Ink Magazine - April 2017

April 2017 A guide to finer living in Connecticut & abroad.

publicationsÂŽ

www.inkct.com

Vol 13 Issue 136 2017

Complimentary ­C omplimentary

THE SMARTER CHOICE FOR

We’re Redefining What a Community Hospital Can Be While other hospitals are busy merging and creating giant health systems, Middlesex Hospital is busy doing one thing: making healthcare better for you. That means treating patients like people, not numbers. It means investing in the most advanced technologies and recruiting the most exceptional specialists and surgeons. It means bringing world-renowned knowledge and research home to Connecticut through our collaboration with Mayo Clinic. And, above all else, it means exceeding what you may think is possible at a community hospital. Because we’re not your average community hospital— we’re today’s Smarter Choice for Care. middlesexhospital.org/today

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www.inkct.com

Features

APRIL 2017

Columns, Reviews, Events

ISSUE CONTENTS

A Brothers Guide Salem’s own Fox Farm Brewery See How they Run!

M/Bar: The Pulse of Mystic pg. 10

pg. 68

The Cheesemonger Introducing Award-Winning Collina Veneta

pg. 70

April Events Upcoming events in Connecticut

pg. 74

Cardinal Points Gulls Hunting Spider Crabs

pg. 18

HOLE FOODS: “The Single Batch that Became Deke's Bagels.”

pg. 22

Variety, Comradery, and Musical Magic - Open Mike Nights

pg. 30

On the Cover:“Forest Floor” by Robert Deyber Above: “Bad Hare Day” by Robert Dayber / Photo by A. Vincent Scarano

“Some Hope and Some Healing”

~ SPRING AT LAST ~

The Sound Retreat pg. 34

INK staff Contributors:

Advertising:

Jeffery Lilly- founder/publisher/webmaster

Contact us to receive our media kit complete with detailed advertising information including ad rates, demographics, and distribution in your area.

Stephanie Sittnick - publisher/sales/design Carolyn Battisa - editorial

“A Play On Words”

Laurencia Ciprus - editorial

Robert Deyber’s Art of Language

Sarah Crisp - editorial Caryn B. Davis - editorial/photography Charmagne Eckert - editorial

pg. 44

Gina King - Design in Mind Nancy LaMar-Rodgers - editorial Barbara Malinsky - editorial

Old Lyme Techno Tick FRC - Varsity Sport for NERDs

pg. 56

We encourage the public to submit stories, poems, photography, essays, and all things creative. If you know of a person or place of interest, please submit your ideas to: submissions@ink-pub.com We will do our best to put your ideas in INK.

Please direct your advertising inquiries and questions to: Stephanie Sittnick - Director of Advertising advertising@ink-pub.com 860-227-8199 Cheryl Powell - Greater Connecticut cheryl@ink-pub.com 860-608-5749 Rona Mann - Clinton, CT - Rhode Island six07co@att.net 401-539-7762

Rona Mann - editorial

Submit Events Listings to:

Paul Partica - The Cheesemonger

Angela Carontino - events@inkct.com

A. Vincent Scarano - photography

Every issue is printed using 100% Soy based ink.

All content of INK Publications including but not limited to text, photos, graphics and layout are copyrighted by INK Publishing, LLC. Reproductions without the permission of the publisher is prohibited. Ink Publishing, LLC is not responsible for images or graphics submitted by advertisers which are not copyrighted or released for use in this publication.

INK PUBLISHING, LLC 107 Hemlock Valley Rd., East Haddam, CT email: info@ink-pub.com www.inkct.com

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VALEN T I N E H . Z AH N C O M M U N I T Y

G A L L E R Y

T H E G A L L E R Y AT M I D D L E S E X H O S P I TA L S H O R E L I N E M E D I C A L C E N T E R

“Local Vision II” Gallery Exhibit

Mar 23 - May 20

Janine Janaki, 120 Hours in Nevada, pastel (detail)

Experience the Community Gallery at Middlesex Hospital Shoreline Medical Center Group exhibition featuring local artists curated by Jan Ayer with Jurors William Childress, Dennis Pough and Clare Rogan Gallery open during regular business hours Sponsored by

250 Flat Rock Place, Westbrook, CT 06498 860-358-6200 • info@midhosp.org • middlesexhospital.org

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2017 SUMMER CSA NOW AVAILABLE! sign up at: www.DeepRiverFarms.com 362 WEST ELM STREET | DEEP RIVER, CT 06417 860.598.9824 PRODUCE | FARM PRODUCTS | FARM EXPERIENCE

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See How they Run! M/Bar: The Pulse of Mystic

by RONA MANN / photos by KRUSHgraphics

13 Michael and Merrily Connery are runners.

Serious runners.

Taut bodies boast rock hard abs and seemingly endless energy and vitality, testament to their dedication of pounding the pavement regularly and in all kinds of weather.

The couple has been running for decades; and between the two of them have logged five New York Marathons, so we’re not talking occasional jogging.

a wine bar accompanied by small plates of creative appetizers, sandwiches, charcuterie, and inventive farm to table concoctions. It was during that run that the Connerys woke up and smelled the coffee, planting the seed that nearly two years later flowered into M/Bar, now the very pulse of Mystic.

It was during a run a couple of years ago that they encountered their newest venture in the form of a run down shell of a building. “It had been a gas station for some 60 years,” Merrily began. “At one time it was Gulf, then BP, Exxon, finally Citgo. The pumps were finally removed in the Fall of 2012,” and the shabby looking building was shuttered permanently. Then one day Michael and Merrily, running their regular route through downtown Mystic, stopped for a moment; and instead of seeing an empty old building, they saw in their mind’s eye people kicking back on a Sunday morning, chatting over coffee, enjoying homemade pastries, catching up on the Sunday papers. And they also envisioned

The Connerys are no strangers to what Michael terms, “adaptive reuse,” the process of reusing an old site for a purpose other than that for which it was originally intended. They had already done so successfully in 2001 when they purchased a 108 acre parcel of land in Stonington surrounded by coastal marshes with a WWII airplane hangar on property. Although they knew absolutely nothing about vineyards except enjoying the end-product, the Connerys threw themselves into furious research and ultimately did open Saltwater Farm Vineyard, now a destination attracting both

tourists and locals with their unique and high quality wines, ongoing events, and weekly entertainment. And then there’s that WWII hangar. Even the adaptive reuse of that space was born of serendipity when friends of the Connerys asked if they could be married there. It wasn’t long before other couples were asking the same, and now Merrily books weddings at Saltwater Farm Vineyard year ‘round, currently taking bookings into 2019.

14 the switch and open the hydraulic bays for patio dining, while Merrily is planning private parties. They’ve already had rehearsal dinners and christening celebrations and look forward to booking more private gatherings at M/Bar.

M/Bar is a happy mixture of the Connerys’ experiences at coffee bars and wine bars both on the West Coast and in Manhattan, where they also maintain a residence. Merrily has been a prominent and successful real estate broker for years; Michael now devotes all his time to both vineyard and M/Bar, still Merrily refers to him as a “recovering attorney” – a nod to his past career.

To the Connerys, being good hosts also means being good neighbors. “We’re big believers in the future of Mystic,” Michael says. “But we also believe it’s a collective enterprise. We’re really not in competition with each other as each restaurant here has its own character.

We’re just grateful for the acceptance we’ve received and want to work together to make Mystic a true destination.”

When the Connerys first acquired the old service station, they decided early on that they would maintain the integrity of the building, giving a subtle nod to the industrial shabby chic of the place, but they wouldn’t get days a week. Whether it’s homemade bagels, scones, or quiche created right on the premises by Carla Gennuso, a West Coast import who apprenticed under a French pastry chef, or perhaps a small, but delicious plate of egg sliders accompanied by a Bloody Mary or espresso, it begs the diner to unplug for a bit and unwind.

Indeed that’s the vibe of the entire place.

The demographic is families, young couples, millenials, groups, the over 50 crowd - all of them allowing M/Bar to feed their souls as well as their bodies.

“cute” with a gas station themed cafe or menu.

“We wanted the building to speak for itself,” Michael said. “We didn’t want hokey or phony, but a more sophisticated atmosphere.”

And they’ve done it...beautifully. Giving tremendous credit to local contractors and designers, Bryan Wills and Kierstan Field, along with architect, Chris Vernott, M/Bar is two spacious and well lit rooms, seating about 68 people. Although very much a wine bar with a veritable wall of wine – not just the grapes of Saltwater Farm, but many other domestic and imported selections - there is also a well stocked bar offering both spirits and craft beer.

“Creative cocktails are a specialty,” Merrily adds, also noting that Happy Hour is a daily occurrence from 4-6PM and Wednesdays all bottles of wine are sold at half price.

Breakfast is an event at M/Bar, celebrated seven

Merrily points out how lucky they were to acquire Scott Mickelson as their chef, well known in Connecticut for his insistence on procuring only local meats, produce, and dairy, using these farm to table ingredients to create the usual with an unusual twist.

Lamb sliders, “the best” macaroni and cheese, roasted tomato and leek bisque with grilled cheese (not like Mom used to make!), all are popular on the M/Bar menu. Scott often has specials,” Merrily adds, “like salmon chowder or cauliflower soup.”And more and more items are being added to please the growing number of vegetarian customers.

When the warm weather comes, Michael will hit

M/Bar is perfectly situated right in the very heart of Mystic, so whether you’re coming from the Seaport, Mystic Village, or downtown shopping, just look for people of all ages sipping wine, laughing and talking over coffee and espresso, and enjoying small plates. You’ll easily find it whether you drive, walk over from church or shopping; or, like the Connerys, merely find it along your run.

M/Bar is at 30 Broadway Avenue in downtown Mystic.

(860)245-4499 www.mbarct.com Breakfast served seven days; Lunch & Dinner, Wednesday-Sunday

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On the Day of Equal Night the sun comes up like a crucible of molten ore, and the horizon is the anvil, and the waves the hammer of the forge. Then, when every sign warns of the storm that is to come, the wind gives out, the sea grows calm. Fog, thick as coal smoke rises and drifts toward shore…

Now, on the middle grounds where the ocean shallows to a knee-deep pool; again where the rip tide curls along the bite, crustaceans with their ten arms each leave the bottom reaching for the light. Driven by Life’s most fundamental need they rise: A myriad of Spider Crabs.

Gulls Hunting Spider Crabs Photos and editorial by Mark Seth Lender

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eagulls don’t have the best of reputations.

Garbage gulls, rats with feathers. Stupid seagull. Mark Seth Lender says nothing further from the truth. Mark has devoted hundreds of hours to watching gulls on the Connecticut Shore. Gulls, herring gulls in particular, not only recognize each other as individuals, they also know and recognize individual human beings. They are problem solvers, they are resourceful, and despite what you might have been led to be believe, they are great hunters.

Wings and webbed feet aligne to meet them.

Long yellow bills sharp as teeth will greet them: Black-backed Gulls and Herring Gulls: The Ravening of the Horde Gulls torpedo headfirst wings tucked, buried up to the shoulder. Water splashing voices crashing, each and almost every plunge they surface with a dark star, arrayed with spiny arms, the pincers snapping. Black-backed Gulls and Herring Gulls each hold their struggling prize, just out of reach of bright gull eyes.

The Skree-Ree-Ree-Ree-Ree! of Herring Gulls and the clacking of their wings. The Raw-Craw! of the Black-backs. Yearling gulls whistling in indignation, the incoming class of always-hungry freshmen. And what one finds another one wants (theft not possession is the

9 out of 10 parts). “So it’s half for me, half for another. Better yet, all mine! And nothing for my brother!” Herring Gull, feet slapping the flatness into a slurry hurries into the air, and right behind another after what she has because it’s there!

And they land on the beach and throw a crab down, And lift it up and nibble an arm, And pin it there with the point of a beak, And open the shell and rip out the meat It's better to be the Ones that Eat (than the Ones who end up Eaten!)

Then over the deep the gulls go soaring. Then down, where waves ring against the rocks like the clattering of bells. Where pilings are draped in blue muscle shells. Where breakers comb the seaweeds, dark green tresses, and barnacles like sequined dresses shimmer with the tide; and the end of summer warms the night.

Full in the belly, Black-backed Gulls and Herring Gulls preen, and close their eyes, content.

Spider crabs? All spent.

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Field Note: Gulls Hunting Spider Crabs

That’s what we call them.

30,000 years before Athena acquired her owl, birds of prey had already captured the human imagination.

Falconry was practiced in ancient Mesopotamia, the Japan of the Kamakura Shogunate, Genghis Kahn’s Mongolia and in Medieval Europe. Birds of prey are mentioned in Dante and in Shakespeare. There is an owl among the cave paintings of Chauvet.

This is a failure not of imagination, but of observation.

Gulls in general, and Herring Gulls in particular are the brightest bulbs on the shore. Gulls are great hunters. There is no seaborne food source they cannot advantage. Every kind of crab, shellfish, bate fish, scraps of bunker left by ravenous schools of striped bass and blues, the shiners when the pool in close to shore, even insects (including the near-invisible things they catch in late summer, on the wing), all this is on the plate. Then, there is the tendency to assume seagulls and certainly those within the same species, are all alike. Also not true. Herring gulls have distinct physiognomies, different personalities and individual voices all of which any human who pays attention can learn to distinguish. Gulls recognize each other, individually, and extend that same recognition to us, as individual human beings. Feed a

Seagulls? Not so much (Chekhov notwithstanding).

We have all heard the epithets: Garbage Gulls, Rats with Feathers. Even the ornithologists, quick to point out there is no such species as a “seagull” call them kleptoparasites (meaning parasitic thieves). In lay terms: Stupid Seagull. Nuisance. Pest. The most annoying of birds...

seagull, be remembered. Harm one? They will remember that, too.

My favorite time and place for watching gulls is any sand spar at low tide. Black-backed gulls as the name implies have wings and bodies that are black on top.

They are our largest gulls. Herring gulls are blue-gray on top and have a pronounced red spot on their bills.

Among herring gulls the males are larger, the females have longer necks. Ring-bills are also bluegray on top, smaller than a herring gull, and have a distinctive black ring on the end of their bills. My advice is this: Pick a gull, any gull, watch what he or she is doing. Be surprised.

About Mark Seth Lender Mark Seth Lender is a producer for wildlife content at Living on Earth ( LOE.org ), the only program on US Public Radio exclusively dedicated to wildlife and environmental reporting. Mark is known as Living on Earth’s Explorer in Residence. His fieldwork has taken him to all 7 continents. When not out swimming with beluga whales, tracking lions, or discussing dietary restrictions with polar bears (“No the Human is not on the menu"), Mark is at home on the Connecticut shore. In 2015 Mark Seth Lender was elected to membership in the Explorers Club.

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HOLE FOODS:

“The Single Batch that Became Deke's Bagels.”

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By RONA MANN Photos by Stephanie Sittnick

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tanding next to a baking mixer in the open space of his new business, Deke’s Bagels in Niantic, there is a sparkle in David Haylon’s blue eyes when he starts to talk about his latest food venture. “Your first failure is the next step to success,” he said, “if you don’t quit.”

Haylon, who goes by “Deke,” has been reinventing himself his whole life and is quite good at it. He has closed a few doors in his lifetime, only to grab the handle of the next door and walk bravely through it to see what he may accomplish next. “We are going to make bagels,” he remembers saying to his assistant, Kristie Jones. “I have a feeling we can do this.”

He recalls childhood memories of his mother baking sweet rolls and solid American food in the kitchen of their summer home in Niantic. Out of a strong desire to bond with her, he would pull up a chair to the kitchen counter to watch and learn. “I loved being in the kitchen, it was nurturing and calming,” says Deke. When he later went away to The Culinary Institute of America in New York, he drew from his early cooking experiences

and would call his mother and ask her for family recipes. Following culinary school, he moved to California and worked for his biggest influence, Nancy Silverton in her restaurant Capinale, which was classic Italian food with California flair. After working the line at the restaurant, Deke got his big break when a staff member did not show up for his shift, and he eagerly jumped in to substitute cook. This turned into his defining moment.

Later, when his dad became ill, he moved back to New York to take care of him and put his passion for cooking and being a peoplepleaser into being a private chef for the likes of the late celebrities, Joan Rivers and Jackie Collins... and even the Trump family.

Deke learned the art of making dinner an event, cooking with quality fresh ingredients and appealing to all types of food desires. After 35 years of taking care of other families’ nutrition and food needs, he decided there must be something more. When his father passed away, Deke decided he wanted a simpler life of his own to pursue a different dream, one that eventually brought him back to Niantic in 2014.

Having recently closed the doors of Haylon’s Market after two years - it wasn’t taking off financially the way he envisioned - he turned to baking, a talent he had been preparing for his whole life. His bagel making venture started when he made a batch of plain bagels for a friend, and she in turn shared them with her friends who flipped over them. After that, he found he couldn’t keep up with the demand; and Deke’s Bagels was born. He started to experiment with different flavorings, malt syrup vs. molasses, adding a sourdough starter, and the right crust texture. He soon found people coming from Stonington to Milford, and Deke’s was selling out of bagels every day. “It was really amazing,” said Deke. “I had a feeling we could do this. I can’t believe I didn’t think of this sooner.” With bagel flavors like French toast, jalapeno cheddar, asiago cheese, roasted garlic, and homemade cream cheeses like chipotle, sun-dried tomato, and scallion, Deke and his small staff have become bagel masters. He believes in quality ingredients such as using fresh veggies in the bagels and pureeing fruit for the cream cheeses.

His experience cooking for families has served him well with his mindset of making homemade food and taking care of his customers. Proud of his family heritage, he displays a black and white poster hanging on the café wall as a remembrance of his great-grandfather who started an egg, butter, and cheese business called Kingsley and Smith back in the late 18th century with two stores in Hartford. As a tribute to his family’s entrepreneurial spirit, the

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logo for Deke’s Bagels is the actual truck that his great-grandfather used to sell his dairy.

Deke’s Bagels also serves breakfast and lunch, sandwiches, soups, and delicious baked goods such as huge cinnamon buns and dirt bombs, which are muffin-shaped cinnamon sugar sweets. And his bagels have also found their way to Ashlawn Farm Coffee in Old Saybrook and Muddy Waters Café in New London.

What does the future hold for Deke’s Bagels? A

desire and intention to bring the bagel business into a bigger space, preferably in New London where Deke would love to find a warehouse to start a bagel making operation with a wood burning oven, eventually distributing to smaller Deke’s Bagels storefronts. Now that he has firmly planted his roots in Niantic, he wants to give back to the community and work with the York Correctional Institute in East Lyme to start a program where prisoners have the opportunity to learn the bagel making

business and entrepreneurship. A recovering drug addict himself, now nine years clean, Deke understands from his own experience that people make mistakes; and you can come back to find your purpose.

“I love creating something from where it never existed” says Deke. “And doing what I love.”

Deke’s Bagels,157 West Main Street, Niantic (860) 739-9509

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Variety, Comradery, and Musical Magic Fuel a Thriving Open Mic Scene...

by Ken Stroebel / Photos by Laura Stroebel he two women belting out the spine-tingling harmonies on Stephen Stills’ “Love the One You’re With” have never sung together before. And the guy with the 12-string who rocked the house earlier just happens to be one of the founding members of Blue Oyster Cult. That shy teenager with the Fender Strat who played those amazing originals? That was his first time performing in front of audience!

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Welcome to a typical Tuesday night at the La Vita Restaurant in East Haddam. In other words, welcome to Open Mic Night. As always, the signup list is long, the vibe is energetic, and the moments of musical magic are plentiful. But this kind of scene is hardly unique to La Vita.

If you’re a singer or musician—experienced or novice—odds are you’re already aware of, and grateful for, the vibrant open mic scene that has emerged across Connecticut in recent years. From the southeastern shoreline to the “Quiet Corner” and all points west, pubs, coffeehouses, and eateries of all types are dedicating one specific night each

week to celebrate musical diversity, spontaneity, and comradery. At the best open mics, those three elements work together to create a uniquely inviting and invigorating experience—not only for performers, but for listeners as well.

“The balance between familiar faces and new folks popping in is wonderful,” said Eric Larson of Noank, a regular at the Phoenix Open Mic, held Wednesdays at the Octane Café in New London. “There is so much musical talent around, and an open mic venue is a great place to hear it.”

being the players, the audience, and the venue.

“Each of those plays an important role in making it all come together,” said Torello, himself a musician who kicks off the evening with a performance of his own each week. “At the end of the day, my biggest driving force is to try to make all the players feel welcome and appreciated—not judged—and to make everyone there feel at home.”

Credit for the success of every well-established open mic invariably goes to the dedicated organizers who show up each week to set up the sound equipment, serve as hosts, and keep things running smoothly.

Actually, their duties begin before that, with promotional efforts in the local press and on social media.

Vince Tuckwood has been a host and organizer of New London’s Phoenix (formerly Common Ground) Open Mic since it started five years ago.

“We have always been as much about building a musical community as providing a musical outlet,” said Tuckwood, who also performs each week and is front man for the band Monkey68. “As a result, we have what I consider to be one of the most welcoming, supportive, and friendly open mics around.”

Gary Torello of Haddam has been running the show (with a small team of helpers) at La Vita since Open Mic Night started there two years ago. He said he believes the key to success and longevity for any open mic lies in working to make sure all three key contributors to the event are well-served; those

If you’re a singer or musician - experienced or just starting out - or if you’re just looking for a fun night out, you can find details about open mic events in your area by visiting openmikes.org/calendar/CT, which keeps an up-to-date listing of open mics throughout the state. ibnma

Left to right -Atul Shah and David Foulkes perform a set together at the Phoenix Open Mic at Octane Cafe in New London.

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“Some Hope and Some Healing” The Sound Retreat

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By Caryn B. Davis Photos by Tracey Kroll

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he top five stressors in life are the death of a loved one, divorce, relocation, illness, and losing a job or starting a new one. Four years ago, Tracey Kroll was in the middle of three out of five. At a friend’s suggestion, he visited a center in West Hartford that offered sound meditation (also known as sound healing), a practice that utilizes vibrational sounds to promote inner calm, clarity, and healing.

“For thousands of years, sound has been widely used for spiritual practice, worship, and meditation. These activities have resulted in a positive outlook towards understanding the self and beyond. Tools such as singing bowls, bells, gongs, and tingshaws are often used, and have been observed to be positively effective on the body, enabling the flow of chi (energy) throughout the body, which releases the blockages that lie within,” as quoted from deepsoundmeditation.org.

What Kroll achieved during these sessions was a state of deep relaxation, something he had never experienced before. “It was exactly what I needed. It provided me with a one hour break from a pretty hectic world. I went back again and again. Of all of the things I was doing to try to get through this difficult period, this was at the top of the list; and I connected with it the most,” he says. “A year and half later I was driving down a road in town; and

for no reason at all, out of the blue, I got this message that I should be doing this kind of work.”

Kroll did not question it. He simply made the decision right there and then to leave behind his career as a successful commercial photographer to pursue sound healing. He got ready. He started by collecting gongs and crystal glass bowls and taught himself how to play.

But he also took lessons with Mitch Nur, a world-renowned authority on sacred sound and vibrational healing.

“He taught me the concept of dividing the gong into a clock face and then going from the edge to middle in four steps. By playing all those intersections, I could hear the different sounds and learn the instrument better,” says Kroll.

“Sometimes I can get into a flow where I am not thinking about anything...I am just acting and reacting to what I feel inside and what it sounds like to my ears. That is the kind of flow I feel I should always be in.”

Gongs first appeared in Chinese history in 500 A.D., although many historians believe they have been around since

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before the second millennium B.C. and in other parts of Southeast Asia, such as Burma and Java. They were considered a status symbol of the wealthy because only the affluent could afford them. Gongs were used to communicate, announce ceremonies, and as a tool for meditation and healing. Remarkably, they are still being utilized in this manner thousands of years later.

“Gongs are made of a bronze alloy which consists of approximately 75 percent copper, 20 percent tin, and 5 percent nickel. They are prayerfully hand hammered and refined by the artisans whose soul is imbued in the finished product,” as quoted from harmonyofthespheres.net.

After working with the instruments for many months, Kroll gave practice sessions to his friends that involved “creating a soothing soundscape using a variety of therapeutic sound healing instruments (gongs, crystal bowls, special drums, and chimes) to induce a deeply relaxed, meditative state.” He began each session with guided deep breathing “followed by thoughtfully orchestrated sounds that slowly emerge and immerse the senses in their healing vibration. The resonance of the instruments is holistic and not just an

auditory experience, but penetrates through to the cellular level.

Experiencing sound in this way has the potential to expand consciousness, relieve stress, increase mental clarity, calm the emotions, and bring the body into balance for healing and regeneration.”

When each session concluded, he conducted interviews and took copious notes about how it went, how he felt, and what the participants experienced. Then in 2015 he opened The Sound Retreat in Chester, Connecticut, a secluded nature and wellness sanctuary surrounded by 850 lush acres of forest. In addition to the sound meditations, he also hosts yoga classes, a variety of drumming and healing-related workshops, and has private guest quarters available for rent though airbnb.

Kroll offers sound healing for individuals and couples and a monthly group session that is open to the public. This is a good way for people to get acquainted with the process. He also works with private groups that could include friends or co-workers, and recently he started working with businesses that help people going through drug and alcohol rehabilitation that might benefit from this type of therapy.

“The approaches to all are quite different. The way I arrange the gongs for a single person is different than the way I set them up for a group. I believe no one can really teach you how to do this. It has a lot to do with what your intentions are with it. As an improvisational

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wheelchairs. Kroll runs it as a group activity, giving them cues as to when to start and stop.

“It is a wonderfully charged event.

I did not realize how powerful it was. It’s great for joints, blood flow, brain processing, and sequencing.

It’s a lot of hand eye coordination and keeps certain neural pathways to the brain firing, active, and alert.

But mostly, it just makes people feel good. They love it,” he says. musician, I don’t think there is a specific way to go about it. It’s a feel; and I put a lot of time into practicing that,” says Kroll, a drummer and percussionist in his own right who performs with different bands.

Kroll also uses his musical abilities to teach private hand drumming lessons and a program he calls, “Drumming for Health,” which takes place at assisted living facilities throughout the state. This involves loading up his van with enough instruments for about 40 participants that include everything from full sized drums to small shakers.

It lasts about an hour and incorporates a brief history of hand drumming and a discussion on geography and the traditional applications of the drum in different cultures. But mostly they play.

He teaches them simplistic rhythms so they can perform together as a group. Some of the people he works with have varying degrees of dementia; others are completely ambulatory, while others use walkers or are in

While sound meditation has certainly helped transform Kroll’s life, he is quick to point out that he is a not a mystic of any kind.

“When I went for those early sound healings, something changed within me. It wasn’t because the person administering it was a magician or healer. They were catalysts to allow me to fall into a particular state of calm that sometimes has the ability to help clear stuck emotional blockages. I am just a facilitator of these instruments and hopefully opening up a little door, some hope, and some healing,” says Kroll.

For more information log onto www.thesoundretreat.com, www.facebook.com/thesoundretreat, and www.airbnb.com/rooms/13981045.

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A n n ual St i l l L i f e I n vi tat i on a l April 7 to May 13, 2017

22 Artists Opening Reception: Friday, April 7, 5-8 pm

Michael Naples Wrapped in White Oil 24 x 30â&#x20AC;?

Carlo Russo Pegasus Oil 20 x 19â&#x20AC;?

Susan Powell Fine Art 679 Boston Post Rd., Madison CT

203.318.0616

susanpowellfineart@gmail.com

www.susanpowellfineart.com

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A Play On Words Robert Deyber’s Art of Language

By Nancy LaMar Rodgers / Artist studio photos by A. Vincent Scarano Robert Deyber is a phraseologist, an artist who can spin any clichéd phrase and turn it inside out to create a clever twist or a wondrously humorous interpretation.

I meet Robert at his studio located in an old brick factory, whose large windows face the quiet main drag that slips through this sleepy town. His space is covered with pieces in various stages of creation. Deyber greets us with a gregarious smile, a host’s warm manner. We take a seat near the window, and I feel immediately comfortable around this man’s intellectual curiosity and massive talent.

Robert was born in Greenwich at a time when it was more sweeping farms and rural land-

scapes. His father, a WWII war hero, and mother, a model and talented portrait artist, bought a home in the quiet countryside. Their house was designed by the famous Austrian architect, Richard Nuetra; and Robert recalls with appreciation, this neighborhood. “I was around the block from Rockefellers, Vanderbilts. I could go into someone’s home and see an original Monet, a Rembrandt, as well as many of the up and coming artists of the time. It was just amazing.” Deyber leans back in fond remembrance.

His venture into exploring his own voice came from watching his mother work. He spent hours watching, learning, and absorbing.“She

did a great deal of these beautiful oil paintings of successful people in Manhattan, huge corporations and their Chairmen of the Boards and such. I would just watch her, and I guess I started absorbing what she was doing.”

Robert goes on to talk about his first professional studio. “I was about 13, and I set up a studio in a walk-in closet. I had my canvas and my paints, and I would just paint.” Robert laughs as he remembers the innocence of his original enterprise, “I couldn’t understand why I had a headache that entire summer, with all that oil and turpentine in a closet.”

Top Left; “Smart Ass II” Top Right (also on cover); “Forest Floor” Above; Robert Deyber with personal works in his Bantam studio.

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Robert’s family were staunch Catholics; and although he would have preferred Greenwich’s public school system where art courses were abundant, he and his siblings would attend private Catholic schools.

Ironically, his early work was a response to the dogma learned and the guilt and shame he felt growing up as a gay man in a religion not accepting of his life choice.

“I was painting mixed Catholic iconography, these giant chalices with nails and thorns; and I actually sculpted this gold chalice. I was venting all this rage; it was just maddening what I was creating.” Robert points out that the irony of some of this earlier work happened when he was living in Boston. “I would be painting up in the apartment which looked out on the street with these huge canvases of very Catholic symbols. You could see me painting from the street; people would ring the buzzer and literally come up and buy the painting right there. It was crazy because I wasn’t painting at that time to sell, I was just getting out all of this guilt.”

While Deyber was creating, he needed to

work. It was the travel and tour business that would provide him the means to pay the bills, a Boston tour company that sent him to Italy for a year. “I was living in Italy, and I was just surrounded by this incredible art. I was exposed to all this renaissance art, and I just fell deeper and deeper in love.”

Deyber would go from the tour business to the airline business where his gift of gab and his infectious humor made him a commodity for a sales business that valued people skills. “It’s crazy because I got jobs although I didn’t have a college degree, and I was up against these MBAs. One of the executives who hired me told me that my sales numbers were so good because I was just able to talk to people. I just kept going up the ladder. I probably could have been a vice president if I didn’t just decide one day that my art was more important.”

free time and his partner helping to promote his work.

“At the time I had friends who would tell me that they liked my religious stuff, but that it just wasn’t “fun”. I remember hearing this and thinking, yeah they’re right; it’s all just too heavy.”

It would be another boring meeting at his day job that would be the “ah ha” moment for Deyber. “It was the late ‘90s. I was in this meeting, and all those catch phrases were

The turning point in Deyber’s business pursuits came during the aftermath of 9/11. The airline that he worked for lost billions when all airlines were grounded for three days. He could keep his job, but he would have to move to Atlanta.

“I asked my partner, and he said yes.”

Together they opened a gallery in Roswell, Georgia where they spent seven years with Robert painting in his “Eye of the Storm VI”

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“Angel Hare V”

“See No Evil, Hear No Evil, Speak No Evil X”

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“Bee Dazzled III”

“Palm Pilot”

“Flare for the Dramatic Effect - VII”

“Table of Contents II”

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“Splitting Hares”

“Rabbits Multiply V”

“Head into the Light”

“Painting by Numbers III”

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being used. The one I heard the most and couldn’t stand was, ‘think outside the box’, and someone was saying it aaagggaaaiiinn.” He elongates the word to illustrate his frustration.

“So while everyone was taking notes, I started sketching. I sketched this open box with a man standing in the middle of it with a light bulb over his head.”

Deyber thought back on what people had told him about making his work more accessible and thought about the phrase that he had just illustrated. “I started thinking about whether anyone had ever visually represented some of these well-known phrases, so I went on Google to research, and nobody was doing it.”

Deyber’s work at this point was only online, and somehow Tom Petty found him.

Robert remembers the day that the rocker called him, though he wasn’t convinced it was “that” Petty. “My partner called to tell me that Tom Petty was on the phone, and I remember laughing and thinking, ‘yeah right’.”

Much to Deyber’s surprise it was the raspy

throated singer. Petty let Deyber know that he had discovered his artwork and was hoping he would consider doing an upcoming album cover. Deyber’s interpretation of Petty’s ideas culminated in the cover of Petty’s 2006, Highway Companion album. This was a pretty heady time for Deyber as it reinforced the belief that he could create work that brought him joy as well as an audience that could appreciate his humor as well as his talent.

“It was weird because almost at that same time, I brought my work to the New York Art Expo and David Rogath found me.”

This “find” for Deyber would be the move that changed his life. With an exclusive contract with the Martin Lawrence galleries, Deyber was in a place that would allow him to finally indulge himself completely in his art. “It was unbelievable to me because it just took off.

People were responding to my work, and I was just overcome with gratitude.”

These days there is a host of A-listers who have Deyber’s work as part of their collection, and he is still overwhelmed and grateful for

the life his work has allowed him to live.

Looking out the window onto the quiet afternoon, I ask Robert what it feels like to be living his dream. “I think I am still in awe of it all, like, is this all really happening?”

I smile as Robert looks over at one of his unfinished pieces. I have no doubt this gentle, talented man will continue to turn a phrase and give the world images from language that make us ponder, consider, and chuckle all at the same time.

For Gallery Inquiries: Elise Sargeant at The Martin Lawrence Gallery Greenwich esargeant@chalk-vermilion.com For Public Relations Inquiries: PR Director Alexandra Franjola at robertdeyberart@gmail.com Robert Deyber Fine Art Studio Address: The Switch Factory Building 931 Bantam Road, 2nd Floor Bantam, CT 06759 website: www.robertdeyber.com www.instagram.com/robertdeyber www.facebook.com/RobertDeyberArt

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Above; “Bad Hare Day XXVII - Whistler” Below; “Torch Song IV,” “Artichoke Heart III,” “Word Play - Dirty Words,” “Painting by Numbers IX - Island of the Dead,” “My Hare Stood On End”

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FRC - Varsity Sport for NERDs

“The sport where everyone can turn professional.”

Photos and profile by Sarah Crisp

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ake one look at Wikipedia; and you’ll see that the list of honors bestowed upon engineer and inventor Dean Kamen includes humanitarian, technological, honorary degrees, and Presidential awards. But ask this unassuming entrepreneur what he thinks his greatest achievement has been; and he probably won’t point you to the Segway, the Sling-Shot water distiller, the Stair Climbing wheelchair, the wearable dialysis machine, or the robotic arm for veterans. My guess is that he would point you to his non-profit: FIRST.

For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology – FIRST combines the excitement of sport with the rigors of science and technology.

The FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) is known as the ultimate “Sport for the Mind.” Three hundred thousand high school students from over fifty countries as far away as Israel, China, and the UK compete. Under strict rules, limited resources, and an intense six-week “build season”, teams of students are challenged to plan, design, build, and program industrialsize robots to play a difficult field game with, and against, like-minded competitors.

Volunteer mentors lend their time and talents to guide each team through their build and competition seasons. While helping students hone their teamwork skills, they are reminded why they followed a career in engineering. As with any other varsity sport, qualifying competitions are followed by district and state championships. Only the

most competitive teams make it to the FRC World Championships. Unlike other varsity sports, “Everyone can turn pro,” quotes enthusiastic FIRST supporter and worldfamous actor, Morgan Freeman.

But in the context of FIRST, “competitive” has a very different set of criteria than in most sports. A rookie team competing in their first season may make it to the championships because they had help from another local team; they may have built a robot that only

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does one thing, but does it reliably and consistently, terms highly valued in engineering.

A FIRST Hall of Fame team may celebrate a win that demonstrates their robot’s versatility in all aspects of the game, while also supporting a rookie team with gracious professionalism throughout their inaugural competition.

One such FIRST Hall of Fame team is based on the Connecticut Shoreline in Old Lyme. FIRST Team 236 - The TechnoTicks - was founded in 1999 by a group of like-minded, forwardthinking students, teachers, and mentors with an interest in cutting edge technology.

Coming from Lyme and Old Lyme, the team’s logo couldn’t be anything but a tick, and their tagline reflects their engineering infliction: “It’s in your blood.” It’s clear talking to this group, now entering their 17th season, that once bitten, the robotics bug stays with you for life.

Whether a welder, an electrician, a programmer, a photographer, a budding DJ or a Ph.D. in

Electrical Engineering, the Ticks make use of any skills available and will return the favor with the “hardest fun you’ve ever had!” Tick mentors come from all engineering backgrounds and organizations including Electric Boat, Sikorsky, Aerocision Engineering, Dominion, Amtrak, and academia, as well as programming and P.R. backgrounds.

Knowing how to build planes, trains, and automobiles has its advantages when designing and building a FIRST robot.

At 10:30 a.m. on the first Saturday in January, teams gather to watch NASA broadcast the

game launch from Dean Kamen’s house in New Hampshire. Internet forums and social media have been hot since the “teaser” was revealed in September. The Ticks join other teams sponsored by Dominion Millstone Power Station at their training center to hear about the latest challenge.

They already know that one of FIRST’s national sponsors Disney - helped establish “SteamWorks” as their 2017 game theme, and some team members are already sketching team uniforms which include steam punk welding goggles, bowler hats, and leather flying jackets. “Even the most introverted techno-geek becomes an extrovert with FIRST,” says Liz Frankel whose son is a high school junior and daughter is a member of Lyme/Old Lyme Middle School’s FIRST Lego League robotics team, ‘The Luna-Ticks’. “In a world dominated by sports, film, and music personalities, it’s so great to see these students celebrate and be celebrated for, their geek-i-ness,” she smiles.

This year’s game simulates a Jules Vernestyle character attempting to launch his steam-powered airship. Verne and H. G. Wells are often referred to as the "Fathers of Science Fiction.” Steampunk is a genre of science fiction with a historical setting and typically features steam-powered machinery.

Think Phileas Fogg travelling Around the World in 80 Days, or Captain Nemo in 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. “The airship needs a

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Drivers take control of their robots. Each alliance of three teams has three drivers, three programmers, and three coaches as well as two “human players.” The Tick’s!

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particular pressure of steam and a particular configuration of gears to launch, so we need a robot capable of picking up and placing multiple gears into a particular pattern, shooting fuel elements (large, neon green wiffle balls) into a ‘furnace,’ and of course defending our three-team alliance against attacks from other teams,” explains Lyme-Old Lyme High School senior Cole Dushin. The first 15 seconds of each game is an autonomous period, when the robot’s drivers have to stand back and hope that their pre-programmed robot scores high. That is followed by a 2 minute 15 second game where the drivers take control of their robots, adhering to their game plan, and adapting it in response to their opposition’s strategy.

The Ticks have benefitted over the years from

donations to the high school of cuttingedge equipment (pun intended), funded by the Lyme Old Lyme Education Foundation (LOLEF.org).A Tormach CNC Milling machine, a 3-D printer and most recently a state of the art plasma cutter have enabled students to manufacture highly specialized parts, molds, and prototypes for use in electronic vehicle design, passive solar energy machines, robotic components and more.

For his part, Verne would be proud of the creativeness with which the team is approaching the design of their robot. But like any reallife engineering challenge, ideas must be grounded in reality and the team learns as much from their failures as they do from their successes. “Let’s go for a 6wheel West Coast chassis,” says Anna Catlett, an LOLHS junior. “It has limited chains and sprockets and, well … we’re not very good

with chains, are we?” The whole team applauds remembering the time when a chain broke during autonomous mode at their 2014 game in St. Louis. The robot spun 90 degrees and shot a 2’ diameter air-filled canvas-covered ball into the audience.

Fast-forward to March 4th, 2017 and the Tick’s first competition at Waterbury (CT) High School. On Friday the robot is inspected for mechanical safety and to ensure that it meets the limitations for height and weight. The team has already handed in a spreadsheet detailing the cost of every part of the robot, from the aluminum box tubing for the chassis to the bulb in the spotlight used to help guide the robot to its target. Then they have a few hours to run their robot, finesse their

65 games played, the team walks away with the coveted Blue Banner – Alliance Captains and winners of the Waterbury District Competition; and with it, a ticket to the Regional Finals in New Hampshire in April.

Another opportunity to finesse their robot before their trip to St. Louis for the FIRST World Championships – guaranteed to them as a FIRST Hall of Fame team.

As the Ticks meet for a round-up after the competition, the mentors note the way in which every member of the team has played their part; and that without each and every one of them, today’s win could not have been achieved. “And not one broken chain!” says Anna, as the team breaks into a spontaneous round of applause.

You can follow the team’s progress at http://www.236technoticks.com

autonomous mode, and scout the capabilities of competitor and alliance teams from across Connecticut before the qualifying rounds start on Saturday morning.

As the first game starts, the bleachers are filled with parents, grandparents, teachers, and friends all dressed in team colors, hoping that their team’s robot can achieve everything they have planned, designed, engineered and manufactured over the six week build season.

The atmosphere is part high school basketball game, part rock concert, part NASCAR, and part University Science Fair. Team banners cover the walls of the gymnasium and engineers-turnedcheerleaders are certainly not afraid to get up and dance.

The weekend turns out to be a great success for the Techno-Ticks. With a record of 15 wins and 2 losses out of 17

The team line up infront of the FIRST logo, proud of all that they have accomplished over the last 7 weeks, but ready to go back to work to improve their robot before their next competition. One thing is for sure - FIRST robotics teams can never afford to sit back on their laurals - there is always a team with a faster, lighter, sleeker, or more accurate robot - so they never stop engineering!

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Photos and profile by Tyler Plourd

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P

eople keep telling me that breweries in Connecticut seem to be popping up like weeds.

While I agree with the analogy, I’d rather liken them to flowers attempting to blossom through concrete sidewalks. There is an abundance of obstacles to pass and hoops to jump through from the day you declare yourself a “brewery” to the day you serve your first pint. For most it can take years, for the lucky ones, less years.

Fox Farm Brewery in Salem has converted a 1960’s dairy barn into one of Connecticut’s newest breweries to be. However, for Zach Adams and wife Laura, opening a brewery wasn’t always the

The Alchamist’s second location in Stowe, VT, and Northampton Brewery in Northampton, MA. “They helped us think through the core concepts of what we’re doing here,” Adams mentioned. The resume certainly piqued the interest of Adams and lead to some of the best interior craftsmanship we’ve seen in the state.

With a Longshot award to his name, Adams then searched for property that would suit a brewery. His wife Laura is a Salem native and has a family owned vineyard in town. When the two moved into the house that resides behind the old dairy barn, the idea of a brewery continued to percolate.

30bbl and 15bbl stainless steel tanks tower over you as you walk through the space, the taproom is shaping up to be something incredible thanks to Adams’ discovery of Austin Design which has been behind the new Treehouse design in Charlton, MA,

Freckled Fields, a Saison/Farmhouse Ale finds the perfect balance between flavor and funk. Aromas of lemongrass, bitter orange peel, and spice are abundant and meld together toward the finish for a wonderful blend of flavor. Coupled with a refreshing slightly tart finish, Freckled Fields is a beer destined to be enjoyed on a porch somewhere on a lazy summer day.

Although these two beers were standouts, unfortunately they may not see the taplist when Fox Farm does open.

Sour beers are known to take a year or so to fully reach their potential, while mixed fermentation ales like Freckled Fields can also undergo a lengthy fermentation process. So, when the doors open at Fox Farm, expect to find up to five beers ranging from hop driven IPA’s to Stouts and Porters.

plan. Zach, like almost every brewery owner, was an avid homebrewer.

Adams didn’t take it very seriously until he won the Samuel Adams Long Shot Competition in 2012, a homebrewing competition that draws quite the number of entries per year. This year, the three winners will have their winning beers distributed in a variety six-pack nationwide.

“We always admired it,” Adams said of the barn that is now the epicenter of Fox Farm Brewery. What was once a barn covered in poison ivy, is now quite possibly one of the most jaw dropping taprooms in the state. Sure, Stony Creek and Two Roads have enough size to stack up against anyone, but there isn’t a place like Fox Farm where the taproom and brewhouse comingle like this.

Dissonance will surely please.

Most importantly, Fox Farm will specialize in hop forward beers and also classic Farmhouse-Style Ales as well. Fox Farm does house a coolship which is used to ferment sour beers. Lucky for Laura’s family owned vineyard supplies ample amounts of grapes for sour beer possibilities, one of which is Consonance & Dissonance, a blended wild ale aged on the vineyard’s St. Croix grapes. Right away you detect its gorgeous deep ruby color and thin head of foam that quickly dissipates. Up front there’s the initial tart punch of sour grape flavor, followed by a mellow finish that is quite pleasant. If you’re a fan of sour beers, Consonance &

Nailing an opening day is somewhat impossible, but there’s a good chance Fox Farm will be up and running just in time for Summer. The taproom is beyond gorgeous so visiting the brewery in person is a must. If for some reason that’s out of the question, Adams plans on self-distributing around the state. He would rather lug kegs around to restaurants and bottles to package stores because there’s the important face to face relationships formed.

“Those day-to-day touch points with accounts…you can’t get that through a distributor necessarily.”

As to be expected with every new brewery, most of their production will be focused on the taproom early on, with distribution slowly expanding as Adams gets his feet underneath him. You can stay updated on all things Fox Farm Brewery by going to their website (www.foxfarmbeer.com ) or following them on social media. It’s always exciting when new breweries are set to launch in Connecticut, and we wish Zach and Laura all the best of luck.

Visit Tyler’s blog at: abrothersguide.com

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Paul Partica, The Cheese Shop, Centerbrook CT

Introducing Award-Winning

Collina Veneta Unless you have traveled to Italy or parts of Europe recently, you

San Rocco, LaFontella and Rigatello, have been awarded gold medals in both Regional and National competitions. In addition to aged cheeses, the co-op also produces many fresh cheeses such as Caciotta, Stracchino, Tosella and Ricotta. And let us not forget two very important and-well known varietals – PDO Grana Padano and PDO fresh and aged Asiago.

Although these cheeses are primarily found locally in Italy, the co-op employees have been instrumental in not only growing distribution within the country, but spreading their wings into Europe and now the United States. We are surprised that it took this long.

likely have not tasted Collina Veneta. Only last week were we able to first savor this new arrival to the United States. We were quite pleased to receive inventory from this first shipment.

Collina Veneta is a pasteurized cow’s milk cheese made from whole milk. It weighs about twenty five to twenty eight pounds, with a hard natural rind. Also similar to Parmigiano Reggiano, this cheese is a blend of evening milk and fresh morning milk, is semi-hard and can be crumbly in nature, depending on its age. Collina Veneta can be described as having a crisp sharp taste, but also that of a mountain cheese – sweet, with a pleasant aroma reminiscent of a quality Asiago or aged Piave Vecchio.

We owe thanks to the skills of Mastro Casaro for creating this wonderful new cheese, which won the award of Grolla d’Oro (Best Cheese in Italy) in 2010.

Collina Veneta was created by a cooperative called Caseificio San Rocco, found in the province of Vicenza, which borders Padua and Treviso. The goal was to combine skills and knowledge to provide a healthy and genuinely natural product that could earn them a little profit for their efforts. The co-op now produces over eight times the amount of cheese than when they started.

Caseificio San Rocco is also responsible for making many other fine cheeses. Many among them,

In just the short time we have begun to carry this cheese, we have all grown quite fond of it. Collina Veneta is very versatile and makes for a great grating cheese, just like Parmigiana Reggiano or Grana Padano. It also works as a great appetizer or snacking cheese. If you add a little Acacia Honey, also from Italy, you have a wonderful dessert. You may have difficulty in finding this cheese at first but don’t give up. It will be well worth the effort.

In my last two columns in Ink Magazine, we discussed the Twelve Families of Cheese. With its basic characteristic of being well-aged, taking perhaps years to fully develop, this cheese naturally places in the hard cheese family (you can refer to my two articles on the twelve cheese families on my blog at www.cheeseshopofcenterbrook.com/blog). Other characteristics of Collina Veneta that place it in the hard cheese family are the facts that it is also generally pressed and salted, and it can also take months before one begins to taste a difference in the developing cheese.

like Parmigiana Reggiano, Asiago and Piave Vecchio lovers now have a new cheese to savor and enjoy.

I would be remiss if I did not mention and thank Karl Berthold from San Rocco, who was a great help in supplying i n f o rmation and inciting me to write this article.

Paul Partica, The Cheese Shop www.cheeseshopcenterbrook.com

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APRIL EVENTS

76 April 1 – May 20 Westbook.

Open call exhibit “Local Vision II” at the Valentine H. Zahn Community Gallery at Middlesex Hospital Shoreline Medical Center.

The exhibition features selected works in various mediums by artists from throughout Connecticut.

The selected works were chosen through an open call, curatorial process and is curated by Jan Ayer with Jurors William Childress, Dennis Pough and Clare Rogan. The Gallery is open during regular business hours and is located at 250 Flat Rock Place, Westbrook, CT. For more information, contact Middlesex Hospital at 860-358-6200, visit middlesexhospital.org/zahngallery or info@midhosp.org.

April 1 Simsbury Simsbury Mini Maker Faire.

The fair includes hands-on, interactive learning opportunities and fun and creative activities for people of all ages. Libraries, learning and innovation have always gone together. We are excited to offer a gathering place where scientists, inventors, artists and creators can demonstrate their talents and collaborate in an open forum. Part science fair, part county fair, and part something entirely new, Maker Faire is an all-ages gathering of tech enthusiasts, crafters, educators, tinkerers, food artisans, hobbyists, engineers, science clubs, artists, students, and commercial exhibitors.

The Maker Faire is a venue for makers to show what they have made and to share what they have learned. Simsbury Public Library 725 Hopmeadow St. Simsbury, CT 06060 10 a.m.-4 p.m (860) 658-7663 www.simsbury.makerfaire.com Makerfaire@simsburylibrary.info April 1 - June 2 Norwalk Chromatic. Art that represents music, tones paired with visions of grandeur. The exhibit Chromatic, features art that shows the visual crossing of the sense of hearing and sight. Exhibiting artists include Binnie Birstein of Norwalk; Tania Canteli of Beacon, NY; Ashley Nelson and Mary Grace Leone of West Haven; Lori Slotkin of Darien; Eric Chiang of Westport; Heidi Lewis Coleman and Mari Gyorgyey of Stamford. Jeanine Esposito and Frederic Chiu of Beachwood Arts in Westport, CT were guest jurors. The Maritime Garage Gallery is part of the Parking Authority’s “Art in Parking Places” initiative, an effort to support art in public spaces making Norwalk a more vibrant destination. Maritime Garage Gallery 11 North Water St. Norwalk, CT 06854 (203) 831-9063 http://www.norwalkpark.org/public-art maritimegallery@norwalkpark.org

April 7 - May 13 Madison Annual Still Life Invitational. Twenty-two award-winning artists will participate in the 11th Annual Still Life Invitational at Susan Powell Fine Art in Madison, Connecticut. "Many of the artists burst out of the box to create fresh, varied and whimsical narratives in a modern style that reflects the passions of each painter, as well as highlighting classical painting techniques," says Susan Powell, owner of the gallery.

Among the participants are Kathy Anderson, Carol Arnold, Julie Beck, Stephanie Birdsall, Kelly Birkenruth, Dan Brown, Grace DeVito, Vincent Giarrano, Timothy W. Jahn, Sarah Lamb, Anne McGrory, Michael Naples, Larry Preston, Cindy Procious, Carlo Russo, and Claudia Seymour. The Still Life Invitational, which will feature 65 paintings, opens with a reception on April 7, from 5-8:00 pm. All are invited. Gallery hours are Tuesday-Saturday from 11-5, and anytime by appointment. For more infomation, call (203) 318-0616, visit www.susanpowellfineart.com Susan Powell Fine art is located at 679 Boston Post Road, Madison, CT 06443

April 8 - Guilford Come CELEBRATE with us on Saturday, April 8! We'll be serving our famous MIXtinis as well as some delicious local goodies. In appreciation of each of you, we will take 20% off one item. We’re mixing it up this year with a raffle for gift certificates from 9 of our local businesses (including a $99 one from Mix). We love our neighborhood and want to share with you some of the great stores and restaurants on and around the Green. Stop by Mix anytime between now and April 8th and enter the raffle with your purchases. The more you shop the more often you can enter. Thanks to our wonderful customers and extraordinary community for 9 great years! Betsy, Wendy & Jennifer M!X Design Store 29 Whitfield Street Guilford, CT 06437 203 453 0202 www.mixdesignstore.com

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April 8 - Old Saybrook Spring and Easter Tasting at Dagmar’s Desserts. Please join us at Dagmar’s Desserts for a selection of holiday desserts like strawberry tortes, key lime pies, fresh fruit tarts, apple strudel and carrot cakes, on Saturday, April 8 from 2 pm to 4 pm. For more information about our holiday menu visit us online at dagmarsdesserts.com or call the bakery at 860-661-4661. Dagmar’s Desserts 75 Main Street Old Saybrook

April 8 - Chester The opening reception for the Spring Exhibit at Maple and Main Gallery will be Saturday, April 8 from 6 to 8 p.m. The party includes a wine tasting from 6 to 7 by Eric Nelsen, owner of the Chester Package Store, and from 6 to 8, an assortment of appetizers and sweets and wines will be offered. The show will feature new works by 48 established painters and sculptors ranging from traditional to abstract in a wide variety of sizes, medium and price points. From April 5 through 30, the art department of Haddam-Killingworth High School will display work in the Stone Gallery with an opening party, April 6 from 5 to 7 p.m. In May, in there will be a special show of 8x8 paintings by Maple and Main artists in the Stone Gallery with an opening on First Friday, May 5 from 5 to 8 p.m. The Spring Exhibit opens Wednesday, April 5 and runs through Sunday, June 18. Maple and Main Gallery is open Wednesday and Thursday from noon to 6 p.m.; Friday, from noon to 7 p.m.; Saturday, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Sunday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Please visit our webpage: mapleandmaingallery.com or facebook page. 860-526-6065; mapleandmain@att.net.

April 8 - Ivoryton The Hundred Dresses.

The Hundred Dresses is a timeless story about the hurt inflicted by teasing and the painful consequences for bystanders who fail to act courageously.

This touching musical stage version of the story is brought to life with songs that will captivate children. Based on beloved Connecticut children's author Eleanor Estes award-winning book. Ages 12 and below.

April 13 New London Suncatcher Program. After guided eye-spy tours of the museum’s permanent and temporary galleries, participants will visit the studio for a hands-on art session. Hands-on program designed for children ages 6-10. Participants will use glass stain to design and paint their own suncatcher. Then, using crystals, beads, and other glass objects, participants will weave light and color into their piece. Space is limited and advanced reservations are required. Lyman Allyn Art Museum 625 Williams St. New London, CT 06320 (860) 443-2545 http://www.lymanallyn.org info@lymanallyn.org

APRIL EVENTS

April 8 Wethersfield 12th Annual Taste of Wethersfield.

Spend an evening in picturesque Old Wethersfield with family and friends enjoying fine food and drink from area restaurants and entertainment by the Hot Cat Jazz Band. Keeney Memorial Cultural Center 200 Main St. Wethersfield, CT 06109 (860) 529-7656 http://www.wethersfieldhistory.org society@wethersfieldhistory.org

April 14 New London Papier-Mache Hot Air Balloon Program. After guided eye-spy tours of the Museum’s permanent and temporary galleries, participants will visit the studio for a hands-on art session. Hands-on program designed for children ages 6-10.

Participants will study the art of papiermâché, or “chewed paper,” as they build and decorate their own hot air balloon sculptures. Space is limited and advanced reservations are required. Lyman Allyn Art Museum 625 Williams St. New London, CT 06320 (860) 443-2545 http://www.lymanallyn.org info@lymanallyn.org

APRIL EVENTS

78 April 13 - Cromwell April Demo. The Art Guild of Middletown is especially pleased to present a by demonstration “one of its own” at its next meeting. JoAnna Chapin, a member of the Art Guild, will talk about her watercolor techniques and the subjects that inspire her work at our regular meeting on Thursday, April 13 at 7:00 p.m. at the Woodside Intermediate School, 30 Road, Woodside Cromwell, CT. Meetings of the Art Guild are free, and the public is welcome to attend. The Guild’s website is www.middletownartguild.org.

April 18 - Hartford Adult Coffee Club: How to Survive Space. Ed O’Connor, one of the head engineers on the Closed Loop Life Support System for NASA, joins us to discuss how astronauts stay alive in space for an extended period.

O’Connor will discuss his work with the Closed Loop Life Support System and offer a chance to get a close-up look at a real NASA space suit. After the discussion, explore all exhibit galleries including our new 84’ Mercury-Redstone Rocket featured in Science Alley. Coffee and tea are included. Connecticut Science Center 250 Columbus Blvd. Hartford, CT 06103 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. (860) 724-3623 April 18 - New Britain Modern Art - From Art for Art’s Sake to Conception, Installation, and Beyond.New Britain Museum of American Art This tour follows trends in American art as artists ventured out from traditional European styles into bold new styles like Impressionism, Surrealism, and Abstract Expressionism.

New Britain Museum of American Art 56 Lexington St. New Britain, CT 06052 1 p.m.-2 p.m.

(860) 229-0257 http://www.nbmaa.org/event/modern-artfrom-artfor-arts-sake-to-conceptualism-installation-and-beyond frontdesk@nbmaa.org

April 20 - Hartford Peter Wolf & the Midnight Travelers.

Peter Wolf is America’s answer to Mick Jagger.

You know the hits, “Love Stinks,” “Centerfold,” “Freeze Frame,” “Lookin’ for Love,” and on and on.

As the frontman, lead singer and songwriter for the J. Geils Band, Peter’s fast talking antics and larger than life persona are iconic images in the world of Rock N’ Roll. Special guests The Roy Sludge Group. Infinity Hall - Hartford 32 Front St. Hartford, CT 06103 (866) 666-6306 http://www.infinityhall.com admin@infinityhall.com April 23 New Haven 44th Annual Cherry Blossom Festival. Celebration of spring commemorates the planting of 73 cherry blossom trees in 1973 by the New Haven Historic Commission in cooperation with the New Haven Parks Department. Featuring live entertainment including jazz, steel band and big band music, and opera. Children's Area with arts and crafts, pet-related interest area and a great range of food and display tables. Wooster Square Wooster Square New Haven, CT 06510 Noon.-4:30 p.m (203) 777-1371 www.historicwoostersquare.org/cherryblossomfestival.html April 23 - Chester Please join us at the Leif Nilsson Spring Street Studio & Gallery at 1 Spring Street in Chester Center for a Concert in the Garden on Sunday, April 23, 2016 4pm - 6pm featuring singer songwriter Sofia Talvik. Unmistakably Nordic in flavor, Sofia Talvik somehow still conforms to American interpretations of her own original music, a North Sea siren blending sparkle and melancholy, creating a special niche of folk music that has been described as neo-folk. She is a veteran performer with 6 full length albums as well as numerous EPs, singles and tours behind her. Her songs go straight to the heart with lyrics of love and loss, and at the concerts she binds them together with personal anecdotes from her many tours in the USA and Europe. http://sofiatalvik.com/ $20 donation - BYOB and picnic – Concerts are held indoors this time of year. GATES OPEN Half Hour before the show.

For more info log onto nilssonstudio.com or call 860-526-2077.

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