mass MoCa, took a rundown block of rowhouses and transformed them into an inviting boutique hotel.
Williamstown: home to Williams College and The Clark
On my trip to the Berkshires last October, I flew into Albany, New York and headed southeast. In about an hour and a half, I crossed into Massachusetts at the northern tip of the Berkshires and came upon the charming city of Williamstown. Set amid rolling hills, the town is bedecked with stately Georgian and Colonial Revival brick buildings, many of them making up the Williams College campus that flanks both sides of Route 7, the main artery that travels the entire Berkshires region north to south.
Ephraim Williams, a British army colonel killed during the French and Indian War, specified in his will that he would fund a free school if the town was incorporated and named after him. The locals wisely complied and Williamstown was incorporated in 1791, with its free school opening the same
year. However, its life as a free school was short-lived. In its stead, Williams College was established in 1793. Today, Williams College holds the top spot among liberal arts colleges in the nation, according to U.S. News & World Report.
I toured The Clark Art Institute on the Williams campus and was astounded by its collection of masterpieces of European and American painting, silver, sculpture, porcelain, works on paper, and decorative arts from the Renaissance to the early twentieth century. There were works by Renoir, Degas, Monet and Manet. Winslow Homer, Frederic Remington, John Singer Sargent and George Inness are also well represented. How did it come to pass that these works were bestowed to a museum that had not yet been built in the out-of-the-way hamlet
of Williamstown, Massachusetts?
To answer that question, let’s back up a couple of hundred years. Meet Isaac Merritt Singer, an American actor, inventor, and businessman. He was the founder of what became one of America’s first multi-national businesses, the Singer Sewing Machine Co. Elias Howe and Walter Hunt had earlier invented sewing machines, but it was Singer who made them practical and affordable for home use via mass production techniques.
Now let me introduce you to Edward Cabot Clark, an American lawyer, businessman and investor who graduated from Williams College in 1831. He began studying law under the tutelage of Ambrose Jordan, who later became a U.S. Senator. In 1834, Clark passed the New York State bar and set
Williams College flanks both sides of Route 7 and is a handsome mix of red-brick Georgian, Victorian and Gothic architecture. The Thompson Memorial Chapel was completed in 1906.
up a solo law practice in Poughkeepsie, New York. In 1935, Clark married Jordan’s daughter, Caroline. In 1938, he and Jordan set up a law practice in Manhattan, which became the most prestigious in the city.
In 1849, a penniless Singer called upon Clark to advise him on patenting and naming his sewing machine. Singer paid his bill by giving Clark a three-eighths share in the business. Clark also defended Singer in a patent infringement suit brought by Elias Howe, who had created the lockstitch sewing machine. Two years later, 1851, Clark and Singer established the Singer Sewing Machine Company and in 1856 Clark created an innovative installment purchase plan.
Also in 1856, Clark bought an estate in Cooperstown, New York on the shore of Lake Oswego where he built a large stone country house, and purchased significant amounts of land in the community. He built the Hotel Fenimore, Pioneer Mills and several cottages and farmhouses.
Singer, meanwhile, fled to London in 1863 when a woman he had lived with for 25 years and whom he called his wife, although he was married to another, charged him with bigamy. Singer died in 1875, leaving behind a $13 million fortune to be divided unequally among his 20 living children by two wives, his
Dancers in the Classroom, Edgar Degas, 1880, oil on canvas. In this long horizontal image, Degas showed ballerinas stretching and resting in place, capturing their grace, concentration and physical exhaustion. Degas composed the painting with great care – the position of the outstretched leg of the girl adjusting her stocking, for example, was changed nine times.
launching his own career by exhibiting this portrait to great acclaim. Carolus-Duran was among the most celebrated portrait painters working in Paris in the 1870s. With his casual pose and elegant clothing he is presented as a fashionable man-about-town. On his lapel he wear the red pin of the French Legion of Honour, awarded for his contribution to the arts.
Renoir to enter the collection of Sterling Clark, who purchased it in 1916. He went on to amass a collection of more than 30 Renoirs.
live-in long-term partner and various other mistresses. Altogether, Singer fathered 26 children (that we know of).
Still, money talks, I guess. Singer had an elaborate funeral with 2,000 attendees, eighty horse-drawn carriages and a cedar coffin lined with satin, which was encased in lead, with an outer shell of English oak, all of which was set into a marble tomb.
After Singer’s death, Clark took the helm of the Singer Company, leading it to far greater success. Clark also invested in New York real estate, and built luxury apartment buildings including the famed Dakota overlooking Central Park. Clark died in 1882, leaving an estate of some $50 million, excluding his sizeable real estate portfolio, which he left to his grandsons. Two of those
Isaac Merritt Singer, portrait by Edward Harrison May, oil on canvas, 1869, hangs in the portrait gallery of the Smithsonian Institution, a gift from the Singer Company
Woman Crocheting, 1875, oil on canvas, was the first work of Pierre-Auguste
Carullos-Duran, 1879, oil on canvas John Singer Sargent. Sargent studied with Carolus-Duran,
grandsons, Robert Sterling Clark, who went by Sterling, and Stephen Carlton Clark, also inherited their grandfather’s love of art.
Sterling Clark, at age 32, was an Army veteran who had traveled to Manila, Peking and the West Indies when he chose to move to Paris, the undisputed cultural capital of the world in 1910. There he began an extensive collection of European art. His mother had died the year before and Clark’s fortune had greatly increased.
In Paris he met Francine Clary, an actress of the Comédie Francaise. Clary was her adopted stage name, but she was born Francine Juliette Modzelewska, the illegitimate daughter of a French dressmaker of Polish descent. Not only that, but Francine too, had a daughter, Viviane, conceived out of wedlock in 1901.
Meanwhile, Sterling’s brother, Stephen, had stayed in Cooperstown, managing the family holdings there and collecting art as well. He likely had feelings of resentment toward his brother, thinking Sterling had turned his back on his family, choosing to live in France, and marrying an actress of questionable lineage and repute and who spoke little English.
Trouble arose with a series of trusts set up by the brothers’ father and exacerbated with the death of their mother. Sterling’s deed of trust provided that his principal be turned over to his own children, of which he had none, and otherwise to his brothers or nieces and nephews. By this scheme, the lion’s share of Singer stock would always stay within the family. After his marriage in 1919, Sterling realized that the Singer trusts, created when he was a bachelor, excluded his new wife and stepdaughter from inheriting stock. Further, if he should die, a significant portion of his interest in the Singer Company would be turned over to his brothers. But in the event of his brothers’ death, Francine and Viviane would inherit nothing from them.
In 1923, a fight – which began with
The Clark continues to expand its collection including the 1997 acquisition of this Steinway piano designed by Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema. When the elaborate case of the piano was displayed in London in 1885, the press called it “splendid,” “remarkable,” and “superb.” Alma-Tadema designed it as the centerpiece of a “Greco-Roman” music room in the Manhattan mansion of financier Henry Marquand. With its lavish materials and decorative flourishes—including the names of Apollo and the Muses inlaid on the lid—it remains one of the grandest grand pianos ever made.
verbal assaults and turned physical –broke out between the brothers. They never spoke to each other again, relying on attorneys and third parties to relay messages.
Stephen went on to create the Baseball Hall of Fame, the Fenimore Art Institute and the Farmer’s Museum, all in Cooperstown. He served as a trustee of New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art and New York’s Museum of Modern Art, where he served as chairman from 1939 through 1945.
In 1949, Sterling and Francine moved to New York, bringing their extensive art collection with them. After World War II ended and the Cold War began, Sterling became anxious about the disposition of his art upon his death. He favored a museum setting outside of New York City or any metropolitan area, fearing it would be a likely target if World War III ever broke out. He also feared the dropping of another atomic bomb.
Word soon reached trustees at Williams College, which had been his grandfather Edward Clark’s alma mater; Edward had financed Clark Hall, a Georgian building that is today home to the college’s geosciences department and he served on the college’s board of trustees from 1878 up until his death in 1882. The college contacted Sterling Clark and sent representatives to view his art collection. They were blown away by what they saw.
In 1950, the Clarks chartered the Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute as a home for their extensive art collection. Opened to the public in 1955, the Clark has built upon its extraordinary group of works to become one of the most beloved and respected art museums in the world, known for its intimate galleries and stunning natural environment. It is one of the few institutions in the country that combines a public art museum with research and academic programs, including a major art history library.
WHEN YOU GO… Restaurants
1 Berkshire
The official Regional Economic Development Organization and Regional Tourism Council of Berkshire County www.1berkshire.com
Lodging
The Porches Inn
2 blocks from MASS MoCa North Adams www.porches.com
Hotel Downstreet
90 spacious rooms, 1 block from MASS MoCa North Adams www.hoteldownstreet.com
TOURISTS
Hotel and riverside retreat North Adams www.touristswelcome.com
Maple Terrace Motel
Pretty budget-friendly motor court Williamstown www.mapleterrace.com
The Williams Inn
64 rooms, signature Barn Kitchen, well located in town center Williamstown www.williamsinn.com
Canyon Ranch
Award-winning lodging and spa, wellness workshops. Lenox www.canyonranch.com
The Red Lion Inn
Providing hospitality since 1773. Stockbridge www.redlioninn.com
Performing Arts
Tanglewood
Summer home of the Boston Symphony Orchestra Lenox www.tanglewood.org
Shakespeare & Company
Performing plays by Shakespeare as well as new plays of “social and political significance.” Lenox www.shakespeare.org
Jacob’s Pillow
America’s first and longest-running dance festival. Becket www.jacobspillow.org
Alta Restaurant & Wine Bar
Specializing in Mediterranean cuisine; global wine list. Lenox www.altawinebar.com
The Barn Kitchen & Barn
Signature restaurant of The Williams Inn serves seasonally inspired, locally sourced New England classics. Williamstown www.thebarnwilliamstown.com
Common Table
Berkshire natives Cj Garner, a CIA alum and partner Marcus Lyon work with local farms and businesses to create delicious farm-totable dishes. Cheshire www.common-table.com
The Freight Yard Pub
You gotta go with one of their eight choices of sirloin burgers. North Adams www.freightyardpub.com
Trail House Kitchen & Bar
Excellent farm-to-table American fare; welcoming dining room/bar and delightful outdoor patio with fireplace and twinkle lights.
North Adams www.trailhousekitchen.com
Red Lion Inn
The Inn’s Main Dining Room with crystal chandeliers, antique china and colonial pewter is the place to mark a special occasion. Traditional favorites and classic New England fare.
Stockbridge www.redlioninn.com
Hot Plate Brewing Company
Sarah Real and Mike Dell’Aquilla’s Brooklyn condo had its gas turned off for several years due to their landlord’s code violations. Rather than giving up on their dream of creating craft beers, Sarah started brewing on a hot plate, writing and revising her own recipes. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the couple crafted a business plan that became the 7barrel brewhouse and taproom that they opened in 2023.
Pittsfield www.hotplatebeer.com
Art Museums and Botanical Gardens
MASS MoCA North Adams www.massmoca.org
Arrowhead, Herman Melville’s Home Melville’s home and farm, where he wrote Moby-Dick. Pittsfield www.moby-dick.org
Chesterwood
Summer home, workshop and gardens of American public sculptor, Daniel Chester French. Stockbridge www.chesterwood.org
The Clark Williamstown www.clarkart.edu
The Mount Lenox www.edithwharton.org
Norman Rockwell Museum Stockbridge www.nrm.org
Berkshire Botanical Garden Open seasonally.
Stockbridge www.berkshirebotanical.org
Mount Greylock State Reservation
Vast trail network; Visitor Center open year-round. www.mass.gov
Hancock Shaker Village
A highlight of this living history museum is the “Round Barn,” which illustrates the Shaker’s practical approach to construction with entrances on three levels. Did you know the Shakers invented the flatstyle broom?
Pittsfield www.hancockshakervillage.com
My Murder
By Katie Williams
Book Corner
WHAT PEOPLE ARE READING THIS MONTH
What if the murder you had to solve was your own?
Lou is a happily married mother of an adorable toddler. She’s also the victim of a local serial killer. Recently brought back to life and returned to her grieving family by a government project, she is grateful for this second chance. But as the new Lou re-adapts to her old routines, and as she bonds with other female victims, she realizes that disturbing questions remain about what exactly preceded her death and how much she can really trust those around her.
Now it’s not enough to care for her child, love her husband, and work the job she’s always enjoyed—she must also figure out the circumstances of her death. Darkly comic, tautly paced, and full of surprises, My Murder is a devour-in-one-sitting, clever twist on the classic thriller.
The St. Ambrose School For Girls
By Jessica Ward
When Sarah Taylor arrives at the exclusive St. Ambrose School, she’s carrying more baggage than just her suitcase. She knows she’s not like the other girls—if her shabby, all-black, non-designer clothes don’t give that away, the bottle of lithium hidden in her desk drawer sure does.
St. Ambrose’s queen bee, Greta Stanhope, picks Sarah as a target from day one, and she is relentless in making sure Sarah knows what the pecking order is. Thankfully, Sarah makes an ally out of her roommate Ellen “Strots” Strotsberry, a cigarette-smoking, devil-may-care athlete who takes no bullcrap. Also down the hall is Nick Hollis, the devastatingly handsome RA, and the object of more than one St. Ambrose student’s fantasies. Between Strots and Nick, Sarah hopes she can make it through the semester, dealing with not only her schoolwork and a recent bipolar diagnosis, but Greta’s increasingly malicious pranks.
Sarah is determined not to give Greta the satisfaction of breaking her. But when scandal unfolds, and someone ends up dead, her world threatens to unravel in ways she could never have imagined.
The Waters
By Bonnie Jo Campbell
On an island in the Great Massasauga Swamp—an area known as “The Waters” to the residents of nearby Whiteheart, Michigan— herbalist and eccentric Hermine “Herself” Zook has healed the local women of their ailments for generations. As stubborn as her tonics are powerful, Herself inspires reverence and fear in the people of Whiteheart, and even in her own three estranged daughters. The youngest—the beautiful, inscrutable, and lazy Rose Thorn—has left her own daughter, eleven-year-old Dorothy “Donkey” Zook, to grow up wild.
Donkey spends her days searching for truths in the lush landscape and in her math books, waiting for her wayward mother and longing for a father, unaware that family secrets, passionate love, and violent men will flood through the swamp and upend her idyllic childhood. Rage simmers below the surface of this divided community, and those on both sides of the divide have closed their doors against the enemy. The only bridge across the waters is Rose Thorn.
Good Material
By Dolly Alderton
Andy loves Jen. Jen loved Andy. And he can’t work out why she stopped.
Now he is. . . Without a home. Waiting for his stand-up career to take off. Wondering why everyone else around him seems to have grown up while he wasn’t looking.
Set adrift on the sea of heartbreak, Andy clings to the idea of solving the puzzle of his ruined relationship. Because if he can find the answer to that, then maybe Jen can find her way back to him. But Andy still has a lot to learn, not least his ex-girlfriend’s side of the story…
In this sharply funny and exquisitely relatable story of romantic disaster and friendship, Dolly Alderton offers up a love story with two endings, demonstrating once again why she is one of the most exciting writers today, and the true voice of a generation.
YEARLY
MOTIVATION
The start of a new year is like the first chapter of a book yet to be written. It offers a fresh perspective, a clean slate, and a chance to set new goals.
