New Haven magazine December 2008

DECEMBER 2008

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New Haven I December/2008

31 Risen from Ashes A Meriden family rebuilds from a catastrophic fire

12 Short Stories

38 Onscreen

A 12-year-old journalist covers an historic Presidential campaign

A pair of Elm City indy filmmakers shoot a new documentary on art therapy

14 Ghosts of Christmases Past

44 Onstage

A history of Christmas in New Haven

Brooks Appelbaum profiles the playwright of a world premiere musical at LWT

19 Justice Delayed, Not Denied Connecticut’s first black combat unit earns recognition at last

25 Profiles of the Rich & Famous Guilford author Lynn Haney’s life in the limelight

A still from the film Art Therapy

8 The Transformer Yale and Levin celebrate 15 years together

50 Parties of the First Part In FETES, the party season swings into full gear

62 Ice, Ice Baby In DISCOVERED, reconnecting with an emblematic winter pastime

28 Bibliofiles Liese Klein reviews the newest offering of Yale historian John Demos

38 New Haven

| Vol. 2, No. 3 | December 2008

Publisher Mitchell Young, Editor Michael C. Bingham, Design Manager Larissa Wigglesworth, Design Consultant Terry Wells, Contributing Writers Brooks Appelbaum, Elvira J. Duran, Joyce Faiola, Michael Harvey, Liese Klein, Cindy Marien, Melissa Nicefaro, Tashema Nichols, Joanna Pettas, Ron Ragozzino, Steven Scarpa, Cindy Simoneau, Editorial Assistant Sarah Politz, Photographers Steve Blazo, Anthony DeCarlo

4

december 2008

Advertising Director Laura Whinfield, Senior Publisher’s Representatives Mary W. Beard, Ronni Rabin, Publisher’s Representatives Cynthia Carlson, Michele Dibella, Paula Thompson, Sara Zembrzuski New Haven is published 12 times annually by Second Wind Media Ltd., which also publishes Business New Haven, with offices at 85 Willow St., New Haven, CT 06511. 203-781-3480 (voice), 203-781-3482 (fax). Subscriptions $24.95/year, $39.95/two years. Send name, address & zip code with

payment. Second Wind Media Ltd. d/b/a New Haven shall not be held liable for failure to publish an advertisement or for typographical errors or errors in publication. For more information e-mail NewHaven@Conntact.com.

OUR COVER Michael Carlson, photographed by Steve Blazo. Trains courtesy Hull’s Hobbies & Hardware, New Haven. Cover Design by Terry Wells.

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EDITOR’S L E T T E R One Precious nepali Pendant

You Say Goodbye; I Say Hello

B

eginnings and endings. Endings and beginnings.

This month we say goodbye to 2008, a momentous year in American history. We’ll soon welcome in 2009 with open arms, hopeful for the best but mindful of the increasing dangers of the world around us.

We say goodbye to a war hero who long sought the Presidency but, in his last, best attempt fell short. His entire life exemplified the ideal of “Country First,” and we fear that spirit is becoming a rarer thing in the America of the 21st century.

We say hello to a new kind of President who, as he himself famously quipped, doesn’t look like “all the other Presidents on the dollar bills” (well, no beard for one thing). Despite and because of that he has inspired a new generation to embrace political participation with a fervor not seen in two generations. And even those who didn’t vote for him rightly understand that his election marks a transformation of America’s long, troubled dialogue about race.

Uncommon Threads.

The Tones and Textures of Tradition.

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In this issue we profile a Meriden family who said goodbye to their former home under the most adverse conditions imaginable — it burned to the ground one cold winter night two years ago, one only an alert teenager spared the lives of the seven family members sleeping inside.

And even though the nightmare of that event remains vivid, the family made the decision to rebuild on the same site. In ATHOME, we say hello to the eye-popping results of that decision.

In the earliest days of 1864, some 900 Connecticut men of color answered Gov. William Buckingham’s call to arms and were mustered into the Union cause as the 29th Connecticut Colored Infantry, the state’s first primarily black combat unit. As Steven Scarpa writes in these pages, although soldiers of the 29th fought and died on Virginia battlefields, their legacy was lost until the dogged efforts of a group of descendents organized a fitting memorial to the soldiers, which was unveiled this fall in Criscuolo Park along the banks of the Quinnipiac River.

So we say hello anew to the legacy of these brave soldiers who brought honor to their state and to their cause.

Melissa Nicefaro helps us say hello to some ghosts of Christmases past in chronicling the history of Christmas in New Haven and Connecticut. The earliest European settlers to the region, dour Puritans all, frowned on celebratory expressions of Christ’s birth. What would they have made of “Black Friday” and the orgy of commercial excess the holiday has become in the 21st century?

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While we’re on that subject, December is also of course the month we hope to renew and rekindle love and kinship to those we hold most dear. From all of us at New Haven magazine, we wish all the joys of the season and best wishes for a very Happy New Year. v

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december 2008

— Michael C. Bingham, Editor

I NT EL other global challenges.”

Speaking of green, one longtime New Haven advertising executive, Chuck Mascola, can see the green in green and is sprucing up his PR firm Xpresso with a new environmentally related division: XpressoEco.

The Eagle Soars The Connecticut Audubon Society may have suspended its 2009 (February 14-15) Eagle Festival due to concerns about the down economy, but the town of Essex still hopes to benefit from interest in the flying raptors. The town will hold a series of events to draw local visitors to support area merchants. The festival had drawn more than 15,000 visitors in previous years. As Essex First Selectman Philip Miller told the Valley Courier, “We still have eagles.”

Among its existing eco-clients is Jiminy Peak Mountain Ski Area in Hancock, Mass., which has installed a huge wind turbine beneath the peak to provide electricity to the snowmaking operation.

Creative Capital

Going, Going, Green Reports are that Connecticut has used up its budget of tax credits to help fund residential solarpanel installations.

Fear not for global warming, though: Gov. M. Jodi Rell announced a new $6 million “Clean Tech Fund” to “help Connecticut entrepreneurs to develop cutting-edge solutions to address climate change and

banquet halls and all the sundry accoutrements that attend ‘Til Death Do Us Part. So far, however, only about 100 or so same-sex couples have actually ponied up the $30 for marriage licenses, now available in town clerks’ offices. Attorney General Richard Blumenthal is insisting that no opponents of the measure who hold positions of authority thwart the new “law.”

“I’m not pro or con,’ he said, in response to reports that some justices of the peace would refuse to perform the ceremonies.

Meanwhile, Connecticut’s Episcopal priests voted to ask Bishop Andrew Smith to allow priests in the diocese to participate in same-sex marriages.

Bring on the cover bands.

Marriage Minded Many are hoping the Connecticut Supreme Court’s 4-3 decision to allow gay marriage will boost our economy by increasing the market for wedding cakes,

Gov. M. Jodi Rell is soliciting nominations for the 2009 Governor’s Awards for Excellence in Culture & Tourism and Distinguished Advocates Awards.

Winners will be honored on April 15. The awards honor individuals for their achievements in the performing, visual or literary arts; film, video or digital media; history, heritage or historic preservation and tourism.

Nominations to Rhonda F. Olisky, awards coordinator at 860-2562752 or via e-mail at rhonda. olisky@ct.gov

Playing Ball Our friend Vinnie knows his baseball — so says the National Amateur Baseball Federation.

The NABF has named New Haven’s Vincent DiLauro its Man of the Year. DeLauro is the longtime president of the West Haven Twilight League, one of the country’s oldest amateur baseball leagues.

It’s an association that’s endured for more than 50 years. DiLauro was a player back in 1958 to ’60, but more recently supported the league as a sponsor and as an official. The Rotarian has a long list of community achievements under his belt, from the Jimmy Fund to the Auto Body Association of Connecticut. What INTEL appreciates most is that as president of Columbus Auto Body, his company is celebrating 80 years as a family business.

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new haven

7

Rick Levin looks back on 15 years of change for Yale, New Haven — and the world

T

his year Richard C. Levin observed his 15th anniversary as president of Yale University, making him the longesttenured Ivy League president. The 61year-old native San Franciscan came to Yale in 1970 to pursue a doctorate in economics, which he earned four years later — and with it an appointment to the Yale faculty. Levin’s tenure as president has marked a period of historic change for the 307-year-old university. These include physical changes (addressing long-neglected infrastructure issues, acquiring the former Bayer Pharmaceuticals campus in West Haven and beginning construction of two new residential colleges), economic changes (spectacular growth of the university’s endowment under Chief Investment Officer David Swensen and the reduction by an average of 50 percent of the cost of a Yale education to families with financial need) and political changes (engaging the university more closely with its host city). Perhaps the hallmark of Levin’s administration, however, is the transformation of Yale from a national institution to an international one, an overarching objective of his since he moved into Woodbridge Hall in 1993.

NHM Publisher Mitchell Young interviewed Levin November 5.

vvv Last night was an historic election; does it have any special significance for Yale?

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december 2008

PHOTOGRAPH:

Steve Blazo

You know, it’s the first time in 20 years we’ve not had a Yale graduate in the White House.

That was going to be my line.

You first came to Yale in 1974, an era of significant polarization on campus.

Students seem different now — is that an accurate assessment?

Actually, I started as a student in 1970 and [joined] the faculty in ’74. [The students are] still the same age, but they have a different attitude. Today I think they’re re-engaged with public issues — this year more than any that I’ve seen since the early ’60s and ’70s. Students are not approaching it from a perspective of opposition to the established system, but rather to be actively engaged on the inside.

Were you a campus activist as a student?

contemplation and a much more active social calendar.

I remember Yale as a struggling institution in the 1970s and right up until you took office in 1993. Was there a feeling that perhaps it had seen it best days?

The campus was pretty demoralized when I became president. The rundown condition of the facility and the city was perhaps at a historic low, with crime and housing vacancies and other indices of urban blight. And they became the two big initial objectives in those first years: to begin a serious effort to restore the facilities, and to reengage the university and the city of New Haven.

But in 1993 Yale had pretty limited resources, no huge endowment then.

Perhaps a minor-leaguer.

Is being an administrator a better gig then teaching?

Each has its virtues. I loved being a professor — I enjoyed all the various stimulations of teaching, the research and the engagement with the broader intellectual community in the field of economics. I loved that life; it’s a very different life. This one has less time for

We had to cut operating budgets to make it possible to find the funds to take on these initiatives. We had to squeeze pretty hard to make room for these priorities. Then the market started to move up and we had a fundraising campaign. The economy came out of the recession by 1997, ’98 and we were out of deficit and on the road to very considerable prosperity. And we’ve

continued to grow ever since.

So you feel the university is completely secure financially, or is there still fear you may find yourself back in trouble if you don’t watch your pennies?

It’s a little of both. We have been taking on ambitious initiatives as our means have enabled it, like [acquiring] the West Campus [in West Haven, former home to Bayer Pharmaceuticals], [beginning] the building of two new residential colleges and expanding financial aid dramatically the last few years. Those key initiatives are the important ones for us now and were very much enabled by our capacity to pay for them. That said, I’m an economist and instinctively prudent about managing resources. We have some reserves and have followed a fairly conservative policy on spending from endowments. So we are well positioned to take this downturn that’s about to happen. Many of our sister institutions will find it harder to adjust to a decline in the endowments.

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Steve Blazo

you first started to do it the early ’90s?

PHOTOGRAPH:

Timing was actually good. In 1980 Congress passed the Bayh-Dole Act that gave universities the right to patent inventions that were supported by government grants. That created a major change in the landscape of universities that had not been very aggressive in pursuing intellectual property rights to their discoveries. Yale was slow relative to some of our peers like Stanford and MIT, and our faculty in 1980 was fairly conservative about whether [commercializing technology] was even a good idea. I was on the initial committee that looked at this question and set the ground rules for commercialization of innovations here at Yale. We established a new Office of Cooperative Research, which has since grown to be very accomplished. But it was a fairly sleepy operation for ten or 12 years. I would say the time was just right when I started as president. The cultural acceptance of entrepreneurship had grown by then and we were able to bring in a first-rate team to escalate our efforts.

‘We’re invested in the same stock market everyone else is. We do have outstanding managers, but we’re not going to be immune to the downturn.’

Do you anticipate a dramatic shrinkage of the endowments?

We’re invested in the same stock market everyone else is. We do have outstanding managers, but we’re not going to be immune to the downturn.

Many New Haveners are excited to see Yale build again for no less reason than its commitment to exciting architecture.

Most of the early projects of my tenure were renovations, which we’ve done to a very high standard. In the last seven or eight years we’ve been able to move ahead with new buildings, and Yale has a fabulous tradition of engaging first-rate architects. We have some great examples: César Pelli and the Malone Center [a/ k/a the Engineering Research Building], which is a great addition to the campus.

The new Yale Sculpture Gallery that Stephen Kieran has done is outstanding.

I’m a big fan of Charles Gwathmey’s work — not only the renovation of the Paul Rudolph Art & Architecture Building but also the new [Jeffrey Loria Center for the History of Art].

10

december 2008

Not everyone’s happy with that last one.

There are mixed reviews, but I think it’s a terrific building.

You mentioned the new engineering building. It’s said that university engineering departments are a foundation of economic development. With the expansion of the engineering school, does Yale want to produce actual ‘building’ engineers, or ‘thinking’ engineers?

Both. To strengthen our capacity to teach and advance knowledge we have to stay in the thinking game. We have to be hiring people who are leaders in scholarship and science, and that goes for engineering as much as English literature. But it is true as we’ve expanded our engineering faculty and have built up the life-science faculty, we’ve seen a lot of individuals who have developed an interest in commercializing innovations that come out of their labs.

We’ve started up about 40 companies, [both in] biotech and some that involve engineers as well as biologists. I think that as we expand in this area we will see more.

Was it hard to change that culture when

You have a female dean of the physics department, C. Megan Urry — a first for Yale — and the engineering school is now headed by another woman, T. Kyle Vanderlick. How has the appointment of women to top academic leadership positions changed Yale?

I’ve been a big fan of female leadership.

Half of our leadership team from the beginning has been women. I’ve had two women as provost, just appointed a new woman [Mary E. Miller] as dean of the Yale College. Having the perspective of both men and women has been truly valuable. I’ve found the women in leadership to be more collaborative on average than males.

What did you think when your colleague, Harvard president Larry Summers, lost his job for suggesting that women think differently than men?

I think Larry Summers had misjudged his audience and spoke in an informal way about sensitive issues without taking seriously the sensitivities of the people in his audience. I don’t think he has any prejudice against women. I think he was trying to be provocative without recognizing his style might irritate.

Perhaps your most far-reaching achievement is transforming Yale from a national institution into an international one. Why was that so important?

To prepare people to be 21st-century

citizens. The world is much more highly interdependent today; the financial crisis is a case in point. Any educated person has to have the capacity to understand and appreciate different cultures. Overseas experience in the course of one’s education is effectively a prerequisite for success.

Having exposure to international students on campus, similarly, is a way of getting that kind of depth.

So has ‘For God, for Country and for Yale’ effectively become ‘For God, for the World and for Yale? Does that mean Yale is growing into a world institution?

Yes, but I don’t think I would change the motto. Princeton actually did change its motto: ‘Princeton in the nation’s service’ is now ‘…in the nation’s service, and the service of all nations.’

challenge authority and to speak for one’s self that they never experienced in their lives. And almost uniformly they’re inspired by it and become committed to it. Whether it is overt or subtle, their lives are changed in ways that I think will help other countries open up.

Do you worry about China taking a step backward?

Yes, there is always a danger [that] the aggressive opening-up of China — which has been slow, but since Tiananmen Square, progressive — can be set back for

a decade or longer by some unfortunate event. I don’t think they’re past the point of no return. For example, serious economic duress: If you were to have a serious economic crisis in China then you could have village uprisings and part of the population would be suppressed by the national government. They have lots of demonstrations now for perceptions of unfair treatment of villagers.

Is Yale’s relationship with New Haven ‘past the point of no return’ in a positive sense?

Both Mayor [John] DeStefano and I and Continued on 30

Are you sure you’ve been fantasizing about the right German sport sedan?

You’ve been very actively engaged with China. How do you view the Chinese people themselves?

The thing that would be surprising to Americans is that the [Chinese people] are by and large very happy with their government. They take a great deal of pride in the accomplishments of their country. They’re proud of the economic developments, the fact that 300 million people have been lifted out of poverty.

Most Chinese strike a different balance in their thinking about individual liberty and collective success. We’re very much at one end of the spectrum; Europeans are perhaps a little shifted more toward the communal, [and the] Chinese quite a bit further. That’s one of the values of sending students abroad and getting them to know and understand people.

There will be progress toward democracy and openness during the next couple of decades [in China]. I also think it is important to know that it’s not as important to them as it is to us that every single person have completely free expression.

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I guess many of us expect an international Yale to promote our values?

And one of the great things about having international students in this country at Yale, or any university in this country, is that it’s a win-win situation for America.

Students who come here and get trained and then choose to stay here contribute to our talent pool and our labor force.

The people who go back, they’re helping America, too. Certainly from China, but frankly from almost any country in the developing world, the students who come here experience openness and an intellectual freedom and the ability to

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11

PHOTOGRAPH:

Courtesy Greenberg family and Scholastic News

Short Stories A 12-year-old journalist gets up close and personal with an historic national political campaign

By Cindy Simoneau

L

ike all journalists seeking to remain unbiased in their reporting, Jack Greenberg does not have an opinion about the candidates running for office or what policies he would like to see President-elect Barack Obama establish.

Despite his acknowledged political interests, Greenberg is content covering the opinions of others on all political matters from his vantage point in the front row of the American news media.

“I took an oath to myself to be impartial in all that I cover,” explains the 12-year-old.

From the prolonged battles of the election primaries to the Democratic and Republican national conventions and Election Night itself, Greenberg has had a coveted, up-close view at many political venues. Standing elbow-to-elbow with the national media, Greenberg represented the interests of children across the country as a correspondent for Scholastic News.

“I asked the same questions as other reporters,” he explains of the job he and other Scholastic correspondents undertake. (Jack is one of four Scholastic correspondents in Connecticut.)

“The job is very difficult and, just because we’re a little shorter than everyone else doesn’t mean we can’t compete. We try to be the best we can, and ask good, tough questions. That’s the job of all journalists

12

december 2008

Scholastic News correspondent Jack Greenberg (left, obviously) with former First Daughter Chelsea Clinton at the Democratic National Convention.

asking questions on behalf of their audience.”

following them were often most exciting.

“Members of the news media would come up to me looking for my opinions and At a moment’s notice he and his family comments about what I saw,” he recalls. had to be prepared to fly or drive around “Of course I remained neutral, but it was the country to get the story for his readers. all so interesting.”

As a result, he has built an impressive portfolio of published clips from both And, on Election Night, Greenberg Scholastic’s printed and online publications. was among a select group of Scholastic During the particularly grueling weeks correspondents gathered at headquarters covering the national political conventions in New York City reporting on results last summer, Greenberg says the Scholastic and appearing on television and radio team, like his news media colleagues, programs giving the youth perspective. followed a demanding pace with limited In addition to covering the long list of free time. “We had to fit in eating and politicians seeking the presidency, he has sleeping,” he says.” grilled NBC News anchor Brian Williams The West Haven native and Hopkins and Tim Russert, the (more recently School seventh-grader has also landed deceased) moderator of Meet the Press, in the guest chair on national programs as he pursues what he hopes will be a including NBC’s Today Show, Fox News lifetime career in journalism. and CBS Radio, where seasoned veterans Like many journalists, Greenberg has an of the news biz complimented him for insatiable interest in all aspects of politics. his journalistic skills and articulate When he’s not researching information observations about many political matters for his stories, he’s spending spare time that some of voting age are missing. analyzing political maps of states and While he has enjoyed the energetic reviewing public opinion polls on a wide atmosphere surrounding the political variety of issues. events, Greenberg says the chaotic Like the national media, politics atmosphere in the media “spin rooms”

dominated Greenberg’s schedule this election cycle, but he also busied himself blogging about the Olympics and other events, and interviewing Connecticut leaders such as Gov. M. Jodi Rell.

Finding an angle to which his audience can relate is Greenberg’s primary mission.

His readers are typically ages eight to 14. “Despite what many people seem to believe, my audience is interested in a variety of important topics, including the environment and the economy,” he says. “I can honestly say kids are much more interested and informed about this election than what people may think they would observe.”

He hopes also to become the youth reporter who is there covering the accomplishments of his generation: “I hope if there’s a kid climbing Mt. Everest, I get the interview.”

The son of Jack and Maggie Greenberg of West Haven, Greenberg says he is thankful that his family members, including younger brother, Jared, a thirdgrader at Mackrille School, were willing to subordinate their own schedules to accommodate his reporting assignments.

Despite seeing his big brother’s far-flung reporting venues, Jared does not plan on following his brother into the journalism world. He’s more interested in becoming a video-game designer.

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Before being bitten by the news bug, Greenberg himself dabbled with the ideas of being a game show host or acting, a hobby he still enjoys pursuing. He spends much time reading, especially about his favorite school subject of history, and enjoys cooking and playing golf.

“I’ve loved every minute of the chance to see history in the making,” Greenberg says. “It’s been a lot of fun and an incredible opportunity. I tell my friends how much I love being able to bring news to people.”

He is hoping his entrance into the journalism world will eventually lead him to his dream job: succeeding Brian Williams as anchor of the NBC Nightly News.

“I’m looking forward to the day when I can be responsible for bringing the news to millions of people every night,” he says.

His next big assignment? Greenberg is hoping to be selected to cover the Inauguration of the 44th President of the United States in Washington, D.C. “That would just make the past two years complete,” he says. v new haven

13

For generations of New Haven children, the Chapel Street display window of Shartenberg’s Department Store was the stuff that dreams were made of.

I

n mid-October, Halloween hadn’t hit yet, but already the staff at Target stores across the state was making room for Christmas decorations. The same phenomenon was happening at Stop & Shop. Meanwhile, people at Wal-Mart were shopping blissfully unawares, humming along to the music being piped into the store. One by one, they stopped dead in their tracks. Then the mumblings began: “Wait — is that Christmas music?”

Indeed it was. Even national television commercials were beginning to inject their brand of holiday cheer into countless homes with Christmas jingles in October. What happened to the days when we looked forward to the season officially kicking off the day after Thanksgiving (which now even has a name of its own: Black Friday) to pull out the Christmas records and reacquaint ourselves with the ghosts of Christmas past?

My, how things have changed. It’s the economy, stupid. Or is it?

The National Retail Federation estimates that holiday retail spending will increase by a slim 2.2 percent to $470 billion this year, the slowest rate of growth in six years. This year, the average person will spend $466.13 on gifts for family, $94.52 on friends, $26.70 on co-workers, and $43.50 on other gifts. For the first time in the survey’s history, people say they plan to spend less this year on gifts for family members, though not by very much: Americans will be tightening their belts on average to the 14

december 2008

tune of a whole $3.01 ($466.13 projected for 2008 vs. $469.14 last year).

Thank God for Santa Claus. Otherwise, we’d be spending even more.

Then there’s the other side of Christmas: the religious dimension, specifically the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ. A little-known fact about Christmas is that it predates its namesake. The history of what we now know as the Christmas festival dates back more than 4,000 years to a midwinter celebration of the return of the sun from cold and darkness. Midwinter was a turning point between the Old Year and the New Year. Then came Jesus.

“I like to say I’m pregnant with hope at Christmas time,” says Gary Smith, senior minister at the First Congregational Church of Branford.

“Christmas brings the explosion of that hope and love that we’ve come through the Sundays of Advent with.”

This Christmas season, he plans to talk to his congregation about the importance of focusing on the spiritual dimension of the season.

“It’s not your birthday,” he says. “We’re not going to do gifts. If you insist, give

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Christ, but had become so bogged down with cultural stuff that they [the Puritans] simply threw it out,” he says.

In Search of the Real Christmas

T

ake a journey back in time — Christmastime:

Bridgeport’s Barnum Museum at 820 Main Street showcases the popular holiday program Celebrate the Season, chronicling the evolution of the Christmas celebration from 1850 through 1900. The museum’s period rooms are decorated in elaborate 19thcentury style demonstrating how the ideal of Christmas became woven into an American tradition.

The Henry Whitfield State Museum in Guilford is the oldest house in Connecticut and the oldest stone house in New England. For 260 years, generations of Guilford families called the Old Stone House home. Even after it became a museum in 1899, the caretakers continued to live in the house until a barn on the property was converted into a residence in 1923.

Through December 14, the exhibit Holidaze: The Real Story of Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas explores the

myths and realities of these holidays.

The museum is open Wednesday through Sunday from April to midDecember.

The New Haven Museum & Historical Society at 114 Whitney Avenue houses images of hundreds of Christmases past behind its doors. The Historical Society features four ongoing exhibition galleries devoted to topics in New Haven history and three temporary galleries that display themed exhibitions. It’s open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays (except Monday) and noon to 5 p.m. Saturdays.

The Osborne Homestead Museum at 500 Hawthorne Avenue in Derby provides a lovely step back in time for the holiday season, the museum is decorated by local garden clubs. Each room features a scene from A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. The exhibit is open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday to Sunday through December 21. Twilight tours run 4 to 6:30 p.m. on Fridays. — M.N.

The Puritans came here to practice religion freely and that did not include the rowdy drunken parties and begging that were associated with the holiday back in Olde England. The ban on Christmas lasted about more than two decades. It was as much about political beliefs as it was about religious faith.

In April 1638, Rev. John Davenport, a Puritan minister, along with Theophilus Eaton and 500 of their closest friends, founded the New Haven Colony after purchasing the land from the local natives.

Long before the says of measurable consumer confidence, the land that is now New Haven went for 12 coats, 12 brass spoons, 12 hoes, 24 knives, 12 porringer dishes and four cases of French knives and forks. By 1641, New Haven had grown into a community of 800.

“The Puritans and their descendents avoided the celebration of Christmas because they

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december 2008

Anthony DeCarlo PHOTOGRAPH:

It’s a Merry Christmas for Gary Smith.

It was only through slow acceptance that Christmas grew in New England and it wasn’t until the early 19th century, with an influx of Germans, French and Irish immigrants that it began to resemble the celebratory

“The Germans brought their rituals of the Tannenbaum tree and baking, and colonists were intrigued,” says Minkema.

“They thought all the decorations looked like fun, so the colonists did it too and by the Civil War era, Christmas had largely caught on.”

“By the 1820s and ’30s, there was tremendous public pressure to make Christmas more of a celebration,” explains Bill Hosley, executive director of the New Haven Museum & Historical Society.

“It went from nothing in 1750 to a big-deal mass movement — no pun intended — in 1850.”

By the 1850s, Christmas was very much a family affair, celebrated at church with special masses. Before the mid19th century there had not been much of a Catholic presence in New Haven. The first wave of mass immigration followed

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In 1659, a law was enacted that imposed a fine of five shillings on anyone caught feasting or taking part in any form of merriment on December 25.

Caroling, nativity scenes and even the baking of mincemeat pies were outlawed until 1681, (although the world could still probably do without mincemeat pies).

occasion it would become.

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felt it was a reflection or continuity of Catholicism,” explains Kenneth Minkema, a lecturer in American religious history at the Yale Divinity School. “They tried to do away with all of those vestiges in their search for what they called ‘primitive’ or ‘true’ Christianity. They were all about getting rid of images.”

Continued on 53

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Anthony DeCarlo

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Glory Deferred, Not Denied

By Steven Scarpa

Connecticut African-American Civil War soldiers reclaim a lost legacy

Descendants Harrison Mero and Jacqueline Buster were instrumental in the effort to create a fitting memorial to their ancestors in the 29th Connecticut.

T

he election of Barack Obama as President of the United States would have been utterly inconceivable to an African-American living in Connecticut during the Civil War. While technically living in freedom, African-Americans were still not accorded the rights of their white fellow citizens — so much so that the idea of fighting on behalf of a nation that fundamentally refused to acknowledge their basic human rights would have seemed quixotic at best.

Still, in the early days of 1864, 900 men of color answered Connecticut Gov. William Buckingham’s call to arms, eventually becoming the state’s first primarily black combat unit, the 29th Connecticut Colored

Infantry. The decision was bred of necessity — the Civil War had been raging since 1861 and the Union government was beginning to conclude that AfricanAmerican soldiers would be necessary to win the war.

On the day of its debarkation to the battlefield, Frederick Douglass addressed the 29th Connecticut, offering inspiration and encouragement to the men and reminding them that their service would ultimately create a greater good. “Once let the black man get upon his person the brass letters ‘US,’ and a eagle on his button, and a musket on his shoulder, and a bullet in his pocket, there is no power on earth that can deny that the black man

has earned the right of citizenship in the United States,” Douglass told the soldiers as they prepared to confront the rigors of war.

Buckingham, a state leader with strong abolitionist ties, also spoke to the men on the deck of the Warrior, the ship slated to transport them to the southern battlefield.

“He asked the men, ‘When you come home from achieving this great victory, what do you want?’ To a man, they said they wanted the right to vote restored to them. They wanted to participate in the decision-making process,” says Harrison Mero of Hamden, whose ancestor Joseph Sills fought with the 29th Connecticut.

Mero, his niece Jacqueline Buster and the

other members of the Descendants of the Connecticut 29th Colored Regiment, have spent the last decade reliving the Civil War, learning about the African-American and Native American men from all over Connecticut who chose to fight for the Union.

Mero and Buster are among those who worked to create a permanent memorial at Criscuolo Park in New Haven — the site of Douglass’ speech to the regiment.

The monument was dedicated September 20. Ed Hamilton, creator of the city’s Amistad Memorial, likewise designed the 29th’s monument, a black granite obelisk mounted on cobblestones. The centerpiece is surrounded by eight matching granite obelisks bearing the names of the soldiers in the regiment. “Over the course of time this monument will be a common reminder of the sacrifices these men made for freedom,” said Buster. “It’s a first step in getting them the recognition they earned. These men of color sacrificed themselves for a nation that didn’t even acknowledge them as human beings.”

Buster and Mero acknowledge that they were reluctant converts to the Descendents’ cause. “I was drafted,” says Mero, echoing a sentiment likewise

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expressed by Buster. Beyond the essential goodness of the cause, there was nothing easy about financing and building a new monument. Initially there appeared to be little interest among people around New Haven in advancing the project.

What began as a $75,000 proposal ended up costing the Descendants about $225,000, a sum raised through private and public contributions to the non-profit organization. “People were sort of beat up,” Buster recalls. “They said, ‘You are talking about fighting. You are talking about war.

We should be talking about peace.’”

It took a sold-out theatrical performance about the life of rabid abolitionist John Brown a decade ago to convince Buster and Mero that there was interest in their efforts. Once they moved forward, researching their ancestors and speaking to school groups, they were hooked.

“We realized that people cared,” says Buster. “You slowly begin to realize the significance of this history.”

Like other African-American units who fought for the Union during the Civil War, the 29th Connecticut began its life primarily as a support unit, being employed in the service of such mundane but necessary duties as guarding,

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That would change as the war dragged on and with it the unquenchable thirst for fresh bodies on both sides. The 29th Connecticut eventually saw combat in the battles of Petersburg, Kell House and Deep Bottom Run. The regiment was known for fighting for 23 straight hours near Fair Oaks, Va., holding off a South Carolina regiment. Reads a regimental report of the action: “Though 23 hours in the skirmish line, and the men excessively fatigued, I beg to call especial attention to the fact there [are] none missing. When we returned to camp yesterday afternoon, we brought every man we took out, excepting those killed and wounded, while stragglers from the white regiments have been going past all day.”

The 29th was the first Union regiment to march into the fallen Confederate capital of Richmond, Va. “Early the next morning explosions of rebel gunboats in the James [River], and of magazines in Fort Darling and in the direction of Richmond, and the coming in of deserters began to announce the rebel evacuation,” wrote the Rev. Henry Marshall in the 29th’s regimental history.

The Fine Art of Dying in Battle

L

ife is deďŹ ned by death. “Mortality deďŹ nes the human condition,â€? writes historian Drew Gilpin Faust in her new book, This Republic of Suffering (Alfred Knopf, 2008, 358 pps.)

Faust’s book is not a work of political or military history, but an examination of the personal dimension of a conict characterized by slaughter unimaginable only a generation earlier. There’s no grand strategy, no sweeping accounts of glorious battles — just a sober, factual telling of the human toll of the slaughter.

Faust — who in her spare time is president of Harvard University — was in New Haven October 29 to discuss her book in a “conversation� with Yale American history professor David Blight in Luce Hall on Hillhouse Avenue.

Faust explained that she decided to write her newest book while researching an earlier work, Mothers of Invention: Women of the Slaveholding South in the American Civil War. “reading the letters of these women,�

Faust told her Yale audience, “what I found at the core of their writing was the centrality of death.�

died between 1861 and 1865 is 620,000 — equal to the total number of U.S. fatalities in the Revolution, War of 1812, Mexican War, SpanishAmerican War, World War I, World War II and the Korean War combined.

Indeed, as Faust writes in This Republic of Suffering, By the mid-19th century, “the United States embarked on a new relationship with death, ethat would presage the slaughter of World War I’s Western Front and the carnage of the 20th century.�

The tragic fact is that by 1861 the technology of killing had outpaced the technology of healing that a human holocaust was inevitable. “This is a book about the work of death,â€? Faust writes, as new, longer-range weapons including muzzle-loading ries more powerful artillery and repeating ries made much more efďŹ cient the work of the Grim Reaper.

Although the exact number of casualties can only be guessed (one of the themes of Faust’s book), the most accepted ďŹ gure for the number who

Faust’s chapter titles reect this preoccupation with the personal dimension of death: “Dying,â€? “Killing,â€? “Burying,â€? among them.

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Marshall’s account of the regiment’s service is a dry recitation of the facts.

However, his description of the unit’s pursuit of Confederate troops conveys a sense of the desperation of the Southern soldiers as Richmond burned. “By the earliest dawn the 29th was in marching order and eager for the pursuit,” he wrote. “The men were soon over the breastworks, through the bristling abbatis and the thickly planted torpedoes, and in the deserted rebel [Fort Harrison].

They found the guns spiked and the tents standing, but with every breadth of canvas slashed by a knife. They waited to see no more, but hurried out upon the high road to Richmond, which was strewn with articles cast aside by the retreating rebels.

Then began the exciting race to first reach the burning city, the flames and smoke of which could be distinctly seen.”

In the fall of 1865, after chasing rogue Confederates in Texas following the April 9 surrender at Appomattox, the 29th Connecticut was mustered out of service and returned to Hartford. Despite its relatively limited (compared with some other units) combat experience, the 29th acquired a reputation for good service. “I will also add that we feel a peculiar pride

Connecticut 29th Regiment Descendants. Left-to-right: Descendants Jacqueline F. Buster, Monument Chair; Harrison Mero, President; Charles E. Fitch, Vice President; Carol Pollard, descendant; Webster Brooks, Secretary.

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in knowing that, in this, our first time at the extreme from, for in our advances we have lain as reserve or support, we have not only gained honor ourselves, but also added renown to the state that sent us forth, a black regiment bearing her name upon our banner,” a regimental officer wrote in a letter to the Connecticut adjutant general.

During the war 29 men were killed in action and another 139 were wounded. As was characteristic of the primitive medical conditions that attended most of the fighting, another 184 soldiers died from disease or accidents.

After the war members of the regiment returned to their communities and many, profoundly affected by the experience of war, became leaders, going to college, some of them becoming teachers and ministers. Many of the soldiers had begun their education in earnest during the war, learning how to read and write from unit commanders as well as their comradesin-arms. “When they came home, they kept it [education] as the light in front of them,” Mero said.

Their request for enfranchisement wasn’t forgotten — many of the veterans

would spend the remainder of their lives regretting that they hadn’t been allowed to vote for Abraham Lincoln’s re-election in 1864. Upon their return, Buckingham told them, “Although Connecticut now denies you privileges which it grants to others, for no other apparent reason than because God has made you differ in complexion, yet justice will not always stand afar off.

Be patient.”

It was hard to be patient. Sgt. Alexander Newton, a veteran of the regiment who later entered the ministry, expressed his frustration with the slow progress of civilrights reform. “We are forced to conclude the no man is really free unless he holds in his bosom the right of franchise and has received the liberty to exercise that right. Have the tens [of] millions of Afro-Americans in the United States that right today? The answer comes from many States, NO!” Newton wrote in his war memoirs, published in 1910. Indeed, it would take 99 years after Appomattox before the full measure of citizenship for African-Americans was memorialized as the law of the land.

And 98 years after Newton’s frustrated cry, on Tuesday, November 4, 2008, Barack Obama became the first African-

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American elected President of the United States. Now more than ever Mero and Buster are reminded of the sacrifices men like Newton made, both in combat and in the choices they made after returning home when the fighting ended. “When those men came back from the war, it was inspirational,” says Mero. “There was hope in people’s faces.”

Like many Americans, Mero stayed up late on Election Night, taking in Obama’s victory speech in Chicago’s Grant Park on television. While watching the Presidentelect convey a message of hope and unity, Mero’s thoughts turned to the men of the 29th. “The foundations of freedom were born of their experiences,” he says.

Buster sees in Obama something the Civil War veterans could never have anticipated, a universality of equality that was simply beyond the soldiers wildest imaginings.

“What he has got embodied in him is the best of all worlds,” Buster says. “How does this happen? He dreamed it. He believed in this American dream. Do you really just have to believe in all this [for it to happen]? When we talk about it now, we can with conviction. v

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Lifestyles of the Guilford author Lynn Haney has spent a lifetime walking with (and writing about) legendary characters

By JOYCE L. FAIOLA

There are no dull subjects — only dull writers.

— H.L. Mencken

W

hile many writers, wannabe writers or fans would drool at the thought of meeting Pulitzer- and Nobel prizewinner writer John Steinbeck, it’s a good guess that none have had quite the same first meeting with him as Guilford author Lynn Haney.

Arriving for a meeting of the National Council on the Arts at the Tarrytown House, a castle-like mansion in the Hudson River Valley, Steinbeck and his dog Angier Biddle Duke (named after a famous diplomat) found the house empty. Steinbeck, a notoriously shy and private person stood waiting for a while and then called out, “Hello, is anyone here?” Washing her hands in the ladies loo, Haney without thinking blurted out, “I’m in here.”

Haney’s career has been spent in such close proximity to legends that she has become

a bit of a legend herself, spanning two continents and a rich cast of characters including Jimmy Carter, Sofia Loren, Gregory Peck, Rose Kennedy, Art Buchwald, Abbie Hoffman, Betty Friedan and Jack Lemmon. Dick Cavett recently told her that she looks like Irene Dunne.

There are writers who write and writers who teach (because they supposedly cannot write) but Haney is that rare combination of consummate writer (11 titles with sales in excess of 100,000) and talented writer’s coach and instructor.

Haney’s books span a smorgasbord of subject matter.

She is well-known biographer: Naked at the Feast (Dodd, Mead, 1981), the first major biography of Josephine Baker, was optioned by Diana Ross for possible film treatment.

More recently Haney penned a don’t-miss-a-page biography of Gregory Peck, A Charmed Life (Carroll & Graf, 2004).

Last year’s Camping in Comfort: A Guide to Roughing It in Ease & Style (International Marine/ Ragged Mountain Press) added

Upper Left: Family Easter photo with Haney, age 6.

Bottom: Life experiences inform her writings.

Haney shown here 9hitchiking private planes at Omaha airport.

It all began in Pittsburgh’s culturally rich East End, a breeding ground for such writers as Rachel Carson, Willa Cather, Annie Dilliard and David McCullough.

With unwavering Irish optimism and drive, Haney’s mother envisioned bright futures for each of her four daughters.

“You have to be a success,” she told them.

“It’s in the air.”

Lynn grew up the youngest of four sisters in a noisy Haney household located next door to Gene Kelly’s family. “Gene’s career had an enormous effect on me,” Haney recalls. “I became fascinated with movies. Along with my best friend Janny Flynn, I spent countless hours eating popcorn in our local movie house worshipping each of Kelly’s movies along with every movie churned out by the Hollywood machine.”

Most writers begin as great readers, and Lynn Haney is no exception. “My parents treasured books and refused to buy a television until I was a college freshman,” she recalls. My appetite for writing began as an appetite for reading: I pored over my accumulated, well-worn copies of Thackery, Tolstoy, Nabokov, Faulkner and Bellow. I was especially influenced

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Every Halloween Haney would make the neighborhood rounds in her own costume recreations of her favorite movie chorus girls or starlets. Her early years of education were spent in Catholic schools taught by nuns. One day her geometry teacher admonished, “Lynn, I don’t think you understand this class, you just don’t get it.” Her self assured reply, “But Sister, I don’t have to get it — I’m going to Broadway!”

During those years she earned a reputation as the class mischief-maker. “If anyone wanted creative ideas for pulling a prank, making a mess of something or just plain getting to the funny side of anything – I was their go-to gal,” she recalls with a laugh.

Inspired by Kelly’s An American in Paris, Haney rushed to the City of Light straight out of college, convinced that she would find everything exactly like in the movies — and it was. She parlayed her college diploma into graduate studies in French literature at the Sorbonne and landed a job inside the pearly gates of Christian Dior’s posh showroom. She spent a year as a new haven

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Living in makeshift digs including the famous Left Bank bookstore Shakespeare & Co., which doubled as crash pad for aspiring writers, Haney found adventure on each rue with friend Maura Burke. She dieted down to 96 pounds for a short stint as a model for various design studios and catalogues. She ditched that work when a photographer tried to lure her into a bath because he said she had “that sudsy look.”

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Haney then joined the New York Times and spent three years as a news assistant on the national news desk. “Along with Diane Henry, a news reporter for the Washington bureau of the Times, I hitchhiked around the country in private planes. We started our escapade by standing on the runway at New Jersey’s Teterboro Airport and sticking out our thumbs. Our adventure was picked up by the Times News Service and published around the country.”

As an expatriate she had let her carte de sejour (French resident permit) lapse and was summoned to court for the offense. Her bosses at Dior were extremely distressed so they sent her to the U.S. Embassy to get it fixed — “toute suite.”

The Consul General penned a letter to the court saying that Haney was his niece (they had never met) and that “American honor” was at stake.

She stayed out of the with Haney. slammer. r Gregory Peck Famed acto

T HE FRENCH DOOR

During Haney’s time with the National Endowment, “I worked very near to the White House. My antennae were always up and I drank in every conversation, detail, joke and personality I encountered.

That’s when I met Greg Peck; little did I know that 20 years later I would write his biography.”

Thanking the Consul General for his intervention, Haney mentioned that she wanted to return to the States and work in Washington. He sent her to the White House, which hired her as a press assistant to Rodger Stevens, a Broadway producer who once owned the Empire State Building. In 1965 President Johnson asked Stevens to help establish the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Council on the Arts, whose members were arts-industry luminaries appointed by the President, including Leonard Bernstein, Sidney Poitier, Helen Hays, Issac Stern, Gregory Peck and John Steinbeck.

Steinbeck “was the real deal,” Haney recalls. “He was so shy, self-effacing, I’ll never forget him — when I finally came out of the ladies lounge, I couldn’t help notice that he was wearing a red plaid flannel shirt. Only farmers wore those back then. That was long before L.L. Bean made them fashionable weekend attire.”

Two of Haney’s more memorable assignments were crafting an article on Manhattan’s “snazziest” bachelor pads and a business-desk assignment to spend a week attending mortuary school, resulting in a piece on the inside scoop on undertakers.

Haney left the Times when she landed her first book contract for The Lady Is a Jock, featuring profiles of pioneering female jockeys.

After her first book Haney’s career took off and writing became her full-time vocation. When Naked at the Feast was published, Gene Shalit of NBC’s Today Show gushed, “If anyone wants to recreate the high life of Paris in the 1920s and the life of Josephine Baker, Lynn Haney’s Naked at the Feast is the place to go.”

For the past decade much of Haney’s attention has been devoted to coaching others to write. It’s clear her that writing, her own “obsession,” can be taught, and she’s “deep” ghostwritten several books, book proposals and screenplays. “I feel compelled to teach what is such a vital part of my life,” she explains.

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PHOTOGRAPH:

Moira Demos

BIBLIOF I L ES

The Devil in New England Yale historian Demos plumbs the depths of a region’s soul The Enemy Within: 2,000 Years of Witch-Hunting in the Western World, by John Demos (2008). Viking, 336 pps., $25.95.

Demos: ‘[The enemy] also resides within each of the countless persons who fear, and hunt, witches.’

By Liese Klein

O

ur state boasts the nation’s first constitution, first dictionary and first hamburger, but Connecticut was also a pioneer in far darker way: The first person executed as a witch in the American colonies was hung in Windsor in 1647. Alice Young was one of 35 to die in the witchcraft “scares” of the 17th century in the colonies, which also saw men and women in New Haven and surrounding towns accused of consorting with the devil and casting spells on their neighbors.

“I have indeed set myself to

countermine the whole plot of the Devil against New England,” famed Puritan preacher Cotton Mather wrote of the witch-hunts.

Yale historian John Demos revisits New England’s dark past in detail in his new book, The Enemy Within: 2,000 Years of Witch-Hunting in the Western World.

He also ties the region’s outbreak of occult hysteria to a larger witch-hunting movement in Europe, which cost perhaps hundreds of thousands of lives over several centuries. Far from a dry recounting of events, however, Demos’ book synthesizes historical thinking about the witch-hunting and bring it into the present day. It also posits a tantalizing question: What are the witch hunts of today and how will they take shape tomorrow?

The history of witch-hunting itself is absorbing, with key detours into the persecution of early Christians by the Romans and the emergence of dualistic thinking that pitted an all-good God against an all-evil Satan. The spread of Christianity into Europe also led the faith to absorb pagan customs and then struggle to “purify” itself of vestiges like folk remedies, charms and what were later labeled superstitions.

Demos also explores the misogyny at the heart of witchcraft scares across cultures and continents and

discusses the societal utility of such scares: “The presence in a village community of a suspected witch worked both to deflect hostility from other targets and to concentrate blame.”

The narrative culminates in colonial America, Demos’ specialty, with an indepth look at the dozens of witch trials of the 1600s, most of which took place within a few hour’s drive of New Haven. The settlers’ struggles and often contentious interpersonal dealings come to life in the historian’s simple but fluent prose, but it may be difficult not to get the creeps the next time you visit Northampton or other sites of brutal “interrogations” of suspected witches.

Also intriguing is a discussion of how the Salem witch trials have been interpreted over the centuries and adapted to prevailing ideologies. In the decades following the trials, the hysteria was blamed on the devil himself and linked to the Puritan doctrine of man’s sinful ways.

Later, Salem was tied to class conflict, patriarchy, mental illness, the Indian wars of the time and even capitalism. Demos evaluates the theories and concludes that a variety of factors left Salem and other colonial settlements uniquely vulnerable to a witch-scare panic: “An entire region teeters on the edge.”

But most interesting is Demos’ analysis of witch-hunting as a type of scapegoating

that targeted those most embedded in a society. Strangers and foreigners were subject to other forms of abuse, to be sure, but witch hunters usually sought out “the enemy within” homogeneous and tightknit groups.

“The witch…is discovered inside the host community; typically he or she is a former member in good standing of that community who has chosen not only to reject but also subvert it,” Demos writes.

“Thus, the idea of witchcraft holds at its center the theme of betrayal.” He also sees an internal element to the persecution: “[The enemy] also resides within each of the countless persons who fear, and hunt, witches.”

Although it’s tempting to draw a presentday parallel to the hunt for terrorists, Demos seems on-target with his choice to end with a 1984 pedophilia scare at a Massachusetts day school. Instead of focusing on the troubled family life of the first accuser, police elicited tales from children of ritual abuse by school workers involving clowns, murder and animal sacrifice. Although the accusations were later discredited, one of the school workers spent nearly two decades in prison.

“The distance between the 1692 witch-hunt in [Salem], and 1980s abuse case in the other, is not so far,” Demos writes.

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And although it plumbs the depths of the human soul, Demos’ book is hardly incompatible with the holidays. This is perfect reading for a wintry vacation day in front of the fire as bare branches rattle on the windowpanes. The role of religion and community in the witchcraft scares is also thought-provoking at this time of year. After all, when the bonds that tie a community together begin to fray, the results can be terrifying. v

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ONE2ONE Continued from 11

Bruce Alexander [vice president of Yale’s Office of New Haven and State Affairs] are really committed to the idea that there should be built-in, institutionalized, durable cooperation beyond our respective tenures. We are concerned about that and are making long-term commitments so we’re setting the stage for successors to have that kind of cooperative relationship.

If we are in for hard economic times it will place stress on the fragile economies of New Haven and Connecticut.

It is important first that the new President and new Congress take the type of stimulus measures that will curtail the most adverse consequences. We could be in for a very protracted and deep recession.

I believe as an economist we can at least keep it from being protracted.

Recently you were quoted as saying Yale was the only corporate citizen left in New Haven. What did you mean?

In the last 15 years a lot of the corporations that were New Haven-based have vanished. The telephone company is a subsidiary; of the local banks, all but one are gone. That’s a tough blow for a community. That’s why we’re hoping

some of these technology companies will develop and become significant players.

Many of us see that New Haven has made great strides in the past 15 years. Do you think that message has made it out to the rest of the world, including to your alumni?

I do. Look at the numbers [of visitors] that come downtown. Certainly from the surrounding communities, people are coming to downtown; 15 to 20 years ago they were avoiding it. Our alumni who are close by are beginning to get the picture. The New York metro area [alumni], yes, and around the country — why do you think I keep putting [praise for New Haven] in my alumni letters? It takes time. People need to see it.

I’m sure you think about the contrast between the excellence of a Yale education and the problems of public schools. What role can Yale play in addressing this?

One bright spot in the schools [is that] the mayor has managed to bring in a tremendous amount of state resources for the physical reconstruction of New Haven’s schools. That’s an impressive accomplishment. Yale’s engagement with schoolchildren in the city is extensive, but it’s almost all extracurricular. Tutoring programs — hundreds of our students

help with reading and math skills in the schools. We have dozens of programs that involve our students working with New Haven schoolchildren. The Yale-New Haven Teachers Institute continues after 30 years with professional development, it’s a model around the country. But we’ve never been able to find a way to get into a more direct role with the public schools, in part because our intervention is not particularly wanted. The school board and the teachers guard their prerogatives for local control of schools.

But isn’t that the core problem? New Haven can’t improve economically without better results from the schools?

School reform is hard all over America.

I get a perspective on this from sitting on the board of the Hewlett Foundation.

People sometimes think the teachers union is the only culprit, [but] it’s the educational establishment, too. These are well-meaning people who care about education, who want to do their jobs — but there’s a tremendous amount of inertia in the system. We’d love to try and crack this thing; there are lots of teachers here at Yale who would give time and effort. The couple of times the mayor has invited us in the door to help, we haven’t been able to get anywhere. v

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PHOTOGRAPH:

Anthony DeCarlo

Haunted by memories of a devastating fire, a family decides to stay and rebuild

By MICHAEL C. BINGHAM

new haven

31

Anna Carabetta says a magazine photograph provided inspiration for the grand staircase of the family’s new home.

PHOTOGRAPH:

ATH O ME

A

nna Carabetta wipes away tears as she relives the real-life nightmare that almost took away the thing she holds most dear.

Not her home — her family, including husband Joseph and their five children.

On the night of December 16, 2006, an electrical fire ignited inside the walls of their 30-year-old home on Meriden’s Canyon Drive. The spark — which rapidly, inexorably, mushroomed into a seven-alarm conflagration — completely consumed the family homestead. Only the vigilance, and courage, of a child prevented a human tragedy that might have destroyed a family, and not just a structure.

Oldest daughter Cristina, then 14, discovered the fire.

“We were home sleeping, and she was the 32

december 2008

Anthony DeCarlo

last one up,” Anna Carabetta recalls of the conflagration had advanced, unseen, fateful Saturday night. Preparing for bed through the exterior walls. Between 1 and after attending a Christmas play, Cristina 2 a.m., Fire Chief Jim Trainor dolefully had gone into the family computer room informed the Carabettas, “You are looking between 10:30 and 11 p.m. to log off, then at a 100-percent loss.” went to watch TV in her bedroom, when He meant of the building. Fortunately, the the screen went dark. “She smelled fire caused the Carabettas a zero-percent something funny,” her mother recounts. human loss.

“She tried to wake her father up, saying, Well, almost. Joe Carabetta cut his leg ‘Dad, Dad — you’ve got to get up. There’s badly on a glass table, and Cristina was something wrong — my TV went off.’ treated for smoke inhalation, as was a My husband said, ‘Don’t worry about it; Silver City firefighter. But the teenager the generator will kick in.’” But Cristina had saved her family. As Chief Trainor discovered she was having rapidly increasing trouble breathing, and persisted. told Anna Carabetta in the pre-dawn hours as the blaze was burning itself out, “She got up again, went to my husband “Be thankful you have your kids, because and punched him, saying, ‘Get up, get this story could have had a different up, I can’t breathe — there’s something ending. Your daughter is a hero — she wrong!’ So he went downstairs and opened saved your lives.” the computer-room door — and saw the smoke.”

“Once I knew that my kids were okay, nothing else mattered,” Anna recounts, Emergency units from Kensington, South choking back tears. “We are so blessed Meriden and Berlin responded to the that we got out.” seven-alarm blaze.

Initially the firefighters thought they had the fire under control, but the

Cristina’s vigilance became more than family legend. Six weeks after the blaze,

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Anthony DeCarlo

the Meriden City Council commemorated the teenager with her own namesake day:

PHOTOGRAPH:

“Be it resolved,” read the February 5, 2007 resolution, “that the Mayor and the City Council do hereby give praise and appreciation to Cristina Carabetta for her quick heroic actions enabling her family members to evacuate safely, and that Tuesday, February 6, 2007 is proclaimed “Cristina Carabetta Day” in the City of Meriden, in thanks and appreciation to Cristina.”

Although it took time for the family to heal from the tragedy before planning the future, there was never any question that the Carabettas would rebuild on their homestead. After all, who would abandon 200 hillside acres painted with roaming cattle, llama, bison and peacocks as well as a manmade pond stocked with trout and bass (and exactly the perfect size for winter ice-skating)?

“I didn’t want anything to resemble the old house,” recalls Anna Carabetta of the structure built by her father-in-law, John Carabetta, in the 1970s. “I just felt like I was cursed.” A seven-alarm fire will do that to a person.

Anthony DeCarlo

(Joe Carabetta runs Meriden-based Carabetta Enterprises Inc., a successful building contracting firm founded by his father in 1950.)

PHOTOGRAPH:

Above: Clan Carabetta (clockwise from right): Cristina, Anna, Joseph Jr., Joseph III, Johnny, Cecelia and Celina.

34

december 2008

The kernel of the idea for the new home came from a photograph Anna had seen of a double staircase. “I had a vision; I loved the staircase and I built this house around the staircase,” she explains.

The most famous staircase in America may be on Bellevue Avenue in Newport, R.I. An unforgettable feature of the Stanford White-designed Rosecliff is its heart-shaped limestone staircase, known as the “Sweethearts’ Staircase” as it was commissioned for Theresa Fair (daughter of the discoverer of the Comstock Lode) and Herman Oelrichs in the eighth year of their marriage.

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Consciously or otherwise, the Carabettas’ staircase echoes Rosecliff. Anna Carabetta calls it the family’s “Romeo and Juliet staircase,” and no sensible observer would argue.

The new home’s design was also driven by the five Carabetta children. “I had all my kids decide where they wanted their rooms,” Anna explains. “The boys wanted the back side of the house because they love nature and they love the animals.

My daughters wanted the front of house — they’re more interested in fashion than nature,” their mother allows.

Craig Laliberte of Ivoryton, who had performed work for the Carabettas previously, was the architect of the new home. And the first time he met with the couple in March 2007, Anna Carabettas ideas were already fairly well defined.

(Construction began in July of that year, and the Carabettas moved in this May — pretty quick work for a 15,000-squarefoot structure, regardless of function.)

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From the spacious front foyer Anna wanted visitors to be able to see into the more formal first-floor spaces. She wanted the formal living room on the right and the formal living room to the left — and that’s what she got. Both spaces are sunken and have identical dimensions — indeed they are mirror images with rich oak floors, differentiated only by the furnishings and lighting fixtures.

It’s plain that Anna Carabetta has very distinctive and bold taste. Actually, there’s nothing plain about. She says she’s very attracted to geometric shapes, curved surfaces and arches. “I don’t want a square room,” she explains. “I like shapes.”

On the ground floor the more “familyfriendly” spaces are consigned to the rear of the house. Directly behind the foyer is a room whose function differentiates the Carabetta home from other, even very large, houses — a photo gallery housing new haven

35

Anthony DeCarlo

formal portraits of family members. “I lost all my pictures in the fire,” Anna says, and she wanted a place of honor for the new photo collection the family would begin.

PHOTOGRAPH:

High-gloss custom-made red birch cabinetry from Sanson in New Britain lends the kitchen a sleek European ambience. The five pedestal seats at the breakfast bar accommodate the five children.

Few amenities are spared the five Carabetta kids. Each has her/his own second-story bedroom with walk-in closet and private (very well appointed) bathroom, into which the older children had major design input. But in other ways, the new home encourages togetherness.

On the first floor the children have their own computer room, configured as a semi-circle (those shapes again) with four computer work stations. Very cool and kid-friendly.

The fabulous kitchen overlooks the only remaining “structure” saved from the old house — an in-ground swimming pool. “My father was a chef,” Carabetta explains, “and I always wanted a big kitchen, so when the whole family comes over everyone can fit in the kitchen.”

This description may err on the side of modesty — you could probably fit the 82nd Airborne in this kitchen.

“This was my biggest project,” she says of the room. “I wanted a contemporary,

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PHOTOGRAPH:

The master bedroom suite was designed with a step-up platform for the king bed (above and behind the sitting area) to overlook the Carabettas’ bucolic 200-acre property. The cathedral ceiling enhances the sense of spaciousness.

Anthony DeCarlo

European-looking kitchen. I hunted and hunted for a very specific type of cabinets [similar] to what I had seen in Italy, and I finally found a company in New Britain [Sanson Inc.] that could make them for me.” The red birch cabinets are coated and buffed to a very high sheen for a spectacular effect.

The stoves and cooking surfaces are by Wolf. The kitchen also boasts two SubZero refrigerator/freezers and lighting by Connecticut Lighting.

In keeping with the theme of starting over, Anna Carabetta discarded the color schemes of the old house. For example, while the previous kitchen was predominantly blue, the palette of its replacement is rich with gold, red and buff tones. The effect is spacious, sleek and sophisticated.

The largest of the “informal” spaces on the first floor is a sweeping great room with bay windows overlooking the family’s 200 acres. The cattle, the birds, the pond — all still there as the fire begins to recede into memory. And once again, life is good. v

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PHOTOGRAPH:

Anthony DeCarlo

ONSC REEN

The Healing Power of Art A pair of indy filmmakers discover it’s better in Elm City

By Sarah Politz

F

our years ago, Aaron Garrison attended a Christmas vigil on the New Haven Green where he heard the disturbing but all-too-real-life story of child-trafficking in Cambodia. He decided soon after that an important in his life would be to develop a feature film based on the story.

There was just one problem: Garrison had no film experience to speak of.

Garrison and Bennett: Their art is Art Therapy.

“We kind of came in the back door, or the side door — or maybe we made a door,” Garrison explains. “My background is more in fine art, but I’ve always had a real fascination with film.”

That first film, called The Safehouse, is still in development, but has given birth to a series of other projects for Stories Growing Studios in the past year, including Art Therapy, a new short to be released in January.

The connection? Art therapy, a form of psychotherapy that uses the creative process of art to bring about emotional healing, and is often used to treat children who have been abused or traumatized as a result of human trafficking.

“When kids have been through something that horrible — and their language skills are already that limited just by virtue of their age alone — what do you do?” asks Garrison, himself the father of three young children.

“When there are no words, art therapy is incredibly useful,” agrees Evie Lindemann, a professor of art therapy at Albertus Magnus College in New Haven.

38

december 2008

A still from the film: Hannah and Elliott with wave paintings.

PHOTOGRAPH:

Anthony DeCarlo

: t s.

The film Art Therapy tells the story of a young boy, Elliot (Aaron Janke), who struggles to understand his relationship with his separated parents, and the art therapist Hannah (Jessica Ferraday) who, through helping him, learns more about herself than she expected. More than a case study in art therapy, the film makes effective use of Eliot’s artistic walls and waves to metaphorically describe the barriers separating him and his family, as well as his deep longing for security. At the end of the film, he says of a fallen sandcastle, “It was a fortress, but it needed to come down.”

At 20 minutes in duration, the work has the flexibility to enter short-film festivals such as the alternative Slamdance held in June in Park City, Utah, explains producer Jeremy Bennett. But even 20 minutes was an enormous undertaking, he recounts. “The short film ended up being a lot bigger than we thought it would be,” he says. “We had seven production days, a 24-foot U-Haul over half filled with lighting equipment, 53 people total that have been involved in the film — 17 cast, 19 crew, production, post-production.”

Drawing deeply on the city’s creative

resources, Art Therapy truly is a film set not just in, but truly of New Haven.

Garrison’s initial inspiration came from the work of New Haven non-profit Love 146, which works with children who are coming out of human trafficking situations in Thailand, Cambodia and the Philippines. The film was shot on location last summer in New Haven, Guilford and on Hamonassett Beach in Madison and drew on the area’s percolating stage scene and fertile pool of young actors. Albertus Magnus happens to offer Connecticut’s only graduate degree program in art therapy, and Garrison and Bennett took the opportunity to interview professors and to film classes.

The score was composed by local musician Jonny Rogers of the band Mighty Purple, using a broad palette of sound colors, from bassoon to cello, keyboard and wine glasses. “One of the things we’d like to be able to do is to utilize people who are local here to be able to stimulate the development of the film industry,” says Bennett.

“It’s a very homogenous, close-to-home project for us,” Garrison adds. “Literally, everything that we’re doing is right here.

All those resources are there right under our nose.” Asked what he’s learned from his journey, Garrison gives credit to his production team. “The process of film is so collaborative,” he says. “We’ve shouldered a burden that’s so much bigger than we are, but people are so quick to embrace get involved with something that is meaningful.”

Upcoming projects for Garrison and Bennett include a documentary called It’s in the Art, envisioned as a longer companion piece to Art Therapy, and Will Hope, a musical docudrama about AIDS orphans in South Africa. Garrison looks forward to the future and hopes to confront any obstacles creatively.

“We’ve kind of gotten it into our heads that failure doesn’t really exist for us,” he says, “because there’s something to learn from every situation we’ve gotten ourselves into.” And in a creative environment like New Haven, it seems they will have all the tools they need.

Find news updates about Art Therapy at storiesgrowing.com. v

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Gladly will I learn and gladly teach. – Foote’s motto

Parent Information Tours • December 5, 15 • January 7, 15, & 26

 Loomis Place | New Haven | -- | footeschool.org

Complimentary Parking Across the Street

M–W.  – : pm | Thu.  –  pm | F & Sat.  – : pm  Elm St. (corner of Orange) | New Haven | .. new haven

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ART Studio Tuesday is an informal, noninstructional “paint-in” that meets each, um, Tuesday. Come work in a creative environment alongside other artists. 9 a.m.-noon December 2, 9, 16, 23 & 30 at Margaret Egan Center, 35 Matthew St., Milford. Free. 203-878-6647, milfordarts. org.

It’s hip to knit. The Blackstone Knitting & Crocheting Group meets Wednesdays in the Lucy Hammer Room. Informal gathering for knitters, crocheters and other fiber artists of all ages, from beginner to the expert.

First-time knitters welcome — coaches available. 5:30-7:45 p.m. December 3, 10, 17 & 24 at Blackstone Library, 758 Main St., Branford. Free. 203-488-1441 ext. 313, events@blackstone.lioninc.org, blackstone.lioninc.org.

Art — Straight Up with a Twist.

Artspace and 116 Crown join forces to bring you Happy Hour every Thursday.

116 Crown will be serving a featured drink each week at a special price, so plan on enjoying the latest exhibitions at Artspace while sipping a unique beverage every Thursday. 6-8 p.m.

December 4, 11 & 18 at Artspace, 50 Orange St., New Haven. Free. 203-7722709, artspacenh.org.

The Arts Council of Greater New Haven honors outstanding organizations and individuals at its annual Arts Awards Luncheon. This year’s event honors “Ground Breakers,” individuals and organizations whose fresh, raw ideas spur innovative programs, unleash remarkable results and foster a lively, ambitious artistic community.

A community jury selected 2008 honorees Johanna Bresnick, James Bundy, Colin Caplan, Music Haven and Oil Drum Art. 11:45 a.m. December 5 at the New Haven Lawn Club, 193 Whitney Ave., New Haven. $70 members ($80 non-members). 203-772-2788.

Still-Life Drawing & Painting: Studio Sessions. Still-Life Studio Sessions are intended for artists with some drawing and/or painting experience who are looking for a group of likeminded individuals to share and create work. Students are asked to create one still-life arrangement. Easels are provided; materials and paper are the responsibility of the participants.

This is a collective session (no instructor). Exhibition opportunities for regular participants. Ages 18 and older. 9:30 a.m.-2 p.m. (session) and 2-3 p.m. (constructive feedback) December 5 at Green Street Arts Center, 51 Green St., Middletown. $10 per session ($8 members). 860-685-7871, greenstreetartscenter.org.

Wesleyan’s Zilkha Gallery presents a major, semester-long exhibition, Framing & Being Framed: The Uses of Documentary Photography, examining how visual artists use

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documentary photography in their work. Artists often employ more than one system of representation in order to reinforce, subvert or go beyond the meaning offered by the images themselves. Exhibition includes work

by Wendy Ewald, Andrea Geyer, Jim Goldberg, Eric Gottesman, Emily Jacir, An-My Le, Susan Meiselas, Ann Messner, Walid Raad, Martha Rosler and Krzysztof Wodiczko. Through December 7 at Zilkha Gallery, Wesleyan University, 283 Washington Terr., Middletown. Open noon-4 p.m. Tues.-Sun. (until 8 p.m. Fri.). Free. 860-685-3355, boxoffice@wesleyan.edu, wesleyan. edu/cfa.

such as Oscar G. Rejlander carefully composed and combined negatives to assert their skill as artists. This exhibition explores shifting uses and interpretations of photographs from the medium’s birth in 1839 to the outbreak of World War I in 1914. Works

by Thomas Annan, Julia Margaret Cameron, Francis Frith, Alexander Gardner, Eadweard Muybridge, Jacob Riis, Alfred Stieglitz, Carleton Watkins and others. Through December 7 at the Davison Art Center, Wesleyan University, 301 High St., Middletown. Open noon-4 p.m. Tues.-Sun.(Fri. until 8 p.m.). Free.

860-685-2500, lberman@wesleyan.edu, wesleyan.edu/dac.

The Pearl of the Snowlands: Buddhist Prints from the Derge Parkhang. The Derge Parkhang is one of the foremost cultural, social, religious and historical institutions in Tibet. Founded in 1729

by Denba Tseren, the Derge Parkhang today is an active center for publication and distribution of Buddhist texts and images, preeminent examples of the Tibetan woodcut printing tradition. The exhibition’s large, finely cut prints of buddhas, protective deities and tara, together with astrological charts, story prints and charms were printed from some of the 300,000 blocks in the Parkhang collection. Through December 7 at Mansfield Freeman Center for East Asian Studies Gallery, Wesleyan University, 343 Washington Terr., Middletown. Open noon-4 p.m. daily except Mon. Free. 860685-2330, wesleyan.edu/east.

A New Reality: Black-and-White Photography in Contemporary Art, an exhibition of 98 photographs from a major private collection of photography.

A New Reality explores the continued use of black-and-white photography as a medium of visual and historical consequence. Exhibition also reflects the expanding technical and conceptual role of photography, emphasizing its recent adaptation to the complex and psychologically charged images and narratives desired by contemporary artists. Through December 7 at Thomas J. Walsh Gallery, Fairfield University, 1073 North Benson Rd., Fairfield. Open 11 a.m.5 p.m. daily except Mon., noon-4 p.m.

Sun. Free. quickcenter.com.

Document or Art? Photography in the Long 19th Century, 1839-1914. In The Salon of 1859, French critic Charles Baudelaire denounced photography as “art’s most mortal enemy.” Baudelaire argued that photographs could provide factual records, but he reserved the realm of art for painting and other products of the imagination. At the same time, however, photographers

EO Art Lab features the debut of painter Debra Ramsay in a show entitled Boundary. The title references both the divided nature of the twodimensional plane as well as the conceptual idea of limits. The work embodies acute feelings of both separation and inclusion. Ramsay’s work displays a minimalism and purity that is profoundly paradoxical with her process. To achieve her aesthetic intent, Ramsay works in encaustic, a waxbased painting medium characterized

by luminous color and a lush surface. Actual eggshells are used, in their natural colors of white, brown and blue-green. Through December 7 at EO Art Lab, 69 Main St., Chester. Open 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Tue.-Sat., noon-6 p.m. Sun. or by appt. Free. 860-526-4833, chester@ eoartlab.com, eoartlab.com.

Alexander Calder: The Paris Years, 19261933, currently at the NYC’s Whitney Museum, is the inspiration for the art-appreciation program The Fanciful Circus, Creating Art History. Workshop explores Calder’s fanciful circus theme, challenging participants to create a circus through a variety of media.

Everyone can participate in this handson art history activity. 1-2 p.m. December 11 at Peregrine’s Landing, 91 E. Main St., Clinton. $15. Seating is limited and reservations are requested. 860-669-9300, cstaub@peregrine-companies.com.

Bring your sewing, fine art or craft projects, share ideas and get advice from fellow artists at the Contemporary Sewing Circle. The group meets the second Thursday each month. 6-8 p.m. December 11 at Artspace, 50 Orange St., New Haven.

Free. 203-772-2709, artspacenh.org.

The Story of Our Journey: The Art of John August Swanson. Los Angeles native Swanson paints in oil, watercolor, acrylic and mixed media. He is an independent printmaker of limitededition serigraphs, lithographs and etchings. His art proudly displays the rich cultural heritages he inherited from his Mexican mother and Swedish father. Swanson addresses human values, cultural roots and his quest for self-discovery through visual images (including biblical stories and social celebrations such as attending the circus, a concert and the opera). His parables optimistically embrace life and spiritual transformation. Through

CRITIC’S PICK An Eastern Seaboard Adventure Atlantic Puffin

Wildlife photographer John Fast presents Bird Photography from Florida to Maine and Places Between. Slide presentation features

images from Fast’s favorite locations on the east and west coasts of Florida including the Ding-Darling National Wildlife Refuge, Merritt

Island and the Venice Rookery. He will then travel northward to include a stop in Connecticut for some backyard photography and continue to Machias Seal Island off the coast of northern Maine to capture the images of the Atlantic Puffin and Least Tern. Fast will provide information on the equipment used and techniques for capturing images.

His wildlife photography

having been published in Outdoor Photography Magazine, Fast teaches at local galleries and the Three Rivers Community College in Norwich. There is no charge for the program but it is requested that an unwrapped toy be donated for the “Toys for Tots” program which the residents at Peregrine’s Landing are supporting this holiday season.

— Elvira J. Duran 2 p.m. December 10 at Peregrine’s Landing at the Shoreline, 91 E. Main St., Clinton. Free. Seating limited; reservations requested. 860-669-9300, cstraub@peregrinecompanies.com.

The Art of Giving Art Sets • Easels • Framing Decorative Papers • And So Much More Explore the Boundary between reality and art by experiencing Debra Ramsay’s hot wax & eggshell paintings like “Measuring Parallels 10.” On view through December 7 at EO Art Lab in Chester.

December 12 in the Great Hall at Yale Institute of Sacred Music, 409 Prospect St., New Haven. On view 9 a.m.-4 p.m. weekdays. Free. 203-432-5180, yale. edu/ism.

program featuring the work of artist Pasha Radetzki. 6-8 p.m. December 18 at Artspace, 50 Orange St., New Haven. $10. 203-772-2709, artspacenh.org, strangepositioningsystems.org.

CONNcentric. An exhibition of works by more than 60 of Connecticut’s most dynamic and innovative visual artists, CONNcentric is a juried show presented at Artspace in conjunction with the 11th annual City-Wide Open Studios (CWOS). Artspace asked three jurors (two visual artists and one curator) to organize an exhibition based on submissions of more than 100 CWOS artists. Works displayed in the Artspace galleries are both a reflection of the jury’s selection process as well as an indicator of the divergent perspectives, styles, means and subjects that Connecticut artists are exploring today. Through December 13 at Artspace, 50 Orange St., New Haven.

Open noon-6 p.m. Tue.-Wed., noon-8 p.m. Thurs.-Sat. Free. 203-772-2709, artspacenh.org.

Artspace holds its first ever holiday art sale, featuring 100 artists’ perspectives of New Haven captured in eight-by-teninch photographs — priced to sell at $50. Pick up the perfect New Haven memento to give for the holidays. Enjoy hot drinks, baked goods, holiday tunes and more while you shop. Scene: New Haven Photo Sale Preview Party (5-8 p.m. December 19) and Photo Sale (10 a.m.-4 p.m. December 20). At Artspace, 50 Orange St., New Haven. Preview party $10; photo sale free. 203-772-2709, artspacenh.org.

Join the Artspace Underground, an after-hours party to celebrate art, music and the contemporary lifestyle. Featuring live performances by artists and hip local bands, as well as bar specials by 116 Crown. 8-11 p.m.

December 13 at Artspace, 50 Orange St., New Haven. Free. 203-772-2709, artspacenh.org.

View works of art in multiple media with the theme Childhood Memories.

Through December 18 at Firehouse Art Gallery, 81 Naugatuck Ave., Milford.

Open noon-5 p.m. Thurs.-Sun. Free. 203306-0016, FHGallery@optonline.net, milfordarts.org.

SPS: Strange Positioning Systems is the second event in the four-part

Hull’s

Art Supply & Framing 1144 Chapel St • 203.865.4855

Fine Framing & More 1 Whitney Ave. • 203.907.0320

www.HullsNewHaven.com

Roger Van Damm — His Works of Art. Exhibition in memory of the late Milford artist. December 6-20 (opening reception 7-9 p.m. December 6) at Center for the Arts, 40 Railroad Ave., Milford. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Wed.-Sat. Free. 203-878-6647, milfordarts.org.

Now in its 40th year, the Celebration of American Crafts at Creative Arts Workshop (CAW) transforms the twostory Hilles Gallery into an enchanting holiday shopping destination with glowing lights, festive colors and the finest in contemporary American crafts.

Exhibition and sale (to benefit CAW) promises an eclectic range of work by more than 400 artists nationwide in a range of media and techniques including fine ceramics, decorative and wearable fiber, hand-crafted jewelry, wood furnishings, blown glass, whimsical toys and much more.

New items introduced daily. Don’t miss Featured Artist Nights (5-8 p.m.

December 4 & 11) and Connecticut

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10 a.m.-6 p.m. Sat., noon-4 p.m. Sun. 203-776-3099, fairhaven-furniture.com.

Celebrating a major gift of more than 200 photographs from the collection of Allan Chasanoff (Yale College ‘61), First Doubt: Optical Confusion in Modern Photography will explore the seldom-discussed phenomenon of optical confusion in photography. First Doubt features some 100 photographs by a diverse array of photographers across the 20th century. Seen together, they reveal the interpretive nature of the lens and the interpolative nature of the photograph. Through January 4 at YUAG, 1111 Chapel St., New Haven.

Open 10 a.m.-5 p.m. daily except Mon. (until 8 p.m. Thurs.), 1-6 p.m. Sun. Free.

203-432-0600, artgallery.yale.edu.

Pick up the perfect New Haven memento, like this photo by Michelle Reynard, at SCENE: NEW HAVEN Photo Sale on December 20 at Artspace.

Artists Night (5-8 p.m. December 20).

Through December 24 at Creative Arts Workshop, 80 Audubon St., New Haven.

Open 11 a.m.-6 p.m. daily (Thurs. until 8 p.m.), 1-5 p.m. Sun. Free. 203-562-4927, creativeartsworkshop.org.

Give Art, City Gallery s annual Christmas (shopping) show, will feature works sold for a mere $100 providing shoppers and collectors of original artwork with an excellent opportunity to add to their collections. Art remains a valuable asset as the economy fluctuates. Patrons can purchase work ranging in value from $700 to thousands for only $100. Featured artists include: Judy Atlas, watercolor and printmaking; Meg Bloom, mixed media; Phyllis Crowley, photography; Jennifer Davies, papermaking; Nancy Eisenfeld, mixed media; Freddie Elton, photography and printmaking; Barbara Harder, printmaking and installations; Jane Harris, mixed media/printmaking; Sheila Kaczmarek, sculpture; Mary Lesser, printmaking; Deborah McDuff, maskmaking and poetry; Liz Pagano, mixed media; Jefri Ruchti, drawing and painting. December 1-24 (opening reception: 2-5 p.m. December 6) at City Gallery, 994 State St., New Haven.

Open noon-4 p.m. Thurs.-Sun. and by appointment. 203-397-2152 or 562-2337686.

Claire’s Corner Copia welcomes Original Abstract/Spiritual Landscaping Paintings by Douglas Deveny, its 2008 resident artist.

Deveny, who lives in Westville, attended Savannah College of Art & Design and earned his art degree from Southern Connecticut State University in 2006.

Through December 31 at Claire’s Corner Copia, 1000 Chapel St., New Haven.

Open 8 a.m.-9 p.m. weekdays (Fri. until 10 p.m.), 9 a.m.-10 p.m. Sat., 9 a.m.-9 p.m. Sun. 203-562-3888, doug@

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douglasdeveny.com, clairescornercopia. com.

Balancing Act features new watercolor works by New Haven artist Rolandas Kiaulevicius,. The Lithuania native’s new works lend new meaning to viewers’ own balancing act. Kiaulevicius is currently working on a new book Moonlidays. His award-winning volume Zoolidays is available in Shoreline bookstores as well as in the gallery.

Through December 31 at Marylou Fischer Gallery, 23 Boston St., Guilford. Open 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tues.-Sat., noon-3 p.m.

Sun. and evenings by appt. 203-453-3243, maryloufischer.com.

More than 20 artists including Andrew Hogan, Kathy Conway, Sven Martson, Jennifer Jane and Eliot Lewis are represented at the Westville Art Expo.

This artists’ cooperative offers original artwork and handcrafted wares by skilled, local artisans for sale through the holiday season. Through December 31 (hours TBA) at Artists Lofts West, 838 Whalley Ave., New Haven. 203-494-9905, art@jenniferjanegallery.com, groupX20. com.

Works by Connie Pfeiffer and Paula Gabriel. Co-founder of City Gallery, a New Haven cooperative gallery, Pfeiffer maintains a studio in Chester and has taught at the Creative Arts Workshop since 1999. She is preparing for a solo show at UConn/Avery Point’s Alexey von Schlippe Gallery in April 2009.

Paula Gabriel began exhibiting her work exclusively in Paris in the early 1980s and then showed throughout Europe for the remainder of the decade.

In 1989, she moved to Connecticut for new inspirations and settings for her nature-inspired art. Through Jan 4 (reception 6-8 p.m. December 6) at River Street Gallery at Fairhaven Furniture, 72 Blatchley Ave., New Haven. Open 9 a.m.6 p.m. Mon.-Wed., 9 a.m.-8 p.m. Thurs.,

In 1795 Benjamin West, American-born president of the Royal Academy in London, fell victim to an elaborate hoax. He was persuaded that an old manuscript purporting to contain long-forgotten recipes held out hope of rediscovering Venetian High Renaissance techniques of oil painting. West used these materials and techniques to execute an ambitious historical painting: Cicero Discovering the Tomb of Archimedes. But the manuscript was a fake and the story an absurd invention. When the fraud was exposed, West suffered profound professional embarrassment. Seven years later West painted an almost identical version of his painting, this time according to his own methods.

Benjamin West and the Venetian Secret brings together both versions of West’s composition, along with recent technical analysis, copies of the fake manuscript, and other works on paper pertaining to the hoax. Through January 4 at the Yale Center for British Art, 1080 Chapel St., New Haven. Open 10 a.m.-5 p.m. daily except Mon., noon-5 p.m. Sun. Free. 203-432-2858, ycba.yale.edu.

The Yale Center for British Art is the first and only U.S. venue to present a major retrospective of David Cox (17831859). Marking the 150th anniversary of the artist’s death, Sun, Wind and Rain: The Art of David Cox examines the work of this important figure in the development of British landscape and watercolor painting. Through January 4 at the Yale Center for British Art, 1080 Chapel St., New Haven. Open 10 a.m.-5 p.m. daily except Mon., noon-5 p.m. Sun. Free. 203-432-2858, ycba.yale.edu.

The Arts Council of Greater New Haven presents works by Joanne Schmaltz and Gar Waterman.

Schmaltz showcases photographs that explore form, gesture and sensuality in nature. Her photographs have been exhibited in many juried, group and solo shows throughout New York and England, including Hartford’s Real Art Ways and Kehler Liddell Gallery in New Haven. She currently resides in Guilford. Waterman’s sculptures in stone, bronze, steel and wood examine the relationship between the structured design of architecture and the curve of form in nature. After attending Dartmouth, Waterman lived in Italy, where he learned to

carve stone. His sculptures have been showcased extensively, including at the Alva Gallery in New London and Kehler Liddell. Through January 9 at Gallery 195, NewAlliance Bank, 195 Church St., 4th floor, New Haven. Open 9 a.m.-3 p.m. weekdays. Free. 203-772-2788, newhavenarts.org.

In En Masse regional artists takes their genres (from book arts to digital prints), material, concept or technique to the next level of its associated tradition.

Artists include Ron Abbe of Meriden, North Havener Jeanne Criscola, John Favret of Uncasville, New York’s Yosiell Lorenzo, Irene K. Miller of Woodbridge and New Haveners Elise Wiener and Deborah Zervas. Curated by Suzan Shutan. Through January 9 at the Small Space Gallery, 70 Audubon St., 2nd floor, New Haven. Open 9 a.m.-5 p.m. weekdays. Free. 203-772-2788, dhesse@ newhavenarts.org, newhavenarts.org.

Through December 16, University of New Haven’s Seton Art Gallery will house Science Fiction Movies: Poster Art and Iconography, an exhibition of science fiction movie memorabilia galore.

Why stand in long lines to buy massproduced, foreign-made holiday gifts when Connecticut is home to some of the world’s most accomplished artisans? Artistry on the Shoreline, the Guilford Art Center’s (GAC) annual holiday sale, features fine handmade crafts and art by artists who live and work on the Connecticut shoreline. This popular annual event takes place in the GAC’s recently renovated shop on its campus. This year a shoreline/beach theme informs the show and display, underscoring the seaside origins of many of the artists. Artistry will also feature special events and activities for all ages, including performances by community musical and theater groups, food and beverage tastings and the annual Jewelry & Champagne evening (December 4). Through January 11 at the Shop at GAC, 411 Church St., Guilford.

Open noon-6 p.m. weekdays, noon-5 p.m.

Sat. Free (all items individually priced).

203-453-5947, info@guilfordartcenter. org, guilfordartcenter.org.

Bessie Potter Vonnoh: Sculptor of Women spotlights a selection of

New Haven. Open 10 a.m.-6 p.m. daily (until 7 p.m. Thurs.); Sun. by appt. Free.

203-495-1200, whitespacegallery.com.

Bessie Potter Vonnoh’s (1872-1955) small sculpture and garden statuary that portray women as both icons of beauty and moral guardians of family and home. Vonnoh is considered the leading sculptor of American womanhood of her time and a pioneer among female artists. Like American Impressionist painters, Bessie Vonnoh took contemporary daily life as her subject matter, focusing on statuettes of women and children dressed in the period’s fashions. Through January 11 at the Florence Griswold Museum, 96 Lyme St. Old Lyme. Open 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

Tues.-Sat., 1-5 p.m. Sun. $10 ($9 seniors & students, $6 children 6-12, free under 6).

860-434-5542, flogris.org.

To accompany the Vonnoh sculptures, the museum will display the exhibition Women Artists in Connecticut: Selections from the Florence Griswold Museum. This group of works focuses on the contributions of women in Connecticut, particularly the members of the Lyme Art Colony. Artists include Cecilia Beaux, Matilda Browne, Margaret Cooper, Elisabeth Gordon Chandler, Caro Weir Ely, Harriet Whitney Frishmuth, Lilian Westcott Hale, Breta and Lydia Longacre and Margaret Hardon Wright.

Through January 11 at the Florence Griswold Museum, 96 Lyme St., Old Lyme. Open 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tues.-Sat., 1-5 p.m. Sun. $10 ($9 seniors & students, $6 children 6-12, free under 6). 860-434-5542, flogris.org.

Give the gift of art and revel in its beauty for years to come. Group Experiment features selected works

by Seth Anderson, Thaddeus Beal, Charlie Goodwin, Elizabeth Gourlay, Sarah Gustafson, Julie Gross, Vaune Hatch, Jerome Hershey, Janet Lage, Mitch Lyons, Pamela Marks, Kelly Jean Ohl, Meg Brown Payson, Ross Racine, Debra Ramsay, Jefri Ruchti, Evelyn Rydz, Thomas Stavovy, Malcolm Wright, Julie York and others. December 12-February 1 at EO Art Lab, 69 Main St., Chester.

Open 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Tue.-Sat., noon-6 p.m. Sun. or by appt. Free. 860-526-4833, chester@eoartlab.com.

Paul Gobell’s “Greyshore at Dusk” will be one of many local artists’ works on display in Trees and Arches on Chapel at White Space Gallery through Jan 31.

The Arts Council of Greater New Haven, in collaboration with Haskins Laboratories, presents Intricacies: Extreme Detail in Current Art, an obsessive, intimate and universal show of works by artists who incorporate extreme detail in their work. Artists include John Arabolos of West Haven, Rachel Hellerich and Mark Tsang of Milford, Hamden’s Cham Hendon, Charles Printz Kopelson from New York, Weston’s Edith Borax Morrison

Smiles By Design

and Alyse Rosner of Westport. Through January 23 at Haskins Laboratories Gallery, 300 George St., 9th floor, New Haven. Open 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Wed.-Fri. Free. 203-772-2788.

Trees and Arches on Chapel is a group show featuring works of Kevin Conklin, Min Sim, Frieda Howling, Sharon Tracy, Paul Gobell, Amber Matia and resident artist Denise Parri. Through January 31 at White Space Gallery, 1020 Chapel St.,

Family Business brings together artists and media to explore the business of being a family. This engaging exhibit explores traditional and unconventional family structures as well as functional and dysfunctional family dynamics.

Featured artists include: Steven DiGiovanni, Larissa Hall, Joe Saccio, Hrvoje Slovenc and the Broell Bresnick family of New Haven; Bob Gregson of Orange; Erika Van Natta of Bethany and Thuan Vu of Hamden. Curated by Howard el-Yasin and Debbie Hesse.

Through February 27 at the Parachute Factory Gallery at Erector Square, 319 Peck St., Bldg. 1, New Haven. 203-7722788, karsenault@newhavenarts.org.

NATIVITIES OF EUROPE Folk Art to Fine Art

Knighl--s of Columbus Museum

Jack M. Levine, D.D.S. 375 Orange St • New Haven

NOV. 21 – FEB. 1 Special feature:

Connecticut Crèches

203-624-7571 • www.orangestreetsmiles.com

Christmas in New Haven, Hamden & Middletown

One State Street, New Haven, CT (203) 865-0400 kofcmuseum.org Free Admission & Parking

new haven

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A ‘Christmas Carol’ in Blue & Grey Pulitzer-winning playwright Vogel talks about the world premiere of her sweeping new Civil War musical at LWT

By BROOKS APPELBAUM

P

aula Vogel telephones if she is going to be ten minutes late. Few of us expect our best friends to do that.

Winner of the Pulitzer Prize for her play How I Learned To Drive, the new chair of the playwriting department at the Yale School of Drama and author of A Civil War Christmas, premiering this month at New Haven’s Long Wharf Theatre, Vogel is calling from her cellphone because a committee meeting went overtime.

Talking on the phone as she gets out of her car in the LWT parking lot, she wants me to know she’s on her way.

Consider the delight she takes in her new (autumn 2008) teaching role at the Yale School of Drama and of an unconventional course she is piloting.

“I’m working right now with a class of these extraordinary artists, none of whom are playwrights,” explains Vogel. “Of course they’re all playwrights, of course they all write beautifully. But they’re sound designers and theater managers and dramaturges, and of course they have unbelievable writing talent. And they’re also working 18-hour days at the Yale School of Drama. But they feel joyful; it’s a matter of waking up an hour earlier and writing, or of me saying, ‘Over Thanksgiving you get a free day. You get a day break. Let’s design a play we can write in 24 hours.’”

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Vogel: ‘The issues in the Civil War are very present. I don’t think of this as a history play; I think of this as a community play.’

When teaching becomes mentoring, as it has most recently in Vogel’s long professional relationship with playwright Sarah Ruhl, one senses that the rewards are not necessarily greater, but different. “It was wonderful to start my teaching here watching [Ruhl’s] Passion Play [NHM, October 2008], which I began as an independent study with Sarah when she was 20 years old. I tell playwrights when I start to work with them that hopefully it’s not just a three-year conversation; hopefully it’s a conversation that lasts me the rest of my life.”

And where does Vogel’s own work fit into what is a clear gift and passion for inspiring playwrights? “At times I feel that I push to write now, in middle age, in order to be honest and at-risk and match the courage of the writers I’m working with.”

Vogel says that she “cheats all the time,” taking longer than 48 hours to write her plays. But A Civil War Christmas, the idea for which came to Vogel ten years ago, was actually composed quickly, once she tore herself away from her research on the Civil War — research that she loved — and started writing. However, the choices that went into A Civil War Christmas weren’t simple ones.

For one thing, a Christmas play — especially one using Civil War ballads and seasonal songs — is perhaps the last kind of play audiences who admire How I Learned To Drive or Baltimore Waltz might expect or wish for.

“I’m aware that people will come here and say, ‘Paula Vogel wrote this play?!?’” she says, smiling. “The writers that I love, that I keep as my theatrical gods, are three playwrights: John Guare, Maria Irene Fornes and Caryl Churchill. And the reason they’re my gods is that they never write the same play twice.Referring

to earlier works like How I Learned To Drive, which centers on pedophilia, and Hot ’n’ Throbbing, which connects pornography and media to rape and family abuse, Vogel notes that those situations are still relevant today. She speaks of how important it has been in her writing to “tell the story of things that hurt me without hurting the audiences, so we can take the journey together.”

A communal hurt informs A Civil War Christmas, and it requires a different sort of journey. Vogel sees the irony of having come up with the idea in 1997 and watching her play come to fruition “in the 2008 election where indeed I think we are still talking about issues that involve the Civil War. “From my point of view, we never finished the Civil War,” she explains. “We never have looked at the country in terms of what we did. I’m not talking theologically about the notion of original sin; I’m talking as an American. As Americans I do think there is a political concept of original sin. It doesn’t matter when my family came here. As a white American I need to say what has been done in terms of slavery, what has been done in terms of Native Americans, has built this country, and it is our original sin. We’ve never said,’ I’m sorry’ as a country; we’ve never made reparations; we’ve never had the conversation about race up until the moment that Barack Obama stepped forward in Philadelphia and said, ‘We’d better start talking about this as a country.’”

In addition to creating a new kind of play, A Civil War Christmas meant, for Vogel, that she would create a new tone as well. She wanted to “drop the props of sarcasm, irony and cynicism” and write a play “in the position of an aunt and godmother where I could say to the eight- and

nine-year-olds in my family, ‘Yes, you can come see my play this time. You don’t have to wait until you’re 30.’

“The issues in the Civil War are very present and I don’t think of this as a history play; I think of this as a community play,” says Vogel.

“And I thought to myself: when I tell a story to a child in my family, I don’t tell that story with sarcasm or irony or cynicism. Because children deserve better than that. Children deserve you telling them what you think in as clear and vulnerable and straightforward a manner as you can. For Vogel herself, A Civil War Christmas has provided access to New Haven stories that strengthen her sense of belonging. It meant a great deal to have discovered “the recent monument in Fair Haven for the 29th Connecticut Regiment of African-Americans and Native Americans who fought in the Civil War” (see story, page 19). And she is clearly delighted to know that “For every performance we will have a different local school singing for us before the show begins, and that we’ll be having panels where I get to hear the stories about the Dixwell Church and meet members of churches in the community. And I’m hoping that I get the chance to meet descendents of their ancestors who fought in the Civil War.” Vogel’s other hope is that A Civil War Christmas becomes an “American Christmas Carol and, like Dickens’ novelturned play, a perennial.”

Vogel says, “I think we could do this for the next 20 or 30 years and never run out of the stories that need to be told about the people who live.”

Paula Vogel says much more in our hour-long conversation than can fit on these pages — such is her generous way.

As we leave the room, she is working on her cellphone again — not making another

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ONSTAGE THEATER A Season of Miracles by Pushcart Players is a sparkling collection of holiday tales from different cultures, including Christmas (The Gift of the Magi and The Nutcracker) Kwanzaa (The Kwanzaa Kite, set in Nigeria) and Chanukah (The Soul of A Menorah, a Chelm story). Crafted and set to music with each piece’s timeless tone, this magical presentation is designed to warm the hearts — and perhaps alter the perspective — of young audiences as they think about the true meaning and spirit of the holiday season.

Best for grades K-5. 9:30 & 11:30 a.m.

December 12 at the Palace Theater, 100 E. Main St., Waterbury. $8. 203-755-4700, palacetheaterct.org.

A Classic Irish Christmas features sensation Andy Cooney, christened Hibernian America’s “Favorite Son” by the New York Times, in a celebration of Christmas with assistance from the Dublin City Dancers and George Casey, Ireland’s new King of Blarney.

7:30 p.m. December 12 at the Paul Mellon Arts Center, Choate Rosemary Hall, Main Theater, 333 Christian St., Wallingford. 203-697-2398, cooneytunes. net/Christmas 2008.htm.

A mother. A daughter. Three possible dads. Make for a trip down the aisle you’ll never forget. Audiences the world ‘round have fallen in love with the characters, the story and ABBA’s epic songs that make Mamma Mia! the ultimate feel-good musical. 7:30 p.m.

December 2-4, 8 p.m. December 5-6, 2 p.m. December 6-7 & 7 p.m. December

7 at Shubert Theater, 247 College St., New Haven. $72-$18. 203-562-5666 or 888-736-2663, shubert.com or newhavenballet.org.

The traditional story of The Nutcracker is brought to life in this classical ballet performed by students of the New Haven Ballet. 7:30 p.m. December 12-13, 2 p.m. December 13-14 at Shubert Theater, 247 College St., New Haven. $15-$50. 203562-5666 or 888-736-2663, shubert.com, newhavenballet.org.

Acclaimed for exquisite dancing and spectacular sets and costumes, critics rave that Anatoli Emelianov’s Great Russian Nutcracker is “flawless,” “breathtaking” and “dazzling.”

Whimsical and imaginative storytelling blends with the richness of Russian classical dance to make the Great Russian Nutcracker a memorable holiday treat for all. 7:30 p.m. December 18 at the Palace Theater, 100 E. Main St., Waterbury. $66.25-$26.25. 203-755-4700, palacetheaterct.org.

Rough Crossing is a tuneful madcap romance by Tom Stoppard, the four-time Tony and Academy Awardwinning author of Rock ’n’ Roll, The Coast of Utopia, The Real Thing and Shakespeare in Love. A brand new musical comedy is about to debut on Broadway, but it doesn’t have an ending yet. Also, the beginning needs a little work. And the middle is a mess. Aboard a transatlantic ocean liner, celebrated playwrights Turai and Gal have their work cut out for them, and only four days to do it. And to complicate matters, their tonguetied composer — hopelessly in love with the temperamental leading lady (who’s been caught in a compromising position with the leading man) — has tossed his score overboard, and threatens to jump ship himself. Can they steady the turbulent emotions of

EO Prelim Set-up B : Share in the magic of the holiday season with Emmet Otter (Daniel Reichard), and Ma Otter (Cass Morgan) in Goodspeed Musicals’ World Premiere production of Jim Henson’s Emmet Otter’s JugBand Christmas, December 7 through January 4 at the Goodspeed Opera House in East Haddam, CT. the cast and crew — and finish the show — before they dock in New York?

Directed by Mark Rucker. Through December 20 (opening night December 4) at University Theatre, 222 York St., New Haven. $65-$20. 203-432-1234, yalerep.org.

Theatreworks/USA’s production of A Christmas Carol is the classic story filled with holiday spirit (literally) that captures the imagination of all ages.

Meet Scrooge, Tiny Tim, Bob Cratchit and all the rest in this heart-warming musical based on the Dickens’ classic.

The New York Times called it “A thorough delight — inspired, funny and intimate.” 1 & 3 p.m. December 21 at Quick Center for the Arts, Fairfield University, 1073 North Benson Rd., Fairfield. $15 ($12 children). quickcenter. com.

Cecchetti Ballet Theatre presents Tchaikovsky’s most-beloved ballet, The Nutcracker, with traditional and original choreography staged by Artistic Director Betty Seibert. This production includes more than 100 local children and adults and some of the best preprofessional dancers around. 7 p.m.

December 20 & 2 p.m. December 21 at East Haven High School, 35 Wheelbarrow Ln., East Haven. $25(seniors & children $20). 203-699-8888.

Watch your favorite holiday characters (Mr. Scrooge and Tiny Tim, of course) come to life in Theatreworks/USA production of Dickens’ classic A Christmas Carol. At Quick Center for the Arts on December 21.

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A Civil War Christmas, directed by Tina Landau. It’s 1864, and Washington, D.C. settles down to the coldest Christmas Eve in years — in the White House, where President and Mrs. Lincoln plot their gift-giving; on the banks of the Potomac, where a young rebel challenges a Union blacksmith’s mercy; and in the alleys downtown, where an escaped slave loses her daughter just before finding freedom. Filled with Christmas music and traditional American songs, this new musical

by Pulitzer Prize-winner Paula Vogel intertwines many lives and shows us

that gladness of heart is the best gift of all. Through December 21 at Long Wharf Theatre, 222 Sargent Dr., New Haven. $60.75-$45.75. 203-787-4282, 800-7828497, info@longwharf.org, longwharf. org.

Footloose has the heart, it’s got the music, and it’s got everyone on their feet. The show’s classic ’80s hits include “Holding Out for a Hero,” “Almost Paradise,” “Let’s Hear It for the Boy,” and of course the unforgettable “Footloose.” Enjoy a roarin’ good time.

December 26-28 at Shubert Theater, 247 College St., New Haven. $68-$15. 203562-5666 or 888-736-2663, shubert.com.

Seven Angels Theatre presents the only professional Connecticut production of Mel Brooks’ hilarious Broadway comedy hit The Producers. R. Bruce Connolly plays the down-on-his-luck Broadway producer who, with his mild-mannered accountant, schemes to stage the most notorious flop in history. One thing goes awry: the show is a smash hit. Through December 28 at Seven Angels Theatre, 1 Plank Road, Waterbury. $48-$32.50 ($10 under 30).

203-757-4676, sevenangelstheatre.org.

As Christmas approaches the world of Frogtown Hollow, Emmet Otter and his Ma can only dream of buying each other gifts. So when a Christmas Eve talent contest is announced, both secretly enter hoping to win the prize money. In a heartwarming twist on “The Gift of the Magi,” Otter and Ma risk all they have and end up with the greatest grand prize of all. Based on director Jim Henson’s television feature, this new theatrical adaptation of Emmet Otter’s Jug-Band Christmas features a lovable mix of actors and puppet characters from the Jim Henson Co. and a toe-tapping score. December 7-January 4 at the Goodspeed Opera House, 6 Main St., East Haddam. $49$26. 860-873-8668, goodspeed.org.

Classical One of the world’s most celebrated performing and recording artists, pianist Emanuel Ax performs: SCHUBERT Four Impromptus, Op. 142, Sonata in A Major, Op. 120; LISZT Vallée d’Obermann from Années de Pèlerinage; Sonetto del Petrarca No. 123; and Mephisto Waltz No. 1 (Der Tanz in der Dorfschenke). Ax first captured public attention in 1974 when at age 25 he won the Arthur Rubinstein International Piano Competition. Many Ax recordings have won Grammys, including the second and third volumes in the recording cycle of Haydn piano sonatas.

8 p.m. December 2 at Sprague Hall, 470 College St., New Haven. $24-$13 ($8 students). 203-432-4158, yale.edu/music.

Robert Fielding Sharpe began formal classical guitar studies in 2000. Since his national radio debut on NPR’s From the Top, Sharpe has received multiple awards and honors. 6-8 p.m. December 4, 11 & 18 at Claire’s Corner Copia, 1000 Chapel St., New Haven. Free. 203562-3888, info@clairescornercopia. com or doug@douglasdeveny.com, clairescornercopia.com.

Bring your lunch and enjoy a musical smorgasbord at the free noontime concert series Bach’s Lunch at the

Neighborhood Music School (NMS).

Violinist Joanna Becker and guest pianist Rob Wendt perform Brahms’ Sonata No. 1 in G Major, plus works by Prokofiev and Messiaen for a musical snapshot of the turn of the 20th century in Turn of the 20th Century: Music for Violin and Piano (December 5).

Ceremonial Music for the Holiday Season (December 12) brings an NMS trio — Lawrence Zukof (recorder and voice), Julia Blue Raspe (ditto) and harpsichordist Margaret Ann Martin — together for a program of seasonal music from the medieval and high Baroque periods (Corelli, Telemann) as well as more contemporary works

The Trinity Choir of Men and Boys will have a busy schedule this month; with their Annual Christmas Concert at Trinity Church, A Christmas Concert with Harpeggios on the North Haven Green, A Service of Christmas Lessons and Carols at St. Mary’s Church in New Haven and their Annual Holiday Celebration at the First Church of Christ, Congregational on the Madison Green.

MUSIC (Holst). 12:10-12:50 p.m. at 100 Audubon St., New Haven. Free.

Aprile Millo and Roberto Iarussi in Concert. The pre-Christmas holiday celebration will also feature pianist Douglas Dickson of the Yale School of Music and violinist Renata Steve. John Andariese will emcee. The concert will benefit the American Cancer Society.

Millo, the popular Metropolitan Opera soprano, is the world’s leading Verdian soprano. New Haven native Iarussi has attracted praise from such luminaries as Pavarotti, Placido Domingo and Jerome Hines, all of whom have attested to the tonal beauty and dramatic power of his robust tenor voice. The program will spotlight selections from Verdi, Puccini, Mascagni, Cilea and others. 8 p.m.

December 6 at Woolsey Hall, 500 College St., New Haven. $100-$15. 203-562-5666, shubert.com.

The Waterbury Chorale returns to the Palace stage for another holiday extravaganza in Christmas at the Palace 2008. Program includes three short sacred works by Giovanni Battista Perolesi, Z. Randall Stroope and Ralph Vaughan Williams, together with seasonal festive music by various composers, including Woodbury

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composer Leroy Anderson. 8 p.m.

December 6 at the Palace Theater, 100 East Main St., Waterbury. $40-$15. 203755-4700, palacetheaterct.org.

The Elm City’s most venerable (founded 1885) music-making ensemble is the Trinity Choir of Men & Boys, which presents its annual Christmas concert in the splendid Victorian Gothic setting of the oldest church on the Green.

Music spanning five centuries including Bach-Gounod, Distler, Joubert, Rutter, da Vittoria, more. Even the audience gets into the act singing traditional carols. 3 p.m. December 7 at Trinity Church on the Green, New Haven. $10 at door (proceeds benefit Columbus House Shelter. trinitynewhaven.org, 203-776-2616.

Conducted by Christopher James Hisey, the Civic Orchestra of New Haven will present its Winter Concert. Program: TCHAIKOVSKY Symphony No. 4; VERDI Nabucco Overture; HANDEL Highlights from Messiah (with St. Luke’s School Choir); MOZART Alleluia (with soprano Stephanie Gregory); and other selections. 3:30 p.m. December 7 at Woolsey Hall, 500 College St., New Haven. Suggested donation $15-$10. 203483-7873, conh.org.

The New England Guitar Society (NEGS) meets monthly for informal

The Horowitz Piano Series brings world celebrated pianist, Emanuel Ax, to Yale’s Sprague Memorial Hall on December 2.

solo and ensemble performances, ensemble readings, member recitals and lively discussion about the classical guitar. 2 p.m. December 7 at Center for the Arts, 40 Railroad Ave., Milford.

Free. info@newenglandguitar.org, newenglandguitar.org.

Pianist Stephen Lubin returns to the Yale Collection of Musical Instruments to perform works by Schubert and Schumann on 19th-century pianos. 3 p.m. December 7 at Yale Collection of Musical Instruments, 15 Hillhouse Ave., New Haven. $20-$15. 203-432-4158, concerts@yale.edu, yale.edu/music.

As part of Yale’s Messiaen Centenary Celebration, the Messiaen Vocal and Chamber Music, featuring soprano Samantha Talmadge and pianist Joan Panetti, performs Poemes pour Mi and Vision de l’Amen for two pianos, with Liam Viney and Anna Grinberg. 8 p.m.

December 8 at Sprague Hall, 470 College St., New Haven. Free. 203-432-4158, concerts@yale.edu, yale.edu/music.

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december 2008

Music of Olivier Messiaen 2. Program includes Harawi for soprano and piano, with Adelaide Muir, soprano, and Ryo Yanagitani, piano; and Quartet for the End of Time with David Shifrin, clarinet, violinist Ani Kavafian, cellist Sophie Shao and pianist Joan Panetti. Part of Yale’s Messiaen Centenary Celebration.

8 p.m. December 9 at Sprague Hall, 470 College St., New Haven. $15-$5.

203-432-4158, concerts@yale.edu, yale. edu/music.

Under the baton of guest conductor Reinbert de Leeuw, the Philharmonia Orchestra of Yale performs Turangalila Symphonie, Olivier Messiaen’s largescale masterwork on themes of love and death. With Wei-Yi Yang, piano and Genevieve Grenier, ondes Martenot (an electronic keyboard that sounds similar to a theremin). Part of Yale’s Messiaen Centenary Celebration. 8 p.m. December 12 at Woolsey Hall, 500 College St., New Haven. Free. 203-432-4158, concerts@ yale.edu, yale.edu/music.

San Francisco, with bustling melodies and grooves built of rangy swing and dub-inspired meditations.” The group, which will be touring the Northeast in support of its new CD, Maatjes, pairs Boston-based, Dutch-born Dijkstra with five of the most respected names from the eclectic Chicago creativemusic scene: clarinetist James Falzone, trombonist Jeb Bishop, Fred LonbergHolm on cello and analog electronics, bassist Jason Roebke and Frank Rosaly, drums. 8:30 & 10 p.m. December 5 at Firehouse 12, 45 Crown St., New Haven. $15-$10. 203-785-0468, firehouse12.com.

The Fairfield University Glee Club and Festival Orchestra under the direction of Carole Ann Maxwell perform their annual Christmas concert, Shout

Celebrate the spirit of the Christmas season with the New Haven Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Music Director William Boughton for a performance of Handel’s Messiah with the chamber choir Voce. 7 p.m.

December 13 at St. Mary’s Church, 5 Hillhouse Ave., New Haven; 7 p.m.

December 14 at First Congregational Church, 26 Meeting House Ln., Madison. $45-$30 ($15 child). 203-931-2991.

Messiaen: Vingt Regards sur l’Enfant Jesus. Performance by pianists from the Yale School of Music, including Jeannette Fang, Wei-Jen Yuan, Reinis Zarins, Jason Wirth, Amy Yang, Martin Leung, Jeong-ha Ryu, Lulu Yang, Katsura Tanikawa, Juan Carlos Nieto and Lindsay Garritson. Part of Yale’s Messaien Centenary Celebration. 8 p.m.

December 13 at Sprague Hall, 470 College St., New Haven. Free. 203-432-4158, concerts@yale.edu, yale.edu/music.

Yale’s Faculty Artist Series brings flutist Ransom Wilson with Ken Noda, piano, in a performance of music by Faure, Dutilleux, Martinu and Martin. 8 p.m.

December 17 at Sprague Hall, 470 College St., New Haven. Free. 203-432-4158, concerts@yale.edu, yale.edu/music.

Experience Jules Massenet’s Thaïs with Renée Fleming playing the Egyptian courtesan in search of spiritual sustenance at the Met Live in HD. Thomas Hampson is the monk who falls from grace. Massenet’s sensual score is presented in a new Metropolitan Opera production that was originated at Lyric Opera of Chicago by John Cox. Open seating. Noon December 20 & 6 p.m.

December 22 at Quick Center for the Arts, Fairfield University, 1073 North Benson Rd., Fairfield. $22 ($20 seniors, $15 children & students). quickcenter.com.

The Flatlands Collective derives its name from the geography shared by both Chicago and saxophonist/ composer Jorrit Dijkstra’s hometown of Amsterdam, but Time Out Chicago argues, “In truth, the music of this group is as dynamic as downtown

Béla Fleck & the Flecktones along with The Alash Ensemble and The Holiday Tour perform two shows on December 12 at Fairfield University’s Quick Center for the Arts.

Hallelujah! 8 p.m. December 5 & 2 p.m.

December 6 at Quick Center for the Arts, Fairfield University, 1073 North Benson Rd., Fairfield. quickcenter.com.

The Beth-El Center will host its annual Spirit of Love concert featuring the Whiffenpoofs, Yale’s legendary a cappella singing group, along with Yale’s co-ed Redhot & Blue and the Elm City Girls’ Choir. 7:30 p.m. December 6 at Parson’s Complex, 70 West River St., Milford. 203-876-0747 or 203-882-8649.

British-American pop singer Engelbert Humperdinck performs live as part of his 40th anniversary tour. 4 p.m.

December 7 at Chevrolet Theatre, 95 South Turnpike Rd., Wallingford. $55-$35.

203-269-8721, livenation.com.

The Fairfield University Glee Club with direction by Carole Ann Maxwell presents its popular Christmas Pops Concert. 5:30 p.m. December 10 Barone Campus Center, Fairfield University, 1073 North Benson Rd., Fairfield. quickcenter. com.

This Christmas Concert features sacred and secular seasonal carols sung by the Trinity Boys Choir, with harp solos and harp accompaniment by Harpeggios, harp students of Rebecca Fay Squire.

7:30 p.m. December 12 at St. John’s Church, 3 Trumbull Pl., North Haven.

203-776-2616, music@trinitynewhaven.

org, trinitynewhaven.org.

Donny McCaslin Trio. Firehouse 12’s Fall Jazz Series concludes with a two-set performance by acclaimed tenor saxophonist/composer Donny McCaslin and his trio featuring bassist Hans Glawischnig (Ray Barretto, Stefon Harris, Miguel Zenon) and drummer Johnathan Blake (Tom Harrell, Russell Malone, Jaleel Shaw). The trio celebrates its debut release, Recommended Tools, McCaslin’s seventh recording as a leader and his first on frequent collaborator Dave Douglas’ label, Greenleaf Music. The disc features nine original McCaslin compositions inspired by influences ranging from Bill Frisell to Hermeto Pascoal to Igor Stravinsky. 8:30 & 10 p.m. December 12 at Firehouse 12, 45 Crown St., New Haven. $15-$10. 203-7850468, firehouse12.com.

Béla Fleck & the Flecktones bring special guest the Alash Ensemble with the Holiday Tour for two shows. Béla Fleck & the Flecktones have been perfecting a dynamic hybrid of bluegrass, jazz and pop for more than 15 years, practically creating their own genre. Fans of the jam-band scene have embraced the ensemble for their virtuosic musicianship and mastery of improvisation. Their eclectic range is daunting, but it’s all fair game in the limitless musical universe of the Flecktones. 7 & 9:30 p.m. December 12 at Quick Center for the Arts, Fairfield University, 1073 North Benson Rd., Fairfield. $50-$45. quickcenter.com.

Join the Boston Pops Esplanade Orchestra under the direction of Keith Lockhart as they bring tidings of comfort and joy to Arena at Harbor Yard in a performance of Holiday Pops. 7:30 p.m. December 13 at Arena at Harbor Yard, 600 Main St., Bridgeport. $62.25-$30.25. 203-368-1000 or 203-624033, arenaatharboryard.com.

Help celebrate the Branford Folk Music Society’s 35th anniversary and pay tribute to Folk-Legacy Records’ 45-year history with The Paton Family.

Accompanied by their sons Robin and David, Sandy and Caroline Paton are two of folk music’s most valued treasures and resources, bringing not only a wealth of repertoire but also the history and stories behind the music.

They have been stellar performers of traditional folk music and outstanding contemporary ballads for more than 45 years as well as proprietors of the renowned record company in upstate Sharon. They have blessed BFMS stages with their presence and music making throughout its history. 8 p.m.

December 13 at First Congregational Church, 1009 Main St., Branford. $15 ($12 members, $5 children 12 and under).

203-488-7715, branfordfolk@yahoo.com, folknotes.org/branfordfolk.

Service of Christmas Lessons and Carols. Seasonal scriptural readings will be illuminated with carols by the Trinity Choir of Men & Girls and everyone will join on singing seasonal carols. 2 p.m. December 14 at St. Mary’s Church, 5 Hillhouse Ave., New Haven.

Free. 203-776-2616, music@trinitynewhaven.org, trinitynewhaven.org.

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The New Haven Chorale, under the direction of Edward Bolkovac, performs its annual holiday concert, Joy! Bolkovac will lead Franz Joseph Haydn’s elegant Missa Cellensis in C for chorus and orchestra, a selection of celebratory Bach cantata choruses, and the world premiere of a newly commissioned work for chorus and orchestra by composer-in-residence Colin Britt. 4:30 p.m. December 14 at Trinity Lutheran Church, 292 Orange St., New Haven. newhavenchorale.org.

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The New Haven Symphony Orchestra performs its Holiday Extravaganza featuring soprano Jessica Medoff Bunchman under the baton of Gerald Steichen. 7:30 p.m. December 19 at Shubert Theater, 247 College St., New Haven. $49-$15. 203-562-5666 or 888-736-2663, shubert.com.

Holiday Show. Traditional carols and yuletide favorites will fill you with the spirit of the season. Join the Connecticut Gay Men’s Chorus for an evening of parody and roast as the zany cast of characters help the Bushes celebrate their last Christmas in the White House. 8 p.m. December 20 at Shubert Theater, 247 College St., New Haven. $38-$33. 203-562-5666 or 888736-2663, shubert.com.

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Celebrate the season with an enchanting blend of holiday favorites by the New Haven Symphony Orchestra with Associate Conductor Gerald Steichen leading the band in a blaze of holiday merriment. 7:30 p.m. December 20 at Quick Center for the Arts, Fairfield University, 1073 North Benson Rd., Fairfield. $40-$35. quickcenter.com.

Strolling Victorian Holiday Carolers. Enjoy strolling carolers dressed in Victorian costume performing holiday favorites throughout the courtyard. 12:303:30 p.m. Saturdays through December 21 at 20-A Killingworth Tpke. (Rt. 81), Clinton. Free. 860-664-0700, premiumoutlets.com/clinton.

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Happy Holidays From

The Trinity Choir of Men & Girls and members of the Elm City Girls Choir/United Choir School join forces in a Holiday Celebration of song. The Constitution Brass Quintet also performs. 4 p.m. December 20 at First Church of Christ, Congregational on the Madison Green, Madison. $20 ($15 students & seniors; children’s admission one nonperishable food item or $5). 203-7762616, music@trinitynewhaven.org, trinitynewhaven.org.

Kenny G will perform familiar songs off his bestselling albums, including several holiday songs from The Greatest Holiday Classics. He will also thrill the crowd with new material from Rhythm & Romance, a tantalizing album that blends samba, salsa and bossa nova love songs with the sensual sound of Kenny’s signature saxophone melodies. 8 p.m. December 20 at the Palace Theater, 100 East Main St., Waterbury. $71$40. 203-755-4700, palacetheaterct.org.

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YOUR PALACE — YOUR PLACE

th BER 20 DECEM

JANUARY 10th

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Think Outside the Box This Holiday Season!

st 0th - 21 ARY 2 U R B E F

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For more unique gift ideas call or visit 203.755.4700 | palacetheaterct.org 100 East Main Street, Waterbury, CT

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The Gateway Community College Foundation held its annual Hall of Fame induction, November 12 at the Woodwinds in Branford. (L-R) Attorney General Richard Blumenthal, Lindy Lee Gold, event co-chair, foundation board member, Carlton Highsmith CEO of Specialized Packaging Group Inc. (Inductee), Paul McCraven, NewAlliance Bank, Dorsey Kendrick Gateway CC president, Mark Herzog, Chancellor, Connecticut Community Colleges, Fred McKinney, foundation chair. Also inducted William Ginsberg, President and CEO of the Community Foundation for Greater New Haven and Allen Gales, Public Relations Associate, Gateway Community College.

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The Neighborhood Music School (NMS) held its annual fundraiser November 15 at the Omni-New Haven Hotel to benefit the school’s financial aid and scholarship program. Pictured (l-r): Katharine (Kiki) Kennedy and Edward (Ted) Kennedy Jr. of Branford, Arts Council of Greater New Haven board member Lois DeLise, NMS Executive Director Larry Zukof, Betsy Sledge and Yale-New Haven Psychiatric Hospital Medical Director William Sledge, NMS board President Alayne Mouradian and WTNH’TV’s Jocelyn Maminta, honorary co-chair of the gala.

BELLES LETTRES The Writers Group of the Milford Fine Arts Council, which includes fiction and poetry scribes, meets monthly.

Bring work in progress or completed manuscripts. 7:30 p.m. December 11 at the Center for the Arts, 40 Railroad Ave., Milford. 203-878-6647, milfordarts.org.

BENEFITS Homes for the Holidays: A Tour of Seasonally Decorated Homes showcases five stunning homes festooned in their holiday best to benefit Sacred Heart Academy in Hamden. The tour is sweetened by the spectacular Christmas raffle and the Ornament Shoppe held in selected homes. 10 a.m.-3 p.m. December 6 (snow date December 7) Sacred Heart Academy, 265 Benham St., Hamden. $25 ($20 seniors & students) in advance, $35 day of event. 203-288-2309, ext. 324, bgriffin@sha-excelsior.org.

In honor of the Petit family, Cheshire’s Lights of Hope is a community effort to strengthen community ties and raise funds for different charities. This year’s proceeds from the selling of luminaria to light the town and neighborhoods with hope will benefit Hayley’s Hope & Michaela’s Miracle Memorial Fund, a locally-restricted fund established by the Petit family to assist Connecticut residents battling multiple sclerosis; the Petit Family Foundation, which promotes education for young people, especially women in the sciences, to improve the lives of those affected by chronic illnesses and to support efforts to protect and help those affected by violence; and the Cheshire’s Lights of Hope Scholarship fund.

December 6 in Cheshire. 203-439-0687, cheshireslightsofhope.com.

Lights of Branford, a fundraiser for the James Blackstone Memorial Library, now in its third year, features a house tour that winds through the peaceful fishing village of Stony Creek. A wine reception (5:30 p.m. December 5) will kick off this year’s event. Honorary chair is architect Sandra Vlock, who will speak on the unique architecture of Stony Creek. 2-6 p.m. December 6-7 at James Blackstone Memorial Library, 758 Main St., Branford. $30. 203-488-1441, library@blackstone.lioninc.org.

In its 19th year, Trees of Hope offers something for the whole family, with a display of 70 beautifully decorated trees, decorated tree raffle, holiday gift boutique, musical entertainment and visits from Santa. Proceeds to benefit Ronald McDonald House of Connecticut. December 6-14 at Long Wharf Maritime Center, 555 Long Wharf

Dr., New Haven. Open 10 a.m.-5 p.m. daily. ronaldmcdonaldhouse-ct.org.

Among south-central Connecticut’s best-kept architectural secrets are the pristine Colonial homes of Stratford’s National Historic District, which include some of the finest unaltered examples of Colonial architecture to be found in Connecticut. See some of these fine homes up close-andpersonal in all their holiday finery during the second annual Holiday House Tour, proceeds from which will benefit Sterling House Community Center. Noon-3 p.m. December 7 at locations TBA. Tickets $25, available from Sterling House (203-378-2606) or by calling 203-378-7725.

CINEMA Gilbert & George (UK, 2008, 64 min.) This moving biographical film traces the lives of Gilbert Prousch and George Passmore from their humble beginnings to their prominent role on the world’s artistic stage, where they have presented themselves as an enduring and controversial “living sculpture.” Noon December 5 at Yale Center for British Art, 1080 Chapel St., New Haven. Free. 203-432-2800, ycba. yale.edu.

A Child’s Christmas in Wales (UK, 1987, 55 min.) is based on the classic poem

by Dylan Thomas, in which an old man in a Welsh seaside town relates his touching memories of childhood Christmases. 2 p.m. December 6 at Yale Center for British Art, 1080 Chapel St., New Haven. Free. 203-432-2800, ycba. yale.edu.

A Christmas Carol (UK, 1951, 86 min.), directed by Brian Desmond Hurst. In this adaptation of Dickens’ classic, Ebenezer Scrooge (Alastair Sim) is given one last chance for redemption

when ghosts haunt him on Christmas Eve. 2 p.m. December 13 at Yale Center for British Art, 1080 Chapel St., New Haven. Free. 203-432-2800, ycba.yale.edu.

Humorist Jean Shepard’s nostalgic view of Christmastime in Indiana during the 1940s stars Peter Billingsly as nine-year-old Ralphie, who has only one thing on his Christmas list: a Red Ryder Carbine-Action 200 Shot Air Rifle. With his parents unwilling to buy him the gun because he might “shoot someone’s eye out,” Ralphie decides to mount a full-scale, hint-dropping, Santa-begging campaign, while enduring a slew of childhood calamities.

A Christmas Story (USA, 1983, 93 min.) is a hilarious holiday classic for the entire family. 1 p.m. December 14 at the Palace Theater, 100 East Main St., Waterbury. $10. 203-755-4700, palacetheaterct.org.

COMEDY Test your knowledge and have fun doing it at Anna Liffey’s Trivia Night. Teams of one to five people compete for prize money. Topics range from music to movies, politics to Shakespeare, geology to sports and everywhere in between. Ages 21 and older. Arrive early to get a table. 9 p.m.

December 2, 9, 16, & 22 at Anna Liffey’s, 17 Whitney Ave., New Haven. $10 per team. 203-773-1776, annaliffeys.com.

Critics and peers agree, Brian Regan has distinguished himself as one of the premier comedians working today.

Combining sophisticated writing with physicality, Regan fills theaters nationwide with fervent fans who span generations. Through tireless touring, Regan is the rare comedian to make the leap from comedy clubs to theaters without the exposure of his own TV show or film. 7:30 p.m. December 7 at the Palace Theater, 100 East Main

St., Waterbury. $38.50. 203-755-4700, palacetheaterct.org.

Seven Angels Theatre’s annual New Year’s Eve comedy bash Stand Up and Countdown! features professional comedians ringing in the New Year with plenty of laughs. Hors d’oeuvres & cocktails follow the late show. December 31 (two shows, time TBA) at Seven Angels Theatre, 1 Plank Rd., Waterbury. $45-$40.

203-757-4676, sevenangelstheatre.org.

CULINARY City Farmers’ Market at Wooster Square. Enjoy food from local farms including seafood, meat, milk, cheese, organic greens, root vegetables, handcrafted bread and baked goods, honey, more. 9 a.m.-1 p.m. every Saturday through December 20 at Russo Park, corner Chapel St. and DePalma Ct., New Haven. 203-773-3736, cityseed.org.

DANCE Experience the culture of Java and Bali with beginning students of Wesleyan Gamelan, Wesleyan Youth Gamelan and students of Javanese dance in Javanese Gamelan and Dance. 7 p.m. December 4 at World Music Hall, Wesleyan University, Middletown. Free.

860-685-3355, cfa@wesleyan.edu, wesleyan.edu/cfa.

Winter Dance Concert. Advanced student choreographers present recent work. 8 p.m. December 5-6 at Center for the Arts Theater, Wesleyan University, Middletown. $5-$4. 860-685-3355, cfa@ wesleyan.edu, wesleyan.edu/cfa.

Beginning dance students perform works in diverse styles including jazz, Afro-Brazilian, Bharata Natyam and Javanese dance at the Worlds of Dance Concert. 2 p.m. December 7 at World Music Hall and Crowell Concert Hall, Wesleyan University, Middletown.

Free. 860-685-3355, cfa@wesleyan.edu, wesleyan.edu/cfa.

West African Drumming & Dance Concert. An invigorating performance filled with the rhythms of West Africa.

8 p.m. December 12 at Crowell Concert Hall, Wesleyan University, Middletown. $8-$6. 860-685-3355, cfa@wesleyan.edu, wesleyan.edu/cfa.

FAMILY EVENTS

Enjoy a winter wonderland at Sleeping Giant State Park with a Holiday Hike and Social on December 7.

The Yale Astronomy Department hosts a Public Stargazing Session. Twice monthly the department runs a public night during which astronomy buffs can come and peer through one of the department’s many telescopes and ask questions about the wonders of the night sky. Viewable celestial objects

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hotmail.com, happinessclub.com.

change seasonally and range from the moon to the planets to nearby star clusters and galaxies. 6 p.m. December 2 at the Leitner Family Observatory, 355 Prospect St., New Haven. Free. cobb@ astro.yale.edu, astro.yale.edu.

SPORTS/RECREATION Cycling

The New Haven Tree Lighting Celebration is an annual tradition on the New Haven Green celebrating the beginning of the holiday season. The family-oriented event features live performances, children’s activities, costumed characters, Santa, special guests and more. 4 p.m. December 4 on the New Haven Green. Free. 203-9468378, kfutrell@newhavenct.net.

Celebrate the holiday season with a Holiday Open House featuring entertainment and refreshments. 5-7 p.m. December 4 at New Haven Museum & Historical Society, 114 Whitney Ave., New Haven, New Haven. Free. 203-5624183.

The Town Green District hosts the Holiday Luminaria display on the New Haven Upper Green coinciding with downtown’s Late Night Thursdays.

Luminaria on the Green is the region’s largest installation of its kind featuring more than 1,200 individual wax candles in decorative bags illuminating the walkways of the Upper Green for a three-hour period. Dozens of volunteers light the luminaria at sundown (approximately 5:30 p.m.), weather permitting. 5:30-9 p.m.

December 4, 11 & 18. Free. 203-401-4245.

The Downtown Milford Lamplight Stroll is a two-day, event-packed holiday treat organized by the Downtown Milford Business Association. Events include horse and carriage rides with Santa and Mrs. Claus, caroling and much more. 5-9 p.m. December 5, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. December 6 in downtown Milford. downtownmilfordct.com.

Held each year since 1990, the elegant Christmas in the Mansion is the premiere “showcase of the season” that provides a special opportunity to visit Lauralton Hall’s beautiful 30-acre campus, shop, sample gourmet fare and admire the grand architectural features of the school’s 1864 Victorian Gothic mansion, the ideal backdrop for this spectacular holiday extravaganza.

The tradition of Christmas in the Mansion has twice been nominated as one of the top 100 events in the nation and attracts thousands of guests annually. 10 a.m.-8 p.m. December 5, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. December 6, 11 a.m.-4 p.m.

December 7 at the Academy of Our Lady of Mercy, 200 High St., Milford. 203-8772786, lauraltonhall.org Family Funday: Myths, Masks & Wild Things. Throughout the morning create your own character in a hands-on artmaking workshop and explore creatures and characters that live in the galleries.

Come back at 1 p.m. for family films that feature animal fables, talking mice and wild things. 10:30 a.m. December 6 at Yale Center for British Art, 1080 Chapel St., New Haven. Free. 203-432-2800.

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Elm City Cycling organizes Lulu’s Ride, weekly two- to four-hour rides for all levels (17-19 mph average).

Cyclists leave 10 a.m. from Lulu’s European Café as a single group; no one is dropped. 10 a.m. every Sunday at Lulu’s European Café, 49 Cottage St., New Haven. Free. 203-773-9288, elmcitycycling.org.

Enjoy a winter wonderland at Sleeping Giant State Park with a Holiday Hike and Social on December 7.

Trees of West Haven. Enjoy beautifully decorated holiday trees, wreaths and table decorations. Win decorated trees and holiday items. Crafts and food for sale. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. December 6-7 at St. John Vianney Church Hall, Masonic Temple, 204 Center St., West Haven. Free.

203-937-9823.

The Eli Whitney Museum in Hamden will display A.C. Gilbert trains in its annual holiday train show, Mr. Gilbert’s Railroad. Kits ($9) available for young visitors who wish to build wooden trains with magnetic couplers. Through January 11 at Eli Whitney Museum, 915 Whitney Ave., Hamden. Open 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Sat. & noon-5 p.m. Sun. Free. 203777-1833, kl@eliwhitney.org, eliwhitney. org.

LECTURES/ DISCUSSIONS The Fairfield University Inspired Writers Series, in a community partnership with the World Affairs Forum in Stamford, presents Samantha Power, author of the national bestseller Chasing the Flame: One Man’s Fight to Save the World, the full story of the UN Secretary General’s Special Envoy Vieira de Mello, killed by a suicide bomber in Baghdad. Irish-born Power, who is a practicing journalist and the Anna Lindh Professor of Global Leadership and Public Policy Practice at Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government, is the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of the 2003 book A Problem from Hell: America and the Age of Genocide. 7 p.m. December 2 in the Barone Campus Center Oak Room, Fairfield University, 1073 North Benson Rd., Fairfield. $15. 203-254-4110, quickcenter.com.

Ed Moran: Black Holes in the Milky Way’s Backyard. Embrace your inquiring mind at Sunday Salon, a monthly meeting for creative expression and curious individuals.

Chemistry Professor David Beveridge hosts. Have you ever wondered what black holes really are, how they form, and how big they are? Come find out as Astronomy Professor Ed Moran

searches for black holes at the centers of nearby galaxies to discover what such objects can tell us about our galaxy’s evolution. 2-4 p.m. December 7 at Green Street Arts Center, 51 Green St., Middletown. $5 ($3 members, seniors, & students). 860-685-7871, greenstreetartscenter.org.

MIND, BODY & SOUL Yoga promotes a deep sense of physical, mental and emotional wellbeing. Classes are designed to help cultivate breath and body awareness, improve flexibility, strengthen and tone muscles, detoxify the body and soothe the spirit. All levels welcome.

Bring a yoga mat. Class led by Nelie Doak. 5-6:15 p.m. December 5, 12, & 19 at Blackstone Library, 758 Main St., Branford. $10. 203-488-1441, ext. 313, yogidoakie@earthlink.net or events@ blackstone.lioninc.org, blackstone. lioninc.org.

Without inner peace, outer peace is impossible. Start the week off right with a Sunday Morning Recharge: Meditate! Learn to cultivate and maintain a happy, positive mind. Everyone is welcome for an inspirational talk, special prayers and guided meditation with Buddhist teacher Kaitlyn Brayton. 11 a.m.12:30 p.m. Sundays in December at Mariner’s Corner, 2415 Boston Post Rd., No. 11, Guilford. $10 (members free). 860-268-3863, info@odiyana.org, meditationinconnecticut.org.

Guest speaker and author Christopher Dunn will speak on “How To Be Happy & What It Means: Designing a Happy Life” at this month’s Happiness Club of Greater Milford meeting. Attendees will also enjoy a variety of interesting exhibitors, happy networking and receive a free ticket for a chance to win door prizes. Water, coffee and ice will be provided, and guests are encouraged to bring a potluck item (munchie, appetizer, or main dish) and any other liquid refreshments they may desire. 6-8 p.m. December 11 at Golden Hill Health Care Center, 2028 Bridgeport Ave. Milford. 203-767-3582, plynn_135@

The Little Lulu (LL) is an alternative to the long-standing Sunday morning training ride. The route is usually 20-30 miles in length and the ride is no-drop, meaning that the group waits at hilltops and turns so that no rider is left behind. The LL is an opportunity for cyclists to get accustomed to riding in groups. Riders should come prepared with materials (tubes, tools, pumps and/or CO2 inflators) to repair flats.

10 a.m. Sundays in December at Lulu’s European Café, 49 Cottage St., New Haven. Free. 203-773-9288, paulproulx@ sbcglobal.net, elmcitycycling.org.

Critical Mass. Participants meet at the flagpole on the New Haven Green at 5:30 p.m. on the last Friday of each month for a slow-paced ride through New Haven streets. The ride ranges from 30 minutes to over an hour depending on weather. Critical Mass is not an organization; it’s an “unorganized coincidence” — a movement of bicycles in the streets as traffic. After the event, everyone is invited to a potluck dinner at the Devil’s Gear Bike Shop. 5:30 p.m. December 26 at Temple and Chapel streets, New Haven. Free. elmcitycycling.org.

Hikes Holiday Hike and Social. Hour-anda-half hike — choice of short or long hike. Wear comfortable shoes, bring snacks and water. 1:30 p.m. (hike) & 3 p.m. (social) December 7 at Sleeping Giant State Park, opposite Quinnipiac University on Mount Carmel Ave., Hamden. Free. 203-272-7841, sgpa.org.

Road Races Christopher Martin’s 5K Christmas Run for Children. Annual road race to collect toys and donations for needy children in New Haven. 10 a.m.

December 7 at Christopher Martin’s Restaurant, 860 State St., New Haven.

203-481-5933.

Please send CALENDAR information to CALENDAR@conntact.com no later than seven weeks preceding calendar month of event. Please include date, time, location, event description, cost and contact information. Photographs must be at least 300 dpi resolution and are published at discretion of NEW HAVEN magazine.

Christmas Continued from 17

Comfort without compromising style.

call, the failure but figuring of revolution out, with in aGermany laugh, how in to 1848 get herself and theoncontinuing speed-dialfailure terms with of potato Long crops inTheatre.

Ireland. v Wharf Before long, the prosperity of a growing middle class influenced the Christmas holiday, and many of the traditions we associate with December 25 were born.

“The city was decorated so beautifully in the early 1900s, when New Haven was at the height of its glory and the commercial downtown was blossoming,” says Hosley. And more stuff, and more stuff.

“I don’t like to focus on asking the congregation to not give gifts,” minister Smith says. “That’s old news. What I feel I need to do is set a positive example that Christmas is not a consumer holiday.

It brings us full circle to when the early Puritans did not celebrate Christmas because people lost focus of the hope, joy, peace and love that brought Jesus into the world. Merry Christmas. Not ‘Happy Holidays,’ but Merry Christmas.” v

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Haney revels in helping other dig deep and writing honestly about something they care about. “Everything is material,” she says, grinning.

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As for the Great American Screenplay, “Everyone has an idea for a movie — from brain surgeons to garbage collectors to Hassidic rabbis,” she says. Currently Haney is working with a Brookfield woman who came to her with an idea for a screenplay and who, after two months, is now hammering away the final draft.

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Today Haney is putting the finishing touches on her first mystery novel, Bones of Contention, whose protagonist is Viva Madeira. “I’ve always enjoyed Hammett, La Carré, Chandler, Sayers and P.D. James’ variety of characters and her creative scenarios,” Haney explains. Her final reflections are pure Haney. “For a flatchested girl from the Squirrel Hill section of Pittsburgh with frizzy hair and bossy older sisters, I think I did okay,” she says.

Asked about penning her own memoirs, she says, laughing, “Yes, soon. I’ve already got the title: Sneaking into the Movies.” v

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By Liese Klein

Michael Tiscia of Michael’s Trattoria

CHEF ON THE GRILL Michael Tiscia offers the recipe for one of Walingford’s favorite dishes.

PHOTOGRAPH:

Anthony DeCarlo

W O RD S of MOUT H

I

f you’ve ever lived, worked or even merely set foot in Wallingford, you’ve probably heard of Michael’s, a downtown favorite for more than 14 years. This Italian eatery keeps packing them in with quality Italian food in generous portions and an inviting atmosphere suitable for either a romantic evening or outing with friends. Michael Tiscia still runs the eatery day-to-day in addition to teaching Italian cooking classes around town.

How did you get started in restaurants?

I grew up in the business in Stamford; my father owned a restaurant and my grandfather before that. It was a pizza place called Cipri’s. When I was 11 or 12 I was helping my father in the kitchen.

Also, my grandmother was from Abruzzi [Italy]; she knew I liked to cook those Abruzzi dishes and showed me how to make them. Those dishes have stayed with me all my life.

What is the food like in Abruzzi?

It’s a lot of seafood, with a little lighter pastas than down south. We do make some cream sauces at Michael’s, though.

Our specialty is our vodka sauce.

Why did you decide to open your own place?

Recipe: Swordfish Puttanesca Seafood is on the holiday menu in much of Italy, the ancestral homeland of Michael Tiscia of Michael’s Trattoria in Wallingford. Swordfish, now harvested sustainably in the Atlantic, marries well with a piquant puttanesca sauce in this recipe, a warming and hearty winter meal that’s a favorite at Michael’s.

Serves two.

Ingredients: 8 to 12 ounces fresh swordfish 2 tablespoons olive oil

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1/2 teaspoon crushed fresh garlic 1/2 teaspoon capers

2 tablespoons pitted black olives

1/2 pound of uncooked penne pasta

1 can diced plum tomatoes Heat up the olive oil in a sauté pan and cook swordfish for two minutes on each side. Remove the swordfish from pan, then brown the garlic, capers and olives for about 30 seconds in the remaining oil. Add the entire can of tomatoes and let the mixture simmer for about five minutes. (In a separate pot, start cooking the pasta according to directions on the package.) Slice the cooked swordfish into strips and add to tomato mixture. Drain the pasta and top with the swordfish and sauce.

First I went to L.A. and worked as a chef at a place called Victoria Station in the ’70s. I also worked at Universal Studios and catered Elton John parties, parties for the Blues Brothers, Donna Summer, Al Jarreau. I was trained there by the master chef Emerson Holmes. I came back to Stamford in ’81 to work at a French hotel, then I opened a frozen pizza company in Milford called Bravo’s. Then I opened my own place.

Why did you choose Wallingford?

Wallingford is an up-and-coming town; it’s got a beautiful downtown and I saw how Choate was right there.

What other restaurants do you like?

In Wallingford, Yankee Silversmith Inn was great but they closed. In New Haven, Continued on 56

• Gift Certificates •

Celebrate The Holiday Season

Anthony DeCarlo

at

PHOTOGRAPH:

Private space available for groups of 10-135 Lunch, dinner, cocktail receptions Taste in North Haven: an eatery with big-city flavors and ambience in a small-city setting.

1032 Chapel Street, New Haven www.unionleaguecafe.com 203 562 4299

JUST A TASTE: Taste Restaurant & Lounge

I

t’s an exciting time to be eating out in New Haven County, with stylish, ambitious and affordable restaurants opening and thriving beyond the city center. Taste in North Haven joins the likes of the Bridge House in Milford and Crave in Ansonia as an eatery with bigcity flavors and ambience in a small-city setting.

Minutes from the shopping plazas of Dixwell Avenue and Hamden’s downtown, Taste signals its style with a retro sign out front but little hint of the cuisine and ambience inside. However, the sensibility of owners Jason Ruocco and Nace Schimler is apparent as soon as you open the door, with the warm wood tones and tasteful lighting a welcome respite from Whitney Avenue’s commercial sprawl.

Martinis are in order to begin, with dozens of selections including a sweet French version with Chambord and Grand Marnier and a bracing Negroni with the bite of Campari. Taste also does right by beer lovers with a wide array including Rogue Dead Guy Ale and Lindemans Framboise, a Belgian tart fruit beer that goes great with dessert. A dozen wines are

available by the glass and the bottle list covers all price points.

Dinner gets off to a strong start with fresh rolls by Bread and Chocolate, a bakery farther north on Whitney Avenue. The shrimp in the “buffalo shrimp” appetizer were a bit dry but benefited from the kick of a spicy sauce and bleu cheese garnish.

A hanger steak entrée also showcased the chef’s skill with sauces, with a red-wine reduction bringing out the best in the well-cooked piece of meat. A salmon entrée skillfully balanced the sweetness of miso paste with a smoky eggplant puree and Japanese wasabi. We finished with an intense and impeccably fresh flourless chocolate cake, complemented by hazelnut ice cream and caramelized bananas.

The attentive and knowledgeable servers take the time to explain the entrées and highlights of each night’s menu. Taste also scores points for affordability, with menu items ranging from an $8 portobello sandwich to pork and seafood entrées in the $20 range.

Taste Restaurant & Lounge, 1995 Whitney Ave., North Haven (203-230-8801).

northern italian cuisine

Michael’s Trattoria Lunch & Dinner reservations recommended on weekends

— excellent wine list — Zagat Rated

203 269-5303 Close to Chevrolet Theatre 344 Center St, Wallingford new haven

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Foe, 576 Main St., Branford (203-483-5896). The perfect setting for a romantic evening, Foe shines with sublime beef and pasta dishes. A black fig and cherry-glazed duck breast also showcases the chef’s skill with poultry. Lunch and bar menu.

PHOTOGRAPH:

Anthony DeCarlo

AMERICAN

EDITOR’S PICK

Sage American Grill & Oyster Bar, 100 S. Water St., New Haven (203-787-3466). The tranquil harborfront view sets off skilled seafood and raw bar selections.

Excellent seasonal specials and a full bar add to the attractions of this favorite.

Foster’s, 56-62 Orange St., New Haven (203-859-6666).

The chef himself is likely to bring over your meal at this acclaimed newcomer in Ninth Square. Comfort food with cutting-edge flair like llama burgers on toasted brioche.

FRENCH

Owner Jeannine McMillan (left), store manager Natasha Meoli and co-owner Mary McMillian bring flavorful Tex-Mex treats to New Haven at their Moe’s Southwest Grill

Moe’s Southwest Grill

Q

ueso is not just the Spanish word for cheese — it’s also a creamy, subtly spiced cheese dip that’s good on everything (though hard to find outside of Texas).

Thankfully, queso can now be found in the heart of New Haven, at the new Moe’s Southwest Grill on Whitney Avenue. Smeared on tortilla chips, spread on quesadillas or dribbled into burritos, queso adds an element of cheesy goodness and green chile heat to Moe’s quality TexMex fare.

Union League Café, 1032 Chapel St., New Haven (203562-4299). New Haven’s most beautiful dining room and world-class cuisine near the heart of downtown.

But Moe’s offers a lot more than queso: Try the hearty burritos and quesadillas with grilled vegetables and Moe’s fresh salsas — their “hot” salsa truly scorches.

Also notable is that the eatery has set aside a grill for vegetarian food and grilled tofu is offered as a filling for any menu item, along with “fajita steak,” chicken, ground beef and a spicy pulled pork. Stick to the tender and savory pinto beans as a side dish and make sure to try the fresh pico de gallo, bright with cilantro and fresh tomatoes.

Top your meal off with a Tecate or Sam Adams — Moe’s sells both beer and “Moe-rita” cocktails.

Desserts are limited to a few varieties of fresh-baked cookies, but Clark’s Dairy is right down the block with homemade ice cream to sooth your spiced-out tastebuds.

Moe’s has built a following of both students and downtown workers with its fresh, tasty Tex-Mex offerings.

Just don’t forget the queso!

Moe’s Southwest Grill, 46 Whitney Ave., New Haven (203-776-6637).

The best to me is a very tender porterhouse steak. Extra large, about a 32ouncer! I get that at Jordan’s Steak House and Ruth’s Chris.

food are top notch. I also stay on top of the business — I’m always here. We also offer a lot of specials and always use fish that are plentiful, no farm-raised fish. We also have a great wine list with more than 90 bottles. We’re trying to get green, too, with cleaning products, natural brown pizza boxes, not bleached. They’re little steps, but they make changes.

What is your secret to success after 14 years?

Michael’s Trattoria, 344 Center St., Wallingford (203-269-5303).

ONE2ONE Continued from 54

I go to Miso because I love sushi.

What would be your last meal?

We put our heart into it; our service and 56

december 2008

Le Petit Café 225 Montowese St., Branford (203-4839791). Prix-fixe menu features beautifully prepared classics with a modern twist in a casual setting.

Caseus, 3 Whitney Ave., New Haven (203-624-3373).

Quiche and onion soup with top-notch cheeses stand out at this charming bistro.

Gastronomique, 25 High Street, New Haven (203776-7007).Classics like croque monsieur and steak tartare, plus sandwiches and burgers, expertly prepared at affordable prices. Takeout only.

FUSION CUISINE Mickey’s Restaurant & Bar, 2323 Whitney Ave., Hamden (203-288-4700). This eatery’s sophisticated interior and artful blend of Israeli and Italian flavors bring big-city flair to downtown Hamden.

Sip a Mickey’s margarita with your Marrakech salmon and Israeli couscous and you’ll swear you’re on the beach in Tel Aviv Bespoke, 266 College St., New Haven (203-5624644). High-end Latin fusion with a flair, wit and excellent service. Try the lobster arepa and duckconfit empanada upstairs at Sabor, the in-house Latin lounge. Fixed-price pre-theater menu serves up three courses for only $29.

Friend House, 538 Boston Post Rd., Orange (203-7956888). In a plaza next to Trader Joe’s, Friend House brings together stylish sushi and Chinese and Thai favorites. Best bets are the inventive hand rolls with ingredients like mango, tempura flakes and mint.

Formosa, 132 Middletown Ave., North Haven (203-2390666). Creative and beautifully presented dishes with pan-Asian panache. Don’t miss the Szechwan “ravioli,” tender chicken dumplings in a delicate peanut sauce, or Taiwanese seafood specialties.

Kudeta, 27 Temple St., New Haven (203 562-8844).

Every major cuisine of Asia is represented on Kudeta’s menu, with something for every taste in an evocative interior. Generous and inventive drinks along with good sushi and noodle dishes.

INDIAN Zaroka Bar & Restaurant, 148 York St., New Haven (203-776-8644). Opulent setting for one of the city’s most popular Indian buffets. Enjoy the birayani

pilafs, crunchy pappadum crackers and fluffy desserts. Buffet is $7.95 daily ($9.95 on Sunday).

Royal India, 140 Howe St., New Haven (203-787-9493).

Tasty North Indian fare in an intimate setting on Howe’s mini-restaurant row. Nice variety at lunch buffet with fresh bread. Weekday buffet is $7.95, Friday-Saturday is $8.95 and Sunday $9.95.

Darbar India, 1070 Main St., Branford (203-481-8994).

Award-winning shoreline favorite with excellent atmosphere and north Indian classics, run by Royal India owner. Spicy vindaloos and tandooris are a good bet. Friday-Sunday lunch buffet is $9.95.

Coromandel, 185 Boston Post Rd., Orange (203-7959055). Great breads and regional specialties from the local outpost of a celebrated Fairfield chain. Try the shrimp in coconut sauce and unusual lentil dessert.

Weekday lunch buffet $9.95 ($11.95 on weekends).

Swagat, 215 Boston Post Rd. West Haven (203-9310108). A tiny outpost of south Indian favorites near the University of New Haven. Best bets are the masala dosa and many vegetarian dishes, plus the friendly service. No buffet, but open all day and very affordable.

ITALIAN Skappo Italian Wine Bar, 59 Crown St., New Haven (203-773-1394). White truffles and chestnuts are two of the compelling flavors you’ll encounter at this cozy eatery in Ninth Square. A great place to sample wines and small plates in an unpretentious setting.

Tre Scalini Ristorante, 100 Wooster St., New Haven (203-777-3373). Acclaimed pasta, seafood and antipasti in an opulent Wooster Square setting.

Also open for lunch.

L’Orcio, 806 State St., New Haven (203-777-6670).

Outstanding modern Italian in an intimate setting.

You can’t go wrong with the pasta specials and perfectly cooked and seasoned steaks.

Winter Menu

YellowFin’s

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Where OLD New England Meets NEW New England

1027 South Main St • Cheshire

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Open Seven Days

Lunches $5 & Up

Roseland Apizza, 350 Hawthorne Ave., Derby (203-7350494). Don’t let the casual pizzeria decor fool you — this Valley favorite makes some serious Italian food. Look for the daily specials and enjoy.

MEXICAN Viva Zapata, 161 Park St., New Haven (203-562-2499).

Toothsome classics and a killer sangria in a festive pub atmosphere. Open for lunch.

Baja, 63 Boston Post Rd., Orange (203-799-2252).

WELCOME TO MOE’S Located In Audobon Square

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PHOTOGRAPH:

JUST A SIP

Anthony DeCarlo

fine pastries & confections

Karl Ronne (owner of New Haven’s Wine Thief) and Margaret Chatey.

Westford Hills Distillers Eau de Vie

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Tues-Fri, 8-6 • Sat. 8-5 • Sun 8-12 • Closed Mon.

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ive something tasty, Connecticut-made and ultra-warming to the foodies on your list this year: the top quality fruit brandies made by Westford Hill Distillers of Ashford. Several of Westford Hill’s eau de vie brandies are made with Lyman Orchards fruit and the pear brandy comes in an awardwinning bottle created

by North Haven designer Sue Collins.

Eau de vie, French for “water of life,” is a clear spirit distilled from pure fruit, explains Margaret Chatey, owner of Westford Hills. “It carries all the aroma and the flavor of the fruit, but does not have a sweet finish,” Chatey says. The brandy’s only ingredients are fruit and yeast, with a bit of water added late in the process.

Appreciation of Westford Hills’ eau de vie starts with the bottles, elegantly tapered and artfully labeled. The aroma of fresh raspberries hits your nose as you open a bottle

to win a gold medal for Westford Hills at a Los Angeles spirits show this year. Coming soon is a plum brandy, currently aging in oak barrels.

of the Framboise and the fruit’s flavors unfold as the brandy slides down your throat, then settles in your stomach with a warming glow.

Westford Hills’ bestseller is a kirsch cherry brandy, made with fruit from upstate New York.

Also popular is an aged apple brandy and the Fraise strawberry brandy.

Newest in the line is the Poire Prisonniere, which features a Bartlett pear grown inside a bottle that is then filled with aged pear brandy. Collins’ heart-shaped bottle with delicate scrollwork beat out 3,500 competitors

A favorite libation of Gertrude Stein and French intellectuals past and present, eau de vie is sipped after dinner as a digestif or with dessert.

It’s also great in cooking, adding tang and depth of flavor to dishes like pork loin with apple cider.

Prices range from about $18 for the regular pear brandy to $75 for the Poire Prisonniere in the special bottle. The brandies can be found at major liquor stores including Mt. Carmel Wine & Spirits Co. in Hamden, Oddbins Bottle Shop in New Haven, Mountview Plaza Wines & Liquors in Naugatuck, Cheshire Wine & Spirits and Coastal Wine & Spirits in Branford.

Westford Hill Distilleries, 196 Chatey Rd., Ashford (860-429-0464), westfordhill.com.

An expansive salsa bar and fish taco entrée appeal to homesick Californians and big eaters.

Guadalupe la Poblanita, 136 Chapel St., New Haven (203-752-1017). Simple, authentic cuisine from Puebla in a down-home atmosphere.

Moes, 46 Whitney Avenue, New Haven (203-776-6637). Southwest grill styled food. Speial attention to the tortilla.

Jalapeno Heaven, 40 N. Main St., Branford (203-481-6759). Tasty Americanized fare in a cozy setting with excellent margaritas.

Long Wharf Taco Trucks, Long Wharf Drive near Veterans Memorial Park, weekdays at lunch. Tacos as they’re served in Mexico — just corn tortillas, meat, cilantro and a spicy sauce — eaten al fresco by New Haven Harbor.

Mezcal, 14 Mechanic St., New Haven (203-782-4828). Big portions and wideranging menu with lots of surprises.

No liquor license.

Taqueria Mexico No. 1, 850 S. Colony Rd. Wallingford (203-265-0567). The best tortas — or small sandwiches — in the area, filled with spiced meat and accompanied on the weekends by a lip-smacking posole hominy soup.

MIDDLE EASTERN Mamoun’s, 85 Howe St., New Haven (203-562-8444). Cheap plates of falafel and Syrian-style specialties like stuffed eggplant keep this student favorite hopping late into the night.

Istanbul Café, 245 Crown St., New Haven (203-787-3881). This critics’ favorite has the best ambience in town and consistently flavorful food.

A grilled octopus salad and red lentil soup are standouts, along with lamb dishes.

Turkish Kebab House, 1157 Campbell Ave., West Haven (203-933-0002).

Every kind of kebab imaginable, from doner to minced chicken to cubes of lamb, is on tap at this neighborhood eatery. Also vegetarian and seafood options.

Kasbah Garden Café, 105 Howe St., New Haven (203-777-5053). Moroccanstyle lamb and vegetable dishes prevail on the limited but tasty menu. Savor mint tea and baklava outside on the idiosyncratically landscaped patio.

SEAFOOD Lenny’s Indian Head Inn, 205 S. Montowese St., Branford (203-488-1500).

Fried clams praised by national critics and the freshest steamers

around make Lenny’s a local favorite.

Lenny & Joe’s Fish Tale, 1301 Boston Post Rd., Madison (203-245-7289).

What it lacks in formality it makes up for in taste — the freshest, crispest fried seafood around. The perfect spot for quick eats after beach or a coastal drive, with an ice cream stand onsite.

Guilford Mooring, 505 Whitfield St., Guilford (203-458-2921). Pasta dishes, a stellar chowder and a full range of grilled fish set this Shoreline favorite apart. And where else can you savor Lazy Man’s Stuffed Lobster as you watch lobstermen at work on the Sound?

YellowFin’s Seafood Grille, 1027 South Main St., Cheshire (203-2509999). Flavors are light and bright at this fusion eatery, with a menu that ranges from cioppino to Asian scallop salad to Tilapia St. Tropez.

A raw bar and house-brewed beer round out the offerings.

Jimmie’s of Savin Rock, 5 Rock St., West Haven. 934-3212. Take the family out and enjoy the boardwalk view.

Known for its moderate prices and casual atmosphere Jimmie’s has all the fried favorites, a full menu of broiled fish, lobster and the famous split hot dog.

SUSHI Wasabi, 280 Branford Rd., North Branford (203-488-7711). Good quality rolls and sashimi at reasonable prices, along with Korean specialties like mandu dumplings and bibimbap rice bowls. The sake flows freely on Monday nights, a favorite with students.

Celebrate New Year’s Eve

Akasaka, 1450 Whalley Ave., New Haven (203-387-4898). Unusual specials like baby octopus and blowfish make this veteran eatery worth a visit. Live sea urchin roe and scallops are also a best bet, along with tasty pickled vegetables.

Gala Ballroom Celebration Live music, dancing, open bar, fine wines, sumptuous dinner

Sono Bana, 1206 Dixwell Ave., Hamden (203-281-9922). Fresh fish, inventive rolls and extensive combo options make this a neighborhood favorite. Try a fruity saketini with your sashimi “boat” and ask the chef to load up on the catch of the day.

A Quieter Celebration in the Terra Mar Special a la carte menu

Miya’s Sushi, 68 Howe St., New Haven (203-777-9760). Unusual combinations like rolls with cheese and Ethiopian spices are the draw at this Elm City institution. Let go of your preconceptions about sushi with help from some of the beguiling infused-sake cocktails.

Number 1 Fish Market, 2239 State St., Hamden (203-624-6171). Make your own sushi at home with fresh seafood from this market, which supplies many area restaurants. The

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Anthony DeCarlo

BUDGET DINING

’za horizons with the chicken parm or chicken marsala pies.

PHOTOGRAPH:

But there’s a lot more to Marco Polo’s menu than pizza, and diners looking for something hearty and fresh at a moderate price will be pleased. Pastas come in generous portions and a punchy puttanesca sauce with lots of anchovy enlivened a recent outing. Eggplant parm with vibrant marinara starred on another night and salads and sides were consistently fresh and tasty. Most dinners are in the $13 range and come with salad and bread.

Gary Mastropolo, serving it up hot.

Marco Polo Pizzeria & Italian Restaurant

D

inner out with wine doesn’t have to be budget-busting at Marco Polo Restaurant, a cozy Italian joint in New Haven’s Ninth Square with a bring-your-own-bottle policy. Only a few blocks from the Wine Thief, Marco Polo offers both tasty Italian fare and the full selection of downtown’s best wine shop.

PRIVATE DINING FOR UP TO 50

With its shiny new booths and stylish interior, Marco Polo belies the “pizzeria� label right from the start. Not that there isn’t a good selection of pizza rolls and pies-by-the-slice at the front counter, all made “Bronx-style� with a slightly thicker crust and layer of toppings than the New Haven norm. Go for broke with the Bronx Special that piles sausage, meatballs, pepperoni, ham and bacon on a groaning crust, or expand your

While you wait for your meal, send a member of your party down the street to the Wine Thief for the perfect Chianti, Pinot Grigio or pale ale to accompany your meal. Marco Polo doesn’t charge a corking fee and provides the appropriate glassware for free.

With its welcoming interior, neighborhood feel and fresh food, Marco Polo provides an affordable and avorful night out or prelude to an evening in New Haven.

Marco Polo Pizza & Italian Restaurant, 55 Crown St., New Haven, (203- 776-2726).

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helpful staff will steer you toward the best quality tuna, salmon, scallops and red snapper; items like sea urchin roe are available.

VEGETARIAN Ahimsa, 1227 Chapel St., New Haven (203-786-4774).

Wide-ranging vegan fare is featured at this (kosher) eatery that uses no animal products. South Indianstyle dals and curries star at the daily $10 lunch buffet, with more offerings at Sunday brunch.

Edge of the Woods, 379 Whalley Ave., New Haven (203-787-1055). The natural market offers a superb selection of vegetarian products in addition to a lunchtime buffet with salad bar, hot entrées like lasagna and seitan stir-fry and a colorful array of main-dish salads.

Shoreline Diner & Vegetarian Enclave, 345 Boston Post Rd., Guilford (203-458-7380). Non-veg diner fare along with vegan favorites like a tempeh Reuben with sauerkraut on grilled rye and “Twin Towers” of vegetable strudel. Great place for groups with different dining preferences.

It’s Only Natural Restaurant, 386 Main St., Middletown (860-346-9210). Worth the ride up I-91 for award-winning entrées like sweet potato enchiladas, tempeh “crab cakes” and a generous macrobiotic plate. Full slate of vegan desserts including chocolate mousse couscous cake.

BAKERIES

HOT DOGS

Marjolaine, 961 State St., New Haven (203-789-8589).

Buttery croissants and creamy pastries showcase the quality ingredients used by this East Rock neighborhood favorite.

Blackie’s Hot Dog Stand, 2200 Waterbury Rd., Cheshire (203-699-1819). It’s all about the relish at Blackie’s, a Cheshire institution since 1928. Simple pork and beef dogs are all they make--just tell them how many and get a birch beer on the side.

Lucibello’s Italian Pastry Shop, 935 Grand Ave, New Haven (203- 562-4083). Cannolis to die for are the specialty here but also try the delicately flavored pignoli and other Italian cookies.

4 and Twenty Blackbirds, 610 Village Walk, Guilford (203-458-6900). A Shoreline star for wedding cakes, cheesecakes, pies and cookies.

Libby’s Italian Pastry Shop, 139 Wooster St, New Haven (203-772-0380). Top off your pizza excursion with a cannoli or Italian ice at this Wooster Square institution.

Take the Cake, 2458 Boston Post Rd., Guilford (203-4531896). Brides and sugar fiends flock to this bakery’s tasty mousse cakes, fruit tarts and innovative spice cookies.

Bread and Chocolate, 2457 Whitney Avenue, Hamden (203-907-4079). Breads and pastries made fresh along with coffee drinks, soups, salads and sandwiches.

Edge of the Woods, 379 Whalley Ave., New Haven (203-787-1055). The best spot in town for kosher, gluten-free and vegan baked goods--the chocolate babka and linzer cookies are outstanding.

Join us every Sunday

Al’s Hot Dog Stand, 248 S. Main St., Naugatuck (203-729-6229). Wieners with all the toppings plus shakes, fries and fountain drinks are the draw at this regional favorite. Open late in the summer for al fresco dining after the ball game.

Chick’s Drive Inn, 183 Beach St., West Haven (203-9344510). The perfect snack after a day at the beach, a Chick’s dog benefits from charbroiling and excellent condiments.

– Hartford Courant “Amid elegance, a variety of Indian dishes” – New York Times

Fine Indian Cuisine

168 North Main St. Branford

Mr. Mac’s Canteen, 2004 Bridgeport Ave., Milford (203-874-1515). Chili’s the specialty at Mr. Mac’s, with locations in both Milford and Monroe. The meatless, beanless chili’s spicy goodness plays off the perfectly cooked dog. Fries and other toppings are also excellent.

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Glenwood Drive-In, 2538 Whitney Ave., Hamden (203-281-0604). Top-quality Hummel meat make the dogs sing at Glenwood, a Hamden favorite since 1955. Spicy relish and thick-cut fries complement the toothsome wieners.

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PHOTOGRAPH:

Anthony DeCarlo

Blade Walker A reluctant ice queen reclaims her inner child

By Joyce L. Faiola

I

ce-skating traces its origins to prehistoric times. Dating from 3000 BC, the oldest skates were found at the bottom of a lake in Switzerland.

Crafted from the leg bones of large animals, they were attached with leather straps. Starting in 1250, the Dutch began perfecting this transportation mode. (“Skate” comes from the Dutch word schaats.) Replacing bone blades with iron ones transformed the skating stick, formerly used for propulsion, as a tool for braking and steering. With innovations such as the “Dutch Roll” — a simple skating step, still used today — things began moving along. When the Dutch settled New Amsterdam (New York), they brought skating with them, and by 1686 skating was a regular feature of New Year’s Day celebrations. In 1861 New Haven became a skater’s paradise when a pond was created in Hamilton Park and the fire brigade flooded a corner of the Green for skaters. In 1865, Jackson Haines, the first figure skater who designed his own dramatic costumes created the skates we use today.

I hadn’t laced up ice skates for 25 years and had almost forgotten how to do the “Frankenstein walk,” but like riding a bicycle some physical skills are unforgettable. Sign up for skating classes with teacher Paul Macaluso at the Milford Ice Pavilion.

Resplendently attired all in red (including a red bandana), Macaluso’s energy is infectious. The key to figure-skating

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success? “Balance, confidence and having fun!” he enthuses. Laura Broderick, who’s been the queen of the Milford snack bar for a dozen years doesn’t skate, but fiveyear-old daughter McKenzie does and, outfitted smartly in a padded suit capped with a helmet, she was a speedy bullet.

Laced up and as ready as I would ever be, I surrendered to local student Matt Rice, who took my hands and we floated around the rink (he floated, I skidded). It was a glorious sensation. Twenty minutes later I hobbled to the stands and relaxed with a Rice Krispies treat and warming coffee.

Over at the Northford Pavilion there are two rinks — one for figure skating and classes, the other for ice hockey. This place rocks 12 months a year: I hear that ice-skating in August is the best way to cool off. Manager Debbie Schmarr has been at the helm her entire adult life.

“Seeing kids grow up on the ice is the best part of my job,” Schmarr says. “This is a very inexpensive afternoon for the whole family.” Check out the hockey gear shop

that shares space here; ask owner Kevin Crowley to give you the tour — there are some neat holiday gifts ideas.

New Haven’s own Ralph Walker Ice Rink is a covered outdoor rink that almost feels like a giant pond. Inside there’s a cozy wood fire and rink manager Linda Chicoine has a warmth and enthusiasm that makes this place extremely inviting.

Chicoine teaches a “cardio skate” class that guarantees to tone muscle, elevate your heart rate and melt off pounds. On weekends the Tijuana Taco Co. parks its truck outside and the all-day lines attest to the popularity of their quesadillas, tacos and even giant protein or veggie salads.

Milford Ice Skating Pavilion, 291 Bick Dr., Milford, 203-878-6516.

Northford Ice Pavilion, 24 Fire-Lite Pl., Northford, 203-484-4054, northfordice.com.

Ralph Walker Skating Ice Rink at Blake Field, 1080 State Street, New Haven, 203-946-8007.

Each rink hosts hockey games, lessons, freeskating and kids’ birthday parties, so call ahead. v

7

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