INK MAGAZINE

A guide to finer living in Connecticut & abroad MAY 2021

Vol 16 Issue 184

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Lose weight.

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Vol. 16 Issue 184

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Feature Stories

Departments

Celebrating Silver During a Pandemic

The Stork Exchange, Westbrook

Making it Through

Little Pub Rises Triumphantly

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Ask Ashley - Remembers how to Get Dressed Crusty Old Diver - 45 Years Under the Sea Music Mirth & Mojo - Take Me to the Shack Jack Hopping around CT - Order of Eccentric Boilers

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Connecticut Waters A New Book from Caryn B. Davis.

Szandra None

Artist, Mother, Force of Nature

The Cheesemonger - Alp Blossom, Appenzeller On the Vine - Long Island WInes

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WE EMERGE! It appears that day to day life is beginning to take on a shape that loosely resembles “the before times.” Though, even after all we have went through, we still have a lot left to work on. Our small businesses need you worse now more than ever before. Our main streets reflect the flavor of our towns. Long before the lock-downs, small shops and boutiques struggled to keep a toe hold against the digital foes that threaten them daily. The lure of infinite choice online is a hard one to resist. However, when it comes the shopping experience, a cardboard box with an “implied’ smiley face sitting on your porch falls a little flat. There were many things going on before the pandemic. They have not gone away. It seems to me as I write this that shopping small will need to be a conscious effort from all of us. It may require a plan, a vow, or a personal oath even. Perhaps, make a deal with yourself to buy local a certain number of times per month? That you will give local business the chance it deserves to provide services, products, or the perfect gift for a love one. Create relationships. I truly believe that saving our storefronts is vital to our way of life. Shop small, buy local, consciously.

Jeffery Lilly

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Lost and Found

Eco-Warrior Forrest Gallante

founder / publisher

Contributors Ashley Alt - ask ashley Susan Cornell - editorial Caryn B. Davis - editorial/photography Alison Kaufman - music mirth & mojo Jim Lalumiere - editorial Art LiPuma - on the vine Chelsey Lilly - events

Rona Mann - editorial Daniel Lev Shkolnik - editorial Carolina Marquez-Sterling - design Paul Partica - the cheesemonger John Tolmie - editorial Kate Tolmie - photography Jan Tormay - editorial

Advertising

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100 Years too Soon

The Oneida Utopian Community

Contact us to receive our media kit with detailed advertising information.

Jeffery Lilly - Publisher 860.581.0026 Bob Houde - Advertising Director bob@inkct.com 860.303.6690

Rona Mann - Greater Connecticut six07co@att.net - 401-539-7762

Cheryl Powell - Greater Connecticut cheryl@ink-pub.com - 860.608.5749

Richard Malinsky - Shoreline richard@inkct.com - 215.704.9273

John Tolmie - Eastern Connecticut john@inkct - 860.460.0005

On the Cover: Photo by Caryn B. Davis (cropped, full image page 22)

visit inkct.com

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

Inkct LLC - 71 Maple Avenue, Old Saybrook, CT 06475 - email: submissions@ink-pub.com - visit www.inkct.com

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The Kerry and C. Bettyy Davis Collection of African American A Art

INSPIRA ATION T

MEMORRIES &

Sedrick Huckaby, She Woore Her Family’s Quiltt, 2015, oil on canvas. Photograph by Gregory Sttaley.

May 29 - Auugust 22, 2021 Lyman Ally A n A R T

625 Williams Street New London, CT 063 320 M U S E U M www.lymanallyn.org

This exhibition was organized and touredd by International Arts & Artists, Washington, DC.

JOURNEYS A Group Exhibition May 1-31, 2021

Susan Powell Fine Art 679 Boston Post Road

Madison, CT

203 . 318 . 0616 www.susanpowellfineart.com Cindy Procious, Sakura, Oil and silver leaf, 11 x 14”

Katie Swatland, Stillness, Oil, 16 x 12”

Del-Bourree Bach, Path Along the Dunes, Acrylic, 6 x 17”

Cora Ogden, Sunflowers in a Cobalt Vase, Oil, 28.5 x 31”

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CELEBRATING T G SILVER V AMID A PAND DEMIC

by Cathy White, The Stork Exchange, E Westbrook

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alwayys knew that the 25th Anniversar A y of owning a small business would be emottional, but little did I know how a good old Global Paandemic andemic could really ramp up the emotions!

I would like to begin by thanking all the wonderfully generous customers who have truly embraced the concept of supporting local small businesses during this time and continue to do so. From restaurants, salons, and fitness centers to consignment and retail stores, we have been sustained by your loyal patronage and are coming out of the darkness into the light!

All small business has been affeected. We learned to think outside of the box, pivot, and adjust a to rapidly changing mandates and pr ocedur es. At A The Stork & Fashion Exchange, we began Facebo ook Live sales, curbside shopping and pick up, optimizzed our online store, and adopted an appointment-baseed drop-off procedure. We started myster y y boxes which inccluded a roll of toilet paper and balloons for the kids! Sociaal media became a lifeline for many small business ow wners to communicate, commiserate, and encourage each other. Making it to the other side was the g goal,, and we w learned so much from each other. I applaud all the sm mall business owners, their families, and their staff for a job b so well done.

For the consignment and resale industry, the future looks bright. Brick and morttar stores combined with online stores seem to be the wiinning combination coming out of the pandemic. As mo ore people are vaccinated, confidence builds and cabin n fe ver kicks in. We ar e seeing a resurgence of peoplee who want to shop local and shop in person. Add into o that people’s desire to reuse, recycle, l and d re-purpose,, local l l consignment i t stor t es have positioned themselves to safely and efficiently have provide that outlet. It is hearteening to know that out of what was one of the most chaallenging and potentially

9 devastating circumstances, small business has survived and, in man nyy cases, has become even better. As we look ahead, I pray ay that we don’’t lose this wonderful sense of communityy,, and we continue to lift up and support each other.

The Stork & Fashion Exchange promises to provide an even better place to shop and sell.

We thank all our loyal customers, consignors, and past, present, and future employees for helping us to make the 25- year milestone. I knew this one would be special but never imagined it to be this special!

Finding Gold in What Lies Ahead The Stork & Fashion Exchange is a classic example of how a small business grows and adapts to change. Originally a bab byy & maternity consignment shop located on Main Street in Old Saaybrook, The Stork Exchange opened its doors in 1996. For ten years they happily operated out of a relatively small, leased space.

When the owner of the building wanted to expand his own business, it was time for The Stork to find a new home. Fast forward to The Stork & Fashion Exchange located in Westbrook Happily operat Westbrook. operating ting out of a beau beautiful newly constructed build ding for the past 15 years, the store has evolved d into a full-service consignment store. Expansion has included a large Wo Women’s departmen nt featuring Better Brand to Designer Label clothing, handbags, and jewelrryy. A Bridal, Speccial Occasion, and Prom gown department w was added about eight years ago. Recentlyy,, a Junior girl and Teen boy department werre added. Cath hyy White, the owner for the fulll 25 years, jokingly saays that as her customers' kids grow she just keeps expanding to acccommodate their needs! She happily calls it th he circle of life and m gown or wedding loves when she sells a prom gown to someone who ran n around the original store in Old Saayybrook. New N grandmothers happily share pics of their new n little ones and love to continue to shop. She has also had several wonderful employeees who started out as toddlers in the store. W White recently was talking g with the teenage g daughters g of her Managerr, Danielle Harwood, and explained to them that Google did not even exist when The Stork Exchange opened! Not only were smart phones non-existent, but most people did not even have a home computer! White would research prices by flipping through newspaper inserts and sales fliers from stores.The creation of smartphones has revolutionized the retail and resale industrryy and social media has taken that revolution to unimaginable places!

Small business owners who have embraced this technology have discovered a whole new way ay of operating successfullyy.. From managing our own websites, social media pages, and

online storees, small businesses have had to reinvent themselves. Pe People shop differently now. Pe Peoplee communicate differently now. It does not m mean ean it is better or worse worse, it just means it is different. Being able to accommodate those changes is what allows a business to have a lasting presence.

Sustainability has been a buzzword recentlyy.

For long time consignment shoppers, it is simply a way ay of life. Frugal, saavvvyy,, thrifty are all words to describe a consignment shopper.

Recent ad dvances in technology have opened up the world of second-hand shopping to millions of new people.White explains that in the beginning, her biggest challenge was

showing people that her sto ore was clean, with amazing organized, and was filled w pre-loved items at a small fraaction of retail own up buying prices prices. Now teenagers have gro grown and selling their own things and embrace the concept of second-hand shopping. The challenge now is for stores to meet the needs and expectations of this younger generation. As The Stork & Fashion Exchange looks ahead to the future, talking and listening to these teens is a vital tool in their continuing success.

White says that she never envisioned what the store has become. Sometimes not having a rigid business plan can be a blessing and following your gut can lead to worlds you never dreamed of.

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Making it Through

Little Pub Rises Triumphantly & Wants to Make You Happy!

by Rona Mann / Photos by Take Aim Photography There are few professions as tenuous as the hospitality business...and that's in a good year!

Ah, but then came 2020, a year no will ever forget, a year that left permanent scars and forced businesses, schools, and families to dig right down into their souls and brains and imaginations in order to reinvent their whole world, just to survive.

So it didn't matter that Doug Grabe and Daneen, his wife and business partner, owned five wildly successful restaurants throughout the state all named Little Pub. It didn't matter that they had spent more than a dozen years in the hospitality field and seemed to have a good handle on their business and marketing. Nothing mattered except re-inventing,

re-energizing, and keeping alive all they had worked so hard for, including serving their customers in every community, keeping their staff employed, and getting through it. And they did, with all five Little Pubs now humming along, stronger than ever.

"In the early days," says Doug Grabe, we had to keep on adapting, sometimes changing what we were doing day to day. First, it was a complete shutdown, then we went to takeout. People still wanted to eat, still had to eat. But many people were terrified to go into grocery stores for their food, so we became that as well. Still, every day in the beginning seemed like a week."

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Because of having excellent suppliers, in addition to terrific razor vision, all Little Pub restaurants also served their communities as little markets.

Local people were able to get all those things that were in short supply elsewhere: toilet paper, milk, paper towels, chicken, cleaning supplies, and other essentials that were leaving shelves bare in supermarkets and big box stores; yet, they could be found at their local Little Pub restaurant.

Sure, there were layoffs at first, there had to be because no longer was there a front of the house with a hostess and sit down service. The kitchen staff and shift managers were retained while Grabe told the rest of the staff to go on unemployment for the time being. Take out meals, however, began to surge in popularity because once you've eaten at Little Pub you know the inventiveness, the quality, and the just plain good food they put out, and people needed this, hungry for something consistent in their lives.

"Our employees had to become 'Swiss Army Knife' employees," Grabe said. "They had to get used to doing a bit of everything. We all did because we were rebuilding the airplane while we were still flying."

But the Grabes are good at that and always had a positive and creative attitude. Nothing was going to get them down. Even the severe global supply

chain shortage would not stop Little Pub from consistently putting out good food. "If we found we couldn't get avocados, we just plowed through and switched to another menu item," Doug recounts.

He also recalled how customers differed in their attitudes and comfort levels where take-out was concerned. "Some were very afraid, very cautious. When our servers would deliver curbside to their vehicles, some wouldn't even open the window, they just popped the trunk and pointed.

Others tried to saunter into the restaurant and wanted a drink at the bar and couldn't understand why that wasn't allowed. But whatever we could do to meet them at their comfort level, we did."

Grabe gives a great deal of credit to Connecticut Gov. Lamont who allowed restaurants to also sell takeout alcohol along with the food orders.

The folks at Little Pub learned as they went, every day being a new day and not letting anything get to them. They expanded their offerings to include Take Home Family Meals, a feature Grabe believes will continue indefinitely. "I don't see it going away any time soon. People got used to it, so it's become part of our DNA, and that's fine.

We may never go back to those days when it was three-deep at the bar."

Little Pub now is fully open at 100% capacity for indoor dining, while customers can enjoy warm weather outdoor dining as available. Grabe is quick to point out that 100% can be misleading because strict protocols still dictate social distancing, so there isn't as much seating as there used to be, therefore reservations are strongly advised. The take out business continues to remains brisk and to flourish. For Easter, the restaurant created special Family Dinners that people could pick up, take home, and enjoy in the comfort of their own space. They will repeat that with Mother's Day, expecting a full house in the restaurant and delicious Family Dinners that may be picked up and enjoyed off property.

"All in all we've proven we can survive in any environment," says Grabe. "We just have to continue to innovate and initiate. When it all comes down to it, we are a hospitality business, and our sole purpose is to make people happy. That never changed."

So if making people happy was putting in a little market within the restaurant during the height of the pandemic, Little Pub did that (the market still remains at their Fairfield location due to popular demand). If it meant adding alcohol options to takeout meals, they did that as well. And when customers wanted special dinners for special occasions, they created those as well. For the Grabes learned a long time ago that their only boss in this business is their guest, and as Doug kept reiterating, "We are here strictly to make people happy, and no pandemic or anything else will ever change that fact."

Visit Little Pub online at www.littlepub.com LOCATIONS: 1231 Boston Post Road, Old Saybrook (860) 339-5591 2133 Black Rock Tpke, Fairfield (203) 612-4567 531 E. Putnam Ave., Cos Cob (Greenwich) (203)717-1147 26 Danbury Rd., Wilton (203) 762-1122 10 Washington Pkwy., Stratford (203) 612-7523

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AskAshley

Do You Remember How To Get Dressed?

It’s time to ditch the pandemic sweats. Here are some getting dressed tipsto get you back in the style game.

I

n my spin class the other day (shoutout to Joyride), the instructor was telling us how she went to a concert the night before—the first public outing she’d attended since February of last year —making the comment that,“You could tell people have been stuck at home for the past year. No one knew how to behave.”

As we eagerly (and safely) emerge from our quarantine hibernation, it’s almost as if we have to relearn common social etiquette like looking people in the eye when we speak, placing a napkin over our laps at dinner, and outfitting ourselves in a way that is publicly acceptable— aka no more midday pajamas.

May is an exciting month filled with wonderful, celebratory occasions like Cinco De Mayo (May 5), Mother’s Day (May 10), and the ultimate kickoff to summer, Memorial Day (May 25). The weather is now consistently warmer, farmer’s market outings are the new Saturday morning norm, and wedding bells are back in the air. It feels good.

As the U.S. population is slated to be fully vaccinated by Fall of this year, we have a lot to be grateful for, and a lot to look forward to— getting dressed again being one of those things.

In the spirit of getting reacquainted with the outside world, I’m giving

you some easy tips for getting dressed again. In case you’ve forgotten, getting dressed is a powerful way of preparing ourselves for the day ahead. It’s an instant mood-booster which positively affects our behavior. In short, getting dressed does three key things: • Makes us look good • Makes us feel good • Motivates us to do good Reframe your mindset around getting dressed. Don’t view getting dressed again as another thing tacked onto your to-do list. Look at it as something that you get to do, as opposed to what you have to do.

You know how you don’t feel like getting out of bed to make your 7 am Crossfit class, but you go anyway, because you know it’s going to make you feel awesome for the rest of the day? Getting dressed for the day is no different. Deciding to stop overthinking it and just do it already is a mental exercise everyone can benefit from. On that note, no one is expecting you to suit up in formal wear to hunker down in your home office. But a little effort goes a long way.

Switch things up. Staying in the same outfit every day (looking at you, pandemic pajamas) is like eating the same thing every day. It gets old. Spicing things up can help you feel like you’ve regained your

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motivation to reenter the real world confident, proud, and excited.

Buy a new item that is representative of how you want to feel (i.e. happy, motivated, professional, badass). Or go on Pinterest and get some style inspiration that way. Same tip as before, here—a little bit goes a long way.

Lay out your clothes the night before. Preparing your outfit the night before isn’t just for the first day of school or an important interview. If you are pressed for time (is anyone pressed for time right now?) and picking out your clothes in the morning is truly something you dread, do it the night before. This prevents overwhelm and decision fatigue, ensuring you start the day ready and focused.

Repurpose items in your closet that no longer serve you. Staring at the same rotation of tops and pants can make you feel like you have nothing to wear. It’s like staring at the same bookshelf in your house filled with books you’ve already read. Maybe getting a new book is the answer, but perhaps reading something old in a way could be just as rejuvenating. Example: Cutting off the collar of your once-favorite denim button-down could give both the shirt and you new life.

Get outside help. It’s possible you have outgrown your pre-pandemic style, because you may have outgrown your pre-pandemic self. If that’s the case, hooray for you! You have the joy of reinventing your wardrobe, aka reinventing yourself. If you can swing it, hire a personal stylist to help you out with what colors, fabrics, and silhouettes suit your body, personality, and lifestyle best. If that sounds like too much, there are tons of free resources floating around on the Internet on ways to match your style with your lifestyle based on your budget.

Takeaway Style issues almost always stem from self-esteem issues. Whether you’ve gained weight, lost your job, or simply feel stuck in life, know that you

have the power to turn it around. One setback is never the end of the world—there’s a bright side to every darkside if you choose to view it as such.

That said, how you present yourself on the outside is a direct reflection of how you feel about yourself on the inside. Be proud of who you are!

Not one of us has it all figured out, and it’s high time we stop pretending.

Let’s strive to be a little more carefree, and a lot less uptight. Life is just better that way.

Once you start getting back in the swing of things, and do so routinely, you will find that getting dressed again is sort of like riding a bike. And if you’ve outgrown your old bike, don’t be afraid to get a new one, or simply add a new accessory to it. Style can be really fun if you let it be.

Last thing! If you’re more of a visual learner like I am (and you need a new Netflix binge), Worn Stories is an excellent docuseries showcasing how real people unpack the fascinating (and sometimes weird) stories around their most meaningful pieces of clothing. It’s funny, it’s inspiring, and it’s a keen reminder as to why what we wear matters.

Why is getting dressed important to you?

What are your personal joys of getting dressed? I want to know! Email me @ ashley.lauren.alt@gmail.com Keep up with Ashley by signing up for her Happiness Hacks newsletter, Take A Sip, at ashleyalt.substack.com.

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A new book by Caryn B. Davis

Profile by Ali Kaufman

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“the majesty of the Connecticut River with its astounding breadth was difficult, and I tried from several locations.”

One of the things that made it more of a challenge was that she had one season to shoot this book as opposed to the two for the Christmas book.

There were certainly other challenges as well, many of the photos necessitated being out on the water to capture them, meaning she needed a “Chase Boat” guided by skilled drivers. She found both, the U.S Coast Guard facilitated the logistics for the shoot on the Eagle, and provided Peter Fenn to drive the watercraft that allowed her to capture photos that make one truly proud sharing the fact that New London is home to the United States Coast Guard Academy. Whatever it takes to get the shot, she will find a way to do it. While some were taken before the book was conceived as part of her personal collection, most were not. Davis shared with me that capturing This is Caryn’s second book published by Globe the “majesty of the Connecticut River with its Pequot and distributed by National Book Network. astounding breadth was difficult, and I tried Her first, A Connecticut Christmas, published in from several locations.”

2017, is absolutely worth checking out and keeping on your gift list, but this new release has a much Ultimately, she took to the air in a Cessna more personal feel. They are both striking in their arranged by Lenny and JoAnn Goldberg that own right, but her new offering has the benefit of took her and pilot Charlie Lehberger, high above many experiences and connections made during the glorious ribbon water that cuts through our her time working in the boating industry. Many state. One of the last pages in Davis’s book is a years spent as the Connecticut photographer for long and varied list of acknowledgments, she Northeast Boating Magazine, formally Offshore, clearly expressed deep gratitude to me for all and then for New England Boating Magazine the incredible people and groups that lent their gave Davis a unique foundation for what was generosity to the making of this book. ahead. Mystic Seaport was another incubator of sorts as Caryn’s employment there included Caryn also gives credit to Globe Pequot for filming restorations and rendezvous as a means the terrific leeway they gave her to shape the of creating programming and documentation for narrative and to Connecticut resident, Eric D. their archives.

Lehman, the narrator of both her books. The process consisted of Davis’s large volume of The conversation I had with Caryn confirmed notes about the people and places that would these thoughts as she shared that she feels, “a become the content, and her selection of each very personal connection. This subject matter is chapter, topic and category to guide Eric’s text. so close to my heart, it was also easier with this About this, Caryn said, “Coming up with the book as I had many contacts and ideas to expound different chapters was exciting, picking different topics and looking at the state as a whole. How upon.”

Just a glance at the cover of Connecticut Waters, Celebrating Our Coastline and Waterways, immediately illustrates that photographer, journalist, and world traveler, Caryn B. Davis, has a personal relationship with the bodies of water that run through, as well as surround the Northeast. This is the work of a creative who has lived the subject she is sharing and has deep connections with the people to whom she introduces us. The life sustaining liquid that so many of us take for granted is honored in this tremendous collection of stories, remembrances, and information that delight as well as intrigue the reader with engaging topics and stunning photography.

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“Caryn Davis has absolutely captured the essence and soul of Connecticut in her new book Connecticut Waters."

Tom Whidden

we use our waterways for recreation, industry, education, and how it has shaped our culture in our state. Figuring that out was challenging but really fun!” The result is 225 pages that truly accomplish her mission, beautifully. Some chapters bring back memories while others share brand new adventures to be had and places to explore. Connecticut Waters shares ways of becoming an active participant in the incredible opportunities that living near the water affords.

From chartering a cruise on the forty-foot sailboat the Poet’s Lounge or a moonlit sail on the Mystic Whaler, the 110- foot reproduction of a 19thcentury coastal cargo schooner, to attending the Cardboard Boat Race at Avery Point.

builders and restorers to kings of the “Fishing Industry” to “Salty Dogs”, some have names you might recognize such as Bob Ballard, who found the Titanic with Argo, a submersible robot craft.

We learn so much more about him and are then able to put a real face to these people with her portraiture. Others have just as interesting stories to tell, these pages may be a launching point for you to delve deeper or perhaps ignite a passion of your own. Westport native, Tom Whidden, three-time winner of the America’s Cup, CEO of the North Sails Group, and a member of both the America’s Cup and National Sailing Halls of Fame had this to say about Connecticut Waters, “Caryn Davis has absolutely captured the essence and soul of Connecticut in her new book Connecticut Waters. Caryn, through stunning photography and inviting narrative, tells the story of the best place on earth. She has inspired me to see the places I have missed and has made me fall more in love with the ones I know. This is my favorite book about Connecticut ever.”

This book makes what might seem unattainable accessible. If you are still not sold on the idea of hoisting anchor there are plenty of options to enjoy the water from the shore, eating at the many places that expertly prepare the bounty the sea has to offer, or at the aquariums and museums that preserve the history that is so important to High praise that is much deserved. I just hope he pass on to the generations to come. sticks with sailing, we writers don’t need more Davis introduces us to people we might never competition like that! There is so much packed meet but now through the prism of Caryn’s lens in-between these covers and Caryn makes it all we come to know New Englanders that have look so inviting, it even feels good in your hands... made extraordinary contributions, achieved never discount the tactile joy of a hardcover book. incredible accomplishments, and earned their From the table of contents to the parting poem, place in history. From chapters about boat this is a work that readers will want to own and give for years to come.

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I want to share a bit more about Caryn, the multifaceted artist, intrepid traveler, and humble soul.

There is much that has come before, and I am certain she is just hitting her stride. Her awardwinning photography and articles in the areas of architecture, boating, and travel have been featured in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Lonely Planet, Conde Nast Traveler, and many more. Davis has received stellar recognition for her work from well over a dozen newspapers and magazines nationwide, she has been interviewed on NPR’s All Things Considered,

by The New York Times, and she has appeared on several Connecticut television stations. In the season ahead, she will be doing book signings, television appearances, and surely adding to her pile of many accolades. These are all wonderful things, but to me, best of all is the fact that Caryn is blazing her trail and setting a phenomenal example for other women to follow their dreams and not compromise what they truly believe.

Caryn is a woman who, after seeing an ad in Wooden Boat Magazine looking for “brave souls to sail around the world,” sold her belongings and flew to New Zealand to hop on a cargo ship.

Two months into the trip she decided to stage her own “Mutiny On The Bounty,” hopped off on Norfolk Island in the South Pacific, and then shot a documentary on the Pitcairn Islands, which is populated by less than 50 permanent inhabitants,who are mostly descendants from the nine Bounty mutineers.

That is just one of the wonderful parts that make up the whole of Caryn B. Davis, let’s hope she is willing to share lots more of her brave, beautiful, best self in the years to come.

You can find Caryn’s book, Connecticut Waters, locally at RJ Julia in Madison, Anchor & Compass in Deep River, The Griswold Inn Store in Essex, Willow in East Hampton, and online at Amazon.

For more information about personal appearances, book signings and interviews please visit Caryn B. Davis at, carynbdavistravel.com carynbdavis.com and her social media platforms, Instagram, and Facebook.

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Forty-Five Years Under the Sea By: John Tolmie photos courtesy Dean McCormick

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ean McCormick found himself working weekends at his family-run dive shop in the early 1980s. “My father, Charles Levi McCormick, opened a dive shop back in 1972.”

Dean recalls, “He has always lived and breathed diving. His health took a turn for the worse last year but continued to dive until he was eighty-three.”Dean’s father had hoped his son would follow in his footsteps and at sixteen, Dean began working at the family business. “I was really into music at the time and didn’t have an interest in diving, but my dad had a heart to heart with me and convinced me to give it a try.” Dean laughs, “I wanted to be a rockstar, but I figured diving for a living was pretty amazing, so I decided to put down the guitar and began my career in diving.”

Dean became a certified SCUBA instructor in his early twenty’s and taught SCUBA alongside his father in Rocky Point, Long Island.

Recreational diving surged in the early 1990s as business boomed for the McCormick’s.

With the demand in SCUBA instruction at an all-time high, Dean’s father purchased a building for a new shop to accommodate the sports growing popularity. “The problem was we couldn’t keep up. We had to turn people away.”

Dean says, “Pool time was limited because we had to use public facilities. Securing time slots was a huge issue, so my father built a pool right next to our shop.” The aquatic addition took nearly five years to complete due to stringent local permitting.

By the time the pool was up and running, 9/11 had recently occurred bringing with

it, a recession. “People understandably curbed their travel and destination diving came to a halt which nearly killed our business.” Now burdened with a mortgage on the pool, the McCormick’s decided to offer swimming lessons to the local youth. “One of our acquaintances was a lifelong swimming instructor and she proposed we use the pool for swimming lessons.” Dean exclaims, “We hired her as our aquatics director, brought on a few water safety instructors and it just took off!

The response from the community was amazing!”School Of Fish Swim And SCUBA, was born as Dean and his parents enjoyed renewed success becoming Long Islands’ premier swim school.

Diving instruction, swimming lessons, and selling SCUBA gear immersed the family into all things aquatic, yet Dean would soon discover freediving. In his youth, he had seen a movie called The Big Blue, a dramatic account of groundbreaking French breath-hold diver, Jacques Mayol. Dean purchased a pair of freediving fins and began diving on a single breath. “I swam to a rockpile a couple hundred yards from shore.” Dean recalls, “When I did my first drop, I saw striped bass, tautog, and scup on the reef. I love fresh fish, so I bought a speargun and started spearfishing.”

Hunting underwater became an obsession for Dean and soon began freediver training.“I had been teaching SCUBA for years so I thought the course would be a breeze.” Dean chuckles, “But the physics of freediving is completely different. The course was challenging, but I passed and soon took an advanced course

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where I dove to a hundred fifteen feet!”Dean became proficient at diving on a single breath and decided to add freediving courses to the business. Only four students attended the instructor course and only two graduated as certified Freediving International Instructors. “Our teacher was super particular and pushed us to our limit. But I passed, began teaching students back home in Long Island, and stocked freediving gear at the shop for students.” Says Dean, “I really like wooden spearguns, but couldn’t find a supplier I liked, so I decided to build them myself.”

Winters are downtime for cold water divers and Dean took the opportunity to delve into building spearguns in his workshop.“The first one I made worked and I was proud of it.” Dean says, “I modeled it after other guns being made in the United States, but it was ugly and primitive.”European spearguns, carved from wood, were elegant with aesthetics and function being equally as important. “I studied what was going on overseas and gravitated toward the European designs and began shaping my guns similarly.” Dean uses scraps of exotic wood to build most of his creations.

“My friend from high school works at a lumber yard. He brings me remnants of exotic wood,

which is super expensive!” Dean exclaims, “The scrap reduces expenses, but more importantly I’m able to repurpose the wood for another use.” Hardwoods such as mahogany, padauk, teak, purpleheart, black wenge, and Sapele are laminated, milled, and curved, creating multicolored spearguns that rival others on the market today. “I make about ten to twelve guns a year, but I don’t make much money on them.” Dean laughs, “However, building spearguns fills two voids.

One, it fulfills my creative side since I stopped playing music. It also keeps me busy all winter. I may not be able to dive for a few months but building spearguns keeps me busy until spring when the water warms and the fish return.”

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Sz Szandra andra None Portrait of the Artist as an Involved Mother Profile and Images by Caryn B. Davis

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zandra None is a force to be reckon with. I’m not just saying that because she is my friend. I have always been impressed by her intelligence, her humor, her courage, her strength, her tenacity, and her talent, which are all revealed in her artwork.

None is an accomplished artist, musician, educator and mother of four daughters, ages two to fourteen, including one foster child. This is important to note because in between caring for her family, teaching an Advance Placement program in art to high school students, and finishing her second master’s degree in fine art through the Savannah College of Art & Design, she still finds time to paint. But it’s not by choice. She paints because she is compelled to. She paints because her soul demands it of her. As with everything None has consciously chosen for her life, including to empower her girls with a feminist perspective, one reoccurring theme in her work, words like “no” or “can’t” have never been a luxury this 37-year-old could afford.

None was reared in upstate New York, and put herself through school, earning her first bachelor’s degree in studio art from SUNY Cortland while pursuing a double major in painting and fiber arts.

At the time, she was the only student in the fiber arts program.

“I wanted to learn weaving and spinning. I loved the history, the old ancient myths and the women that came before me. Historically, in our culture, all weavers and spinners have been women,” says None. “It’s a lot different than painting. People know what a painting is whether it’s good or bad. But how many times have you walked past a blanket or a rug without considering the many generations of women it took to learn how to do that?”

The concept of storytelling in how it relates to memory is another theme in None’s work. She is keenly interested in how “memories”, true or not, told to us by our families, society and the media, have molded our identity, and how they can become imbued in our children.

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%#"! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! " ! ! ! ! " "!

! " ! ! "! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! "!

have become pivot-able as to how I have identified myself? It takes a lot analyzing to ask, is this memory holding me back or pushing me ahead?

Is it worth passing on to the next generation? If you live your whole life thinking, I am like this because I was born this way, or that’s the way my mother raised me, you risk missing out on a lot of potential for yourself, and your children, because you are shaping their reality with however you were shaped. So, I think about this transfer of knowledge, and whether it’s helpful or true,” says None.

To examaine this paradigm further, None created a wall hanging woven from thread and strands of her hair. She added a collection of objects found at her family’s home like bolts from her father’s garage, crystals from her mother’s junk drawer, and a tuning peg from her brother’s broken guitar. They represented keepsakes from what otherwise would have been forgotten moments. The relinquishing of her long, auburn hair symbolized the letting go of what society deems as a woman’s ultimate source of beauty.

“The piece was a reflection on identity development and how parts of our experiences stick with us and rub off on others. I felt strongly cutting my hair off one lock at a time during the process of weaving was a powerful way to integrate a conversation about time into the work. Cutting my hair also had powerful signifiers of femininity and self-empowerment, in that hair is so closely tied to sexuality and ideals of beauty. What I looked like to others would change, and what people thought of me once they learned how I acquired this very jagged “hair cut” would also change.

But I was giving that hair a new life and identity,” None says.

During her schooling and prior, None recorded three albums as a singer

41 % ! " ! ! " ! ! ! ! "! ! " ! ! ! ! " " ! ! ! !

songwriter, two with her former husband, musician Eric Lichter, with whom she had her first child at age twenty-three. Quickly recognizing that playing guitar and making paintings would not pay the bills, None went back to school for a second bachelor’s degree in art education and became a teacher.

“That degree taught me how to structure lessons to teach my students to think like artists and engage in the conversation of art making from a philosophical standpoint rather than from a technical one,” says None.

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Throughout her years of teaching, pregnancy, divorce and remarriage, None painted. She spent 15 years studying the female form, painting only nudes, from her imagination or using her body as a resource.

As she says, she was driven to better comprehend the age-old tension between the sex object and the matronly figure, between objectification and empowerment, along with exploring the physical changes to own her body brought on by motherhood.

“Having a baby and experiencing your body as now having a function that is not self-serving, (first growing and then nursing another human being), is really far out, if you think about. Obviously, society keeps that duality between sex object and mother separate. But I wanted to learn more about that through my work,” says None.

As None grew with her family, she became interested in documenting her thoughts on memory, motherhood and femininity for her daughters, who are now the main subjects of her large-scale paintings. The images are far from sentimental. They are not typical childhood scenes of cute kids at the beach, for example. The environments they are depicted in don’t make any sense because they are constructed from memory rather than from an actual place and are not bound by the traditional rules governing perspective and lighting. In one regard, this is why they are so intriguing.

“One of the interesting things about motherhood for me is how far apart my kids are spaced and how much your brain develops from age

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twenty-three to thirty-five, as in my case. The paintings are about my kids, but they are mostly about me. I am reflecting on this experience of observing them grow, change and interact with the world. While motherhood can be monotonous and at times, soul crushing, it’s an honor and gift to guide a young person. But it’s also giving up a lot the energy you have to grow and develop yourself, so I have to view motherhood as the journey,” says None.

Although finding time to paint is challenging while working full time and raising four girls, None views these perceived constraints as opportunities.

“The biggest thing that ties my kids to my art are the limitations. I do not have luxury of time, space or money. So, if I have wet oils on my palette and somebody starts crying, I have to put it down. That means in those moments when that door opens, you run through it, full speed ahead. I take a lot of risks with my artwork because it’s now or never. I don’t take any moment for granted. If I can be doing something, I am going to be doing something. The payoff is the work. It’s there forever and it’s real,” None says.

In addition to the many things her daughters have taught her, None has learned one very valuable lesson; ice cream solves most problems.

None’s work will be on exhibit at the Fountain Street Gallery in Boston this September. For more information log onto https://szandranone.com.

Take Me Right Back to the Shack Jack!

By Ali Kaufman

I've found the closest thing to a Juke Joint this side of the Mississippi, and it is right here in Connecticut! The Chicken Shack, located at The Farm At Carter Hill is just one of the gifts to be unwrapped at this eclectic property in Marlborough. The first thing that comes into view as you approach is the vintage filling station that is realistic enough to have folks pull up in hopes of gassing up. That is not going to happen, but what you will fill up on is a lot more fun.

Owners Mitch and Hazel have created a family-friendly place that provides wide open spaces to gather in front of two outdoor stages and inside the barn known as The Photo by Sandy Roe Shack. The original main house dating back to the 1870s has been transformed into a B&B with six beautifully appointed rooms that feature all sorts of antiques.

Eve-rywhere you look there is something that makes you do a double take, from the 1/2 scale Corsair resting under a tree to the ducks and peacocks that roam the property just waiting for you to take their picture. And the goats you cannot miss the goats - they won’t let you!

The establishment has a full bar service and cafe menu, at either The Hogs Breath Tavern or The Screaming Goat Tap Room. There is an ATM onsite as well.

is by holding these monthly blues jams at The Shack. If the crowd at the first one was any indication, clearly this was a brilliant move on Peter’s part.

I made a trip to The Chicken Shack in April to catch the first jam put on by The Connecticut Blues Society since things shut down last year. It was exciting to actually have some live music after so long, but this event had another reason that made it special.The evening included honoring Ed Stack for the many years he has devoted to the CTBS as their president and welcoming Peter Rost, aka River City Slim, to that post as Ed steps down.

Ed’s trademark full bloom of black hair, topped by a cap has been a mainstay at blues events, festivals, and shows across the state as he led the society, supporting the genre, musicians, and venues. No doubt Peter, after being unanimously voted in by its members, will take up the reins and bring the society forward. One way

The big barn doors are left open to create greater airflow, there are picnic tables that allow you to enjoy the music just outside the barn, and inside are two levels with table seating allowing for options if you want to kick back with a group. Most guests adhered to mask wearing unless drinking or eating.

The space di-rectly in front of the stage is left open for dancing, which led to a few couples jumping at the chance to cut loose.

Kevin Barry comes to this venture wearing many hats and with a history that makes him perfectly suited to expand on the success the

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venue is already hav-ing. Kevin’s dad owned the Nutshell Cafe that held the honor of being Hartford’s oldest bar in operation. When Kevin stepped into the “family business,” he brought music in, and one of the musicians, Lucky Peterson, became a lifelong friend. Once Mitch brought Kevin on board, the existing open mic night got an upgrade with bookings like Duke Robillard, James Montgomery, Jeff Pitchell, and his old friend Lucky Peterson. Lucky’s appearance was one of the last in the U.S before he passed just a year ago in May of 2020.

Kevin is planning a tribute show comLucky Peterson on guitar ing up later this season which he hopes to record. Kevin is also a musician, an organist, and a recording engineer that could not be more proud of the stellar collection of instruments that make up the full backline at The Shack.The Hammond B3 with two Leslie 122 speakers, is a particular favorite as Kevin’s musical partner and lifelong friend

is Dave Bumback whose Mom is a Goff. The family name is synonymous with servicing and rebuilding organs since 1940. They count Greg Allman and Keith Emerson among their illustrious clien-tele, past and present.

There is so much possibility ahead.

Kevin shared with me his vision for unique programming, recording space, and the ability to provide a respite for musicians to stay on premises as part of the booking.“We would love to have the best organ players in the world here," Kevin confidently stated.

As the season gets un-derway this month, you can look forward to the next CTBS Jam, May 6th, featur-ing special guest Tas Cru who captivates his audiences and is poised to release his 10th album, Broke Down - Busted Up, September 7, 2021. The Farm At Carter Hill also has a Bike Night scheduled for May 7th and Comedy with Vic DiBitetto on May 15th.

For all the events, information and reservations, please visit Thefarmatcarterhill.com “The Chicken Shack at The Farm” is the Facebook page that will keep you up to date.

Tascru.com Is where you can find out more about the music, tour, and Blues Alive, educational programs, and workshops that Tas offers to enlighten and impassion youth.

Photo by Willie B. Williams

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LOST

AND FOUND

Profile of Eco Warrior Forrest Galante

By John Tolmie / Photos Courtesy of Forrest Galante

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hat advice would one give to an individual whose vocational hazards include being in two plane crashes, been bitten by a venomous snake, mauled by a lion, charged by a hippo, stung by a manof-war, bitten by a shark, tumbled off a waterfall, and stabbed by a stingray? Mayhap one would propose pursuing a safer career or perhaps warn that lady luck may soon run out of patience? Yet, these words of caution if ever presented to Forrest Galante would produce a smile and wave away caution as he continues with his life’s mission to preserve endangered wildlife and the habitats where they roam.

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I met Forrest about ten years ago when he flew from his home in California with a team of freedivers to enter a spearfishing competition hosted by the Tristate Skindivers, Connecticut’s lone spearfishing club. Forrest had ventured cross country to test his skill down in the mysterious depths of New England’s green seas. His efforts were subsequently rewarded with a respectable harvest of reef fish and a plump striped bass for the grill. The weigh-in and after-party hummed with laughter and cheerful palaver as thirty-odd spearfishing enthusiasts arrived with coolers stuffed with fresh fish. Forrest and I connected that day and traded stories of our adventures under the waves. Little did I know that this man would become one of the world’s most dynamic and respected animal biologists. It seemed crazy, but Forrest believed that several officially extinct species somehow still survived. He would attempt to prove that mother nature is more resilient than she has been given credit for.

Born in California, Forrest’s family soon relocated to Africa where he spent most of his childhood. There, his mother launched the first female-owned and operated African safari business. “I grew up on a farm in Harare, Zimbabwe and whenever I wasn’t in school, I was running around barefoot catching snakes and fishing.” Forrest explains, “When my mom wasn’t booked with customers, we took the small bush plane she used for safaris and we just adventured all over Africa. It was a great childhood.” The family business offered guided photographic safaris by foot, vehicle, air, or canoe. “I lived in the Zambezi valley. The Zambezi River is the largest in the world and teems with wildlife,” Forrest recounts, “We did canoe safaris on the Zambezi all the time and I was always surrounded by crocs, elephants, and hippos. I am a scientist now, but I had already developed an intimate relationship with wild animals at a young age.” There was one childhood experience that changed Forrest. “My grandfather was a bushman who took me fishing one day. We were casting into the Zambezi when down comes a young bull elephant for a drink.”

Forrest recounts, “My grandfather said, ‘don’t move or you’re dead.’

We stayed still and watched the elephant for about forty minutes. It knew we were there but knew we posed no threat. I took its last drink

and walked off. It was amazing and thrilling and peaceful all at once.

I knew right there and then that I would become an animal biologist.”

His amazing adolescent adventures would abruptly come to an end.

When Forrest was fourteen, his family moved back to California when his home was burned down during a local uprising between warring parties. Yet a change in environment can be even more traumatic to a young teenager, being the new kid in high school is a trial of its own.

“For me, it was way scarier to attend school in the states than meeting a new tribe of bush people. I was enrolled in a very proper private school and got arrested on my very first day.” Forrest chuffs, “I had always carried a knife back home. All the kids did. I was cutting my apple at snack time and was immediately tackled and hauled away. Yeah, it was a shocking transition for sure.”

Resilient and determined, Forrest navigated his teen years with success as his goal of working with wildlife continued to burn in his heart. After earning a biology degree from the University of

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“For me, it was way scarier to attend school in the states than meeting a new tribe of bush people.”

California, Forrest immediately cut his teeth as a lone field technician.

This dreaded, thankless, and demanding duty was avoided by most recent grads, but for Forrest, it was where he thrived living in a crude shelter. Even in isolation for months, he relished at home in the wild.

“The hours were crazy. It was exhausting at times, but I loved it. It’s exactly where I hoped I’d be.” He laughs. Forced to take a vacation, Forrest continued to avoid all things civilized and auditioned to be a contender on Naked and Afraid, a new edgy survival reality television show. Challenging folks and their survival skills was old hat, but this time the contestants would test their fortitude in the nude. “It was silly, but I needed something to do during my time off.” Forrest sighs with lighthearted lament. “I didn’t have an interest doing TV, it was just something I did for fun at the time.” Being exposed to the elements, sunburns were a consistent concern for contestants. When asked if the sun burned all the parts, Forrest explodes with laughter. “No, I didn’t have a problem with that, but others did I’m sure!” After clearing his throat, Forrest recalls. “It was challenging for the other contestants. But I hadn’t slept in a tent for months and on the show, we had tents, so that was a huge upgrade. For me, it really was like a vacation.” Forrest won the challenge and attained the shows highest primitive survival rating which remained unbroken for years. Nearly a decade has passed since he amazed viewers while nonchalantly besting the competition.

But today, it is obvious that Forrest wishes his youthful fame could be applied to his current mission, one that consistently confronts him with ever-increasing challenges.

Recently, Forrest testified before the Senate Committee on Environmental and Public works to initiate the implementation of innovative predator deterrents to minimize detrimental humanpredator interaction. He has also testified in front of the United States Congress to promote legislation to modify policies and increase conservation funding. With the recent onset of Covid-19, Forrest traveled abroad to expose and educate the horrors of Wet Markets where zoonotic viruses from the wild game are passed on to humans. He advocates for the world’s fauna with an inexhaustible driving force. His quests have thrust him into the public eye and uses this awkward spotlight of celebrity as a tool to educate and advocate. He has appeared on the History Channel program Face the Beast investigating predators who hunt humans intending to find solutions and prevent future attacks. He has been a guest on twenty-four episodes of Nature’s Strangest Mysteries: Solved, as well as the Discovery Channel’s Shark Week, The Nightly Show, The Today Show, and The Breakdown, a GQ series profiling people of intrigue.

Forrest could care less about fame; rather, his genuine and consistent

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“I’m kind of the hide and seek guy.”

Forrest chuckles, “I go in and find it when nobody has been able to.”

character remains intact. He works wearing his heart on his sleeve, equally weeping for joy and sorrow as he gratefully carries his burden of an unabashed love for Mother Earths’ remaining untamed wild.

Most reality programs are scripted and far from any truth with ghosts, aliens, and cryptids being hunted on hundreds of episodes which have yet to produce any hard evidence. However, in 2018, Forrest Galante and his loyal team of explorers began a global quest to investigate reported sightings of extinct species thought to have vanished long ago.

The implausible premise was backed by the Discovery Channel with a new series called Extinct or Alive. With Forrest at the helm, this purely unscripted program would soon amaze the world. “Every expedition you see on TV, each hour is the culmination of weeks in the field, months of planning and years of research.” explains Forrest, “We’ve cataloged over sixteen hundred species that we deem a viable interest with a record of every sighting, when they went extinct, how they went extinct who declared them extinct, is there a remaining habitat as well as any ongoing sightings of these animals.” With Forrest being

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who he is, he has decided to concentrate on only the most challenging investigations. “If there are already twenty-five scientists on a project, those species aren’t really in my wheelhouse.” Offers to join other assetrich studies are often refused as Forrest would rather travel to hidden parts of the globe where his uncanny skill and cutting-edge resources are most needed. “I’m kind of the hide and seek guy.” Forrest chuckles, “I go in and find it when nobody has been able to.”

Between 2018 and 2019, Galante has captured evidence of the existence of two animals once believed to be extinct. His team captured trail footage of a Zanzibar leopard and personally located a female Fernandina Island tortoise, a species that had not been seen for over one hundred years. “The real work starts after the discovery. Once we

find a species, it is of the utmost importance to now protect it.” Forrest says with frustration, “There are no laws to protect extinct animals. So, once found, the hard work of protecting them all over again begins.”

Forrest also works closely with the international scientific community and uses donations to fund localities where conservation is needed most. “The more people involved in finding these lost animals the better. Anybody that contacts me for information, I give them all of the research I have and any assistance I can bring, because I want as many of these animals to be found as possible.” Few who have donned the Eco-Warrior uniform, have been as rewarded or as inspiring as Galante. Still in his thirties, Forrest has just begun to uncover what lies hidden from the eyes of mankind. It is exciting just to think about what amazing wonders he will find as he continues his expeditions into the future.

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“The more people involved in finding these lost animals the better...because I want as many of these animals to be found as possible.”

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One H Hundred Yearss Too Soon The Liffe and Ti Times of Jo ohn Humphrey Noyes an opian Community nd the Oneida Uto

By Daniel Lev Shkolnik

JHN.Ink.5/21.indd 1-2

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“The second comin ng was an event in the t spiritual, and not in the natural worldd.”

John n Humphrey Noyes

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O

n February 20,, 1834, John Humphrey Noyes declareed he had achieved d was free of sin. Yale perfection and Theological Seeminary y, from which he had just graaduated, immediately revoked his liccense to preach. Noyes kept preaching g. And what he preached increa became increasingly asingly unorthodox, even radical. He believed Jesus had already returned and we lived in a “new age.”

He believed God was composed of both man and woman, and both needed to be in proper relation: free to love one another without the bothers of formal marriage, just as angels did in Heaven. Fleeing accusations of adultery y, Noyes settled in Oneida, NY where he founded a Christian sect (and later silverware company) that was decades—if not a full century— ahead of its time. This was the beginning of the Oneida Community y.

John Noyes was unusual for his time, but he was not a complete aberration. He was a product of the Second Great Aw Awakening, a fiery religious revival that swept the northeast and spread through America between 17901840. While Christian conservatives today often blame progressive movements for the decay of monogamy and emergence of unorthodox sexual practices, the greatest challenges to American monogamy in the 19th century came from within Christianity y.. Mormonism may have been the most well-known example, but the most radical experiments weren’t happening out in the salt flats of Utah but behind closed doors in the Oneida Community’s sprawling Mansion House.

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“marriage is a selfish institution in which men exerrted rights of ownership oveer women.”

Jessiie Catherine Kingsley, a descendant and an artist famous for braid work.

The Perfectionists of Oneeida and Wallingford. Oneida required that women wear wide-legged pantaloons under knee length dressess

To understand the practices of the Oneida Community y, you u have to understand the religious thinking that led to its i founding. While studying the Bible at Yale, Noyes cam me to regard marriage as a “selfish institution in which meen exerted rights of ownership over women.” He jusstified his view with Biblical verses such as this: “In the ressurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage bu ut are like the angels in heaven” (Matt. 22:30). To To desscribe how men and women should relate, he coined thee term “free love,” which would become a staple of thee counterculture of the ‘60s over a century later. Noyes cam me to prefer the term “complex marriage,” in which eveeryone in the community was married to everyone elsse, and any member was generally free to have sex with any other who consented. The theology resulted in a strange s medley of what we might call proto-feminism, ecllectic Christianity y, and an early version of the sex cult.

It’ss hard to muster either full-throated praise or con ndemnation of the community y. All-and-all, it was a decidedly d mixed bag. Regarding women’s rights, thee community was decades ahead of its time. While com mplete equality between the sexes didn’t play out in pra actice, women in the community genuinely enjoyed farr more rights and freedoms than they could find in socciety at large. Wo Women were free to take positions in business and sales, to shape community policy y, and to enjjoy far more sexual freedom than they could elsewhere in society y.

The Oneida On neida Community was also unusual for its time in that it placed high value on woman’s sexual pleasure and satisfaction. After witnessing his wife undergo five painful and traumatizing births, Noyes developed a technique of birth control called male continence in which young men entering the community first trained with post-menopausal women to have sex without ejaculation. This technique turned out to be more effective than you might expect. According to records, between 1848 and 1868 there were only twelve unplanned pregnancies in a community of around two hundred adults who were leading—as some diaries suggest—fairly active sex lives.

For all its progressivism, the community also had practices that push the boundaries of modern ethical sensibility y. Children brought up in the community similarly learned the technique of male continence from older members: boys practiced with female “mentors” over 40 who would double as their religious role models.

Meanwhile, girls were introduced to sex by men already trained in the technique. Noyes also developed an early form of eugenics called stirpiculture orchestrated by Noyes with the goal of creating more spiritually and physically perfect children. If a man and woman wanted to conceive, they had to come before a committee to ensure they had the proper spiritual and moral qualities.

Fifty-eight children were born this way y,, nine of them

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Oneida Commune, Oneida N Neew Yo York

fathered by Noy yes. After weaning, children were raised communally in a separate t wing. i P Parents t could ld visit i it b butt if the child or pareents became unduly attached, a mandatory The development of love between separation was enforced. e adults was also discouraged d and seen as a sin. Even after a couple conceived d, neither the man nor the woman had any exclusive hold ov ver the other—freedom was mandatory y..

In contrast to thee high-profile scandals drummed up by Joseph Smith as he founded Mormonism around the same time, Noyes and d his community stayed under the radar and despite a ha andful of incidents remained active for 30 years. By 1850, tw wo years after its founding, the original community it off 87 7 members had grown to 172. Near its end, in 1878, it reacheed 306. Besides the main community based at the Mansion H House in Oneida, New Yo York, there were smaller commun nities in Wallingford, Connecticut; Newark, New Jersey; and d Cambridge, Veermont. The Wa Wallingford branch operated d until 1878, when a tornado devastated the community y.

By that time, risiing pressures on the community and its eccentricities waas taking its toll. A campaign against the Oneida Commun nity by clergy culminated in a warrant for Noyes’s arresst on grounds of statutory rape. Noyes fl fled d one summerr night i ht iin 1879 tto O Ontario, t i and d writing iti back to his comm munity y, he recommended they abandon complex marriag ge. Noyes never returned to the U.S., but the commun nity continued without him, albeit in different form. After A the community disbanded, seventy members entered d traditional marriages and some of the members consollidated the Oneida Community’s various money-making industries i into a joint-stock company y.

After shedding its i trapping, canning, and silk-making businesses, Oneiida Limited focusing exclusively on silverware, becoming a trademark of up-and-coming middle-class Am merican kitchen—you may have some of their wares in yo our cabinet.

Edith and Lotta Kingsley

After 1880, many o of the women of the Oneida ned to ((or enter for the first time)) Community return the wider world an nd its restrictive roles. Some refused to give up the freed doms they’d become accustomed to in the communiity and became part of the growing movement for wom men’s suffrage and social reform.

According to the Oneida O Community Mansion House website, in 1924, Eleanor E (Kellogg) Herrick, born in the Oneida Communitty y, became the first woman elected as a Supervisor forr the City of Oneida. Hilda (Herrick) Noyes, born via stiirpiculture, became one of the first licensed female ph hysicians in Central New Yo York. Hope Emily Allen earned d her master’s degree and became a g recognized mediev valist focused on women’s role in the Middle Ages.

Even from the vantage dif ntage of 140 years, it can be difficult to appraise the Oneida neida Community y. Examined like a gem, Oneida’s faces es aren’t all beautiful. Howeverr,, if you believe that a vision of divinity that excludes the feminine makes little ttle sense, if you think the institution of marriage is but one format of love among many y, if you’ve ever used “fr love” or raised d the term “free an Oneida-brand fork to your lips, then you are ar in small part indebted d to the Oneida Community—a 20th century experiment r one hundred years too soon. nt run

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“It is well for a thheory to be subjected to the test of adversee criticism. Partiicularly in matters of contemporaneous history the public are interested to hear all sides.”

Other Facts of Interest • His fa fatherr,, JJoohn Noyes, was a member of Congress House of Representaatives.

1808-1810 •P Poolly Hayes Noyes, his moth her’’ss nephew, was the United Statess president Rutherford B. Hayes.

• Other Satellite communities were in Cambridge VT T,, Brooklyn NY aand Newark NJ. They Th made matcch hboxes, silk h thread and traveling bags.

•T Th heir form of self-governmen nt was called Criticism. A group of 15 membbers would criticize another member who sat in the middle while Noyes oversaw ssitting in a rocking cch hair nearby.

Post Card of of Onieda Community Home Build ding

• Criticism did not seem to woork all that well, at least one memberr,, Chaarles Guiteau a member of Oneida ccommunity f fi for five years, assassinated i t dP Preesident Ja James Garfield.

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opping Hopping Around CT.

OEC Brewery

Ordinem Ecentrici Coctores (Order of the Eccentric Boilers) Set in the woods of Oxford, Connecticut, is a brewery like no other in the state. Possibly like no other in the country. OEC Brewing is the brainchild of Ben Neidhart, and it sets itself apart from all other traditional breweries by brewing almost exclusively sour and lager beers. Founded in 2014, the

Photos & profile by Jim Lalumiere

brewery is the sister company of B. United, an import company specializing in niche alcohol products from over 17 countries.

Ben’s father, Matthias Neidhart, started the company in 1994 and in 2010 began bringing draft beer in special tank containers to be kegged on US soil. In 2011, Ben began the Zymatory Project, barrel aging and blending the draft beers for smaller breweries who didn’t have the space or financial means.

Teaming up with brewer Tony Pellino, the next natural step in that progression was to brew their own beers. That step became OEC Brewing.

Most craft breweries brew on conventional systems. Instead of staying traditional, the team ordered a 15-barrel brewhouse from Kaspar Schulz out of Bamberg Germany. This company has been making very specialized brewhouses since the 1400’s, and only a handful exist in the United States. Not to conform to other brewery norms, OEC installed a coolship in

which to cool and naturally inoculate all of their beers. A baudelot was also brought in to act as a heat exchanger and added to the aeration process. This baudelot was the first one built by Kaspar Schulz in over 100 years.

According to Tony,“Our vision was to build a unique brewhouse that would result in unique liquids.”

Those unique liquids don’t come from the customary brewing practice of today. They come from the 400-500 wooden barrels

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OEC has on-site to blend, sour and age their beers in. The brewers look at themselves as “yeast wranglers” according to Tony. “We create an environment for the yeast to do its thing well, and it’s up to us as brewers to find it at the right time.”Aging their beers in wine and spirit casks creates “live” beer. They are not forced carbonated and are ever changing, “for better or worse”.

Clark Johnson, is the “barrel shepherd” of OEC. He documents the entire inventory, tasting and testing to see where the beer is along its aging journey. He then combines different beers in certain ratios and uses his artistic vision to get what he wants from each

blend. Starting with 8 batches of beer could eventually turn into 20 different beers after careful aging and blending.

Most breweries today start pumping out IPAs as fast as they can get water into their mash tun. Ben and Tony’s vision led them in a different direction. Launching a full line of sour beers when opening a brewery is very risky, but that’s exactly what they did. The fastest sour OEC makes takes about a year to age. This is not great for fast turnover or quick return on their investment, but they believe in what they do.

Tempus, Exilis, and Phantasma were the beers that started it all. Tempus is an old-world sour Saison, an ever-changing blend, of which no two batches will ever taste exactly the same. Exilis is a Berliner Weisse ale, lower in alcohol content, but big in flavor. Phantasma is the darkest beer OEC makes and is not your traditional Baltic Porter. Brewed with molasses and licorice root, it is an 8.5% dark-as-night sour that clings to your glass.

It wasn’t until four years had passed that the team at OEC brewed their first non-sour beer.

Their Coolship Lager is clean and refreshing, a full-flavored lager that has caught on so well, it has become OEC’s flagship beer. Even though it is not a sour, it still has the OEC “vibe” to it, benefitting from the environment and equipment it was brewed on.

Located on the sprawling grounds that house OEC and B. United, you will find two vineyards (growing eight grape varieties), two barrel houses, and three greenhouses.

These greenhouses are filled with crops to be used in OEC’s abstract ales. The nursery produces strawberries, raspberries, rosemary, and lavender, but really shines when it comes to eccentric produce. Figs, Rangpur Limes and Buddha’s Hand grow alongside olive trees, cumquats and Meyer Lemons.

Using these hyper-local fruits and herbs gives OEC’s beers a certain terroir that wouldn’t exist otherwise.

OEC’s taproom is as esoteric as their beers.

Part brewery, part tasting room, part highend package store. You’re more likely to hear Scandinavian death metal cranking instead of the milquetoast tunes of Dave Matthews that gets played at every other brewery. The 12 draft lines are an ever-rotating lineup of sour and clean beers and shelf units house not only OEC beers for sale, but also many imports from B. United’s portfolio. The brewery itself takes up a small portion of the large room, with the coolship behind a glass wall, visible to everyone.

OEC is a dynamic brewery that should be on every beer drinker’s bucket list.

Their attention to detail in every aspect of their beers makes them stand out in a sea of IPAs. OEC Brewing 7 Fox Hollow Rd. Oxford, CT Hours: Tuesday- Friday, Sunday: Noon- 6:00 pm Saturday: Noon- 8:00 pm Jim Lalumiere, lover of all that is hoppy, malty and sour.

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The Cheesemonger Paul Partica, The Cheese Shop, Centerbrook CT

Alp Blossom & Appenzeller Alp Blossom from Austria M y first impression of this cheese back in 2017 is what a perfect match for spring! This beautifully garnished cheese is covered in rose petals, cornflower, marigold, lavender, parsley, marjoram, celery herb, oregano, lovage, savory, chive, fennel, chervil, onion and, let’s not forget, chili. At first, I was a little hesitant to inventory this cheese. Though the cheese was colorful and eye catching I feared that many might be more purist in nature and not be willing to try it. \

I couldn’t have been more wrong. People were immediately attracted to Alp Blossom and asked to try it. There was no hard sale here. The majority of people who tried it bought it. We only bought a single wheel to try and, to my dismay, we sold out in a few hours.

The idea behind the cheese, according to Columbia Cheese, the importer, is to celebrate the diversity of the Alpine Flora throughout the so-called Hay Belt. This area spans Eastern Switzerland, Southern Germany and Western Austria.

The cheese is made at a co-op called Sennerei Huban founded in 1901 in the Austrian state of Vorarlberg. The producer is Hans Kempf, the head cheese maker who has worked there for fourteen years.

This co-op is made up of thirty-four dairies with an average herd size of fifteen cows. The cows are all the Brown Swiss breed which are known for smaller milk yield but higher butterfat content. This makes them ideal for cheese making. They are fed on fresh pasture and hay year-round.

After the first six months at Sennerei Huban the cheese is transported to a cave in Kaeskuche in Bavaria. The local Alpine meadows found here supply the covering of all the beautiful, colorful dried edible flowers and herbs.

Alp Blossom is made from raw milk, and is a member of the washed rind family. Unlike soft-ripening cheeses that have a white bloomy mold sprayed on them, this type of cheese gets washed with a different mold made up of B-linen bacteria. Then it ripens in a moist room where the washed rind develops. This creates a more pungent and flavorful exterior. There are two types of washed rind cheeses. Soft, young examples are Limburger, Chaumes, Epoisses, Livarot, Munster, Stinking Bishop, Grayson, Pont l'Eveque, Von Trapp Oma and Arethusa Diva. Harder types are Swiss Gruyere, Challerhocker, and Appenzeller. This sticky exterior allows for the adhering flora to attach.

In addition to the raw milk and the flowers and herbs, the cheese contains salt, cultures, and rennet. The texture is semi firm and has a strong aroma present. The cheese is available year round.

I was very pleased with the initial acceptance of Alp Blossom. My fear of a possible short shelf life due to the flora coating was quickly put to rest.

Appenzeller Extra from Switzerland I mention this cheese because if you like Alp Blossom you will most likely enjoy Appenzeller. The main difference is that instead of an exterior coating of herbs at the end of aging, a ten day bath made up of herbs and white wine is used in the beginning of production.

Appenzeller cheese dates back over 700 years. It is also a cow’s milk cheese made from raw milk and truly natural with no preservatives or additives. The spicy flavor comes from the closely guarded secret herbal bath it’s given during that beginning production. According to the official Appenzeller web page, the exact ingredients of the original herbal brine involves a mixture of over 25 different herbs, roots, leaves, petals, seeds, and bark. The recipe is enhanced by the fact that the cows graze on lush herbal grasses and fresh hay, never silage. Great care is given to the animals. The cows are given regular and frequent visits to the grazing fields so everything can be as natural as possible for them, even in winter.

There are several Appenzellers to choose from. All are made from untreated raw milk. Most contain 48% fat in dry matter, which is specifically measured to ensure consistent taste. There are two other versions, a mild low fat cheese and a spicy low fat version. I have not seen them available in the United States. A slight eye formation is possible but it is common for the cheese to be void of holes. They weigh approximately 15 to 16 pounds and they all have a dated certificate found as a wrap or label to show proof of quality and production.

My favorite is the Appenzeller Extra. This version is aged longer for enhanced flavor. I feel it is so much better that I do not stock the younger cheese unless the extra is not available. Only 2.5% of Appenzeller production becomes extra. This cheese is not usually stocked by my suppliers so I have to order it well in advance so they can bring it in from Switzerland.

It’s a great eating cheese as well as a great cooking cheese. It can improve the taste of a great fondue and can be used in all of the usual gruyere dishes such as quiche, French onion soup, etc. The cheese has a nice full, rich, spicy flavor and it really enhances any cheese tray. It also has a great shelf life.

Both cheeses are great. They are worth the hunt.

Paul Partica, The Cheese Shop www.cheeseshopcenterbrook.com

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By Art LiPuma, “The Wine Seller” SeaSide Wine & Spirits, Old Saybrook

Top: Long Island north fork vineyard on a warm haze summer day. Photo by Richard Goldberg Above: CALVERTON, NY - Visitors at Long Island winery in Calverton, NY on Oct. 21, 2012. The area's first vineyard was planted in 1973 and since then Long Island wine country continues to grow. Photo by littlenySTOCK

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Great Grapes Make for Great Wine Long Island Wines Long Island, New York is an area originally created with the help of an ancient river carving out the center while glacial activity helped form the land millions of years ago.

With the glacier moving over thousands of years, this helped in creating the formation of the land and a ridge by melting and slowly reforming, while drying up the river. Thousands of years later, creating more sand and rocky soil, the glacier started to melt again creating yet another ridge while reforming more land, in turn receding and pushing ocean water into what was once the dried-up river. A gap was formed between the ocean and the land creating the formation of Long Island as we now know it.

Long Island has been producing wine since 1973, however, in terms of the wine industry throughout the world, this is fairly new. Most of the farmland for growing the vines are composed of fine sand, clay, and windblown dust resulting in the conversion into silt.

There are three major viticultural areas also known as “AVA 's." The North Fork is one of them with 20 wineries, two thirds of the total of 30 in all of Long Island. The first grapes that were planted for commercial production were; Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Pinot Noir.

The first winery was planted by Alex and Louisa Hargrave. Although vineyards have been planted since 1973, they were starting to get noticed in the '70s and '80s with their popularity peaking in the '80s and '90s.

The surrounding waters have a lot to do with climate control when it comes to growing grapes. The relatively warm summers which extend long into the fall, are conducive to growing rich, full wines. The area is somewhat protected from wind through the winter months resulting in less damage to vines.

By 2012 the vineyards started to adapt sustainable wine practices figuring the best way to preserve the wineries would be to grow and make the wine in a more natural way without harmful chemicals as a result of protecting the environment. Although there are 30 vineyards, a few of the better known ones are Wölffer Estates, Bridge Lane Wines, Lieb Cellars, Pindar Vineyards, Channing Daughters, Mc Call Wines, and Pellegrini Vineyard.

Wölffer Estates, a vineyard that was once a horse farm was established in 1988. Over their 55 acres, they grow Chardonnay, Trebbiano, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Vignole, and Petite Verdot. This Vineyard is located in the Hamptons where the vines benefit from a cool ocean breeze and a long growing season. Another interesting note: Wöllfer also owns property in Mendonza, Argentina and Mallorca, Spain where they make wine from these vines. Their most famous wine, however, comes from Long Island called Summer in the Bottle Rosé.

Lieb Cellars produces some great wines that are dry with forward fruit and crisp finish. Their portfolio includes a mildly oaked Chardonnay, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petite Verdot, and a Rosé spakling wine.

Bridge Lane wines are made from the vines from Leib winery which is considered their second label wine. The grapes are also sourced from other parts of New York State. There are six different wines produced by Bridge Lane Including a sparkling wine, Rosé, White Merlot, an unoaked Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, and a red blend. These wines are light and refreshing and conveniently come in cans as well.

Pellegrini Vineyards was created in 1982 by Bob and Joyce Pellegrini. These award - winning wines have become very popular, not just on the North Fork of Long Island, but also including Connecticut, producing an unoaked Chardonnay, Gewurtztraminer, Encore, Merlot and a Rosé.

Channing Daughters on the South Fork produces over 24 grape varietals making a vast number of different wines. Unique to the others is that they have vineyards in all three appellations.

McCall Wines have produced wines since 2007 and all are sustainable. They are the biggest grower of Pinot Noir on Long Island, and also grow a good amount of Merlot. Pindar Vineyards, owned and operated by the Damianos family, are big landowners with over 500 acres. They grow more than 17 different varietals producing over 70,000 cases of wine per year.These are just a small sample of the vineyards on Long Island and make it definitely worth the trip to explore all the wineries this island has to offer.

Cheers!

Art LiPuma

MAY EVENTS

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Tuesday Night Trivia Live Trivia is back! Little Pub has partnered with DJ Trivia to bring socially distanced live trivia nights back to the Shoreline. These socially distanced live trivia nights will be held in our enormous dining room complete with air sanitized by bipolar air ionization filters. All tables and teams will be socially distanced. Reservations suggested. Space is limited.

Tuesday Nights 6:30-8:30. Little Pub Old Saybrook, 1231 Boston Post Road, Old Saybrook, CT 06475 (860) 339-5591 more info at www.littlepub.com/oldsaybrook

Bottomless Brunch It’s a Bottomless Brunch Weekends at Little Pub Guests can order from our regular bottomless brunch menu or choose from a Daily Special Brunch menu featuring Lobster Benedict, Beef Tenderloin and Eggs, and other dishes while enjoying endless Mimosas and Bottomless Bloody Mary’s.

All Egg Dishes feature Farm Fresh Eggs from the happy hens in The Little Pub Chicken Coop, and all honey used comes from the Little Pub Honey Company apiaries.

Reservations suggested.

Space is limited. Saturday and Sunday 11:30AM3PM. Little Pub Old Saybrook, 1231 Boston Post Road, Old Saybrook, CT 06475 (860) 339-5591 more info at www.littlepub.com/oldsaybrook

Live Music is back at Little Pub There will be dancing again. Live Music is back at Little Pub every weekend Memorial day to Labor day. We’ve booked dates with Rock Bottom, Jamie’s Junk Show, and other local favorites. Socially distanced, under the tent or inside as weather permits.

Little Pub Old Saybrook, 1231 Boston Post Road, Old Saybrook, CT 06475 (860) 339-5591 schedule and more info at www.littlepub.com/oldsaybrook Jamie’s Junk Show at Little Pub Wednesday May 5th Cinco De Mayo Rock Bottom at Little Pub Saturday 5/29 Memorial Day Weekend Afternoon Saturday 5/29 Memorial Day Weekend Dance Party

Susan Powell Fine Art, Madison CT Journeys: A Group Exhibiton May 1st - 31st, 2021 Our new show, Journeys, is a group exhibition featuring paintings by 18 award-winning artists. Their artist's vision takes us to far away places, as well as exploring intimate observations closer to home. Light and atmosphere, a cityscape view from a rooftop in Paris, the experience of warm sunlight on a winter's day, the gentle stillness that accompanies a sunrise, hiking on a path along the dunes, watching crashing waves, are particularly poignant as we haven't been able to travel easily this past year. It's also a wonderful welcoming celebration for these hopeful spring days. This exhibit offers a varied selection of subjects including landscapes, seascapes, still life, figurative, and city scenes. The gallery is located at 679 Boston Post Road, Madison near the fire station. Gallery hours are Tuesday-Saturday, 11 am to 5 pm. Private appointments are also available anytime, including on Sundays.

For further information, please call (203) 318-0616, email us at susanpowellfineart@gmail.com and visit our website at www.susanpowellfineart.com to see works in the show.

IMAGE: Katie Swatland

THE NEXT CHESTER FIRST FRIDAY

May 7th, 2021, 5 - 8 pm Listen to the sweet sounds of Arrowhead and Friends six feet apart on the porch or in the gallery while enjoying some of the oldest and the newest paintings of home and travels by Leif Nilsson, weather and Covid 19 restrictions permitting.

CONCERTS IN THE GARDEN Seasonal concert series of eclectic international and local singer songwriter artists from cool jazz to blue grass. $20 suggested donation - BYOB and picnic Outdoor Bistro Style Seating in the Amphitheatre Rain or shine!

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