• A frolicking dolphin leaps in the waves produced by a powerboat — Canton photographer Wendy Rosenberg explains that several dolphins were swimming swiftly and following the boat in the vicinity of Marco Island
• When the boat stopped in the open water, a few of these wild dolphins came so close to the boat that she was able to pet them: “It was an amazing experience,” she says
• “I was talking to them,” Wendy notes, “and I said: Smile for the camera” — friends have described her as another Dr. Dolittle because of her sympathetic relationship with wildlife — “The dolphins were jumping out of the water as they followed us,” she adds, “and then this one jumped even higher ... I was afraid he was going to jump in the boat!”
Geography Note — Marco Island is a small city on southwest Florida’s Gulf Coast situated across from Miami
• Photo by Wendy Rosenberg
CONTENTS
4 — Anniversary Stunner
Today Magazine is celebrating its 5th birthday with some stunning news — to the tune of more SPJ awards than all other CT mags combined
8 — Covering The Spread
We revisit fve years of cover stories that spread the good word about local notables
20 — Hardware History
Welcome to the roller-coaster story of three Collinsville hardware stores spanning 135 years
24 — Talking Sense
Your fve senses are key players in the connected game of life, health and longevity
“ Winning an SPJ award is a great honor for a professional journalist — for younger writers, wow, it’s a fantastic accolade ” — Bruce Deckert
BY THE NUMBERS
IN OCTOBER 2015, when I was included in what was then the largest layof in ESPN history, Today Magazine wasn’t even remotely on my radar. Staring me in the face, however, was the need for a job that would pay the bills and the mortgage. That job appeared temporarily in the form of a contract gig on the ESPN Digital Media copy desk — the very group I had served for 10 years before the workforce reduction.
My time at ESPN.com had begun in December 1999 when I was hired as a college editor, followed by editorial roles in the newsdesk and talentintegration groups before I was invited to be on the inaugural copy desk.
When the contract expired, I was still seeking full-time employment after a far-reaching yet fruitless job search — that’s why Today Publishing was a necessity-is-the-mother-of-invention venture. Canton Today Magazine debuted in 2018, and Today Magazine is observing its ffth anniversary this summer. Let’s take a look back in this edition … BWD
68 — Today SPJ awards in six years
COVER STORY KUDOS
Our July cover story features a Kosovo trio who endured a genocide, trekked to CT and opened an art gallery — CLICK HERE for our coverage WOW, I didn’t expect the cover story to be this long — you’ve done a beautiful job! Thank you for taking your time to write our story. It means a lot to us that you found our story interesting enough to dedicate an entire edition to! You’ve clearly put in a lot of hours and you’ve done a fantastic job. We are going to share it with everyone we know! — Saranda Kalaveshi • Kalaveshi Arts Studio/Gallery
AWESOME write-up, stunning photos, and my privilege to be included.
— Edith Skiba LaMonica • Avon-based artist
FREE PUBLICITY + STEALING ADS
• Did you know that ads in Today Magazine currently start at $50 — a bargain price to be associated with our best-in-state award-winning brand — as they say, a steal •
• Did you know that our digital ads are connected to our magazine essentially forever — unlike other more expensive digital ad campaigns that disappear after a brief time frame •
• Did you know that our digital ads are linked to advertiser websites for convenient access to key business info •
• Did you know that we don’t publish annoying pop-up ads or irksome videos that lead readers to eventually detest the advertiser rather than desire the product •
• And did you know that all businesses have an opportunity for free Today publicity — email your milestone biz news for consideration > newsroom@TodayPublishing.net •
Today Magazine • Community News That Matters Nationwide Bruce William Deckert — Publisher + Editor-in-Chief
Contributing Photographer — Wendy Rosenberg Covering the Heart of the Farmington Valley and Beyond Five Towns • One Aim — Exceptional Community Journalism • Avon • Canton • Farmington • Granby • Simsbury •
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ANNIVERSARY ISSUE
Stunning Award News Coincides With Today’s 5th Birthday
Special to Today Magazine
The full version of this news story frst appeared in Today Online
TODAY Magazine has received 28 awards this year from the Society of Professional Journalists — 10 frst-place, 13 second-place and fve third-place. Other state magazines collectively received 12 awards, with Connecticut Magazine receiving the second-most: fve, all frst-place awards.
The Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) is widely considered the nation’s foremost journalism organization, and the Connecticut SPJ Chapter presents awards annually through the Excellence in Journalism Contest. The 2024 contest celebrates media excellence during the 2023 calendar year.
Today Publishing — producer of the monthly Today Magazine and the digital news site Today Online — has garnered 68 awards in six years.
This young media outlet debuted its frst publication in October 2018, launching Canton Today Magazine as a print-and-digital monthly that covered only Canton.
In July 2019, a rebrand established Today Magazine, so the rebranded publication observed its ffth anniversary this past July. Currently, Today Magazine covers the fve core Farmington Valley towns — while also recording Connecticut’s underreported upside via community news that matters nationwide. Today defnes the Valley towns as follows: Avon, Canton, Farmington, Granby and Simsbury. Today Magazine has been a digital-exclusive publication since January 2021 because the COVID shutdown and other factors
impacted the advertising revenue that supported a print product. Connecticut Magazine — perhaps the most well-known publication in the Constitution State — was founded in 1971. Compared with this veteran 50-something media behemoth, Today Magazine is a mere kindergarten student. 2024 is the frst year that Today has won the most awards in the Connecticut SPJ’s Magazine
Wendy Rosenberg won an SPJ award for this photo of a red-shouldered hawk taking a bath in her Canton yard
Division. Last year, Today’s 16 awards were second-most to Connecticut Magazine’s 23.
This year, the math is straightforward: Today Magazine has garnered more than twice as many awards as all other state magazines combined — to be more mathematically precise, Today has eclipsed other Connecticut mags by a ratio of 2 .3 to 1.
COVER STORY
ON THE COVER
24 of our 60 covers since July 2019
Today Magazine has garnered more than twice as many awards as all other state magazines combined — to be more precise, Today has eclipsed other CT mags by a ratio of 2.3 to 1
Are Today’s 28 awards in 2024 the most in a single year for a magazine in SPJ history?
The answer is unknown because the Connecticut SPJ hasn’t tracked such historical information, according to an SPJ spokesperson. The same applies to the question of the most awards for a nascent publication in its frst six years.
“To say I’m surprised by this award news is an understatement,” says Today Magazine editor-inchief Bruce Deckert. “More accurately, I’m shocked and dumbfounded — pleasantly shocked, I suppose.”
He won 18 awards this year — seven frstplace, eight secondplace and three thirdplace.
“My hope was to approach Connecticut Magazine’s total in this year’s contest,” says Deckert, who also serves as Today’s publisher.
“But there’s no way I expected Today Magazine to surpass Connecticut Magazine and the other state magazines in this manner.”
AWARDS GALORE
Besides Deckert, 12 Today Magazine contributors won awards in this year’s Connecticut SPJ contest, including six who received frstplace prizes:
Stuart Abrams, Sylvia Cancela, Christopher DeFrancesco, Sarah Klepack, Lillian Peng and Wendy Rosenberg.
Abrams, a social studies teacher, won two frst-place awards and a second-place.
He began teaching at Avon High School in 1994, and was honored in 2010 as Avon’s district-wide Teacher of the Year. For two-plus decades he has taught an innovative college-level course called Genocide and Human Behavior.
Cancela won a frst-place and second-place award.
A professional public relations consultant, she is the founder and owner of Canton-based Red Barn Communication. She was previously the public relations offcer for the Canton Fire & EMS Depart-
ment, and she currently serves as the chair of the Canton Community Health Fund.
DeFrancesco also received a frst-place and second-place award. He is a communications professional at Farmington-based UConn Health, and was formerly an awardwinning reporter and anchor with WTIC Radio NewsTalk 1080. Last year he likewise won a frst-place SPJ award with Today Magazine.
Klepack won a frst-place and third-place award for a double-byline story she wrote with Deckert — a journalism occurrence whereby two people contribute substantially to the reporting and/or writing of a single story and therefore are both credited with a byline.
She is a 2024 Endicott College graduate with a major in communications, and has had internships at Firelight Media and Connecticut by the Numbers.
Peng likewise received a frstplace and third-place award. A 2023 graduate of Avon High School, she has been a contract actress at the Hartford Stage and a project intern at The Storytelling Strategist. She also received an Ensign-Darling Vocal Fellowship at The Bushnell.
Rosenberg garnered a frst-place and second-place award. A Canton resident, she has been Today Maga-
Canton
photographer Tom Kutz won an SPJ award for this cover photo featuring the Canton Community Health Fund
zine’s featured wildlife photographer for fve-plus years. Rosenberg has displayed her work at numerous exhibits across the Farmington Valley. She has now won fve SPJ awards with Today among her multiple photography honors from various organizations.
FURTHER HONORS
Six other Today Magazine contributors won SPJ awards this year — Matthew Broderick, Shayaan Khan, Tom Kutz, Bebeann Oh, Penny Phillips and Aliyana White.
Broderick won a second-place award for a double-byline story he wrote with Deckert. A longtime Simsbury resident, Broderick has freelanced frequently for magazines statewide and formerly served as the VP of development for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Hartford. He penned a solo Today cover story in February 2020.
Khan received a second-place award. A soon-to-be freshman at Simsbury High,
“ There’s no way I expected Today Magazine to surpass Connecticut Magazine and the other state magazines in this manner” —————
Today editor -in-chief Bruce Deckert
he was in eighth grade when his awardwinning story was published. As a fourth-grader and ffth-grader, he also contributed stories to Today Publishing about his experience of COVID.
Is Shayaan Khan the youngest awardwinner ever in the SPJ’s Excellence in Journalism Contest? The likely answer is yes — but the defnitive answer is unknown because the Connecticut SPJ hasn’t tracked the ages of contestants or award recipients.
Kutz won a third-place award. A Canton-based photographer and videographer, he has served thousands of companies in a career that spans 35-plus years.
Today editor Bruce Deckert won a frst-place SPJ award for this cover-story layout that spotlights the Hartford Youth Scholars nonproft
Bebeann Oh garnered a secondplace award. An artist and writer, she is a 2024 graduate of Avon High School. She painted a portrait of Holocaust survivor Abby Weiner that was unveiled at the April 2023 dedication of a special library at Avon High in his honor.
Phillips, a longtime Canton resident, also won a second-place award. She is the director of marketing and communications at Canton-based Favarh, a nonproft that serves people with intellectual and developmental disabilities aka IDD.
White likewise received a second-place award. She is a soonto-be senior at Avon High, and has been a member of the school’s UNICEF and Amnesty International club — Abrams is the club’s adviser.
STELLAR STUDENT SUCCESS
So three Avon High School students have won awards in this year’s SPJ contest, and for four straight years an Avon High student has won a frst-place award as a Today Magazine contributing writer. Overall, six Avon students have received SPJ honors in the past four years — three served as interns with Today via Avon High’s distinctive Achieve Internship Program.
“I’m so psyched that our student writers continue to win awards,” says Deckert, who served as an English and journalism teacher before segueing into the media full-time.
“Winning an SPJ award is a great honor for a professional journalist. For younger writers, wow, it’s a fantastic accolade — it’s something they can include on a resumé for the rest of their career.”
Counting his 18 awards this year, Deckert has won 43 SPJ awards overall, including 15 frst-place prizes — 41 have come since he started Today Publishing, and the
other two were from his time with the Journal Register Company. He sounds a complementary cautionary note about the honors phenomenon.
“Recognition can cut both ways,” Deckert observes. “An award can be a tremendous encouragement, like getting an A+ from a teacher or professor — but an award can also lead to hubris and complacency. I hope and pray all of Today Magazine’s award-winners can appreciate the upside — and grow in healthy confdence and healthy humility — and avoid the downside like the plague.”
Are Today’s 28 awards in 2024 the most in a single year for a magazine in SPJ history? The answer is unknown ... Is Shayaan Khan the youngest award-winner ever in the SPJ’s Excellence in Journalism Contest? The likely answer is yes
CLICK HERE — for the full story in Today Online — including an awards list by category with links to the award-winning content GRANBY TODAY
Founded in 1909, the Society of Professional Journalists “is the nation’s most broad-based journalism organization,” according to the SPJ website. The Connecticut SPJ Chapter was established in 1966. + Today Magazine covers community news that matters nationwide — recording our state’s underreported upside and focusing on the heart of the Farmington Valley
COVER STORY REDUX
Special to Today Magazine
THE REBRANDED Today Magazine celebrated anniversary #5 in July — for a short history of Today Publishing and Today Magazine, see the accompanying sidebar article on page 17.
Since this is a monthly magazine, the math is simple: 60 editions of Today Magazine have appeared in the fve years from the July 2019 rebrand through June 2024.
To commemorate this anniversary, Today Magazine editor-inchief Bruce Deckert contacted the subjects of those 60 cover stories via email and requested brief answers to three questions — following are the comments of those who replied and leveraged this opportunity for further publicity for their organizations.
Today Magazine asked these cover-story subjects the following
Revisiting 5 Years of Riveting Stories
questions, requesting about 150 words or less overall:
1 — What have you appreciated about Today Magazine’s coverage of your story and other news?
2 — How can Today Magazine improve our news coverage?
3 — You and/or your organization have moved forward since your cover story was published — what updates or related news would you like to share?
• Additional comment––as you wish
Regarding the cover-story subjects who haven’t offered comment here — Today Magazine hasn’t seen replies from them after emailing three requests for comment.
+++
• November 2019
Presents + Presence: Gifts of Love Celebrates 30 Years of Being There for Area Residents
1 — A lot of people recognize us and have mentioned seeing our coverage, and it has helped with recognition and product and monetary donations.
2 — Would love to see you bring back the printed version.
3 — We’ve added a second location on Farmington Avenue in Hartford, and our client numbers have exploded, with an increase of 166% just in the past two years. We are now serving clients in 41 Connecticut towns. Four years after the start of the pandemic, there is still a great deal of need in our communities.
Today editor Bruce Deckert received an SPJ award for this cover-story layout that highlights the Abby Weiner Holocaust Memorial Library at Avon High School
• Further comment — Donations of volunteer time, products and funding are always welcome and very much appreciated!
— Lisa Gray • Gifts of Love executive director
• Gifts of Love is a social service agency based in Avon +++
• February 2020
Mission Possible: Innovative Program Focuses On Inner-City Youth
1 — At Boys & Girls Clubs of Hartford, our mission is to help all young people become productive members of society. We’re grateful to Today Magazine for shining the spotlight on programs like Men on a Mission that have a positive impact on the lives of our next generation.
2 — While traditional news coverage may focus on problems, we focus on opportunities. Our community needs more stories highlighting the people dedicated to making a positive difference.
3 — As we approach our 165th anniversary next year,
we’re more committed than ever to giving young people a safe and positive place to learn, fnd their voice, and prepare for the world that awaits them.
We opened our South End Club in 2021 and are preparing to reopen our JDL Northwest Club this fall. We’re proud this expanded network allows us to serve even more families and put young people on the path to a great future.
— Tomeka Cole • vice president of development and communications for Boys & Girls Clubs of Hartford +++
• March 2020 A Promise To Jordan: After Overdose Death, A Mom’s Vow Seeks Hope
1 — Today Magazine’s coverage of our story is timeless. From time to time, I still give out copies and people remember it and comment on how touching and important it was.
2 — I’d read Today Magazine more if it was in print.
3 — I have nothing new to report as our nonproft is currently dormant — we haven’t been operating for over a year.
— Lisa Gray • founder + president: Promise To Jordan continued on next page
+++
• April 2020
Cogent Focus: FOCUS Center for Autism Celebrates
20th Anniversary
1 — Today Magazine brings together the Farmington Valley community and informs its members about important news and happenings. As a nonproft, we rely on community support. Having Today Magazine cover our story allows us to share our message and strengthen our community ties.
2 — Not sure — keep up the good work!
3 — In December, FOCUS Center for Autism will kick off our 25th year of providing services to Connecticut’s autism community!
During this time, our continuum of care has expanded to include the CT state-approved special education program Fresh Start School, three supportive housing programs, adult support services, and panels and
consultations. FOCUS is committed to advocating for increased funding and legislation to ensure that every person with autism in Connecticut can live a meaningful life.
— Lauren Gardner • FOCUS marketing coordinator
+++
• November 2020
For All Ages: Connecting Generations to Alleviate Isolation
1 — Congratulations on fve years of exceptional Today Magazine content! Editor Bruce Deckert has a knack for unearthing those feel-good stories that are so often overlooked but that we all appreciate reading. It is a joy to read the magazine’s articles that creatively weave together facts with heartfelt, human touches and are thoughtfully accompanied by high-quality photos.
2 — The only thing I can think of is to have more of it!
PATIENT-CENTERED CARE
ALWAYS OUR TOP PRIORITY
Safety, compassion and respect have been our philosophy for over 45 years. We provide a supportive environment for residents to achieve and maintain their highest level of function and quality of life.
3 — For All Ages is celebrating our fve-year anniversary too!
Today Magazine covered For All Ages about a year after we launched the organization, and since then we have gone on to create and host impactful programs and events that have connected thousands of Connecticut residents.
In May 2023, following the U.S. Surgeon General’s declaration of loneliness as a public health crisis, we launched our biggest initiative yet — The CT Collaborative to End Loneliness, a statewide cross-sector alliance to foster social health for Connecticut residents.
— Deb Bibbins • For All Ages CEO and founder
+++
• June 2021
HSO Back At SMPAC: Hartford Symphony Orchestra Ready for Jubilant Return to Simsbury
D Short-term rehabilitation
D Long-term care
D Post-acute & transitional care
D Respite care
D Alzheimer’s & dementia care
D Hospice and palliative care
D Physician & nursing services
D Therapeutic recreation SKILLED NURSING & REHABILITATION
1 — Simsbury Meadows appreciates Today Magazine’s support by sharing our story! Despite the challenges caused by the pandemic, we benefted from our big advantage as an outdoor venue and from a pivot strategy that enabled Simsbury Meadows to not only survive, but thrive. We gained new audiences as we expanded our schedule to include ftness and dance school classes and recitals as well as athletic events and more.
2 — Contact area newsmakers to discuss their quarterly/seasonal calendars.
3 — 2024 is an important year for us as we prepare for The Next Act Capital Campaign and fnalize the funding for an expansion that will attract more talent to our stage, and beneft our patrons, staff and the public. Stay tuned for more news!
— Lynne Adame • marketing and communications committee chair
• Simsbury Meadows Performing Arts Center aka SMPAC
+++
• September 2021
In The Black: Innovative ShopBlackCT Seeks
Better Business Equity
1 — Spreading awareness about ShopBlackCT means spreading
awareness for thousands of Blackowned businesses in Connecticut. Our volunteer team works hard to transform the legacy of economic and social inequity in the U.S. through ShopBlackCT, so whenever there is an opportunity to expand that awareness, we are grateful.
2 — I don’t have any suggestions.
3 — ShopBlackCT debuted in July 2020 with an online directory of 175 businesses and has expanded to list more than 2000 Black-owned businesses in more than 100 cities and towns across Connecticut.
ShopBlackCT won an ImpaCT Award in the category of “Impactful Diversity, Equity and Inclusion” — given by Fox61 and the United Way in 2023.
Since our Today Magazine cover story in September 2021, ShopBlackCT has also been featured by NBC CT, WTNH, Fox61, Hartford Business Journal, Channel 12 News and CT By The Numbers.
— Sarah Heath (formerly Thompson) • ShopBlackCT founder
+++
• October 2021
Can You Dig It: Archaeological Dig Reveals Valley’s Paleoindian Secrets
We deeply appreciated your story of archaeology in Avon at the Brian D. Jones Paleoindian Site along the Farmington River.
This deeply buried discovery of artifacts and features received enthusiastic cooperation from all the stakeholders:
Town of Avon, Mohegan Tribe, Mashantucket (Western) Pequot Tribal Nation, Offce of the CT Archaeologist, Federal Highway Administration, CT Department of Transportation, CT State Historic Preservation Offce.
Thrilling beyond words is the national interest the site continues to generate, and popular educational webinars have been sponsored by generous local organizations.
A fnal report by the archaeologists is due later this year. The new Avon History Museum, scheduled to open next year at 8 East Main Street, will feature information on the early peopling of North America. As part of the Avon Historical Society’s mission to educate about our history, eight tall banners on Paleoindian life on this continent are located in lobbies of various buildings in Avon.
— Nora Howard • Avon Town Historian
— Terri Wilson • Avon Historical Society president continued on next page
+++
• December 2021
Simple As ABC: College Prep Program Helps Students Excel
1 — For a nonproft like ours, remaining in the public eye is essential. The articles that you have included in Today Magazine, and especially the cover story, were well-written, accurate and interesting. We have received very good feedback from the public regarding your articles.
2 — At Simsbury ABC, we would say: “Keep doing what you are doing.” We think your content, layout and photographic presentation are informative, fun to read and cover the waterfront well.
3 — No changes in Simsbury ABC. We have graduated some students since your last article on us — all have gone on to college.
— Robert Pearce • Board president: Simsbury A Better Chance aka Simsbury ABC
+++
• April 2022
En Garde: Simsbury High Has Valley’s Only Fencing Team
We are so thankful and grateful to Today Magazine and editor Bruce Deckert. Our high school
fencing team at Simsbury High School was in need of some really good publicity and promotion, and Today Magazine provided us with everything that we were looking for.
Immediately after our article came out, we were inundated with calls of interest; not only from Simsbury residents but also from Farmington, Avon, Canton and Granby. I am surprised at how many parents from the Farmington Valley area have children involved in fencing who have no support from their respective school districts.
This coming 2024-25 season, we are expecting close to 60 student fencers on our team at SHS, and Today Magazine is a big part of that success. We wish Today and Bruce Deckert all the best!
— Thomas Palmer • Trojans fencing advisor • Simsbury High intervention teacher
+++
• May 2022
Artistic Transplant: Move From NYC to Valley Invigorates Illustrator
1 — I’m excited to see the anniversary issue of Today Magazine, where I’ll be able to linger over some of my favorite issues from the past fve years. As honored as I am to have been featured in Today, I have been thrilled anew with each issue, to discover the fascinating features and news about our great community. Today Magazine brings to life the vibrant and surprising stories of the people and history of the Farmington Valley, which only increases my appreciation for this beautiful area I moved to. Thanks so much for the great and meaningful work you do to keep us all informed and entertained!
2 — The only thing I can think of is for Today Magazine to come out every week so we can get more of the great reporting.
3 — Since the feature ran in Today,
I have continued settling in and exploring my abstract surrealist adventure, which is daily informed and inspired by world events. — Zina Saunders • artist and professional illustrator
+++
• July 2022 Center Stage: Resolving A Town Center Debate
As co-authors, we’re delighted that Today Magazine printed this article. The topic is near to our hearts — what is the historic and true town center of Avon? How wonderful that your magazine allowed us to drill down into such local detail. We used primary sources on Avon in the collections of the History Room in the Avon Free Public Library, the West Avon and Avon Congregational Churches, and in online digitized databases.
Where else could we ever have published such a hyperlocal topic? Where else would our work as volunteer researchers and writers be so appreciated?
The photographs and layout looked great. We’re sure your readers really enjoyed them. And that town center location? Why, of course, the historic four-corner
neighborhood at Routes 10/202, Route 44 and Old Farms Road. Picture the soaring spire of the Avon Congregational Church, and there you are! The full story, though, is in Today Magazine.
— Nora Howard • Avon Town Historian
— Terri Wilson • Avon Historical Society president
+++
October 2022
The Search: An Adoption Story
• Adoptee Shares Joy and Pain of Adoption Journey
1 — As someone in her early 20s, I often fnd it hard to keep up and connect with local news. Today Magazine has made local news easily available and digestible for people of all ages so they become more conscious, and hopefully more active, citizens of the Farmington Valley.
2 — Would love to see Today Mag-
azine extend its reach even more to the younger population who tend to not use email so much as a way to access local news.
3 — Since my story was published I have moved away from journalistic writing and have focused more on blog writing and social media in the wedding industry. I will always have a special appreciation for journalism, and especially local news.
• Further comment —
Congratulations again on the anniversary and I hope for many prosperous years ahead!
— Katie Napier • contributing writer
+++
• February 2023
Deep History Dive: MLK Day Bus Ride + Rwanda Genocide
Our MLK Bus Ride has grown and expanded with more students and more stops. In 2024, we added The First Cathedral in Bloomfeld
for an absolutely extraordinary visit with archbishop LeRoy Bailey and his college friend Dr. Riggins Earl. Dr. Earl actually marched with Dr. Martin Luther King, which made our visit all the more provocative and compelling. Our MLK Bus Ride has become a part of the fabric of Avon High School.
— Stuart Abrams • Avon High social studies teacher
+++
• March 2023
Quick Class on Greens and Grass: Village Greens Reveal Fascinating History
1 — Today Magazine has been a great way to inform your readers in the Farmington Valley about local history, in particular, the town of Canton. The great choice of topics and photos have made the stories even more interesting.
2 — I miss seeing the printed magazine because I often forget to go
e Carmon Family believes that each funeral should be personal and meaningful. Our services re ect the Carmon family values and our
back and read it online, but I understand the high cost.
3 — The Canton Historical Museum has been doing a lot of work, thanks to a new curator, a maintenance crew and a dedicated group of volunteers. There are new exhibits and some refurbished exhibits, including Eaton Hardware, with items on loan from Rhett Newell, the last owner — see the story about Eaton Hardware on page 20 in this edition.
— Kathy Taylor • Canton Town Historian and Canton Historical Society president +++
• April 2023
Century Celebration: CCHF Marks
105 Years of Health-Focused Care
1 — Endless curiosity is a cornerstone of Today Magazine’s journalism. The trajectory of Canton Community Health Fund’s April 2023 cover story started with a question from Bruce Deckert: Isn’t your organization celebrating its 105th anniversary? This led to a challenge and an inspiration to go deep into our origin story and to demonstrate how our 1918 legacy is still vibrant, important and needed. We continue to leverage our rebranding and honor our mission — contributing to the health, safety and well-being of the Canton community.
2 — Keep digging into what people think they already
know about their town, or why things really work the way they do — or don’t. “Wow, I didn’t know that” is a great response goal for your readers!
3 — Since CCHF’s 2023 rebranding, we have collaborated with amazing community partners, serving life’s most basic needs, and forged new entrepreneurial partnerships to provide additional services for Canton residents. In 2024, CCHF added a “Pay It Forward” Scholarship for residents who are pursuing or practicing in healthcare or public service careers. By, for and about the Canton community — this is our pledge and promise that complements our mission and drives our talented all-volunteer board.
• Further comment — Happy anniversary, Today Magazine — and thank you for supporting all the work of Canton’s community of volunteers.
— Sylvia Cancela • CCHF chair
• writer and communications professional +++
• June 2023
Post-Holocaust Hope: Avon High Dedicates Special Library To Shoah Survivor
We have continued to move forward with our Abby Weiner Holocaust Memorial Library by utilizing the books in his library to great use. We have also continued to receive more and more boxes of books since the dedication. I cannot imagine that there is a high school library anywhere in the state of Connecticut — or the nation, for that matter — with a Holocaust library that would rival ours.
We continue to honor Abby by promoting our Genocide and Human Behavior class and by traveling to Europe for our Holocaust study tours. Last year we visited Berlin, Prague, Warsaw and Krakow. This past April we visited Budapest, Munich, Nuremberg and Vienna — we also had a special visit at Avon High School from former U.S. Senator Chris Dodd, who shared stories about his father Thomas Dodd’s experi-
ences as a prosecutor at the war trials. Next year we plan to visit Amsterdam, Bruges, Dunkirk, Normandy, Paris and Westerbork. Abby’s memory lives on every day and in everything we do at Avon High School.
— Stuart Abrams • Avon High social studies teacher
+++
• July 2023
Search And Rescue: Project Search Makes Job Hunt Inclusive
1 — I believe local, independent, community journalism is a worthy endeavor, one that I fnd I appreciate more and more as it becomes less and less common.
2 — A way to possibly improve news coverage is to consider diversifying the stories in each issue, to appeal to a wider variety of interests so there’s still something for readers who may not be especially interested in the cover story. And it if ever became economically feasible again, going back to a print publication would provide a distinction from other news operations.
3 — In recent years UConn Health has continued to thrive, not only with exploding patient volumes, but also with continued advances in
biomedical research and by further contributing to the state’s healthcare workforce — all while cementing its position as a vital public academic medical center for the public good.
— Christopher DeFrancesco • journalist and UConn Health communications professional +++
• November 2023
Favarh Milestone: Arc Marks 65 Years of Celebrating IDD Identity
1 — Favarh appreciates the Today issue celebrating Favarh’s 65th anniversary of serving people with disabilities. The reporting is celebratory and complete. The photographs are in color. We often use the magazine when introducing our organization to new groups, corporations, and funding sources to showcase the many aspects of our work in the community.
2 — Today Magazine does a wonderful job touting the many benefts of living in this special corner of the world. The photographs truly make the magazine sparkle.
3 — Favarh and Metro Realty Group will open a new apartment complex in Farmington in December 2024, for 18 more adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities to live independently and inclusively. Also, the public is invited on Friday, September 6 to our beneft concert at Simsbury Meadows Performing Arts Center featuring an encore performance with Mike DelGuidice, who tours worldwide with Billy Joel.
— Penny Phillips • Favarh marketing and communications director • Canton-based Favarh serves people with intellectual and developmental disabilities aka IDD +++
• December 2023
Food Bank Redux: Canton Food Bank Celebrates 40th Birthday
The Canton Food Bank is a nonproft agency that has a volunteer base of up to 60 people, all united together in the goal of helping other members in the community dealing with food insecurity. Over the next year the Food Bank plans to remain committed to fresh initiatives and improved nutrition.
We had such a great experience last year with the quality of produce and varied selection at Bristol’s Farm Market in Canton, and we’ve partnered with Bristol’s again this growing season.
In addition, we plan to allocate more space to special diets, including low-sugar and low-sodium options to bring those healthy choices front and center.
Volunteers recently completed SWAP (Supporting Wellness at Pantries) training offered through Foodshare. Implementing the ideas from SWAP will make those healthy choices easier. We hope these efforts continue to build a sense of community and strengthen relationships with families in Canton, making the food bank experience less transactional and more relational — and more healthy!
1 — When our VFW post in Avon decided to help resettle an Afghan refugee family whose members had helped U.S. and coalition forces, we knew we would need help. Today Magazine responded to our request to publicize our efforts. We were able to assemble a fabulous team of over 50 capable and motivated people to help with the project. It truly became a community effort, and the results were astounding.
2 — Possible improvements: Veterans Corner — space for VFW, American Legion and other veterans organizations to express what they need to express.
3 — The family arrived in March and is well on its way to making America home. The children are in school, everyone is learning English, social and fnancial connections have been made, and dad has a job. The VFW is deeply grateful to all who made this project the beautiful experience it is. Today Magazine had a signifcant role in helping to make it happen.
1 — Fiddler’s Green appreciates that Today Magazine takes the time to delve into the details of local stories. It’s a welcome throwback to the community newspapers of the past, when neighbors wanted to share in their neighbors’ achievements, milestones and exciting moments.
2 — If Today Magazine was to expand its news coverage, we’d love to see more focus on new businesses and entrepreneurs in the area.
3 — Nothing new to report otherwise.
— Lisa Natcharian • journalist and communications professional • Lisa and her husband Matthew own the Fiddler’s Green plaza in Simsbury
+++
• June 2024
History Jubilee: Historical Society Celebrates 50 Years
Thank you for featuring 50 years of the Avon Historical Society’s own history. We crave that local sense of place that Today Magazine provides, and we appreciate being part of your community.
Thank you for helping us keep Avon’s history ever-present.
That is no small feat in today’s fast-paced world. Local history is something that your magazine continues to celebrate, explain and spotlight.
We are a team we like to call Avon’s own Corps of Discovery — the name of the people on the Lewis and Clark expedition.
Our work is important, and we appreciate your recognizing that and sharing our discoveries with your readers.
The historical society’s big news, which Today Magazine has been following, is the renovation and reopening of the new Avon History Museum at 8 East Main Street — the grand opening is scheduled for July 4, 2025. I know this story will be in upcoming issues of Today Magazine!
— Nora Howard Avon Town Historian
Today Magazine covers community news that matters nationwide and aims to record Connecticut’s underreported upside — focusing on the heart of the Farmington Valley: Avon, Canton, Farmington, Granby and Simsbury
Short History of Today Magazine
Special to Today Magazine
WHEN TODAY PUBLISHING debuted in 2018, our focus was on only one Farmington Valley town — is this surprising news to you? Keep reading for a rundown of Today Publishing and Today Magazine history, from roots to awards to a brief publisher’s bio:
• Publisher and editor-in-chief Bruce Deckert founded BWD Publishing LLC in January 2018 and premiered its initial publication, Canton Today Magazine, in October 2018 — Today Publishing is the DBA name (doing business as) of BWD Publishing.
• Canton Today was a print-and-digital monthly that focused solely on Canton and its attendant village Collinsville — fast-forwarding to the present day, Today Magazine is a digital-exclusive monthly that covers the Farmington Valley and beyond: the fve core towns of Avon, Canton, Farmington, Granby and Simsbury.
• In April 2019, Today Publishing expanded to cover Avon and Simsbury as well as Canton via three town publications — and thus produced Avon Today, Canton Today and Simsbury Today magazines in April, May and June of 2019 — these were print-and-digital monthlies.
• In July 2019, those three town-specifc publications consolidated and Today Publishing introduced the tri-town-focused Today Magazine — so the rebranded magazine celebrated its ffth anniversary in July 2024.
• Also in July 2019 — Today Publishing launched Today Magazine Online, our dedicated digital news site that reaches the far-fung global Internet realm across
A native of New Jersey, Deckert was born in Newark and was raised in Bloomfeld and Plainfeld — yes, in New Jersey, not their namesakes in Connecticut
the Farmington Valley, throughout Connecticut and around the world — in 2021, Today Magazine Online rebranded and streamlined as Today Online.
• In July 2020, Today Magazine again expanded its specifc community-focused coverage area to include Farmington and Granby, thus covering the entire Farmington Valley — the timing coincided with the reopening of many businesses in Connecticut after the state’s COVID shutdown in March 2020.
• The all-Valley version of Today Magazine operated as a print-and-digital monthly publication until December 2020 — in January 2021, Today Magazine became digital-exclusive after ad revenue dried up throughout COVID’s frst year.
• In the present day, Today Magazine continues to cover the heart of the Farmington Valley and beyond via community news that matters nationwide, aiming to record Connecticut’s underreported upside.
• Today Magazine has received 28 awards this year from the Society of Professional Journalists — 10 frst-place, 13 second-place and fve third-place. Other state magazines collectively received 12 awards, with Connecticut Magazine receiving the second-most: fve,
continued on next page
Today editor Bruce Deckert won an SPJ award in 2023 for this cover layout — the photo was taken by his daughter, Kayla Anneliese Deckert
all frst-place awards. Overall, the Today Publishing award haul totals 68, in six SPJ contests.
PUBLISHER’S BIO
Bruce William Deckert established Today Publishing in 2018 after working in the journalism realm for 20-plus years. He is Today Magazine’s publisher and editor-inchief.
For about 17 years, from 1999 to 2017, he served as an editor at ESPN.com and ESPN Digital Media in various roles.
In October 2015 he was part of a historic workforce reduction at ESPN that made national headlines. After his severance package concluded in April 2016, he returned to the ESPN Digital Media copy desk via a six-month contract position that was renewed twice and thus ran for 18 months through September 2017.
After an extensive and signifcant job search that yielded no fulltime employment offers, Deckert decided to launch Today Publishing — he has described this media outlet as “a necessity-is-the-motherof-invention venture.”
Before his ESPN tenure, he was a newspaper editor and reporter in Connecticut for three-plus years with the Journal Register Company aka JRC — including a stint with the former Imprint Newspapers group comprised of weekly papers that covered 11 towns in Greater Hartford, counting four in the Farmington Valley.
Deckert began his post-college journalism career at the Post in 1996 — not the New York or Washington outfts, but the Wethersfeld Post in Connecticut. The Post was part of Imprint.
“My career has come full circle,” he says, “from hyper-local community-focused journalism to the Worldwide Leader In Sports and back to community journalism —
Wendy Rosenberg won an SPJ award last year in the Photo Essay category — this photo of a catbird mom feeding her babies was part of that essay — a Canton resident, she has been Today’s featured contributing photographer since January 2019
yet with an emphasis on topics and themes that intersect and connect with human communities statewide, nationwide and worldwide.”
Deckert has won 43 SPJ awards overall in his career, including 15 frst-place honors — 41 of those awards have arrived via Today Publishing, while the other two came during his JRC days: a frst-place with Imprint and a second-place with The Bristol Press. He received no such professional recognition during his 17-year ESPN tenure.
A native of New Jersey, Deckert was born in Newark and was raised in Bloomfeld and Plainfeld — yes, in New Jersey, not their namesakes in Connecticut. He graduated from Gordon College (Wenham MA) and Plainfeld (NJ) High School. +
Today Magazine covers the heart of Connecticut’s Farmington Valley and beyond — Avon, Canton, Farmington, Granby and Simsbury — via community news that matters nationwide
Canton Features Multifaceted Hardware History
HISTORY HIGHLIGHTS
By Kathy Taylor Special to Today Magazine
IF YOU LIVED in the Farmington Valley before 2001, you most likely knew about Eaton Hardware, located on the corner of Main and Market Streets in downtown Collinsville. This section of Canton became more densely settled due to the many employees working at the Collins Company, many of whom lived nearby.
The Collins Company manufactured axes, machetes and a multitude of other tools in Collinsville from 1826 to 1966.
Housing and businesses grew up around the company to serve the growing population of employees and their families.
Up and down Main Street and its offshoots were a bank, fruit and meat markets, restaurants, shoe and
ABOVE — The former Eaton Hardware store has a display at the Canton Historical Museum — RIGHT — P.F. Smith Hardware predated E.J. Smith Hardware in this Collinsville building that is now home to Carol & Company
— E.J. Smith moved across the street in 1931 and became Eaton Hardware in 1948 — in this 1903 photo, the man in the center is Phelps F. Smith, and his son E.J. Smith is wearing a bowtie behind the freworks sign
clothing retailers, tailors, barbers, pharmacies, dry goods and grocers, doctors and dentists — but the one business that lasted longer than any before or after sold hardware plus anything and everything you could need for your home or business.
Eaton Hardware began as P.F. Smith Hardware, a hardware and plumbing supply business, and P.F. Smith became E.J. Smith Hardware before becoming Eaton Hardware.
P.F. Smith and E.J. Smith were located in the building now occupied by Carol & Company at 107 Main Street.
In 1931, E.J. Smith Hardware moved across the road to 122 Main
Street, where Bidwell Hardware had been located — on the same side of the street as LaSalle Market.
E.J. Smith became Eaton Hardware in 1948.
Circa 1903, P.F. Smith installed one of the oldest gasoline pumps in town on the sidewalk in front of the building.
According to a Farmington Valley Herald article published on June 4, 1931, Dr. Plummer was the only Canton resident who owned a car and he flled its tank at P.F. Smith’s gas pump. Years later, E.J. Smith donated this pump to the Canton Historical Museum — it’s in the basement exhibit area.
All Aboard For Collinsville’s Roller-Coaster Hardware Store Ride
Phelps F. Smith died in 1904, and his son Edwin J. Smith continued the business. In 1923, it was incorporated as E.J. Smith Hardware Company, with Edwin as president and his nephew Everett “Hap” Eaton as secretary and treasurer. Everett had worked for many years with both Edwin and his father. In 1931, Edwin and Everett purchased the former Bidwell building at 122 Main Street across the road, and moved E.J. Smith Hardware there — this afforded more retail and storage space.
Bidwell Hardware predated the multigenerational Smith/Eaton hardware store at 122 Main. In 1866, brothers Jasper and Daniel Bidwell built the building, and Daniel ran Bidwell Hardware from this location for over 50 years. Wagner Meat Market was in the basement, and an apartment and dentist were on the top foor.
When Daniel retired, he sold the business to Mr. W.A. Collins — there is no known relation to the Collins Company — who subsequently ran it until 1923. The inven-
tory was then sold to P.F. Smith Hardware when it was located across the street at 107 Main.
In 1948, Everett Eaton took over the business with his wife Elsie (Richardson) and changed the store’s name to Eaton Hardware. He was also the Canton tax collector and kept an offce in this building.
John Newell began working at Eaton Hardware in the 1950s, and in 1971 he purchased the business from the Eaton family. He had married Everett and Elsie Eaton’s daughter, also named Elsie,
The building on the left was initially the home of Bidwell Hardware — located at 122 Main Street in Collinsville, a stone’s throw from LaSalle Market on the same side of the street — E.J. Smith Hardware later moved to this building and became Eaton Hardware in 1948
who worked at the store as well.
In 1978, Everett “Rhett” Newell — the son of John and Elsie Newell — purchased the property and the Eaton Hardware business.
So he became the fourth generation in the extended family to own and operate the store. He later purchased the building next door, and Eaton Hardware expanded and occupied part of that location.
Sarah Henry worked at Eaton for 44 years, beginning in 1948 — shortly before E.J. Smith Hardware became Eaton Hardware — and retiring in 1992. She was known as the store’s go-to person. She could cut and thread pipes, repair lamps and cut glass, and she also tried her hand at plumbing and carpentry.
Born in Canton, Sarah began her career at the store when she was 25 years old: Edwin Smith happened to see her in front of the store and asked if she would like to wash the building’s front windows.
She died in 2007 at 84 years old,
and her obituary stated: “If Sarah can’t fx it, throw it away.”
Eaton Hardware closed in 2001, with a combined 135 years between the related hardware store families. The business is still sorely missed by many who frequented the store for their hardware supplies.
Rhett Newell has kindly loaned items from the original store to the Canton Historical Museum for an
exhibit, along with a family scrapbook. The museum is open on Saturdays and Sundays from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. or by appointment — to schedule a visit, send an email to information@cantonmuseum.org + www.cantonmuseum.org
Kathy Taylor is the Canton Town Historian and Canton Historical Society president
E.J. Smith Hardware in the 1920s
Everett Eaton, E.J. Smith and Clair Wilder inside E.J. Smith Hardware — in the Collinsville building Carol & Company calls home today, before E.J. Smith moved across the street in 1931 — Smith sold the store to Eaton in 1948
P.F. Smith installed one gasoline pump in about 1903 on the sidewalk out front — by the time his son E.J. Smith renamed the store, more had been added
Longevity and Your 5 Senses
Dr. Brian A. Magna Special to Today Magazine
STUDIES examining longevity and our fve senses — vision, hearing, taste, smell and touch — are limited. Therefore, it makes sense to look into the correlations between these senses and how they work to keep you healthy during your lifespan.
As is the case with bodily movement that exercises your muscles, exercising your brain exercises your senses. So just how does exercising your senses increase longevity? Let’s investigate the connection between each sense.
1. Vision — controlled by the occipital lobe of the brain — connects you with the world through simply accepting light and organizing the light into structure and letting your brain know what is nearby. Having good vision allows you to experience and appreciate the variability and beauty of life itself.
At the other end of the vision spectrum: Without good vision, one is more prone to falls, social isolation, cognitive decline and a lack of functional independence, which all have a negative effect on a healthy lifespan.
2. Hearing — controlled by the temporal lobe of the brain — allows you to make sense of the world around you through communication and sound.
Communication allows a sense of community and safety, while sound in general connects you to the environment not only from a safety standpoint but also through the sounds of nature and peace.
As is the case with vision, hearing defcits are associated with cognitive decline, social isolation, depression and a risk of earlier mortality.
3. Taste — controlled by the insula and the frontal operculum of the brain — allows you to experience rich multisensory experiences with food. Meals, especially when experienced with friends and family, are associated with increased longevity, happiness, positive communication and a sense of community.
Individuals with diseases and conditions that diminish or eliminate the sense of taste could experience a negative impact on dietary choices, nutritional intake and social interaction.
4. Smell — controlled by the olfactory bulb of the brain — has connections to the hippocampus (memory) and the amygdala (emotion). A good sense of smell is associated with memories and emotional lifetime experiences.
Walking into a room where cookies or pies are baking, it is not uncommon to experience the feeling of being brought back in time to a place of comfort. Comfort and feelings of euphoria are known to have positive effects on longevity and health. Studies regarding a lack of normal smell demonstrate early markers of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease.
Meals, especially when experienced with friends and family, are associated with increased longevity ... and a sense of community
5. Touch — controlled by the parietal lobe of the brain — is a key component for protection against extreme temperature, but adds an extremely important component of human touch into the mix. Humanto-human touch is a valuable sense for connection, support and safety, especially in times of trauma and stress. Even touching the environment — through nature, pets and feeling rain on your skin — has positive effects on lifespan.
A lack of normal and proper touch can have negative effects on physical safety and emotional wellbeing, and can result in depression and less happiness in life.
• Bonus Sense: Thought — not typically known as a human sense, but directed by sensory input from all of the above fve senses — is by far the most important factor regarding how your life turns out and how you feel about yourself and the world around you. The functioning of the fve senses — both proper and improper — will have a direct impact on your thoughts and how your life will transpire. +
Dr. Brian Magna owns Magna Physical Therapy & Sports Medicine Center — locations in Avon and Canton • 860-679-0430
• www.magnapt.com
The Longevity Zone — Magna’s new initiative — aims to revolutionize health and wellness in the Farmington Valley community by promoting cleaner, consistent and healthier lifestyles. By fostering a sense of community and providing access to various affliate businesses and services — while emphasizing exercise, nutrition, stress reduction and social engagement — we seek to extend individual health-spans and enhance overall well-being
• These advertising sponsors have seen the value of investing in Today Magazine’s award-winning journalism as we record Connecticut’s underreported upside and cover the heart of the Farmington Valley and beyond •
• If you have paid for a recurring advertisement with Today Magazine but don’t see your business or organization listed, send an email so you can be added to our Advertiser Hall of Fame — advertise@TodayPublishing.net •
Anthology Senior Living — 860-546-8037 — Simsbury www.anthologyseniorliving.com > Location
Avon Health Center — 860-673-2521 — Avon www.avonhealthcenter.com
Avon Historical Society — 860-678-7621 — Avon www.avonhistoricalsociety.org
A Teen Edge — 860-593-2822 www.ateenedge.com
Board and Brush — 860-392-8567 — Simsbury www.boardandbrush.com/simsbury
Canton Barn LLC — 860-693-0601 — Canton www.cantonbarn.com
Canton Food Bank — 860-693-5811 — Canton www.townofcantonct.org
Carmon Funeral Homes — 860-673-8610 www.carmonfuneralhome.com
Carol Cole Real Estate — 860-212-0687 — Canton www.carolcolerealestate.com
Cherry Brook Health Care Center — 860-693-7777 — Canton www.cherrybrookhcc.com
