September/OctOber • 2022 Ridgefield’s Beloved PLAYHOUSE The Woodcock Nature Center Celebrates 50 DrivingYears Fun For EVERY Budget Tim SwayCreates The Art You Can Play DO YOU HAVE PHOBOPHILIA? IS THAT A THING?
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Contents 2 • 068 MAGAZINE • September/October 2022 STUDIOSSYNCHRONICITYOFBERNARDDIEGOBYPHOTO 34 Preserving a Legacy Woodcock Nature Center celebrates 25-year anniversary 42 Life in the Fast Lane Life of a homegrown NASCAR racer 48 Ridgefield’s Beloved Playhouse Playhouse completes renovation 54 Dog Refuge Rescued pups from the foreign meat trade are given a second chance 64 An American Odyssey Ben Grannis bikes around the US to raise awareness on distracted driving 70 Fun Cars on a Budget Roger Garbow shows what you can do on the road with a tight budget 80 Five Questions With... Theresa Caputo, Long Island Medium Art You Can Play! 40 ON THE PhotographyCOVERbyDylan Miller in cooperation SynchronicitywithStudiosSwayTim
4 • 068 MAGAZINE • September/October 2022 Contents In The Back 84 Foodies Local Farmers, Local Flavors 88 Shout Out 92 Is That A Thing? Phobophilia - Love of Fear 94 Things To Do 96 One More Thing In Memory of Charlie Fischer In The FronT 12 Noted Julia Nable & Zoltan Csillag 13 Behind The Scenes 14 Old Wilton Five Artists of Weir Farm 20 Have You Met? Food Activist Farah Masani 26 Art In The Spotlight Wood Carving 30 Ask Ms. Jen 14 92 MILLERDYLANBYPHOTO
GeorgannAgentHoffman Community.Family.Friends. 152 Danbury Road Wilton, CT 06897 Bus: 203.762.3332 The Kent Schoolhouse We’re all in this together. State Farm® has a long tradition of being there. That’s one reason why I’m proud to support Wilton and all of Fairfield County. Get to a better State®.
Fall is an exciting time in Ridgefield. The crisp air (so welcome after a sweltering summer), the splendor of autumnal foliage enhancing every vista around town, and the revving up of the fall arts and culturalOurseason.inRidgefield team can’t wait to share the best of fall events and performances, behind the scenes interviews with our unrivaled cultural organizations, our go-to online calendar for arts and entertainment, family fun, and all manner of things to do in Ridgefield.
Noted by Julia Nable and Zoltan Csillag
For the past few years Ridgefielders, regional visitors, and even readers from afar have relied on inRidgefield.com to check out what’s happening and plan their experiences around town. From date night ideas to family-friendly activities to seasonal event roundups, inRidgefield has become a popular resource as well as a far-reaching platform to promote the town and its assets to new and wider audiences.Andthis fall, we’re excited to announce our new strategic partnership with the Ridgefield Chamber of Commerce which will expand inRidgefield’s offerings to include robust online directories for shopping, restaurants, and services in Ridgefield. This will help us support our readers with even more valuable content and enhance our mission to promote Ridgefield as a destination for unique local shopping, outstanding dining experiences, and world-class arts and culture.
Julia Nable Editor-in-Chief, inRidgefield Zoltan Csillag Creative Director, inRidgefield inRidgefield.com
To commemorate this exciting season, we’ll be giving away tickets to local theater, arts, and entertainment as part of our “Arts & Culture Pass.” Follow our Instagram @inRidgefield to learn more. We’ll see you #inRidgefield!
Behind The Scenes September/October 2022 • www.068magazine.com • 13
Dave Goldenberg is a writer, musician, award-winning filmmaker, and recovering advertising creative director. He likes motorcycles, cigars, and whiskey, but is also a vegetarian who watches Antiques Roadshow. Dave believes music can save the world—but then he also thinks he loads the dishwasher better than his wife of 40 years. He is at work on his first novel, which he promises is “almost finished.” He celebrates Ridgefield Playhouse’s journey and their new space on page 48.
On page 64, she talks with Ben Grannis about his incredible journey across the country and the dangers of distracted driving.
Susan Ahlstrom is a freelance writer who focuses on emotional health. Her extensive experience in business development, counseling, and education informs her work as an EFT Practitioner, teaching self-care skills to individuals and communities. Susan raised her family in Ridgefield and gratefully acknowledges the unique qualities of compassion and creativity that are at the heart of the community.
Roger Garbow
Roger Garbow is the founder of Full Throttle Marketing, a Connecticut-based automotive marketing and PR firm. A member of the International Motor Press Association, he’s a contributing writer to numerous outlets including Road & Track and TheDRIVE.com.
Amanda Duff Amanda Duff is a freelance writer and former Ridgefield resident. Now based in Sarasota, Florida, Amanda and her family are avid auto racing fans who enjoy planning vacations around NASCAR and Formula One races. In this issue, Amanda spotlights Ridgefield-raised NASCAR driver Anthony Alfredo on page 42. Amanda is the recipient of three Connecticut Press Club, 2021 awards for articles that appeared in Ridgefield Magazine and Wilton Magazine. Susan Ahlstrom
Dee Dee Colabella dcolabella@rpacartcenter.comOwner Greg Mursko publisher@068magazine.comPublisher Dylan Miller editor@068magazine.comEditor-In-Chief Contributing Writers Dee Dee Colabella, Jennifer Bradshaw, Lenore Herbst, Susan Ahlstrom, Jack Sanders, Gerri Lewis, Julia Bruce, Sarah Galluzzo, and Andrew Harris Lily Fertik Copy Editor Contributing Photographers Ashley Caroline, Roger Garbow, Dylan Miller, Kristen Jensen, Sharon Suh, Richard Phibbs, and Richard Marchisotto Advertising Sales David Gursky | sales@068magazine.com914-646-9141 We welcome input about this and future issues. Please address letters, queries, and ideas to editor@068magazine.com. 068 Magazine is a publication of Colabella Media LLC. ©2022. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced without permission of the publisher. POWERED BY Vol 1, Issue 5 • September/October 2022 www.068magazine.com
Roger has driven some incredible vehicles, but he prefers lightweight sportscars with three pedals. Roger highlights many fun cars that are available to anyone with almost any budget on page 70.
This FeaturedIssue’s Writers
Dave Goldenberg
Old Wilton by Jack Sanders 14 • 068 MAGAZINE • September/October 2022
Five Artists of Weir Farm
Farms feed the body, but an 18th Century spread on the Ridgefield-Wilton line has instead been nurturing mind and soul for a century and a half. Today’s Weir Farm National Historical Park has been home to five notable artists, starting with a man who bought the place with a painting. Julian Alden Weir had art in his blood. Born in 1852, son of an artist who taught at West Point, he studied at the National Academy of Design and, in 1873, went to Paris where he began to embrace plein air painting — working outdoors amid nature. At the time, however, he was disenchanted with Impressionism, considering it “worse than the Chamber of Horrors.” After returning to the U.S., he continued to visit Europe, working with Eduoard Manet and James McNeill Whistler (whom he called a “first-class specimen of an eccentric man”). He exhibited in Paris and elsewhere, including New York where he taught at the Art Students League and Cooper Union, did portrait commissions, and had hisInhome.1882 an art collector saw a painting that Weir had just bought for $560 (about $16,000 today). He wanted the work and offered Weir $10 cash and an old farmhouse at Nod Hill Road and Pelham Lane, along with 152 acres in Wilton and Ridgefield, for the painting. Weir loved the farm’s rolling meadows, rock outcroppings, stone walls, apple orchard, old barns, and farmhouse, built around 1780. The place would inspire many paintings and encourage his move to Impressionism. Weir often painted outdoors there, and invited friends to do the
Landscape: Branchville, The Palace Car by J. Alden Weir, oil painting on canvas, early 1890’s
September/October 2022 • www.068magazine.com • 15 Old Wilton
Portrait of J. Alden Weir from 1910-1915. Weir fell in love with an old farmhouse on Nod Hill Road, and it became the subject of many of his paintings, for which he became quite well known.
Best known was Mahonri Mackintosh Young, who in 1931 married Weir’s daughter, Dorothy.
Old Wilton
same, including Childe Hassam, Albert Pinkham Ryder, John Singer Sargent, and John BestTwachtman.knownfor his oils, Weir was also accomplished in watercolors, etching, and stained glass, creating not only landscapes, but portraits and figure studies. Today his works are in many top museums in America and Europe. By the 20th Century he had become a major figure in American art. A founder and president of the Society of American Artists, he also led the National Academy of Design and was on the board of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. He died in 1919, but the farm remained a home of artists for decades.
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Dorothy was, indeed, talented; she had studied at the National Academy of Design and was a member of the National Association of Women Painters and Sculptors. Many of her paintings are now at Brigham Young University’s Museum of Art.In 1932 Young moved to the farm, creating hundreds of sketches and paintings of life there, including scenes depicting animals, crops and farm laborers. He also built a studio, roomy and well-lighted enough to handle sizable sculptures. In 1939, he received a $39,000 commission ($789,000 today) to produce the 60-foot-high monument to his grandfather, unveiled eight years later. Most of the work was done in Ridgefield; the statues were shipped by rail to Utah.
Twenty days after his birth in 1877 in Salt Lake City, Young was blessed by his grandfather, head of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and governor of Utah territory. Brigham Young had led the Mormons west in search of their promised land. Exhausted and ill as their wagon train approached what was to become Salt Lake City, he looked down at a valley and said, “This is the place.” A century later, grandson Mahonri engraved those words atop his massive “This Is the Place Monument” outside Salt Lake City. Mahonri Young grew up in Salt Lake City, studied art there, and became an illustrator for a local newspaper. By 1899 he had enrolled in the Art Students League in New York, where he later taught. In 1901 Young began his studies in Europe where he met many artists and writers — Ernest Hemingway was a fan of his work. He gained international recognition when his paintings were exhibited at the Salon, the official exhibition of the Académie des Beaux-Arts in Paris. However, Young still loved his native West. Many of his paintings, etchings and sculptures dealt with Native Americans, cowboys, horses, and other aspects of Western life. He also drew and painted industrial workers, even prizefighters.
Although Young had visited the farm early in the century, Dorothy’s father wasn’t a catalyst in his marriage. “No matter how friendly Weir always was to us … younger artists, he never introduced us to any of his three charming daughters,” Young said. “We never met any of them until after he died. But it was no use. I married the most beautiful, the finest, the most talented of them, Dorothy.”
In 1950, Young created the sculpture representing Utah in the National Statuary Mahonri Mackintosh Young with his wife, Dorothy Weir - daughter of J. Alden Weir.
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Old Wilton Hall in the U.S. Capitol in Washington — a rendering of his grandfather. His works are in the collections of many major museums, including the Smithsonian Museum of American Art, Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Whitney Museum of American Art, and Boston Museum of Fine Arts.
Then her father blurted out, ‘Oh, my God, I should have given up my life for hers.’Today,” Weir Farm continues to nurture artists through its artist-in-residence program, picking ten artists a year to live and work at the former home of the Weirs, Youngs and Andrewses. More than 200 artists from the U.S., Europe, Africa, Asia, and Australia have participated over the years. Works by the five artists mentioned here, as well as others connected with the farm, can be seen at the park’s Burlingham House Welcome Center, 735 Nod Hill Road, Wilton, open Wednesday to Sunday, 10 to 4. The grounds are open daily during daylight hours, allowing everyone to see scenery that inspired great artists.
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Catherine recalled once when her father and several artist friends were sitting around and her brother, Sperry, pulled out some of Doris’s early watercolors.
Sperry Andrews and his wife, Doris Andrews were both very accomplished artists who lived on the Weir Farm property. Sperry Andrews produced more than 10,000 works.
Andrews worked in oils, watercolors, charcoal, and pencil, and over his long life, produced more than 10,000 works, some now in major collections and museums.
Andrews was a respected artist whose specialty was plein air landscapes — his mobile studio was a Willys Jeep with all but the driver’s seat removed. Times art critic Vivien Raynor said he “paints the Connecticut countryside, but with considerably more panache than Weir… Though he uses richer color and seldom if ever includes figures, Mr. Andrews often recalls painter Fairfield Porter in the suppleness of his Impressionistic brushwork...”
In the late 1970’s, with development encroaching on the farm, the Andrewses began a grassroots effort to preserve the old farm for future generations of art lovers and artists. The Nature Conservancy, Trust for Public Land, and State of Connecticut, joined in, as did politicians. Finally in 1990, Congress created Weir Farm National Historic Site, the only national park property to celebrate American painting.
I
Doris Andrews was, according to daughter Catherine, “a brilliant watercolorist. She really gave up her artwork for him, when they got married and started a family.”
“Everyone present was just amazed at how beautiful they were,” Catherine said. “There was just this stunned silence.”
n 1952, a young Ridgefield artist knocked on Young’s door and introduced himself. Sperry Andrews and his wife Doris had just seen a Weir exhibit in New York whose catalogue introduction was written by Young. Sperry wanted to meet the venerable artist who lived only a mile and a half away. He, Doris, and Mahonri soon became close friends. When Young died in 1957, 10 years after Dorothy, the Andrewses bought his farm. Andrews, whose ancestors had hailed from Danbury, was born in 1917 in Manhattan and began sketching seriously at 8. He studied at the National Academy of Design and Art Students League, where he met fellow artist Doris Bass, a Kentuckian who became his wife for 55 years.
Sperry Andrews was 87 when he died in 2005, two years after Doris.
Farmer, Forager, and Fresh Food Activist
For Wilton resident Farah Masani, the saying “You are what you eat,” isn’t just a quaint expression, but rather, it is one of her driving life mottos. She believes there is a direct correlation between one’s diet and their physical and mental health, and she’s passionate about sharing that message. I first met Masani on a ramp foraging expedition. Ramps are wild onions that grow for only a brief period each spring. They are coveted by restaurants and foodies, which has resulted in the plant being over-harvested. Masani led a small group of us into a wooded area in Wilton where she identified what ramps look like and taught us how to sustainably harvest them so not to decimate the wild crop. Foraging outings like this are just one of many ways Masani is trying to enlighten people to the benefits of eating locally grown and seasonally fresh food whenever possible.
Born in Bombay, India, Masani was exposed to agriculture at a very early age and developed a connection with good food. In the 1980’s and 90’s, India was still primarily an agrarian economy.
“Many people in India live below the poverty level and often don’t have enough food. But when they eat, they eat real food,” says Masani. Although she felt happiest roaming and getting dirty on the farmlands, cultural mores about women’s role in society didn’t allow for that lifestyle. So, Masani left India as a teen and enrolled at the University of Texas at Austin.
Farah Masani is not only experienced with working in the field, but works in pur chasing and sourcing ensuring farmers and restaurants are connected.
“When I arrived in America, I was shocked. It wasn’t culture shock but rather because I was living in the world’s best country, receiving the world’s best education, and eating the world’s worst food,” she says. The dismal selections under the fluorescent lights at her local supermarket looked and tasted artificial. “Bread should not be able to sit in your bread box for a month without
Masani PHOTOGRAPHYCAROLINEASHLEYBYPHOTO
Have You Met by Julia Bruce 20 • 068 MAGAZINE • September/October 2022
Farah
After spending some time in Vermont and New Hampshire where she created farm therapy programs at schools and shelters, Masani eventually settled in Wilton where she established herself as a farmer; a career
Have You Met
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Farah Masani is not only experienced with working in the field, but works in the administrative environment ensuring restaurants source quality ingredients.
developing mold. Fresh ingredients are always better,” Masani says. Food and Self Reliance Her undergraduate studies as a social worker sent her into areas of Austin mainly inhabited by immigrants, where she discovered that most of this population maintained their own backyard gardens, including chickens and goats, right there in Austin. Witnessing this inspired Masani to make a conscious commitment to grow as much of her own food as possible. She started out small, with what she called a salsa garden: tomatoes, peppers, and herbs. “I was probably the only student with a garden in my front yard,” she says with a laugh.
Masani also donates a portion of the food harvested from her farms to food banks and women’s shelters. “Preventing food insecurity and providing affordable food that is organic and healthy, is one of the many reasons I went into farming,” says Masani.
24 • 068 MAGAZINE • September/October 2022 Have You Met not often populated by women, not to mention women of color. Masani began as a farm manager at Millstone Farm in Wilton, where for three years she cultivated not only fresh food but relationships with many restaurants and chefs in the area. One of those restaurants was Barcelona Wine Bar. In 2011, the CEO and owner of the restaurant group approached Masani about starting a farm that would not only supply their restaurants but would also serve as a training module for their chefs, educating them on where the food they were preparing came from. For a while, Masani farmed on several acres in Westport but eventually that land was used for real estate development. Her farmland today has grown considerably since her front yard salsa garden. She now collaborates with two friends, Jason Long and Scott Sloat, to run Rolling Hills Farms, a 13-acre farm in Freehold, NY. She also runs Farah’s Farm, which isn’t just one location, but rather a network of satellite farms. Due to the prohibitive cost of land in Fairfield County, purchasing farmland is almost impossible. Masani came up with a unique solution. She asks to use a portion of people’s extra acreage to plant a garden. In exchange, Masani shares some of the food harvested as well as her knowledge of farming. Giving back to the Community
Masani is now the Senior Director of Purchasing for Barcelona Wine Bar, or as she likes to refer to herself, a forager/sourcer-ess because she focuses on finding and sourcing unique food items that are not your generic items at the grocery store. “The exciting part is going around, finding these amazing producers and then making it available on the menu for our guests to taste,” she says. Barcelona now has direct partnerships with over 20 farms, bringing that food directly to their Masaniguests. thinks everyone can make small changes to the way they look at the food they consume. Committing to buying and eating locally can be daunting, so she suggests taking small steps at first. Learn what’s in season and use that to drive what you purchase. “Set aside $20.00 from your weekly food budget and visit your local farmer’s market. Spend that money on fresh produce and taste the difference,” she says.
Barcelona Wine Bar in Fairfield, CT is a popular restaurant that is part of a successful nationwide group, for which Masani helps to supply and source fresh community grown produce. Photos courtesy of Barcelona Wine Bar.
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The produce from Masani’s farms not only provides food to the Barcelona restaurants, but to the CSA she organizes for local residents. Weekly pick-ups of food often become social events where people come together to connect and share recipes.
The Gentle Sport
The nationally renowned master decoy carver who specializes in antique reproductions chuckles at the memory. “My father went to Block Island and came back with this. I told him, ‘I can make that.’ And he said, ‘No you can’t.”
Kevin points to an unfinished pheasant and says he decided not to do them anymore because they are too time consuming. Kevin gave people’s
Kevin Kerrigan is well known for his series of decoys that are decorated in stars and stripes, which are incredibly high in demand.
Art In The Spotlight by Gerri Lewis
A Lifetime of Art
Kevin Kerrigan holds up a small carved wooden shore bird with coat hanger legs and says, “This is where it all started.”
As a kid growing up in Ridgefield, Kevin was always painting, drawing, and creating. While, some of his paintings hang on the walls of his home, that isn’t where his passion lies. An avid outdoorsman and naturalist, he once spent a week painting the scales on the cast of a fish his dad caught and is now mounted and displayed Kevin says he can pretty much carve anything. A few of his friends even have a one-ofa-kind miniature bear, complete with each strand of hair individually burned—which he literally swears never to do again. Sometimes, the artist who is often months or years out on commissions even gives back the deposit.
And so, on a bet, two days later, Kevin produced an exact replica. He keeps his father’s memento close at hand as a constant reminder that his thriving 48-year-old business came from humble beginnings. Which pretty much describes the master hand carver’s attitude in a nutshell. He credits others for guiding him, he credits his friends for first recognizing his talent enough to purchase some of his carvings and he acknowledges a good set of “right place at the right time” circumstances for moving him into the limelight.Whileall of the above may be true, it is Kevin’s artistic talent, love for the outdoors, accurate research and his keen understanding of his market that has made him a very sought -afterKevinartist. can usually be found in the basement studio of the Ridgefield home he shares with his wife, Alice, an owner of the popular Blazer Pub in North Salem. At first glance, Kevin’s studio looks like chaos. Decoys in the making crowd the worktable and cans of paint, brushes, and tools share the space. But for the artist, it is organized chaos with every bird in the making waiting for the moment when Kevin brings them to life. Each of his works are individually hand carved and painted. He researches the decoys he replicates right down to the mix of paints and estimates he can complete about twenty birds a month, depending on the detail.
Kevin Kerrigan Wood
September/October 2022 • www.068magazine.com • 27 Carving
Master decoy carver Kevin Kerrigan has numerous projects underway at any given point and can complete about 20 birds per month in the organized chaos of his studio.
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Kevin did schematics, studied the paint mixes and carving techniques of antique decoys borrowed from his friend and avid collector Alan Haid—all of which led to his authentic decoys.
deposits back cash because he says, “If I gave it back in a check, they wouldn’t cash it and then they’d be calling all the time saying, ‘where’s my pheasant?’”
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A Lifetime of Learning
While that little shore bird got him into hand carving, he credits the late Ralph Morrelle, former Zoologist Emeritus at the Peabody Museum in New Haven for steering him in the right direction.
His natural good humor combined with his innate talent didn’t go unnoticed by the Orvis folks who asked him over thirty years ago to demonstrate his technique, and pretty soon he partnered with them on projects to sell his birds. But his career took its biggest shift when Kevin asked Orvis to put his work in their gift catalogue geared towards“Whenwomen.they picked me, I said, I know you’re all smarter than me and I don’t want to tell you how to run things, but my business is 95% women. They own the house, the books shelves, they pick what goes on them.” Kevin convinced them to try that market and the rest is history. His birds have graced many magazine covers and he has appeared in such publications as Country Living Magazine, The Los Angeles Times, House and Garden, and the New York Times. His Orvis holiday covers are pieces of art in themselves.
There isn’t an inch of the Kerrigan home that isn’t covered with artwork, memorabilia and of course, decoys. Many are works in progress because as Kevin says, “I just keep doing it. Even when I go to the beach, I’m working.” One of the few times he isn’t working is when he takes his frequent Main Street walks with a good friend. The rest of the time, his hands are itching. And it’s a good thing because when people come home from the beach they want shorebirds, when the holidays come they want a Christmas Swan and now they are clamoring for stars and stripes which Kevin laughingly says “are due yesterday.”Kevin Kerrigan’s accolades and awards are piled almost as high as his works in progress, but he just shrugs off any praise. He loves what he does and never forgets where it all started—by winning a bet with his dad. For more information, go to kerrigandecoys.com.
Kevin enjoyed helping Morelle out at the museum and the two collaborated on many projects that included detail paintings for the Museum of Natural History and the Smithsonian Institute. It was Morelle who encouraged him to move from imagination to accurate replication saying “do something no-one else is doing.”
Janice Mauro
Don’t even look at the wood carvings by Janice Mauro unless you are ready for a stab to the heart. The artist whose sculptures are less about real life imaging and more about real life emotion can blow you away with her Immigration series, her COVID series, her It’s a Man’s World series…so simple in their concept, so complicated in the art.
Experience has taught her that she has a good process. She carefully carves prototypes first and even her miniatures seem to have voices of their own. “I like the process of seeing something from the ground up,” says Mauro.
“My calling is to make an object that people can respond to—objects that encourage conversation.”
Carving A Place in the Heart
MAUROJANICEOFCOURTESYPHOTOS
The artist who says she was born to create objects started as a child by drawing. She was quickly drawn to carving and honed her skills under the tutelage of the late sculptor, Richard McDermott, where she worked as his artist’s assistant. The treasured tools he willed to her are carefully mounted and still put to good Recentlyuse.Mauro retired from teaching at Silvermine Arts Center because she has so much more to say through her art. With pieces so heavy, she is realistic about how much time she will be able to continue sculpting. In her light infused studio at the Redding home she shares with her husband of forty years, heavy pieces of wood, works in progress and a screen, the backdrop for photographs are at the ready. Mauro used to be fearful of ruining one of her carvings which can take months to complete, but not anymore.
While hiking with my dad we saw this tree with a big nest near the top made of branches, what kind of bird made this?
Rich. K - Ridgefield, CT WOW, what an awesome find! This wasn’t made by any bird; this was made by a black bear, and it isn’t actually a nest at all! During the fall these bears feast on the seeds and nuts of American beech and oak trees to build up their fat layer for winter. Black bears will climb almost to the top of these trees and spend a whole day stripping every branch of its nuts. Once they are done with each branch, they will begin to make a pile by stacking them at the junction of two branches. If you happen to hike back to this tree, check around the tree for claw marks on the bark from the bear climbing the tree. It’s important to mention that if this “nest” had included lots of leaves as well as the branches, it would likely be a squirrel’s nest! •
Ask Ms. Jen by Jennifer Lee Bradshaw, Environmental Educator
When do birds like blue jays begin to migrate?
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Dear Ms. Jen,
Cheeks,ChipmunkBearNests,andMigration
I saw a chipmunk with really big cheeks, how many nuts can they carry in them?
To answer your question… biologists have documented several chipmunks’ whose cheeks could hold 70 sunflower seeds, 31 corn kernels, 32 beechnuts or 12 acorns! Animals are just so fascinating!
Asher. F (4 years old) - Ridgefield, CT Hi Asher! What a fun question! Chipmunks have very large pockets in their cheeks that they use to collect and transport their winter food supply. Although they aren’t true hibernators, they do take many long naps waking up every few weeks to eat. They store their food in chambers off their underground tunnels. Some of these chambers can hold hundreds of acorns, beechnuts, or hickory nuts.
Karen. M - Wilton, CT Many birds such as the broad-winged hawk and Connecticut warbler are migratory, meaning they head south to warmer weather. Blue jays however, mostly stay around our area all year round. There is a great deal of mystery surrounding their migration patterns with thousands of the breeding population migrating south while a great deal still remains in the Northeast. One year a blue jay may migrate south and the next year they will stay- it continues to baffle experts! Late fall into the winter months is the only time I personally encourage folks to fill their bird feeders. Spring to early fall nature is filled with plenty of healthy seeds, plants, and insects which are all parts of a wild birds proper and natural food source.
by Lenore Eggleston-Herbst, Executive Director of Woodcock Nature Center since 2018
For fifty years, Woodcock Nature Center has grown from one man’s vision of a nature refuge to a community treasure. Much time has passed, but the heart of Woodcock’s mission, a passionate staff and board, and perhaps most importantly, the dedication of a community to support such an endeavor, has neverWhenwavered.Woodcock Nature Center was founded it was a labor of love brought about by a handful of passionate individuals who had the foresight to understand how valuable this resource would be to the community. One crucial individual, without whom this nature center would not exist, is its namesake: J. Mortimer “Woody” Woodcock.The1992 obituary for J. Mortimer “Woody” Woodcock describes him as a “soft-spoken, cigar smoking, first selectman of Ridgefield.” He held his post as First Selectman of the town from 1967-1971 and served on numerous boards and committees (too many to list!) and was named “citizen of the year” by the Ridgefield Rotary Club. In the early 1970s, Mr. Woodcock noticed that the State 50CelebratesNatureWoodcockCenterYears
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LegacyPreservingaNatural
September/October 2022 • www.068magazine.com • 35 Woodcock’s state protected 152-acre preserve is a haven for wildlife, a classroom for all, and a safe space to reflect, enjoy, and connect.
36 • 068 MAGAZINE • September/October 2022 of Connecticut was buying large tracts of land for the Norwalk River Flood Control Project. One section contained more than 140 acres and a house on the RidgefieldWilton line. Mr. Woodcock arranged to have the Town of Ridgefield lease the property at $1 per year from the state and began the process to establish a nature center; one of the few times in Connecticut history that one town leased parkland in another (more than half of the preserve is in Wilton). He even had the foresight to purchase from the state (at auction for $1400 no less!) the fourbedroom two-story house then located at 62 Deer Run Road which would eventually be moved 1000 ft. down the Nature Center’s long driveway to where it currently sits. Today, the Woodcock preserve, originally inhabited by the indigenous tribes of the Siwanog, spans 64 acres in Ridgefield and 89 in Wilton, all cared for by Woodcock Nature Center, Inc. (a non-profit organization established on Valentine’s Day 1972) through an ongoing lease arrangement with both the Town of Ridgefield and the State of Connecticut. A 1960s contemporary home built by architect Able Sorensen for his family now serves as classrooms and is home to Woodcock’s more than 20 teaching animals. The aforementioned two-story house serves as offices for staff and is home to the nature center’s caretakers. In the early days, Mr. Woodcock tapped a long list of colleagues to help with a daunting mission to create a nature center for Wilton and Ridgefield including respected conservationist from Redding, Gabrielle Ewing, who became a part-time director tasked with starting the process of establishing the nature center. She even began a modest trail system. The early vision for the organization was much the same as it is today: to connect the community with nature through unique outdoor programs. From the earliest days, an effort was made to reach out to inner city populations to instill a relationship with nature, afterschool programs encouraged kids to see the outdoors as an extension of the classroom and weekend events brought the community together. Still, a deeply rooted mantra is the idea that “nature is for everyone!”; to this day a scholarship fund allows for no child to be turned away from a camp or youth program. When Lee McIntire, an English teacher at Ridgefield High School saw an article in the local paper about the new Woodcock Nature Center, he applied and was hired as the first full-time executive director in 1975. In fact, he lived with his family on the property for more than a decade; his family volunteered countless hours to help build Woodcock’s early infrastructure. Mr. McIntire was determined to put his deep love of the natural world to work and began a summer camp. It was around this time that leadership also experimented with ideas such as seasonal sales of bird seed, Christmas trees and wreaths to support a growing array
Left: Meera Kansal shares the wonders of nature during Woodcock’s popular summer camp which is attended by 500 kids each season.
Top: The nature center boasts woodlands, wetlands, vernal pools, stonewalls, and a wide variety of wildlife including this wild tree frog found by campers.
Celebrating 50 years, Woodcock Nature Center has a new look and logo! This new image is envisioned to represent the organization’s core pillars of creativity, education, place-making and conservation as referenced by four earthly element hues. The logo is also intended to dispel myths about often misunderstood creatures like the snake (Woodcock is home to four!)
Right: A small photo of J. Mortimer Woodcock hangs on the wall at the WNC offices; a daily reminder that great organizations often begin with those who have the foresight to know what a thriving community needs.
Top: It’s not uncommon for kids to put on waders and get up close to nature during Woodcock’s unique and immersive outdoor programs.
38 • 068 MAGAZINE • September/October 2022 these early programs - which resonated so deeply with the local community - that have continued to blossom. Over the years, Woodcock has been bolstered by countless volunteers (including significant ongoing contributions from local boy and girl scouts) and a dedicated staff who have continued traditions established in the early years, like wreath making and summer camp, while also developing new programs to serve the changing needs of the community. These days Woodcock Nature Center finds itself at an exciting stage of growth. The pandemic helped to highlight the critical importance of outdoor experiences and education. Leadership was quick to take advantage of this unique opportunity; doubling down on outdoor events and adding staff to meet the demand for Woodcock’sprogramming.nearly 4-mile trail system remains open to the public free of change, year-round from dawn to dusk; an on-site custom-built natural playground which is utilized in 90% of programs is also open for curious visitors year-round.Tocelebrate the landmark 50th anniversary, Woodcock has planned a series of special events during 2022 (the next one, the annual Under the Harvest Moon, is scheduled for September 16th) along with commemorative fundraising opportunities to support the growing budget. Woodcock Nature Center does not receive any funds from local towns or the state of Connecticut and fundraises privately for every dollar necessary to sustain its programs and facilities. Woodcock leadership has also been hard at work on a revitalization of the Nature Center’s long-term strategy and visual identity which includes a new look and WoodcockSincelogo.1972hasgrowntoprovideeducationalprogramming for over 4,000 learners of all ages each year including school field trips, summer camp and after-school enrichment programs, which support educational efforts by immersing children in direct experiences with nature. Woodcock partners with local organizations such as Wilton Go Green, Ridgefield Action Committee for the Environment, Wilton Land Conservation Trust, the Norwalk River Watershed Association, local garden clubs, and environmental groups to present hikes, lectures, workshops, and films. Free guided hikes, child and caregiver classes and on-site animal encounters also continue annually to provide a means for the public to engage with and learn from the natural world. This haven for nature and educational oasis has certainly grown in scope, but the deeply rooted commitment to a proud mission has been carefully handed down. With a little more luck, and lots of ongoing community support, this small but mighty nature center will continue for decades to come. •
40 • 068 MAGAZINE • September/October 2022 QA&withTim Sway
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068 What does your typical work day as an artist look like?
TS Some of my earliest instruments were basically jokes. I wanted a fun, unique stage presence. I began to see the instruments I made as art unto themselves - and I enjoyed making them more than playing music. So, I left playing to focus on building - and they’re starting to get pretty good!
TS The dichotomy bothers me when musicians step off a private jet to play songs about saving the world on guitars made of rare, exotic wood and unicorn horn covered in nitrocellulose lacquer! I “fight back” by making guitars from dismantled buildings, discarded furniture, pallets, locally felled suburban trees, etc. I still ship all over the world but I would prefer only local clients. There are three million people in Connecticut. One percent of them would keep me busy forever without the shipping footprint. Daring to be small is an overlooked way to be sustainable.
by Dylan Miller
068 You’ve talked about the desire to be sustainable. How do you strive to achieve that with your work?
TS Yes! I make fully functioning guitars - albeit some are more “functional” than others. For example, my guitar made of old nails is an exploration of reclaimed materials - but it still plays great. (You may want to be up to date on your tetanus shots). My mission statements are: “Make Worthless Things Priceless” and “Make Art That Makes Art.” I want to help discarded materials continue a useful journey. Static art is not good enough. They must add to the creative zeitgeist in the hands of other artists. The story should not end hanging on a wall.
068 What can people expect from your show at the RPAC Gallery, how did you choose what pieces to show? TS I wanted to show both the conceptual and the practical, sustainable guitars. They’re categorized in two basic groups: Function>Material, proving usability can be achieved sustainably, and Material>Function, showcasing the more fanciful explorations.Whilemost art exhibits say, “do not touch,” I want musicians to come in and play my art! There is a little hang out area with amplifiers. Anyone is welcome to respectfully play most instruments on display.
TS After 15-plus years of a performing musician’s schedule, it is a novelty to keep 9 to 5 hours. But I can’t wait to get to my studio, which is a makers’ playground. Guitars take up the bulk of my time, but I always have side projects like “The Jambulance,” my solar-powered store and stage I built in an old bread truck from reclaimed materials. I also design and make tools (SqWAYreTools.com), pet toys (GuineaPigTanks.com) and my latest obsession is converting an antique Vespa scooter into a fully electric vehicle. I crave variety.
068 Do these guitars still play, or are they a visual statement piece?
068 When did you start looking at guitars and start wondering how you could personalize it, and turn it into a true piece of art?
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by Amanda Duff Imagine zooming around a racetrack at speeds around 200 mph. You’re constantly pushing forward to take the lead, knowing a difference in speed of just one-tenth of a second – literally the blink of an eye – can create a significant disadvantage. You’re laser-focused, because at speeds that high you don’t even need to touch another car to crash; air flow alone can cause a devastating wreck. Now imaging doing that for three hours non-stop, inside a car with interior temperatures above 150 degrees. NASCAR driver and Ridgefield native Anthony Alfredo does this full-time. For him, it’s just another day at the office. When Alfredo was a child, he and his two siblings raced go-karts at Grand Prix New York Racing in Mt. Kisco, New York. “It was so much fun; we were all good at it. You didn’t have to own any equipment, you’d just buy a ticket and race,” Alfredo remembers. Fast forward a decade and Alfredo is still having fun racing, but as a professional NASCAR driver. Birth of a Passion Racecar driving may not seem an obvious sport-of-choice for a Connecticut youth, but NASCAR is the leading spectator sport in the United States. It’s also the second most-watched sport in the nation, second only to NFL games. Although Alfredo wasn’t born into a legendary “racing family” like the Pettys or Earnhardts, his parents had been huge NASCAR fans long before he was born. He credits their fandom for his foray into the sport. “Watching NASCAR races was a ritual for our family,” Alfredo says. “Dale Earnhardt Jr. was my childhood hero.” Little did he know, he’d one day be racing for JR Motorsports, the race team co-owned by Dale Jr. During middle school, Alfredo excelled at snowboarding, skateboarding, and lacrosse, even playing on the Ridgefield High School lacrosse team during his freshman year at RHS. But he was always drawn to things with motors. “My father
A Glimpse into the Life of 22-Year-Old NASCAR Driver Anthony Alfredoto the
Although it may look simple, local resident Anthony Alfredo can attest to the planning, technique, and endurance required for a successful NASCAR race.
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2022 was a big “gearhead” and he was always teaching me about motors,” Alfredo says. It was during his freshman year that Alfredo decided to pursue racing more seriously. He started with legends car racing; legends cars being scaled-down, motorcycle engine-powered replicas of American automobiles from the 1930s and 1940s. Alfredo entered the legends car season at Bethel Motor Speedway in White Lake, NY driving a replica of a ’34 Ford Coupe he had rented. He excelled, and next set his sights on the legends car season at the Charlotte Motor Speedway, the “home track” for NASCAR.
ARMASJAMESBYPHOTO
A Leap of Faith In Charlotte, he caught the eye of Lee Faulk, NASCAR driver turned driver development professional. Faulk suggested Alfredo test out stock car racing, which uses the standard size cars you see in NASCAR races today. “Before the test drives, Lee said to me “I’m either going to tell you to go buy golf clubs or I’m going to tell you that you can do this.” And he didn’t say I should go buy golf clubs!” recalls Alfredo. “That was when I made the difficult decision to step away from Ridgefield High School (RHS) and shift to online education, which was hard since I had so many friends at RHS,” AlfredoOversays.the next few years, Alfredo climbed the ranks, driving for JR Motorsports, Lee Faulk Racing, Richard Childress Racing, and Front Row Motorsports. He picked up the nickname “Fast Pasta” along the way. He’s now driving for Our Motorsports, founded by Massachusetts businessman Chris Our, and has sponsors including Dude Wipes, Speedy Cash, and Deathwish Coffee Company. His honest, articulate, and entertaining recounts of races, training, and life both on and off the track have earned him a loyal social media fanbase, affectionately referred to as his “Sauce Mafia.”
The 2022 NASCAR season is comprised of over 30 races – and thanks to different track lengths, shapes, surfaces, and whether it’s day or night, no two races are the same.
One of Alfredo’s favorite races is the Coca Cola 600, which takes place at the Charlotte Motor Speedway. “It’s the longest race of the year – 600 miles and 400 laps – so it requires a totally different approach,” he says. “But there’s a certain intensity that makes short track racing special, like at the half-mile Bristol Motor Speedway.” Alfredo also dispels the notion that racing is nothing more than driving really fast in a circle, saying “this season we’re driving more road courses than before, so we’re taking both left and right Asturns.”Itook my seat in the grandstands to cheer on Alfredo at the Daytona 300, the 300-mile, 120-lap opening race of the 2022 NASCAR Xfinity Series season, I thought about how similar a NASCAR race is to life. The race I was about to watch was the perfect example.The green flag dropped, signaling the start of the race, and Alfredo had a problem almost immediately. We’d later learn his rightside window blew out on lap one, forcing him to make a pit stop. By the time his window was replaced he was three laps behind the other drivers. “I thought, wow, this is not a good start to the year,” he says. But Alfredo and his team never gave up. “We tried to mind our own business, run our own race, and take care of the car.” Alfredo was so far down that he didn’t catch up to the lead lap until there were just 20 laps to go. “It kind of worked out because it kept us out of trouble,” he recalls -- “trouble” being multiple crashes that didn’t affect him because he was simply too far behind. “We felt defeated at lap one, but we kept grinding it out and ended up placing 7th out of 40 drivers,” Alfredo recalls. Alfredo says the two biggest lessons he’s learned from racing are to never give up and focus on the things you can control. “Many things in life are out of our control but we can’t harp on them. You can do everything right and still lose,” he says. “That’s part of racing. And Alfredolife.”races on a weekly basis. To find his next race and cheer him on, refer to his schedule here: nascar.com/nascar-xfinityseries/2022. •
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Anthony Alfredo isn’t the only star athlete to have called Ridgefield “home.” Olympians Tucker West and Kieran Smith are Ridgefielders too, and Alfredo has enjoyed following their journeys. “Tucker lived near my neighborhood growing up, and I’d see his luge track in his backyard whenever I’d drive by,” shares Alfredo. “I always thought it would be so cool to ride on it!” He adds, “it was great seeing Tucker and Kieran do well in the Olympics. Two Olympians from Ridgefield, how cool!”
48 • 068 MAGAZINE • September/October 2022 TheLittle Performing BIGGESTArts
Ridgefield’s Beloved PLAYHOUSE Turns 22 in Style
“It’s been a long time coming,” says executive director Allison Stockel, who has led the Playhouse since 2004. “The old space was fine if you’re doing 20 shows a year, but this new space is more in line with what we’ve become.”
BIGGESTCenter
by Dave Goldenberg
September/October 2022 • www.068magazine.com • 49
Executive Director Allison Stockel with Huey Lewis (left), Michael McDonald and Jared Shahid (center), and Colin Quinn (right).
One of the most surprising things you’ll see at the Ridgefield Playhouse this year won’t be on stage but rather in the lobby. In fact, it will be the lobby. Just in time for its summer gala, the nonprofit performing arts center unveiled a new entrance lobby so vast you could park a yacht in it. It features a full bar and concession stand, coat check, huge new restrooms—and even a small stage for pre-show performances. The $4 million makeover also brings updated backstage facilities with a full kitchen and a VIP suite for artist meetand greets, which doubles as the perfect space for private parties. They’re also slated to make substantial production upgrades to enhance the audio and lighting experience. Patrons can already enjoy higher quality sound due to the new audio treatments along the walls, which were designed by worldrenowned acoustician, John Storyk (who happened to have designed Jazz at Lincoln Center and private studios for Bruce Springsteen and Jay-Z). And that’s not to overlook the walk-up box office with two separate windows, and soon to be completed outdoor patio. I would be remiss not to mention that you can currently purchase an engraved brick for the aforementioned patio, and cement your support of the Playhouse.
What it has become is a highly regarded venue that punches far above its 500-seat weight class, presenting more than 250 live shows a year, featuring countless national acts that would normally headline far larger venues.
The Zombies launch into their 1965 hit, “Tell Her No,” and the sold-out crowd sings Musicalong. (especially classic rock) is among the Playhouse’s most popular offerings, but that’s proverbial tip of the iceberg: There’s comedy, dance, theater, Broadway legends, Met Opera and National Theater on the big screen as well as movies, workshops, lectures, town meetings—and of course the annual Christmastime Nutcracker. “We are much more than a music venue,” insists Stockel. And she’s right. Take the Arts in Education program: In the year before the pandemic, school buses region wide hauled 13,000 students in to see 33 daytime performances of 11 different shows. The Playhouse further supports the Arts in Education program with free tickets and transportation for Title 1 schools, as well as books and classroom materials through their Arts for Everyone outreach program - which also donates free tickets to other nonprofits, Ridgefield Social Services as well as additional outreach partnerships. Their programming includes initiatives such as the Diversity Film Series, the Entertaining Conversations Series, the World Music Series and more. And though first-run movies decreased when the demand for live programming outweighed the films, TCM classics and other special movie events still light up the screen year-round.
Ridgefield Playhouse Artistic Director Jared Shahid, who has taken over booking duties, says the Ridgefield Playhouse is most often the smallest venue for any major tour that comes through. He attributes the Playhouse’s success in attracting big names to the foundation that Stockel built over these past two decades. “If you know Allison, you know she has chutzpah. Her unwavering approach to growing this venue beyond a typical Performing Arts Center is why we’re in the position we’re in.” But Shahid says artists are also drawn by the intimacy: “The Playhouse comes alive during our performances because you’re all sharing this small place together and the artists feel that electricity. Usually, you’re in a venue twice the size to see the same artist.”
On a Saturday night some 22 years later, I’m in seat K-105. Iconic ‘60s rockers
The selectmen rejected the proposal as too costly. But Wilmot eventually persuaded the board to take the idea to referendum in 1998, and the town agreed to contribute $750,000—provided Wilmot and her group could raise $200,000 on its own. (They sure did.)
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Under a working board led by Barbara Manners (who went on to launch the CHIRP concert series), the Playhouse opened with a concert featuring José Feliciano on December 10th, 2000.
The old Ridgefield High auditorium had sat vacant for two decades when, in the early 1990’s, selectwoman Jeremy Wilmot rang up fellow selectman Rudy Marconi. “She said ‘I have an idea,’” recalls now-first selectman Marconi. She led him into the cold, dark space and invited him to imagine it as a sparkling new arts center, alive with movies and performing arts. Marconi knew the room well. As a high-school student, he’d attended assemblies there, appeared in a class play— and spent countless hours in study hall. “It was frozen in time. I was mortified to see my initials still carved into my study-hall desk,” he remembers with a laugh.
Allison Stockel cuts the ribbon to the new lobby with members of the Ridgefield Chamber of Commerce, Ridgefield First Selectman Rudy Marconi, and Senators Will Haskell and Rich Blumenthal.
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“We didn’t shut down—that’s not what we do. We were just doing things differently,” says managing director, Ashley Paltauf. After 21 years in her role, Stockel has been planning her exit strategy with the Board of Directors to ensure a smooth succession. “It’s important to me to promote within this organization,” Stockel says. “We have had so many loyal and hard-working employees that it only makes sense to hand the torch over to the next generation. Jared and Ashley will be co-leading this venue with the artistic vision and managerial skills that will continue the success of the mission and vision of the Playhouse.”
All told, it seems like the physical structure and growing team at the Playhouse has caught up with the volume and quality of their programming. Both Paltauf and Shahid share in the sentiment that Ridgefield is a town that respects its history, and while the evolution of the Playhouse engenders all kinds of new and exciting opportunities, it’s with the knowledge that it’s taken more than 20 years to get to this point. “The Playhouse has been a gem since it opened its doors in 2000” says Stockel, “and with these new upgrades and changes, it will shine even brighter.”• Artist Norvel Hermanovski, who originally painted the mural around the entry doors to the theater, returned to paint other Ridgefield scenes on the walls of the new and improved lobby space.
Big acts expect a big paycheck, of course, which Stockel say accounts for Playhouse’s sometimes high-ticket prices, which are offset by adding value to the customer experience: free food and drink tastings, for example, or displays and exhibitions—even tiers of customer experience, including wine tastings and meet-and-greets. Research shows that theater patrons spend an average of $32 locally, beyond the ticket price. Barbara Nevins, who owns the Southwest Café, sees a big bump on show night. “A lot of out-oftowners come to Ridgefield for shows, and they all want to eat dinner.” Stockel, now 55, grew up on Long Island. After college, she pursued a career in TV, starting at CNN in 1985 and eventually becoming one of VH-1’s producers during the early years in 1989. She moved to Ridgefield with her husband Jon in December of 2000 (the same month The Playhouse opened) and joined the Playhouse Board in 2001, where she soon took on the all-important role of booking acts and fundraising. She became the Executive Director in Stockel2004.isseemingly always in motion, usually trailed by her yellow lab (and Playhouse mascot), Charlie. She’s known for her 60-to-70-hour work weeks, and for stepping up to any task (including bouncer). While many venues shuttered for long months during the pandemic, the Playhouse closed only briefly, as Stockel and team quickly hatched a plan to keep it alive and its staff at work. “We were one of the most active venues on the East Coast, and safely managed to entertain about 10,000 patrons through the summer of 2020 alone. We kept the same model for 2021. By erecting a giant tent in the parking lot, we basically turned it into a socially distanced comedy club and booked everyone from John Mulaney and Pete Davidson to Bill Burr and Nate Bargatze – comedians who would otherwise be selling thousands of tickets per night, but had nowhere else to perform. They absolutely loved it, and of course made jokes about performing in a parking lot.”
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here’s no doubting that for the most part, dogs are well loved in this area. From all the dog parks, hiking trails, lakes, sprawling back yards and most importantly, a loving family, our dogs are living the life! Unfortunately, this isn’t always the case in every part of the world, and there are many places where dogs are treated as agricultural animals and raised only for their meat. Luckily though, there are passionate people everywhere who are willing to save these dogs from a horrible fate, and perhaps nobody is more passionate about it than Patti Kim, President and Co-Founder of Jindo Love Rescue. “I was online one day and found myself looking at photos of dogs on Facebook, until I landed on an image of a Golden Retriever in a slaughterhouse,” she said. “I reached out and ask if I could help, and she said the dog died two weeks ago. I was devastated, so I asked if I could rescue another one. I rescued my first dog in January of 2015, I sponsored and adopted her out.”
September/October 2022 • www.068magazine.com • 55
Caring Arms toCageFrom
Rescue Dogs from the Foreign Meat Trade
Jindo Love Rescue does whatever it takes to rescue dogs from the meat trade and give them a new life that they deserve.
Patti wasn’t satisfied, though, as she knew there were still so many dogs that needed help desperately. She reached out to Su Jeong Kim who was rescuing dogs in Korea and offered her help, and in June of 2015, Jindo Love Rescue was born. Together, they began the hard work of saving as many dogs as they could.
by Dylan IllustrationMillerbyLeslie Cober T
While Korea has certain laws protecting animals sold as pets, there’s a fine line between agricultural law and animal abuse laws. The dog meat farmers treat dogs like agriculture so they are able to get away with more than they would if they were treating them as pets. Patti explains that there is absolutely no difference and emphasizes that there are a lot of people from the younger generation who are passionately working on educating the public about this issue and protest against it.
Despite the challenges, the joys of running a highly successful adoption program (out of 1,000 adopted dogs, only 15 needed to be rehomed) has been more than rewarding. After the dogs are rescued, they go to a foster home in Korea, which is a large building where they receive any care and socialization they need. When they are adopted, they fly to the United States to meet their new owner.
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“When we rescue dogs, there are no set rules,” she says. “First, we try to beg and plea, we try to bribe them, or we try to find any way that they are breaking the law. If it’s the fastest way, we will pay, but we really try not to do that. At the end of the day, it’s all about saving the dog. It’s more difficult at the slaughterhouse, because people are very violent, and they are protective of something that is making them money. They usually will not give up the dogs unless they are doing something illegal.”
“The puppy mill was huge, it was 134 dogs, and all of them were sick,” Patti says. “Female dogs got in-house C-sections. Many of them had 5 or 6 C-sections, which completely destroys them. They also give them fertility medicine that makes them conceive 3 times a year instead of 2 times a year, and this medicine also melts their Allteeth.”ofthis is even more impressive when considering the size of their team, which averages a group of only a few core
To adopt a dog yourself, though, be prepared for a thorough process. Jindo Love Rescue truly cares about their dogs and wants to make sure they go to a wonderful
savedLoveyears,sixInmembers.thelastandahalfJindoRescuehasmorethan one thousand dogs. In addition to Patti and Su Jeong, the team includes other passionate members such as Vice President Jackie Alcayaha, Treasurer Jeanne Mann, Secretary and Special Projects Coordinator Claire Clarke, Director of Adoptions Mandy Culbertson, Adoption and Social Media Coordinator Lauren Alcayaga, and Foster Mom Min Jeong Song. Even with this allstar team, though, there are still plenty of challenges to overcome.
Making a Difference
“Wehome.don’t take digital applications up front. We want to feel the positive energy of someone, because the dog will Rescued dogs come from horrible situations, such as in tiny cages like the right photo, or chained up as in the top right photo. In order to ensure they are a good fit, there is a detailed and thorough adoption process.
Since they began, they have done incredible work and pulled off some impressive rescue operations, including the liberation of all dogs from a truck on the way to the slaughterhouse, and a puppy mill.
“In the last 3 years, our rescue has gotten much busier,” said Patti. “We now have 120 dogs, so finances cause the most stress. One year, Su Jeong Kim paid $60,000 of her own money to keep it going. We often have emergency situations, and we have to take on the burden ourselves. Between all of us, we are a 24-hour operation which means I stay up until five in the morning sometimes to communicate with our team in Korea.” How to Help: Adoptions
58 • 068 MAGAZINE • September/October 2022 be able to feel that as well. We start the process with a conversation, because that’s the best way to get a feel for the applicants’ personality,” Patti says. “If you aren’t a good fit, we will make sure to tell you so you can work on it if you are really dedicated to adopting. We worry about your kids, our dogs are not cat-tested and certain breeds have a high prey drive, so we try to educate everyone and let them know that our denial is not personal, it’s just that the dogs may not be a good fit for someone’s home situation.”Tostart the interview process for adoption, simply send a message to Jindo Love Rescue on Facebook where you will begin the pre-interview. If you meet the requirements for the dog you’re interested in, the detailed interview will take place. The organization takes care of all the flight arrangements, and only gives US brand vaccines and food to their dogs. There is an adoption fee, but 100% of it goes toward covering the costs of the dog’s care; none of it goes to profit. Once adopted, the dog comes from Korea, straight to the new owner’s
If you don’t meet the criteria that would allow you to adopt one of these dogs, there are still many ways you can help through donations to the cause. Exercise caution if you decide to donate to other organizations, as many dog rescues in Korea are for profit, or profit directly from donations.Foradoption and contribution information, visit jindoloverescue.com or reach out on Facebook Messenger.
“Thehouse.dog is flying across the ocean, and you are its world,” Patti says. When I told her that must be a special moment, she replied with a laugh; “you being a man, it’s the closest thing you can experience to giving birth. Once you open the crate, you’re the first person that dog will see. It’s very heart melting.”
•
Jindo Love Rescue has expanded, and now houses more than a 100 dogs that live in a healing space while volunteers work tirelessly to help find a forever home for them.
CultureotherA
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As ACT continues to become a fixture in the community, the theater’s leaders are often asked to speak, perform, and even emcee many events for
ACT of Connecticut begins their 5th season of presenting Broadway caliber theater this fall. Yet aside from producing unforgettable theater, “giving back” to the community seems to be ingrained in ACT’s culture. The creative force behind ACT of CT’s productions is the theater’s Artistic Director, Daniel C. Levine. At a recent interview Levine said, “When we had the initial idea to create a professional theater in Ridgefield, we were unsure if the community would ‘show up’ for us. Would we be able to fill a theater with patrons? Would we be able to obtain the community support that is necessary in order to sustain the type of organization that we wanted to create? The answer was an overwhelming YES! Ridgefield is remarkable that way; this town cares about the arts, its non-profit organizations, and most importantly, the people who liveErinhere.”Craig, ACT’s Producing Director added, “I am amazed and delighted by our patrons and supporters who understand the value that ACT adds to this town. It is not lost on us that Ridgefield and the surrounding area appreciates the importance of the arts. The culture of ‘community support’ that I have experienced in this town is something that I am proud to be a part of.”
A few weeks after this, Daniel was honored by Jane Doe No More, an organization whose mission is to empower survivors of sexual crimes to find their voice, for his creating and directing an original musical which helped increase Jane Doe No More’sSoonvisibility.thereafter Katie, Daniel and Bryan donated their talents for a smashing performance for Ridgefield’s Annual Library Gala, and just weeks after that, the three ACT co-founders were the entertainment for Founders Hall Annual “Garden Party” Fundraiser.Following that event, Erin and Daniel hosted several talkbacks to traditionally underserved schools and communities as a part of ACT’s Audience Access Initiative, and several days later, Daniel and Erin presented awards to deserving students at this year’s HALO High School Theater Awards.All this while running a major regional theater which employs over 200 people annually and provides entertainment to close to 12,000 audience members throughout the year. To say that ACT of CT “gives back” is an understatement.
First Selectman Marconi is correct. Just in the past year, Daniel and Bryan created and directed a show for the SPHERE gala. SPHERE’s mission is to enrich and enhance the lives of adults with disabilities, and the SPHERE members rehearsed with Daniel and Bryan weekly (for six months) in order to prepare for their unforgettable and moving gala performance.
ACT of CT produces and presents a mainstage season of star-studded productions running from September through June annually, has built a competitive Conservatory Program, has developed a highly sought after New Works Program, and has created a “Broadway Unplugged” Series (where TONY nominated celebrities join ACT’s Music Supervisor Bryan Perri for a unique performance only available for ACT’s audiences). But what is less publicized is the level of community involvement that ACT’s leaders dedicate to other local groups. Ridgefield’s First Selectman Rudy Marconi says, “Dan, Bryan, Katie, and Erin don’t simply talk about the importance of giving back to our community, they are ‘doers’. Their involvement with other Ridgefield not-for-profit organizations is absolutely terrific and it is remarkable to see how ACT has not only become a center of theatrical excellence, but also ardent supporters of the people of our town.”
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ACT’s Resident Music Supervisor, Bryan Perri is intimately involved with the theater’s programming. Bryan, a well-known Broadway music director, will open his new Broadway show (“Almost Famous”) next month. About ACT’s community involvement Bryan said, “If the pandemic taught us anything, it is that people turn to art, music, and entertainment for relief and inspiration during times of challenge. We all need connection. Being able to be leaders and participants in the Ridgefield arts scene is a responsibility that we take seriously and that we recognize as a privilege.”
Executive Director Katie Diamond says, “If five years ago someone had told me that ACT would become one of the premier theaters in New England, that we would produce fifteen large scale musicals in just four seasons, that Dan and Bryan would be nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album (“Snapshots”), that two of our productions would be purchased by BroadwayHD for worldwide viewing, that a show which was part of our New Works Series would be debuting at Carnegie Hall (“Austen’s Pride), and that a show that we reconceived and produced would be represented by one of the nation’s largest theatrical licensing agencies so that other theaters have the opportunity to also produce it (“Working”) – well, I am not sure I would have believed it. It is mindblowing to think about all we have been able to do in less than five years, and while our achievements are many, I am most proud of the fact that ACT has become a part of the fabric of this exceptional community. We are a town full of caring and generous people and organizations, and I am proud that our theater is a part of that.”
Levine continued, “Whenever we are asked to help or to participate in other local organizations events and fundraisers, we say YES! We love this community and being able to ‘give back’ is an absolute honor.”
• by Andrew Harris
of Giving Back
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t’s no secret that road cycling and mountain biking are popular sports in this area. From the mountainous forest trails to the intense climbs and epic descents on winding back roads, cycling here provides a sense of adventure, freedom, and escape. Even so, one resident in particular has taken the passion for cycling to the extreme. Ridgefield native Ben Grannis is riding his bicycle 10,000 miles across the country and back, but his motivation is not merely a love of cycling, competitive drive, or a Guinness World Book Record. His goal is to raise awareness about the dangers of distracted driving, and Grannis is far from distracted. His “Eyes Up Ride’’ is taking him on a focused journey across the country and deep into hisGrannis’ssoul.
Text Less, Live More GRANNISBENOFCOURTESYPHOTOS
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education and life experience helped him develop keen self-awareness and a clear understanding of his values. He wanted a path with a purpose and a worthwhile goal, but the typical road to a corporate job or graduate school wasn’t for him. In early 2021, after graduating from college and working for several years as a tour leader and coordinator at Overland; an organization that creates adventure experiences for kids including hiking, biking, and kayaking. Grannis was ready for a new direction. It’s no surprise that this industrious Eagle Scout devised a plan to offer his services, while also finding a way to feed his passion for nature and adventure. The Cause: Distracted Driving In 2013, Merrit Levitan was struck and killed by a distracted driver while on a summer cycling trip in Arkansas with the Overland youth camp. She was 18 years old. It is estimated that the driver who killed Levitan was distracted for only 4 seconds. On average, distraction from a text can last up to 27 seconds (source: AAA). The Levitan family honored their daughter by launching the student-led TextLess Live More campaign. The organization, now nationwide, educates people about distracted driving, and more importantly - the dangers of distracted living. At Overland, Grannis learned about TextLess Live More. “I am raising money for this incredible organization to promote a life without the distractions and noise that fill our lives entirely,” says Grannis. His “Eyes by Susan Ahlstrom
September/October 2022 • www.068magazine.com • 65 No Text Zone n 9 people are killed each day in the U.S. as a result of a distracted driver. n Texting while driving makes crashes up to 23x more likely. n Distraction is a factor in 14% of all crashes. n 50% of teens admit to reading a text message or email while driving in the past 30 days.
n 5 years is the average amount of time a person will spend on social media in their lifetime. 2/3 of Americans say that they somewhat or strongly agree that ‘unplugging’ is important to their mental health. (APA)
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“Distraction, bad driving, and driving too fast is the new normal. It just gets worse and worse.”Thechallenge of attending to one task at a time, staying focused, and resisting the pull of social media and technology is becoming a major health concern. The danger of distracted driving is just a part of the problem. The social and emotional impacts of distracted thinking are ruining relationships and affecting learning and productivity. The Journey So Far After pedaling out of Hyannis, MA, on August 21, 2021, Grannis developed a knee problem. By the time he reached Washington State, he was no longer able to ride.Following consultations with physicians, physical therapists, and other athletes, Grannis decided that the best solution was “intentional rest.” The knee is a complicated mechanism, and it’s likely a small change in the height of his pedals while riding with his heavy equipment was where the trouble began. Allowing himself time to heal has been “super hard,” says Grannis. Taking pain medication or just ‘pushing through’ to reach the end goal didn’t seem like the right
66 • 068 MAGAZINE • September/October 2022 Up Ride” is teaching him about the risks of being out on the road, the importance of self-awareness, and focus.
“As cyclists, we ride on the defensive,” says Alice Powers, a member of the Sound Cyclists Bicycle Club based in Fairfield County. As a 20-year veteran of the road, Powers is always on the lookout. “When I am on a ride, I work hard to stay focused,” she says.When asked why she risks cycling on the winding and sometimes treacherous roads in Fairfield County, Powers doesn’t hesitate: “When I ride my bike, I feel like a kid! It gives me a sense of adventure and freedom. I’ve been riding seriously for over 20 years and can really feel the change in the drivers,” she says.
“Therechoice. are times when you need to intervene with surgery or medication to fix an injury, but for many health issues you can gain a lot by just knowing what works for you and what doesn’t,” he says. Adjusting his timeline because of the injury has been difficult, but he knows this is what he needs. During his break, Grannis was at Overland, speaking with youth groups about “finding your path.” Once he regains confidence in his knee, he’ll hit the road again. “It’s interesting to have that relationship change with your body,” he says, asking “can it actually keep doing what I put it through already?” Somehow, it’s easy to imagine that Grannis’s apprehension of getting back on the bike will be overcome by his focus on his mission.Tosupport “Eyes Up Ride,” TextLess Live More, or learn more about Ben Grannis, visit www.eyesupride.com.
To Find Artwork All You Need Is Love by Dee Dee Colabella
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An important balance between the principles of good design and what makes you fall in love can be what is missing. For loving a piece of artwork enough to purchase it and keep it in your home has no formula and no predictors. It just works or it doesn’t.
When the art is right for you, you will know! Your reaction or connection to the piece can be the absolute decision maker. Did you fall in love with the artwork? There are many times where you like a piece of art but cannot place why. This is the hardest and most elusive thing to explain. When we love a piece of artwork, there is a surge of dopamine that makes us feel similar to falling in love. The tough part is explaining to someone what it is about the artwork that caused that reaction in you. Maybe it reminds you of a place, a time, or a feeling. Whatever the reason is, trust that reaction. Be Open and Don’t Hold Back Your Opinions
It is the job of the art advisor or gallerist to find pieces that will be the right fit. Don’t hold back when you work with a gallerist or art advisor; be blunt and be honest. If you don’t like a style or type of artwork, say it. If certain colors do not work for you, make that clear. Tell the art advisor about classic artists you like and about ones that stick out in your mind that you just don’t get at all.
Fall In Love
Great artwork can not only define your space but it can also define your mood and show off unique style. Work with an expert, find the piece that works for size, scale, collectability. The artwork that adorns your walls is now a part of your life. Don’t give up until you fall in love.
2022 as an empty wall in your space been calling out for something new? Have you had a piece of art either handed down or simply not your style anymore? What is the right way to look for a piece of art work to fill your space? There are several articles available to you about this topic. They will talk about size, scale, type of work, collectability and of course the principles of good design. All are important and need to be considered.
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For those of us who like to drive, Western Connecticut is the place to be. While SoCal folks are sitting in traffic, baking in the hot sun, we’re carving twisty two lanes, shaded by a lovely, leafy canopy. If responsive steering and crisp handling gets your motor running, here are a few recent cars we’ve tested that peg the fun meter.
The best-selling two-seat roadster in history is in its fourth generation, yet the mission remains the same: affordable fun. In a world where every car seems to get larger, the current Miata is nearly identical in size to the NA version that launched 33 years ago. The latest featherweight is still nimble and immensely tossable, yet with more power and higher grip levels. The steering is perfectly weighted and the wheel itself is a joy, your hands falling naturally to three and nine, while the shifter’s short throws beckon your engagement. The Miata is available with either a quick folding manual top or a power targa hardtop for year-round use. For all its performance, the Miata sips fuel like an economy car, netting 36 mpg during my week with a gorgeous Soul Red Crystal Metallic Grand Touring model. If I were looking to replace my classic S2000, the Miata would be an easy choice. Prices start at only $26,650.
Mazda MX-5 Miata
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Audi S5 Sportback
The Audi is the conservative choice in this group. My tester, in Florida retirement white, didn’t turn a lot of heads. It’s attractive enough, but not showy. Like most Audi’s, the interior is where the S5 shines. Comfortable and roomy with great ergonomics and finished in quality materials. The liftback design gives the Sportback a leg up in usefullness over its sedan competitors. Step on the gas though, and the S5 throws practicality to the wind. It’s a serious German sports sedan, with a chassis that rewards the driver with every turn. The ride is firm enough, yet not jarring in everyday use. With Audi’s excellent quattro AWD system, and a good set of snow tires for the winter months, the S5 would be an excellent daily driver. Pricing starts at $55,300.
KIA Stinger GT2
A serious sports sedan—from Korea? Indeed. The Stinger GT2 packs a 368-HP twin-turbo V6 and a choice of rear or all-wheel drive. The performance, fit and finish, and ride quality are worthy of German cars costing far more. At its base price, the Stinger comes fully loaded and features a cavernous interior with room for the whole gang. Yet when the road beckons, the Stinger leaves most family cars in the dust. Steering feel is excellent, and in my tester, the AWD system provided ample grip, even in the wet. The exterior is handsome and while the Stinger may not have a German name, it does a fine Teutonic impression from behind the wheel. Stinger GT2 prices start at $52,895.
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If the Audi S5 is Clark Kent, the Blackwing is Tony Stark. The heart of the Caddy is a brutal, supercharged V8 pushing 668-HP through the rear wheels. The exterior is stylish and elegant, with details revealing just a hint of the hooligan underneath. On an evening out, the Blackwing can be a perfect gent, refined and comfortable, but turn it to sport mode, hit the throttle, and Tony is suddenly Iron Man. The rear tires will shred themselves silly if you want, or launch you to 60 mph in only 3.4 seconds. Best of all, you can get the Blackwing with a 6-speed manual transmission. This Caddy is more than just a hot rod. In spite of weighing nearly 4,100 pounds, it handles like a true sports car, and on a race track or twisty stretch of road, is capable of embarrassing cars costing much more. It’s rewarding, exhilarating, and fun as hell. Driven hard, the Blackwing guzzles fuel, making it a bit impractical these days. Yet, I have to applaud the GM folks who signed off on it. The Blackwing is probably the last of its kind; a fire breathing, V8-powered sedan—with a manual trans and RWD—is not exactly the direction the car industry is going. Electrification can give us the brutal acceleration speed junkies crave, yet an EV can’t replicate the visceral thrill of launching a supercharged V8, smoking the rear tires while the ferocious exhaust note and supercharger whine rattle your brain. Enjoy it if you can. Because sadly, like Tony Stark, the bad boys eventually get written out of the script. Starting at $90,995. Subaru BRZ There are few better values—or more rewarding driving experiences—than the than the BRZ and its Toyota GR86 cousin. The new second generation adds more power and refinement, better steering feel, and an overall higher level of performance. Yet like the Miata, the BRZ didn’t get larger in the process, retaining the tidy dimensions and 2,800 pound weight of the original. This RWD sport coupe will slay an autocross course yet deliver all day comfort and up to 30 mpg on the highway. Like a Porsche 911, the engine is a flat, boxer design and there are small seats in the rear for packages or the kiddos. A slick shifting six-speed manual is standard or you can opt for the optional six-speed auto. The BRZ is flat out brilliant to drive and prices start at $28,695.
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Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing
Borrowing the 286-HP drivetrain from the Veloster N, the FWD Kona N is either the first affordable performance compact crossover or a large hot hatch. Regardless, it’s a hoot. This is not a car for introverts as the barking exhaust and loud Racing Red paint of my tester drew stares and questions. The eight-speed dual clutch transmission delivers fast shifts both up and down the range, while the interior ergonomics and nicely bolstered seats are spot on. The Kona N is fine around town, if a bit stiff, but when you start pushing it through the corners, the little bulldog comes alive. It’s rather hilarious, yet has room for five, and with the seats folded, can handle a full Costco haul. Base price: $34,200. •
The R is the fastest, highest performance Golf ever made. Like its GTI sibling—AKA the original hot hatch—the R was created for those who like to drive. The traditional five-door hatchback layout, and restrained exterior, make the R a great choice for the more mature driver, but boring it’s not. Packing 315-HP and AWD, the R can reach 60 in under 4 seconds, yet still deliver 30 mpg highway (28 with the manual). While the interior is comfortable with great seats, the infotainment interface is the one flaw, with touch sensitive sliders vs actual buttons. But the R is so much fun to drive, I could probably adapt. Prices start at $44,090.
VW Golf R
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Hyundai Kona N
Award is prestigious due to its namesake, in honor of Hope H. Swenson (1937–2010) who lived in Ridgefield for nearly 40 years and was closely associated with the town’s Library for all of that time. Her passion was evidenced in her work on the Library Board for more than 35 years, her enthusiastic participation in library events, and her knowledge A
Summer Well Served
Another Successful Gala in the Books for Ridgefield Library
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“The 2022 Great Expectations Gala was a magical night that brought together so many in our community to honor Peggy and Rudy Marconi with the Hope H. Swenson Visionary Award for their dedicated service to Ridgefield and beyond,” said Brenda McKinley, Ridgefield Library Director. “The Gala is also the Library’s biggest fundraising event of the year and it was a huge success enabling the Library to continue to bring exceptional service to our community.”
One event that helps bring all of this together is the Great Expectations Gala that began in 2014. Each year they have honorees; philanthropic people in the community who support the mission of the library. It has really become quite a prestigious gala in this area, and the award itself, the Hope A Swenson Visionary Award. This year, the honorees to receive the award were Rudy and Peggy Marconi.
What comes to mind when you imagine a library? Perhaps the opportunity to check out books of all kinds, summer reading programs, or internet cafes come to mind. Not everyone realizes, though, how limited this impression truly is. Newly renovated and situated in Connecticut’s first Cultural District, the Ridgefield Library is a prime example and goes so far beyond the basic services everyone expects that they really are an essential hub of the community. With full handicap accessibility, and spaces that can transform to meet any event needs, the library partners with over 80 organizations per year and offers a huge variety of events and services.
Third Row Right: Alex Fischetti and Laureen Bubniak.
Bottom Left: Raffaele and Elizabeth Gallo, Giuseppe and Alicia Castellano.
Second Row Left: Ed Quinones, Maddie Blake, and Andrew Marconi.
Far Top Left: Rudy, Peggy, and Amanda Marconi.
Top Center: Jane Jones, Peggy Marconi, LouAnn Daprato.
Top Right: Ira Joe and Shelley Fischer.
Second Row Right: Patty Hellrigel, Peggy Marconi, and Dawn Grabover.
Far Bottom Left: Peggy and Rudy Marconi.
Second Row Center: Peggy Marconi and Joyce Ligi.
Third Row Left: Peggy Marconi and Maddie Blake.
Top Left: Bryan Perri, Daniel C. Levine, Allison Stockel, and Elaine Cox.
September/October 2022 • www.068magazine.com • 77
of and support for the staff. It was her vision that sparked the ambitious renovation of the space which was completed in 2014. Anyone who receives this award is seen to embody that philanthropic spirit.
“Rudy and Peggy Marconi have shown leadership in the community for many years, but over the last two years of the pandemic they were especially supportive,” said Laureen Bubniak, former Directof of Development at the library. “They support every local business and nonprofit in the community.”
The Great Expectations Gala was a meaningful night for Bubniak as well; it was her last gala before her retirement in July from over 12 years of service.“Ithas been my honor and great pleasure to serve Ridgefield in such a meaningful way — raising funds for a truly valuable organization with a stellar staff offering important services, programs, and collections for all members of the community in a beautifully maintained building,” she said. “I am proud of the success we have had over the years meeting and exceeding our financial goals with the help and support of our generous donors, tireless volunteers, partner organizations and the Town of Ridgefield. The highlight of my career was working on the Great Expectations Gala each year, honoring such incredible members of the community — Larry and Nancy Bossidy, Anita and Nick Donofrio, Philip and Christine Lodewick, Rudy and Sally Ruggles, The Couri Family - Elaine and John & Chris and Megan, Paul and Dewey McNamara, Eileen and Jay Walker; and of course this year Peggy and
Top Row Left:
RudyDueMarconi.”tothe success of the gala, and continued generous donations throughout the year, Ridgefield Library can continue to offer their unique events and essential services, which include events for kids, art talks, author signings, services for seniors, a contemporary tech center, early literacy initiatives for young readers, a versatile space for indoor and outdoor study, and so much more. Ridgefield Library is not the only community hub. The Mark Twain Library in Redding is a beautiful asset to their community and is a sight to behold, let alone its historic significance, and the Wilton Library centrally located in Wilton also offers an immense variety of events and services for all backgrounds as well as a beautiful space to relax and spend your time. more information and to see a list of events from your community library; Ridgefield Library: ridgefieldlibrary.org Mark Twain Library: marktwainlibrary.org Wilton Library: wiltonlibrary.org Andrew Marconi, Bette Loomis, Rudy and Peggy Marconi, Amanda Marconi, Maddie Blake, and Ed Quinones.
Second Row Right:
Top Row Right:
• More Info For
Top Row Center: Brenda McKinley, Julie Yaun, and Laureen Bubniak. Elaine and Brian Cox. Maureen Maher, Peggy Loehr, Peggy Marconi, and Amanda Marconi. Rudy and Peggy Marconi, Tixxie and Tom Mantione. Row Peggy Marconi. Row Center: Bill and Marge Davidson.
Second Row Left:
Bottom
DESIGN Whatinfo@rpacartcenter.com(475)215-5740isgooddesign?It’swhatwedo.Thatwaseasy. PRINT AND DIGITAL DESIGN publications • advertisements • flyers • signage brochures • logo design • illustration • websites banners • video • photography Work alongside fellow artists in a creative and supportive environment! Call to see how you can get one month FREE!424RMainStreet, Ridgefield 475.215.5740 • info@RPACArtCenter.comStudioSpaceAvailable Are You Tired of Creating At Home? Find Your Happy Place
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80 • 068 MAGAZINE • September/October 2022 Questions with5 SUHSHARONBYPHOTO
When I come out on the stage, I give a quick little speech to prepare people on what’s going to happen for the next few moments of the show. Once I start sensing and feeling spirit, I don’t stay on the stage. I let spirit guide me around the audience, and I will literally just stop and start channeling someone’s loved one. We have cameras that will follow me around, so no matter where you would be seated, you can watch and feel every part of the experience. We are all grieving something, especially after the past few years. Even if we didn’t lose a loved one, it could be anything, whether it’s our freedom, finances, jobs, time, and we have to allow ourselves that time and permission to grieve.Iget what I do is crazy and people question it or don’t understand it. I totally understand and respect that. It happens so often at a live show, where I’ll be channeling and talking to someone in the audience that was urged to go by a friend or family member, but I can feel they don’t want to be there and have no idea what’s going on. However, to watch the transformation is truly spectacular. It’s a night of restoring our faith, hope, and peace. I always say that things happen for me, not to me. Even if tragedy strikes, it’s part of a bigger picture and it’s my job to find out where it fits and what to do with it. I think a lot of people can relate to that. In this way, it’s more than just communicating to someone who has died; it helps people to look at things differently.
TC To prepare for any reading, whether it’s a private or group reading, I just do a short meditation and sage, and that’s it. When I start sensing spirit, I will feel an emotional bond for the relationship that spirit shared with someone. Then, spirit will take me through their departure; sometimes I’ll feel like a pain in my chest, a shortness of breath, or some kind of pain that will let me know how they passed to validate that it is in fact their loved one and that they don’t want to
Long Island Medium MARCHISOTTORICHARDBYPHOTO
The thing that I love about the Ridgefield Playhouse, is that it will be a small and very intimate evening. Most of the theaters I do my show in will seat up to 4,000 people, so to have a theater that seats a few hundred people is something that will be very special and unique. What can you expect? I’ll show up with my hair done, my nails done, a great dress, and fabulous shoes; that’s the only thing I can guarantee!
September/October 2022 • www.068magazine.com • 81 by Dylan Miller
068 What can we expect from your upcoming Ridgefield Playhouse Event?
068 How do you prepare for a reading? How do you recover?
TC
The
068 Is your gift something you have practiced and worked on, or have you always had it in the same capacity. Does your gift ever startle you or surprise you? TC I’ve always sensed and felt things and my family never made much of a big deal out of it. When I was younger, I could barely leave my house because of my anxiety. I would walk into a building and just feel everything in there. I’d be walking through a store and feel like someone was choking me, and I didn’t understand what it was. The second I removed myself from those situations, I felt better. It wasn’t until five years prior to 9/11 that I had started understanding my gift and realizing that I could not only connect with my own loved ones but everyone else’s. After 9/11, I had a spiritual experience, where I was told that this was my soul’s journey; that I had the gift to be able to give peace to people and be able to move on after the loss of a loved one. In that moment, I put my gift in God’s hands, and said if this is my soul’s purpose, you open every door for me and I will walk through with my gift, and here I am. Even now it still shocks me how spirit is able to convey messages. Then they will show me a sign or symbol, which changes quite often; I call it my spirit library. Spirit will show me something that will help to convey meaning. For example, spirit might show me a bowl of oatmeal. That’s not just to say that they
068 Are major events reflected in the spirit world? How has COVID influenced what you do? TC My gift personally hasn’t changed, but with any large tragedy or experience like the pandemic, it causes many people to be more open to their spirituality. In a way, it makes my job “easier” to where people are more open. It gives us more time to reflect and take it all in. I also learned in all my decades of doing this is that sometimes when tragedies happen or things happen in our life, we lose faith. This isn’t limited to just religion, but faith in what we basically believe in; even faith in ourselves. I think that what I do restores faith, and we can all use that.
A lot of times I don’t even remember my readings.During a reading, once I give my introduction, spirit clears out my own personal thoughts, feelings, and emotions and replaces them with signs and symbols to relay messages for someone. People would find that very strange or they don’t understand it, but I did something recently on my show, where Dr. Daniel Amen, a neurologist, read my brain while I was doing a reading, and he said my brain literally showed no activity but I was channeling and talking. I was able to access a part of my brain that most people don’t.
loved breakfast, it has also changed over the years to mean that someone is very routine. I’ll just see flashes of things that I’ve experienced in my life that are now used as symbols for someone else, and as I work on myself, my gift improves.
In terms of how to live your life; be kind, kindness is freedom. I just got chills when I said that so I know that’s validation from Spirit. I always tell people to love, honor, and respect yourself. If you are struggling or grieving, you just grieve how you think is best for you. As long as you are not self medicating or harming others around you, don’t veer from your gut because it never steers you wrong.
TC I had guidance from someone who is a spiritual healing instructor, and she taught spiritual awareness classes. I was very blessed and had the opportunity to attend a class where I could use, experience, and understand my gift in a safe place. I then had the feeling that she would then know how to help me. I share my story so I can help others find their own journey. I share the tools I use, which is to be open, unafraid, and always protect yourself in white light. If you do attempt to connect, always ask if you are to receive information, that it only be for the highest good of all concern. Only positive uplifting things.
068 If someone is noticing things that others don’t notice, what advice do you have for them to safely explore and improve their abilities? Is there anything we should practice in this life in order to ensure our spirit will be strong and capable in the afterlife?
PHIBBSRICHARDBYPHOTO
82 • 068 MAGAZINE • September/October 2022 be remembered in that way. When I started doing readings and stopped holding back; just revealing things to myself and to people I don’t even know, it was a great relief to me. For me, when I don’t work and don’t channel, it builds up and I become very tense. Working is exhausting for everyone, even me, but I was born this way so I intuitively know how to release energy and how to not hold onto it. Picture my soul as the spaghetti, the colander is my body, and the water that comes through is all the information. That’s how I channel, the message comes in and goes straight back out; I don’t hold onto it.
On HEY SPIRIT!, Theresa channels the souls of those who have passed, conducts Q&As with people worldwide, and shares feelgood tips from her everyday life on how to enjoy time on earth.
Theresa Caputo - The Experience Live! will take place at the Ridgefield Playhouse on October 29 at 4pm and 8pm. Tickets are available for purchase at www.ridgefieldplayhouse.org•
84 • 068 MAGAZINE • September/October 2022 Foodies
Patti Popp is a bit of a celebrity in Easton and the surrounding towns. She is bright, energetic, and bursting with knowledge about farming, cooking, and serving local food. She and her husband Al took over an old farm and farmhouse located at 596 Sport Hill Rd in Easton in 2000 and named it Sport Hill Farm. Over the years, they have turned it into a thriving business and mecca for foodies seeking hyperlocal food that has a very short journey from farm to plate. Sport Hill Farms Marinara is Patti’s #1 seller. James, a 12-year-old shopper and budding gourmand from Easton, describes the sauce as “light and fresh,” and I agree. This sauce is made with just a few simple ingredients picked at the height of the season and jarred for consumption any time of year. A comforting and familiar mélange of tomatoes, onions, basil, olive oil, salt, garlic, and a touch of black pepper shine in this vegan-friendly concoction.
Serve some on top of organic zoodles (zucchini noodles) from Patti’s farm freezer and add a sprinkling of Pecorino Romano Cheese. The slightly grassy flavor of the cheese blends perfectly with the sauce. Their homemade butternut squash soup is excellent as a soup and even better when mixed with a bit of crème fraiche and poured over gnocchi.Ifyouare looking for local cheeses, meat, pasta, eggs, or dairy, you’ll also find that at Sport Hill. Depending on the season, 75-90% of the produce Patti sells is from her farm, and the rest is as local as she can find it.
“We grow and sell what is in season. I talk to people about what is local this time of year and help them understand what they are eating and why it is so much better to eat with the seasons,” she says. During the Pandemic and throughout her career, Patti has had to learn how to reinvent her business to address consumer needs and buying
“Thetrends.key word is pivot. During the Pandemic, we had to quickly figure out how to create a sustainable business model that allowed us to serve our local customers and follow the many social distancing laws,” Popp explains. “I’m an antiquer, and I love the
Local LocalFarmers,Flavor by Sarah Galluzzo Sport Hill Farm is not only a working farm with great produce, but a beautiful photo-worthy area to hang out, complete with decorative gardens and toys for visiting children.
September/October 2022 • www.068magazine.com • 85 Foodies
86 • 068 MAGAZINE • September/October 2022 thrill of the hunt. During the Covid 19 pandemic, I started selling upcycled items because people weren’t comfortable going into stores. So, this year we decided to focus on Farm, Flea, and CBD,” she says.
“The traditional season to make maple syrup in Connecticut is from early February through late March,” Kirschner explains. Night temperatures need to get down to 20 °F, and the days into the 40’s are required for the maple tree to yield sap.”
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Patti’s husband Al has been growing hemp in their fields, and they use the products to produce Popps CBD products. “Some people say it helps them with anxiety; some claim it helps them sleep better,” Popp says. She tells me she has found some relief from her husband’s products.Ifyou visit Sport Hill Farm on a Sunday this fall, you will discover Flea market treasures and farm-grown pumpkins, eggplant, squash, and other seasonal harvest veggies. Patti also rents out her loft in the fall and winter and has some partnerships with local vendors to create “micro-events” such as small dinner parties and mini weddings.
Foodies
They have a space at the Wilton Farmer’s Market on Wednesdays, and the farm stand is open from 9:00 AM - 2:00 PM on Saturdays and offers local organic produce they grow and source from other local farms. If you enjoy arugula with lots of peppery flavor—be sure to sample some from Ambler Farm. Much like the “rocket salad” I experienced recently in Italy, this arugula has a stronger taste and a larger leaf than you will find in the grocery store.
“People can adopt a sugar maple on the property, and every week during the season, they are invited to bring sap over to the sugar shack and see and taste the process—at the end of the season, they walk away with a bottle of syrup, which they helped produce” Ashley Kineon, Executive Director, explains.
A Wilton Treasure Ambler Farm is another local treasure owned by the town and run by Friends of Ambler Farm. Located on 257 Hurlbutt Street in Wilton, this working farm is over 200 years old and “open to the public dawn to dusk, 365,” according to their Director of Agriculture, Jonathan Kirschner.
“A lot of the arugula you get in the store is grown hydroponically or travels a far distance, so you lose some of the flavor—some of that bite,” Kirschner
Ambler has a carriage house and other facilities available for events from April-December. In addition, they host a farm-to-table event every June.
(Saturdays,Danbury(Thursdays,Westport(Wednesdays,Wiltonwakemantownfarm.orgsporthillfarm.com(Wilton)(Easton)(Westport)Farmer’sMarket12-5)Farmer’sMarket10-2)Farmer’sMarket10–2)
“Unfortunately, syrup production is one of the things being impacted by climate change,” Kirschner explains. “We can’t guarantee those cold nights—so it’s harder for us to predict when to start tapping the trees. The proposed solutions will likely be technological, with larger producers growing rows of Maple trees and then cutting off the taps and vacuuming them to remove the sap. But there are plenty of small farms and local places like us that will continue to do it the oldfashioned way, with a bucket,” he says.
“People are looking for new experiences, so we want to provide that,” Popp says, as she flashes with her warm signature smile.
“Our biggest fundraiser and event is Ambler Farm Day. This year it will be held on Sunday, October 2, and we will have a corn maze, hayrides, apple slinging, and other fun events,” Kineon says. Head to their site amblerfarm.org to learn about a wide range of events planned this year.
Farms and markets in the area to visit for locally grown produce: @farahsfarm on Instagram (Wilton) millstonefarm.org (Wilton) thehickories.org (Ridgefield) amblerfarm.org
Fromexplains.anEpicurean perspective, I am particularly interested in their Maple syrup. It’s a beautiful amber concoction and has a reputation as some of the best in the state. Visitors are invited to watch them make maple syrup in the winter.Sapis collected in buckets, then boiled down in a shed traditionally called a sugarhouse. Ambler is a teaching farm with many programs for kids, so I shouldn’t be surprised to learn something new and fascinating from Mr. Kirschner.
Bourbon Barrel Maple Syrup on the left is sourced from a Vermont Farm to supplement supply for high demand.
Fairfield Farmer’s Market (Sundays, 10 – 2) Ambler Farm is well known for their maple syrup, which they make on the farm.
Artwork by Lily Fertik
Ridgefield Guild of Artists (RGOA) presents Art Walk, Ridgefield’s beloved summer art tradition, now in its 9th year! More than 40 businesses and cultural venues will showcase the work of nearly 50 local artists in windows and on shop walls during this free, two-week festival, transforming the downtown area into a strolling art gallery.ArtWalk kicks off Friday evening, August 26th, when downtown merchants host opening receptions with their featured artists. Live music will showcase local talent. The celebration continues Saturday, August 27th, in front of stores with artist demonstrations. This vibrant cultural event continues through September 11th with art in storefronts and inside stores. All artwork is for sale and proceeds are shared between the artists and RGOA, a 501c3 non-profit organization.“ArtWalk embodies this town’s newest designation as a Cultural District in CT, bridging the arts with downtown shopping and dining.” – Pam Stoddart, Executive Director at the Ridgefield Guild of Artists. Learn more: Ridgefield Guild of Artists’ antique barn and gallery is located at 34 Halpin Lane, Ridgefield. For more information about Art Walk 2022 and all Guild offerings, visit www.rgoa.org or call (203) 438-8863.
WalkArt in Ridgefield OutShout
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During the Art Walk, juried artists showcase their work in front of local businesses during the event, and the Ridgefield Guild of Artists partners with local businesses to display art in the storefront windows until September 11, 2022.
Mark Twain Library Book Fair in Redding
Dr. Bakhru is the current Assistant Program Director of the Norwalk Radiology Residency Program. She has practiced with Danbury Radiological Associates for eight years, specializing in body and breast imaging. Her impressive experience, deep skill set, and approachable professional style will be an exceptional fit for leading the department.
Dr. Bakhru will fill the position previously held by Jeet Sandhu, M.D., who successfully led the department for 11 years. Dr. Sandhu is a Castle Connolly Top Doctor in Vascular and Interventional Radiology, and was voted a Top Doc in Connecticut Magazine. The practice is delighted that these two outstanding professionals and local residents continue to help the practice meet their mission of providing exceptional radiology and diagnostic imaging services to the region. •
LeadershipSeemaBakhru, M.D. is the first female Chair of Radiology at Danbury and Norwalk Hospitals
Women in
Over 65,000 books for sale!
PHOTOGRAPHYWILLIAMSMICHELECREDIT:PHOTO The Mark Twain Library Book Fair is the oldest – and one of the largest – in New England. The library was founded by Samuel Clemens – Mark Twain himself – in 1908. Twain moved to Redding in 1907 and had more books than would fit in his new home. He donated thousands of his own titles to help get the library started; today, over a century later, the Book Fair raises the funds to keep his library thriving. Labor Day Weekend: September 2nd -$205th Early Admission Charge from 9:00 am to 10:00 am on Friday 9/2; free admission the remainder of the fair. Last day for donations is July 31st.
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OutShout
anbury Radiological Associates, P.C. is honored to announce the first female radiologist as the incoming Chair of the Department of Radiology at Danbury Hospital and Norwalk Hospital. Seema Bakhru, MD will be the first female to hold this position in the two hospitals’ history.
Current Chair, Jeet Sandhu, MD, left, welcomes Seema Bakhru, MD, right, the incoming Chair of the Dept. of Radiology for Danbury and Norwalk Hospitals.
Want to keep in touch with the happenings in the 068 zip codes? Subscribe for a glimpse into the vibrant culture for the year and receive six bi-monthly issues that focus on the wonderful arts and community that thrive within Connecticut’s first cultural district and surrounding areas. Please note: Residents of Ridgefield, Redding and Wilton receive a complimentary magazine subscription. This option is for those who would like to receive the magazine outside of zip codes 06877, 06879, and 06897. SubscribeToday! www.068magazine.com We know our science. We get to know patients.our WE ARE RE-DEFININGBOLDLYBREAST CARE. 203.426.3002 • ctbreastimaging.org We are an imaging center where world-class doctors use state-of-the-art technology to provide the finest interpretations in a highly personalized, compassionate setting.
Why Do People Become Scare Junkies?
Perhaps it starts in early years watching horror movies.
phobophilia
Dr. Steven Schlozman, assistant professor of psychiatry at the Harvard Medical School, Child Psychiatrist, and horror author states that, “horror makes us ask questions that we are very uncomfortable asking in any other setting except in the campy displacement that horror affords.” Through this process, we can identify bigger questions that are being asked about the human condition. Let’s look at A Nightmare on Elm Street, a horror movie about Freddie Krueger who could enter dreams to kill teenagers. Once you watch the movie and understand how Freddie (once a man) died at the hands of a mob who burnt him alive, human nature causes us to shrink away from the horror of that punishment. According to the story, the mob committed this horrible act because the justice system failed them and let Freddie go on a “technicality.” This act of brutality in the face of injustice brings up those questions about mob mentality and how that leads to violence. Humans do not like difficult questions, however we can ask them in “the campy displacement that horror affords” and open the discussion freely.
ThingAThatIs by Dee Dee Colabella (n) The psychological love of fear.
Iam an admitted victim of Phobophilia. I had to admit this to myself after searching endlessly for the next great horror film to watch when sitting alone. I, perhaps not coincidently, love Halloween and the time around Halloween including hunting for the haunted house that will give me the BIG scare.Once I identified what I was feeling, I started to see the patterns. I love not only the thrills of jump scares but I am fascinated by my love of all things scary; I actually crave being scared.
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The Scare Community This love of fear also creates a sense of community. We love fear and that becomes a thread that binds us together. I would say most of the time I have found other phobophiles love Halloween, rollercoasters, haunted houses, and anything else that can get their blood pumping in similar ways. This is what brings me to start decorating my house in September to be done by October for Halloween. I want to show off the multitude of small details that make up my elaborate rooms and sit inside of my creepy interior to watch horror movie marathons. The next time you are asking (in concern) about your friend that seems to love being scared “is that a thing?” It certainly is and believe me, I know first hand how fun it can be!• Watch Dr. Schlozman’s Ted Talk Here MF@MARCOFITNESSLIFESTYLE.COM917-337-8860
94 • 068 MAGAZINE • September/October 2022 068 Magazine is proud to announce a new partnership with inRidgefield for the events calendar, which will have events from the 068 area. With each issue we put out, we were getting more and more event submissions. The inRidgefield website not only has a self-service events calendar with photos and precise descriptions, but blog posts about local businesses, community highlights, and a complete directory of things to do in the community. We are thrilled to direct you here, whether you are a resident looking for something to do this fall, or a business or event organizer wondering where to post your event; it’s all here! www.inridgefield.com • DoToThings inRidgefield, the go-to online events calendar! Scan the QR code above to post your event & to find great events in your area! Just click on the Events tab!
86 • 068 MAGAZINE • Issue Date CONTACT info@rpacartcenter.com424RMainStreet Ridgefield, CT 06877 College Prep Classes Portfolio Design Gallery Studies Instructor Led Independent Study Pre-College Students and College Level Equivalent DrawingClasses*1Painting1 Color and Design *Final Assessment Required Credits may be earned at Paier College upon portfolio review by Paier College in addition to acceptance into a matriculated www.rpacartcenter.comprogram. Art Center and Academy Sign up online!or Call 475-215-5740 For More InformationNEWPublication Studies Only 4 students accepted for coursework at 068 Magazine Students who show aptitude in the following should apply: graphic design, writing, photography, and editing. ClassesFall RPAC qualified instructors have a successful record of working with pre-college students. Our students have been accepted to schools such SVA,as Syracuse, Paier College & more.
ThingMoreOne
BurlinghamCharlie Jr.
In Memory of
A s the grandson of American impressionist J. Alden Weir, he organized and championed Weir Farm, Connecticut’s first National Historic Park, as well as the Weir Farm Art Alliance and its Artist-in-Residence program, all sited on his grandfather’s land in Wilton, Connecticut. His own watercolors reflected his love of those pastoral places where he and his brother spent many happy days. He was a lover of literature, especially Shakespeare, and poetry— much of it memorized from childhood (Kipling, Keats, Shelley, Housman, Masefield, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, to name just a few). He collected stamps and coins from age 8, which sparked his lifelong love of history and a seemingly insatiable appetite for works on the British Empire and the American Civil War. He was also an accomplished musician, a formidable tennis player, an avid sports fan, and a patron of the arts. A gifted pianist, he played a vast array of music from Bach and Chopin to Gershwin, Joplin, Cole Porter, Tin Pan Alley, Gilbert & Sullivan and Broadway musicals, and popular songs from the 1930s and beyond, regaling friends and family with spontaneous renditions, providing attentive accompaniment to those who would sing along with him. He could play almost anything by ear. He formed and cherished many friendships, some lasting nine decades. He and his wife, Adair M. Storey, always welcomed family and friends (and their children’s friends, and grandchildren’s friends) from far and near to their homes. In his later years, he transcribed ancestral Weir family letters, researched genealogy, and published an endearing memoir. Master of the shaggy dog story, his deft humor and turn of phrase always made us laugh. He loved music and food, books, movies, Boston sports teams, and dogs. Thanks Charlie, for helping to make Weir Farm a national treasure.•
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Our # priority1 is our clients The Marion Filley Team Licensed RE Salespeople M: 203.515.1387 marionfimarion.filley@compass.comlley.com|compass.com Marion Filley Licensed RE Salesperson M: 203.515.1387 Patrick Filley Licensed RE Salesperson M: 203.515.9088 Kerry McMahon Licensed RE Salesperson M: 203.856.2954 Marion Filley Team is a team of real estate licensees affiliated with Compass Connecticut, LLC, a licensed real estate broker and abides by Equal Housing Opportunity laws. *Source: SmartMLS & 2021 sales volume per Real Trends #1 Team in Wilton, CT at the #1 Brokerage in the U.S.*
