INK MAGAZINE - JANUARY 2022

A guide to finer living in Connecticut & abroad January 2022

Vol 17 Issue 192 inkct.com

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Lose weight.

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Norman Ives Constructions & Reconstructions January 29 – April 24, 2022

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9 JANUARY 2022

Vol. 17 Issue 192

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Feature Stories

Departments

Connecticut

“The Witch Hazel Capital of the Universe.”

A Life Under Lock & Key

Diary of a Locksmith

Broadway Bartender

A Glimpse into the Lobby Where it all Happens

Azorian Adventures

Europes Best Kept Secret

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Music Mirth & Mojo - Lend Them an Ear in the New Year 20 The Cheesemonger - Fondue and Racklett Season 76 On the Vine - Altaneve Prosecco 78 Happy New Year!!! We here at INK would like to take a moment to wish all of our readers a safe and prosperous new year in 2022. Having never minded being called an “optimist” and speaking only for myself, I have a very good feeling about the possibilities that exist. January is a month that has always been a good time to not only reflect, but also regroup. Since we entered into the health issue that we all face it has proven to be difficult to make a plan and stick with it. Especially if your job is to plot a course for the following month as we do here with the magazine that you are currently reading. For example: In this issue we feature an interesting story about the rush and excitement of being a bartender on Broadway. In this example, we highlight working in the lobby of the musical Hamilton. Since we had made the decision to share this most interesting of places to work, the 2022 season has been cancelled. At first blush we had considered putting the story on ice till later in the year but after some thought, the choice was made to run it “as is.” Now, there will be some that connect the dots and think to themselves “the shows have all been cancelled?” My thinking is this: “it still happened,” even if it is now, as of this writing, a bit wistful and nostalgic. Further Illustrating that the only constant in life is change.

Like the bullets in “The Matrix,” we dodge, weave, and course correct.

We roll with it. This is our view of next year. Wake up, remain proactive, prepare for the day and move along. Be thankful for the gifts you have.

Rinse and repeat. Stay well dear reader.

Jeffery Lilly

Contributors

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Pico Islands

A Winemaking Tradition

founder / publisher

Ashley Alt - ask ashley

Daniel Lev Shkolnik - editorial

Susan Cornell - editorial

Carolina Marquez-Sterling - design

Caryn B. Davis - editorial/photography

Paul Partica - the cheesemonger

Alison Kaufman - music mirth & mojo

John Tolmie - editorial

Art LiPuma - on the vine

Kate Tolmie - photography

Rona Mann - editorial

Joe Urso - ad design

Advertising

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On the Cover: “Rainbow Cow” Azores / Photo by Susan Cornell

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Cneicut: C neicut: t The W Hazel T he W  H a el az Ste S te

by Susan Cornell

“O da days ys g grown rown c cold! old! O llife ife g grown rown old old N ro No rose se of JJune une ma may m y bloom blo om again; again; But, B ut, li like ke the the hazel-s hazel-s l twisted twisted gold, Through T hro ugh early early ffrost rosst and and llatter atter ra rain in Shall S hall hints hints of summer-time summ mer-ttime remain.” remain. in.”

Hazel Blossoms,, JJohn Greeenleaf Whittier

Photo Wiitch Hazel Blossom by Hand ds off my tags! Michael Gaida

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Indigenous peoples used the forked branches as divining rods to locate underground water, and when the early European settlers watched the dowsing with the bending branches, they may have come up with this name.

Regardless of what you believe of the name mystery, the Dickinson company symbol, the witch, which remains atop the weathervane at the factory in Essex, is fun and fitting.

Our native witch hazel, Hamamelis virginiana, is abundant in the swampy areas of the Connecticut woods. The special and strange thing about it is that yellow flowers bloom in the late fall and winter, after the leaves have fallen off. It’s often used in landscaping because of the winter bloom (plus it’s also attractive in both spring and summer). Such a nice color and fragrance in the dead of winter! The branches arch and often grow as a dense bush, 15 to 20 feet or so wide and 20 to 30 feet tall, and new growth won’t be ready to be trimmed for another five to seven years.

products for over 170 years. The company, based in Easton, works with local family-run Gilbertie’s Organics, also in Easton. Gilbertie’s has a field of just over an acre devoted exclusively to growing witch hazel for Thayers. The harvest remains in the Nutmeg (or Witch Hazel) State, traveling to Carrubba Incorporated, a perfumery headquartered in Monroe. Carrubba specializes in the creation of custom fragrances, botanical extracts, and natural deodorants.

Farmer, Sal Gilbertie grows his witch hazel plants much smaller than those one would see in the wilds of Connecticut’s forests “because the essential oils are richer with smaller plants” he explains. Interestingly, Thayers, which gets its witch hazel from this little farm with little bushes was purchased just over a year ago by L’Oreal for a BIG price – nearly $400 million, according to PE Hub, an intelligence service covering private equity deal-making.

Thayers Natural Remedies, started by Dr. Henry Thayer as a “tonic, astringent and sedative,” has been concocting witch hazel

Clockwise Above: E.E. Dickinson Factory With Workers C 1910, Thomas Newton Dickinson, E.E. Dickinson Ox-Drawn Delivery Of Witch Hazel.

Clockwise Right Page: Distilling Photo With Worker, Dickinson Factory Photo Courtesy of Derek Hayn/ CenterbrookE.E. Dickinson Factory c.1910, Courtesy Of Essex Historical Society.

Photo Blossom Witch Hazel Blossom ©Alfio Scisetti

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It was Dr. Charles Hawes, an early missionary who learned about the therapeutic uses from the Native Americans and conducted experimentation, creating an even more effective concoction. Hawe’s Extract, renamed Pond’s Extract, was produced in Essex in 1846.

If you’ve been by the Essex Steam Train, the factory is hard to miss and, yes, this is the one with the charming witch weathervane. The prominent landmark had been vacant for years until it was purchased by a conservation-minded developer who saw renovation potential.

But it was Thomas Newton Dickinson who took it to the next level and really commercialized witch hazel. Dickinson, who held a side gig as a Baptist minister, made his fortune producing uniforms for Yankee soldiers during the Civil War. He needed a new venture, and noting the number of folks in the area with witch hazel in their backyards as well as their own stills, brilliantly assembled a consortium of small operators and opened a distillery.

Centerbrook Architects was tasked with conducting community participation workshops to drum up ideas in order to determine the best use of the Witch Hazel Works property.

These individual operators became one brand: T.N. Dickinson’s.

Upon T.N. Dickinson’s death, his sons who inherited the firm, split Dickinson’s into two brands: T.N Dickinson’s, focusing on first aid (blue label) operated in East Hampton, and E.E. Dickinson’s, known for skin care (the distinctive yellow label) operated in Essex. Nothing like a family spat to break apart a company! Rival brothers, rival companies.

The E.E. Dickinson company distilled and bottled Witch Hazel from a factory that began operating in Essex in 1902. Art deco style was added to the building in 1929.

The once defunct factory now houses office space, artist studios, and retail space. “The Witch Hazel Works is an example of the adaptive reuse of an historic manufacturing building into a charismatic and useful place for the 21st century,” reads Centerbrook’s website.

Tenants range from acupuncturists to family wealth counselors, healthcare to homecare, to those in the beer, coffee, and gin businesses. Surfridge Brewing of El Segundo, California, anticipates opening in the former distillery this fall.

The Art deco details on the exterior have been restored and replicated, and several manufacturing artifacts, both outside and inside the building, have been featured.

“Witch Hazel Works today is bustling. You should pay a visit to Deep River Roasters, a local coffee roaster and café, which

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is located there. In add dition, there are several otherr businesses, including the distrributor of Highclere Castle Gin. We have been watching a micro o-brewery renovate a portion of o one of the outbuildings,” says Ch hris Hill, Centerbrook Architects’ Architects Director of Business Develo opment opment.

Dickinson’s is now part of American Distilling in Eaast Hampton, which is actually three witch hazel brands — Diickinson’s, which makes skincare products; Humphreys, organiic skin care; and T.N. Dickinson’s, which creates first aid productts. American Distilling, the world’s largest source of distilled witcch hazel extracts, gets its harvest from Connecticut’s forests.

Harvesting, which is overseen by the Department off Energy and Environmental Protection’s forestry management division, takes place during late fall, winterr, and early spring beforee leaf-out .“The chlorophyll in green leaves are undesirable an nd contaminate the astringent being sought, so the work must take place when leaves are off,” explains DEEP Forester David Irvin.

DEEP sells a “limited number of Forest Products H Harvesting Permits to a handful of loggers and witch-hazel haarvesters statewide, which cut and remove the woody shrub b for delivery to the processing plant of American Distilleries in East Hampton. The permits for this product are sold for $10.00/ton,” says Irvin.

“Harvest Harvest of witch-hazel does not impact the upper fforest canopy y, as it’s an understory shrub. It is also completely rrenewable, as witch-hazel resprouts readily once cut. The harveest is also often guided by DEEP Foresters to locations that will b be beneficial to their own forest management objectives, such as eencouraging

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“T Tooday y,, consumers are looking for just simple, tried and true natural products that just j work.”

new seedling dl growth h with h the h increased sunlight,” Irvin adds.

Witch-hazel has historically been harvested the most in eastern Connecticut forests that are closer to East Hampton (reduced hauling costs). But in western Connecticut where Irvin is assigned, witch-hazel has been harvested in Enders, Housatonic, Mohawk, and Tunxis State Forests, among other areas, and on both private and public land.

Why y, after hundreds of years, is there such an interest in witch hazel? Bryan Jackowicz, president of Dickinson Brands, explains, “T Today’s skin and personal care consumers are more educated than ever and truly care about where their products come from and how they are made. They care not only about what they are putting into their bodies with organic foods but also what they are putting on theirr bodies.”

“Furtherr, by using products that are not only genuine naturaal products, but are produced in a sustainable mannerr,, it is not only good d for them but good for the environment and future generations as well,” hee maintains.

“T To oday y,, consumers are looking for just simple, tried and truee natural products that just work … gentle products for skin and perso onal care have been a staple part of American medicine cabinets and have h helped generations maintain beautiful, healthy looking skin without all off the chemical clutter.”

This shrub and its yields, long a part of Connecticut’s farmin ng history and economy y, promises to keep blossoming.

Left Page: Photos Courtesy of Essex Historical Society y, Susan Cornell Clockwise: Vintage Image of Dickinson’s Bottle, Model Demonstrating Use Courtesy of Essex Historical Society Natural Remedies Thayers Rose Petal Witch Hazel Facial To Toner Thayers Natural Remedies Farm Photos by Thayers Natural Remedies

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Lend Them an Ear in the New Year

By Ali Kaufman

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s a kid, I would find a favorite song and then think, "Wow, will I ever like anything as much as this again? Luckily, there has been no shortage of favorite songs and incredible artists that have woven themselves into my life’s path. As much as I love discovering a new creative, it is sharing them with others that is the juice for me now, so with that in mind, it is my pleasure to share with you some of the musical artists that have grabbed my attention and not let go. My hope is that you will check them out for yourselves and perhaps add some new tunes to the soundtrack of your life.

The station where I do my radio show, WCNI 90.9FM, received an advance copy of Veronica

Lewis’s debut album, You Ain’t Unlucky, released on Blue Heart Records. This eightsong offering of upbeat boogie-woogie piano, roots, and blues immediately astounded me with its vitality and uniqueness. It is not every day that you come across a young woman poised to carry the torch for a genre that has brought us the likes of Katie Webster, Marcia Ball, and of course the most recognizable name of all, Jerry Lee Lewis. No relation, by the way, just one of those fated coincidences. It is not just me that took notice, this freshman offering debuted at #1 on iTunes, BB Kings Bluesville, Roots Music Report, and #2 on Billboards Top US Blues Albums, those are just some of the charts she is burning up. The awards and

Veronica Lewis

accolades also poured in as Veronica took home the 2020 Boston Music Awards, Blues Artist of the Year, and was nominated again in 2021. Veronica is also extremely proud of receiving her first big national awards from Blues Blast Magazine in the category of Best New Artist Debut Album and the Sean Costello Rising Star. Lewis headed out on her first tour this past summer/fall as things began to open up and found it incredibly inspiring.

“What a privilege and honor it is to share live music," Veronica expressed from her gratitude-saturated heart. I caught her live in New Hampshire at The Blues On The Range Festival put on by the Granite State Blues Society. They have supported this budding superstar since

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the beginning, and her performance that day was one for the record books. Monster Mike Welch joined her on guitar, and I for one hope that collaboration may happen again in the future. As for the future, there are new songs just waiting to be recorded. With more time on her hands since graduating her High School as Valedictorian in 2021, the inspiration is flowing and a new album is on the horizon. Look for Lewis’s videos and her live streams on her website and social media platforms. https://www.veronicalewis.com

the most requested wedding song with its delicate guitar and romantic lyrics. Hector actually wrote the song 20 years ago and while he played it live, this is the first time it has made it to a record.

There have been many highlights along the 25-year journey like winning the prestigious International Blues Challenge for Solo Blues

Blue Heart Records may be explored here https://www.nola-blue.com/blueheartrecords You are sure to find other terrific musicians supported by this female-owned, independent label that is a champion for multi-generational blues and roots artists.

I found Hector Anchondo’s CD, Let Loose The Chains as I was perusing the new music racks at the radio station. I literally had no idea who he was... then I pressed play. Going To Missouri is a ditty that will set your toes a-tappin' and put a smile on your face. I had the chance to ask Hector about this song and a few others that are found on this 12 song, acoustic offering released in September 2021. “When I need a break from being the workaholic me, I can center myself again while spending time immersed in the nature that you find in the Ozark Mountains, it has always been a special place for me," the Omaha, Nebraska based artist shared.

Heart and Soul pivots to a love song that could very easily become Hector Anchondo

Act in 2020 as well as taking home the Memphis Cigar Box Guitar Award that same year as he represented the Blues Society of Omaha. Being endorsed by Delaney Guitars and GHS Strings is a pretty sweet arrangement as well. Hector is upping his game now that he has signed with Vizztone Records and has the support of well-respected industry professionals like Richard “Rosy” Rosenblatt and media maven, Amy Brat. Muddy Waters longtime guitarist and all- around mensch, Bob Margolin is also a founding member of

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Vizztone. His mentorship is clearly something Anchondo feels gratitude for as well as finding himself in the right place at the right time.

Looking into 2022 Hector is ready to start making up some of the dates that took a hit during the live music drought. One, in particular, is the Chicago Blues Festival, a “get” for any musician and has recently returned from the perennially sold out, Legendary Rhythm & Blues Cruise where Hector definitely garnered a new legion of fans. My hope is that he will announce an anchor date and some routing through the Northeast in

2022, perhaps to coincide with his next album release. A girl can hope, right?

Visit https://www.hectoranchondo.com/ to go directly to Hector’s site in addition to http://www.vizztone.com for a peek into his label’s stellar collection of artists.

Danielle Nicole is not a recent find for me, I have loved playing her music for years. Drop the needle in the groove, instantly my back straightens, and I am just as much a badass as the singer/bass player pulsing through my speakers. Danielle hails from Kansas City, Missouri where she has been swaddled in music

since basically day one. Her father, a musician who loved the blues, imparted that passion to his daughter who was drawn to the raw emotion. By the age of 18 she and her brothers had formed, Trampled Under Foot, which needed a bass player. Since no one else was going to take it on, she stepped up…..way up.

Singing lead and playing the bass is not easy, which is why many shy away from it, but Danielle was up for the challenge, fell in love, and now can’t imagine touring or playing without it. This sibling band went all the way to the International Blues Challenge where they took the top spot winning in 2008. Personally,

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Danielle has earned the distinct honor of being the first woman to be nominated and then a year later winning the Instrumentalist category of Bass in The Blues Foundation’s 2012 Blues Music Awards. Many other accolades followed as Danielle grew into a new

Danielle Nicole

phase and recorded Wolf Den in 2015 with Anders Osborne and Stanton Moore on Drums in New Orleans. Danielle’s voice became animated as she described the refurbished church, Esplanade Studios and how much the creative process meant to her as she wrapped an era taking a giant leap into her own solo identity. The 2017 release Cry No More, “truly felt like, THIS is what Danielle Nicole sounds like,"she tells me. Clearly, that is a good thing because this offering garnered a 2018 Grammy nomination for Best Contemporary Blues Album right out of the gate. Looking ahead to 2022 you can anticipate a new album coming that Danielle can’t wait to share. 12 songs, 11 of which are originals, were recorded this time in Kansas City with all local musicians.

Producer on Cry No More, Tony Braunagel is back and so is her ride-or-die guitarist, Brandon Miller. Danielle

had glowing things to say about this worldclass musician (and human being) with whom she co-wrote several songs for the yet untitled new album. These two will have more creative time now that Danielle has recently signed with Bonfire Music Group out of Nashville.

She had been waiting to find the right fit to help her get to the next level and is excited to step back from the day-to-day and concentrate on creating. You can catch Danielle playing out live at The Tampa Bay Blues Festival this April which is just one of the several dates that had to be rescheduled. She will also have several gigs with Walter Trout in the UK, and hopefully, 2022 will be the year for bookings here in Connecticut! Keep up with Danielle on Facebook, Instagram and by going to her website https://daniellenicolemusic.com I hope you will enjoy delving into the music of these fine artists and usher in the new year with joyful noise and grateful hearts. Cheers to a happy, healthy 365 ahead!

Tampa Bay Blues Fest info may be found here http://www.tampabaybluesfest.com Love to have you join me on Tuesdays for Morning Mojo on https://wcniradio.org or anytime on Facebook and Instagram!

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Happ Ha py N Ne ew Y Yeear fr from all o off us at P PR RP-R3!

Start offff the New w Year with some Old Stuff. ff Come to o R3 and see what you can ffiind in lieu e of buying new or online.

Saves you time, money y and ffeeels great to be part of the solution.

For 2022, make your New Year’s resolution to enact your own “R3” plan: Res solve to “Recycle”: Commit to a recycling plan n.

Don’t for o get composting too o!

Res solve to “Reuse”: Make sure things are truly used u up before discarding. g.

We are hard at work on the “Antiquarian Book Shop” and Café. Opening soon!

PRP iss a 501-C3 3 Non-profit i Org ganizatio i n.

All your donatiions go dir irectly to the care and rehabilit l tati tion of ourr animalss.

Resolve to “Repurpose”: Find ways to give your stufff a second life!

Make sure to swing by and check out our new, handpainted entrance sign!

We are open Tuesday – Saturday 10-5 Donations accepted Thurs.-Sat. 10-2

112 West Elm Street; Deep River, CT. (860) 395-7710

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Life Under Lock and

Key

By Jeff Clinton Photos By Jeff Lilly

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till, I have been one for close to 40 years now. I never really gave locks or doors much thought. They were just things like faucets or electrical switches that I had to use. No one in my family history was a locksmith. My dad was a builder of churches and schools all over Connecticut, and my grandfather was a civil engineer, boat builder, and marina owner. My other grandfather was an oil burner technician. Growing up, we were not rich but comfortable. My dad built our house with a great walkout basement, and the fully equipped wood and metal shop area became my playground. I grew up watching and hearing table saws cutting, hammers pounding, clamps being clamped, and smelling paint and glue drying.

Locksmithing is one of the world’s oldest vocations. It is thought to have originated in Old Egypt and Babylon around 4000 years ago.

then. They did, however, function similarly to how modern locks do today. A large, hefty wooden key was required to move pins in the lock (envision an enormous wooden toothbrush). This massive key was embedded and pushed upwards and that enabled the release of the pins.

As lock and key “innovation” spread, its been discovered in ancient Greece, Rome, and different societies as far east as

Romans. This had two advantages. The key was always with you, and it also served as a status indicator.

Locksmiths’ inventiveness soared from the 14th through the 17th centuries. They were frequently invited to create locks for royalty with unique and creative designs. They would frequently create locks that were based on the royal crest and insignia.

The intricacy and sophistication of locks and keys expanded considerably as a result of the precision in engineering and component standardization that accompanied the industrial revolution in the 18th century. Although, the basic design of the lock and key stayed the same, in 1817, the British government held a competition to produce a superior lock. That competition yielded the Chubb detector lock named after its winner Jeremiah Chubb. Decades of improvements and

key with serrated edges that moves the pins which is still in use today.

My dad was a true Connecticut Yankee who grew up during the Depression which meant he was not going to spend money on foolish things like mini bikes or Go-Karts or even the latest bicycles. If I wanted any of that I would need to earn money to buy it or build it. Since there were not many jobs for a 14- year-old that would pay enough to buy engine-powered anything, my next choice was to build whatever I wanted.

My dad’s best friend who was an architect for a construction company said, “You should be an electrical or an architectural engineer,” so I took his advice and worked construction all day with Dad. Hot, tired, sweaty, and filthy I would go directly from the construction site to college at night. Of course, that was never going to work out, and it didn’t. Falling asleep in class, no time to study, no money for books, or basic living expenses.

One afternoon after work I came home to find a business card in my apartment door from a private detective agency. “Call me,” it said. Turns out it was my best friend growing up. He was now a Private Investigator who would eventually open a school training people to become PI’s. He suggested, “Take three days off and ride around with me.” I did, and that’s when it all started. I never returned to the construction site.

He wanted to offer alarms and security systems to his business portfolio, so we opened a locksmith security division, and I became the chief locksmith. My entire past experiences playing with tools and building things now came together. It started out innocently as basic specialized carpentry installing deadbolts and doorknobs for

residential customers, re-keying deadbolts and knobs and re-keying the other locks to match them. This progressed to repairing broken locks. Stores began to call us as commercial locks, repairs, and installations were needed. Apartment buildings needed master keying as did schools and churches.

We never had the luxury of just doing one form of locksmithing. We drilled safes and did safe deposit box openings for banks as well as selling and installing safes. I drilled and replaced failed car ignitions in parking lots, replaced lost keys for cars, and impressioned keys. That talent led to repossessing cars for dealerships. Our detective agency would skip trace (find) the cars during the day, and at night my partner and I would get them. That was way before chipped keys and modern wreckers like they use today. Basically, you would sneak up to the car, get into it, sit in the driver’s seat with a special locksmithing file, a small flashlight, a bag of blanks, and a pair of vice grips in order to impression a key to the ignition, and drive it back to the dealership.

The car owners knew the car was going to get repossessed because they stopped paying the dealer. They were expecting some big wrecker to come and hook the car and leave. The problem was they needed the car, wanted to keep it, and keep driving without paying. So, they would hide the cars at friends’ houses or switch cars with family members. The hard part being was this was all taking place in the north end of Hartford at night back in the late ‘70s. We had to do any type of call we got. We had no choice. Every call was answered with, “Yes, we can help you.” Every day you would work on locks that you may have never seen before. There were no computers for exploded views, no YouTube to see how to do it, no parts available to order, and no one to ask for help. Locksmithing was a tightly held trade and sharing information was not common. If a brass part was broken on a 1950’s era lock, I would get a chunk of brass and have to make a new one.

My service vehicle was not a van but a used car I bought from my dad. A brown 1972 Plymouth Valiant 4-door with tools and locks galore in the trunk and back seat.

It was 1979, and I was 23. Six months later I bought our first real van, a very used 1971 Dodge plumbers van with no power steering or brakes. The seller said driving

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it would be better than a gym membership. I didn’t care as it was a real van, and I was official now.

40 years and 14 vans later here we are. I dropped automotive lock work and safe installation. My van is a culmination of everything I ever wanted 40 years ago but don’t need half of it now. My days consist of driving around to the beautiful homes and businesses that eastern Connecticut has to offer. I went from an answering machine in an office to a beeper, stopping at every phone booth I could find to check in for calls. From a beeper I progressed to a shared radio system, an analog bag phone, to a car-mounted analog system, to a flip phone, and now my business runs from a Samsung 5G. Customers call and I answer live. Many just text now and no calls. I get pictures all day long instead of a customer saying, “that thingy on the door side is broken.”

Nowadays most locksmiths are friends and not only share information but will back each other up on difficult jobs. They will do your calls for you if you’re out sick, and you do the same without question for them. We have all gotten closer now because we’re trying to protect our service areas and our customers from scammers. The best way to find a locksmith is s referral from a hardware store, from a friend, or seeing our vans around town. The internet is also good, but like all trades and all advertising there are scammers who are lurking for unsuspecting customers. It’s sad because locksmithing has a lot to do with trust and comfort. You are calling a stranger to come out to help you stay safe against “strangers.” You can also call your local police department and ask them. Word of mouth goes a long way, and luckily, we have some very solid lock companies in our area of Eastern Connecticut.

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“that thingy on the door side is broken.”

This started out as an interesting job to have at 24 years old. I went through quite an evolution in the last 40 years I have been doing this. You go from not knowing much and struggling to make enough money to live. Then you go through a long stretch of the same old, same old. It then turns to, maybe I don’t like this anymore, and I’ll look for something else to do.

That changes as you say this is not so bad, I guess even though it’s 15 degrees out and I’m standing in a doorway fighting a lock.

You decide to dive deeper and deeper into it by constantly upgrading equipment and vans. A time comes in every career where many decide to stop fighting it and become a perfectionist. At that moment, things get easier as you are there doing everything for all the right reasons and enjoying it. The reward is that it’s an honest living. You have unlimited potential for income. You are your own boss if you own the company, and you get to meet people every day and see their lives and situations. It’s not all fun. There are divorces, break-ins, deaths, all that need a locksmith to secure a place.

But there are also people buying new homes and people buying better hardware and good situations that are positive for everyone. I think a locksmith’s biggest reward is an older customer who really needed help with something. They depend on the advice of others and are worried about who’s going to show up and how it’s going to go. I like watching the transition the customer goes through from being worried or upset to calming down as they see its going to be okay. By the end, I’m being offered bottles of water, cookies, and a new friend for life. That’s when all I have been through to get here, seems worth it.

For more information Precision Lock & Safe LLC www.precisionlock.net

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by Rona Mann Photos Courtesy of Mike Anthony

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Few people, even those venerable theatre historians and lovers of the craft, would be familiar with the name Irwin Chanin. In New York City in 1925 Chanin built a theatre on West 46th Street and called it Chanin’s 46th Street Theatre. A creative he wasn’t. His plans, other than to make money on resale, were not altogether clear because Chanin almost immediately leased it to the Shuberts who bought it outright six years later. Between that time and 1981 this theatre, now known as The 46th Street Theatre, had a variety of owners, but none had the vision of the Nederlander Organization, one of the largest operators of theatres and music venues in the United States. In New York City alone, the Nederlanders have nine theatres, among them what is now known as the Richard Rodgers Theatre on West 46th Street. It was renamed in 1990 to honor the famous composer and has a storied history all its own beginning with the sheer beauty of the architecture and extending to the 11 Tony-Award winning plays and musicals that were housed here, amassing more than any other theatre on Broadway.

Readers and audiences alike will recognize names like Guys and Dolls, Damn Yankees, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, Lost in Yonkers, Chicago, Porgy and Bess, and In the Heights among many others. But there is one name that not only shook the very chandeliers of this historic theatre but became a culture unto itself with the utterance of one surname, Hamilton.

When it previewed on July 13, 2015 at the Richard Rodgers little was known about it except the rumblings from its off-Broadway run, a portend that something stunning was about to happen. In actuality, what happened was a Broadway show became a phenomenon, a single word that immediately landed on the lips of people who knew and loved theatre. That word then transcended out into the country as a “must-have, must-see,” at all costs, and the clamoring has never stopped.

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S. Sondheim

Now it’s 2022, and still, every single one of the 1300 seats in that majestic old house is filled at every performance. Phones never stop ringing, lines never stop forming outside the theatre for a chance that there may be a cancellation, an extra seat. People beg, cajole, wish......Hamilton is magic, and its applause never ceases.

Yes, thousands of would-be actors come to Manhattan each year, hoping to make it. Many were big stars in their hometown high school or community theatre productions, others sold everything they owned, got a loan from Mom and Dad, packed up, and came right from the college stage where they were told they had that “special something.”

Michael Anthony got off the train fresh out of college with an MFA in acting and a $100,000 student loan debt in his bags. Although he had been urged by a drama professor to move to New York because he “had it,” that never guarantees you will ace your first audition and wind up in the theatre. But Mike Anthony did wind up in the theatre working for Sandbar Concessions, the company that services all the Nederlander Theatres on Broadway. Do a little research on Sandbar, and you’ll find they characterize their company as having “professional bartenders trained to provide hospitality, warmth, and speedy service.” While the hospitality, warmth, and speed are guaranteed, the “professional” part is sometimes questionable. Just ask Mike Anthony.

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“Sandbar made it a practice to hire actors. Some were between jobs, others were just starting out, but very few had ever worked as bartenders or even knew how to make a drink.”

That perfectly described Anthony who always wears a smile, is as genuine as they come, and was totally clueless when he first began at the Rodgers where In the Heights was packing them in nightly. Anthony describes intermission this way.

“There are 1300 seats in this theatre, intermission only lasts 15 minutes, about half the people want cocktails or sodas or Junior Mints, they come at you like it’s the Roaring 20s, and there are just 7 bartenders to serve approximately 700 people in 15 minutes. “So, was Mike nervous that first night?

“I was sweating like crazy, scared to death. I had no idea how to make any kind of a drink.”

Then, as they say in theatre, there was “comic relief.” A man approached Anthony’s station and ordered a “Cape Cod.” Not having a clue as to what that was, Mike said, “I’m sorry, sir, we don’t have that.” The man was polite and kind and asked if they had vodka. They did. “Do you have cranberry juice?” the patron queried.

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Mike smiled, he knew he had that. “Well, pour some vodka and add the cranberry juice,” he said with a smile. As the customer paid for the drink and gave Mike a generous tip, he added, “You just made your first Cape Cod.” That night, Mike took the Bartender’s Guide home and memorized it.

After 29 previews and 1184 regular performances, In the Heights finally closed, and it was time for the next show to move into the Rodgers. Sandbar Concessions usually keeps the same personnel in their theatres from production to production, so Mike stayed as the tsunami called Hamilton roared uptown and into his 46th Street home. Lin Manuel Miranda, the writer, star, and wunderkind who brought Hamilton to the world allowed the theatre staff and bartenders to see the show just before it opened. At that point, Mike Anthony knew his life was about to change. He had witnessed something almost unworldly in theatre, and he knew he’d be at the Rodgers a long, long time.

During his now 14 years there, promoted to Bar Manager, and with the lobby, the stage on which he performs nightly, he has met and poured drinks for an A-List of celebrities from his political idol, then-President Barack Obama, to Bruce Springsteen, Oprah Winfrey, Sarah Jessica Parker, Amy Schumer, Yankee pitcher C.C. Sabathia, Paul McCartney, and literally hundreds of others. Anthony can spin a good story and recounts many of these meetings in his popular book, Life at Hamilton: Sometimes You Throw Away Your Shot, Only to Find Your Story. It’s a great read filled with personal insecurities, humor, and an honest look at the world and those who inhabit it.

Yet, he is not star struck in the least. It is the people who have come to his bar for a minute in time to order a drink or buy candy who have had the most profound effect on Mike’s life. The little girl and her brother who both told him “my heart is bursting,” when asked how they liked the show. The woman who told Mike she

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almost didn’t buy tickets because she had been diagnosed with terminal cancer and given six months. But she bought the tickets anyway, and now was seeing Hamilton for the fourth time. Or the two young girls from Pennsylvania who didn’t have enough money for two sodas and were trying to figure it out as Mike poured both and told them, “It’s on me.”

Speak with Mike Anthony, and you’re speaking with just a guy who is in love with the life this opportunity has given him - the people he’s met along the way in the lobby. He’s unfailingly polite, wanting to take you into his world and introduce you to everyone around him from the other bartenders like Marie and Andy, to the doormen, to the people who work behind the scenes at Hamilton. They have all become his family, and if he’s learned nothing else, he’s learned that all the experiences he’s had meeting famous people pale in comparison to having met and developed a relationship with everyday people. Anthony sums it up best in his own words from Life at Hamilton: “What makes life the wonder that it is and worth all the great trouble is not glitz and glamour and bright lights and fame and fortune. The real treasure is the connections you make, the people you choose to go along for the ride with on this special odyssey. The best things, the only ones that really matter, can only be found in those beside you. Which is why meeting Barack Obama and watching Hamilton unfold in all its glory won’t be the coolest thing that ever happens.

Standing beside Marie and Andy when it happens, is.”

For more information or to order a book: www.mikeanthony.com

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POOR JACK

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Azorian

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Thanks to a mild climate, this archipelago offers a wealth of outdoor and adventure opportunities year-round. It’s also known for biodiversity and is full of cultural and historical charm.

Adventures Profile and Images by Susan Cornell

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“We’ve long talked about Type 1 fun and Type 2 fun.

Briefly, Type 1 is enjoyable while it’s happening, aka, simply fun. Type 2 is miserable while it’s happening but fun in retrospect.Then there’s Type 3, described as ‘ fun that is not fun at all.

Not even in retrospect.’”

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here’s something exciting about going to a destination relatively few people have heard of, partly because you, the intrepid explorer, probably won’t have many preconceived notions or images about said holiday. The Azores, a cluster of nine small islands, European but isolated in the middle of the Atlantic, have been known to explorers since at least the 15th century but are a recent discovery to travelers. Many who are aware the Azores exist imagine sunbaked, dry volcanic islands. And they almost always think they belong to Spain.

The Azores are Europe’s secret: green, diverse, peaceful, beautiful, and welcoming. They are found two hours west of Lisbon, a five-hour direct flight away from Boston, and they belong to Portugal, not Spain.

Thanks to a mild climate, this archipelago offers a wealth of outdoor and adventure opportunities year-round. It’s also known for biodiversity and is full of cultural and historical charm.

Admittedly, my husband and I have a thing for islands. I don’t know why. In the past three years alone, we’ve been to over 20 islands; from as far away as French Polynesia to our favorite, Block Island. We also have a thing for hiking. So, when you combine a passion for islands with a love of travel, with an addiction to hiking, the obvious answer was the Azores.

Plus, it was time. We’d cocooned/quarantined/hidden under the blankets for nearly 20 months due to “the plague.” We’d be outdoors for the most part, in a quiet destination, in the off-season, and on islands, many of which have more cows than people. We watched a bunch of YouTube videos on the Azores, and just about every town looked like a well-kept ghost town!

One of the selling points for me was the short flight, yet you still have Europe at the end of the runway. If you want to visit any or all the other islands, plane rides between them are quick, easy, and inexpensive. Inter-island ferries are as well AND scenic. We did both – no problem – with absolutely no knowledge of Portuguese.

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We spent three nights on Faial, known as the “Blue Island” because of the sheer quantity of bright blue hydrangeas covering the island in the summer. This lively gem has the reputation of being the meeting place for sailors crossing the Atlantic and is home to two volcanic attractions – the Faial Caldera and the Capelinhos Volcano.

The Capelinhos is not only the westernmost part of Europe but, more importantly, is the site of a volcanic eruption that lasted for 13 months in1957 and1958. It is now a tourist Via phone call, we gave the tour operator our specs: which islands, accommodations, destination with a trail network. Perhaps and how we wanted to get around. Azores this is where the dry, sunbaked image Getaways made the arrangements, and we comes in. were off and running.

Caldeira Faial, on the other hand, the island’s gaping central crater, is part of a The whole car rental in another country nature reserve. It is a giant green bowl with thing sounded tricky and stressful but it was neither. Granted we didn’t end up gorgeous, untouched scenery around it as with luxury vehicles (a teeny Peugeot, a well as one of the world’s most incredible teenier Citroen, and a Smart Car), but we hikes. This was to be our first significant could go where we wanted when we wanted. alfresco adventure of the vacation, and the 4.2-mile trail would have been amazing IF Tip: Know the street sign symbols before driving; there are many we’d never seen in we could have seen it. the US, and their meanings weren’t obvious.

As with travel to other destinations, the sky’s the limit as to how to go: group tours, guides, on your own, etc. Since this was our first trip and we only had a week, we decided to focus on four of the nine islands on our own. That meant flying to an island and renting a car, taking the ferry to another island (with the car), flying to another island and renting another car, and flying to the last island and renting another car.

50 We’ve long talked about Type 1 fun and Type 2 fun. Briefly, Type 1 is enjoyable while it’s happening, aka, simply fun. Type 2 is miserable while it’s happening but fun in retrospect. Then there’s Type 3, described as “fun that is not fun at all. Not even in retrospect.” Afterward, you think, “What in the hell was I doing? If I ever come up with another idea that stupid, somebody slap some sense into me.”

We were happy to have made it around Caldeira Faial alive. We were in the clouds with no visibility, pouring rain, and wind gusting over 50 mph. The trail was muddy and slippery but we made it with only minor scratches (one of us met a barbed wire fence) and falls. The rest of the day we spent at a lower altitude, and it was, by comparison, pretty darn nice.

One of my favorite mantras is “There’s no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothing.”

If you’re thinking of hiking, by all means, have waterproof boots, waterproof socks, foul weather pants, and a raincoat. The temperature will likely be consistent from day to day, but rain happens even on sunny days.

Admittedly, we visited in one of the wetter months … and then there was also a large tropical storm that sat and sat and sat nearby.

51 Another note on walking/hiking: There are hundreds of miles of well-marked, official hiking trails. DO NOT follow unofficial trails found, for example, online; you may end up bushwhacking tall grasses, scaling rock walls, climbing waterfalls, trespassing, etc. Instead, make use of the official trails’ website: trails.visitazores.com A day trip to Pico the following day wasn’t any drier but it was still fun, and not Type 3 either. We took our rental on the ferry and drove around in the rain, managing to get eight miles on foot.

We spent the next three days on Flores, probably one of the prettiest places on earth.

Flores, which translates to “flowers,” gets its name from the abundance of flowers on the island. So green with cascading waterfalls everywhere!

A highlight was the Reserva Natural do Morro Alto e Pico da Se, where one can view Lagoa Negra and Lagoa Comprida next to each other; the views of their differences in water color are amazing.

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Interestingly, “Negra” means black in Portuguese, although Lagoa Negra is green, while Lagoa Comprida is the black one.

The most surprising highlight here was Museu da Fábrica da Baleia do Boqueirão.

This modern museum is housed in a former whale factory and provides an overview of the importance of the whaling industry to Azoreans. If it wasn’t raining, I never would have gone in. Come to find out, the ties to New England are strong, mentioned both in text and images, including those of the Charles W. Morgan (Mystic) and the Bertha D. Dickerson (New Bedford).

We flew to São Miguel for our last night.

Again, we found another unique island, full of manicured parks and picnic grounds.

Of the islands we visited, the “nightlife” here was probably the most hopping. São Miguel is best known for its hot and cold geothermal springs.

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Of course, there’s so much more to do than drive around, trek, and visit museums when you’re wet and/or tired of covering every inch of the island by tiny vehicle.

There’s whale-watching (huge, the islands are recognized as one of the world’s best whale watching destinations), birding, surfing, sailing, diving, and just viewing incredible scenery everywhere. And then there’s food. While the Azores aren’t known for gastronomy, fish and meat are usually excellent, and the cheeses are amazing. As for seafood, octopus cooked in regional wine is popular, as is tuna and squid. Lapas (limpets) are yet another shellfish eaten in various ways, usually baked with garlic.

We’ll probably return next year and add to our island count, though in a drier month. For us, the greatest attractions were those of tranquility and pure nature: the pastures, waterfalls, lakes, trails, the quiet rural scenes of small homes, the grazing cows on rich green grass, and the deep blue sea.

For more information, please visit https://azoresgetaways.com

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A memoir of an exiled Child

The Lasst Mango in Plymouth Memoir and Illustration By Carolina Márquez-Sterling

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say y,, as we all my dad would w liquid gold licked the delectable d up and dow wn our arms, “the only way to truly y enjoy eating a mango is to sta

Every s and hig er ’s sist Esteban traveled 1800 miles to Florida. W We two families that had migrated n after el exilio due to the “1958 R tion” of Cuba “Los Norte America we were affectionately named. Pi into two cars every June, caravan through time and space for two day Eventually arriving at our hom away from home, Coral Gable where my Abuelitos had settled. T i t ti off th intention these yearly l pilgrimag il i was for my parents to demonstrate us the breath of the extended fam and a lost way of life. For us kids, i a chance to swim in 90-degree em waters, catch lizards in the bestia yard banyan and witness the unv exotic flora and fauna. W Wee spoke only and napped in hammocks w winds caressed our bodies. Royal tered the language of harmony y. It y. less than an educational odyssey o vana on steroids.

The illumination of all things Cuban n consisted of music, painting, politics, and philosophy y.. Wh hat I remember most was savoring the Cuban culinary deliicacies that in the ‘60s and 70’s did not exist anywhere in N.H H. One of those foods was the T Trropical Apple.

Mangos n hemispher p e. Mangos g g are not native to the western originated in East India, Burma, and the t Andaman Islands. and repose Legend has it that the Buddha found tranquility t ar eventually reached in a mango grove. The mango cultiva the shores of the Antilles Islands in thee 1830s. Howeverr,, that

would not be its last stop. Th he mango journeyed on its finall n 1968 by way interstate 95, and voyage to Plymouth, NH, in d tranquility and repose were far f from what I rememberr.. the ladder against the tree trunk,, s, and disappear. Then with littlee fruit for their final destination,, them to us like manna from thee the fleshy loot for the daily ritMore often than not, we would d or three each, exclaiming praisds of fruit. W Wee walked around,, he sweet nectar down our bodh eventually ended on the cold d the Florida room, the unofficiall o quarters. Finishing up by suckhe sizable fibrous seed of the lastt iges of meat, my uncle would d e us down like dogs in a kennel. e actt off eating ti a mango in i my y use in New Hampshire took on n acrilegious tenor. Nothing likee excited frenzy of the Floridaa e; it transformed into a systemreligious ritual. My parents, in n ugust, would pack several boxe Cuban delicacies. Several more ipened mangos and trek thee back to Plymouth. Every nightt of Septemberr, r, my father would d two if they were ripening rapidy g uits briilliant orange flesh to us piece by y piece as if there was nothing else to eat. Once, dispensed my y utiously y,, feeding and protecting sisters and I would hurry cau g our rations, from my sometiimes scarfing father. Quietly wee would slurp and feast our Laatin bellies on the precious cargo.

This ritual would go on for several weeks.

As the first leaf of the pure maple zigzagged its way to thee earth,, the remaining g solo fruiit would lie exhibited alone. Der, it represented the end. Signifysired like a pearl in an oysterr, ing the culmination of a sweet treat, a satisfying season, and an irretrievable cherished cullture.

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PICO ISLAND’S

WINE MAKING

TRADITION

Profile and Images by Caryn B. Davis

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The Azores are an archipelago in the North Atlantic Ocean located 930 miles off the coast of Portugal, their protectorate.

Plato believed these nine volcanic islands belonged to the lost continent of Atlantis, and while these origins are debatable, their mystical quality is not as evidenced by its wild, yet lush landscape.

The islands vary in topography, culture, and cuisine, and become less agrarian and more cosmopolitan as the 400-mile gap between Corvo (the smallest and least inhabited island) and São Miguel (the largest and most populated), closes.

But living on a remote island at the mercy of nature’s wrath requires adaptability and resourcefulness for survival that Azoreans have seemed to master. Throughout their history, they have overcome volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, hurricanes, and diseases, that at times, have destroyed their food supply and economy, forcing them to find new ways to thrive.

One example of this is the viticulture on Pico Island which began in the late 15th century as the island was being settled. The Azoreans quickly learned that most crops did not grow as well as grapes did in the volcanic soil. It is believed that Franciscan friars, who constructed churches throughout the 26-mile island, brought the Verdelho grape with them from Sicily, once ascertaining that the climate and growing conditions were similar to their homeland.

Early settlers took advantage of the abundance of black basalt rock strewn across the island by building small pens called “currais,” in which to hold the vines. (The vines on Pico grow unlike anywhere else in the world; on the ground lying down, rather than on trellises).

The heat produced by the rocks serves to keep the vines warm, and the enclosures keep them safe from wind and seawater, although the salt spray coupled with the minerals found in the volcanic soil is one of the reasons why this wine tastes so good. These three-foot- tall rectangular currais are visible all over the island and creating labyrinths as far as the eye can see. Pico also has more sunlight than any of the other islands because of Mount Pico, which is the highest mountain in the Azores and mainland Portugal. Standing tall at 7,713 feet, it clears away most of the clouds.

Its presence has contributed to the success of wine-making on the island.

“The vines on Pico grow unlike anywhere else in the world; on the ground lying down, rather than on trellises.”

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Photo Courtesy of Francisco Nogueira

The Franciscan friars used wine for celebrations and ceremonies, but as more grape varietals were brought over by new immigrants, a flourishing export business developed. Wines were shipped to America, Europe, and Russia, and even found their way into the wine cellars of Czar Nicholas II. The wines were also enjoyed by Presidents Benjamin Franklin and George Washington. Franklin is reputed to have only drunk Pico wines whenever he visited Paris, and Washington always kept a few bottles in his cellar. But all that changed in the1850s when the oidium tuckeri and phylloxera epidemics reached the island. With these plagues came mildew and vermin that decimated the vines and crippled a wine making culture. By 1859, production had fallen from 10 million liters to 25,000 liters.

But the Azoreans are indeed resilient because they have had to be. They planted rootstocks from America and Europe which are more impervious to mildew, a practice still done today. While they managed to retain a foothold in the industry, production was nowhere near where it used to be. Plus, they were no longer making wine

using their native grapes because they had been wiped out. In 1949, Pico Island Wine Cooperative was founded to remedy this.

This 300-member co-op set about rebuilding collapsed currais, planting indigenous rootstocks and making wine again from these grapes. In 2004, UNESCO acknowledged these efforts in restoring the island’s viniculture by declaring the Landscape of the Pico Island Vineyard Culture a World Heritage Site.

Winemakers António Maçanita, Filipe Rocha, and Paulo Machado are the co-founders of the Azores Wine Company.

They have 247 acres of vineyards and produce 40,000 bottles of wine a year sold worldwide using indigenous grapes.

Maçanita has been working on a project to ascertain the genetic origins of Azorean grapes that has culminated in a scientific report submitted to the Australian Journal of Grape and Wine Research. Part of their stewardship as winemakers is to preserve genetic material for the next generation so if disease decimates the vines again, the entire viticulture will not be lost.

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Visiting Pico Island and Azores is extremely satisfying and easy. Its natural beauty is incomparable, its people friendly and hospitable, and its wine superb.

How to Get There: Azores Airlines (SATA) flies non-stop from Boston to São Miguel Island (Ponta Delgada) in a mere 5 hours. While TAP Air Portugal, United Airlines, and Lufthansa serve most major cities, they connect through Lisbon, Portugal. It used to be that you could get off in Portugal to spend a few days and then go on to the islands all for one ticket price, but that may have changed since Covid. From São Miguel, wait at the airport for a puddle jumper that will take you to Pico (or any of the other islands for that matter). The flights operate thrice daily (roughly) and take one hour if direct, although there can be very long layovers! Be aware, the weather can change unexpectedly, and flights will be delayed or remain grounded until it passes. Best not to return from Pico on the same day as your international flight, just in case.

Where to Stay: There are a couple, and I mean a couple of hotels, (remember, this is a very small island), some guest houses, renovated fishing cottages, and several repurposed Adegas. These are places the Azoreans have gathered for centuries to eat, drink, make wine, and sleep. They are steeped in tradition and are being transformed into tourist accommodations. There are two new properties I highly recommend.

The Azorean Wine Company just opened an onsite restaurant offering a six-course tasting menu with wine pairings, and accommodations (5 rooms and an apartment with two bedrooms and a living room) overlooking the vineyards, the sea, and the neighboring islands of São Jorge and Faial.

Adega do Fogo is a 5-segment holiday home created by Benedita Branco. It is housed in a former two century old distillery with views of Mount Pico and the sea. It was redesigned preserving historic structures and materials. It has 6 bed-

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Photo Courtesy of Francisco Nogueira

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Photo Courtesy of Francisco Nogueira

rooms, 1 distillery, a fully equipped kitchen, a dining room, infinity pool, sauna, wood oven with barbecue, and an array of wellness services. It’s suitable for a group of friends or families.

Vineyards & Wine Tastings: The Azorean Wine Company Pico Island Wine Cooperative Adega do Vulcão Adega Lucas Amaral Czar (by appointment only) Adega a Buraca offers wine tastings and hosts dinner parties with authentic Azorean cooking. They also have a small history museum on site.

Cella Bar & Tapis Restaurant is Pico’s first wine bar and offers wine tastings and rooftop dining. The architecture is amazing as are the views overlooking the ocean which you can walk down to. The restaurant is made up of two buildings, one which makes use of old volcanic stone walls, and the other mirrors a wooden wine barrel with large round windows.

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The

Cheesemonger Paul Partica, The Cheese Shop, Centerbrook CT

I

made the mistake of cutting into a Cochran Farm soft-ripening goat cheese the other day. With the aid of a fresh pear, I managed to eat half of what was supposed to be a sample meant for many others. We call this a quality control check. It’s a good thing a nice white wine did not also need a quality control check or the other half of the round would have disappeared along with the wine. The things I have to do for work.

There’s a new taste treat for those who love goat cheese, and it comes in both the fresh and soft-ripening variety. Lucky for me, cheesemaker Patrick Apfel recently found his way into my shop and presented me with samples of both, made on his farm. I immediately ordered a few dozen of each and then found myself wishing they were already on-hand.

Here’s a little more about this great goat cheese duo:

Mohawk Mist This is a fresh cheese which ages in taste like all fresh varieties, from sweet to tart, then sour when overripe. Mohawk Mist is very moist with a mild goat flavor, a slight tangy finish and creamier texture than most fresh goat cheeses. It is meant to be eaten young. Like most goat va r i e t i e s , it can be eaten on its own and does not require a t o p ping. You can only enhance the taste by adding honey, figs,

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fresh fruit, chutney or preserves of choice. Patrick likes it for breakfast on toast, with blueberry preserves or honey.

Mohawk Mist

St. Johnsville Cochran Farms’ soft-ripening version is called St. Johnsville, and this one is the flagship cheese of the farm. St. Johnsville goes through the typical process of all soft-ripening cheeses. As the snow-like mold does its work, the cheese begins to ripen from the outside in. The ripened part will soften and change to a supple, creamy texture that can be described as having a delicate “earthy” flavor with a faint hint of mushrooms. If it were to be cut in half during the ripening process, you would see three layers: a hard chalky-looking, creamy-textured white center over a softer, somewhat thick honey-like top, and a bottom layer. When the center, referred to as the core, fully disappears, it is considered fully ripened. Soft-ripening types are usually consumed before full ripening occurs, depending on your palate and how pungent you like your cheese.

Patrick likes to pair St. Johnsville with Sancerre, Sauvignon Blanc, Chenin Blanc or even a nice lager. As I mentioned earlier, I like to serve it on a slice of fresh pear and drizzle it with Acacia honey, which also pairs nicely with wines.

About the Apfels Patrick grew up in France, which offered him an early education in the world of cheese. As France boasts one of the largest selections of cheeses in the world, it’s no surprise that cheese was a big part of Patrick’s diet growing up.

As fate would have it, he and his wife Gwen spent five years on assignment in France at a later date, where they were able to taste their way through over 800 cheeses. Wow, could I have done some quality control checks on that trip. And there’s a little wine in France too, I’ve been told.

The pair made additional trips to Burgundy in 2012 and Poitou in 2013. And Cheese-making became more than a dream for the Apfels. They learned the biology of cheese-making, the importance of high quality milk, and the care of farming goats.

They eventually bought a farm, built a cheese house, and now they make cheese the artisanal way.

About the Cochran Farm People tend to think of New York State as city-like, with plenty of cars and lots of congestion. After many years of driving to Buffalo, often facing thirty miles between exits, you realize just how far from the truth that is. New York offers some of the most beautiful country you could ever want to see. The Cochran farm, an idyllic collection of rolling hills and hayfields, is no exception.

The history of this farm, circa 1790, makes this story even better. The Apfels bought the farm that just so happens to be once owned by General John Cochran, who served as Surgeon General under General George Washington. It is told that Washington considered Cochran a friend, as did the Marquis de Lafayette, St. Johnsville who credited Cochran with saving his life on two occasions. According to Patrick, Alexander Hamilton was also known to be a frequent visitor, and Joseph Brant, chief of the Mohawk nation, stopped in as well.

In my opinion, these two delectable cheeses are fine examples of what domestic artisanal cheese-making can be. www.cheeseshopcenterbrook.com

By Kevin Staehly Operations Manager and Assistant Winemaker, Staehly Farm Winery, East Haddam, CT

Healthful Benefits of Moderate Wine Consumption

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or many, the beginning of a new year marks a time to reflect on our personal habits and a chance to improve our overall health and wellbeing. An extra glass of wine is a goal that some of us may joke about as a resolution for the new year, but all joking aside for thousands of years wine has been known for its health benefits for those who consume in moderation. Moderate alcohol consumption, generally defined as less than five ounces daily for women and ten for men, has been linked to a number of health benefits because of several key compounds found in grapes and other fruits used to make wine.

Foremost of the healthful compounds is resveratrol. This naturallyoccurring phenol is still largely under exploration for its restorative properties. But it is largely speculated that resveratrol interacts with the body’s systems to help decrease estrogen levels while increasing testosterone. This change in hormones can prove beneficial for premenopausal women because it lowers the risk of developing breast cancer. Resveratrol is also thought to interact with the body in a way that helps prevent aging. It is even thought that there is a genetic component, with resveratrol having an effect on one of our genes called SIRT 1, causing the anti-aging effects.

Alcohol itself, when consumed in moderation, also acts as a blood thinner. Combined with the effect that resveratrol has on blood platelets (it makes them less ‘sticky’), this thinning effect can be helpful in encouraging good circulation in the blood stream and works to reduce high blood pressure. A reduction in high blood pressure and overall improved circulation can also help to combat heart disease and stroke.

Alcohol can also act as an antiseptic, which means that it can combat bacterial decay in the mouth by degrading the biofilm that occurs as a result of the bacteria.

All of these positive effects can be realized from both white and red wines. Overall, the concentrations of compounds is typically higher in reds than whites, but both being made from a similar fruit, all wines have trace amounts present.

Some fruit wines even have many of the healthful benefits of grape wines, such as the Midnight Blueberry Wine from Staehly Farm Winery in East Haddam. Both blueberries and grapes, as well as cranberries, currants, and other deeplycolored fruits tend to have high concentrations of resveratrol and antioxidants. And Midnight Blueberry, being an off-dry wine, does not have as much residual sugar as some other reds and whites. This helps to keep the caloric content low as well.

The health benefits of wine are still not widely understood in their entirety but two things are for sure: Thousands of years of human experience can’t be wrong and a healthy excuse to have a glass of wine is always welcome!

Staehly Farm Winery is open May through October STAEHLY Farm & Winery 278 Town Street, East Haddam, CT 06423 Monday-Thursday 10am to 5pm, Friday 10am to 6pm, Saturday 9am to 6pm, Sunday 10am to 5pm www.staehlys.com

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