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HERSAM ACORN NEWSPAPERS

A Resplendent Home With A History To Match

Into The Garden Roadside Pesto

Hand-Me-Downs Welcome

Wayne Ratzenberger photo • Home of the Month

Fairfield Lighting Consignment

Special Section to: The Valley Gazette

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• June 11, 2009 •

Hersam Acorn Newspapers •

A resplendent home WITH A HISTORY TO MATCH by Joanne Greco Rochman Built in 1911, and sitting on six lush acres in Easton, there is a home that is not only gorgeous inside and out, but a home with a rich and distinguished history. Known as the Norton House, it was originally the summer home of Bridgeport Mayor Frank E. Clark. By the time 1925 rolled around, the house had been sold to Eugene E. Norton and his wife Ethlyn. The new owners winterized and completely remodeled the house and turned it into a home for all seasons. They lived there for 55 years. While the 1920s were roaring, the Nortons built an addition to the main house that included a 20-foot-by-40-foot cherry-paneled living room. For such a large room, it is as warm and welcoming as it is spacious and open. Also included in the Norton renovation was a lower family room of similar size. As if that weren’t impressive enough, they built an arched stone loggia. This gorgeous open-air arcade has been the centerpiece of many dinner parties. It now seems to be waiting for its next list of celebrated guests to promenade through its arches. It is a most romantic space, and during summer and fall, outdoor dining here is impossible to resist.

Through the years, this house has welcomed many a celebrity.

Contributed photos.

Eugene and his father, Wesley L. Norton, owned the Connecticut Clasp Company in Bridgeport, which manufactured metal parts for women’s corsets. At one time, the Nortons paid the town of Easton to improve and tar the old road, off Route 58, to the crest of the hill on which the house stands. It wasn’t until many years later, when the town took over the maintenance of the roads, that the street was named after the Norton family.

Recently renovated, the house is notable for its wonderful openness.

Dating to 1930, a picturesque stone cottage welcomes guests.

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JUNE 2009

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Special Section to: The Valley Gazette, The Oxford Gazette, The Stratford Star, The Milford Mirror, The Amity Observer, The Trumbull Times, Fairﬁeld Sun, The Huntington Herald, The Monroe Courier, and The Easton Courier.

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This vintage home has amenities galore and a spectacular view.

In 1930, the Nortons also built a charming stone cottage, set back on the property but close enough for guests to come and go easily. This delightful seven-room abode is now the guest house. Realtor Jeri Kelley noticed that there is an old rotary telephone in one of the rooms of the main house that once connected directly to the guest house. “When dinner was ready, someone from the main house would pick up the phone and let the guests know that dinner was being served,” said Jeri. One of the few, but a major change came in 1980. That’s when the home and property was sold to George Wein, the accomplished jazz pianist, impresario and producer of the first Newport Jazz Festival. While the famous Weins were at home, they had a grand piano in the spacious living room and entertained many of the country’s greatest jazz musicians. In his book “Myself Among Others: My Life in Music,” Wein talks about his friendship with Benny Goodman, who visited the fine old house. It was an elegant home filled with music, celebrities and good friends. Time has been good to this historic house. It has drawn people of substance to its doors. The current owners are avid garden-

ers, so you can imagine how gorgeous the grounds are now. There are even climbing gardens gracing the tennis court. The house not only has amenities galore, but it has a spectacular view as well. There are no winter doldrums at this fine location. When the rouged and gilded leaves have fallen, a clear view of the Aspetuck Reservoir comes into focus. Every day, the scene changes. Ducks are on the water one day, and wild turkeys strut across the lawn on another. With each beautiful season, the home takes on a new vista. Indeed, it has come a long way from the days when a horse or a Model T Ford was seen on the driveway. The current owners have recently renovated the house extensively. The kitchen and bathrooms have been completely updated and remodeled. So, too, the terrace and the downstairs entertainment room ... even the stone loggia. This prime property is bordered on two sides by conservation property, which is owned by Aquarion, the Aspetuck Reservoir management group. Private without being remote, it is conveniently situated. Only 10 minutes from the Merritt Parkway, it is an easy drive to New

Many celebrities gathered here when impresario George Wein became the owner In 1980.

York City. It is also about 15 minutes from the Fairfield train station. While these attributes add value, there is an added bonus. The house is within walking distance of the popular Bluebird Inn, where many a fine actor and notable person has been spotted in casual attire enjoying a leisurely lunch.

Described as a perfect family compound, this magnificent house is on the market for $2,599,000. One thing is certain, whoever moves into this home will be enveloped by its celebrated history. For details, call Jeri Kelley at William Pitt Sotheby’s, 203-856-0527.

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• June 11, 2009 •

Hersam Acorn Newspapers •

HAND-ME-DOWNS WELCOME

Fairfield Lighting offers consignment by Robin E. Glowa Has your attic or basement become the final resting place for an array of long-forgotten, unused items? Is your shed or garage filled with remnants of no-longer-loved family hand-me-downs? Perhaps your great-grandmother’s iron candlesticks lie nestled in a box, shrouded in tissue. The Art Deco lamp that once cast a warm glow in Aunt Mary’s parlor now sits dusty and forlorn in a corner. Perhaps you were given elaborate wall sconces that do not complement your decor. If you have lighting fixtures or pieces that no longer fit your lifestyle, Fairfield Lighting has a wonderful new consignment service known as Consign4Cash. On Black Rock Turnpike in Fairfield, Fairfield Lighting has been an excellent source of beautiful indoor and outdoor lighting for 38 years. Sandy Zemola, showroom manager, buyer and director of sales and marketing, heads up Consign4Cash. “We’ve always had our hand in estate pieces,” said Sandy. “We thought this might be a great way to help our customers sell their unusual, old or unique lighting pieces. My sister, Sharon Lynn, who was most recently the director of sales and marketing, instituted Consign4Cash, and now I am the contact,” she said.

Wayne Ratzenberger photos

“Sharon realized that many people have buried treasure in their homes, and a lot of them might feel more comfortable using a reputable local business for consignments, as an alternative to eBay or craigslist,” Sandy said. “We can relieve the anxiety of working with faceless strangers and worrying about shipping and other concerns that might occur with an online auction site.

A view from below of one of the many appealing chandeliers on display.

“With the current state of the economy, my sister saw an opportunity for us to give back to our customers and the community by starting this program,” Sandy said. “We said, ‘Let’s give this a try,’ and it’s really been a win-win situation.” Consigning a piece with Consign4Cash begins with contacting Sandy. She will evaluate whether Fairfield Lighting will be able to successfully sell the piece. Suggested items are rare, estate and antique chandeliers, pendants,

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“Quality and uniqueness are important,” Sandy said. “We match the items with an appropriate market. It’s unlikely that we would be able to sell something we affectionately call gaudy garbage. The piece does not have to be an antique to be desirable. We can find buyers for pieces that are old or new, but it is essential that it has something special going for it.

Depending on the rarity or beauty of an item, the selling price could range from $125 for a sconce up to $10,000 for a chandelier. “We have seen some truly amazing items come in for consignment,” Sandy said, “such as an absolutely gorgeous Venetian mirror and unbelievable crystal chandeliers. When a piece has great size, or great lines, or exquisite chiseling or casting that are hard to come by, we’ll be able to sell it,” she said.

“I evaluate the items very carefully,” Sandy said, “so I can be sure we can sell them. I look for specific details, like whether the crystals on a chandelier are nice and sparkly. I look at the cut and quality of the crystal, and determine if it is a wonderful Czech crystal or an i n ex p e n s i ve Italian crystal. If I’m looking at an iron piece, I will want to know if it’s hand-forged. Is it from Paris? It’s all in the details.”

Sandy cautioned, “If the piece needs repair, that must happen before it can be accepted for consignment. We have an onpremises repair shop. Once the piece has been repaired and payment made, it will be ready for sale. “We’re so pleased to offer this new service to our customers,” she said. “We’ve been a family-owned business for 38 years, and we are so appreciative of our customers. We’re not a big store, but we’re personable and service-oriented, and our staff is great. Everyone is very hands-on here.

Sandy said that when sellers call about an item, they should be prepared to give her an exact description. “We will need measurements,” she said. “We also like to know such things as, is it cast, poured or stamped?” After the initial discussion, the seller needs to e-mail a photo of the piece, or if it is not too large, it can be brought into the store for examination and evaluation. On certain occasions, pick-up can be arranged.

“If you’re looking for a lighting solution for your home or office, we are a full-service store and would love to assist you with any of your lighting needs,” Sandy said. Fairfield Lighting is at 356 Black Rock Turnpike, Fairfield, 1-203-3842209, farfieldlighting.com. To e-mail Consign4Cash : sandy@fairfieldlighting. com.

Once the piece has been accepted for consignment, it will be displayed in a prominent area of the Fairfield Lighting showroom. If it is quite large, a photo will be displayed instead. A 50/50 split will be shared by the seller and Fairfield

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Hersam Acorn Newspapers •

Lighting once the item is sold. After a certain number of days, if the item has not sold or the owner does not arrange to extend the selling period, it will be donated.

sconces, table and floor lamps, outdoor lanterns, candelabras, and candlesticks.

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• June 11, 2009 •

Hersam Acorn Newspapers •

INTO THE GARDEN

Roadside pesto by Donna Clark

she has pictured is the woodland phlox. I have lots of it in my garden, so I told her she wouldn’t have to buy that one — but my news came too late. I had given her some several years ago, but her plants didn’t bloom because the deer were eating them.

Let’s talk about basil for a minute. You need to rotate where you plant basil since it can be wiped out by fusarium wilt, a fungus that causes the plant to wilt and die. Amending the soil with compost reduces the risk. To harvest basil, wait until the plant is at least 10 inches high, then cut stems just above the second set of leaves (count from the bottom). New stems will form at this point. Don’t let basil flower because it drains energy from leaf production. Instead of pinching the flowers off, go down at least six leaf nodes to make the cut. I have another basil for you — garlic mustard. Yes, the weed that grows by

Donna Clark photos

June is the month for peonies, iris and poppies. The large flowers of the peony give the garden lots of color and make a nice flower arrangement. The first to open are usually the single varieties. I have a new one called Coral Fay, which is my first to open. It is not coral as advertised; it is hot pink and I love it. I have seen a few coral-colored peonies in the gardens I visit, but have yet to find one to buy that is a true coral.

Cuphea Totally Tempted and Petunia Vista Silverberry are a good blend for ﬂower boxes.

the roadside (blooming with white flowers in May). Garlic mustard was originally brought to this country as a culinary herb and “escaped” into the wild. It makes a wonderful pesto. My daughter is the Shelton conservation agent, and she is developing a wild flower garden at the Eklund Garden. They have installed a deer fence around a section of

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the garden and hope to demonstrate how much damage the deer are doing to our forests. This area was once a garden, so there are lots of paths and stone walls. She has a blog at eklundgarden.blogspot.com. She is documenting everything the volunteers do and the plants they are using, along with sources for those plants. One plant

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We used the Cuphea Totally Tempted this year, and even though we had 70 plants, we did wish for more. This is a Cuphea of compact growth with masses of brilliant crimson-colored flowers on a well-branched

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We have finished our planters and window boxes for the summer, but in case you are still struggling with choosing colors and plants, I have a tip. Virginia softly informed us that two colors in a container are plenty. She is an artist and knows color. We try to stick with that rule and do find that the pots are pleasing to look at, not busy.

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We have been eating baby spinach for a few weeks now. I do have to credit the farmers’ markets for making me aware that I could grow spinach. The trick is to use a good variety of seed. Thinning is necessary, and be sure to pick them while they are babies. The varieties I used were: Baby Leaf, Catalina and Summer Perfection, from Renee’s Garden Seeds (reneesgarden. com).

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To market, to market ...

plant. They are bred for heat, humidity and drought tolerance. The height is 8 to 12 inches. In sticking with the two-color rule, the other color we used was blue, since there is a blue eye on the flower. To brighten it up, while staying within the crimson color family, we used a pale pink petunia called Supertunia Vista Silverberry. Basil Genovese — harvest basil when it is about 10 inches high.

June is also the month for roses, and this year I planted three new ones. They are rugosas, and the name is Foxy Pavement. We had a new garden last year that needed a back row, and I tried several rugosas, including this one. The fragrance is what makes it so special. The flowers are big, ruffled, semi-double pinkish-lavender, and the bush grows to three feet tall and four feet wide. When I first started gardening, I wasn’t impressed with rugosas, but if you keep an open mind, it’s always OK to change it.

GARLIC MUSTARD PESTO 3 cups garlic mustard leaves

2 large garlic cloves, peeled & chopped 1 cup walnuts 1 cup olive oil 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese 1/4 cup grated Romano cheese (or more Parmesan) Salt & pepper to taste Combine garlic mustard leaves, garlic and walnuts in food processor and chop. With motor running, add olive oil slowly. Shut off motor. Add cheese, salt & pepper. Process briefly to combine. Serve warm over pasta or spread on crackers … enjoy.

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In May, to kick off the market season, famed chef Alice Waters visited a farmers’ market in Hartford. A long-time proponent of locally grown food, she began serving the freshest ingredients from local farms at her restaurant in Berkeley, Cal., in the 1970s. Connecticut’s Farm-to-Chef program is based on her model. For more information on Connecticut farmers’ markets, the Farm-to-Chef program and other agriculture programs, visit the Web site ctgrown.gov.

— Jackie Perry

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Connecticut farmers’ markets support about 400 farms that provide fruit, vegetables, meat, dairy products, seafood, baked goods, flowers, specialty

“There’s a specialty for every season and an opportunity for the farmer who grew it,” the commissioner said. “Farmers’ markets are wonderful community gathering places.”

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In 2008, according to Connecticut’s agriculture commissioner, F. Philip Prelli, farmers’ markets hit an all-time high with 114 to choose from, and 2009 is shaping up to be even better. “Buying locally benefits so many sectors of society,” he said. “These markets are a vital source of income to so many of our farmers.”

foods, and handmade items, such as soap.

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In years past, come spring, what began with a few markets blossoming here and there is now in full flower — farmers’ markets are everywhere. And their customers couldn’t be more delighted. Fresh-from-the-farm gets their stamp of approval. To fill the desire for farm-fresh products, the number of farmers is increasing as well — another encouraging sign that family farms are alive and well and flourishing.

(washed, patted dry, and packed in a measuring cup)

People are always saying we have the best job. We are able to be outside and work with all these lovely flowers. A couple of weeks ago, we were planting in a walled, sunken garden with the sun shining and all was well — except for the smell. It was early afternoon, and the homeowner was cooking something on the grill that was to die for. Turns out she is a caterer, and she was making a Greek meal, which included Cornish game hens, for one of her customers. No samples were given.

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• June 11, 2009 •

Hersam Acorn Newspapers •

GEOTHERMAL ENERGY

What’s it all about? by Janis Gibson Alternative energy sources. Renewable energy sources. Those terms are used increasingly as awareness grows that the fossil fuels — oil, coal, natural gas — we depend on are limited and damaging to our environment. Of the three most noted renewable sources — solar, wind and geothermal — geothermal is probably the least familiar.

Contributed photos

Basically, with the assistance of an electrically powered pump, geothermal technology uses the constant temperature of the earth, about 52 degrees in this region, to provide heating, cooling and hot water for homes and commercial buildings.

Water or antifreeze is circulated through plastic pipes, which are buried beneath the earth’s surface.

The Web site of the International Ground Source Heat Pump Association describes the closed-loop system this way: “Water or antifreeze solution is circulated through plastic pipes buried beneath the earth’s surface. During the winter, the fluid collects heat from the earth and carries it through the system and into the building. During the summer, the system reverses itself to cool the building by pulling heat from the building, carrying it through the system and placing it in the ground.”

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As interest in alternative energy increases, so do the calls to Connecticut Wells Inc. of Bethlehem, which has completed more than 400 residential and commercial closed-loop systems throughout the Northeast. Among its commercial clients are the Mark Twain House in Hartford, the Bronx Zoo Lion House, the Greenwich Audubon Society, and the Darien Public Library.

“The first question homeowners usually ask is, ‘How many wells do I need and how deep,’” said Anthony Ganio, president of Connecticut Wells. “But need is not based on square footage but on the efficiency of the building. How tight is the envelope of the home? What is the heat loss due to insulation, windows, drafts? You’re not going to have big savings if you have lots of loss. Newer homes are usually built to meet Energy Star requirements, so a large new home can be more efficient than a small older home, which might have single-pane windows and little insulation.” The place to begin, Anthony tells callers, is with an energy audit performed by a licensed heating, ventilation, air-conditioning (HVAC) contractor. “Talk to an HVAC contractor and do a Manual J study, which measures heat lost. Every 12,000 BTUs equals one ton of heat loss. A typical build-

“I can’t tell you,” he replies, “as it depends on fuel costs and the efficiency of the home. In my opinion,” he said, “the first priority should not be payback, but to reduce one’s carbon footprint ... get off fossil fuels for heating and cooling. There are no carbon emissions with geothermal. It is a cleaner, greener way of heating and cooling a home. And once the closed-loop system is installed, the only costs are the operating ones for the electricity to move the fluid through the well bores and building. A recent customer survey showed that homeowners saved 30 to 50 percent on their heating and cooling bills after installing geothermal systems.”

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Connecticut Wells Inc.

And now that tax credits of 30 percent are available to homeowners and businesses for the installation of geothermal systems — thanks to the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 and the Reinvestment and Recovery Act signed into law earlier this year — inquiries are up again.

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Once a system has been designed and permitted, how long does it take to install? “For the average job, expect people to be on site for two weeks ... four days to drill, two days to tile and grout. The interior work is then done by the HVAC contractor,” Anthony said.

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In summer, the system cools the house by pulling the heat out and reverses the process in winter.

ing has a heat loss of five to seven tons. We generally have to drill 150 to 175 feet per ton. Typically, a homeowner will need two to six wells 350 to 450 feet deep.” He adds that some owners will need to update windows and insulation and have drafts sealed to make a geothermal system viable. Once the heat loss number has been established, Connecticut Wells designs a system that details the number of wells, how deep they need to be and where best to dig. Geothermal installation is done in partnership with an HVAC contractor, he said. Connecticut Wells provides all the external service needed, “from planning to permit-

ting to planting,” and the contractor provides the internal aspects. Connecticut Wells began as a driller of water wells in the 1960s and installed its first geothermal wells in the 1980s. “We were doing maybe one a year then,” Anthony recalled. “In the mid-1990s, CL&P initiated a rebate program, which really got our feet wet doing geothermal. After the CL&P money ran out, there remained some interest, but it finally started to rise a couple of years ago. Interest really took off last summer when oil went over $100 per barrel. We did two to three a week.” The second question callers ask is, “When is the payback?”

And what should the homeowner expect in the process? “Expect it to look like a bomb went off on your lawn,” he cautioned. “Drilling can be disruptive. Earth is dug out and we build a retention pit to contain it as much as we can. We also have to trench from the wellheads to the home. Afterward we restore as much as possible and seed and plant.”

For more information on geothermal systems and information on federal tax incentives, see the company’s Web site at Connecticutwells. com; e-mail residentialsales@connecticutwe lls.com; call 800-344-7989.

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• June 11, 2009 •

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DOWNSIZED GARDENER

How to cope? by Lois Alcosser It’s quite a change, moving from a quarteracre flower-filled garden to an apartment balcony, five feet by nine feet, and saying good-bye to a dozen tree peonies, cosmos, coreopsis, roses, ferns (and asparagus and lettuce) to face four empty 12-inch plastic planters made to look like terra cotta. But, children grown, husband gone, and no desire to roam around an oversized house, my gardening mind-set needed revision. To start, I relied on pansies and geraniums, dependable stalwarts. But the picture on the tag of a columbine plant at the nursery looked wonderful. The only time I’d ever heard of columbine was in my college Shakespeare class. Columbine turns out to be perfect for balcony gardening. It flowers all summer long and then returns the following year, blossoming from a dried-out stubble I was ready to dig up and throw away. I tried planting some branches of a baby pine tree (given as a sample on Earth Day) and, being adventurous, one tomato plant. It was about four inches high when I tucked it in, and slowly but surely, yellow blossoms and green pea-sized signs of future tomatoes appeared. By the end of August, I’d harvested a dozen slightlybigger-than-marbles, orangey-red-withunchewable-skins, but real, tomatoes.

From grand space to a bit of a balcony is a huge adjustment. Everything — ambition, determination, vision, fortitude — has to shrink to a workable size. The choice of what to plant becomes more crucial, since whatever it is will have to squeeze into limited space. Around early April or May, depending on weather, the bare balcony begs for color, for life, and the best choice is a matter of impulse. It’s a choice that can be fun and whimsical, but, since a balcony is a public sight, part of the decision is imagining what your neighbors would like to see. Especially the neighbor who happens to be a botanical artist who left a large home with a fertile greenhouse. He manages to do the most breathtaking things. By permanently wiring two large flower boxes to the balcony railing, he has achieved a four-season garden. Hyacinth and then iris, daisies and nasturtium, begonias, impatience, dahlias, mums, and, around December, when my planters are desolate, he has mini Christmas trees topped with snow. There’s even a wren birdhouse, attracting a new family every summer, filling the air with chirps. I often wonder how truly devout gardeners, who can be at it six or seven hours a

day — planting, pruning, feeding, watering, transplanting, cutting, and clipping — might adjust to the dimensions of an average closet? I’m thinking of someone so compelled to be surrounded by nature that she has fresh flowers in her house every week of the year. When it’s freezing outside, she has tropical-looking red, orange and purple bouquets (even if they’re the three-for- $12 Stop & Shop variety). She wouldn’t be satisfied with a downsized garden. Big-garden gardeners read catalogs as if they’re reading Vogue or Harper’s Bazaar. Balcony gardeners find them too daunting — “haughty-cultural.” One of the benefits of a downsized landscape is there are no rules. Everything’s personal and selftaught. There’d be mighty little to look at if you followed instructions telling you to plant seeds four inches apart. And balcony plants can be temperamental. I’ve had geraniums that never reflowered. I’ve had primroses that just collapsed, until I realized all they needed was a nice thaw. I put them in bowls of warm water and they lapped it up and revived. It’s one thing to adjust to a new way of life, from house to apartment. From upstairs bedrooms and downstairs basement to confined coziness. But a balcony garden

somehow makes an apartment a home. I keep wondering why so many of my neighbors have totally ignored their balconies — bare, or maybe a chair. I suppose that’s a kind of minimal chic. Better than the opposite, a certain balcony I’m thinking of that looks like strawberry shortcake every summer — ruffle after ruffle of pink and white petunias. Somewhere in between the bare and the bountiful, there’s a style called Balconia — well-designed, varied, original, enhancing the real estate, gloriously replacing the real thing. But mostly, keeping the apartment gardener’s hands in touch with soil, seeds, watering, and sometimes — imagine — even a little weeding!

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Hersam Acorn Newspapers •

HOME I OF THE I MONTH ■

A Sound Investment LOCATION: Vacation year-round in Milford, with the beach just footsteps away. PROPERTY: For many people, there’s nothing as relaxing as an ocean view and fresh sea air. From the screened-in back porch, your vision is suffused with color — green grass to beige sand to the ever-changing blue water of Long Island Sound. HOUSE: Built in 1920, this delightful home has been newly renovated by Michael Greenberg, a builder well known for fine design and craftsmanship. All the cabinetry was custom-built in his mill. Surrounded by windows, the open floor plan is ideal for enjoying picturesque views from every angle. There’s a living room, dining room, kitchen with all the amenities and a breakfast nook, a family room, bonus/rec room, four bedrooms, three full baths and one half-bath. Add a Jacuzzi, balcony and deck to complete the picture. GARAGE: Two-car attached. PRICE: $2,595,000. REALTY: RE/MAX Right Choice. Agent: Carolyn Augur, 203-877-0618. Photography: Wayne Ratzenberger.

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Need a new roof?

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Contact

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203.877.4373 or service@berkeleyexteriors.com

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Go to berkeleyexteriors.com/june to learn about a $1500 tax credit ��

Save Money. Save Energy. Improve the value of your home.

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• 12 •

• HOME

• June 11, 2009 •

Hersam Acorn Newspapers •

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